SIGNS FROM HEAVEN: Christine Duminiak Shares MIND-BLOWING Experiences and Tips for Reaching Beyond the Veil

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Hi there, welcome to Grief to Growth Podcast. Your host is Brian D Smith, spiritual seeker, bestselling author, grief survivor, and life coach. Brian believes that the worst tragedies of life provide the greatest opportunity for growth. Brian says he was planted, not buried, and he is here to help you grow where you've been planted by the difficulties in life. In each episode, Brian and his guests will share what has helped them to survive and thrive. It is his sincere hope this episode helps you today.

Hey everyone, it's Brian back with another episode of Grief to Growth. And today I've got with me Christine Domeniac.. And Christine and I have known each other, kind of. I've been in her Facebook group for several years, but this is the first time we've actually met and had a conversation. So I'm really looking forward to talking to her today about after-death communications. She's a certified grief recovery specialist. She's the founder of the ADC, which is After-Death Communications Prayer Wave, which is— and she's internationally recognized as an expert on afterlife signs. She's author of the book After-Death Communications: God's Gift of Love. And 4 other books for adults and children on afterlife contacts. She conducts seminars and workshops on Signs from Heaven at national and local conferences. And so with that, I want to welcome to Grief 2 Growth Christine Dominick.

Thank you, Brian. It's an honor to be here with you.

It's, it's an honor to have you here. And as I said, you and I have known each other, and I guess in a way for several years, I've been part of your group on Facebook. I found it not too long after my daughter Shayna passed away. And it really— your work has really helped me educate me on this thing called after-death communications. So to get started, I guess we should probably define for people what does after-death communications mean?

It means getting an afterlife sign in some form from your loved one who has transitioned over to heaven. Now, some people will call it a spontaneous sign. But I don't think that's necessarily so, because you can pray for a sign, and that would not be as spontaneous as if you never prayed for one. So any kind of a sign, like a dream visit, hearing someone call your, your name, a dime, a penny, some kind of coin that keeps being left over and over again, you may get a text message on your phone from their cell phone. Which has been disconnected. You may get a picture on your computer from them and you had nothing to do with that. You may turn on the radio and a song that connects you to them will just happen to come on. So that— those are the types of things that I'm talking about. Of course, there's what I call apparitions, which is what happened to me back in 1998, which started me on this journey to to find out all about after-death communications. In 1998, my dead in-laws showed up in my bedroom, and they stayed for an hour. And I had never had a spiritual experience before. So this was really mind-blowing to me. What? And I woke up my husband to tell him his parents were in the room. But he did not have the ability that night to see them. Only I was able to see them. And they stayed for an hour until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. And I waved goodbye, and they waved goodbye back. And I thought, well, this is really intriguing. And I thought it was just a one-off. But every night for a few weeks, they kept coming back over and over again, which forced me to find out why the heck were they coming? What was going on here? And that's when I really got into the field of after-death communications. Because what I found was people who were getting a sign from their loved ones and recognized it as such seemed to be so much more at peace with the passing. But yet there were so many people out there that were just dying to get a sign because they felt like they, they had to know that the loved one was okay. And they would say, unless I get a sign, I'll never know that they're at peace and with God. So that's when I formed After Death Communication and Prayer Wave because I believed in the power of prayer. And every Friday we pray for people who want to get a sign. And out of those prayers, people who were longing to get signs started to get signs, and we were getting an abundance of signs. It was really amazing how the prayers were working. And I think because too, they're unselfish prayers, you're praying for somebody else. So, so many people have been healed because of that, because they realize that their loved ones can still see and hear them. They're not off in a black hole somewhere. They're still a huge part of their lives. So anything that you did not get a chance to say before they passed over, you could still say to them, whether it's verbally or in a letter. All those unexpressed emotions that you wish you had a chance to say was still available for you to say because they still see us and they still hear us. So it's never too late to say goodbye to the physical you, but hello to the new spiritual relationship that we're now going to have. Or I love you, I forgive you, forgive me, thank you for all those unexpressed emotions that keep people from healing too. A lot of people keep reliving things over and over in their minds, things that they may have done or said because they didn't have an opportunity to express regret for that. And by knowing that they can still see and hear you, that's open to you, that's available to you, and it helps in your healing.

Yeah, absolutely. Um, I do want to ask you, I'm really curious, is that your in-laws appeared to you the first time, they stayed an hour. What were they doing?

