Encouraged by the Light

John's near-death record is Encouraged by the Light .

KIRKUS REVIEW

Debut author Edwards describes a near-death experience following a traffic accident, asserting the Bible confirms what he saw on the other side.

...for a man who uses so many Scripture citations to buttress his case, he’s not a stereotypical Gospel witness. For example, he writes that he’s disappointed that some Christian conservatives refute NDEs on the grounds that non-Christians have reported them as well. Edwards’ gently reasoned response is that non-Christians may get to see heaven, but it doesn’t mean they’re able to stay there...he even provides an answer for nonbelievers who say they saw nothing but blackness during clinical death.

Overall, his arguments provide inspirational and intellectual manna for religious and secular readers, although the faithful will likely be more acclimated to the frequent Bible verses.

Evangelical testimony of life after death told in a calm, thoughtful and rational voice.

I enjoyed a Kindle copy. I think you did a good job of both being objective and Scriptural. —Michael, Bible translator and linguist
It is a good read from the very beginning. —Carolyn, John's friend
I thank John for sharing his experience. It has surely made an impact in my life.
—Katrina, administrator of a very popular website

John plunges you into the chaotic challenges occurring at the scene of the car accident. You immediately identify with the confusion, the critical head injury, and the resulting traumatic brain injury he sustained.

Dr. Jim, the emergency room doctor, can't get hold of either of John's parents. He needs permission to operate on John's face, provide medicine, and run tests.

However, the EMTs solve that problem. They incorrectly told the other parents which hospital they took their kid to. (They also left one of the kids at the scene of the accident.) The owners of the car John was in arrive and provide the needed permission.

John is patched up. When he is conscious he is delirious, otherwise he is comatose.

His mom finally gets word.

One would think all the drama would now subside, however it doesn't. Instead John suddenly finds himself in a normal conscious state, even though he is outside and above his own, physical body.

Although he is blind from two, huge, swollen, black eyes, John witnesses the conversation between his mother and Doctor Jim. He sees and hears them even though there is a really thick concrete wall between him and them.

Not long after that, yet another out-of-body experience occurs. This time he sees all the flowers his and his parents' friends sent. They are beautiful and later are the subject of a conversation between him and Mom.

On another occasion, while still in and out of a comma and delirium, John raises his arm; presents his hand; and rises up ever so slightly out of his body--so as to see each time his dad says, ”John, you have a visitor. Can you take their hand and tell me who it is?” He identifies every visitor correctly.

Since his father has no way to explain such a phenomenon, he says, ”I guess what they say is true, ’When a person goes blind, their other senses improve to compensate.’ "

John also experienced an extended trip to another, wonderful place…

Hummm… Maybe you should just buy the book.

John Edwards's strength and persistence are from a near-death experience at age 17. Head injuries were responsible for his traumatic brain injury (TBI.) The TBI brought about the near-death experience (NDE.)

John returned with heightened values:

• to know and please God better
• the preservation of life
• to learn all he can

John got involved in the biomedical equipment industry at a very exciting time. He got involved with the more complicated areas—heart catherization, angiography, and cross-axial tomography (CAT) labs.

After learning their skills were needed in overseas Christian missionary work, John and Sharon began their mid-life crises. They planned to get involved in Bible translation, particularly, the publishing of Bibles. First, it seemed only right that John return to university to study computers. They then joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Institute of Linguistics.

Their proficiency with computers lead into graphic arts, page design, and automated processes, their specialty.

While in that work, John was appointed a core member of a couple of standards development efforts to better automate Scripture publishing. They were OSIS (The Bible Forum) and USFM (United Bible Society).

For twenty years the couple tirelessly traveled to the Philippines, Mexico, Australia, Guatemala, Britain, Colombia, Papua New Guinea, and Russia, returning the Russian Scripture publishing traditions to the Russian people.

John's health was consumed through the suitcase lifting portions of so much travel, and from the duration of numerous medical needs because of the TBI. So, he is now medically retired.

Finally John had the time to author, explain, and publish this book which reconciles Scripture and his NDE. The title is Encouraged by the Light.

An extra pleasantry: the qualities of their publishing past is reflected in the quality of this work.

Between the covers is a balance of Christian subjective and objective interpretations of his NDE, while remaining true to the mainstream interpretations of Christian Scriptures. While doing so, he also, relates and contributes to two topics; the Mind-Body Problem of philosophy and the Freewill Discussions of theology. A healthy contribution.

John's life has been an exciting life—motivated, energized, and encouraged by a near-death experience that involved seeing the Light.