Download or read book From Murder to Forgiveness written by Azim Khamisa and published by BalboaPress. This book was released on 2012-03-07 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the beginning, I saw victims at both ends of that gun. America lost two of her sons that night. From Murder to Forgiveness is a wonderful book by an extraordinary man who is making a difference in childrens lives. Azim Khamisa lost his son to senseless violence and, rather than lose himself in grief or turn to vengeance, committed himself to teaching nonviolence to children and communities. We can all learn from this very special man of peace and wisdom. Marion Wright Edeleman, president of the Childrens Defense Fund I have known many heroes in my life, men and women who have been acknowledged with the greatest of honors, from the Medal of Honor to the Nobel Prize. None stand taller than you; none have greater courage. You, my friend, are my hero. Walter Anderson, editor of Parade Magazine What Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix are doing is tremendous. Its the kind of thing people have to do if this epidemic is ever going to end. Gary Fields, writer for USA Today In a world of a million moving stories, I found their [Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix] alliance against youth violence to be one of the most compelling and deeply touching. Chuck Stevenson, producer for 48 Hours (CBS) You have stirred the soul of the nation by your work. How can we repeat what you are doing in San Diego in other parts of the country? Janet Reno, US Attorney General

Download or read book Forgiving My Daughter s Killer written by Kate Grosmaire and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2016-03-15 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forgiveness is possible even in impossible circumstances. On March 28, 2010, Kate and Andy Grosmaire received two pieces of news that would change their lives forever. The first was their worst nightmare: “Ann has been shot.” And the second was the dumbfounding addendum: “Conor was the one who shot her.” Their nineteen-year-old daughter had been killed by her boyfriend, a young man who had lived with the family and had come to feel like part of it. In a beautiful, tragic testament to the liberating power of forgiveness, Kate Grosmaire tells the story of her daughter’s murder at the hand of her boyfriend—and the stunning, deliberate forgiveness and help that Kate and her husband offered to the young man who shattered their world. Part memoir, part spiritual testimony, Forgiving My Daughter’s Killer is the story of a family whose faith was put to the test and so found the capacity to do far more than they could have thought or imagined.

Download or read book A Time to Forgive written by Darold Bigger and published by . This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: what do you do when your Daughter's been Murderedùand now is lying cold and stiff in a morgue hundreds of miles away? Do you leave her there alone, or do you bring her home? How do you feel when the funeral is over and you're watching herùbeautiful, peaceful, but to stillùdisappear from view for the last time as the funeral director lowers and latches the lid of the coffin? Where was God when the murderer pushed his way into her home and attacked her? Where was He the year before, when, after praying about finding the right place, she moved to that neighborhood and chose that apartment? And what does God expect of you now? Jesus said we're to forgive everyone who sins against us. But in forgiving your daughter's assailant, aren't you minimizing the awful deed? Aren't you saying that it wasn't so bad after all? In the first part of this three-part book Dr. and Mrs. Bigger tell us about their daughter's death and their reaction to it. This isn't a view from a distance. Dr. Bigger in particular lets us see his struggleùwhat he was thinking and feelingùand the breakthrough that gave life value again. The second part is an in-depth look at forgiveness, and the third part offers a unique and helpful look at love. The perspective these parts provide makes it easier for us to love our enemies and to forgive them. Book jacket.

Download or read book Murder by Family written by Kent Whitaker and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-09-23 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the tragic story of Kent Whitaker's heart-wrenching journey toward forgiveness and faith after the brutal murder of his wife and one of his sons. Straight from the headlines comes an incredible true story of a son's treachery. For the first time, readers are offered inside access to the emotional drama that went on behind the scenes. At the core is the remarkable healing power of forgiveness, demonstrated by Kent Whitaker, which shows how the survivors of such atrocious events can still forgive those who have permanently damaged their lives. One evening, the Whitaker family returned home after dinner, celebrating a son's impending graduation from college. On opening the front door, they faced a gunman lying in wait. The gunman opened fire, instantly killing the younger son and Kent's wife, leaving Kent and his older son lying wounded until police and ambulances arrived. While recovering in the hospital, Kent resolved in his heart to forgive whoever was responsible for the deaths of his wife and son. Over the next few weeks, it was discovered that the whole murder plot had been orchestrated by the surviving son -- whom Kent had unknowingly forgiven. After a trial that resulted in a death sentence for his son, Kent emerged from this harrowing ordeal to share their astonishing journey toward forgiveness and redemption.