Well, I'll tell you the whole thing that happened. Um, I woke up from a dream around 4 in the morning. And I saw in the corner of my room, in this— near the ceiling was a man. And he looked like an Italian padre. He had that type of hat on. It was black, he had on a red cloak. And he was sitting at a desk with his hands in a prayerful manner. He's reading a book. And he was suspended in space. And I kept blinking my eyes thinking, What is this? And when is it going to go away? So finally, after about 15 long seconds, he did dissipate. And all of a sudden, there were spirits at the foot of my bed. But these were not the peaceful kind that this gentleman was. These were really scary looking. They had skeleton faces. Some of them were choking each other. I said, oh my goodness, this can't be good. What the heck is this? And I had rosary beads under my bed, so under my pillow, so I started praying the rosary. And next thing I know, the whole room turned blue with like white sparkling lights going through it. Papers on my bureau were being rustled. And I saw this woman over my doorway after that, all dressed in white, just her head in a veil, as if to say, everything is okay now, you can be at peace and you can relax, it's safe. And as soon as that happened, I felt this tremendous peace. And I started to get into the whole situation. So I'm thinking, well, there were still some spirits at the foot of the bed, they kind of look like radio waves in a way. And I thought, well, who would want to visit me? I wasn't grieving anybody. And then it came into my mind that my husband's father and mother had passed. And when his father had passed, He was so close to his father that he cried every night for a year. So that person came into my mind, and I said, and I said, John, is that you? And next thing I know, one of the spirits came like right up from the foot of my bed, 5 inches in front of my face. He had on a fedora hat, a suit jacket, a little hanky in his pocket, a striped tie. And I said, oh my gosh, John, you're here. I can't believe it. And then I remembered his wife Stella. They would always travel together. They were very close. And I said, well, Stella here too? Next thing you know, a woman comes right up to my face, and she's floating in front of John, and she has on a flapper's hat, red lipstick, and pearls. And I said, oh my gosh, I can't believe you're here. I mean, I'm really going with it now, Brian. And so then I remember, oh, my husband's sound asleep, and his parents are in the room, and like, he can't miss this. So So I woke him up and I said, "Bob, Bob, your parents are here. Wake up, wake up." And I pointed to where they were, but he did not have the ability to see them that night. Just I had the ability to see them. And neither of us could hear anything. But I knew my husband believed me because I could see his lips like silently talking to them. And it made me feel good. At least he believed me. He didn't think I was some nut job. So after about an hour, I got really tired. I said, thank you so much for coming. And what an honor. And I waved goodbye, and they waved back at me. And the next day, I told my parents all about it. And they had never had a spiritual experience. And they were so excited about it too. And my parents were— in a kind of interesting— to hear my story. But they kept coming back night after night. And until which really forced me into this field to find out what it was all about. And I don't know if you knew of the book Hello from Heaven by the Guggenheims. Okay. So I contacted Judith Guggenheim, and I said, do you have an idea what this is all about? I mean, they keep coming around. I don't know what this is about. And she recommended a medium to me named Sunny Wells. And so I always felt uncomfortable about mediums because I'm Catholic. And, you know, we're warned against going to mediums, but I felt like I had to go to a medium. I don't care what they say. And she was a Christian medium. So I felt that we had similar beliefs, and I felt very safe with her. And we contacted my guardian angel. And I asked them, what is this all about? Why are they coming? You know, is this a health warning? And he said, no, they were just stopping by to say hello. And they explained I had a mission, and that he explained what the mission was, that I was going to be helping people spiritually, emotionally, and eventually with touch healing. And, and God wants to know if you accept this mission. I said, what? I say, what? God? Well, what fool is gonna say no to God? When your angels presented that way? Okay, sign me up, guys. And, and then I felt like everything that I was doing had a purpose, and it had a divine purpose. And that, you know, as long as I honored God, and put God in my work, because he wanted me to do this, you know, I would be a— I, my my guidance would be good guidance. And it would be very helpful to people because God wanted this and not me. It wasn't like a prideful thing, or, you know, it was coming that God wanted this to help people who were grieving. So that's how it all started for me, Brian. Wow.

Wow, that is quite a— that's quite a start. You're on a mission from God, literally.

I know, you know, I read the Bible. I mean, I didn't want to get, you know, like lightning strike me. So I said, sure. So Sign me up.

Well, you know, it's interesting that you say that because a lot of times people that are Christians, that are Catholics, are taught that this is, this is wrong, that we can't do this, that the dead are dead, they're asleep, they're in heaven, they're whatever, they're not here with us. So how did you overcome that?

Well, it was interesting because I had prayed really hard for guidance, and I was sent to Sunny Wells, the Christian medium. But Catholics have an advantage over others, of some other belief systems, because we have all these books of these recognized saints that make apparitions. So it's in our wheelhouse to have saints make apparitions. What I didn't know was that normal, ordinary people who are now spirits could do the same thing. So that was brand new to me. I said, well, they're not sleeping. They're, you know, they're making visits. So yeah. Yeah, and I felt like you could either listen to preachers and go with their philosophy, or you could pray to God's Holy Spirit and go where he's leading you. And I'd rather go where God's leading me than where man was leading me. And that was my philosophy. That was my— how I felt about it. Yes.

Well, I love that. Because, you know, I do get a lot of people pushing back on the work that I do, talking to people who've had NDEs, talking to mediums, etc., and say, this is not— this is not biblical. But I've also— and I love, you know, when you say the word even Christian medium, I know some people consider it to be an oxymoron. You can't be a Christian and a medium, but I know people who are— they're very prayerful, who have studied the Bible, who ask God for what they want, for what he wants for their life. And they, they believe this is what God wants for them.

I believe it's a gift from the Holy Spirit. And it's talked about in the Bible anyway, in the New Testament. And in fact, because children naturally have a gift to see and hear spirits where we adults wish that we could. They naturally have it. And sometimes, many times, that gift stays with them. And so I wrote a book for children called Heaven Talks to Children, which gives guidance to parents, parents, and how to do it safely, how to protect them from spirits that are not from God. Because there are those, as those skeleton faces that were choking each other showed me that night, that not everything is good that comes to visit us. And sometimes they will exploit the, um, the grief and the pain that someone who is bereaved is going through. And you have to learn how to differentiate the good guys from bad guys, through your real loved one who's there to bring you comfort, and some other imposter spirit who— which happens lots of times in dreams, for instance. Sometimes people get dreams of their loved one where they look like they're in pain, or they're bleeding, or they're ignoring them, or they're angry at them. When God sends our loved ones to us, it's to bring us comfort. It's not to upset us. And if that is happening, which I run across a lot of people who have that, and they don't understand it, and it makes them feel worse, of course, I say, say a prayer of protection every night before you go to bed, and you will find that this will start leaving, and the good dreams that you want from your real loved one will start coming through. And you'll see that that will, that will end, and that usually works if you do it faithfully.

