"Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'." - Matthew 19:14
Yesterday I finished reading the book Heaven is For Real. This book is amazing! I highly recommend it. It is a about a little boy's remarkable true story of his trip to heaven and back. Colton, the little boy, became extremely ill during a family trip. His parents, Todd and Sonja, rushed him to their local hospital on the way home. I do not want to give too much away but, as you already know by the title of the book, Colton had a near death experience at a very young age.
Little Colton gives detailed accounts of his trip to heaven in bits and pieces over the course of several years. He remembers almost everything, even to this day. But as a child it was probably harder for him to describe certain things. So as he grew up he was able to share more and more things with his parents about his amazing encounter with Jesus and other holy people. He even got to meet deceased family members that he never met on earth before.
I literally grabbed this book and could not put it down! I read most of it in the course of a day. Even though it is not a Catholic book it is still a very good Christian book. Todd, the father, is a pastor of a small church in Imperial, Nebraska. He writes very well and can relate a lot of the events to scripture passages from the Bible. If you haven't read this book go get it now! I'm telling you, you won't be disappointed. It is a very easy read for teens and adults. It definitely illustrates the power of God in an incredible way!
Also, if you are looking for other great Catholic/Christian books I recommend No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy by Father Donald Calloway, How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul by Jason and Crystalina Evert, Queen of the Cosmos and The Visions of the Children by Janice Connell, and many more by the authors Matthew Kelly and Scott Hahn. All of these books will open your eyes to a new light in faith. But most importantly, as Colton describes with his testimony, God wants us to know that heaven is for real...and that is what we need to strive for. I hope this book and the others I suggested will help you on your spiritual journey. Take care and God bless!