Download or read book Letters from My Father s Murderer written by Laurie Coombs and published by Kregel Publications. This book was released on 2015-06-25 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An extraordinary true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God When her father was murdered, Laurie Coombs and her family sought justice—and found it. Yet, despite the swift punishment of the killer, Laurie found herself increasingly full of pain, bitterness, and anger she couldn’t control. It was the call to love and forgive her father’s murderer that set her, the murderer, and several other inmates on the journey that would truly change their lives forever. This compelling story of transformation will touch the deepest wounds and show how God can redeem what seems unredeemable.

Download or read book Set Free written by Stephen Owens and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The amazing true story of Gaile Owens' release from death row shows how God opened a door for a mother and son to both be set free - one from a prison of unforgiveness, the other from a literal prison cell.

Download or read book The Book of Forgiving written by Desmond Tutu and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-03-18 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chair of The Elders, and Chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, along with his daughter, the Reverend Mpho Tutu, offer a manual on the art of forgiveness—helping us to realize that we are all capable of healing and transformation. Tutu's role as the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission taught him much about forgiveness. If you asked anyone what they thought was going to happen to South Africa after apartheid, almost universally it was predicted that the country would be devastated by a comprehensive bloodbath. Yet, instead of revenge and retribution, this new nation chose to tread the difficult path of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Each of us has a deep need to forgive and to be forgiven. After much reflection on the process of forgiveness, Tutu has seen that there are four important steps to healing: Admitting the wrong and acknowledging the harm; Telling one's story and witnessing the anguish; Asking for forgiveness and granting forgiveness; and renewing or releasing the relationship. Forgiveness is hard work. Sometimes it even feels like an impossible task. But it is only through walking this fourfold path that Tutu says we can free ourselves of the endless and unyielding cycle of pain and retribution. The Book of Forgiving is both a touchstone and a tool, offering Tutu's wise advice and showing the way to experience forgiveness. Ultimately, forgiving is the only means we have to heal ourselves and our aching world.

Download or read book Forgiveness Redefined written by Candice Mama and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2019-10-21 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forgiveness Redefined is Candice Mama's honest and healing story. It tells how she found ways to deal with the death of her father, Glenack Masilo Mama, and to forgive the notorious apartheid assassin Eugene de Kock, the man responsible for his brutal murder. We follow Candice's journey of discovering how her father died, how this affected her and how she battled the demons of depression before the age of sixteen. But most importantly, we follow her journey towards beating the odds and rising above her heartbreaks. Candice Mama is today still under the age of 30, but has been named as one of Vogue Paris' most inspiring women alongside glittering names such as Michelle Obama. She has taken backstage selfies with music crooner Seal and travels all over the world to talk about her journey. This bubbly, inspiring young author tells how she shed some of the worst layers of grief and became an inspiration for others. We learn about her perplexing, unconventional childhood, her search for identity, and the beautiful bond she formed, posthumously, with a father she never had the opportunity to get to know in person. She also tells, in her own words, about the life-changing encounter between her family and her father's killer. Candice tenderly opens up about the result of the trauma of her father's death on her entire family, and meeting her mother for the first time at the age of four. She tells about the confusing, yet fascinating, dynamics that later unfolded as she discovered pieces of herself, rediscovered relationships with her own family and came to forgiveness and understanding. This book serves as inspiration for other young – and older – people to look at their own stories through different lenses. Candice's experiences are not unique, and she offers healing thoughts to others who suffered similar trauma by sharing the details of her own story. Forgiveness Redefined is a touching, personal story by a young woman who learned too early about pain, loss and rejection – but who also learned how to overcome those burdens and live joyfully.

