The lights started flickering right as Steve spoke three of the most powerful words in Scripture. Coincidence or something more? In this 5-minute read, discover the surprising story behind Family Life Center’s “blinking lights” and what it reveals about unseen battles and stubborn grace.
From the Desk of Steve Wood at the Family Life Center (August 2025)
Our Lights Are Blinking—Again!
I’m writing to let you know that the lights are blinking again at the Family Life Center.
Now, I realize that may sound a bit strange. But after years of ministry, I’ve come to believe that electrical problems, strange weather events, and other obstacles are not always coincidences. Sometimes, they’re signs that someone—or something—doesn’t like what we’re doing.
Our most recent “blinking lights” moment happened while recording a new episode of Luke21 on Revelation 4. I had warned Jamie, our new producer, that we’ve had our share of odd electrical anomalies. Sure enough, during one of her first recording sessions, the lights in the studio began to flicker—right as I spoke three of the most important words ever uttered in heaven. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let me back up.
An Unseen Battle
Years ago, before I became Catholic, I led a statewide pro-life organization in Florida and worked with Operation Rescue. On one occasion, we were about to go live for a pro-life interview on a Christian TV station. Just seconds before airtime, the entire studio went pitch black—no warning, no explanation. The emergency generator was supposed to kick in. It didn’t.
Another time, a friend and I were boarding a flight to New York for critical training in rescuing babies from abortion. Suddenly, the plane’s electronics failed. A flight attendant noticed how calm we were and asked why. We explained our mission. She smiled—and when the electronics were restored, she assigned us first class seating.
After my conversion to Catholicism and launching St. Joseph Covenant Keepers, we began planning a Catholic fatherhood conference. Remembering my past experiences, I decided to record using two devices, just to be safe. Yet shortly after I started speaking, both recorders went up in smoke. I’ve since learned: the family is one of Satan’s prime targets, and fathers are the bullseye.
Storms, Both Natural and Spiritual
Many of you remember the weather battles we faced in Florida. On August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley—a Category 4 storm—passed directly over the Family Life Center and our home. Our home was without power until the first week of November. That’s not a typo.
The storm tore the roof off our radio studio and drenched our equipment. Two more hurricanes followed before we could make repairs. It was discouraging. I even considered canceling Faith & Family Radio. But by God’s grace, I found a second wind. I continued broadcasting without a radio studio. I continued my writing from a trailer in my driveway while managing repairs at both home and office. I even wrote most of my book Legacy at that trailer’s dining table. I believe that I was given extra grace despite the external pressure and construction chaos.
Eventually, those relentless hurricanes prompted our move to Greenville, South Carolina. We figured we were leaving the storms behind.
We were wrong.
On April 25, 2020, an EF2 tornado with 115 mph winds cut a narrow path through Greenville—slamming into our office. The damage was even worse than Hurricane Charley. It cost us $15,000 just to repair the electrical system. We installed a special circuit breaker on the outside of our building in hopes of preventing future hits.
Another time when launching a new radio series for parents on protecting their children from the influence of homosexual ideology, a mysterious electrical pulse hit our building—on a sunny day, with no bad weather. It wiped out our router, modem, and studio computer. Our corporate IT expert said he’d never seen anything like it. I had.
But the attacks didn’t stop.
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought nonstop rain and destructive winds. My home and our office lost power. Once electricity was restored, we discovered the entire downstairs of the office had flooded. Without air conditioning for a week, mold set in. Thousands of dollars’ worth of books and materials had to be thrown out.
That was the moment I said, “Four hurricanes, a tornado, and multiple electrical strikes? Enough is enough.”
Stubborn Grace
As a boy, I was a stubborn child. Now, as a man, that same stubbornness has come in handy at times. I’ve learned that if I hang in there to wait, then a renewing grace eventually comes, turning a depressing challenge into a bold move forward. I wish the renewing grace would come quicker, but I’m profoundly thankful that it has come.
Our Church, our country, and our culture are at a critical turning point. This is not the time to back down. By God’s grace, and with your support, we pressed forward.
After the flooding from Helene, we decided to refocus and streamline all of our operations. Since the flood, we’ve streamlined our operations:
- Our books are now print-on-demand and available worldwide.
- All our audio recordings are digital and freely distributed around the globe.
- Our new website, BibleForCatholics.com, coordinates our two broadcasts/podcasts and offers extensive episode resources and study guides.
- A new office-wide computer system is now in place, allowing us to grow our outreach without increasing expenses.
And perhaps most surprisingly, Luke21—our podcast on biblical prophecy—is drawing the largest male audience I’ve seen in 26 years of broadcasting.
The Blink Heard Around the Studio
Back to those blinking lights.
During that recent Luke21 recording, I was about to speak the three words heard both by Isaiah and by John in the heavenly throne room—words that once hung boldly over the chapel of my Evangelical seminary (which, interestingly, had been a Carmelite school). At that time, I thought the Catholic Church was hopelessly off-base, but I wondered: How did the Catholics get that so right?
I had warned Jamie about past electrical issues. And sure enough, when I began to say, “Holy, Holy, Holy” from Revelation 4, the lights in the studio started to blink. (Dark forces despise those three words and go into a frenzy when they are spoken.) Jamie looked up at the ceiling, stunned. I looked up from my notes and smiled.
Welcome to the renewed, restored, and refocused Family Life Center.
Yours in His Majesty’s service,
Steve Wood
P.S. In case you’re curious, here are some of the topics most likely to cause blinking lights, computer freezes, and power strikes:
- Preventing homosexuality from capturing your children
- Abortion
- Healing from pornography addiction (this one causes endless tech issues!)
- Recent Luke21 episodes—especially those on Genesis 6 and Revelation 6 and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
P.P.S. If you’re able to send a little support financially, it would mean a great deal. And know this: when you give, we now pray not just for our donors as a group, but by name. Thank you for standing with us.