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Beyond Words

As I often say, there are no coincidences in life; there are only “Godincidences.” Nearing the completion of this book, I experienced my own profound divine visit. As I write these words, I am overcome with emotion just thinking about it. And although the experience is beyond words, I will do my best to describe what happened.

In March 2012 I had an appointment for my annual mammogram. Shortly after I was told that I needed to go back for another scan. Typically this does not alarm me as I have dense breasts and, therefore, very often have to go back for a second mammogram or ultrasound. This time, however, they needed to take another look at the left side of my breasts.

Since I was traveling, I could not make an appointment until two weeks later which brought me back for a screening on Monday, April 9th—a day that I will remember vividly for the rest of my life. When I arrived, I was first given another mammogram by one of the x-ray technicians on staff. Afterwards I was told that the doctor wanted me to have an ultrasound. At this point I must admit I was concerned but not alarmed.

As the second technician scanned my breasts, I noticed that she paid special attention to one area on the left side. After she spent several minutes examining the scans of my breasts, she looked at me and said, “I'll be right back. I have to go talk to the doctor.” As she left the room leaving me alone with my thoughts, I sensed that I was in trouble. My body literally began to shake from head to toe.

Not knowing what else to do, I decided to ask God if everything was going to be okay. I was hoping that my gut instincts were wrong so I asked telepathically, Is everything okay? Unexpectedly and shockingly, I clearly heard a voice in my mind say, No! You can just imagine how shocked I was. At this point I thought maybe I had imagined it and asked again, Is everything okay? Again I unmistakably heard back, No!

Honestly, I wanted to run out of that room. I was startled, confused, scared, etc. There I was lying on a table, topless in a dimly lit room alone. Not knowing what else to do, I cried out to God for help. I was so distraught that I cannot remember my exact words, but they went something like this: Well, God, if it's not okay, you have to fix this. I can't leave yet. I'm doing so much right now. I need to finish my book. Lord, I want to be there for my children. Then holding back tears, I thought of my Godmother Lucy. Let me pause here and give you a little description of my beautiful, wonderful godmother Lucy LoBrace.

Lucy was the type of person who always put everyone before herself. She did everything she could to help everyone else and never thought much about her own needs. She never married and worked as a seamstress for several years at a company in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Since she had no children, I was her self-proclaimed daughter, and I proudly called her my second mom. We passed many hours together as I grew up, going shopping downtown, having sleepovers, or just passing time lounging on her big Victorian porch. As we both grew older, the bond we shared grew stronger, and I cherished the times I got to spend with Lucy.

I could go on and on talking about what a wonderful person she was, but what's important here is that she had more faith in God than anyone I have ever known. Despite many hardships in her life and through the untimely death of many of her close family members, she held on to her faith. She strongly believed in the power of prayer and kept a shrine of saint medallions in her room: St. Jude, St. Joseph, and St. Theresa. She had them all. She also faithfully said many daily novenas to various saints and when she was physically able, always attended mass on Sundays.

Through the years I would always tell her, “Lucy, if there's anyone who is going to get to heaven, it's you. Put in a good word for me when you get there.” She would always just smile at me and chuckle. I would also tell her to make sure that she gave me a sign to let me know that everything was okay when she crossed over. Lucy unexpectedly passed on February 22, 2010 from an apparent heart attack. Although I was shocked and saddened by the news, I had no doubt whatsoever that she was in a much better place and was now happy to be with her loved ones once again. In fact, she has let me know in many ways that she is still with me. I will share one example here before I get back to that day in the radiology room.

Often when I'm at my desk writing, I go onto You Tube and put in a song that I can listen to as I write. Recently I was really missing my Godmother Lucy and put “My Melody of Love” in the search field. For those of you who may not know, this was a popular song by singer Bobby Vinton in the 70s.

When I was young, my godmother gave me a Mickey Mouse record player. It was white with Mickey Mouse on the cover, and the needle was actually Mickey's arm. I loved it, and it brought me many hours of enjoyment. One day Lucy came over with the 45 of “My Melody of Love,” and the two of us had such a great time doing the polka and singing to this Bobby Vinton hit.

