CHAPTER 1

Searching

The HereafterOur Next Assignment, Our Next Grand Adventure

Why should anyone read this book? Sheer curiosity,or to end the searching for answers to your questionsregarding life after death

Actually, I have written this book for those who believe in thehereafter—those who wish to find comfort in the thought ofan everlasting tomorrow—those who believe, but have a needof reassurance—those who are wracked with curiosity and havereached the end of their searching tether—those who say, "Whybother to waste the time—to give that thought any thought!After all, no one has ever given me a satisfactory answer aboutlife after death and the hereafter." O, how often I have heardthat and similar comments over the course of my adult life.

But now, I base my belief on fact. The message about life afterdeath and the hereafter was delivered by God through his Son.here are some facts to think about. As Jesus hung on the crosswith a thief on each side, one said, "Jesus, remember me whenyou come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tellyou the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke23:42-43 (NIV-New International Version).

Fact, Jesus lived. Fact, Jesus healed. Fact, Jesus preached.Fact, Jesus even in his dying reiterated The Promise he madeearlier about life after death and the hereafter. He comfortedHis Disciples, saying, "In my Father's house are manyrooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am goingthere to prepare a place for you." John 14:2 (NIV—NewInternational Version).

For many, this statement then leads to more questions. Somerefer to the place in the Father's house as rooms; others defineit as a mansion; still others define it as a mansion with manyrooms. Throughout this book, I will try to clarify what thismeans. You will come to know the meaning of these words andhow they apply to all of us who believe. The meaning rests inmy belief and conclusion.

Let me start with the premise that the Hereafter can be anythingyou want it to be. Can you live with that answer? The answer tolife after death, the Hereafter and any doubt does not take awayfrom where it comes. The belief usually arises out of faith—curiosity—imagination and other's thoughts and teachings. Ihave written a poem to address these thoughts. It is entitled:

"THAT'S THE TOMORROW YOU'LL SEE"

When you receive tomorrow's call,
Will you shudder and prostrate fall?
Will fear swirl, not knowing where you will be
going?
What seeds, if any, you will be sowing?
After all, life as you know it will change forever,
Humanity, your world and you, will no longer be
tethered together,
What lies ahead is hidden from view,
What if anything might you be asked to do?
Rest, and rest, and sleep on, in an everlasting state,
Or will you in spirit move on to constantly migrate,
Each one's journey will belong to him; it's his alone,
But, will it really be one self-sown?
Or, will the power that gave you, life and birth,
determine its worth?
Give you another life, in space, or on another earth?
Will your afterlife, your "Hereafter,"
meet your expectations?
Will it be a moment of renewal and celebrations?
Or, will it simply be the end of the saga—
your book; the final page?
After all, the story is finished—
you have stepped off that stage,
It is your time to move on—
play new scenes in the vast unknown,
That place of peace, and rest, and fantasies
overblown?
I believe whatever you envision
"The Hereafter" to be ...
That's the tomorrow you'll see

Life after death is not a new thought. It has been around forcenturies. However, it has not been well defined. Think aboutit. How is it classified? Is it fact, fiction, fantasy, or fun? Thatdepends upon your faith—how deep—how serious—howingrained. Actually, how you feel about God, your Maker.What you believe Him to be. Unapproachable, or as close as thebreath you breathe.

Much of what people believe has been learned in childhood,and then adopted. It has been passed on by others, who by theway, have lived under the same historical learning umbrella.You know the billions who have undergone the same process ofindoctrination. But, like the roots of a thirsty tree, some havereached out in search of deeper nourishment. They have as I,been searching for answers to questions that seem to have noanswers. Could that uncertainty be because of the world'soverall lack of knowledge on the subject? Over the millennia,the subject of life after death has remained one of God's greatestmysteries—a mystery yet to be solved. And for some reason,many people believe in the Hereafter, but have deep doubtsabout life after death. Thus they continue searching.

Why should the Hereafter exist, if not to serve a purpose? Andwhy shouldn't one of its purposes be to support life after death?

I know the answers that I have received about life after deathand the Hereafter have lacked substance and relevance. Theycan be challenged, and are, but without any new responsesand insight. Most of the answers given by professionals, thosewho are called upon for insight, very often do not increaseour faith and boost our confidence. In fact, they don't seem toexpand our understanding and knowledge. Most times, they tellus what they believe we want to hear. What we will be mostcomfortable with in the resolution of our questions. They tryto eliminate our fear of tomorrow's unknown. Since they arenot seers, fortune tellers, or mediums, their answers are equal toeveryone else's suppositions and assumptions. And since I havenot, over the course of my lifetime, been satisfied with havingreceived a logical answer about the Hereafter and my place in it,I have drawn my own conclusions. And I find them to be mostlogical. Why do I continue searching? I want to be better ableto share my belief.

