Download or read book A Chance at Life Stories of Inspiration and Hope for Foster and Adoptive Parents of Abused Children written by Elaine Rose Penn and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2010-06 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Chance At Life: Stories of Inspiration and Hope for Foster and Adoptive Parents of Abused Children is a compilation of true short stories told from the point of view of a foster parent who shares her experiences of success, failure, and courage, with helpful advice mixed in. People who have provided loving homes to children with abused pasts, as well as adults who were victimized by violence as children, will find this poignant collection of stories filled with humor, hope, and wisdom

Download or read book Mary of Magdala written by Elaine Rose Penn and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2019-10-30 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mary Magdalene. We know from the way she is introduced to us from the Bible record that she had once been possessed by seven devils. This fact, more than any other, seems to be all that we know about her connection to Jesus, the Christ. We know that she appears quite unexpectedly at the cross of Jesus, and then at his tomb. We know that she alone was given the distinction of being the first to see the Christ alive from the dead. We know that Jesus gave her the remarkable charge to announce his resurrection to the world – in absolute accuracy of what He said he would do. We know that she was one of the twenty-five female disciples of Jesus, who sat at his feet and learned from his teachings. Yet, her identity and ministry are as baffling to us as her sudden appearance in the Holy scriptures. Mary of Magdala: Out of Whom Came Seven Devils, finally settles the current debate over Mary Magdalene’s true relationship to the Savior. The chapter, “From the Top to the Bottom,” describes what the Sanhedrin and the priests of the temple would have seen when, at the point of Jesus’ death, the Veil was ripped in two right before their eyes.... And clears up the misconception that the Ark of the Covenant was still existent at the time of Jesus. “Who Is My Mother?” provides much needed clarity as to why the natural brothers of Jesus refused to take possession of His Body after the crucifixion. When Jesus appeared to Mary at the tomb, the Bible says that she mistook Him for the gardener. Lovers of Biblical mystery will gain great insight from the chapter, “Who Rolled Away the Stone?” in answer to the question of why Jesus was not recognizable when He arose from the dead. “Traditions of the Fathers,” will once and for all, settle the question of Mary’s painful past, and how she came to be known as one of the most enviable of all of Jesus’ disciples.

Download or read book Reshuffled written by Tracy Gharbo and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reshuffled tells the life stories of former foster children, who despite all odds, craft productive lives. Within Reshuffled, former foster children share their trials and strategies to gain footing in their unpredictable lives with the hope that their stories can model, inspire, and encourage youth facing similar situations today. Tracy Gharbo and Linda Palmer have captured the authentic voices of the abused and abandoned children who become lawyers, social workers, military officers, college graduates, scientists, teachers, parents, athletes, and foster care advocates. Inspiration abounds in unique lives, told honestly and without reserve.

Download or read book My Soul Looks Back and Wonders the Call of God on a Woman s Life written by Elaine Rose Penn and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2019-12-20 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are thousands of great women of God who were pioneers of the faith and the gospel. Though many of their names are lost to us forever, the record of their exploits for the sake of the Kingdom are engraved in the eternal and living chronicles of heaven. They represent the hues and colors of God ́s rainbow and are present in the history of every denomination, faith and religion. Women have dug out churches, cleaned them, closed them and built them. They were visionaries, ground-breakers, pathfinders, the bridges that brought us over, trend-setters, armor-bearers, leaders, agents for change and disciples. They cooked, cried, sang, marched, testified, organized, did the holy dance, counseled, and prayed while everybody else slept. They carried the "work" on their bare knuckles, tear drops, hips, lips and hearts. In the pages of this delightful book filled with powerful scriptural revelation, candor, insight and instruction,Elaine Rose Penn delivers a challenge to women called to the gospel ministry to be true to their femininity, and adhere to a high standard of excellence and accountability in the conduct of their service to Christ.

