DeWayne and I were honored to join Dr. Michael (The Sower) and Audrey Guido and a few of their friends in celebrating his 93rd birthday.  Few people have touched more lives than the Guido’s.  Almost every person in the world has an opportunity to hear the Dr. Guido’s inspirational sixty second messages called “Seeds from the Sower” on radio or TV. 

We have many wonderful stories about how the Guido’s have touched our lives.  One of the most dramatic is how they live their life totally on faith.  Never have I met stronger prayer warriors or more faithful people than the Gudios.  He taught us the three secrets to prayer.

First you have to pray specifically for your need.  Second you must believe that you deserve what you are praying specifically for.  The third is having the faith to believe with all your heart that God is going to grant your need so powerfully that you begin immediately preparing to receive the blessing you are praying for.  One and two are the easy ones it is the third that most of us find difficult. 

The most powerful example of how this impacted us personally was the birth of Edie Grace.  After being married for over eleven years and photographing hundreds of beautiful children - we really began praying for a child.  We had lost faith and almost given up when Dr. Guido asked that we join them for dinner.  I remember this like it was yesterday.  It was Friday, September 1st, 2000.  After we returned from a wonderful dinner - in the living room of his home he prayed specifically that God would give us a child.  Not just a child - but the most incredibly beautiful, bright, compassionate, caring and special child that would impact our lives in indescribable ways.  When he finished his prayer he told us to go prepare for God’s blessings.  Two days later on Sunday, September 3rd (our 12th anniversary) I woke up and was overcome with the feeling that I was pregnant.  Sure enough - it was SO.  Because I was considered such a high risk our doctor instructed us not to tell anyone until after we had cleared the first trimester.  The only people, other than our doctor, that knew this wonderful news was the Guido’s.  Every day throughout the pregnancy we prayed with Dr. Guido that Edie Grace would arrive safely and be healthy.

The morning she was born we called to share the news with him.  He asked if he could christen her in his chapel in Guido Gardens.  A few weeks later - our miracle child was christened.

Every day when we look in her eyes - we see Dr. Guido and God’s love for us and we receive living testimony to the wonderful power of prayer.

Thank you Dr. Guido and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!