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GOP Senator: After My Stroke, I Saw Angels

Jan. 2, 2013 8:00pm Jason Howerton

Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk Says He Saw Angels After Suffering Massive Stroke

In this Dec. 18, 2012 photo, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk speaks about his recovery from a major stroke a year ago at his home in Highland Park, Ill. Kirk said it is the hardest thing he’s ever done. He plans to return to the U.S. Senate on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, and climb the 45 steps of the Capitol. Credit: AP

Almost a year after he suffered a massive stroke, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) plans on returning to work on Thursday. In a wide-ranging interview with the Chicago Daily Herald, Kirk revealed that he saw three angels at the foot of his bed before waking up in a hospital bed last January.

Kirk said the angels asked him if he wanted to come with them, to which the senator replied, “No. I’ll hold off.”

“I would say that I definitely became much more religious,” Kirk told the Herald. “They say there are no atheists in foxholes, and this stroke put me into a very deep foxhole. Yet, that feeling of faith sustained me, so I have no feelings of anger or regret.”

Kirk also talked about visualizing walking up the steps to the Capitol to keep him motivated. “I kept imagining going back to work…and the irreducible physical amount of effort I had to put in,” he added.

Kirk’s stroke was reportedly caused by a blocked artery and occurred on the right side of his brain, affecting movement on his left side. He said he realized how close to death he was while he was having his stroke.

“A thing goes off in your head that this is the end,” he recalled.

But now, almost a year later, Kirk will achieve his goal and walk up the steps to the Capitol under his own power.

(H/T: Washington Post)

Featured image via AP

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Comments (81)

sbenard
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:51am
2 Kgs 6:15-17
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that [be] with us [are] more than they that [be] with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain [was] full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

We are surrounded by the “hosts” of the God of hosts!

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- ScarletRose
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 3:40am
  TRUE! The skies have FILLED with the Angel Warriors of the Lord. He has put a Song in my heart for the last 5 years, and they are riding hard. It is an amazing sight.
  
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sbenard
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:42am
We brought my Dad home from the hospital, where he spent that last few weeks of his life, as he lost his battle with multiple myeloma. We had hospice care at home for about a month. My father, shortly before his death, asked my mother who were all the people in the room those last few days that were dressed in white, and that were attending to him. None of us was surprised.

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dontbotherme
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:37am
This is great news! Senator Kirk is a good man. I believe that Angels are real. They fight battles & protect us when we are at our weakest & most vulnerable times in life. God’s hand is reaching to pull us from the darkness. All we have to do is grab hold.

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JEANNIEMAC
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 11:51pm
Dreaming is actually the brain’s way of DE-fragmenting sensory information received during the day.
But, near-death experiences are different. The little boy who met his sister, who had been lost in a miscarriage, had not been told of her by his parents. God exists, and if we take the time to meditate on Him, silencing our thoughts, and giving Him the time to get thorough to us, we will know this.

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- Detroit paperboy
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:40am
  He envisioned going back to work ? Really….. To what ? Raise taxes and smother small businesses…
  
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- CABERNETQHS
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:01am
  I agree totally. My mother saw her deceaded parents frequently before she died of parkinsons, my nephew saw his deceased grandfather sitting on his hospital bed after having brain surgery. If all of these visits were just dreams or hallucinations, why wouldn’t my mother, who had dimentia, see some other important person in her life? Or my nephew, why didn’t he see one of his parents on his bed? People who deny the truth are really missing out on the joy knowing there is more to all of this than what we know in this dimension.
  
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- Mil-Dot
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:29pm
  Detroit,
  That is what I was thinking. These goons are so full of themselves, and they get so much smoke blown up their asses, insider trading, sex with interns, bribes etc. The moron could have flown with the angels yet he chose to stay here to screw us some more. That speaks volumes about their character. Progs, Gops, all the same.
  
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- Dismayed Veteran
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:48pm
  My mother-in-law lived with us until her death. Right before the moment of her death, she smiled, lifted her right arm, laughed and said “Yes, I want to come.”
  