Download or read book Fostering Hope written by Shane Salter and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2010-09-24 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What becomes of a childhood built upon repeated rejection? How can that child ever believe that someday, someone will want and love him? How can he live his life as a purposeful adult? FOSTERING HOPE is a riveting true story about the pain of rejection, the power of a childs untapped potential, and the passion in purposeful living. Born to a teenage mother whose heroin addiction shattered the hopes and dreams of her family, renowned author, lecturer, and national child advocate Shane Salter was thrust into the role of parent to his infant brother at the tender age of four. In FOSTERING HOPE, he shares his story and his strategies for moving beyond resentment to forgiveness and hope. Salters harrowing journey affirms the possibility of reclaiming the power that the past has over us. It is not too late to reestablish relationships and rebuild once-burned bridges toward dreams deferred. As we learn to better understand ourselves and the hidden prison that confines us, we learn to transform hopelessness to hope. Salters memoir truly makes hope real.

Download or read book Fostered written by Tori Hope Petersen and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2022-10-18 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you’re wondering if God can truly move in the life of someone with all the odds stacked against her, look no further than Tori Hope Petersen. Tori grew up in the foster care system, a bi-racial child in a confusing and volatile world. Growing up with a mentally ill mother and living in twelve different foster homes, nothing was in her favor. And yet, even with a minuscule chance of graduating college and a great risk of being homeless, jobless, and on drugs, Tori overcame every negative stereotype and assumption that attacked her identity. However, Tori will tell you she did not overcome. Christ did. In the face of the storm, Jesus made a way for Tori to find profound hope, deep faith, renewed purpose, and a loving family, too. After so many years of being on one side of foster care as a child, Tori is now on the other side as a foster mom, adoptive mom, and biological mom. On top of that, she became a Track and Field All-American in college and now works with nonprofits, ministries, and beyond advocating for foster care reform, adoption advocacy, and help for vulnerable populations. If you want to hear the true tale of an unlikely overcomer, this book is for you. If you want to learn more about the foster care system from a former foster youth’s perspective, this book is for you. If you want to better dwell in the reality of your own spiritual adoption by our Heavenly Father and better understand the orphan and the widow that He loves dearly, this book is for you. Ultimately, if you want to remember who God is, and what He can do through the most unlikely of people, Fostered is for you.

Download or read book Keep the Doors Open written by Kristin Berry and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2020-01-07 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Will You Open Your Heart and Home to Children in Need? As a teenager, Kristin Berry had heard all the horror stories surrounding foster care and adoption—abuse, neglect, rejection, anger, and misunderstandings. But instead of closing her heart, God opened it wide. This is Kristin’s honest, unvarnished story of some of her experiences as a foster parent of twenty-three children over the course of nine years. What she learned is that living in a foster home is like living with a revolving door. You never know who will arrive or who you will have to say goodbye to. Leaving the door open means there will be heartache and pain, but also adventure and unexpected joy. Kristin and her husband, Mike, have been through it all in their unique parenting journey. If you have ever wondered what it’s really like to be a foster parent, this book will help you gain a true understanding of the everyday trials and triumphs these moms and dads face. It will also inspire you to consider opening your door…and to leave it wide open.

Download or read book We Adopted Five Special Needs Foster Kids written by Ann Ellsworth and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A powerful memoir about the joys and pains of making a family. In 2008, Ann and Dan made the life-altering decision to start a family. In their mid-forties and inspired by various stories that they had heard, the couple decided to adopt special needs children through foster care. Not wanting to separate siblings, Ann and Dan’s family eventually grows to seven, first with the adoption of Jimmy and Ruby, and then Jason, Susie, and Anthony. But, the transition was not without its challenges. The children, aged five to ten years old, had been neglected, abused, and diagnosed with behavioral, cognitive, medical, and psychiatric conditions, none of which could be treated medically. Their first months in their new home were intense, overwhelming, and on occasion, violent. With numerous outbursts and incidents, Ann and Dan’s patience and resolve were constantly tested. But slowly, when surrounded with stability, warmth, compassion, and love, the children settled in and became a family. Poignant and heartfelt, We Adopted Five Special-Needs Foster Kids is for any reader who has ever been part of a family.