But, who am I? How about another cog in humanity's wheel?Suffice it to say, I am happy to share with you and anyone elsewho will listen, my belief. Some may find it laughable; othersmay find comfort in my thoughts. As I mentioned before, I basemy belief on fact, and the message that was clearly delivered byGod through His Son.

My belief is basic and very simple.

I am part of God, and God is part of me, just as God is partof everything. Nothing exists that has not been touched by Hishand. That is why, if I fail to do right, or act in an unacceptablemanner, I reproach myself and feel I have failed my Maker. Ido not need a Dante's world of fear, pain and suffering in orderto lead an acceptable life. I know what is expected of me. Iknow what my responsibilities as given should be, and how theyshould be intertwined in my life. I know what I want my lifeafter death to be, and with whom I wish to spend it. I am sureit is no less than what everyone else hopes for and wants.

As we all know, there are so many beliefs about life after deaththat they are too many to innumerate. However, I find the mostdepressing to be, "When you die, you die. It's over—that is theend." Thank God, there are others like me who have deeper,more beautiful thoughts, such as the continuation of life afterdeath. But, even those who embrace such thoughts never seemto define that life. What kind of life? Where? What are thespecifics? Trust me, I will identify that life, and be most specificlater in this book.

I gave it years of thought, then I slipped into retrospectivemode, and like a snowball running downhill, I gained greatercuriosity. And when my curiosity got the best of me, I beganto seriously investigate life after death and the Hereafter. Iconducted interviews with friends, acquaintances and strangersabout these related topics. I asked them, "When you die, whatdo you think will happen to you?" And, "What do you expectto find in your Hereafter?" Some people were very interestedand answered freely and openly. Two of my closest friends,Mabel and Ruth, were most direct and logical. They answeredwithout hesitation and with definite assuredness by saying, "IDON'T KNOW."

Most, including one of my long-time beloved teachers statedsuch things as: being in a place of beauty, comfort, happiness,a place filled with love, where they will dwell with angels, findtheir parents, family members and friends. Many felt that theywould be reunited with everyone they ever knew who went onbefore them. Some mentioned what they would be wearing intheir ethereal surroundings—a flowing white gown and largewings, and being perfectly content. A couple of intervieweesjust needed more time to think about it and draw a conclusion.Another indefatigably believed that she would have to undergoa purification period, be judged by Jesus and spend time inPurgatory.

There were many however, who declined to answer, or evenbecome involved in a discussion on the subject. I wonderedwhether or not they were afraid. Obviously, I accepted theirdeclination, and respected them for their honesty. After all,everyone's tomorrow is very private and personal. Isn't it? Idid appreciate all those who took the time to think about myquestions and answer them. But I still cannot help feelingsorry for those who believe living beyond today is unbelievableand impossible. They either have given up searching, or haveaccepted someone else's thoughts that appealed to them.

Now don't be shocked. I not only believe in life afterdeath in the Hereafter, but life beyond it—Life, adinfinitum—EVERLASTING. And I feel this book bestexpresses why I feel that way. I know where I came from, andI know where I am going. I feel secure in my belief about mytomorrow. Is there doubt? No. Are there questions? There willalways be questions. So, I leave your thoughts to you. What doyou really think about your tomorrow? Are you searching? Haveyou been searching? You are welcome to share my belief. In fact,I would be delighted. I want you to know where you will be andwhere we will be able to find each other in our life after death inthe Hereafter.

I am sure what I believe has merit. It is possible. And, it answersan age-old question which pertains to the well-known andoften quoted Biblical passages—Luke 23:42-43 NIV-NewInternational Version and John 14:2 NIV-New InternationalVersion, mentioned prior. I hope you will find some comfortin my thoughts, and my belief regarding Jesus' words and "ThePromise."

Isn't it amazing, that when we are young and on the upsidehill of life, we do not think about death. But the norm is stilltrue, as we age and face the downside hill of life, the inevitablethoughts of passing and death magnify. Our searching for ourtomorrow intensifies, as we reach for future solace and peace.As we mentally walk more aware in the very time that is beyondour control.

Today, I personally have millions of thoughts about lifeafter death and the Hereafter, and each is fighting to obtainrecognition for a higher level juxtaposition. So, I am writingthese thoughts for all to see. Please join me in my Tomorrowland.It is a land of promise, a land in which you can believe in theeverlasting, or dismiss it. It is all up to you. My searching hasbeen rewarded. I have found my niche—my everlasting life,and I am ready to share my belief and feelings not only withyou, but with the world. Hopefully, somewhere along the way,I will bring not only some solace to those who find the subjectdistressing, but some laughter, or at least a chuckle or two, toall. But in doing so, a question arises. Where should I begin?

