A Journey to Heaven and Back with Calvin Cassady

 https://www.calvincassady.com/
Calvin's facebook
Trailer for Bridging the Gap, A Spiritual Journey to Heaven and Back
Made for This podcast with Jenny Allen
Just Talking About Jesus website

Calvin Cassady shares the struggle of working within a different spiritual paradigm and the power of faith and prayer in helping people overcome tribulations. His story sheds light on dealing with different cultures and belief systems.

Calvin Cassady is an author and trained journalist. He served his church as a youth minister for 11 years. He worked for 40 years as a career educator and had the honor or serving the Seneca-Cayuga, a federally recognized Indian tribe as a tribal leader.
He lives in Southwest Missouri.
How does one transcend mankind to heavenly being, the known to the eternal mystery? One spring day in 1971, Calvin Cassady, a southwest Missouri teenager, was a victim in an unexplained automobile accident on a curvy Ozark mountain roadway. The impact caused the car that Calvin was a passenger in to burst into flames, plunging him into a clouded existence that included a walk through the valley of the shadow of death, leaving him on the threshold of eternal life. Eternity surrounded him and filled him with an absolute certainty of heaven. Standing before the Master and all his creation Calvin became troubled with the vision of his judgment and the life that he brought with him. Consumed with feelings of emptiness, he needed fulfillment.

Would you like to get a weekly sneak peek into the guests?
Join my Substack @janjohnson3

JustTalkingAboutJesus.com

If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website.
I'd love to connect with you!

Transcript

[00:03] Jan Johnson: Welcome to Just Talking About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talking about Jesus.

[00:14] Calvin Cassidy: The biggest impression on you is not what's there, but what's not there. I mean, you know, when it's when you, you arrive and like I said, you pass through the forgiveness stage.

[00:29] And the closer you got to heaven, the more relaxed you felt because you'd left sin behind.

[00:38] And at the very last, the devil broke away. And you knew then that your soul was completely free.

[00:50] Jan Johnson: Calvin Cassidy is a retired educator with a career that spanned 40 years teaching middle school through college age students, students.

[00:58] He served as director of Christian education at the local Episcopal Church for 15 years and he now serves on the tribal council for the Seneca Cayuga Nation, a federally recognized Indian tribe in northeast Oklahoma.

[01:12] He enjoys outdoor activities and quality family time. He has two daughters and four grandsons. He lives with his wife Vicki in Carl Junction, Missouri.

[01:26] Are you curious about heaven?

[01:29] Calvin had the rare opportunity to go there after a car accident.

[01:34] Let's listen to his story and what he experienced and how that affected his life.

[01:41] Well, I have an amazing guest today. Calvin Cassidy. Welcome to Just Talking About Jesus.

[01:48] Calvin Cassidy: Thank you. I'm glad to be here.

[01:51] Jan Johnson: Tell me a little bit about yourself and maybe your testimony and things you'd like us to know.

[01:57] Calvin Cassidy: Well, to begin with, I'm a career educator, a retired career educator, I guess you'd say. I was in a public school, private school, a university for about 40 years. I also did church work and worked with youth as kind of a Youth minister for 11 years at our local Episcopal Church.

[02:19] I worked for an Indian tribe, which was quite challenging for eight years. And right now I'm just, like I said, being retired.

[02:30] Jan Johnson: Yeah, that's good. What were some of the challenges working with the Indian tribe?

[02:34] Calvin Cassidy: Well, when you're, when you approach life with a Christian direction and they have different way, they profess to have different types of spirituality, and I was aware of that.

[02:52] But I was also aware that just by common knowledge, probably 80% of the members that I dealt with were Christians and they did go to church, but they would like to pull that card out every now and then.

[03:05] If you didn't, if they didn't agree with you, they'd say, well, you know, you believe in God, so what you think doesn't matter. So that would happen. But we worked with it.

[03:14] And I can't say that, you know, that it was a conversion experience for everybody, but it was for some of the people that I worked closely with. It truly was.

