HEAVEN BOUND – Conversations with an Angel by JAMES PRESTON DOWNS
• All the way to heaven is heaven. — Saint Catherine of Sienna (1347-1380)
• Evil must be left behind in this world, but virtue follows the soul to heaven. — Hindu
• The evolving soul is not made divine by what it does, but by what it strives to do. (48:7.24)
— The Urantia Book {1955}
Copyright © 2009 – 2024 Minnesota/Colorado USA
DEDICATIONS
Family members:
Dermod Sheehan 1882 — 1972 Maternal Grandfather
Annie Curren Sheehan 1882 — 1929 Maternal Grandmother
Joseph Philip Downs 1882 — 1919 Paternal Grandfather
Elizabeth Greenwall Downs 1886 — 1979 Paternal Grandmother
Father Shawn Sheehan 1912 — 1990 Uncle
John Preston Downs 1913 — 2004 Father
Eileen Sheehan Downs 1915 — 2002 Mother
Jimmy Sheehan 1920 — 2002 Uncle
Eileen Downs-Jacobs 1942 — 2010 Older Sister
Jenny Tasker 1943 — 1971 Wife
John Philip Downs 1944 — 1973 Oldest Brother
Joseph Dermod Downs 1946 — 2010 Older Brother
Mary Elizabeth Borodich 1951 — 2015 Younger Sister
Shawn Downs 1953 — 2005 Younger Brother
Shannon Moriarity 1967 — 1971 Niece
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Particular appreciation to Judith Mary Kain whose editing, linguistic, and content counsel was truly invaluable. Our in-depth discussions were critical and essential. Thank you for your insights.
• I am grateful (and, I’m sure, the reader too) to Katherine Solomon for the many hours she put into making the sentence structure, syntax, and style readable.
• Heartfelt gratitude for the members of the following:
◦ Dr. Jill Strunk and the Minnetonka Study Group
◦ Dr. Chris Halvorson and the New Horizons Study Group
◦ Mr. Mo Siegel and the Boulder Study Group
◦ Mr. Merritt Horn and the Gunbarrel Study Group
Special thanks to:
◦ Robert Kalk for general support
◦ Maggie Pizzuti for her editing advice
◦ Michael Hanna for important factual critiquing
◦ Terry Degner for his edit recommendations and encouragement
◦ Kevin Kain for being interested thus giving me the impetus to move forward
◦ Allegentia and Aarowyn for their inestimable inspiration and mind-leading direction
AUTHOR’S NOTES
This book addresses some of the questions about life, begun here on Earth and continued in heaven. An angel, a Seraphic Transport, who is bringing souls from Earth to heaven is the central character. The platform for discussion is a series of imaginary conversations some time after physical death but before re-personalization in heaven. However, please be aware, the author does not personally believe we are conscious again until we are revived on the other side. Yet, if an angelic messenger could wake you up during this between-time and dispense accurate information on the future, the nature of God, reality, or any other important piece of intelligence, wouldn’t you wish to ask a few probing questions? What do you think you would ask? Our protagonist provides some general information in her initial monologue to the entire complement of souls she has with her, and then answers specific questions from thirty-six individuals (each a separate chapter).
We know what we will be leaving behind, but what lies ahead? Humans have invented many alternatives; therefore we will have to reconcile the differences between our expectations and what the real story turns out to be. Some (or much) of what is presented here is unlikely to match with your assumptions; consequently, I have addressed single ideas simply and separately in the dialogues. A question arising in your mind in an early chapter (especially the angel’s opening remarks) should find some clarification in one of the subsequent chapters.
Physical death is but a snapshot in this interesting universe. All of our conjecture about the survival question will be put to rest in the best possible way – by personal experience once we get there. And yet, what we determine in this life to be the truth about these practical, moral, ethical, and spiritual questions does influence how we live today.
PRIMARY ASSUMPTIONS:
• Heaven is a real place.
• God wants all of his children to go to heaven.
• We will continue to grow and learn after death.
• Nothing of value, actual or potential, is ever lost.
• We will wake up and know ourselves as ourselves.
• How the universe is set up is a direct reflection of who set it up. God is love.
• Angels and friends will give us all the help we need to adapt to our new situation.