So on this day as I sat there missing my godmother, I wanted to hear this song that had special meaning to both of us. As the song played via You Tube, the tears began to flow. Suddenly I yelled out as if she was within earshot, “Lucy, are you here? Do you remember this? Bobby Vinton. “My Melody of Love?” I then cried for several more minutes before going back to my work.

The following week, my husband John asked me if my daughter Lia had told me about the dream she had had involving my godmother. When I told him that she hadn't, he told me to ask her what happened. When I did, Lia seemed confused and flustered. She told me that she had had a dream about “Grandma Lucy” (this is what my two daughters called Lucy) but was confused by it. I told her to just tell me what happened, and this is what she said:

Mommy, Grandma Lucy walked up to this box and opened it. When she opened it, there was this thing going round and round and there was a little stick sticking up.

I stood there open mouthed. My daughter Lia unknowingly just gave me a huge validation. I realized that Lia was, of course, describing a record player, but Lia was ten years old. So in this age of CDs and MP3 players, she had no idea of what she was seeing. She is not familiar with LPs and 45s. She is not familiar with record players. So why, then, did she dream of my godmother and a record player? This was Lucy's way of letting me know that she did remember. Yes, she was there, and yes, she did remember “My Melody of Love.”

By the way, I showed my daughter pictures of record players, and she confirmed that this was what she had indeed seen. But why would my Godmother Lucy visit my daughter in a dream and not me? This is what is called a third-party sign. Think about it for a moment. Obviously, it is more validating for my Godmother Lucy to go to my daughter Lia and not to me. I may have thought I was having the dream simply because I had asked Lucy if she was there with me. However, hearing this message from Lia (a third party who had no knowledge of what happened) was a far stronger and convincing validation.

As I said earlier, Lucy has given me many signs or visits from heaven as I like to call them such as the one I just described above, but everything pales in comparison to what happened that day as I waited for the technician to return. Again, I had cried out to God telepathically for help and then thought of my godmother. So I decided to make a second plea for help to Lucy.

“Lucy,” I pleaded. “If I've ever needed you to be here for me, it's now. Please, Lucy, help me!”

And then it happened. Within mere seconds I saw a bright white orb descend from the ceiling directly above me. I stared at it in utter astonishment and thought, I must be imagining things. I closed my eyes and opened them again, but it was still there. The white was very bright, and it was not transparent. In other words, I could not see through this orb which looked to be about four inches long and just three inches wide. The orb was perfectly round but had rays of light protruding out of it.

No doubt something very divine was taking place. I lay there mesmerized by this beautiful, breathtaking vision and watched as it slowly descended toward me. A smile warmed my face, and I completely calmed down. When the orb came to about four inches above my chest, it then slowly moved to my right and stopped.

At this point I communicated with this divine presence telepathically saying, It's okay. I'm not afraid; come to me, and reached out my hand to it. When I did, the orb slowly turned a beautiful, vibrant purple. For lack of a better description, the orb looked to be alive with energy and vibration. A small dot of purple formed in the center and then became bigger and bigger until it encompassed most of the white, changing color right before my eyes. As though I was in a trance, I lay there spellbound watching what was unfolding before me, feeling totally at peace and content. Then…the technician suddenly opened the door. My heart skipped a beat as she broke my trance, and the magnificent orb quickly disappeared, leaving me wishing that the technician had given me more time to take in this divine visit.

As she took more scans of my breasts, my mind and my heart were elsewhere as I replayed over and over again in my mind what had just happened to me. I wondered how I was going to explain to my family and friends what had just occurred to me. I even wondered if they would believe me but then quickly decided that it didn't matter who believed and who did not believe. I knew what had happened, and that's all that mattered. But as I drove home that day, I couldn't help but wonder what it all meant. Was it God? Was it my Godmother Lucy? Was I being told that everything was going to be okay? Or was I being told that it was my time but not to worry? And why had the orb turned purple? What did this all mean?