[03:24] I mean, we plunged into some things that were difficult, and we came out on the right side of things. But I think you got to, you know, it was through prayer and.

[03:35] And working in that direction that it worked out. And I think maybe for some of those people, that was the first proof they had that there was something besides, you know, we used to talk about, you know, like, dancing around the fire and doing the things that they did, which I respected, and I totally understand it, and I studied it.

[04:00] And the truth, fullness of it is that there's not that much difference between what they believe and what we as Christians believe. It's, you know, it's just a different mindset.

[04:14] And when people want to be alike, it's pretty easy. But when people don't want to be, sometimes it's not so easy. I guess that's the direction that. Now, I said it was difficult.

[04:29] That's probably the most difficult challenge that I've had. If I want to think of something that maybe I didn't do well, it would. It would be that. But then my wife and people that I work with say, you know, but you did.

[04:43] You know, you got to remember that. You got to count. You got to look at the people whose lives you did change and not worry so much about the ones that you couldn't.

[04:52] Because nobody. Nobody's perfect. And you never really know what effect you might have had on some people, too. So to be there for them when they need you, whether they like you or not, and down the road, you know, maybe, you know, we all come out ahead.

[05:11] So. But that was challenging to say just.

[05:15] Jan Johnson: Whether it would be with a Native American population or others. I mean, just in general, right?

[05:22] People have their own ideas about things that are not saved or, you know, walking the walk. And it just. That's the way it is. Even with Paul. Look at how Paul encountered those who had their own beliefs and whatever, and he's kind of seeing the things that are similar and then starting there, right?

[05:42] Calvin Cassidy: Well, like you said, that's the way it is with everything.

[05:45] But with people, you're closer with people, you know, like your church community, you feel comfortable sharing, you know, just about anything. And, you know, whether they agree with you or not, they're not going to be mean to you.

[06:03] They're. They're going to, you know, they're going to listen politely. And once again, you don't know whether it's going to matter or not. But I found more times than not, it has mattered because in today's world, whether people admit it or not, they need, they need somebody to care.

[06:22] They need somebody. They need to feel like they're in a community of caring people. And whether that be their family, their church, their community.

[06:32] And then, you know, if you can have any kind of influence on those things, then you're, you're making great progress. Once you leave your community, then, you know, it's. It becomes a God thing then.

[06:46] I mean, it always is. But, you know, you do what you can do with those around you, and you're open it. Other people in other communities are doing the same thing, but the worst thing you can do is do nothing and then complain.

[07:00] Jan Johnson: Right, right, right. And everybody you encounter, you know, I think just even happen your, your mindset on God and your opportunities of what he's going to drop in your mouth to say to somebody at the time.

[07:13] Calvin Cassidy: And oh, I love that, you know, because that's happened to me many, many times.

[07:18] I mean, I've taken off on a mission rock, jumped in my car and hit it off somewhere and ended up on somebody's front porch and thought, what am I doing here?

[07:28] And what am I going to say? And the door opens, and you just know, it just happens that the words just come out of your mouth. Not that you hadn't thought about it.

[07:38] You know, it wasn't going around in your brain. It's just that at that instant, you didn't know for sure what you were going to do. And I love when you said that, because that's happened.

[07:49] That happens a lot. Yeah, people don't believe it until it happens to them. But a lot of times, you know, if you push and put yourself in those kinds of unknown situations, it's going to happen.

[08:03] Jan Johnson: Right, right.

[08:04] Calvin Cassidy: If you don't and live the comfortable life, you may never understand it. But if you get involved with any organization that right now, closely involved in church work, we just, we just hired a new priest and what an ordeal that was.

[08:22] And we're so, so, so fortunate that the process only took like three months, because then sometimes I'm an Episcopalian and we, you know, we're not. Our rectors are not assigned.

[08:36] They interview and with the diocese interview with the, with the search committee and the vestry. And I am a member of the vestry. And so it's an exciting time, but it was scary because, you know, when you start out on that we've had searches and they said there have been searches that have lasted five years and, and just being without our own for three Months felt like we were lost in the wilderness.