  If that was her last thought, it was a fine one.
  
  Report this comment
- nonofmybiznez
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:26pm
  Detroit, maybe he really is one of the good guys trying to keep us free. Have you even considered that as a possibility?
  
  Report this comment
judyaz
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:03pm
Months before I would have died in a head-on collision, I was led by God to know His spiritual messengers. I have known them now for 40 years. Here’s my story. (It is but one among many stories of others to whom God’s messengers spoke in the 19 years we recorded and transcribed their messages). https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzyT3fgGxb4-aUxIVlBCdGhNVFk

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- judyaz
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:20pm
  I remember many times that angels entered my hospital room and stood by my bed while I recovered fully from a broken neck which by all medical understandings should have left me quadriplegic or dead. The neurologist, radiologists and osteopath would come to examine me and scratch their heads, telling me I was “an awfully lucky gal.” I told them it was not luck, it was God. They seemed not to be able to understand. But I did, I experienced Him. Afterward, when I took my first walk and saw the world through double doors, a rainbow appeared in front of me with all of heaven looking upon me through it. I did not understand, I only felt what I later came to know was God’s covenant of Life.
  
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golfmax13
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:57pm
You’ve never heard a Democrat Senator say that – they NEVER see the light.

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- Mil-Dot
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:34pm
  They are all cut from the same selfish, lying cloth. They are all about kicking the can down the road to buy more time for the pleasures they receive by being a Senator. This guy is no different. What? Up until now he didn’t believe? What the hell has he been believing in all his life up until now? Get as much as you can steal while you are alive?
  
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13a
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:16pm
Glad he recovered. When we’re asleep or near death the brain releases a ton of DMT which is why we dream and why people see things on the verge of death. That’s why our dreams and near-death experiences feel so real. DMT is a powerful naturally occurring hallucinogen.

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- PoliticiansRCrooks
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:34pm
  Oh he saw Angels… but falling ones. God will never be there to save you Criminals in charge of our Government.
  
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- judyaz
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:07pm
  God hears the cries of His children. Remember how Jesus taught the religious men who were going to stone Mary of Magdela? “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
  
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- Twobyfour
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 4:07am
  You’ve got no idea. 13a. DMT mah behind. During NDE, not only it feels real, it feels more real than your awake state, which in comparison feels like a faded facsimile. When it first happened to me (had several of them), I did not want to go back, I liked it there. Was given a prompt to return, being told it’s not my time and that I have things to do. Which I do. I was even shown a segment of things still to come to pass and explained that’s why. I was also given sort of a “tour” of thereafter. Most of it is not translatable to concept governing the reality here, it’s very different.
  
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- kryptonite
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:07am
  Not all supernatural or NDEs are from God. In fact, many NDEs come from the wrong side of eternity. It happens because the body is in such a weakened state that the person starts to lose touch with the physical realm and see into the spirit realm. If the individual has spiritual strongholds in his life or has repeatedly rejected Christ, the message or experience can be awesome, but a lie intended to bind the person’s soul completely, and keep them away from the saving power of Jesus.
  
  The litmus test is very simple. Did the NDE lead you to repentance and acceptance of Christ? Or, if you already knew Him, did it lead you to a deeper commitment to Christ? If the answer is no, then beware. You may have experienced unspeakable peace and love, or shown future events in your life, but demons can disguise themselves as angels of light. The one thing they can’t do is lead you to Jesus Christ.
  
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Stelex
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:09pm
Damn, near miss. 5 terms in the house prior to senate. Maybe God is letting you know about his desire for term limits Mark.

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nesmond
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:05pm
Let’s see if he walks the walk from now on.

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Free_Thought
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:01pm
Add your comments

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The-Monk
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:59pm
I’ve been in the presence of what people would call Angels dozens of times.

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- Stelex
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:10pm
  Have we met??? ;-)
  
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- The-Monk
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:25pm
  Hi Stelex,
  
  Don’t know. I used to travel around a lot attending retreats back in the early 90′s.
  