Yeah, I think that's a really interesting point. And maybe a very important point that, because I think people, this fear is about these bad spirits. And I've talked to lots of Christians that said, don't do this, don't do that, because evil spirits can come. But you, as you said, you have to be able to discern.

That's right. And you, and you ask for God's protection, and, and he wants to give it to you. But that's free will. That's your choice. So yeah, and I have prayers of protection in there. And it's for any medium really, who, who is dealing with the spirit world. Some, some mediums don't believe that there are, there's any evil out there. And they can be taken advantage of. So I hope my book you know, will leave a mark and give them something to think about, even if they reject that concept. Because I want to see everyone protected, and I want their experiences to be the best that they can possibly be. So yeah, in fact, even in the Bible, John tells us how to discern spirits to be sure they're from God. So obviously, the apostles were talking to spirits, because how would he know? Right? How to do it. Right.

Right. Yeah. If you're given instructions on how to talk to spirits, I think it assumes that you are talking to spirits. And we all talk about the Holy Spirit and the fact that we're all spirit beings. And but we're, but we're told as soon as our loved ones cross over, we can't talk to them anymore. That's, that's a bad thing. That's an evil thing.

Yeah, I think it's fear. Because my husband's brother was a priest for 50 years until he passed about 10 years ago. And when I first told him that his parents were visiting me in my bedroom, you know, I could see like the alarm button going off because he was a Catholic priest, and you're not supposed to be dealing with this. And when my first book came out, I was afraid to tell him because I thought, well, what's he going to think of me, you know, because these are all these stories of people's experiences with their loved ones, their 20 common afterlife signs and all their experiences. And, um, but I was really surprised because, uh, at this point years had gone by and he was in a retirement home for priests and he starts selling my book to the other priests. So wow, he's come a long way, baby, to do that. Because when I used to tell about it in the beginning, we'd go out to lunch together when he was down visiting and he would always like warn me and I'd leave crying. And I said, you know We just have to agree to disagree on this, because this is my calling. And, and I know how to do it carefully to protect myself. So it's okay. And so we stopped talking about it. But when my book came out, he was selling it to all his priest buddies. So that was a good thing.

That's absolutely true. And the other thing is, as you were saying this, I'm thinking about, you know, Jesus said, we'll know a tree by its fruits. And so I see what mediumship and what afterlife communications, as you mentioned, when we first started, how it's healed people, how it's really taken people that are deep in grief and just transformed that.

Absolutely. Yeah. But Sunny, he assigned her to be my mentor. And that was really wonderful because we would sit and have chats with the angels regularly asking, well, how do things work in heaven? And, you know, we all kinds of questions that we had. And we even had a radio show for a while called Ask the Angels. On Blog Talk Radio where people could ask the angels questions. But not only that, I got to talk to my parents, I got to talk to my priest brother-in-law, who apologized, by the way, for not believing me and not investigating what I was telling him. So when Sonny and I— when Sonny contacted him, that guy talked for an hour and a half straight, we could not get a word in edgewise. He was so excited to be able to talk to us. So it was really, really, really nice.. And I got to talk to my in-laws. And so it is really a very healing thing that you've— I felt like it was just a phone call. I was talking on the phone to my parents or whomever. And that is so healing. I agree with you, Brian, there's just nothing like it.

Well, it's, you know, it's one thing for us to, to have faith and faith is great. And it's one thing to believe what the religious people tell us and believe what the Bible tells us. But there's nothing like experience. And I think people, they don't dare to even dream that they can have an experience, that they can actually talk to that person again, and have this communication. So I do want to point out though, for people that are, that are new to this, that apparitions are very rare. Most of us do not see apparitions, but there are lots of very common signs.

Right, right. And apparitions are rare. I did not realize that at the time. But But sometimes people will see visions of their loved ones, like in their, their mind's eye, where, you know, maybe your eyes are open or closed, and you see something that would be like a vision of them. And similar to how you would in a dream. So yes, apparitions, I believe, take a lot of energy from the spirit to be able to do that. And, and you know what, it can be a little disconcerting to have a spirit show up in your bedroom. So you probably would prefer a dream visit. Most normal people would, I think. Yeah. I know, it's interesting.

I think a lot of times we wish for things that we don't really, we don't really want if we really knew in our heart. I've heard a lot of people say, I wish I would have an NDE. And it's like, you really don't want an NDE. And think about how would you really respond if you saw your loved one show up in your bedroom? For, I think you said, for most of us, it would freak us out no matter how much we're missing them.

Right, right. Exactly. Exactly. So I think the dream visits are probably the best. Because sometimes you get to hug them. Sometimes you get taken to in heaven to see where they're living. Uh, it just all depends on what God has in store for you, what he allows you, your experiences to be. So I love the dream visits. They're wonderful.

Yeah. And to think about dream visits, let's talk about the difference between having a dream about your loved one and having a dream visit. Stay with us.

We'll be right back.

