More Glimpses of Heaven

This book shares the stories of numerous patients of hospice care in their months, weeks, and days before death, as told by hospice nurses. All involve some sort of religious experience before death, whereby the patient may see visions of Christ, an angel, or a loved one encouraging them onwards and upwards, or experience a general peaceful acceptance of their state, knowing they were in good hands when they die. Some involved forgiveness and reconciliation where there had been hurt, whereas in other stories loved ones celebrate the life of someone they know well. Stories range from youngsters battling leukaemia to young parents passing away during the prime of their lives to the elderly confronting cancer.

I must admit I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about end of life issues just as my young family is beginning. However, despite the terminal nature of the illnesses describe therein, the stories were all upbeat, which encouraged me. Touching was the story of a youngster who took the place of his jailed father at home, and who would not die until released by his reluctant mother. Charming was the story of a husband who dressed up his ailing bride one last time in an act of love. In some stories you could sense that God was working hard in people's hearts as each person responded to the situation at hand. It's nice to see that even though the care nurses do their best to maintain a professional atmosphere, they too are touched by the stories they act in.

The stories themselves were very approachable. Some may not connect well with the religious persuasions mentioned in the book, but I found nothing objectionable. I found it quite consistent with the nature of God to work outside the box in which we place Him. I found these stories heartwarming and uplifting. It was definitely heartening to know that God cares about us, even when we're at the point of death. This was a helpful book for me to read to see God in a caring light.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

YHWH book

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I thought it would be great to see Biblical stories which I know well, and sometimes read without really immersing myself in the story, to be told in a fresh new way. They are told in a fresh, new way, and the authors do add to the stories, trying to embellish them by making people in their stories interact in a way consistent with what we know of them. For example, the story by which Solomon shows his wisdom in choosing between two mothers and a single live baby, the authors suggest an enhanced scene with more interplay between Solomon and the two women. Unfortunately I was disappointed by the additions, as I felt they actually detracted from the stories, with too much extra added. The authors are trying to reach an unchurched generation schooled on Harry Potter, and they may well do that. They just didn't grab me as much as I thought they could have.

Book has been provided courtesy of Authentic Media and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller.