Help Me Launch My New Book!

It's finally time! I told you a while ago that I was working on a new book. Well, I wrote it a few months ago and for some reason felt that I needed to wait on the last chapter for something that hadn't happened yet. I wasn't sure where I would come up with the money to publish it but I felt that it would all work out and come together by spring. I realized that if God was working through me to share this important message with even just one or two people, He would help find a way to make it possible. Well, the last chapter has finally come together and I can see God's hand in guiding this book to be published by spring.

To give a recap of the story, I received divine inspiration one day last summer about a message that I felt I was to share publicly. I was to write a book about my experiences with some very important successes and failures that have happened in the last few years in my life. I was to write about recognizing God's hand in all things and finding the successes in our failures. You see, God has taught me a lot about this in the past few years and there is a very important message relating to all of this that I have felt prompted to share. Even if this message only reaches a few people or changes the life of one, it will be worth the effort.

Click on this link to learn more about the book and how you can pre-order your copy and spread the word to help launch this Divine message! Thanks!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1301308256/help-launch-successful-failures-and-change-lives

Meeting the Savior - Part 2

I told you that I would share with you what I am giving Christ this holiday season.

In my last post I shared with you some personal experiences and accounts from a few people who had died and met the Savior before being brought back to life in the hospital. Their experiences were miraculous and glorious! Something I have found to be quite common in just about every NDE when someone meets the Savior, He asks them "What have you done for your fellow man?" They are then shown a review of their life.

Almost every time, the person feels like they could have done more to help others during their life. They then learn on the other side how important service is and that it's really what we should be occupying ourselves with daily. The natural man is quick to build up his empire on Earth with riches, fame and worldly status. However, on the other side, none of that matters. Your mansion in heaven is built for you based on your good deeds, service and love you rendered to others.

Ether 12:34
And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.

Christ is the very best example of service. He healed the sick, the blind and afflicted, raised the dead and was a friend to all. He expected nothing in return but asked that man might follow Him.

We can follow Him by trying to be like Him. If everyone tried to be like the Savior this world would transform itself into heaven on Earth. What a beautiful thought!

I know that if the Savior knocked on my door, I would jump for joy in humble reverence at the opportunity to welcome Him into my home and make Him feel comfortable. I would meet any request asked of me and it would be a blessing. The Savior probably will never show up at my doorstep however that doesn't mean that I will not have the opportunity to serve Him personally. After all, we know that when we are serving others, we are serving the Lord.

Matthew 25:40

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Every time I hear someone testify that Jesus Christ is the Lord, whether it be a prophet, an account of a near death experience, a child, or just a neighbor down the street, I always feel the Spirit confirm that truth upon me.

In the Song "Oh Holy Night" (especially the Celine Dion and Josh Groban versions) there is a strong witness of our Savior. I am always filled with the Holy Spirit like massive waves of warm water rolling down from my head to my toes. I can't get enough of this song and it is my favorite Christmas song by all means.

Even without the music, the lyrics alone are very powerful.

Oh Holy Night

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born
O night divine!
O night, O night divine!

And in His Name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise his holy name
Christ is the Lord!
Their name forever praise we

Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O holy Divine

If you know Jesus is the Christ, the Lord, the Savior of the Earth, then share that with the world. I challenge you to look for opportunities each day where you can lift someone's burden and help them feel Christ's love for them. Whether it be a smile, a helping hand, a kind word, a kind gesture, or giving someone your time. Before your head hits the pillow each night, ask yourself, "What have I done to help my fellow man today?"

The gift I am giving my Savior this year and every year is charity through service and love. I know that is how we can best serve our Lord and Savior. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Here is a link to some short videos that best represent that sacred and special night when Christ was born. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!!

http://lds.org/bible-videos?lang=eng

Meeting the Savior

It's nearing Christmas. Each day as we get a little closer to this special and sacred holiday, I can't help but think about Christ. What He did for us, his purpose in our lives and the Plan of Salvation. The more I ponder about Him, the more I want to be like Him and the closer I feel to Him.

As you know, I love to read books about Near Death Experiences. I own so many and refer to them a lot. What I love about these experiences is that they confirm eternal truths that I have always known to be true (three degrees of glory, a Heavenly Mother, children who pass away before the age of accountability etc.). Often times what people experience as "a new truth" that they had not known on the earth, I have known based on the doctrine and gospel principals taught in my LDS faith. It's exciting to see what I already know to be true confirmed through the testimony of someone learning it for the first time while briefly passing through the veil into the spirit world.

I love the messages that are always shared as loved ones from the other side and many times the Savior Himself, deliver special messages to the individual who has passed through the veil for a brief time. I believe each person who remembers their NDE is allowed to so that they may share what they learned with others. The spirit that I feel each time I read these messages and experiences is overwhelming. I tear up, get goose bumps, and I feel a warm rush from head to toe. I enjoy the confirmations of the Spirit and feeling the love of Christ especially during this time of year.