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Oh, well, I kind of think it's one in the same, to tell you the truth. If they're in the dream, that's a dream visit, I believe. So yeah. And, and it may be that you may even have a dream where you're in a house, maybe where you used to live, and you're not, you're not seeing them, but you feel their presence in that, you know, in the background. I remember one time my parents visited me in a dream. And it was a dream visit. I think they're one in the same. And if it's bringing you comfort. So I was in the— I was somewhere probably in heaven, because everything felt very, very holy and sacred. And my dad was in the driveway, and he led me up these stairs. And I came into this apartment-type building. And there was a kitchen on the left, and there was what you would call a parlor on the right, and there was a hallway. And I knew my mother was in that parlor. And everything felt so secret that I felt like when I go in that parlor, I bet my mom's going to be reading a Bible because this place is really something else. But when I went into the room and saw my mother, she was just flipping through a magazine and not a Bible. And, uh, and I was so— this is the first time I had seen her after she passed, and so I was so happy to see her. I start crying, 'Oh, Mom, I'm so happy to see you, and I miss you so much.' And she was like shocked that I— she She thought I was going to be very happy, and I was, but she didn't realize I was going to break down in tears. So we were both surprised. So she waited a while before she came to visit me in the dream again, because I think she didn't want me to feel sad at all. She was looking for a happier time. So she did come one other time. I had this dream where I was in a bedroom and I was lying in bed. There were a lot of people in the room, and my mother and I think maybe her sister were by the doorway. And I looked around the room and I said, this isn't a dream, is it? And she looked around the room to look for permission to whether she could tell me or not. And she said, no, not a dream. And I said, oh, okay. And I think they said, you have to go now. So when I left, I actually felt my stomach drop, like I was going down elevator very quickly, like Tower of Terror kind of a feeling in Disney World. And so So I realized I was out of my body. And that, you know, when they sent me back, I was like, put back in my body very quickly with my spirit. So that was the only time I really felt that sensation. Yeah, that was fun.

Yeah, yeah. Well, what I meant earlier about the dream versus dream visit, and you actually said it, if something doesn't bring you comfort, if you see your loved ones suffering, or if they're telling you to harm yourself or something like that, that is, that is not of guide, that is not a dream visit. That was my point.

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. And I like to tell people that a lot, because they— if you're not aware, you get taken advantage of, and these things can really harm you and get you to be very depressed and sad. So yes.

And I know a lot of people long for dream visits. That seems to be one of the preferred signs. But what I— I know you have a list of 20 signs that are available in your book, and we don't have time to go through all this today. But give people some ideas of some things that they may not know that are signs? We all know about coins and feathers, but what are some other things that people can look for?

Um, well, touches, for instance. Um, when my dad comes, he will massage the top of my head, and he usually does that when I'm in the middle of a seminar and I'm talking about afterlife signs, and I feel him rubbing the top of my head, and it cracks me up. And when my mother comes, she will tickle the left side of my face So now yesterday I was on my way to an hour's drive to a studio for an interview. And on the way down, I heard my mother's song on the radio. It came on twice, twice, not just once, but twice. I thought, "Oh, Mom, hi." And then when I was in the middle of talking, I felt like this tickle on my left lip. And I thought, and I was trying not to laugh because I didn't want to like ruin the flow of the interview, but it was really cute. So things like that. Sometimes you'll feel them hold your hand or pat you on the shoulder or stroke your hair. Um, let's see what else here. Oh, pictures. A picture may fall off the wall of them, or the picture of them that might be on your desk is the only one that falls over, or you might find a letter left from them out in the middle of your living room, and there's no way that could have gotten there on its own. So these are the other types of signs. And you know, if you have this feeling that this is peculiar— peculiar is what we're looking for— and that, that signals that, yeah, they're trying to get you to notice. Because when they give you an afterlife sign, they also simultaneously will put the thought in your head that this is from them. And that's another reason why you notice. So animals that act like they know you, or birds or insects that act like they know you, that's another way that they let us know that they're around us.

And you just mentioned something that I think a lot of people aren't aware of, and it might freak some people out, that they can put thoughts in our head.

Right, right, right. Yeah, yeah. And that's, you know, they, they are not allowed to interfere with our free will. But they can help us with guidance. So, and sometimes when they're actually talking to us, um, you will hear a thought. It'll be strong, and many times it's repeated, like maybe 3 times in a row, and you know it's not coming from you because you weren't thinking about that. For instance, my younger sister, when my, uh, when my dad passed, she did not believe in afterlife signs, and my mother and I used to Talk about, oh, Daddy visit us this way, he's with us that way. And we would be so excited. And my sister would walk out of the room because she didn't believe in it, and it bothered her. But finally it started to get to her. And it was the first Easter after my dad passed, and my sister went to the cemetery. And she said, Daddy, Daddy, just speak to me, speak to me, speak to me. And she heard, take care of Mommy, take care of Mommy, take care of Mommy. She heard that thought three times in her head. And she knew he was speaking to her. That's what she asked for. And that's what she got. So many times, it can sound like your own voice talking to you. But you know, it's not, it's separate. It's like a separate compartment in your brain that's talking to you.

Yeah, yeah. And that's, that's, I think, difficult if people, especially if they don't know that it's possible. And it's not, you know, the idea of them putting thoughts in your head. It's not mind control. It's more like speaking to you. It's more like if I said to you, Christine, you should do this, you heard me audibly. But it's an internal thing.

Right, right, right. Yeah, it's not, it's not mind control. That's a good, good term for Brian. I love that. Yeah, it's like suggestions and helpful little hints to help guide us. And it's up to us, we have free will, whether we want to listen to the guidance that we're getting or not. We'll get back to Grief to Growth in just a few seconds. Did you know that Brian is an author and a life coach? If you're grieving or know someone who is grieving, his book Grief to Growth is a best-selling, easy-to-read book that might help you or someone you know. People work with Brian as a life coach to break through barriers and live their best lives. You can find out more about Brian and what he offers at www.grieftogrowth.com, www.grief2growth.com. Www.growth.com or text growth, G-R-O-W-T-H, to 31996. If you'd like to support this podcast, visit www.patreon.com/grieftogrowth, www.patreon.com/grief2growth, to make a financial contribution. And now back to Grief 2 Growth.

So one thing when you were telling your, your story of how you started with this, I thought was really interesting, is that your husband's parents who he was missing, first came to you and you mentioned he wasn't able to see them that night. So I have two questions. One is, was he able to see them later? But the first question is, why do you think they came to you as opposed to coming to him?

