Learning From the Light: Pre-death Experiences, Prophecies, and Angelic Messages of Hope
272
Learning From the Light: Pre-death Experiences, Prophecies, and Angelic Messages of Hope
272Paperback(First Edition)
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Overview
In Learning From the Light, Dr. Lerma shares more angelic messages given to his patients and more stories from and about survivors who have experienced the loss of a loved one...and their visits with angels.
The mystical experiences described in this revelatory work include:
Based on the latest research on near-death and pre-death experiences, Learning From the Light will show you:
Religious skeptics often claim that heaven's existence cannot be proven, because no one has ever returned to talk about it firsthand. This is the book that proves them wrong.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781601630698 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Red Wheel/Weiser |
| Publication date: | 04/01/2009 |
| Edition description: | First Edition |
| Pages: | 272 |
| Sales rank: | 234,726 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.22(w) x 5.20(h) x 0.56(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
My Father's Journey Back Home
It was the beginning of August 2007, and already the temperature in the Rio Grande Valley was exceeding the century mark. As usual, my dad made certain that his "pride and joy," the tropical foliage in our yard, was carefully manicured and protected from the scorching heat. At the end of each summer day, as the blue sky transformed into a Texas Longhorn-orange hue, my father finished his ritual by drinking a glass of red wine on the veranda while capturing the beauty of the surrounding verdure. This spiritual ceremony of sorts brought immense peace and joy to my father, as he felt the loving energy that radiated from the flora and fauna was of divine origin.
On August 10, 2007, my father would have the first of several spiritual experiences before taking his journey back home. As I remember it, my dad told me that he decided to get a reprieve from the record heat by going into the house to cool off with a tall glass of homemade lemonade and an invigorating shower. Afterward, he said he sat on his bed to read his newspaper, but within minutes he had fallen asleep. It was shortly after falling asleep that he was awakened by the sound of footsteps and voices coming from the hallway just outside his bedroom. For some reason, not once did it cross his mind that someone had broken into the house. Instead, he described feeling an incredible sense of peace and warmth emanating from the hallway. Still relatively strong for an 82-year-old man, my father jumped out of bed with a sense of jovial expectation, and, as he walked out of his bedroom, his eyes locked onto the cerulean blue eyes of what he described as a tall, well-built gentleman in his 50s, who was facing him and smiling.
My dad, always cordial, said hello and asked if he could help him. The gentleman answered, "Johnnie, this is Hannity. We were in the navy together during WWII, where I died in an airplane crash." My dad was taken aback and, with his mouth open, he reluctantly asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I need to go, but I wanted to tell you we will be back shortly to guide you back home. Do not worry, God loves you as I do." My father then saw his friend Hannity, who, with his right hand, summoned someone to join him. My father described seeing a younger gentleman wearing an Army-type uniform surface from behind him. In a swift, flowing manner, he moved clear across the living room to the kitchen along with Hannity and disappeared through one of the den's walls. The entire experience lasted six seconds, but my dad felt that it lasted for hours. My dad described a residual sense of warmth, peace, and a tingling feeling, which felt like a subtle electrical charge of sorts.
My father stood in the hallway for a few minutes attempting to regain his composure. "Son, following this experience, I felt no pain for several minutes and actually wondered if I was in my body. I felt so light and unrestricted, and my entire being was filled with an overwhelming sense of comfort and hope. The hope I was filled with spoke to me and allowed me to feel God's plan. It was truly amazing." After several minutes, my dad said he began to feel the restriction of his body, as well as pain, so he shook his head, and under his breath said, "I must be dreaming." He walked back to his bed, picked up the newspaper, and started where he had left off.
Later that week my dad's breathing worsened and he became weaker. I suggested that he visit his cardiologist as soon as possible and have him call me with the assessment. Quite concerned, my mother took him to his appointment, where he was immediately evaluated. Shortly after his exam, the cardiologist phoned me; he was concerned with my dad's heart condition. His aortic valve was now at a critical stage of stenosis, and, because of his previous heart attack, he was not a candidate for surgery. Instead, he was now a candidate for hospice care. Unsure of how my dad was taking the news, I prepared myself to comfort him as I had done with so many others throughout my years as a hospice physician. The only difference was that this time it was my father.
When my father took the phone and said hello, I closed my eyes for a brief moment and immersed myself in his cute way of saying hello. How many times had I heard it? I wasn't sure. When we began to talk, I was amazed at how he was unbothered by the news: "Son, I am not worried, so don't you or anyone else worry. You see, I have known about my heart condition for more than a year and had chosen not to tell the family, as surgery was not an option. I am sorry for keeping this from you, but I knew your mother would get sick and falter. I could not do that to her or you." Having been married for more than 50 years, my dad loved my mom dearly, and never wanted to bother or worry her. A man like no other man, he was willing to suffer quietly for others he loved.
Within 24 hours, I was on my way from Houston to Brownsville, Texas. Driving home, I called my dad and had a long uninterrupted conversation with him. The following is the most profound and heart-felt advice my dad ever gave me. Because of it, I am writing it here out of his request to share it with the world.