Though I love to read these experiences to feel the Spirit and strengthen my testimony , my favorite part without question is reading the description of being in the Savior's presence. I'd like to share a couple of excerpts from a couple of my favorite books, about what it's like to meet the Savior.


"As I got closer to the light I heard a voice - but again as in the beautiful meadow, not with my ears alone. It was as if every thing that I was, every particle of my being, was absorbing what I heard. I not only heard the voice, but I felt it as He spoke to me, saying, 'Through me you have Eternal Life.' .... Suddenly I knew these things! I mean I really knew them! Through Christ I would have eternal life, and only through Him would I have it. Jesus Christ was my Savior, my Lord, my Redeemer! He was the Way of my Salvation, the Perfector of my soul. He was the very eternal Son of the Most High God. He had shed His sinless blood in the Garden and again on the cross for me. And because of that He had power to say to me, emphatically and with divine confidence, "Through me you have eternal life.".... In awe I drew nearer, almost riding upon the rays that spread out from the halos that surrounded this light, until I saw in the light's core the outline of a man - a glorious being apparently made of light that seemed more golden than in color than the radiance that shown all about him. And though I thought of Him as light, He certainly had all the physical aspects and substance of a man. I saw His hands, His arms, His body, His neck, His head - I even noted His facial characteristics though I am at a loss to describe them now. Yet withall He was a being of power and glorious light so incredible that I could not really comprehend Him. But I do remember His eyes! They were so clear and bright - yet there was color to them - a beautiful blue color outlined in deeper blue that made me think of the color of the distant ocean on a clear day. But it wasn't so much the color of His eyes as it was the power in them, that awed me. Those fathomless eyes penetrated my very soul. They knew me beyond anything I was capable of knowing about myself - and to my absolute and dumbfounded amazement, still He loved me. In fact, the love I had felt from the moment of seeing the light had grown steadily stronger, and now it somehow reached out and literally began to encircle me and draw me closer. I knew that I had been with Him before, for I absolutely recognized Him. I knew that I had dwelt, with my same exact identity in an eternal life or existence prior to my mortal life, and in that existence I had come to know this glorious being thoroughly and even intimately. That is both why and how I knew that the voice I heard and felt, as well as the being I was now gazing upon, was my eternal Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ." - Elane Durham: I Stand All Amazed

"Being so concerned with what I had left behind, I hadn't even thought to glance upward. My single goal was my body lying beneath me, but before I could reach it, I was stopped by a hand encircling my arm.

Startled, I looked down at the hand. It was a man's hand, large and strong, but the most striking thing about it was the puncture wound centered in the back. Before I even raised my eyes to look at the person it belonged to, I knew that I was staring at the hand of Jesus Christ.

Filled with a sudden sense of awe, I looked up to see His blue eyes fixed on me, an expression of delight mixed with intense love emanating from their depths....

Although my heart quickened in the presence of my Savior, I tore my gaze away from Him, an unreasoning sense of panic seizing my heart. If Christ had come to get me personally, then my number must surely be up. I still didn't want to go. I couldn't. My children needed me.

I tried to pull away, struggling to break Christ's hold on my arm. anxious to get back to my body before the love and peace I felt from Him overwhelmed me and changed my mind. Because I had not been nurtured as a child, I couldn't bear to leave my children motherless.

Christ put His other hand around my waist to restrain me. With all the love in the world poured into a few simple words, He said, 'There are people who want to see you.'

'Then you'll have to bring them here, because I'm not going," I said.

I didn't dare glance up at His face again for fear I wouldn't be able to stick to my resolve.

After a moment of silence, a hearty laugh rang out, startling me from my single-minded purpose. Christ was laughing! His laughter was like blending light with love, creating a sound of musical delight. His laughter was also filled with a sense of infinite reassurance that instantly calmed my fears and stopped me from trying to reach my wounded mortal shell.

'I promise I'll bring you back,' Christ said, with remnants of His wonderful laughter threaded through His words.

I believed Him.

When I looked up at Him again, I was surrounded by love so complete that it was like nothing I'd ever felt anywhere on earth. Of course I would go with Him. I would follow Him anywhere." Suzanne Freeman - Through the Window of Life

"Upon completing my life's review, which took only seconds, I felt sickened and was left extremely shaken. It was then that I noticed something going on in the distant city that caught my attention. An extremely bright light had entered the city and was gradually moving down one of the streets. This moving light was so brilliant that it outshone the light of the city and was blinding beyond our sun or any other light source that I am familiar with. It was so much brighter than anything or anyone else around it. It was then that I realized the source of this moving light was a man in it's center. He was walking with a crowd of people all around Him. The light came from Him, from His body and His clothing. It was like He and His clothing were made of brilliant light. Immediately around His person there was a golden glow with beams of sparkling light pouring from His body and reaching considerable distance. As I looked closer at this sparkling golden light, it appeared like fragmented gold dust was actually a part of the beams.