  Report this comment
Bronco II
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:45pm
Sorry but you don’t get to decide do you go or stay it doesn’t work that way.Suddenly everybody is so called dying and seeing either angels or GOD well one thing for sure IF you see GOD your not coming back to tell us about it.Well now let’s see maybe when Hitlary recovers from her brain clot she might tells us she saw Ted and he said STOP OBAMACARE it’s EVIL I WAS WRONG.OOPS talk about a out of body experience I did for a second there about Hitlary OK back to reality.LOL

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- judyaz
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:11pm
  I was given a choice by God, Jesus and many angels, who even showed me to pray what Jesus prayed on the cross — that the most important thing to know, whether you live or die, is to ask to be in God’s hands and that His will be done. I did so. And I lived, beyond all medical understanding. It is because God created all there is, the body, the soul, the world, all that lives upon this world, all the worlds and stars — everything since before the beginning. If you know this beyond any doubt, His will shall be done. “Ask, and you shall receive,” it is written.
  
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- ScarletRose
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 3:53am
  I’ve talked to a lot of people who got to choose – it happens when something tries to take them out BEFORE their appointed time, and the damage is so severe, they don’t want to stay. There are some who do NOT have choice – and one of my friends said they showed him his home over There, and they were working on it, but it was NOT FINISHED, and they told him he was no staying, because his house was not finished. One lady told us that she had a choice, and a strong memory came to mind of her father teaching each of his children to finish the projects he had assigned to them – long story, but the finished projects had to be written up and then after he read it, if he approved that it was indeed finished, a red ribbon tied around it.
  She realized she had a lot of projects that needed to be finished, and so she came back, even though it was not her desire. There is no doubt, because like several who write up the stories say – when you can tell a terribly drastic change in them AFTERWARDS, and the way they tell it – you can see it if you want to. More accounts in the Bible of folks brought back who were very clearly dead, than many doubters might suppose. And like one other man told us, sometimes the information they bring back, that has NO MEANING TO THEM AT ALL, will be revealed back on earth when someone else realizes it was about their friend or relative, or the person who came back saw a photograph and tells them what they’ve seen, and finds the family can confirm
  
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- Priscilla King
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 4:00pm
  Most of us don’t get a last-minute choice, but several people who’ve had near-death visions say they did. How can we know unless we’ve been there?
  
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welovetheUSA
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:43pm
May the rest of your life be productive…God Bless You.

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freeberty
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:37pm
According to his voting record he apparently doesn’t care how busy the angels are taking home late term abortion babies.

http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/33502/mark-kirk/2/abortion-issues#.UOTfb280V8E

Do you think the blaze chooses the most obvious hypocrites for these religious stories on purpose?

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- tradcatholicgirl
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:45pm
  Personally, I wonder if those were deceptively light and deceptively beautiful demons.
  
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- The_Pointy_End
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 11:19pm
  You do make a valid point. Demons are angels. So to man demons appear as angels. The bible tells us to test the spirits to determine if they are from G-d. Only a angel from G-d will confess the Trinity and that Jesus is the savior. A demon believes in Jesus but will not confess Jesus is Christ.
  
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- nonofmybiznez
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:45pm
  I love it when a hypocrite can be “changed” forever. Haven’t you ever changed your mind about something you believed in? The proof of whether he is really changed is in his future votes. You are known by your acts. You can change and become a believer.
  
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JohnLarson
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:37pm
Common symptom of a stroke: Visual and auditory hallucinations.

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- MrButcher
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:17pm
  Ding ding ding!
  
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EZrider12
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:34pm
I’m gonna have to learn his stroking technique.

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FISH_BONE
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:34pm
After Al Gore asked for a stroke he got arrested.

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BehindBlueEyes
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:30pm
If I had the choice of going to heaven with 2 nice looking angels or back to work in congress my only question would be what should I pack?

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- Mil-Dot
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:36pm
  That is because you are not a filthy, lying, selfish, narcissistic criminal like he and the others Senators are.
  
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OldSurfRat
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:28pm
I dont doubt him one bit.

