"Heaven. It's there. It's real. It's the same as on earth, but different." These are some of the first words this middle-aged man slowly whispered after coming out of a twelve day coma following cardiac arrest and triple-by-pass surgery.
Imagine There's a Heaven is more than a glimpse of Heaven. It's an abstract, personal account of a non-churchgoing man who journeyed to Heaven-no filler, no fluff-making it a shorter read. Jim Austerman is a self-published author who documented his journey of what he saw, heard, felt, and did in the vast dimension of Heaven.
Excerpt:
As my spirit lingered in the casket, I came to realize, I was not who I thought I was. I was not my body. My spirit was conscious-aware of the events taking place. I realized I was my spirit. As I gazed at myself lying there, I knew that my body was dead-a most peculiar discernment. Suddenly, I felt movement and quickly hovered near my body. The casket was set in motion as I watched flashes of white light speed by. It was like traveling at the speed of light, but strangely, somehow, it felt as if it wasn't moving at all. Almost as swiftly as it began, the movement stopped. My spirit continued hovering over my body, as if it were protecting me-watching-waiting to see what would happen next. No sound was heard-nothing but silence.
Words of the Author:
At age sixty-one I had a heart attack. On the operating table I went into cardiac arrest. CPR was performed three times before I was put on full life-support. The doctors were unable to stabilize me. What I experienced the next twelve days was more than I could comprehend-a journey to Heaven. I could feel the life in the grass as I stood on the ground. Beauty was everywhere. I saw countless people going about their business. I went on many walks with the Lord and He showed me things I'd never seen. I experienced the perfection of Heaven where everything ran like clockwork. During my brief stay in Heaven, I came to understand who I am, who God is, and what Heaven is about.
During and after recovery I wrote down all my memories of Heaven. I'm not a Pulitzer Prize writer by any stretch of the means, but I've tried my best to take you through my journey. I hope you find some inspiration in this book and find God, as I did.
About the Author: Jim Austerman has been a musician for more than forty-five years. He is an accomplished keyboard, piano, accordion, and concertina player. With his electronic keyboards, he is a one-man-band. Jim composes several genres of instrumental music which include polka, waltz, easy listening, European & Russian styles, Polyphon, and music box melodies. Jim studied under Myron Floren, of the Lawrence Welk Show, and Larry Malmberg, the original accordionist for the Whoopie John Band. From 1974 to 1981 Jim was a session keyboard player for RCA, Decca, and Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA. He is a member of ASCAP as a composer and songwriter and has been featured in Music & Dance News. His music is aired on many radio stations across the United States, as well as other countries; with several CDs on the market. Jim performs at many fairs, festivals, and other events.
In 1991, Jim earned an Associates in Arts Degree from Minneapolis Community College and became a member of Phi Theta Kappa; an international scholastic honor society. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business at Northwestern College in Saint Paul, MN where he graduated Cum Laude. He is married and has seven children.
Jim's life hasn't always been rosy. Raised by an abusive mother in the 1950s and early 60s, Jim wanted to believe there was a God. He had to exist; He needed His help. As a little boy, he found God in the sparkles of the sidewalks in Southern California. He thought the sparkles must be God. He talked to God as he walked and asked Him to stop the abuse. He didn't. Jim left home at age fifteen. Because of the torturous mental and physical abuse, he suffered many issues. He couldn't hold down a job, failed in relationships, and was considered dysfunctional according to society. The only thing he could do well was play music.
At age sixty-one Jim had a heart attack. On the operating table he went into cardiac arrest. CPR was performed three times before he was put on full life-support. The doctors were unable to stabilize him. What he experienced the next twelve days was more than he could comprehend--a journey to Heaven. During his brief stay in Heaven, he came to understand: who he is, who God is, and what Heaven is about.
