One of the profound messages in Betsy Otter Thompson's latest book is that we don't take our beliefs with us when we leave this world - we take the love we found from having them.

Wyndmoor, PA - This book is different than other books written about Jesus because it's not really about Jesus - it is about His effect on the lives of those who knew Him, or knew of Him, prior to the beginning of Christianity. It is an emotional account, rather than a historical one, offering insight as to how the people who knew Jesus might have reacted to His choices. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific theme around a person from the life of Christ all the way from Mary Magdalene, Paul and Bartholomew, to Judas and Pilate. The end of each chapter has a question and answer worksheet designed to bring the ideas from the book into the reader's everyday life in a meaningful way. There is also a section where the author shares how the message in each chapter impacted her life.

Walking through Illusion: Jesus Speaks of the People who Shared His Journey (O-Books), by Betsy Otter Thompson, is a series of short stories that give anyone, from any faith, a better understanding of one's spirituality. Through the wisdom of these friends and acquaintances who knew Jesus, the author hopes that readers will sense their own power to create the world of their desires - realizing that the secret to happiness is in giving what you want, not in getting what you want. The stories are a vehicle through which to explore human as well as spiritual issues: the pursuit of meaningful goals, the nature of loving gifts, why happiness is elusive, the healing of our hearts, the reason for handicaps, and why life often seems so unfair! The author believes that since our time on Earth is temporary, we need to recognize what is real and what is not; the real being what we feel in our hearts, the illusion being what we see with our eyes. The book suggests that action and reaction, cause and effect, or the pulling of energy back to itself, is a force that runs the universe as well as our lives, and since we have the power to use this force in any way we wish to, we might as well use it to create a better life. See Thompson's website at www.betsythompson.com.

Thompson's goal in writing her deep and insightful book is not to challenge history but to challenge herself to become accountable. She hopes that in learning about these people, readers will bring more love to their lives and, then, enjoy the miracles that follow. No stranger to the media, Thompson has worked in several radio stations as well as appeared in television commercials, later working at Castle Rock Entertainment and Warner Brothers in Los Angeles. Now writing full-time, Walking through Illusion is the second book in her trilogy on the life of Jesus.

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by Lisa McEntyre (few years ago!)