When I was a young boy my grandmother died during a heart attack whil in the hospital.
She was revived and live for quite a few years.
Before she passed away she had taken the time to tell me to never fear death. She told me it was the most beautiful thing she had ever experienced and did not want to turn away from the light that she was walking towards.

This has stuck with me for 40 years as it were yesterday.

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- Glennda
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:40pm
  Some people see Elvis when they have a stroke. I believe that, too.
  
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- FISH_BONE
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:51pm
  Stupid post GLENNDA. Just give up.
  
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- Stelex
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:14pm
  I see Glenda having a stroke, with much better results. Rambling, drooling, shting the pants, dull stare, Oh, my bad Glenda had a stroke.
  
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- The-Monk
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:30pm
  Now you’ve gone and done it Stelex….
  
  You’ve insulted the infamous Pantloadian/Wango/Horse_Dancer.
  
  Now he’ll follow you all over this site. LOL
  
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- OldSurfRat
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:43pm
  Glenda
  
  No worries. I dont fear death. How about you hmmmmm?
  
  I won’t get in a debate with you no this out of respect for my grandmother.
  
  Report this comment
- randy
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:55pm
  Glennda = Classless and Clueless,
  
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- yiska8
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:07pm
  That’s right, don’t give the unholy troll a second thought.
  Most don’t believe. They are the WEAK ones. They don’t have faith in anything. They’ll have to learn the hard way.
  
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- Mil-Dot
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:43pm
  Nice story Rat.
  
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- Dismayed Veteran
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:58pm
  Glennda
  
  Some people die screaming for their mothers as they bleed out.
  
  I’d rather like the idea of angels being present when I go.
  
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AUsername
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:16pm
o well its now or next election the people need to get rid of this rino progressive for his obamalite voting record.

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- Red Meat
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:25pm
  This.
  
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Eternal
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:13pm
Read Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo about life after death. Fascinating.

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Jezreel
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:13pm
We’ll see if he is telling the truth if he makes any remarkable impact in Washington DC that gets him in trouble for being a man of integrity and honor. If not, well, politicians are mainly liars anyhow so he should be be disappointed that nobody or hardly any other people except for Obamaphone people would believe him.

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novemberelection
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:12pm
That would be the angels of the Church of Cap and Trade, which he voted for. He wants back for a re-do. And to expand Medicaid/Medicare that he just announced. Stay home, kthxbai.

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Mudd
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:06pm
I once got hit in the head by a horse and I saw stars. Pretty sure the stars weren’t really there either.

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- Clownzilla
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:12pm
  Seeing stars after being hit in the head and seeing angels that talk to you after a stroke and change your outlook on life are a little different.
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:15pm
  Hmmm, your name is Mudd.
  
  Report this comment
- qpwillie
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:26pm
  @Mudd
  But considering you saw a horse that could “hit” you in the head, I don’t think I’ll be too concerned about anything you have to say. All the horses I’ve ever seen were only able to kick, not “hit”. You see, Mudd, horses don’t generally have hands.
  
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- OldSurfRat
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:34pm
  Mudd
  
  No sir that was the horses a$$ that hit you and seems to have rubbed off.
  
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- FISH_BONE
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:39pm
  MUDD: Next time try a goat instead. My neighbor Achmed says they don’t kick as hard.
  
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- Mudd
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:32pm
  The horse hit me in the head with his nose – look Ma, no hands!
  I’ll just assume that even though you all disagree with my point of view you’ll defend to the death my right to state it.
  
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PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:05pm
God Bless you Senator Kirk, I have often though of you and how you were doing. You are fortunate to be of faith and I pray your walk up the steps does not disappoint you…there are NO angels there.

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- CathyvanDyke
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:14pm
  What faith?
  
  Psalm 139:13-16
  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
  
  http://www.ontheissues.org/il/mark_kirk.htm
  http://www.ontheissues.org/il/Mark_Kirk_Abortion.htm
  
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- Mil-Dot
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:47pm
  I hope he falls down those stairs breaks his frigging neck.
  
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