Download or read book Walking After Midnight written by Katy Hutchison and published by New Harbinger Publications. This book was released on 2006-10-01 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many people who have been harmed or wronged often feel that to respond with non-violence and forgiveness is to be weak. As Katy Hutchison reveals here, to forgive and seek reconciliation not only requires even more strength than a resort to force or retaliation, but also ensures deeper, more far-reaching beneficial consequences for all concerned. I am sure her remarkable story will serve as an inspiration to others by beset by grief and loss as she was. -The Dalai Lama On New Year's Eve, 1997, Bob McIntosh left his family and friends at the dinner table to check on a disturbance at a neighbor's house. He never came home. Savagely beaten by an unknown assailant, McIntosh died that night at a local hospital, leaving behind his wife and twin four-year olds. While authorities searched for McIntosh's killer, his wife, author Katy Hutchison, began the slow process of rebuilding a life for her children and herself. Refusing to be defined by her husband's murder, she moved to a different town, pursued a new career, and eventually remarried-but, with questions about her husband's death still unanswered, the healing Hutchison longed for was slow in coming. In the spring of 2002, authorities arrested a young man named Ryan Aldrigde for the murder of Bob McIntosh. On hearing the news, Hutchison startled investigators by asking to meet the man who had killed her husband. She didn't take satisfaction in seeing Aldridge in custody, nor did she want to rail against him for the harm he had inflicted on her and her family. Instead, she wanted to learn from him why he had attacked McIntosh and what she could do to help stop incidents like it from happening again. In a letter she sent to Aldridge after his arrest, Hutchison offered this remarkable sentiment: All I want for you is what you took from Bob-a happy and productive life. Walking After Midnight tells a story at turns devastating and triumphant, a unique exploration of one woman's courageous response to tragedy that challenges our expectations about grief and loss. It's an inspiring account of the power of forgiveness, compassion, and a different kind of justice. An excellent primer for handling loss with intelligence and dignity…an antidote to the endless cycles of violence that consume too many lives and too many countries. -Frederic Luskin, Ph.D., author of Forgive for Good and director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects A remarkable story of tragedy and transcendence. Not everyone who walks this road will make the choices Hutchison did, but all will recognize the intersections and obstacles she encounters along the way. And no one who reads this story can dismiss the authenticity and passion with which it is told. -Howard Zehr, founding theorist of restorative justice, professor of restorative justice at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding of Eastern Mennonite University and author of Changing Lenses

Download or read book Called to Forgive written by Anthony B. Thompson and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the murder of his wife devastated Anthony Thompson, he and three other relatives of victims chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter. Years later, the church and community still struggle to understand the family members' deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians have witnessed these incredible acts of forgiveness, something significant has happened to the community--black and white leaders and residents have united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love. This book is the account of Anthony's wife's murder, the grief he experienced, and how and why he made the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Anthony goes on to teach what forgiveness can and should look like in each of our lives--both personally, in our communities, and even in our nation. After much pain, reflection, and study, Thompson shares how true biblical love and mercy differ from the way these ideas are reflected in our culture. Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.

Download or read book Murder as a Call to Love A True Story of Transformation and Forgiveness written by Judith Toy and published by . This book was released on 2011-11 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a neighbor murders her sister-in-law and two nephews, the author's life changes forever. Seeking a way of dealing with the sudden loss, full of grief, the author turns to Zen. After many years, she's ready to forgive the killer, but it is too late. He's dead at his own hand. So she calls his mother and they cry together. This true account of how that one night changed her life is the focus of this work.--Source other than Library of Congress.

Download or read book Forgiveness in the First Degree written by Rondol Hammer and published by Faithhappenings Publishers. This book was released on 2017-12 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gun was never supposed to go off. When a drug dealer assured twenty-nine year-old Ron Hammer and his brother-in-law that they could make some quick easy money, they were intrigued. He promised them that when a local grocer delivered a bag of money to his store to cash Friday paychecks, they only needed to show him a gun and he'd hand over the bag. But high on meth and dulled by liquor, the men scuffled with their target, and the gun accidentally fired. And when Phillip Robinson rushed from the shelves he'd been stocking to investigate the commotion at the front of the store, he saw his father lying on the sidewalk, dying. The lives of Ron Hammer and Phillip Robinson, whose paths should only have ever crossed at the IGA checkout line, became inextricably linked by one foolish decision that would shatter a web of lives. Over three decades the two men came to discover not only that they both needed to be set free, but that-in God's unlikely economy of redemption-their liberation was bound up with one another. Like the famous prodigal son and his dutiful older brother, the moving story of Phillip Robinson and Rondol Hammer reveals how two men wrestling with law and grace discover unlikely redemption. Forgiveness in the First Degree offers hope to all who need for God's gracious mercy to work its way from their head to their hearts.

