It was early on the morning of March 17, 2022. I was feeling bad but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I got up, dressed, and sat down to put on my shoes. Then in a blink of an eye, I found myself in another place. I didn’t realize I was passing over. I didn’t feel different. I still felt like me.

I began to look around and it appeared I was in an arched tunnel with large columns on the side. The columns were very close together and they reminded me of the columns of ancient Greek architecture. Between the columns, I could see what looked like the Milky Way. It was very pretty.

After looking around at the columns, I began moving forward. I wasn’t really walking. I was sort of floating but it felt completely natural. It was at this point I began to realize two things.

1. There was a freeing feeling of having no guilt. This is a very difficult to explain. All of our sins are washed away when we accept Jesus but our flesh struggles to grasp that, or at least mine does.
2. So many things we place importance on, don’t matter.

It was then that I looked up and saw the light. A man stepped forward and I knew it was the man I had fallen in love with many years before. I had been deeply grieving his death for 35 years. My heart had never fully recovered from the loss. As wonderful as it was, to finally see him again (which is what my heart had longed for), I could only focus on the light.

I knew as I was looking at the light I was seeing God. The only way I know how to describe it is to use the sun as an example.  There is a physical sun, but we often refer to the light that comes from the sun as one in the same. It’s as if the light was an extension of God.

I remember the excitement I felt as I began moving closer to the light. I drew me like nothing ever before. It was absolutely stunning.  I knew it was going to be the most beautiful thing I would ever see, and I couldn’t wait to bask in His beauty.

Another truth that came to me at that moment was that there isn’t even a speck of light anywhere without God.

1 John 1:5  says “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.”

I had read this verse many times but never realized that when it says “God is light,” it is literal.

Then, all of a sudden, I was back in my earthly body.

It was a wonderful experience, and I wholeheartedly look forward to the day I will return to heaven to live forever!

~ Toy

When I felt the Lord leading me to create this website, I knew I needed to share my story. After all, how can I ask you to share your story if I don’t share mine?

I’ve shared my story with ladies’ groups but it’s one thing to share your failures with a small group and another to admit your failures and post it for the world to see. But this isn’t about my failures, it is about sharing the love and mercy of Jesus.

You could say my story started when I was in the third grade. That is when my best friend Tira led me to accept Jesus Christ as my savior. However, as a child, I failed to have a close relationship with Jesus. I wholeheartedly believed in Him and what He had done for me on the cross, but I never grew in my faith. I knew very little about my Savior, and as a result, when I was a teenager, I fell right into Satan's trap.

When I was a young teen I met Mike, the one guy that would forever hold my heart. However, at that time a relationship was out of the question so I waited, knowing that if I could just graduate things might be different between us - that I would get my chance - but instead, I ended up sitting at his grave. -  He died in an accident six weeks before I graduated. The word 'devastated' can't begin to describe how I felt. It is by far the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.

Even though I was waiting for Mike, I did begin dating a boy named Jeff. However, he always knew who my heart belonged to. I didn’t hide it from him, but it didn’t stop Jeff’s pursuit.  He continuously asked me to marry him, but I always declined.

Just after Mike's death, Jeff wanted to take me to see a movie called "Witchboard." In the movie, a woman was talking to dead people using a Ouija board. That was all I saw. I didn't pay attention to the evil side of the movie. So, the next day I bought a Ouija board. I just had to talk to Mike. He was the love of my life, and I desperately wanted to talk to him.

As I look back, I believe that the reason Jeff took me to this movie was to get me interested in the Ouija board. I didn’t know it, but Jeff was involved in satanism.

I tried the Ouija board with some friends but there was no power. However, when Jeff placed his hand on the planchette (the pointing device) things instantly changed. The only way I can describe it now is evil but at that time I didn't see it that way.

The spirit that presented itself immediately told me that Jeff was superior, and he had a special gift from God.

At the instruction of the spirit communicating through the Ouija board Jeff and I got married. During the short marriage, Jeff became increasingly involved in Satanism and I was right there with him. You would think that my being a Christian I would have seen what was happening, but I didn't. I had failed to "get to know" my savior so I was unaware of what I was involved in. I know there were hints along the way, but I failed to see them. I had been told it was of God, and I believed it. Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to make excuses because now I know I was wrong - very wrong.

But God is good! I realized what I was involved in only after the separation from Jeff and I began to pray and read my bible. I remember one night falling on my knees and calling out to Jesus. I don't remember what was said except “It’s been a long time.” The peace that came over me was indescribable. All I can say is my life changed. I was forgiven of my involvement and my relationship with Jesus grew dramatically.

There is so much more to this story, but it would be too lengthy to write. I hope that the short version will show you the importance of developing a close relationship with Jesus. Without it, we can easily be led astray. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that life will always be easy but having a close relationship with the Savior will offer peace in the storm.