Do you know evidence shows we’re more than a physical body? The author, a prolific religion writer and retired medical journalist, talks about the evidence you are eternal.
The author, a prolific religion writer and retired medical journalist, talks about the evidence; the wonder of life with all its electrical systems; the awesome truth about cell death and regeneration; mysteries surrounding the change from mortal to immortal; where we go when our body dies; resurrection; and a glimpse at what we will do in heaven. Questions and answers make this non-fiction inspirational book a great text for group study. It’s written for support groups, religion classes, people with chronic or terminal illness, individuals who fear death or are curious about it, the grieving, and those who give them counsel.
An excerpt from Swallowed by Life was featured in the June 2, 2013, “Reading for Spiritual Health” edition of The Pentecostal Evangel.
Excerpt
One day a neurosurgeon that often makes the determination of brain death sat down in the hospital lobby with me and began talking about the soul. Still clothed in the green scrubs and fabric shoe covers from a recently completed surgery, he shared that he recently lost his father.
“It was the first time I’ve ever come that close to death personally,” he said. “I believe in an afterlife, and it was a much more peaceful experience than I had supposed. Although my father had cancer and had been sick for a long time, my dad died so quickly. One minute he was there, and the next minute he was gone. The shell where he lived was all that was left.”
We went on to discuss spiritual things and how they relate to the intricacies of the brain.
“I believe the brain is the residence of the soul, and when a person is brain dead, the soul has gone on to its reward,” the neurosurgeon explained.
The soul’s residence can be debated. We often think the soul resides in our chest area near the heart, partly because of how the heart responds to emotion, but also because the Bible mentions so many things about the heart. A few of these are a “pure heart,” “believing heart,” “unrepentant heart,” “imagining heart,” “stubborn heart,” “grieving heart,” “loving heart,” and “joyful heart.”
Despite even many more examples, I don’t believe scripture speaks of our heart as a flesh-and-blood organ, but the “heart of us.” Like an apple core where the seeds are. Or a watermelon’s sweet heart that has seeds. More accurately, our heart is the center of who we are.
Many Bible scholars define the soul as the residence of our mind, will, and emotions. That certainly describes the center of who we are and gives some credence to the idea that the soul’s residence is in the brain.
Professional Reviews
Miracle of life and everlasting life
5.0 out of 5 stars
Miracle of life and everlasting life, July 27, 2012
By chrisGA - See all my reviews
This review is from: Swallowed by Life (Kindle Edition)
The author is using her experience as a medical reporter for a daily newspaper to address an issue we will all have to deal with--death and what happens to us afterwards. She states in the preface that she will reveal how science shows us that death is swallowed by life every day and what Jesus had to say about eternal life. She also examines the evidence that we are more than just a mere body. Her exploration of these topics arose from trying to come to terms with the death of her daughter and the need for reassurance that all she had believed about heaven and life eternal was really true. As she states: "I've discovered life is a powerful force, and all life is supernatural because our Heavenly Father created it. In this book I will share the wonder of it all."----and she does just that.
The book is made up of ten, very readable chapters filled with anecdotes and scientific tidbits. A set of discussion questions follows each chapter to help with book study groups or just personal reflection. The answers can be found at the end to be sure those questions are explored as the author intended. I enjoyed the images she uses to help paint word pictures of the natural processes of aging, death and new life: a restored rusty car, the collapsed roof of a deserted barn, leaves falling from a tree at different rates, the inside of a chicken egg, and others. I especially liked the following image: "When medicine leaves no handholds to grasp as we teeter on death's precipice, we discover the Savior has gone this way before and will help." Very comforting words.
This is a fascinating examination of the intricacies of the human body, a thorough Bible study of life after death, and the poignant reminisce of a mother who has lost a child and the peace she found. I highly recommend this book for anyone because, as the author says, there is no escaping our terminal condition.
I received a review copy from the author, but the opinions expressed are mine alone.
Hope for the Grieving
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hope for the Grieving, July 21, 2012
By Jesse's Dad - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Swallowed by Life (Kindle Edition)
Having lost my 10 year old son, Jesse, to Burkitt's Leukemia just over a year ago, Swallowed by Life by Ada Brownell echoes some of the very questions that I was asking after my son's death. I highly recommend it to those who are grieving and those who wish to come alongside someone who is grieving.
I especially enjoyed her thoughts on the person being more than just the body. This is illustrated wonderfully by examples of body parts and organs being removed, cells and tissues constantly being replaced, and yet, the person we are remains.
I also appreciated her take on Heaven: a child enjoys playing with toy cars, but an adult drives a real car. A child can't imagine giving up the toy car, whereas an adult realizes that driving a real car is far superior to playing with a toy car. So it will be in Heaven. We will find that all of our earthly pleasures where but a training ground for their Heavenly counterparts.
An Excellent Group Study to Prompt Valuable Discussion
By Scribbling WOman - See all my reviews
This review is from: Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal (Paperback)
I was surprised by the high-quality, intriguing group study I found in Swallowed by LIFE! It made me want to start a study group, and that isn't common as I'm picky about books and topics. It's hard to find books with good discussion questions like this. I can predict some GREAT dialogues happening because of the thought-provoking nature of the chapters and the questions. It would be a study for people who want to be real and honest in their spiritual walks. What better way to get very authentic than to talk about getting through death and how we face what lies ahead? I enjoyed the book personally and was touched by the author's stories and her gentle wisdom. I also really appreciated the way she used science to reveal God's majestic design. All in all, a very enjoyable and uplifting read that is comforting and stabilizing in a deep way for people of faith.
This book consists of a 150 pages of Christian poetry about the end of time and the Second coming of Jesus Christ not as a servant but as a King, the King of kings. To bring righteousness and peace to the earth and restore the government of God! Peac