Download or read book A Forever Family written by Rob Scheer and published by Gallery/Jeter Publishing. This book was released on 2019-05-28 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tradition of The Promise of a Pencil and Kisses from Katie comes an inspirational memoir by the founder of Comfort Cases about his turbulent childhood in the foster care system and the countless obstacles and discrimination he endured in adopting his four children. Rob Scheer never thought that he would be living the life he is now. He’s happily married to his partner and love of his life, he’s the father of four beautiful children, and he’s the founder of an organization that makes life better for thousands of children in the foster care system. But life wasn’t always like this. Growing up in an abusive household before his placement in foster care, Rob had all the odds stacked against him. Kicked out of his foster family’s home within weeks after turning eighteen—with a year left of high school to go—he had to resort to sleeping in his car and in public bathrooms. He suffered from drug addiction and battled with depression, never knowing when his next meal would be or where he would sleep at night. But by true perseverance, he was able to find his own path and achieve his wildest dreams. “A heartwarming, hopeful memoir brimming with humanitarianism and compassion” (Kirkus Reviews), Rob’s story provides a glimpse into what it’s like to grow up in the foster care system, and sheds necessary light on the children who are often treated without dignity. Both a timely call to action and a courageous and candid account of life in the foster care system, A Forever Family ultimately leaves you with one message: one person can make a difference.

Download or read book My Full Life Circle Squared written by Richard Oden and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a very unique story. I grew up in the foster care system in the state of Alabama until being adopted at age twelve. Eighteen years later my life came full circle as my wife and I officially became foster parents to three beautiful children. While they were in our care, I got deployed to Afghanistan with the air force, and my wife had our firstborn biological child while I was overseas! On January 29, 2016, twenty-two years after I got adopted out of foster care, my life came full circle again as my wife and I adopted those three children out of foster care! While deployed, I wrote most of my book, My Full Life Circle Squared, which came out on Veterans Day, November 11, which was also National Adoption Month. It is a foster care/adoption story, but it is also a military story as well. Some of the real and significant sacrifices of our military members do, indeed, endure. This is a very inspirational story blessed by God! I have many life experiences that so many people can relate to. I talk about sleeping in the back of cars, not having my father in my life, getting married to my middle-school sweetheart, us having three miscarriages, being in foster care, getting adopted, being a foster parent, being an adoptive parent, money, and much more! I hope my story paints the picture of the providence of God and his will in my life and how he put me in foster care so that one day I could, indeed, inspire, encourage, motivate, and minister to others! I encourage others to help fatherless children by considering fostering/adoption and encourage our military as well! I will be donating a portion of all proceeds to foster/adoption and military charities!

Download or read book Confessions of an Adoptive Parent written by Mike Berry and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2018-02-06 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Know That You Are Not Alone on This Journey Adopting or fostering a child brings its own unique set of challenges only another parent facing the same uphill climb could possibly understand. From parenting children with traumatic pasts, to dealing with attachment issues, to raising a child with special needs, it can sometimes be a struggle just getting through the day. Mike Berry knows the loneliness and isolation you can easily feel in your particular parenting role—because he's been there. He's still there, and he wants to give you the hope and encouragement you so desperately need. There are plenty of how-to guides out there on parenting, but this one-of-a-kind book is specifically designed to address your needs as a parent of an adopted or foster child. With a refreshing dose of honesty, empathy, and care, you'll discover you are definitely not alone on your journey and God has a very special plan for you and your family.

Download or read book Fostering Hope for America written by Davina a Merritt and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-12-04 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are success stories in America's foster care system -- stories of former foster children who have beaten the odds despite overwhelming obstacles. The few who overcame the failings of the system battled tremendous odds. They now stand as a beaming light of hope, optimism, and faith for not only the hundreds of thousands of Inspiration to millions across the nation. Fostering Hope for America is a unique book in the foster care world. The authors is a former foster child and a survivor with the exceptions two advocates. These ten individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and from different places in the country. Yet, these ten authors bear one thing in common. They each grew up in the system, and suffered varying degrees of sadness, dangers, and tragedy. They have come together to share their stories with the nation in hopes of saving other children from living a life of despair. These former foster children collectively strive to provide emotional healing and support to those heroes who are currently trying to make a difference in the lives of children who have been removed from unspeakable situations and entrusted to the care of the state. The authors hope that this book will serve as an inspiration and challenge for those who work in child welfare, juvenile court intervention, residential foster care treatment centers, foster children, foster parents, agencies and nonprofits. Fostering Hope for America will take foster parents, caseworkers, and all readers through the heart and the mind of a foster child, forever opening their eyes and hearts to the many challenges, barriers, traumas and maltreatment often experienced by our children in foster care.

