God in action

When we lost our youngest daughter at the age of 13 the entire family was devastated. My other kids Felipe and Amber witnessed it and were deeply affected, I think it hit Felipe harder because being a young man he could not openly cry and let it out like Amber could. It built up inside of him and finally he exploded, he was very troubled.

A rebel from birth like his father, the tattoos slowly covered his arms, chest, stomach and back and he got into drugs. But the seeds were sewn early in his life, we attended a church that had a great minister, Dennis Platt. Dennis and I became best friends and we took family vacations together. I got him into scuba diving and EMS, he became the Chaplain for our local volunteer Fire and EMS department. He was a very calming influence on the family when we made critical calls, we had to go to the station and get the ambulance first so he beat us to the scene. It was always good to see the flashers of his old Caddilac parked in front of the house.

The years have passes and the pain has healed and now both of my children attend church regularly with their children. Felipe has his own motorcycle ministry and teaches Sunday School. It got very cold last week and he was going to do some prison ministry on his motorcycle. He had never wore his helmet since he bought it but for some reason that morning he put on his helmet, chaps and leather jacket.

He laid his bike down when he hit a patch of ice and broke his helmet. It would have been his skull. I believe that God was at work here. This is my son Felipe on the right with a local Bandido.

Looks like you got an early Christmas gift! I have been noticing God's work in a lot of lives lately. HE asks so little of us and yet HE gives so very much! I thank HIM for blessing you and your son!

So happy to hear that your son was not injured, Bullfrog. They say there is no such thing as coincidences. This is a excellent illustration to show us how God is always at work in our lives.

Until we get to heaven we likely will never know how many times God intervened to physically save us. You did a great job as a father. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."

I know of one instance in my life where God intervened and saved my life. I found the proof of His intervention the following day. God is good....

Thank you all, it is more than a coincidence that I have never seen Felipe wear a helmet and we have ridden together a lot. That was the first time. I taught him to ride starting when he was about 9 years old sitting on the gas tank of my old Yamaha. He would grab the handlebars and the throttle and I would ease back on the seat so he couldn't feel me anymore. He felt like he was alone on this big bike.

Oh my word!! That must have been a frightening experience. It's good sometimes though to have things like that because if helps us remember what's important in life.

Many years ago, before Michigan had a helmet law, (which we do now) my then husband and I were taking his bike out after he had replaced a clutch plate in it. It was up for sale because we needed the money for him to finish college. Wester Michigan University is built on hills and there was a skin of snow. We had turned a corner and starting down a hill when he shifed down. I was on the back and of course the back of the bike gently swung around and I slid off. He went rolling too while the bike slid down the hill. He had on his dress Wellington boots as he had worn them to church earlier and his leather jacket. Didn't have pants. Anyway, we picked ourselves up scared to death the bike was hurt and wouldn't sell. It was fine and we felt ourselves over and decided we were OK. Later, I was polishing his boots and discovered a triangular snag in the surface right at the ankle. I think the bike would have broken his ankle if he wouldn't have had his boots on. Yes, I know, you are all struggling to imagine me as a motorcycle Mama.

Locally in nearby Anaheim there is a biker ministry called Set Free: Set Free

Set Free Soldiers

They have multiple ministries and according to some they have done a lot of good. Others however question the way the founder, Phil Aguilar, run the ministry. They say Aguilar's rules and authoritarian control made it more like a cult than a church. But then again, some of these guys are hardcore.... Set Free pulls in Bikers from various outlaw biker groups and he for instance has performed weddings for Mongol bikers.

Last year a number of Set Free soldiers got into with several Hell's Angels in a bar down in Newport Beach. Both groups were flying their colors and supposedly the Hells Angels came to confront Aguilar about rumors that some Set Free soldiers were claiming association with the Hells Angels. A fight broke out resulting in a Hells Angel getting stabbed and getting his throat slit. He survived but there has since been multiple arrests of both Hells Angels and Set Free soldiers.

Several bikers on both sides have been convicted and sentenced but I don't know if Aguilar has yet gone to trial. I believe he was charged with being an ex felon with a gun and street terrorism.