The man was incredibly beautiful, and then in an instant I knew this was Jesus Christ making a visit to the city....His eyes were a piercing blue. But, like most things in the spirit world, it wasn't His appearance that was so overpowering ; it was the feelings of love and complete acceptance transmitted to me as I gazed upon Him. The feelings were glorious beyond description and filled my whole being so that it felt as if it would burst.

As Jesus walked down the streets, people gathered around Him in a huge crowd of hundreds and yet there was no pushing as they reverently and courteously came as close to the savior as they could. Those in positions closest to Him touched His clothes or His person and some embraced Him.

While observing the people, I knew that they were feeling His great love for them as I was feeling it. Those who could not get close enough to touch Jesus could feel His love through the golden beams of light emanating from Him. I thought to myself that these beams of light must spread throughout the universe and to us on earth as well, so that all people everywhere could feel this tremendous love if they wanted to. It was as if love was emanating from Him, permeating time and space, even in His physical absence." Sarah Menet - There is No Death

These descriptions are so vivid that I can feel the Lord's warmth, light and love when I read them. We have lived with Christ before. I believe that when reading these accounts it's as if our Spirits are familiar with these descriptions. They burn true and feel so familiar. The Holy Ghost then burns from within confirming that the Savior is real and He does love us endlessly.

I love my Savior Jesus Christ and while pondering on what I can give Him this Christmas season some humbling thoughts cam to mind. Stay tuned for part 2 of this post when I'll share what I am giving Christ this season and share some very spiritually uplifting thoughts about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know He lives and loves as all more than we can imagine. I know that we can live with Him again if we choose to. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Zion on Earth

This week I had the exciting opportunity to take a road trip with my husband and kids to Disney Land. I’ve been trying to plan this for the last three years and it finally happened. For the most part the kids were pretty good and the drive was very enjoyable. What I love most about road trips is all the time I have in the car to talk with my husband. The kids watch movies and fall asleep and we get to have some really good conversations.

I brought along three new books that I bought (all about near death experiences) and was able to read two of them in the car to my husband. The first being The Message by Lance Richardson, which a couple posts ago I had mentioned kept coming into my life and I felt I was supposed to read it. The other, I Saw Heaven by Larry Tooley which I liked even more than The Message.

Wow! I love books that talk about life in the Spirit World. I have so many and they are all very similar in their description. I Saw Heaven was very enlightening on the topics of our Heavenly Mother, premortal life and the three degrees of glory.The events were very detailed and the descriptions very vivid. It was so uplifting and it made me love and appreciate my family even more.

The Message, was all about service and how that is what is most important in this earthly life – serving others. These books inspired me to look for the good in all people all around me. It wasn’t hard at Disney Land. Everyone there was so happy and nice. In fact, even in Las Vegas (where we started)regular tourists smiled, waved hello, opened doors for us and offered to take pictures for us with our camera. As I began to notice and appreciate the good in all the world around me, I saw that is was everywhere. It was contagious. I passed the kindness right along everywhere I went. I thought about each and every person that came my way and saw them as a child of God. I felt equal to everyone and truly felt a small glimpse of a Zion society all around me.

At Newport beach, we stopped in at Subway for lunch. The man making our sandwiches looked about 50 years old with bleached blond surfer hair and tattoos all over. He was the friendliest man ever and was passionate about making our sandwiches delicious for us. He loved his job, he loved his life, he was so happy and kind. I thought to myself, “If everyone were as friendly as him, this would be heaven on earth”.

Another thought that came to my mind this week was about angels. The books I have read talk about our close friends, family members and ancestors who are usually our protective angels on the other side. I began to think that I might have been someone’s angel in the premortal life. As I thought about this, I also realized that everyone around me also had that opportunity in the premortal life and that again in the next life, they may again assist in helping others on Earth. Wow, I was truly walking amongst angels, children of God. And how many times does the Lord use people in our everyday lives to help answer our prayers and bless us. I didn’t need to anticipate what heaven will be like but rather bask in the beauty and joy of life on this earth. I had waited so many years in the preexistence to come here, receive a body and have an earthly experience. I was now having this experience.

I realized that I could no longer take this earthly opportunity for granted and that I needed to really enjoy it and make the best of it. As we continued on our vacation, I took every moment with my family and soaked it in. It was the happiest week of my life and I plan to continue making my days and weeks happy ones!

I know that this life really is just a twinkling of a second in the span of an eternal perspective. It goes by so quickly. What matters here doesn’t matter at all in the next life. Families and relationships are what matter most. If we can master that here then our transition into the spirit world will be much easier. I know that families are key to the plan of salvation and happiness. Families are everything and they are eternal. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.