Just a thought

I am open to creating other topics that are important so if anybody thinks of one please let me know. Thank you Lori an the rest for coming up with this. Thank you also Lori for giving me the idea for some of the topics. I have a hard time separating one thing from the other as they all seem connected and important. I also know that I a question can be asked different ways for the same general answer and that people connect with how the question is asked.  So even if the question has been asked before, please feel free to ask it again if you want or need to.
  
   Please note that I will always try and state what I believe from what I experienced. I learned a lot that night and through this bout with throat cancer I learned ever more. I read a lot of different stuff because the night of the NDE didn't leave me with all the answers but rather with a thirst for truth and to learn even more. That night dispelled some myths for me and revealed truths and left me with just enough information to cause me to thirst for more information of the truth. I still have so very much to learn. Hopefully we can all learn from each other and through that become better people.
 Thanks, Anthony 

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Questions about our experience at the Interview

  The initial interview was done here at our home. Chris came out by himself and it was more like a home movie with a fancy microphone. It was about 2 days after dad had his stroke. Chris asked if I was ok to do the interview and I said yes. Denise was at work and so he never got to interview her that day, he had a schedule that was full doing other interviews. His first words that he said and stressed were to say what I saw and what I experienced in my own words. It was perhaps the most important thing to him that it was in my own words and of my own choosing. He listened and asked questions, just like anybody would and does. I will have to say that he had no preconceived notions whatsoever.

  We got a call asking if we would be willing to do the next taping, we weren't chosen for the first one. This was about a month or two later. So we drove to Atlanta where they put us up in a motel room and gave us expenses to eat with and fuel money. They offered to fly us but it was only about a 4 hour drive and we needed that trip and alone time together. I thought that was extremely kind. Fox only put us in a room and flew us there. Newsweek came here, but they did send us pictures later on which was nice.

  Once were got to the studio we were greeted by Supryia and Alex, along with Chris. Again none wanted anything but the truth in our own words and stressed that. None had any preconceived notions of what the answers were or what our experience was. Well, they did have my interview from the previous one, but not Denise. There is a waiting area where I waited, away from the set. They couldn't hear me nor I them for sound quality. I goofed off, even went outside and took some pictures. Denise's interview lasted from about 9am to 12. We broke for lunch for an hour. They invited us to go with them but we wanted to see what we could and eat with each other. Funny, we never mentioned the show.

  When we went back my interview started. Chris sat across from me in a chair. They placed a towel between my hands so as not to make noise. My voice wasn't strong and other than a Morphine patch I was weaning off of I used Percocets to allow me to speak without as much pain being felt. I constantly sipped water as the Saliva glands didn't work... still don't. That may be why my interview last a bit longer. Mine started at 1pm and lasted until about 6:30pm. All three were very patient with me. We were interrupted a time or two by trains and a band downstairs, but it all worked out.

  Chris had asked me questions that many had never asked and I looked deeper recalling a lot of what I had experienced. That is perhaps the funny part. It is like things grow as time goes by. I have no idea why. Maybe it is just so complex that you have the outline but the depth is felt later on. Maybe it is planted like a seed that grows.

  So until the night came of the show I had no idea what was edited out, I'm not ever sure I knew what I said, lol. It seemed to upset Denise so much that I really just didn't mention it to her, nor her to me. When we broke for lunch her make-up was washed off. I didn't want to cause anymore pain.

  So we waited until it aired. It was suppose to air in October but for whatever reason it was postponed. I wasn't sure that it would air, but I figured that if it was meant to be then it would and if not that it was ok too. We had at least gotten away from the madness and gloom of the cancer treatments, if only briefly. When we watched the show that night I was so tickled and pleased that they had selected what they did of the interviews. If I am ever remembered then I want people to remember my smile and to remember to smile. To see the lighter side of life, for this isn't what we were created for.

 

Questions about what changed

Questions about The Light

   I get asked often what I experienced and I can only explain what I saw. Everything illuminated with a brilliant Light. A bright light where it was brilliant than the Sun yet not harmful or hurting. It is so hard to put into words. This is not a light as we see light as being in this world, but a brilliant light that is a perfect light. There are no shadows in this light, nothing at all has a shadow. There was not point of origin. No beginning. No end. The light enveloped everything and everyone. In this light there was love, not like love here, so much so that I experienced that love and was able to love the same way. There was a warmth, a kind of warmth not able to be experienced here. An acceptance. Kindness. Healing. Perfection. Intelligence. Compassion. Power. In this light words are unspoken and felt through the soul. There are no cares, no regrets, no fears, no pain, no questions. 

