Signs and Visions - the Seen and Unseen: A Personal Testimony

By Frank T. Whitehurst I.C.

Frank Whitehurst, an academic expert and veteran law enforcement professional, used a mix of police reporting and academic formatting to meticulously document and present real life experiences that occurred during a period from 2012 to 2013. The occurrences and revelations are linked.
The information is of interest to people of all religious faiths, agnostics, atheists, and people who take no position. The terms miracle, vision, and sign are defined within the text to set some foundation for reading. Although some personal assumptions are made, the facts are outlined so that decisions may be made by others, based on their own intellect.
While reading, you will be challenged to ponder what has been seen and assumed, as well as what has not been seen and assumed. By pondering the information presented, you may have personal revelations and perhaps make your own connections. Still, enlightenment may stem from a spark of desire to search and seek, to self-analyze, to hone ones focus, and to pay closer attention.
It does not matter if you doubt, believe, or disbelieve. Whether using natural law or supernatural reasons, the occurrences will stimulate critical thinking. The information creates a foundation for expanding on personal beliefs and understandingto evaluate and reevaluate. Perhaps you will be surprised at what you read or more surprised at what you personally uncover.
The information presented is unique. Use these unique occurrences, revelations, and connections to read for pleasure, self-study, personal research, improved understanding, spirituality, defining a personal focus, or a challenge to identify new revelations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490829296

Frank T. Whitehurst I.C.

Frank Whitehurst is a retired state police division commander who holds several degrees, including a PhD. He has taught and supervised faculty at different universities, and he currently works in higher learning. He lives with his wife and two of his six children in Powhatan, Virginia.

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Copyright © 2014 Frank Whitehurst.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2930-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2931-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2929-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014904331

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/14/2014

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All Scripture quotations in this publications are from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my family, and all the people listed herein, especially my wife Shelli who was there every moment during or just after an occurrence providing input and support. At first, each of you must have experienced doubts. I would have too. During this time, you either experienced some of these occurrences with me or listened to my story as the blessing unfolded. Thank you for your patience, and more importantly, I thank you for your faith.

Finally, I dedicate this book to the readers. Thank you for allowing me to share my story. I pray that you will be blessed with many revelations.

Preface

The contents of this book are strictly my experiences and personal testimony. I am not speaking for any individual, group, church, religion, business, or organization. This includes my past and present employers. Furthermore, I am not asking for the confirmation of my documentation as accurate, or the events to be declared miracles. I am simply telling my story.

This book is designed for easy reading. However, the content is like pieces of a puzzle that may involve much thought. Most of the book is direct journal entry quotations placed in theme order (some errors were intentionally left unchanged), so do not be alarmed if you see a grammar/spelling error. The format is an APA style modified to attract reader attention. The writing style is a mix of a police report and an academic article. However, I make no claim that the book is scholarly. I simply present the facts with some academic format. As such, I proclaim all the information herein is true and factual, and I will attest to this under oath. Readers may want to simply read the book as it is presented, or they may want to stop and conduct some research as they go. I have tried to make that easy to do using both methods.

Simply put, I wrote this book because I saw signs and visions. The larger reason is explained as you read.

Acknowledgement

Several people supported me in writing this book. I am grateful for everyone mentioned in this book, and those who granted their permission to be included. Thank you for allowing me to share our stories and your personal stories. As explained in the book, some of you provided advice to me—thank you.

A special thank you to Michelle Shelli Whitehurst who proof read all drafts and versions of the book, prior to submission to the publisher. For the organizations that allowed me to use their photos and information, I also give a special thank you.

