The House by the Side of the Road

The Stage of Life
The Stage of Life

This poem represents the human experience, and in it, the varying cast of characters that share the stage of life with us. As fellow travelers crossing over to “stage right” or “stage left”, we assume that our roles have been permanently cast. With our character and lines already set, we have forgotten that we are only actors playing a part.

As actors following yesterday’s scripts, we could allow our negative opinions and left-over prejudices and attitudes to dictate how we will treat another. Or, with the continual conscious choice of love, kindness, tolerance and compassion, we could change the script of this world, thereby, making this stage a better place for life to play out.

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Christian’s Visit

In an auditory after-death communication, Christian shows up for his 2-year anniversary.

It was March 31st all day yesterday. Christian’s death and birthday, 2 years ago. Shortly after 11 am, I looked at the place on the floor where Christian had struggled for his life, exactly 2 years earlier, while he assured a hysterical me, that he would be alright. By noon, he had left this world. The doctor said it was an arterial vascular mass that caused his brain to suddenly hemorrhage.

The day ticked by, and being an important date to those of us left on Earth, I was excited about the possibility that he would make an appearance. Surely, he would know how much that would mean to us, on this bittersweet occasion.

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Be Here Now!

a stairway into the heavens
Stairway to heaven

With the two year anniversary of Christian’s passing quickly approaching tomorrow, March 31st, I’ve had a lot of heaven on my mind.

I’ve been thinking about my loved ones that have gone before me, and how much I’ve missed them from my life.

I’ve been remembering the short visits to heaven I’ve had during dreams, near-death, and out of body experiences, where I felt God’s full presence and the pure love that exists there. And, although I am extremely grateful for the knowledge these experiences have brought me, the downside is that many times, I experience an intense longing to be there, rather than here.

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Phone Call From Heaven

In an after-death communication, John receives a mysterious phone call from an old friend, Ted.

“While I was going through my divorce, I moved back into my parent’s home for a period of time, to get my life in order.”

“One day while I was out, an interesting phone call came. My father answered the phone to hear the caller asking for me. Since I wasn’t home at the time, my father took the man’s message. He gave his name. Then, he reminisced about how we once worked together, and wanted me to call him back, as soon as I got home.”

“Later, when I arrived home, my father gave me the message. With paper in hand, I dialed his number. Waiting patiently for someone to pick up the phone, a woman answered. When I asked for my friend, there was a long pause from his wife, followed by, “You must be mistaken. It is impossible for Ted to have called you. He died of lung cancer 3 months ago!”

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Grandpa’s Three Visitors

Anthony, age 24, recalls Grandma’s story of Grandpa’s three mysterious visitors.

Grandpa's gate by the garden
Grandpa’s gate by the garden

Years ago, when my Grandpa was still living, he had a peculiar experience. In the wee hours of morning, Grandpa sat up in bed and waking Grandma, told her of his dream. He dreamed there were three men waiting for him by the back gate, in the garden, where his rose bushes were.

But, Grandma, thinking it was just a dream, told him to go back to sleep. So, Grandpa did.

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Stages of Grief

Stone angel crying in her grief
Stone angel crying in her grief

Grief is a normal response to a painful loss. Made up of many emotional states, the grief process is the inward journey we must take if we are to heal the pain associated with our loss.

Although this article is geared toward grief over the death of a loved one, the grief cycle is relevant for any loss. The grief process provides a natural way for us to recover from our loss and move forward.

Generally the grief cycle includes: shock and denial, bargaining, pain, anger, depression and finally, acceptance. However, depending on the individual and the circumstances involved, navigating this terrain can be much more complicated.

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Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.. “Ask and you will be given.”

Dr. Kubler-Ross
Dr. Kubler-Ross

I’ve selected this story from Dr. Kübler-Ross because it is such an inspiring classic of a near-death experience. It illustrates an example of a man that had given up all hope. After losing his entire family all at once, this man was naturally devastated. The experience he was about to have would completely change his life forever.

If you are grieving and barely hanging on, read this story carefully. Sometimes, like the man in the story, we are called on to face great trials in our lives. But hang on, there’s often more to the picture than we can understand from our limited perpective.

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Elisabeth Kübler-Ross … The Mysterious Case of Mrs. Schwarz

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

In her book, On Life After Death, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a Swiss-born psychiatrist, and one of the world’s leading authorities on death and dying, and renowned pioneer in the study of the near-death experience (NDE), states that her first account of an NDE came from “a certain Mrs. Schwarz” who was declared dead following 45 minutes of resuscitation attempts. Miraculously, Mrs. Schwarz was resuscitated back to life.

Mrs. Schwarz lived for another year-and-a-half, during which time she met Dr. Ross and related her near-death experience to a crowd during a seminar on death and dying at the University of Chicago.

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After-Death Communication and Signs

The Apparition John Everett Millais
Spirit Visitation

After-Death Communication (ADC) is, as the name implies, a communication between the living and the deceased. Also, as indicated in the name, it implies that the deceased are not really dead, as we know it, but living somewhere in another realm without their physical body. And, truth be told, the deceased would probably say they were experiencing even more aliveness than when they were living in the physical world! At least, that’s what I’ve been told!

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Near Death Experience

Ascent Of The Blessed by Hieronymus Bosch
Ascent Of The Blessed by Hieronymus Bosch

A near-death experience is a spiritual phenomenon that happens when the spirit leaves the physical body. A NDE falls under the umbrella of out-of-body experiences (OBE’s).

Upon separation from the body, a lighter version of us is whisked from the density of this world into the lightness of another… or at least it seems this way.

Usually, this is a good experience, where peace, acceptance and unconditional love rule supreme. It is common to experience the presence of a loving light. Some people see Jesus, or other powerful spiritual figures. Some people see angels. Some people have guides. For many, deceased relatives and friends are there to welcome them home. Experiences vary greatly, so not every NDE is exactly the same.

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