  I'm also asked what was this light and honestly I can't say. I associated this light with God. The light could have came from an angel, but with the power contained in it I would imagine God. He is the only entity that I could imagine would have all these attributes. I saw no spirits nor did I see God, but I felt His presence. I know that no matter what I write here, or verbally tell, or you read in the Bible or else where, one cannot even fathom how great this is.  

  I've also heard recently a preacher that I listened to say in a sermon that NDE people are New Age people because we say the light. I know some that are New Age but I am not. True that I word things funny sometimes but after reading some in the Bible it says that God the Father and Jesus have often been described as light. In many ways I'm glad that the preacher on the radio did say what he said for I have started back reading the Bible again. This also confirms to me that the light was from God. Below is a few of what i have found. I will let you decide.

^{1 John 1: 5}This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1 John 6: ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

Matthew 17: ²And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

John 8: 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 9: ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Questions about my belief in Forgiveness

   I have a lot of people ask me questions about what all I was bad at, or what is called sinned. In some ways I was a good person and in some ways I wasn't. I think for me the things that shocked me most were the things I thought were ok, neutral ground. There is no such thing as neutral ground. There are no gray areas. There is no grading on a curve. It is what it is, right or wrong and what you or I perceive in that definition doesn't count. I have also been asked if my bad was in real estate. It wasn't. My mom would have been disappointed in me if had I have done that, plus I was raised better.

  So what was it that looked so bad? The list is too long to go in to and that alone would be a book. Rather than go into the worst of things, how about some of the gray areas. Some of the bad things I had done are pretty self evident. I can assure you that wrong is wrong and most of the wrongs are equal, it is only man that attributes levels of wrong in many cases. None it looks good or less bad when you view it. Thing is, will you confess to it. That is one reason I say practice honesty now. Make it a habit that you keep so that you will not mess up.

  A lot of my life I told lies, mostly white lies, but lies just the same. One of the things I learned real fast at UPS was to be honest and let the chips fall where they may. We were however told from many times to lie to customers. Then there was the priority thing. I placed money and pats on the back at work before my family. I was my job. Then there were those times that we secretly made fun of people. They didn't know it, but God did. In my personal business I was pretty much heartless. Therein I learned that God don't see two people standing there, just one. No excuses are accepted. Just those offenses alone were many. Add to that pride. then the feeling of judging others, now there is the real kicker and worthy of a new paragraph.

  How many times have you said or thought, "They made their own bed, now sleep in it." or similar. How many times has someone wrong you either intentionally or unintentionally then apologized and you didn't accept it. You may or may have said you did but in your heart you didn't. How many times have you said that a condition, emotional, monetary, physical, or anything else that is their problem. Or the famous words they did it to themselves which is usually followed by they can deal with it. How many times has someone asked for your help but you said no, when you really could have. How many times have you had more than what you needed (key word, needed) and someone else was in need and you did not help them. I done all of these and many times. How many times have you lusted for someone, even though you said nothing.

  Now comes the kicker. It isn't just what you said and done but what you thought. Imagine your thoughts plus you're actions. For that matter, just your thoughts alone. How many things did you do for glory? How many things have you done for the wrong reasons. Hate gays or people of another or no faith. Think about that one. Notice the first word, hate. By now you can well imagine the terror. Nothing spoken, done, or thought is excluded. If you look at someone and feel better than they are, more righteous than they are, more deserving than they are... you've already fallen way short. We are not compared to anybody or anything on earth. We are all judged the same accountancy to God's laws. We stand alone in our own sins and account alone for them. But all is revealed. Yea, I was scared. If you have ever said let justice be served, pray that God doesn't serve justice on you. I am thankful that He didn't on me.

  With all this accumulated I was forgiven. Not only forgiven but loved and welcomed with a clean slate. It was all forgotten. Wiped away. What I learned is that we judge our fellow man far more harshly than God judges us. True, there are things that we must make judgments on, but I think we overstep our bounds. Some people are so busy pointing out what someone else should be doing. In this I learned to let live and let go. I don't worry so much about the other person, theirs habits or likes or dislikes that may be wrong. I have enough on myself to worry about fixing, and I am a long ways from where I should be. I have learned to forgive, which I believe is a requirement.

  So again I looked at the Bible to see if what I was taught that night was in writing. Here are a few excerpts.

Matthew 7:
¹Judge not, that ye be not judged.  ²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
 ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Luke 6:
 ³⁶Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
 ³⁷Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
 ³⁸Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 ^{Mark 11: 25}And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

 Luke 6 :
³⁶Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.  ³⁷Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
 ³⁸Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.