Pete Deison - Visits from Heaven: One Mans Eye-Opening Encounter with Death, Grief, and Comfort from the Other Side

I have known Dr. Pete Deison for many years now and have utmost respect for his wisdom and love of people. In Visits from Heaven, Deisons understanding and compassion shine throughout the book to help its readers work their way through the stages of grief, including from the loss of loved ones who have chosen suicide. He also encourages us with the hopes and wonders of what heaven will be likefor us as believers as well as for believers who may have committed suicide.

P AUL M EIER , MD
A UTHOR AND COFOUNDER , M EIER C LINICS

Nothing shatters the soul like the sudden death of a loved one. Life explodes into fiery fragments, and we stagger to make sense of it all. My courageous friend Pete Deison not only dares to bare his heartbreak but boldly storms the portals of heaven and scours Gods Word to find answers. Like a seasoned fireman he guides his readers through choking debris into fresh air of understanding and exquisite hope. Here is a book perfectly suited for our distressing days.

J EANNE H ENDRICKS
A UTHOR; WIDOW OF D R . H OWARD H ENDRICKS

Out of tragedy and heartache Pete Deison discovered hope that heals. Now in Visits from Heaven he offers that inspiring gift to us. I highly recommend it.

D R . R OBERT L EWIS
A UTHOR AND FOUNDER , M ENS F RATERNITY

Shock, anguish, pain, emptiness, and horror are the emotions I initially felt in reading the saga of Harriet and Pete Deison. However, as I progressed I came to the realization that what is found here is a love story that was both broken by human frailty but also characterized by a love that could only find its origins in heaven. What I found was a work that did not dismiss the terror of human loss, the anguish of living, and the vacuous emptiness of loneliness, but offers deep insight and help for fellow travelers into the dark mire of pain and loss. The theocentric and bibliocentric lens through which Pete traverses the nadir of his soul is remarkable; the practical insight and balanced perceptions are wonderful. I cried when I read it, but I placed the volume in my library as a choice treasure of the experience of divine mercy in the midst of pained trust. Some of what is offered may seem controversial and the use of some passages questionable, but the great message of the book is that there is a world of reality that is far larger and more real than this one; there is hope to be found in the character of God that eternity and time interconnect though seemingly in a disjointed fashion, but actually not so much as we earthlings think; there is profound reason biblically and otherwise that our separations are only for a time, our pains having a purpose with reunions afterward that transcend time. But now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13).

J OHN D. H ANNAH
D ISTINGUISHED P ROFESSOR OF H ISTORICAL T HEOLOGY R ESEARCH P ROFESSOR OF T HEOLOGICAL S TUDIES , D ALLAS T HEOLOGICAL S EMINARY

A book written with the tears of Christ, Visits from Heaven provides perspective, hope, and inspiration from the valley of the shadow of death. Pete Deison faced the most excruciating loss one can face as a husband. As a pastor, he had to relearn to care for his own soul; and as a writer he charts the map for the deepest terrains of his soul for our sakes. This book is a true gift to those of us walking through the darkness of our earthly path, and a rare treasure of heavenly vision.

M AKOTO F UJIMURA
A RTIST AND DIRECTOR , B REHM C ENTER

Pete Deison has done an outstanding job of embracing his grief and aggressively seeking answers to difficult if not impossible questions. He teaches us some valuable lessons about how to grieve. I recommend his book to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one.

S COTT S USONG
A SSISTANT PASTOR , S ECOND B APTIST C HURCH

Pete Deison has written a book of excruciating honesty. The depth of disclosure of the issues of mental illness, deep love, suicide, and recovery is explored in an uncommon, almost page-turning way. Pete and his wife, Harriet, have been friends of ours for a long time. Her death rocked us to the core. Pete has been given uncommon grace in unpacking an extraordinary set of circumstances that would have shattered a lesser man. This is a breathtaking story for everyone but a timeless book for anyone whos been in the intimate orbit of mental illness.

E. P EB J ACKSON
P RESIDENT , J ACKSON C ONSULTING G ROUP

With compelling evidence, biblical precision, and astounding life-changing encounters, fellow struggler Pete Deison shows us how our tissue-thin connection to heavenfrom earthis easily penetrated by faith. Read and be delighted.

D R . E MMETT C OOPER
A UTHOR , T HE H ONEY W ORD B IBLE F OUNDER AND PRESIDENT , H ONEY W ORD YOU- NIVERSITY .

You have wisdom no one wants. Wisdom honed through an experience no one would ever want to endure, but wisdom nonetheless. Thank you for addressing depression and suicide in a head-on, authentic, and vulnerable manner. Most people in the church are afraid to broach these topics. Thank you for not being one of those people.

G REG M URTHA
F OUNDER , L IVING WITH A L IMP C HIEF RELATIONSHIP OFFICER , I D ONATE F ORMER PRESIDENT , H ALFTIME

The minute Visits from Heaven arrived in the mail, I opened it and read it, finishing it in just a few hours. I laughed and cried, and cried some more, loving the way it was based on Scripture. Petes personal insights, and the beautiful picture portraying Gods Truth, touched my heart. It is certainly a book I will refer to again and again. No doubt God will use his walk through grief to help others and draw them to Himself.

J UDY S USONG
L IFELONG FRIEND

Pete Deisons Visits from Heaven is a frank, biblically connected discussion of love, suicide, grief, comfort, and heaven. It discusses things we wonder about with a combination of care and mystery. His trust in God and resting in His sovereignty comes through clearly in ways from which we can learn, even if there are things we cannot figure out. Read it, ponder what it says, and renew your trust in our gracious God.

D ARRELL L. B OCK
E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR FOR C ULTURAL E NGAGEMENT , H OWARD G. H ENDRICKS C ENTER FOR C HRISTIAN L EADERSHIP AND C ULTURAL E NGAGEMENT S ENIOR R ESEARCH P ROFESSOR OF N EW T ESTAMENT S TUDIES , D ALLAS T HEOLOGICAL S EMINARY

Beautifully tracing his journey from grief to hope, Pete faithfully desires to seek out Gods truth in the midst of his confusion and sorrow, striving to set the focus on Jesus, in both his own life and the lives of others. He sets an example of what it looks like to carefully listen for the voice of the Lord and trust Him in all circumstances. Full of encouragement and new insight, this book will be a blessing for those with questions about suicide, grief, heaven, and seeking the Lords voice, all while focusing on the hope and peace we find in Christ alone, even in the midst of despair.

K ARA D AVIS
S TUDENT , U NIVERSITY OF A RKANSAS

I knew Harriet Deison in high school, and Pete at the University of Texas. I have felt deep sorrow for Pete in the loss of his beloved Harriet, but I have also rejoiced with him in his journey through grief into hope and trust in God and the goodness that is in heaven. In this book, Pete will challenge your thinking regarding the door between earth and heaven, the reality of Gods voice in dreams, and the ways God speaks to and through us. I encourage you to join Pete on this journey.

J UDY D OUGLASS
W RITER, SPEAKER, ENCOURAGER O FFICE OF THE P RESIDENT , C RU A UTHOR OF