When my husband returned home from work later that day, I told him what had happened as he looked at me dumbfounded by my words. “That is amazing!” he said. “That is a once in a lifetime experience. Just incredible! What a blessing!”

Yes, it was a blessing, but I couldn't help but ponder why it happened. Who came to me and why? As an author and researcher of the afterlife and the paranormal, I certainly had no qualms about what I saw. It was clearly an orb which is how spirit energy often manifests in photographs. But there is a big difference between seeing an orb in a photo and seeing one in person while totally awake! There is also a big difference between being visited by spirits or deceased loved ones during your dream state and actually seeing them with your own eyes.

Two days later I answered the phone to hear my gynecologist on the other end. “Josephine, there is something on your left side. There is something there that shouldn't be there. I want you to have a biopsy as soon as possible. Don't wait.”

I could clearly hear the panic in his voice. He referred me to a breast cancer specialist and told me to make an appointment. Everything goes blank from that moment on because I was so stunned that I couldn't hear the rest of my doctor's words. I do remember hanging up the phone and crying. I had been through this all before when I was diagnosed with melanoma in 2000. I had gotten the same call. I had heard the same panic. All those painful memories came rushing back. Only now I had two beautiful young daughters to worry about.

Why? Why would this happen to me in the midst of everything that I am trying to do to get the word out about God, the power of prayer, the afterlife, universal consciousness, etc. Mostly, however, I kept thinking about my kids. As I've said in my books many times, I am not afraid to die. The body is just a garment we wear in order to be able to experience life on this earth. When we crossover, we change our outfit. We go back to being spirit which is and always will be our true essence. Because I know this, it is definitely easier for me when I lose a loved one, but it's definitely not easy. It hurts. It really hurts. I am only human so I long for that physical contact just like everyone else.

Two days later I attended an engagement party for my neighbor's daughter. In all honesty I did not want to go because I was upset and worried, but I didn't want to cancel at the last minute either. So my husband and I put on a happy face and tried to make the best of it. It was a beautiful affair, and I ended up sitting next to my neighbor and friend Janet, who is a breast cancer survivor. I hadn't planned on talking about my predicament but decided to ask Janet for her advice.

After I told her about my hectic week, she looked at me surprisingly and said, “It's you!” I had no idea what she was talking about, but she went on to explain that she had had a vivid dream. In the dream she was told that someone was going to be coming to her for help. “Josie,” she said, “It's you. You are the one that I am supposed to help!” WOW! I looked at her both astonished and grateful as I knew someone was looking after me on the Other Side. Janet went on to tell me that what made this even more astonishing was that she usually never remembers her dreams. But she had had no doubt she was meant to remember this one.

The following week I went to see the breast specialist who examined me and set up an appointment for a biopsy. While I waited for the day of the biopsy, I tried to keep myself busy with writing this book. One day as I was going over one of the chapters, I froze when I came to Lori's response to one of my questions. Lori, who is a gifted psychic medium, wrote, “We humans are made up of matter, and matter is energy. Energy can neither be created, nor can it be destroyed. When we die, the energy is still there and takes a new form. If you were to see it, you would see hazy smoke or orbs of light.” I read this and reread this. “…you would see hazy smoke or orbs of light”

I then wrote to Lori telling her what had happened to me at the imaging center. In response she wrote, “When you called on your godmother to be with you, she was. You pulled down a wall and invited a loved one in. You were open, and she presented to you.” I was just stunned as I read her words. So it really was my Godmother Lucy! Lori also went on to explain that the reason the orb changed colors is because when I reached out to it, my energy fused with my godmother's energy, thereby creating the color purple.

Lori concluded, “You have love on your side.” I can't tell you how much her comforting words had meant to me. I have a wonderful page on Facebook based on my book Visits from Heaven.² I have told the bereaved countless times that their loved ones are just a thought away. “When we think of our loved ones, we bring them to us. If you need help, just ask. They can be of more help to us from the Other Side than they were when they were on this Earth.” I have said these words so many times, and now I experienced the truth of my very own words.