"Dad, so you knew you were dying for the last year. Why didn't you tell me?"
"There was nothing more the doctor could do, so I chose to give it up to God and replace it with joy. I was not going to let my terminal illness steal my joy or hurt my family. Especially your mom. My joy was to be a sort of quiet calmness, that translated to peace, and it is peace that allows one to handle any situation without anxiety and with trust that God is leading my every step and thought toward his heart."
"Oh, Dad. You know I would have understood and would have joined you in your journey. That's what I do for a living. It's my calling and passion."
"Yes, Son, but you have never gone through this journey with your father. I did what I thought would be less painful for all of you, including myself. It would be too uncomfortable to know that every one of you would be depressed and begin treating me different. You know, like I was dying. I didn't want to see all of you and your mother crying and changing your lives for me. I love all of you just the way you are. I am so proud of all that your sisters and your brother and you have accomplished. I am especially so proud of your mom for being so bold, courageous, and passionate with regard to pursuing her dream of higher education, and late in her life. She is now a successful business-woman, who is joyful about believing that God would help her be all he wanted her to be and more. Today, she is recognized for her contributions to the Hispanic society and her undying assistance as a real estate agent and humanitarian in helping the impoverished finding affordable housing. Above all, I know she will always be the personification of a caring, protective, and loving mother. Son, at 82 years old, I am still in love with your mom as much as the first day I met her. Please watch out for her."
"Dad, are you really joyful, as you say you are, knowing your life is ending?"
"Son, remember, we can't control our circumstances or control what other people do. We can only control our own attitude. This is where the power lies. You see, I have been freed from the things that have bound me to this world."
"Dad, how were you freed?"
"When I found out I only had six to 12 months to live, I wasn't bothered that your mother had to work late, or that the yard was not in tip-top shape. The knowledge of knowing you will die within a time period is initially shocking, but, in due course, it releases you from being bothered by the mundane. You see, Son, life is viewed differently with a disparate attitude. With this new perspective, you cease to be stressed in traffic, in the long lines at the grocery store, and even when family or workers get under your skin. This new outlook allows one to rise above the negativity and develop an appreciation for every moment as a life lesson, which ultimately serves us to become one with God."
"How do you rise above it, Dad?"
"It is in keeping your human life in perspective. We will not always be here. You too will die someday, Son, as will your mom, sisters, brother, and myself. The way to rise above it is to remember that each day is a gift from God, and I see that now. Son, I want you and everyone else to know what I have been told by God. He guides every step of our lives and gives us our lives to live in joy. Yet, it is up to each of us to embrace this promise from God by living each day in joy, which is truly peace. I had a year to live in total joy and peace, and I do not regret one day. It is a choice. I chose to be a victor and not a victim."
"Dad, what should I do and not do?"
"First of all, find out what is taking your joy. Identify those things that aggravate you and then take a conscious approach to change those things that are making you anxious in those areas. People go year after year letting the same things bother them. Every time they get caught in traffic they react the same way. When your mom did certain things or came home from work frustrated, it annoyed me and soured my day. Do what you have always done, and get what you have always gotten. Do what you have always done, differently, and watch the changes commence in your life. You see, being unhappy merely means that you are letting exasperating situations steal your joy, such as living anxiously, with discontent, discouraged, and dispirited. You can choose to be bitter or better. It is always about the choice.
"Son, God assures us that this earthly life can be joyful or disappointing. We cannot wish it away or pray it all away. It is a part of life. What we have to do is to learn to handle it the right way. Son, it is very freeing when you understand this principle. For me, the Bible was a manual that was left by God to teach us how to handle life as well as how to get back home. Once you understand what God wants us to know and what has always been in our hearts, you will learn you don't have to give away your joy or peace. You don't have to get upset if you couldn't make it on time to your son's football game, or you didn't have enough time to go to your sister's party. You will see that God was leading your steps by changing things around you. What you thought might be a bad choice, like having taken the wrong turn, is really the right turn. You will see at times that God was keeping you from harm or from more anxiety-producing elements, or even leading you into a situation where someone stranded needed your help. You see, at the end of that day, you may have not gotten home the way you wanted, but you got home the way God chose. This is where miracles occur, my son. Please believe me. This is what I have been told. The choice is yours. Make it happen."
"Why are you telling me this now, Dad?"
"So you don't have to wake up one day telling yourself, 'I wasted all those years being stressed at my job, years of being annoyed or frustrated by people, and years of dreading cleaning the house or mowing the lawn.' If you change your approach and believe that God is directing your steps to a place that is exactly where you are suppose to be, then you will come back to that place of peace. You will not only enjoy your life more, God will pour out his blessings and favor, and you will live the life of victory he has in store for you."
"Dad, I definitely want to live in joy and not be forced to give my joy away. I want God to lead my steps, as I know his way is always the right way. I will teach this to my children and to people who I meet."
