In the conclusion of Tammy Manheim's interview, Pastor Steve and Tammy explore what happened after her near-death experience — both spiritually and practically. Now three years out, Tammy shares why she waited to speak about her experience, how her family helped her test it against Scripture, and the surprising spiritual challenge that followed: her prayer life completely tanked for almost a year. They discuss what people misunderstand about NDEs, how to encounter God without needing a mystical experience, and the simple truth that runs through it all: God is real, He is active, and He's already speaking — if we'll take the time to look and listen.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction — Recap of Episode 20

• [01:09] Waking Up — Overwhelmed With Thankfulness

• [02:24] Seeing Life With Thankful Eyes

• [02:54] The Recovery — Slow, Painful, Necessary

• [03:00] Why Tammy Didn't Share the Experience Right Away

• [04:18] The First People She Told — Family and Staff

• [05:14] Testing It Against Scripture With Her Family

• [05:38] Three Years Later — How the Experience Has Shaped Her

• [07:02] Why an NDE? — Sharing God's Plan With Others

• [07:55] The Gift of Faith — And the Year Her Prayer Life Tanked

• [09:19] A Humbling Mountaintop — Surrendering Control

• [09:39] "I Held Your Heart in My Hands" — A Doctor's Words

• [10:43] Tammy's Beliefs About NDEs Before This Happened

• [11:15] The Problem With Sensationalized Faith

• [12:07] Hebrews 11 — Faith Given Sight

• [13:41] What People Most Misunderstand About NDEs

• [15:30] To Those Who Feel Left Out — God Is Still at Work

• [17:08] Moses and the Burning Bush — The Bush Is Always Burning

• [17:40] Tammy's One Takeaway: God Is Real and Active

• [18:26] Announcement: Upcoming Book Club on NDEs

• [18:45] Closing & How to Submit Questions

For Those Who Feel Left Out

"You don't have to die in order to encounter God. God is doing something in your life — you just need to see it, hear it, listen for Him." Pastor Steve adds the image of Moses and the burning bush: the bush was always burning. Moses just had to stop, look, and take off his sandals.

Tammy's One Takeaway

"God is real. He is active. Take the time to stop and look for Him, to listen for Him. He'll meet you there. He always does."

Key Scripture References

• Hebrews 11 (Hall of Faith)
• Exodus 3 (Moses and the burningbush)

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text"podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

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In Episode 13, Pastor Steve and Pastor Luke discussed near-death experiences (NDEs) and mentioned a friend of the church who had one. This week, that friend — Tammy Manheim — shares her remarkable story firsthand. What began as a routine outpatient surgery turned into 19 days in the hospital, including a week of unconsciousness and two times when she coded. During that time, Tammy experienced perfect peace and pure light, was shown her life as a "tangled pile of string," and was asked three times if she wanted to go back. This is her account in her own words.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction — Meeting Tammy Manheim

• [00:50] Why This Episode? — Following Up on Episode 13's NDE Discussion

• [01:34] The Before: A Routine Surgery That Wasn't

• [02:11] 19 Days in the Hospital, One Week Unconscious

• [02:26] The Conversation About Pulling the Plug

• [03:48] Coding Twice — The Experience Begins

• [03:55] Perfect Peace, Perfect Clarity, Pure Light

• [04:49] No Sense of Time, No Sense of Body

• [05:09] Asked Three Times: "Do You Want to Go Back?"

• [06:08] No Fear, Just Peace and Joy — Holiness and Love Together

• [07:23] The Tangled Pile of String — Tammy's Life Reviewed

• [08:42] Three Times Around — The Choice to Stay or Return

• [09:39] "Then I Had Grandkids" — Told She Had to Go Back

• [10:53] The Miracle — Jenny's Visit and the Turning Point

• [11:15] Waking Up — Telling Her Son Brandon He'd Be a Father

• [12:40] Robert — A Shout-Out to Her "Son-in-Love"

• [15:30] Closing & How to Submit Questions

Connection to Episode 13

In Episode 13, Pastor Luke explained common features of NDEs based on John Burke's research: peace, altered time, encounter with light, life review, a boundary point, and a return. Tammy's experience touches on nearly every one of these — yet sheemphasizes that she didn't share her story for years and only learned about NDE research after the fact.

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text"podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

Subscribe, share, and leave a 5-star review!