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Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see them all around you.
- Jon Bon Jovi
By: Gina Kay Singerhouse
Editor
In the darkest hours, it emerges. At first it is just a sliver of light that breaks through the darkness. In time, that shred of light over powers the darkness. It’s a fight between light and dark; and dark always loses to the light.
As the light forces the darkness back, it casts a beautiful array of colors. Black turns into deep purple and on into blue, orange and then yellow. It’s a spectrum of colors that will capture your breath while it renews your heart. This is the dawn of a new day.
Have you ever taken time out of your busy schedule to watch a sunrise? The effervescent feeling that you get while witnessing the world around you rise with the sun, is pure emotional and inspirational. Some call this a miracle.
What do you call a miracle? In your life have you ever witnessed a miracle? Have you ever been part of a miracle?
Country music entertainer and television star, Irlene Mandrell, has heard and witnessed miracles all of her life. After years of collecting stories, about miracles, Irlene has put them together in a new book called God Rains Miracles.
“The main ones were in my family, before I was born. So, at least over thirty years.” laughs Irlene Mandrell when asked how long she had been collecting these stories. “Okay, way over thirty years!”
The two hundred and seventy-two-page book is filled with stories from family and friends about various events and phenomenon. Mandrell fans will certainly recognize many of the stories as they regard to events that were made public. Stories like her sister Barbara’s miracle birth and car accident.
“...Daddy always says that the miracle was that Barbara was born Christmas day. Mom’s name is Mary and he was a very wise man!” laughs Irlene. “Oh he loved kidding everybody! Oh there’s so many stories about my Dad, you wouldn’t believe it!”
In person, Irlene Mandrell is very down to earth. She contains so much love and is filled with a light mentality that always brings a liveliness into everything that she does. In her new book, she shares with the reader that spirit as she recounts each of the stories shared with her.
“I started...I had help, a friend Denise Nickel, who was getting me a lot of different stories, besides the ones I was getting. But I would get the stories at events where I’d be with artists and then I never felt like I should follow up with it. You know you have to have them sign a release...It was easier on the miracles, because they just fell in my lap. It was just amazing!” shares Ms. Mandrell. “I mean the family has so many and the extended family that I knew… there were people coming up to me and telling me their miracles out of no where! They didn’t even know I was writing a book! I was trying to finish it up and well like I’ve got to add this story. Don would say—we need to finish it up! And I said I have to add this story, there’s one more! I’d be some where and just talking to someone and was like God wanted me to put it in the book.”
God Rains Miracles is written in a unique way. Each story begins with “Irlene’s Insight,” in which Irlene introduces the ‘characters’ of the following story. Then she shares their story as if she were telling it around a campfire or in any storytelling situation.
“I never said that...he [Don Tomlinson] came up with Irlene’s Insights.” tells Irlene. “But I had already started writing about who people were in the few stories that I had done. We both felt the same way, but I just did it so people would understand. You need to know the people before you really get into their story, and when they connect them to us; they know our family and they know us, I do think it really helps personalize it.”
Each of the stories within the book are compelling. Nonetheless, the one that stands out the most is the one about Police Officer Michelle Mehr. Mehr, then Jeter, was working with the Carthage, Texas, Police Department when she conducted what she thought was a routine traffic stop. Nonetheless, it quickly escaladed into a nightmare. Mehr was one of the few officers who had a dash camera at the time. The footage has now become a teaching tool for new potential police officers. I could share with you the details, word for word; however, it is best that you read the story first hand.
“It is always a great blessing to me. Because I got blessings off the stories.” shares Irlene. “Even though I knew most of them, I still didn’t just write them as I remembered them. I had the people record it again, write the story and then show it to them again and make sure it’s exactly their story. But every time I would hear them telling the story, I would most of the time… whether it’s a great ending to the story, whatever, but… just kind of a cleansing cry. Not just a cry of being sad, but it’s really cool!”
Interesting parties can purchase this inspirational book on Irlene’s website at IrleneMandrell.com. Irlene does her best to personalize each book with her autograph.
God Rains Miracles follows in the wake of Irlene’s debut album Thanks To You. The eleven-cut album features an array of patriotic songs. Irlene is caring on the family band tradition that was started with her father, Irby Mandrell, as she gains musical and vocal help from her two daughters Christina and Vanessa as well as her son Deric.
Irlene Mandrell is slated to appear on Strictly Country’s Friday night radio show—Around The Campfire on November 9, 2018, to do a cut-by-cut of the album.
Recently Irlene released her latest single called “You Ain’t Nothing But A Heartache.” The classic country tune is sure to get your toes stomping with its catchy melody mixed with Texan style lyrics.
Irlene has several ideas in the making for a couple more books. She is also looking at releasing another single and perhaps another album. Ms. Mandrell will close out 2018 with a Christmas tour with her family band. Details were not available at the time of printing.
“Like you said to remember, every time I gave someone a miracle or told them about a miracle, it seems like some body would share one back.” reminisces Irlene. “I think it helps people relate to their own miracles and start thinking...yeah, if they’re struggling and going through a hard time. I’ve had a couple people say—You know, it was a bad time. I read your book and it blessed me and made me realize or made me want to start staying in tune more. I pray a lot and I think about God a lot and I read books. I love to read books too about angels and stuff. If I cried, it was always a cleansing cry, which was not even that I needed it. It was just felt good. I just want everyone to get a blessing.”
Each day we move about in our own little worlds. Many of us are oblivious to the fact that there are miracles around us. Some are just waiting to happen, while others unfold before our very own eyes.
In the clear autumn sky, the sun slowly sets. It gives way to the end of the day. It is at this time that the darkness of the night over powers the light of the day. The night gives us time to reflect the events of the day. Those events, that were filled with a multitude of miracles.
I hope these stories bless you
as they have blessed me.
- Irlene Mandrell.
- (© Strictly Country Magazine - September / October 2018.)
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