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction and Background

General Information and Important Names

Background and the Author

Explanation of Issues

Definitions, Format, and Considerations

Chapter 2 The Noticeable Beginnings

The First Observations

The Calling

Torment and Prayer

Unintended Reconciliation and Repentance

A Sign of Protection

The Package

The Closeness to Mary and the Trinity

Unexplained Time

Prayer and Attention

Beliefs and Proof

Interesting Comments

Recognition of Evil

Chapter 3 Visions and Clear Signs

Hurricane Sandy

Visions on My Wrist

Two Blessings

The Floods

Arson Fire

Different Locations; Shared Visions

Double Visions

The Light

Our Lady of Grace

It Just Comes To Me

Unrecognized Vision

Clarifying Terms

Chapter 4 Prayers Answered

An Unexpected Apologist Mission

Power

Direction to Pray

Surprising Answer to Prayer

Funding

Joint Prayer and Lessons

Chapter 5 Biblical Verses and Messages

Prayer Answered and My Foundation

Flood of Verses

The Event

Connected Messages

Miscommunication and a Clear Message

Too Much Thinking on My Own

Pondering Sin

Closeness to God

Two Thoughts; Two Verses

Good Neighbor

Trouble and Warning

Prayer for a Sign

Temptation

Love, Caution, and Clarity

Job Decision

Troubled

More Bible Lessons

Protection from God

Chapter 6 Healing Prayers

Unknown Stranger

Healing My Daughter

Joint Prayer and Healing

My Wife’s Pain

Healing Prayers without Touching

My Will or God’s Will in Healing

My Student

My Son

My Grandson

My Aunt Lucille

My Last Visit with Aunt Lucille

Immediate Healing

Untold Prayer

The Second Daughter’s Healing

My Sisters’ Trip

Chapter 7 Stigmata Sensations

Several Occurrences; My First Realization

Three Different People; Three Different Descriptions

The Doubt and My Personal Considerations

Family Faith

Five of the Wounds

Reflections and Signs

Feeling Distant

Continued Intensity

The Sixth Sensation

Three Different People; Three New Descriptions

Overall Reflection and Connecting the Dots

Chapter 8 Touches of Mary

Angels?

The First Touch

Meditation, Touches, and Lessons

Visions on My Wrist

My Daughter’s Experience

Two Blessings

Two More Blessings

A Change

Chapter 9 The Storms

The First Storm

Taking Real Notice

Still Another

Sensed Doubt

A Test of Faith

Damaging Weather

Another Line of Red

The Lake

The Occurrence; The Weather Map

Chapter 10 Disquieted Events

Love and Time

Evaluating Strange Occurrences

Another Occurrence with New Advice

Closer Attention

Peaceful But Not Quiet

Shared Uneasiness

Paying Closer Attention to Others

Independent Occurrences

Chapter 11 Signs Spreading to Others

My Daughter’s Blessing

My Daughter’s and Grandaughters’ Blessings

Mutual Blessings

The Second Visit

A Sign and Linked Statements

Shared Vision

A Child’s Prayer

Two Days; Two People; Two Prayers Answered

I Can Too

Answered Prayers

A Prayer for Me

The Baptisms

Anonymous Stories Shared

Chapter 12 General Reflection and New Revelations

Guided Prayer and Vision

The Presence of God

Easter Connections

Assumptions about Mary

Father Pio

Two Other Saints and More

Saint Katharine Drexel

Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Holy Sisters

Chapter 13 Why Did I Write This Book?

Direction

Assured but Feeling Doubt

Distant Feelings Again

Stay Focused

Apprehension

Getting Closer

A Personal Thought

One Last Newly Added Reason

Chapter 14 My Personal Thoughts

References

Appendix: Names

Chapter 1

Introduction and Background

Before I introduce myself and my experiences, I would like to focus on a few items gleaned from my experiences, and some general statements. Like many people, I have interacted with and befriended all types of people from various religions (e.g., Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and so forth.); still, some people who I know are atheists, agnostic, and others who make no claim. This book is for everyone. You all are in my prayers every day, and I send a special prayer to the readers of this book that you will be blessed in a special and noticeable way. If you have trouble believing in God, may you find inspiration and faith in what happened to me. One wise elderly Pentecostal minister told me that he will take prayers from anyone; all he can get. I agree, so please pray for me too.

A question that arose is why I would write a book about occurrences that people find hard to believe, even the people who have actually seen some of them with their own eyes. Why would I publish information that I know people will question? Some have already questioned my sanity. Why then would I risk my reputation and subject myself to a variety of adverse reactions? In short, I saw signs and clear connections that compelled me to write this book. As you read, I think that you will understand why, but if not, I clarify it even more at the end of the book. Consider what I have learned:

If you are looking for a reason to believe, you will find it.

If you are looking for a reason to doubt, you will find that too.

If you are not looking at all; you may find something inspirational.

Among the people who read this book, different opinions will arise. I do not expect everyone to agree with my reflections. In fact, I do not expect everyone to wholeheartedly believe my story. I do expect some people will think these things happen all the time, others may think they never happen at all, or they may seek explanations to fit their own faith and beliefs—perhaps selecting bits and pieces to believe while rejecting the other information. Some may wonder why these occurrences have not happened to them. Still others may think I have lost my mind or that I have a hidden agenda. The possibilities seem limitless.

The diversity of opinions is normal. When I explained some of my occurrences to family and friends, I received different reactions. At first, most told me nothing like this has happened to them. Some said, at best, they experienced one or two supernatural occurrences in their whole life. Based on my experiences, I suggest that, perhaps, they may not have paid close enough attention. As you read, you will understand why I make that statement. In fact, as my discussions continued with them over days and weeks, many shared additional personal stories that I considered remarkable; I will quote some of their comments in this book. When I asked why they never shared their story before, they replied, because people would think I am crazy. I told each of them that I did not think they were crazy.

