As a child, Grant Schnarr was haunted (as many children are) by a fear of the dark, a fear of the unknown, of monsters in his closet. But more than that, he was haunted by a real ghost—a dark presence that lingered in his family’s house, occasionally moving objects, making noises, or even appearing to unsuspecting family members and guests.

As an adult, Grant had almost forgotten about the ghost until a series of brushes with death began to awaken old memories. Over the course of several months, a series of “coincidences” led him to dig deeper and deeper into a long-buried family tragedy. Forced to confront his deepest fears, armed with the lessons he learned from the spiritual warriors in his life, he finally learns the truth on a dark night in the woods of Wisconsin.

Anyone who has suffered a loss or struggled with fears will relate to this real-life tale of facing your inner—and outer—demons, told from Grant’s uniquely Swedenborgian perspective.

Minister Grant Schnarr draws together the voices of young people he has met and counseled to weave a fictional tale of love, fear, and hope.

Sixteen-year-old Nicole Bealart is a typical teenager, living in a world of homework, school plays, and her own imagination—a world turned upside-down when she is diagnosed with brain cancer. Her father, who never dealt with her mother’s death from lung cancer six years before, begins drinking heavily; she is left trying to care for herself and her younger brother, Luke, while juggling school and her growing fears about her own mortality. Seeking answers, she begins writing a journal that becomes a vehicle for her to communicate with her guardian angel. As she approaches the date of an operation that may either save her life or end it, her inner and outer worlds collide and combine to give her a new understanding of family, friendship, and life.

Until his mid-fifties, Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) was merely a genius. As a young man, he traveled extensively throughout Europe to study the cutting-edge science of his time. Upon returning to his native Sweden, he went to work for the board of mines, where he introduced technical advances and gained an international reputation for his understanding of mechanics and metallurgy. In his spare time, he published studies in mathematics, astronomy, economic theory, and anatomy.

As his professional career was winding to a close, a remarkable spiritual awakening changed the course of his life. He believed that God allowed him to journey in spirit form to the afterlife and talk to angels, devils, and the spirits of the departed—not just once, but continuously, for decades—and he spent the rest of his life recording what he saw.

The Lives of Angels is a collection of Swedenborg’s most striking insights about life in heaven, with vivid descriptions of angels’ homes, their language, their communities, and even their romantic relationships. He tells us that angels are with us throughout our lives, guiding and supporting us, and that any person on earth can become an angel after death if he or she is loving and selfless. The introduction by Grant Schnarr gives readers a modern framework for understanding Swedenborg’s compelling vision of the spiritual world.

Twelve-step programs, which are based on psychological and spiritual growth, serve all who desire a path to freedom from destructive tendencies and consequent suffering. Using a twelve-step approach, Grant Schnarr presents readers with the tools needed to live a life guided by a greater awareness of both others and self. Filled with practical advice for incorporating these twelve principles into one’s life, Spiritual Recovery provides a road map for developing a deeper relationship with God and experiencing greater joy.

Does God love and care for each individual? Should the Bible be interpreted literally? Why are we here? Questions such as these persist for many people today. Grant Schnarr presents "the new Christianity," based on the Bible and the teachings of the eighteenth-century theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Schnarr examines the underlying reasons that prevent people from truly believing and provides logical and positive answers to life's questions. The result is a solid foundation for building faith and embracing a relationship with God.