Well, when spirits visit, they may not visit the person who's principally affected because maybe you're really grieving. So they go to someone who is much easier to receive spirit communication. And the idea is not to bypass you or to make you jealous, but to get a message to you that they're around, that they're at peace, that they're okay. So now, in my case, it was a lifestyle change because my— I used to be in the business world and I was a stay-at-home mom for my two children and they were becoming teenagers and I was contemplating going back into the business world. So this was like a, a change in direction, uh, for me. They want— God wanted me to be in a different— wanted to be in the grief support world. And so if they hadn't come in such a big way, I never would have chosen this path. I mean, just wouldn't have, you know, ever dawned on me. So he had to really give me that burning bush kind of a thing to get me going, because it was just so amazing that it— I had to follow it. I had to follow it.

Yeah. So there was, there was a mission, there was a message for you, as well as the message for your husband. And again, was he able to see them at other times?

Never, no, never. And which was really And he doesn't even remember his dreams. So I know they visit him in his dreams, but he just doesn't remember. So, but he's okay with that. I mean, yeah, he's all right. And he, in the beginning, he had a hard time with what was happening to me, but eventually became like my biggest fan, you know, and would come to my seminars if it were local. And yeah, and in the beginning, I felt like he kind of wasn't sure. But now, like, no matter what I tell him, oh yeah, oh yeah. So he's, he's really, he believes. And, and he loves when he sees how it helps other people. That's very gratifying to him. Yeah. And when people share, even friends, their experiences, he loves to listen to that because he knows we're on the same wavelength. And he's accepted it. So it's good.

Yeah, that's fantastic that he supports you that way. You know, the thing is, with people Sometimes people I hear will get upset because their loved one will come to maybe not even an immediate family, maybe a cousin, or neighbor, and the neighbor will deliver the message. But there, there's a reason for that. And it's not because your loved one doesn't love you or doesn't want to come to you.

Exactly. It's just way easier to get to the other person, because they may have a little gift and, or, and when you're so into grief, Like, I know a lot of parents, especially moms, will say to me, I was so into my grief, I didn't see all the signs I was getting outside of myself. And it took me a number of months to start to recognize the signs I was getting. So it's almost like you put up a steel door sometimes, and they're knocking to get through, but they can't because there's just this wall or door. So they'll go to someone to get that message. Oh, I saw them. They're fine. They're, you know, they visit me in a dream. They're at peace. They look great. And, and I like to reiterate, it's not that they don't want to visit you, and you should never feel jealous. They just took the opportunity to get to someone who could get you that message, who could easily receive from them. So that's why they do it that way.

Yeah. And there's some of us, as you said, your husband doesn't remember dreams. Some of us don't remember our dreams. That can be a thing. They might have come to visit us and we don't remember. Because dreams fade really fast when we wake up. It's just the nature of it.

I have a few tips about that, Brian, that might be helpful.

That'd be great.

Yeah. So if you are desirous of a dream visit, I always say ask God every night before you go to bed to allow your loved one to visit you in a comforting way in a dream. And then imagine yourself before you go off to sleep, visit— being with them in a— maybe your favorite spot together, for instance. And keep a pad and pen right under your pillow. Because many times when you get that dream visit, you know it, and then you're starting to wake up and starting to fade. But if you start scribbling down on that pad before you're fully awake, you'll get bits and pieces of the dream and realize, oh yes, they visited me, even though I can't remember right now. Now, of course, the dreams that are really, really vivid are very easy to remember. They will stick with you. But not all dreams are that vivid. And unless you wake up right away, you may not remember it. So that's why it's good to just jot it down wherever you can, you know, their name or whatever, where you are, you know, in a room, whatever. And then you realize, oh, yes, they did visit me. They did visit me.

Yes, absolutely. And dreams are, again, I think they're maybe the biggest thing. We love the dreams. But when people are saying when they can't get to us through dreams, sometimes, you know, they can maybe get through us through coins and feathers and all the other things that we think about, songs,. But if you're not open to that, if your eyes aren't open to that, then you're, you're going to miss them. And then your loved one's going, what do you— I just did that.

Well, you can simplify it for yourself too. For instance, um, I always say if you want a sign from your loved one, and you might be getting lots of signs, but they're very subtle, most of them are very subtle, so it's easy to overlook them. So I say, go to God, ask to God to allow your loved one to leave you I want a sign, and then state something specific to your loved one that you would recognize as a sign from them. Say, you know, a butterfly or a type of bird or whatever it is that comes across to you. So then when that does happen, when you get that particular bird visiting you, you'll know, oh yes, there's my sign, because you requested that specific sign. So that's another way to be able to get the one to know that they're, they're visiting you because you requested it and they delivered.

Yes.

People don't realize that— some people don't realize that spirits can do anything that they want to do. They need permission. There's a hierarchy up there and God's at the top. So, you know, sometimes God might feel, well, this is not the right time, or, you know, I have a different plan, or— so he's always looking out for our welfare. So if you go to him And, you know, I also don't believe that you should just pray to your angels, because the angels can only— they're messengers of God, they're helpers, but they only can do what God assigns them to do. So if you're bypassing God, you're bypassing the biggest source of help and love you could possibly have in your life. So always go to the top guy and ask him, you know.

That's an interesting point. I, you know, one thing I say to people, I say you we can't always get what we want. But I think we get what we need. And as, as limited beings living from a limited perspective, we may think that this is the best thing for us, whatever this thing happens to be. I want a dream visit, or I want an NDE, or I want an apparition. But that may not be the best thing for us at this point in time. So there's a little— there's an element of trust that what we're getting is what we're supposed to get.