[09:05] Jan Johnson: I mean, yeah, stranded a little bit.

[09:08] Calvin Cassidy: Yeah, that was a true faith experience. But I was so proud of our folks because they were up to it. They stuck with the program. And now we have, in just a few weeks, we'll have our own church leader back.

[09:28] And. But that's a process for those people that went through it. I mean, it's a faith experience that's saying we went from unknown to known and all we really had was our faith.

[09:40] And it's hard to explain to people how God works unless they see it. And when they see it and it's kind of almost undeniable. And they, it's like, you know, the argument, if there ever was one, is over.

[09:58] And it's like, you know, I knew all the time it was going to be okay.

[10:04] Jan Johnson: That's the, that's the beauty of the Holy Spirit, isn't it?

[10:08] Calvin Cassidy: Truly it is.

[10:09] Jan Johnson: It truly is. What kind of experience did you have when you were doing the youth, working with youth?

[10:15] Calvin Cassidy: Pretty good.

[10:17] My experience through the book was, I mean, my motivation was my near-death experience.

[10:25] And with youth, that played a lot better than it does with some adults who have preconceived notions that are never going to go away. They're always going to think that, you know, something's not right with you.

[10:43] But with young people, and again, they are so much looking for something to. Some guidance, maybe outside the home. And that's not saying that they're not getting a good. They're not saying they're not coming from a good family.

[11:00] It's just saying that when they get to be in junior high and high school, they're looking for something else.

[11:08] And you know, to be honest, to step out into that world is almost a bold step. That's something that God needs to follow you with because it can be very, very trying.

[11:20] And a lot of people just have no luck at all. But in my situation, and I can say this, I taught Sunday school, and I taught all kinds of school.

[11:32] I taught, you know, I even substituted in kindergarten a few times when that was an experience. But in most of the classroom assignments that I had every year for the time that I was in there, I always talked about my experience.

[11:48] Was that. Was that chancy? Yes, it was.

[11:51] But I never had an administrator, or another teacher challenge me. I never had a parent challenge it, which was kind of interesting because.

[12:02] And I'm not saying you could do that today, but I'm saying that the right kind of person probably could because, you know, like I said, the world's, the world is, and everybody's looking for somebody to believe in, for somebody to care, to care with them.

[12:18] And sometimes they're really, really lost. I mean, and maybe it's their fault, maybe it's not. Maybe it's medical, maybe it's family, maybe it's drugs. I mean, just everywhere you turn there's a, there's a possibility.

[12:36] And from when I started teaching and that's been, it's been, it's been 50 years since I started teaching, things are so, so much different. And once again, your trust, you know, developing trust systems with, with kids, with families, with communities were so much easier then because it didn't, there was just so much or so little, so much less confusion trying to have to decipher what's right and wrong.

[13:13] Things were, things were clearer then. And parents weren't afraid to say, you know, that's wrong.

[13:21] And, and if your teacher tells you that's wrong, then, then it's wrong.

[13:26] And now, you know, sometimes everything, sometimes parents don't know what their kids are doing, so they don't know what's right or wrong or not. And if they tried to explain it in situation, in some situations, it wouldn't matter because there's, there's no, they're, they're, they're getting their information, they're getting their caring or getting their trust from somebody else.

[13:50] And a lot of times we know it's not from people that are going to make their lives better, but they're so starved for that feeling of belonging and security that they'll take it wherever they can get it.

[14:05] And that was a problem 50 years ago, but right now it's a huge problem because there seems to be more people that want to take than they want to give.

[14:14] And it sounded pretty good, didn't it? I'm kind of in one of those modes now, somebody talking for me. But, but the whole thing, you know, is from where I come.

[14:27] I'm going to tell you this, Today's my birthday. And I, you know, you do a lot of risk, you do a lot of reflecting on that day as to what your life means and all this.

[14:36] And, and I was just thinking, you know, the experience which we haven't talked about very much, whenever I, you know, had the near-death experience situation with, with God and heaven and all that was truly amazing.