I was desperate for help. I cried out to God. I asked my Godmother Lucy for help. Within seconds she manifested before me in the form of an orb. She was always there for me and still is. Only now Lucy is in spirit.

A few days later, I had the biopsy and the stressful wait for the results began. The biopsy was performed on Tuesday, April 24. Two days later my phone rang early in the morning. It was the breast imaging doctor on the line. “It is benign,” he said. “I just read the report and had to call you. I am surprised. I thought it was cancer.” He went on to say how it had looked like cancer to him, but I don't remember his exact words because my happy sobs kept interrupting him.

“No, I'm telling you this because you should be happy,” he quickly added trying to calm me. I remember uttering something like, “I know. Thank you.” How was I going to explain what had happened in that room to this doctor? How was I going to tell him that I believed my fate was changed in that very room when the orb appeared before me? I hung up the phone and continued sobbing in my husband John's arms.

The doctor's honesty confirmed what I had been feeling all along and what I was told that day. Remember, I had asked God telepathically, Is everything okay? And I clearly heard back in my mind, No! I asked this same question twice, and twice I heard, No! Why would I hear back, No, if everything was alright? Why would I hear this if it wasn't cancer? Why would I hear this if it was originally benign?

Fast forward another week and I was in my gynecologist/obstetrician's office for my annual exam. We talked about the biopsy, and since I have a close relationship with my ob-gyn, I decided to tell him what had transpired that day at the diagnostic center. I also told him that I knew it didn't look good because the imaging doctor had told me he thought it was cancer.

My doctor then admitted that this is what was reported to him. “Listen, I don't know what happened here,” he told me. “Let's just be happy with the results.” He went on to say that he often hears stories such as mine and that there are things in life we just can't explain.

While I agree that there are some things in life that we just can't explain, I don't believe that this experience is one of them. I know that what happened to me on that day in that room was a divine intervention. I also know that the power of prayer played a huge part in my good fortune. Many family and friends were praying for me, including rosary groups. I was saying daily novenas to the Blessed Mother, Saint Peregrine, and Padre Pio. In fact, the day after I was told that I needed to have a biopsy, I was in my room praying to my Godmother Lucy. A few minutes later I went into my drawer looking for a prayer card she had given me. I found the card along with a note from my godmother. In it I found a small medal depicting the Blessed Mother. As I read the note, I was stunned when I came to the last paragraph. In it, she wrote, “Pin this medal on your bra. It's blessed”

Rereading the note, I stared in disbelief. “Pin this medal on your bra.” My godmother once again came to me with a message of her presence at the most opportune time. I said a prayer of thanks and then took the medal and pinned it to the left side of my bra. That same night I called my friend Ray Skop, a faith healer in Jersey City, New Jersey, who has been at the helm of several miracles. (We will talk more about Ray a little later in this book).

So while many factors played a part in my positive outcome and I cannot possibly exempt anything while expressing my thanks, I can say that it all began with the divine visit that I received in that room at the diagnostic radiology center. I can also say it began with my desperate cry for help and hence the appearance and miracle of that incredible orb.

My life hasn't been the same since. I am a new person. The sky is bluer. The grass is greener. Everything radiates with love and energy. When I called Toni DiBernardo whose divine visit I described in the previous chapter and who assisted me in putting this book together, she excitedly exclaimed, “I know exactly what you mean, Josie. I call these God Shots. Everything looks more beautiful than it did before.” I smiled in agreement feeling and sharing in her excitement. I wasn't alone in my newfound way of looking at the world. While Toni prefers to call it God Shots, I like to think of it more as soul impressions for I no longer see with my eyes; I see with my soul. And while mere words don't begin to describe the magnificence of what I experienced that day, at least I have given you a glimpse.

²For information about the Visits from Heaven Facebook Group or to join, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/256369014386004/.