Right, exactly. And I have found in my work that the people who really do believe that God loves them and has a relationship with God are the ones that heal the best, heal faster. They don't seem to be— they just seem to be more at peace with things that are happening, and or what has happened to them. And, you know, a lot of people don't believe in God. And I always say, well, okay, you don't believe in God, uh, but what can it hurt to say a prayer? It can't hurt, right? It could be really something wonderful could happen. So, you know, throw it out there and see what happens. God might be waiting for them so he can answer their prayer in some way, so they can establish that relationship and know that he exists and that they're loved, you know, that they're loved.

So I love the fact that you use the language that you do, that you talk about God and you talk about the Holy Spirit and those things, because I think it gives permission to people who have that background to say this is okay. But that term is very loaded for a lot of people as well. A lot of people have been burned by religion. And I've talked to a lot of people who call themselves atheists and say they don't believe in God. And I'll ask them, what, what God don't they believe in? And it's always a God I don't believe in either. That this, you know, this judgmental God, this God who condemns us, this God who's always looking out to see we're doing bad. You know, some of us have a lot of baggage with that term. So I think for some people, maybe—

I understand that because, well, you can substitute it with like divine source or creator, whatever makes you feel comfortable. But I remember, I mean, I went to a Catholic school, and we had very strict nuns teaching us And they never told us that God loves us. They were always like, God is angry, and he's going to be mad. And it was, I feared God. And, and then one day when I was maybe around 20, I, I really didn't want to think of God that way. And I remember that Jesus was always so kind and loving. And, and I found this picture of Jesus with children all around him. And I bought that picture, and I have it hanging on my wall to this day. And that picture transformed me into thinking of God as loving and not an angry God. Okay, so the Old Testament, he's angry a lot, no doubt about it. But the New Testament, Jesus is full of love. He is love. And I like to follow that Jesus, you know, that God. So that picture always reminds me of how sweet and kind he is. And I also think of God as like giving us TLC. And, um, I pray like about the tiniest little things. If I'm working on a little carpentry, uh, project, you know, oh please, please let me get this going, please, please. And then it'll work, you know. And I pray about the tiniest little things. And maybe people think that you should only talk about big things, but he's— this way God's incorporated in so many things of my life from praying to him for help all the time, you know.

And I—

that's why I'm always a hopeful person, because I feel like he's going to take care of me. And in fact, my mother, uh, all through our lives, she would say, oh God will take care of it, oh God will take care of me, oh God. And like, I grew up with that mantra from my mother, and that must have internalized in me because Later on, when, when things were rough in my life, that really helped see me through a lot of like adversities. And yeah, yeah. So I think the more little things you pray about, you start to see, oh, he's helping in this little, little way, and maybe you'll help me in a big way. And it just becomes a process of just part of the daily relationship that you have with God. It's just so second nature.

I think so. You know, it's interesting, we talked about Jesus, because for me as a kid growing up, but with the hearing about this God, I was like, I love Jesus, but I don't know about this God guy. So I thought, I've always been, I've always been an admirer of Jesus. I'm still an admirer of Jesus. But, you know, God needed like a makeover. He needed a reputation, you know, rehabilitation. And I think that's why we have Jesus. Because nobody can relate to that God before, you know, that God, and, and that's not who God is. I want to make that clear to people. That's, that's man's view of God, that, that we impose on him. But we were told as kids, well, God does love you, but he has to be, he has to have justice too. So therefore, there is this eternal place that he'll send you to, you know, and those types of things.

But God's a forgiving God. So, you know, just ask for forgiveness, you won't have to be afraid of the next world. And just like, you know, we, we should forgive other people and we want forgiveness. Lots of times people are angry at God and they're just so angry at him. And I say, well, you know what, God forgives you. Maybe you could just try and forgive God, even if you don't understand why this is happening to you. Just, just give him the benefit of the doubt. Just give him some forgiveness. And I think you'll feel more at peace. Now, this I think especially happens, Brian, when a loved one like your daughter, for instance, passes before you think is the right time, like in old age or whatever, and you don't understand why would God be so mean? Why? Why would he? Why would he do that? Why does this person have cancer or whatever they have? And if you've been— and I love near-death experiences, I love what we learn from them. And my favorite one is Embraced by the Light by Betty Eadie. I don't know if you've ever read that. That just— when I read that, I said, beam me up, Jesus, this is where I want to be. But what I learned from her, and also with my conversations with Sunny Will and the angels, is that we— before we come here to Earth, God had created us spirits with him. And we have— we volunteer for certain missions and lessons to be learned. And it's always meant to bring us closer to God, have a ripple effect on other people, there's always, always supposed to be a great deal of good to come out of what was happening. So for instance, your daughter, you know, she may have like had an agreement with God that this is the way she was coming in, this is the way she was going to go out, because maybe that would be a catalyst for your work. You see, like the mothers, mothers mad, for instance, their children part of their agreement with God was to leave that way because they knew that would be a catalyst for their moms to start this movement, which helped to save a lot of people and bring awareness of unnecessary deaths and maimness from accidents due to drunken driving. So, like, people, young people, many times they're called— they are what we call angels unawares, and they're actually angels in consciousness that volunteer for these missions, even though they're hard, to help the world around them, to help you, for instance. And, and yeah, to bring about a better world. So you probably never would have been in this field if you hadn't lost your daughter at an early age.

Oh, I definitely would not be doing this. I would not be talking to you. That's 100% for certain. And the thing is about this trusting God, which has been, it's been a factor for me for a long time, because I was a kid, I would look around and say, well, bad things happen. You know, bad things happen to good people. So how can I trust God? Because, you know, bad things happen. But that's, that's that limited perspective that we have, that we need to expand beyond, understand that we are spirits, we are preexistent spirits that came here for a short time. And then we all go home. You know, it's just a matter of when and how. That's what I would say. It's like, the only difference is when and how, what age are we and how do we pass, but we all go And that's not a bad thing. That's part of the plan.