Download or read book Healing Power of the Family English Version written by Richard J. Delaney and published by Wood 'N' Barnes Publishing. This book was released on 2000-09 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Adopting the Hurt Child written by Gregory Keck and published by Tyndale House. This book was released on 2014-02-27 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Without avoiding the grim statistics, this book reveals the real hope that hurting children can be healed through adoptive and foster parents, social workers, and others who care. Includes information on foreign adoptions.

Download or read book Help I m a Foster Parent Experiences from Real People Hope from a Real God written by Nikki Hertzler and published by Ambassador International. This book was released on 2023-05-02 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foster families are unsung heroes, willing to stand on the front lines for children who can’t stand up for themselves. But fostering can also be a lonely journey as friends and family members pull away from the fear of the unknown. We all have a job to do, and it starts by stepping forward and wrapping around those who are sacrificing so much. In Help! I’m a Foster Parent: Experiences From Real People. Hope From a Real God., Nikki Hertzler has compiled the stories of foster families and others who are in the trenches—loving, advocating, and fighting for children who have found themselves displaced from their biological families. Their poignant, transparent stories will help you get a glimpse into the true realities of fostering, discuss ways to support these families, and encourage others on their own foster journey through a daily prayer, Scripture, and reflection. Endorsements These stories from foster and adoptive moms will be an encouragement to other foster and adoptive moms. This is hard, hard work. These stories remind us of our humanity, God’s greatness, that we are not alone, and how desperately we all need Him. Trisha Porter Backyard Orphans Anyone who steps into the fostering system sooner or later realizes how broken and dark it is. For fostering families, the road is often frustrating and lonely. For the children in foster care, the emotions are so much more than that. That is why we need a book like this. Discouragement is always close by, and the emotions and feelings run deep. But families are not alone. We all need to be encouraged to persevere in the messiness, to love the children who didn’t ask for this, to encourage biological parents about whom few care—to be a light in the darkness. Pastor Derek Parker, Lead Pastor Starkey Road Baptist Church, Seminole, Florida As someone who has never fostered, I found the stories in Help! I’m a Foster Parent powerful. The genuine emotion of each devotion is heartfelt. Honestly, the experiences provoked in me a deeper empathy and support for the brave parents who choose to open their homes. But the book provides so much more. It honestly relates to the foster parents’ many challenges and offers understanding, camaraderie, encouragement, and hope. This book is a must-read for those desiring a deeper understanding of God’s command to care for the needy and the orphans. Lauren Crews Author of Strength of a Woman: Why You Are Proverbs 31

Download or read book Etched in Sand written by Regina Calcaterra and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-08-06 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Regina’s Calcaterra memoir, Etched in Sand, is an inspiring and triumphant coming-of-age story of tenacity and hope. Regina Calcaterra is a successful lawyer, New York State official, and activist. Her painful early life, however, was quite different. Regina and her four siblings survived an abusive and painful childhood only to find themselves faced with the challenges of the foster-care system and intermittent homelessness in the shadows of Manhattan and the Hamptons. A true-life rags-to-riches story, Etched in Sand chronicles Regina’s rising above her past, while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together through it all. Beautifully written, with heartbreaking honesty, Etched in Sand is an unforgettable reminder that regardless of social status, the American Dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed.

Download or read book From Foster to Fabulous written by Helen Ramaglia and published by Inspiring Voices. This book was released on 2012-08-30 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a former foster child, I know how it feels to be alone, to feel lost, to feel hopeless, and to feel helpless. I also know you can make a difference in the life of a foster child. Ive been there. While my story is not unique, I want to share it in order to help the caring people of America walk in the shoes of a child who experiences physical, mental, and emotional abuse; is removed from everything she knows; is provided a roof over her head by the State and strangers; and then is thrust into adulthood totally unprepared but later succeeds. I want them to see, touch, and feel what the abused/foster child suffers and why they are who they are. I want them to see the major gaps in the childs life skills and social abilities and why they exist. We must walk in the childs shoes in order to understand them. Only then will we be able to truly fill the enormous amount of needs they have and feel confident in adopting, fostering, and working with foster children. We must fully understand the heart and life of a foster child before we can effectively foster, adopt, or work with this vulnerable population of extraordinary children. I invite you to walk with me, and learn how it truly feels to grow up as nobodys child. A little girl destined to failure, confined by abuse, and traumatized by foster care is inspired by faith to succeed.