[14:55] And I, and I didn't do near, I didn't do it near justice in the book because when you're, when you're sitting down and you're Writing it. It all sounds pretty.

[15:06] I'm pretty special, you know, and that's not what I wanted it to sound like at all, but it.

[15:13] But I want people to understand.

[15:17] Just because it happened to me doesn't mean I'm better than you. It just means that I'm here to care for you. I'm here to help you. I'm here to, you know, to reinforce your feelings of doubt or your lack of faith, things like that.

[15:35] And that experience gave me that.

[15:39] That power to go.

[15:42] To invest my. My time in other people's lives and other people's families. And once again, you just get back to, how did you. How did I end up here?

[15:54] Jan Johnson: Yeah.

[15:54] Calvin Cassidy: So tell us.

[15:55] Jan Johnson: You were in a. You were in a car accident. Tell us about.

[15:58] Calvin Cassidy: Yeah.

[15:58] Jan Johnson: What happened?

[16:00] Calvin Cassidy: Three teenagers out on a.

[16:03] Well, actually, we had a day off from school, and we should have been studying for finals, but that was the design of the day off. But we were out on.

[16:13] Just a day out, you know, day out and off.

[16:17] And we got in car wreck.

[16:20] Everybody was hurt, but I was critically hurt.

[16:24] And in the time that it took. Well, as a result of that accident, which. And I like to say it was almost a Hollywood accident because there was a fire and an explosion and, you know, and everybody that walked away should have been thankful.

[16:39] Well, I was drug away by. By a couple of gentlemen that I called angels, because that's the way I. That's the way I perceived it at the time. If it hadn't been for them, I would have burned up, and so would my.

[16:52] And I don't know if my friends would have or not. They were. They were fairly mobile and could get away, but I was not, and I needed help. And. But from that experience with those angels to an experience where you pass through.

[17:09] And I like to say this is a judgment stage or where you pass through and, you know, they simplify that by saying your life flushes before you. Well, yeah, it does, but what it makes.

[17:22] What makes the biggest impression on you is not what's there, but what's not there. I mean, when you arrive and like I said, you pass through the forgiveness stage. And the closer you got to heaven, the more relaxed you felt because you'd left sin behind.

[17:46] And at the very last, the devil broke away. And you knew then that your soul was completely free. And then that's when heaven just kind of exploded in front of me.

[17:59] And I tell everybody, you know, it wasn't the golden streets. It wasn't like what you think. I think I like to Think maybe it was the receiving area. And I say that in all honesty because it was just a nice, peaceful, pastoral kind of a scene.

[18:18] God and I communicated with each other. I did not see him, but I heard him. I felt him. And it was, of course, by the time that happened, I knew what was going on.

[18:33] I just didn't know what was going to happen afterward. And, you know, I was just thinking last night, you know, in. In Christian life today, being born again or Christian rebirth and all that stuff is.

[18:50] Is, you know, is an important thing.

[18:52] And. But I don't think.

[18:55] I'm not sure that I look at being reborn as they look at being reborn, because when you're. When you die and then you go back, that was a pretty rough trip back because you saw all the stuff that you said goodbye to and was thankful to leave behind, like poverty and war and, you know, and abuse and all that stuff.

[19:24] But it didn't seem like the trip back was so fast, and you just kind of. That stuff just kind of sunk back in and you realize that the devil was a part of your life again, and that sin was something that you were going to have to fight on a daily basis.

[19:39] And it made you feel like what you needed to do was so important.

[19:46] And. But that's.

[19:48] That. That. That's, you know, was the. That's what I wrote the book for.

[19:54] But then the rest of it, I like to call living with Jesus because once you can get people's attention, you can show them how, you know, Jesus with them. Not in just the big miracle things, but just in the things that I'm having trouble and I need somebody to talk to, and I can offer you a prayer and the solution happens.

[20:19] I'm not sure why or how, but the right person comes to me or, Or.

[20:25] Or I get redirected. And I find that a lot of times in my own personal life, sometimes I think I know where I'm going.