Oh yeah, because that— I mean, just imagine a paradise where you're in no pain, where you can fly by your thoughts, where you feel loved all the time, and, uh, and you, you have great existence, and there's different worlds to explore and, uh, creations that you can make. I mean, why would you want to be here? I mean, we all hold on to— I don't want to leave, I don't want to leave— but yet soon as you transition over, you think, oh, what was I fighting? This is a great, great place to be. So and some of the fun things to do in heaven, which when I got to talk to my parents through Sunny Wells, they, my dad and I used to golf together. So I said, well, are you golfing in heaven? He said, oh, yeah, yeah. He said, he named some names of people he was golfing with. And so what are the golf courses like? And he said, well, you can create, you create them yourself, you all get together and you say, what do you want, you know, on your golf course, and they create it with their lines that they were going to golf. And my mother said to me, do you believe I'm a golf widow up here? So, and they used to love to bowl. They were on a mixed team, bowling team. And my mother said, well, yeah, we bowl up here too. She said, now we could really cheat, but then everybody would know. So we don't do that. Yeah. So there's a lot of fun things to do in heaven. It's just Yeah.

Well, you know, it's interesting that because that reminds me of a quote, I'm not going to get it right exactly, by C.S. Lewis. But I remember when I was a kid reading this, he talked about how we're children playing with mud pies, you know, at the, at the beach, and we are, we could be having a day at the beach, or we could be, you know, somewhere else. And we like what we know, you know, so we say, I want to be here, I don't want to die. That's the worst thing that could ever happen. But then on the other hand, I'm on Facebook all day long with people who are complaining about everything about this world, because we complain about it too. Because it is, it is a hard place to be. But we don't— this is what's so great about your work, because we don't really understand or believe what great things wait for us.

Exactly. And that's why I love reading near-death experiences. Because our knowledge through the Bible is very limited about what heaven is like. But, and I'm sure that's God. That's why God allows So many people that have near-death experiences and write about them and talk about it. So it just shows you what a wonderful place is waiting for us. And it takes the fear of the unknown out of it for you. So you're not really afraid to die once you start reading these wonderful stories. I mean, you don't want to go through the death process, of course, but less is quick. But yeah, but then if you're not afraid, because you have seen, your eyes have been opened about what awaits you and loved ones and your angels, and then it just— you're okay. I had my dad when he was in his 80s read Embraced by the Light. And it took all the fear out of him dying. Yeah, he wasn't afraid at all.

Wow, that's awesome. I love hearing that. And again, even better, because I love the NDE. I absolutely love— I love the fact that I know I'm going to see my daughter again, that, that motivates me to go forward. But also with your work, we know that we can talk to them right now that they're still with us, they're still part of our life. That's That's like the bonus. And that's the part that really, frankly, isn't in the Bible. That doesn't really tell us that we can still have that relationship.

Well, I'm actually, as far as signs, you're correct. But I do remember the time and people who insist that you sleep until, you know, the resurrection. Yeah, there was a time when Jesus was here. And he was talking about, about Lazarus talking to Moses and maybe Elijah, I forget. And, and how Lazarus wanted to warn his brother, or I know the rich man wanted to warn his brothers. And, and he said, well, what good does it do them because they won't listen. And so Jesus was giving a parable of talking to the dead. You know, that on the other side, that what's the point, you know, that you can talk to the dead, that they're alive and well.

Yeah. Well, Jesus also had a quote that said, God is the God of the living, not the dead. You know, so that there is eternal life. So there's a lot, there are a lot of clues in there. But the end, the NDE, and it's funny, because I had a discussion with a friend of mine who's an evangelical Christian, and we were talking, you know, all the stuff I'm into. And he's like, Brian, you've gone crazy. And I, you know, I interview these people have NDEs. I said, I won't say his name. I said, you know, I interviewed so-and-so that had an NDE the other day. And so they died, they saw light, they heard a voice. They were transformed. And now they're a different person. I said, who does that sound like in the Bible? How about Paul on the road to Damascus?

Oh, right.

Where he saw light, he heard a voice, he was struck blind for 3 days. And then he comes back with these amazing abilities. And he goes on a mission, even changes his name. He changes so much.

And Paul talked about visiting the seventh heaven.

Yes.

He's taken up to the seventh heaven.

Yes. Talked about being out of his body and said, I don't know, said, I don't know if I was in the body or out of the body and talks about the things that he can't even speak about because they're beyond words, which sounds just like people that have had NDEs. So there are clues in the Bible that tell us that, that this is, is very real. And we do know that we're spirit beings. So I think it's wonderful that we can have this relationship. And I— so I do want to do before we run out of time, I want to talk about your books, because you've got some fantastic books. And I want people to know what you have and what they can get from them.

So I have— this is my first book, After Death Communications: God's Gift of Love. And this is probably for any adult who is grieving because it has the 20 common signs, tips on receiving a sign, tips for grief healing, survivor's guilt, uh, the purpose of our lives, why do bad things happen to good people. So that is probably the most important book. And then for any medium or child Heaven Talks to Children, and it gives 100, over 100 sample examples of children's spiritual experiences talking to loved ones. And then if you're missing a grandpa, if your child's grandpa visits from heaven, because they do, and then there's Grammy Visits from Heaven for children. And also in the pages of the book is pictures of heaven and the fun things to do in heaven. So when you are trying to explain to a child what heaven is like, they, they have no idea. But if you can show them pictures and the reunion and the party that they have when you get there, and that you can swim and go down sliding boards, things like that. And then this is for military families, Daddy Visits from Heaven for military families. It's also good for first responders. So it helps to explain and what the funeral is like. So I think it's just easier for parents if they have illustrations with the story to try and explain where that person is to a child who has no concept of what heaven is and what angels are and what spirit bodies are.

