Beyond Oz
My Journey from Religion to Spirituality
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So, when I asked God to calm my fears and give me encouragement and direction, I was surprised when the answer, almost audible, said "Close the book, and don't open it until later. It will have more meaning later.” By that time, I was not surprised about receiving Divine guidance. It was that type of instruction that not only took me safely out of the cult with my family intact, but also returned ownership of our home. What surprised me was the instruction itself—to close the Bible and not open it for a time until some future date when the scriptures would have more meaning. I was raised, from the time I was a small child, on biblical scriptures; and oftentimes I committed to memory exceptionally long passages. There were innumerable uplifting scriptures I memorized that took me through a trying, first marriage to an alcoholic husband and an eventual divorce. But within seconds of the surprising directive to abandon the Bible, I knew immediately why I was to “close the book!” Several scriptures flashed before my mind that brought anxious feelings about God’s wrath and disdain for a disobedient people in the Old Testament as well as unwelcome, descriptive passages about God’s judgment of hell and the odds of avoiding it in the New Testament.”
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About the Book
After release from a 12-year cult experience, Makena embarks on an adventure to discover what it means to live life by direct reliance on Source, exclusive of a fear-based religious belief system. Her cult experience was restrictive and stripped her and her family of freedom of choice. Eventually, the cult doctrine nearly led to sacrifice of home and property.
On attempting to escape the cult entrapment in 1990, she appealed to God to give her encouragement. She received a three-fold promise from two identical scripture passages that essentially described a release from imprisonment, a time of abundance, and lifetime financial security. The Beyond Oz experience covers a span of 26 years that ultimately delivers all three promises—the last of which appeared impossible when she experienced a devastating loss at age 60. She was also inspired to “close the book,” indicating the Bible and some of the more oppressive messages. She was divinely encouraged to follow her inner guidance, her higher self, Source. She transparently narrates the ups and downs, the highs and the lows, but all with the underlying lessons she brought forward from her cult experience—to release fear, ask Source, gain knowledge, take personal responsibility and above all to love self and fellowman.
About the Author
Makena McChesney, author of "Seeking Oz; My Twelve-Year Journey in a Cult," continues her memoir with a sequel, "Beyond Oz." Her subsequent true-life story takes the reader beyond the difficult cult years, and through a variety of inspiring adventures that prove to shed light on the freer aspects of spirituality as compared to some of man's weighty religious doctrines. Makena shares her story with the intention of providing hope and freedom to individuals who may have experienced unnecessary fear, guilt, or shame from a religious experience. She likens the metamorphosis of religion to spirituality as to the butterfly who escapes the cocoon. Makena, semi-retired, currently lives in the foothills of the Sierras. She is the mother of three, and grandmother of seven. She enjoys family, kayaking, golfing, and writing.