TO HEAVEN AND BACK by MARY C. NEAL, MD

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Most Christians are anxious to go to Heaven after their death. Usually, Christians meditate and talk about Heaven many times before their death. The Thoughts of Heaven bring them relief from a world that at times can seem sad and incredibly awful to experience. Mary C. Neal. MD, the author of TO HEAVEN AND BACK had an extraordinary experience. After a horrible kayaking accident in South America, she loses her life. To me, the capsized kayak seemed to be smothering her to death by turning upside on her body in roaring, swift waters. Mary's friends did all they could to save her. Alas, she died. Thankfully, she goes to Heaven where she feels nothing but peace and love.

However, because her purpose on earth is not finished. She is returned to earth to finish her life simply because her friends and family still need her desperately. Mary C. Neal's experience is called a near death experience. After her return from Heaven, she remembers what she saw and heard in Heaven. She shares these revelations with us in her true story. It takes a great deal of faith to believe Mary's story. However, on the other hand it is easy to believe if there is a belief in a God for whom nothing is impossible. I was especially moved when Mary, still in Heaven, could hear the voices of  her friends calling to her as they tried to revive her. Each time they would shake her dead body and call her name she would return to her old body to give her friends some sort of hope that she wasn't gone yet. In the end she knows her friends and family need her more than she needs to experience the joys of Heaven at that time.

So Mary C. Neal's life story branches off to share the fact that all the days in our life are for a reason. Each thought, action will play a part in our present and future. This leaves me to wonder can we ever leave our past behind, or does our past play a significant part in what will happen later in our life. Dr. Neal's story really overwhelmed me especially after the next tragedy happens in her life. I will never forget Willie's story either. I learned from To Heaven and Back that God does love us with an active love. His angels are a part of this powerful love story too. I now want to take more time and just ponder all the ways God and His angels are working through friends and family to help me have an abundant life.

I felt very grateful for the scriptures which were at the head of the page along with quotes from people I had heard of or read  about. At times before reading the chapter I would read the scripture two or three times. In the process my mind was quieted. I will leave one of the scriptures here and one of the quotes also.drmaryneal

"Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come."
--Ecclesiastes 9:12(NIV)

"God's plan and His ways of working out His plans are frequently beyond our ability to fathom and understand. We must learn to trust when we don't understand."
---Jerry Bridges

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