This brings me to what one friend suggested—that because I was focused on the Devine, either: (a) I am making more out of it than it really is, or (b) I am causing it. These are interesting concepts. After consideration, I believe this. Perhaps God does reveal more if one pays attention, but ignoring signs does not mean they never happened. However, you can be assured of one thing—I did not will or cause anything, nor do I desire that responsibility. That I leave to God. With regard to suggestion a (above), I can only stress that I documented what happened as true facts (exactly as the events occurred), and I related my reflections exactly as they were revealed to me. While my reflections of the occurrences contain my personal revelations about the occurrences and perceived meanings, each reader must use their intellect to form their own opinion and belief. No matter what your faith or beliefs; I recommend that you look for signs, document them, evaluate them, and try to connect the dots. You might be surprised at what you learn and what is revealed to you.

General Information and Important Names

As you read, you will find pictures related to the text. These pictures have been altered for publication (e.g., changed to black and white). As such, many of the pictures do not provide an exact replica of what was seen on the date of the occurrence. Another issue is the size and clarity of the monitor, when the pictures were originally viewed. I have done the best that I could to provide an accurate depiction, but as the saying goes, sometimes you just have to be there. That said, in some cases, you can go to the original source as cited to view the pictures; just remember that you may need to zoom in or out, as you analyze.

Throughout the book, I have cited the available source information. However, this is not a scholarly or academic book. This is my personal testimony—a presentation of my journal notes. When I shared my occurrences, several people asked me, Are you documenting this? Strangely, I said yes, but I was unsure why, as I have never been the type to keep a personal journal.

For different reasons, I did not mention everyone’s name involved in my blessings. However, there are several people mentioned in this book. For the sake of clarity, see the Appendix for a list of important names.

Background and the Author

I am a retired state police division commander (captain) with 30 years law enforcement experience. My formal education focuses on criminal justice, homeland security, and business. I have taught these subjects, developed courses, and designed programs for several universities. However, I have no formal theology education, and as you will see; I am a simple ignorant Christian.

The following chapters provide a summary of the documented details as well as my understanding and perspective of the signs seen. I profess this information to be the truth and fact as best that I can explain and articulate it. For decades, I documented evidence for state and federal hearings. This experience and my knowledge of documentation were used to collect the information about the occurrences that I present. Every occurrence that I have experienced is not presented in this book. At one point, the occurrences came so frequently that I could not keep up with the documentation. Furthermore, because presenting some occurrences would reveal the identities of people who are not yet ready to reveal their own spiritual experiences, I purposely omitted them. It is their choice to profess and testify about their experiences in their own way. As such, for these and other reasons, all occurrences/elements are not included.

In order to better understand my experiences, allow me to explain my religious background. I was born in a Catholic/Protestant home (Mother/Father respectively). Although I was baptized Catholic, I attended services at a variety of churches (e.g., Holy Pentecostal, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, and others), but for almost a half century, I mostly prayed to God without attending any church. I truly believed. On several occasions, I faced imminent mortal danger with total peace, because of my faith in God. If someone were to ask me was I a Christian, I would have definitely said yes. However, my Biblical knowledge was sketchy and slim; it was based on what others (from all faiths) had told me and very few references from a King James Bible. I knew the Lord’s Prayer and 23rd Psalm, and recited them from time to time, but that was about it. The only religious holiday I could clearly explain was Christmas.

Like some people of different faiths, I went to church to punch my holy ticket. I did not hear the Priest/Pastor/Minister (respective to the church that I attended). I was detached. I could not tell you the differences in religious beliefs or even the differences among Christians. To me, a Christian was simply a Christian. Although I painfully understand some differences now, I was truly, and I remain a simple ignorant Christian. Prior to presenting the actual occurrences, I want to stress that I feel like the most unlikely and unworthy person to receive a blessing like this from God. Although this is the most remarkable part in my life, I know that this does not punch my auto-ticket to heaven. I am simply blessed, connected to God, and very thankful.

As I was pondering how to write this book, the term theurgist came to me. Theurgy is defined as, the art or technique of compelling or persuading a god or beneficent or supernatural power to do or refrain from doing something [By permission. From Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition ©2013 by Merriam-Webster, Inc. (www.Merriam-Webster.com).] (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013c). Be assured that this term does not apply to me and these occurrences. This term is better suited for wizard type fantasy games. I do not claim to have power, nor do I talk God into anything. I make no claim to be a psychic, medium, miracle worker, or saint, and I caution anyone who