"I am so glad, my son. I will always be guiding you from the other side. Don't worry."
"Dad, when you said that's what 'they' told you, who is they?"
"You know, the men that visited me and have continued to visit me. You have written about these types of beings in your book and have spent your life studying it."
"So you read my book, Dad?"
"Yes. Initially I wasn't quite sure I truly believed in this angel bit at the end of life and that they would help me cross over."
"Why didn't you believe, Dad?"
"Well I guess I was fearful of dying, and I didn't want to think about it at all. I was afraid of death being nothingness, and I would lose all of you and your mom forever. I did want to believe in God, and I thought I did, but, as I got older, the fear of death stole my relationship with God and the joy that came with it. I was totally wrong, Son. Everything your patients have seen, I have seen. The feelings of joy, exhilaration, and freedom they felt, I feel. The angels are beautiful and the auras around God's creations are spectacular. For the first time, I know what you meant when you spoke about oneness. I see that what shines from the trees, the house, and our bodies is the same color. The difference is that people have a circular shimmering light in the center of their chest. I believe that is the soul."
"Are you seeing your parents, Dad? Jesus? Mary? Children?"
"Yes, I have seen my mother, father, and brother, and they are so happy and youthful-looking, just the way your patients mention. I have not seen Jesus or Mary as of yet, but I know I will. When the hospice nurse arrived tonight, she came in with a young girl around 5 years old with black hair and blue eyes, wearing a red-checkered dress. She was very excited when she saw me, and began to jump all over. When I asked if that was her daughter, she said there was no one in the room and she did not have a child. When the nurse departed, the child stayed, and is still here as we speak."
"What does she want? Who do you think she is?"
"She just smiles and caresses me, but doesn't talk. I am not sure who she is, but the thought that did enter my mind was that she was the child your mother and I lost before birth. I am not sure. I do feel a connection with her. Much like the connection I have with you and your siblings."
"Have you said anything to her?"
"I have asked her who she is and what she wants, but no response. I do feel, though, that I know her and that she is here to help me. I told her I loved her, and she hugged me."
"Wow, Dad. You are so blessed. I don't know what to say."
"Just say you will get here soon, so I can see you and hug you. I also want you to be my hospice doctor. I would not have anyone else care for me, because I know your compassion for others exceeds the compassion for yourself."
"Oh Dad, I love you so much. I would be honored to help you transition to God. I will be their real soon. Ana, Carmen, and Hector will arrive tomorrow."
When I arrived in Brownsville almost eight hours later, I kissed and hugged my mom, who was trying to be really strong, and walked directly to my father's bedroom. There he was, trying to walk from the bathroom to the bed, huffing and puffing from the increasing fluid in his lungs from the aortic stenosis — induced heart failure. "Dad, let me help you to bed," I asked. As we walked to the hospital bed, which he wanted placed alongside the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the beautifully landscaped foliage of the backyard, he looked at me and said, "I love you." That was unusual for my dad to say, as he was a stoic military man. I looked back and eagerly told him I also loved him. After getting him back into bed, he said he needed to rest a bit, but wanted to speak to me when he woke up. I covered him with a blanket, placed his oxygen mask on his face, and gave him a nebulized treatment of albuterol and ipratropium for his shortness of breath. This eased his rapid breathing to a point where he was able to sleep. My mom and I walked out of his room, and spent some time talking. I was careful not to tell my mom everything he had shared with me, as spouses of many years needed to be cared for with lots of love and understanding. I did not mention dad's terminal illness, but I did tell her that he was comfortable and that I would be here for the remainder of his time on earth. My mother was obviously comforted by this, and I saw her body relax. I said, "Mom, why don't you go to bed, and get some needed rest? I will watch Dad." My mother went to bed, and I stayed up waiting for my dad to wake up. Almost two hours later, I heard my father talking. As I walked into his room, I saw him reaching out to the right side of his bed like he was caressing someone's hair. "You are so beautiful. Thank you for being here for me and helping me find peace. Okay, I am ready, but I need to wait for the rest of my children to come, then I will go." At that moment, he pulled his arm back to his chest, and settled into his bed with a big smile.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Learning From the Light"
by .
Copyright © 2009 Dr. John Lerma.
Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction,
Part I Angel Stories,
Chapter 1 My Father's Journey Back Home,
Chapter 2 The Angel's Wife,
Chapter 3 Dying to See Angels,
Chapter 4 The Exorcism of John L. Masters,
Chapter 5 A Night Mapped Out by Providence,
Chapter 6 Roswell,
Chapter 7 Mary Magdalene,
Chapter 8 The Return of Misty,
Chapter 9 A True Miraculous Healing,
Chapter 10 Prophesy and the Holy Land,
Part II Further Research,
Conclusion,
Appendix A Latest Medical Research on Pre-Death Visions,
Appendix B Facts About the Ego and Higher Consciousness,
Appendix C Finding Self-Forgiveness and Self-Love,
Bibliography,
Index,
About the Author,
Related Subjects
Customer Reviews
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