[20:33] And then when you just keep bashing against the wall, you think, maybe I need a little redirection. Maybe I need to be using your car, say, now we're rerouting or something.

[20:46] But if, you know, if you're doing something over and over and nothing's changing, then you've got to figure that I've done something wrong or things would be. I would feel this way.

[21:00] And sometimes you just have to say, well, I guess I was wrong all along. I should have been God should have gone this way instead of that way. And. But that's.

[21:09] Again, it's a part of faith. And that's a part when you visit with people.

[21:16] And, you know, it's funny, and I say this too, not to say I'm better than you or anything else, because I think everybody has the same ability.

[21:27] But once you're focused on need, it just seems like people that need help, you know, are just there. They, you know, and they may. They may discipline in with everybody else, but it just seems like, you know, I migrate towards them or they migrate towards me.

[21:47] And so.

[21:49] But I'm just saying I think anybody that cared and that. And that's my job is to make them care, make them see that Jesus is a part of them.

[22:02] I had a situation at church where I fell. I cracked my head and led all over everything. And of course, it was one of those things that was very close to being a disaster.

[22:12] But what it was when I wrote a little piece about it that said, you know, Jesus was there and he helped me because he was with the lady that helped me find a place to sit, and he was with me, and he was with the person that took their T shirt off and wrapped my head to keep it from bleeding all over everything.

[22:32] Jesus was with the man that took and that helped us to the car.

[22:36] And, you know, and Jesus took us to hospital, people. And, you know, I published that on Facebook and church site. And so many people said, you know, we really, really appreciate that.

[22:51] We really didn't think about it in that terms, but it was them that Jesus was a part of. And. And, you know, without thinking, it just happened. And I thought that was pretty cool.

[23:06] I was that much. That might have been the second coolest thing that's happened to me, aside from the big event that one of the ladies I interviewed with, that's what she liked to refer to.

[23:17] The car crash was the big event.

[23:20] Jan Johnson: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you do everything pre big event and post big event.

[23:26] Calvin Cassidy: Right, right.

[23:27] Jan Johnson: Was you. Were you married at the time of the accident?

[23:31] Calvin Cassidy: No, but my wife and I became very, very close during. After the accident. I mean, she was at the hospital. She was there with me during the recovery. Most people that watched that relationship develop say that it was a thing that was going to be.

[23:50] And we're still together. We still work with people together.

[23:55] I like to say I work. I work with God through God's word. She works with people through God's creation. She spends lots and lots of time working with young people and at local nature center, environmental center, introducing different things to kids.

[24:19] And I think together we're very complimentary in working through God's words.

[24:25] Jan Johnson: Yeah. How did she react to your revelation of your spiritual. Right. I mean, finding the reality of the.

[24:37] Calvin Cassidy: Spiritual realm, you know, except, you know, accepting.

[24:45] But the longer we're together, the stronger that acceptance becomes. The more that, you know, she's absolutely sure.

[24:55] Another thing that happened that, you know, many, many, many things are happening. Another thing that I talked about in the book was when my mother died, and she died in a car crash.

[25:06] And it was.

[25:07] It was really. It was really sad. But the thing about it was, people at the hospital said, well, you know, she'll be all right. You were all right. You were in critical condition.

[25:20] You weren't. You know, you were given, you know, so many hours to.

[25:25] It'll be fine. And, I mean, that was nice that they understood that part of it, but I was just so disturbed about the whole thing that I just had to walk out of the room and I went down to the temple to pray.

[25:43] While I was there, God spoke to me and he said, you know, that your mom was a great person and that she was a great servant, but she's. Her work on this earth is finished.

[25:57] And now your job is to take care of those people up there in that room and help them understand what's going on.

[26:07] And that really stuck with me for lots of reasons, because, you know, that's one of those things when death is upon you. You have to really, really think hard.

[26:20] I mean, kids are killed in car wrecks, adults are killed in car wrecks. People die of cancer. People die of all kinds of reasons. And I had loved ones cling to them very, you know, very tightening very closely.