    Everlasting darkness,
    Everlasting light,
    Everlasting depression,
    Everlasting joy,
    Everlasting hope ...

The choice is yours, whether learned or created, yourTomorrowland can be a black hole of nothingness, or anever-ending everlasting light-filled with all the imagination,creativity, sharing and giving as yet known to the human spirit.It can be an extension of everything good that is housed in thehuman mind and body. For the black hole of tomorrow is theblack hole of yesterday, and soon they both will be the blackhole of forever, when they become part of history.

Let me ask you, "How do you find light, when you are walkingin light? Do you consider the degrees, the shades, and thedepths of the light itself?" But, there is no problem finding alight when you are walking in darkness and a light suddenlyappears. Therefore, you can only understand the true beauty oflight, my tomorrow, if you come out of darkness, and walk intothe light.

Today, are we walking in light, facing darkness? Or, are wewalking in darkness, facing the brightest of lights yet known toman? How little we know, and how much we think we know.That to me is amazing. How often have you heard, and readabout people who have died and come back from Heaven withone message. They all remember and emphasize a bright light.Brighter than any they had ever experienced in life. Did itilluminate a scene that they will remember in life and be able torecall it from memory later on? Maybe that's why some people,as well as I have said, "I think that I have been here before. It'sfamiliar, but I don't know why." And that fits into my theory oflife after death. When I reveal where you and I will be going,it will be very obvious. It underscores life after death and thepossibility of another Assignment.

I feel that life after death will be filled with endlesspossibilities—ones filled with "luminosities" on multi-unknownlevels. And they will be well beyond our human conception.Without a doubt, the knowledge we have gained during thislifetime will provide us with new strength to meet the demandsof Our Next Assignment, Our Next Grand Adventure. We willhave time to review and build on our old experiences. Will ourinability to reach beyond the confines of our present mentalcapacity, our known boundaries and parameters, limit us? Thatremains to be seen. Also, all of this will depend upon our abilityto continue to think and reason. Will it not?

My belief regarding my "Hereafter mind" comes in the formof a question. "In that environment, why should my mind beanything less than its potential?" What do you think?

To gain some insight, ask those around you, what they thinkand believe about life after death. Then expand it to include"the mind." The answers you receive will surprise you. Butalways be ready to answer them, when they turn the questionback to you.

Continuing on, ask those who deny the Hereafter and lifeafter death, "Is your logic based upon fear? Fear of believingin something that has not as yet ever been proven to exist?Or, have you secretly created something that works betterfor you—something that no one has ever been able to refuteor satisfactorily explain? Perhaps you are disengaged, ordisenchanted by the possibility of the very existence of anafterlife? Have you ever found total comfort within your ownanswers to the afterlife question? Where did they come from?Can you apply the answers to all who have ever been, or whohave yet to be born?"

I rarely received any answers to these questions. I was tunedout—turned off. Perhaps they could not apply a positive, logicalexplanation. However, I do hope that they began to rethinktheir thoughts.

It was at this point that I began to think about the billions,perhaps trillions of bones, in countless cemeteries that couldattest to having lived. Are their spirits/souls still attached totheir bones? Could be, but who knows. Or have their spirits asmost believe, risen to higher heights? Risen to a place, or placesunknown? Risen to a sacrosanct world of forever?

Do the bones of those who did not hold a belief in life afterdeath die with their bodies, no spirit—ending life as they knewit, and the thought of a forever afterlife? And whose belief isright? Those who believe in Everlasting Death? Or, those whobelieve in Everlasting Life? Again, I must repeat, who knows?

Why should I feel so strongly about my tomorrow? Why do Iknow where I am going after death and why I am going there?It seems to have a definite purpose. Why am I so "bloody" sureand comfortable with my belief? It's not only a comfort fortomorrow, but also one for today. Perhaps it is because I havesearched so long.

I must be perfectly honest. There are two things bothering me. Ican't take anything with me. No, I don't mean household items.They won't fit in the hearse. My concern, what if I don't outlivemy "pet." Who will take care of that situation in the future?

And too, I would like to retain my ability to whistle. I will beat a loss without that, and it certainly won't take up any room.Why do I need my whistle you might ask? Well, if I whistle,my family, pets, friends, associates, etc. will all know for sure it'sme. Maybe I should put in a request now. That's not a bad idea,is it? Enough, I digress. Let me return to the serious.