Those are so needed. And I'm so glad that those are available. I wish they were available when I was a kid. And, you know, your book, Heaven Talks to Children: Afterlife Contacts, I think that's important for parents as well, to understand that when your children are saying these things, they're still remembering. And a lot of times in our culture, we talk them out of it. And I've noticed, I've studied that other cultures, people tend to hold on to their pre-existence memories longer, because they're not told that it's just a fantasy.

Right.

And so kids remember, it's funny, I remember our girls when they were like 7 and 4, because they're 3 years apart, said that we remember being up in heaven and choosing you as our parents. This is a concept they did not hear from us. I don't— they did not hear from anybody that I'm aware of.

And there's some stories in my book, just as you were talking about, just like that, that they remember being in heaven and who was there with them. And yeah, and there's a story about a little girl in the book. She was saying how she was pretty young, she was how she misses Jesus, and she wished she could see Jesus and give him a hug. And, you know, she remembered Jesus, you know, a little kid. Yeah.

Yeah. So we do have that veil of forgetfulness. But there's still— it kind of leaks through, you know, and I think I truly believe that babies still see angels and spirits. They just can't speak yet.

Absolutely. Yeah. If they're looking off, and they're giggling at something like in the corner of the room, you know, it's like a grandparent probably, or an angel, or someone that's coming to play with them. So yeah, yeah, they don't miss anything. And that's the same with people who are grieving. Our loved ones come to their weddings and the birth of their babies and their birthdays and their anniversaries. Anything that's important to us is important to them, and they will be there and will try and show you that they're there. Yeah. And so my dad, often when we all get together, my family, and he'll massage the top of my head and I'll say, Daddy's here. And everyone's like, Daddy.

Yeah, that is, that is so cool when you can include them as part of the celebrations, you know, because we all feel sadness. We all miss them on those days. I remember when my nephew got married a couple of years ago, you know, those things remind us of the people that aren't there with us. But he, they took pictures of Shana and all the other people in the wedding party. All the guys had a picture of her inside of their ties and all the girls had them in the hem of their dresses. And at the reception, they had a picture of Shayna on the table. So it was just, you know, we include her as part of the celebration. It makes it a lot easier to go through these things.

Yeah, and she loves that. She just loves that you remember her and, and being part of it. Yeah, because she's enjoying it just like you are. So yeah, that's very neat. I love that.

I also want to let people know about your Facebook group because I think that is such a good resource. So tell people about the group.

So then our mission is, is to pray for other people to get an afterlife sign from their loved ones. And then you can post it in my group, you can tell us what you receive. And we do this every Friday, we pray for the whole group. And so if you're grieving and you want people to pray for you to get a sign, please visit us on Facebook at After Death Communication and Prayer Wave. It started out on a message board back in 2000. And now it's 2022. So we've been around for 22 years, praying for people to get that sign.

So yeah, I know you've helped so many people. I know you, you helped me. So I appreciate that.

I didn't know that. I'm really glad to hear that. Thanks, Brian.

Yeah, absolutely. So Christine, let people know where they can reach you if someone wants to reach out to you.

Sure. So on Facebook, Christine Domeniac, or I have a website, christinedominick.com. So you can see my books are there. And if you want to have an appointment with me, I do over-the-phone appointments. If you're military, they're for free. And, and where I'm going to be, my different venues where I might be speaking. So yeah, just go to my website and you'll find all that.

All right. I want to spell your name for people because it'll be in the show notes, but some people listen when they're out and are in their car or something. So it's Christine C-H-R-I-S-T-I-N-E. And the last name is Domeniak, D-U-M-I-N-I-A-K. And it's all christinedomeniak.com is where you can find Christine, find her books, and find all the links and maybe set up an appointment to speak with her.

Thank you. Thank you so much. It's so great meeting you. You're just a lovely person. And God bless you for the work that you're doing to help other people.

Well, thank you for being here. I can't believe it's been 7 years. It's the first time we've actually spoken, but it's good. It's good to talk to you. I'm sure we'll run into each other again.

I hope so. You take care and thank you again, Brian.

All right. Enjoy the rest of your day.

You too. Bye-bye. Thanks for listening to Grief to Growth. Brian hopes that you find this episode helpful and will come back for future episodes. Brian's bestselling book, Grief to Growth: Planted, Not Buried, is a great resource for anyone who is coping with grief. Or know someone who is. If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support it, there are 3 things you can do to help. The first is to share the podcast with someone that you think it will help. The second is to go to iTunes, rate and review the episode. The third way you can support the podcast is by becoming a patron. Head over to www.patreon.com/grief2growth. That's patreon.com/grief, the number 2, growth, and sign up to make a small monthly donation. Patrons get access to exclusive bonus content and knowledge that you are helping to spread the message of grief to growth. For more about Brian and grief to growth, visit www.grieftogrowth.com.

Hi there, I'm really excited to tell you about my latest ebook. It's 4 lessons that you can learn from the near-death experience without going through all the trouble of dying to learn them. I've been studying NDEs for several years now. I am completely convinced that not only are they 100% real, but that there's some very universal wisdom that we can get from the near-death experience. And I've distilled that down in this book into 4 short lessons. And I've also given you all the reasons why I believe the NDEs are absolutely real. So go to www.grieftogrowth.com/NDElessons to pick it up for free. www.grief-the-number-2-growth.com/NDElessons. I hope you enjoy it.