Saints Mom and Dad
Dorothy A. Miller
March 18, 1927
April 14, 1998
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Theodore A. Miller
September 2, 1922
December 3, 2000
1999
01. On the first anniversary of Mom’s passing unto Glory, as near to her ‘Feast Day” as possible, we, her children, with her husband, our Dad, and one of her neighbors, gathered in Dad’s house to pray the Rosary. We had not prayed together as a family in 35 years. Gathering to pray the Rosary was in itself a miracle. Even more significant to me was that for the first time in my life I heard my father pray out loud. Maybe that’s not a miracle, but after that day of prayers, Dad was a changed man; I would even say he was 'Born Again' at the impressionable age of 76 years old.
In the year following Mom’s death, my youngest brother, Andrew, came to believe in Jesus Christ and, just a couple of weeks before we prayed the Rosary, he was confirmed into the Christian Faith. During the Rosary, I prayed that our grief for Mom would be comforted. It was! My sister, Meg, prayed that Dad would not become a bitter, lonely man. He did not! Instead, he married Betty and lived happily ever after; and he joined Mom in Heaven on December 3, 2000!
2000
02. I prayed to publish my testimony of faith, Onward, Broken Soldier, I did! And although I only self-published 30 copies, the direction of my life was dramatically changed towards becoming a writer of Spiritual essay.
2001
03. I prayed for a new career, specifically for a ministry I could operate from home as a disabled person. I founded one! The Cyber Church Café was incorporated 11/21/01.
2002
04. I prayed that my ministry would grow. It did! In addition to praying the Rosary, I learned the Prayer of Jabez:"And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested." (1 Chronicles 4:10;NKJV). My ministry expanded to the MJM – Motorcyclists for Jesus Ministries in Gettysburg, PA, to NECMA – North East Carroll Ministerial Association in NE Carroll County, to CMC – Christian Musicians Connection in Catonsville, MD, to MCM – Maryland Coffeehouse Ministry-leaders in Brooklyn, MD, and back home to MAMA – Manchester Area Merchants Association, where I was elected to vice president.
2003
05. I prayed for Divine protection of my son, Theo, while serving in Iraq. He returned home unharmed! I prayed for my back to be healed. It was! In truth, to give glory, honor and praise to the One Holy Spirit, in my Ecumenical ministry, during this birthday month of April, I also prayed for healing with the radical MJM Christian bikers; the Lutheran Alpha Christians; the United Methodist Alpha Christians; the Baptist Christian Choir; the Messianic Jewish Christians; and on my 50th birthday, I prayed with my own non-denominationalist Christian children. My back was healed in April! And by mid-May, I had discontinued all medication and I was walking without pain!
2004
06. I prayed that I would glorify God in thanksgiving for the miracle of healing my back. I did! I ran in and completed the 2004 Baltimore Marathon to the glory of God! And after the marathon, God piled the miracles on when, because of my disability, I received a full scholarship to Towson University.
2005
07. I prayed to stop smoking and to do well in school. I did quit smoking! And, although I failed a course on Islam history in the first semester, I made the dean’s list in the second semester. Today my GPA is 2.91 and climbing.
2006
08. I prayed to lose 40 pounds, to do well in school, to know God’s will beyond TU, to meet a good woman to partner in ministry, and to better the lives of all by the power of the Holy Spirit through my involvement with this Praying of the Rosary. I lost 25 pounds, increased my GPA to 3.01 and have current GPA ~3.7 for this semester’s efforts, adjusted my career goals to begin actualization this summer after graduation from TU, have a date for Theo’s wedding with a good woman who could be a partner in my ministry to the homeless, and I have drawn closer to some of my relatives and friends by the Praying of the Rosary.
2007
09. The year before last, three more close relatives joined the ranks of Saints in Heaven. Imagine the joy of their reunion with relatives who preceded them by many years. Imagine the relief from suffering in this body of flesh. No more pain! This year my prayers in the Spirit and my intimate contact with the Communion of Saints include:
Ted and Dorothy Miller, parents
John DeBoy, uncle
Paul Hayes, uncle
Paul Miller, uncle
Claire Miller, aunt
Joseph and John Miller, brothers
Ted and Louisa Miller, grandparents
Tom and Mabel Christian, grandparents
Irene and Lillie Heise, great-aunts
David Tiren, beloved fiancé of my step-mom Betty.
These are my closest relatives who are now elite members of the Communion of Saints in Heaven. My slightly distant relatives, like Aunt Sadie and Aunts Edith and Ideth, are also in communion with the Eternal Realm of Saints, which by my understanding includes you and me, the Communion of Saints on Earth. I have come to understand this from Saint Paul’s opening remarks to the Romans: “And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all (in Rome) [and everywhere]who are loved by God and called to be saints…” (Romans 1:6-7, NIV).
With all this power in Heaven and on Earth, connected by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit of Almighty God, we, the Miller/Christian Family, should have confidence and Faith that our prayers shall be answered and that great miracles shall be received. Now, let our Praying of the Rosary get something great accomplished this year!