[26:34] But my feelings. The way I was approached with, in the. In the chapel was that, you know, your job is to let go, is to make people understand that this is a natural thing.

[26:48] And it's all right to be sad and it's all right to be grieving, but you gotta under. You know, you got to understand that your mom has made a step, a progress to something that you understand.

[27:02] But the people that you're talking to upstairs probably have no concept of.

[27:08] So the next. It seemed like forever, but it was probably less than 30 minutes, because it was less than 30 minutes then that we lost her. But I did the best I could.

[27:19] And I think. I mean, there were people who were a little bit adamant about my behavior for a little while, but eventually they all accepted it as maybe I didn't know what was going on.

[27:34] But that's affected everything that's happened since.

[27:38] Jan Johnson: Having had that experience. Does it change the way you feel or see when somebody, you know as a Christian dies and you know what.

[27:50] Calvin Cassidy: Where.

[27:51] Jan Johnson: Where they're going, what's going to happen?

[27:53] Calvin Cassidy: Oh, man. I mean, I'm excited, but, you know, you can't go to a funeral and be excited.

[27:58] People look at you funny.

[28:00] But I. I never go.

[28:03] I never do go to a funeral or memorial service where I don't leave feeling better than I was when I was there. But I also feel like there's so much sadness in this room.

[28:17] Of course, they just don't understand that what's ahead is nothing that we could. That you could even.

[28:26] You could even.

[28:27] You know, you would never want to deprive anybody of that if you really think about it.

[28:34] So in that regard, sometimes when you visit with people afterwards, you kind of work it to that direction.

[28:41] You work about, you know, you've got your memories and you celebrate. You don't be sad. You celebrate instead.

[28:52] Whenever I send out a Facebook message after somebody passes, I try to use that word, celebrate their life, celebrate their memories, and try to draw away from this remembering the tragedy that brought it all to an end in your, you know, in your mind.

[29:11] But it really is. It's. It's really, really hard because I've got an aunt at 98 years old. He's in a nursing home.

[29:19] And we're never sure that. I mean, I haven't seen her in several years, but I'm never, never sure. Family's never sure if she's tuned in or she's not tuned in.

[29:30] Some days she was good. Some days are bad. That when somebody gets to that situation, and I truly, really, truly feel about this is what happens in her life as it is in everybody's life.

[29:44] Every day of everybody's life is what happens now is between her and God. And once she's decided.

[29:54] And I use this because it helped me with my father. My father passed away, and he worked really, really hard. He was a very careful man. He got sick and he didn't know what to do.

[30:06] I mean, he. He freaked. You know, he freaked out, and that just made things worse. And he was old and things started to fail, and he was just real confused about everything, but he was gone.

[30:20] You know, I say he was gone, and then he was back. He had the first. His first night in the hospital was very, very difficult. And doctor said, you know, there were several times that we could have lost him, that I told you that I.

[30:33] That I wouldn't let that happen. And after that, he kind of rebounded. He spent about five months in A nursing home was.

[30:44] I was amazed. I mean, I was. I was really, really proud of him. But when he did die, my line is that he fought the hard fight, but he just got a better offer and he couldn't turn it down.

[30:58] And I've used that with some people and it's been effective because it's like, you know, at that stage in their life, it's not your fault to make.

[31:10] They are in control and have all. And are always in control, but it's them, you know, and God's with you every minute and he's. But at that particular time, you know, you just got to understand that they love you.

[31:26] The people that have always loved you are never going to not love you and they're not going to leave you because they don't love you. It's just, you know, you knew what I knew you wouldn't be.

[31:39] Why you wouldn't be crying, you wouldn't be. You'd be excited.

[31:43] Jan Johnson: Yeah.

[31:43] Calvin Cassidy: And, you know, and so that's. Yeah. I mean, but that's just another thing that's changed and has changed me forever. And, you know, the people that I grew up with are old too.

[32:00] And, you know, we had a large high school, but it seems like every other week there's somebody in our high school that's passed away.

[32:07] Jan Johnson: Yeah.

