Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever felt the presence of a dearly departed loved one, or something more sinister? In “Friends from Beyond the Veil,” author Shirley Bahlmann compiles stories from individuals who have felt and even seen ghostly personages from the other side. Shirley is quick to point out that we must decide for ourselves if the stories are true, but she tells us that, to the people who shared their stories, it’s all completely real.
The first section of the book is entitled “Angels and Family.” This was a very comforting segment, talking about persons who saw or felt the presence of an angel shortly after the passing of a family member. I especially enjoyed the story of Krystal, a mentally-challenged girl who loved to go visit her grandmother. Her grandma had a whole bunch of tiaras at her house and Krystal could choose which one to wear on every visit, but she couldn’t take them home with her. When Grandma died, Krystal couldn’t understand why she couldn’t go to Grandma’s house anymore, but at the funeral, Krystal saw her grandmother in the hall, and Grandma told her she could keep all the tiaras for her own now.
I also liked the story of Darcy and Jo, two sisters who shared a room. One night, Darcy saw an angel appear in the room and look lovingly at Jo, who was at that moment saying her prayers. When Darcy told Jo what had happened, Jo said that she had been praying to know if she had a guardian angel.
Not all the stories in this book are about peaceful spirits, however. The center section is called “Devils, Demons, and Scary Things.” These stories are a little freaky, and the author says that they aren’t for everyone. The thing I liked about this portion, however, is that while the events depicted are scary, and evil spirits are never something to invite or tamper with, the author includes the information on how the people involved got rid of the spirits and what they learned from the experience. Even in the midst of the evil, there is hope.
The last section is “Mischievious, Annoyed, or Benign Spirits.” These are stories of spirits who like to play jokes and move things around on people.
I must say I didn’t know what to expect from the book. I’m a huge fan of Shirley Bahlmann’s, though, and I knew she would handle the subject matter delicately and with integrity. I was not disappointed in that at all. I would even say this is some of her very best writing.
If you’re sensitive to the darker forces, you may wish to skip the center section of the book. I know I didn’t want to read it late at night or while home alone! But if you are more interested in kindly, loving angels, the first section of the book is a must-read.
(This book was published in 2007 by Cedar Fort.)
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