Download or read book Triumph of the Heart written by Megan Feldman Bettencourt and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-08-09 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2016 Books For A Better Life Award winner Drawing on the latest research and remarkable tales of forgiveness from around the world, journalist Megan Feldman explores how forgiveness, when practiced in the right ways, can save lives, make us happier and healthier, and lead to a better world. Veteran journalist Megan Feldman was still smarting over a bitter breakup when she began working on a feature article about a father named Azim who had truly forgiven the man who killed his son. She had found herself totally and completely unable to forgive her ex-boyfriend, and yet Azim had managed to forgive his own son’s murderer. Forgiveness has long been touted by religious leaders as a moral imperative. But Megan wanted to know exactly what it means from a scientific perspective, and why forgiving those who have wronged you is one of the best things you can do for yourself. In Triumph of the Heart, Feldman embarks on a quest to understand this complex idea, drawing on the latest research showing that forgiveness can provide a range of health benefits, from relieving depression to decreasing high blood pressure. The journey takes her from New Zealand and the Maori who practice their own form of restorative justice, to a principal in Baltimore who uses forgiveness techniques to eradicate violence in her school, and to recovered addicts who restarted their lives by seeking and receiving forgiveness. She travels to Rwanda to learn about forgiveness in the face of unthinkable atrocities. This book is a guide for how the practice of forgiveness can help us all in our search for a satisfying, fulfilling, good life.

Download or read book Forgiveness Work written by Arzoo Osanloo and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-06-23 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legal foundations : victim's rights and retribution -- Codifying mercy : judicial reform, affective process, and judge's knowledge -- Seeking reconciliation : sentimental reasoning and reconciled duties -- Judicial forbearance advocacy : motivations, potentialities, and the interstices of time -- Forgiveness sanctioned : affective faith in healing -- Mediating Mercy : the affective lifeworlds of forgiveness activists -- The art of forgiveness -- Cause lawyers : advocating mercy's law.

Download or read book What Daddy Did written by Neal Shusterman and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 1993 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fourteen-year-old living with his grandparents learns his father is to be released from prison after killing his mother and feels apprehensive about renewing the relationship. Based on true events.

Download or read book Alessandro Serenelli written by Charles D. Engel and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2020-01-23 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Maria Goretti, now a Saint, was my good Angel, sent to me through Providence to guide and save me. I still have impressed upon my heart her words of rebuke and pardon. She prayed for me, she interceded for her murderer.” — Alessandro Serenelli Many people are familiar with the story of Saint Maria Goretti and her grisly murder at the age of eleven. On her deathbed, she said of her killer, “I forgive him, and I want him to be with me in heaven.” But how did her incredible forgiveness affect her murderer? While it took years, Maria’s offer of mercy eventually transformed Alessandro’s life. Alessandro’s story has never been fully told — until now. Alessandro Serenelli: A Story of Forgiveness is a captivating story of mercy and forgiveness, both given and accepted. Learn about Alessandro’s difficult childhood, the murder of Maria, his prison sentence, his conversion as a result of Maria’s intercession, and the final years of his life with a Capuchin community. Through his life story, you’ll gain a new understanding of the nature of repentance and of God’s patience and unfailing love.

Download or read book I Choose to Forgive written by Dianne B. Collard and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2018-08-13 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in a fallen world where offenses and serious grievances occur in every person's life. These painful situations, no matter how slight or serious, demand that we face the question, "Does God expect me to forgive?" The answer is clear. The choice is ours to obey. The power comes from God alone. I Choose to Forgive tells the heartbreaking journey from devastation to freedom from the unique perspective of a mother, father, and sibling on the ultimate offense of murder. In addition, the powerful testimony of the murderer's journey of finding forgiveness is shared in his own words. These personal stories are rooted in a strong biblical foundation, which undergirds the practical steps of choosing forgiveness.