[32:08] Calvin Cassidy: And, you know, at 70 today, I turned 73. That's. We know that's to be expected, but it's still hard.

[32:20] And that's why I wished I could be more.

[32:24] I wish I could talk to people like I've talked to you today, because.

[32:29] Jan Johnson: There'S talking to a lot of people. Who knows.

[32:32] Calvin Cassidy: Yeah, listen. Yeah, that's right. Well, you know, I've probably done. I was just thinking I probably done. I bet I've done a hundred podcasts since. Since the. Since COVID I mean, I.

[32:45] I did my own during COVID called Intermission.

[32:48] And I imagine I did well, I know I did at least 60.

[32:53] And the gist of that was what do we do between times? You know, when you go to a play, the intervention is between the first half and the second half.

[33:04] And I really enjoyed that, of course. But, you know, anything else to do, so. Yeah.

[33:10] Jan Johnson: Right. So we're almost out of time. I want you to tell us where listeners could reach you and find your book.

[33:17] Calvin Cassidy: Okay. I do have a website and it's very easy. It's Calvin Cassidy@Calvin Cassidy.com. simple as that. And books available on Amazon at Books a Million anywhere. That's, you know, the title.

[33:34] Title of the book is Bridging the gap, A spiritual journey to heaven and back.

[33:39] Jan Johnson: Okay.

[33:39] Calvin Cassidy: And most everything about me you can find on the website, and there's a place there you could leave comments, which would be greatly appreciated.

[33:50] It's a delightful website.

[33:53] It's got all my. All my pro. A lot of my programs and some press releases and things like that, but that'd be the best way to find out more about me.

[34:05] Jan Johnson: Perfect. Perfect. Well, Calvin, thank you. This has really been a delight. I'm kind of jealous of you to have had that experience and can't wait till the day.

[34:16] Calvin Cassidy: But meanwhile, that's why I say I wish I could talk to people like I can talk to you, because that does. It has a.

[34:26] Hopefully it has that effect on other people.

[34:29] And I think at the age I am now, and I needed to challenge myself to get out, or maybe that's the direction I need to go with this, is to go out and do some speaking and.

[34:45] And let God help me some more.

[34:48] Jan Johnson: Exactly. Exactly. All right, well, thank you so much. This has really been a joy, and I sure the listeners are going to really appreciate your story.

[34:58] Calvin Cassidy: Thank you so much for this opportunity.

[35:01] Jan Johnson: Okay.

[35:12] I think what impressed me the most about Calvin's story was how his perspective changed after his heavenly experience.

[35:19] Now he sees things through a different lens. Must have been somewhat how Jesus felt trying to explain things to the disciples that they just didn't get because they hadn't experienced heaven yet.

[35:30] That's really where our faith comes in, right? We must believe that Jesus said the Bible and have faith that what he said is true.

[35:39] And waiting for us there on the other side is going to be something so magnificent, so grand, so entirely different than we ever imagined.

[35:50] I, for one, can't wait.

[35:55] My recommended book is Bridging the A spiritual journey to heaven and Back.

[36:00] A link for that is in the show notes and I would recommend this podcast made for this with Jenny Allen. Jenny Allen is the two times New York Times bestselling author of Find your people and get out of your head.

[36:17] She is also the founder and visionary of IF Gathering. She's a passionate leader following God's call on her life to catalyze a generation to live what they believe. Jenny has a Master's in Biblical Studies with Dallas Theological Seminary and lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband Zach and their four children.

[36:36] I really enjoy this podcast because she is passionate about what she believes and.

[36:44] And I think she's true to the word, so give it a try.

[36:50] I'll put that link in the show notes as well be sure and share this episode if it was something that was meaningful to you and you think someone else would enjoy it.

[37:00] And I'll leave you with these scriptures. Philippians 3:20 but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ and 2 Corinthians 5:1 for we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

[37:26] Let me know your thoughts by texting to the link at the top of the show notes, and I look forward to joining you again next time when we'll hear from Dr.

[37:33] Lisa Dorsey, who has a profound passion for history and faith.

[37:37] Blessings, my friend.