Yates Birthday Story

October 4, 2008

Arielle Yates Birthday Party

Sister Danielle, Arielle and mom Monique Yates

All three Yates sisters, mom Monique (due any moment with sister #4)


Arielle's eight birthday cake!


All her guests singing "Happy Birthday"

The whole group posing and all smiles.


Sometimes you meet a stranger and you feel that you have known them a long time.

That is how I felt when I met Monique Yates. She is the mother of three daughters and nine months pregnant with daughter number four. As she began to tell me her story, I knew that it was something special I wanted to share on my blog. I emailed her and asked her permission and she gave me her blessing to pass it on.

She started off by saying that she burned her hand severly when she was 16 years old. A woman told her about Jesus and she went home and opened the bible to Daniel about Shadrach, Meshack and Ambendigo. The three Hebrew children were pressured to deny God, but they chose to be faithful regardless of the consequences. The King Nebuchadnezzar was furious and He ordered all three to be thrown into the blazing furnace.

Daniel 3:22 - 25 "The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. The King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O King." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like the son of God."

God's deliverancce of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was a great victory of faith for the Jews in captivity. They were protected from harm, they were comforted in trial. God was glorified and they were rewarded.

Monique, went on to say she prayed to Jesus and her hand was healed. She said this was very important because she had a dream to become an Airforce Pilot. I stood there in amazement...that was the last thing I expected her to say. Yes, that's right....this mom of three (soon to be four) daughters is a Lt. Col for the Air Force and flies jets. She met her husband, who is also in the Air Force, flying jets and she literally, took to heart the saying

A pilot never leaves his wingman.
She knew He was the man God had destined her to marry.

Thanks Monique for sharing how God is using your life and your story.

I'm so glad in my life that God is my pilot and I'm just along for the ride.