Book picks similar to
Fierce Love: One Woman's Remarkable Journey to Adopt her Daughter from Guatemala by Kim Gjerde
memoir
we-love-memoirs
adoption-memoirs
latinx-books
Weightless: My Life as a Fat Man and How I Escaped
Gregg McBride - 2014
His blog, JustStopEatingSoMuch.com, focuses on the topics of weight loss and food addiction. McBride has made multiple appearances on the Today Show and is also the author of the book Just Stop Eating So Much!, as well as a featured blogger for the Huffington Post.Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN, is the longtime nutrition and health expert for the Today Show, a contributing editor to Woman's Day magazine, and the New York Times best-selling author of Food Cures and Joy Fit Club.
Running From The Mirror
Howard Shulman - 2015
Abandoned at the hospital by his parents, he became a ward of New Jersey under the care of a state-employed surgeon who experimentally rebuilt his face. Running from the Mirror is the poignant true story of one man’s struggle to survive against staggering odds and find his place in the world. Howard gives an unflinching account of growing up a bullied outcast, with no family to officially call his own. Living on the edge, he relies on little more than street smarts and grit to rise from dishwasher to successful entrepreneur. Along the way, a European actress, a schoolteacher, and a fiery Latina help transform his life.Filled with heart-wrenching suffering as well as soul-lifting joy, Running from the Mirror is an unforgettable testament to the strength of the human spirit.
At Any Cost: Overcoming Every Obstacle to Bring Our Children Home
Mike Jones - 2015
Their stunning observation: "It was the least we could do!"
Strong, Brave, Loved: Empowering Reminders of Who You Really Are
Holley Gerth - 2019
She understands that you want to be a woman who looks life in the face and says, "You can't beat me." A woman who knows love is a risk and reaches out anyway. A woman who understands kindness takes real courage. Who doesn't fake it or try to hide her scars. Who fights to believe she is who God says she is and helps others do the same.Strong, Brave, Loved offers 60 short devotions to empower you to be that kind of woman. It's simple, personal, and practical, with room for you to journal your own responses and reflections. With these concise and compassionate devotions, Holley leads you on a journey of discovery as you learn to live in freedom, hope, and holy courage.
My Amish Story: Breaking Generations of Silence
Rebecca Borntrager Graber - 2017
It’s about the hurdles of breaking the barriers of centuries, of family circles being broken with no goodbyes, of heartbreak and estrangement, and of the transitions and adjustments to a new way of living. But it is also, and more so, a story of leaving the old and embracing the new, of walking in the blessing of freedom from bondage, and of leaving behind the fear of tomorrow. It is the story of a family living, loving, and laughing their way along the journey of life. About the Author Rebecca Borntrager Graber was born into an Amish family of ten children. She lost her mother at the tender age of ten and later taught school in the Amish parochial schools. She married Lester Graber, who was ordained as an Amish minister the second year they were married. Rebecca and Lester were shunned by the Amish church thirteen years later, after taking a bold stand against some extra-biblical Amish rules. Rebecca always enjoyed writing and was a frequently published author in Family Life, Young Companion, and Blackboard Bulletin, which were monthly magazines published by the Amish. She has conducted many women’s Bible study groups in her home, taught Bible classes at a local jail, and carried on correspondence with prisoners from a variety of jails and prisons. At present Rebecca, her husband, Lester, and their youngest daughter, Dorcas, live in Fort Worth, Texas, where they are members of Eagle Mountain International Church.
Strength in Strangers: A true story of heartbreak, hope and courage
Lauren Britton - 2014
The local medical centre lacked the equipment to keep him alive and there was no plane to a specialist hospital for several days.This is the inspirational and emotional true story of a normal young couple and their life torn apart by a near fatal heart affecting virus and a wife’s struggle to save her husband’s life.An account of the incredible journey to return him home safely, the terrifying wait in hospitals where few spoke English, seven weeks in Bangkok on life support and intensive care, the selfless acts of strangers, and the frightening realisation that previously fit and healthy Andrew would need an urgent heart transplant.This is a story of love, hope and courage against all odds.A story of friends and family, incredible medical staff, the strength found in strangers and the ultimate gift of a second chance.
Speal: A David and Goliath Story
Chris Spealler - 2018
Chris Spealler is 5’5" and 140 pounds. Such daunting facts would make most declare defeat before trying. Chris didn’t buy the odds, though. Instead, he forged his own modern-day David-and-Goliath story. Speal is Chris’s account of struggle and perseverance, despite being "too small." What others did with ease, he seemed to do with sheer grit and will. And his actions put him among CrossFit’s elite. His is not a story of a gifted athlete whose natural talent granted him acclaim, but rather of one man who refused to back down and inspired an entire community in the process.
The House on Sunset
Lindsay Fischer - 2015
When her boyfriend of a year-and-a-half cheated on her, Lindsay found herself alone, looking online for a replacement. His name was Mike. That’s where the nightmare started. The House on Sunset is a memoir, a collection of reminiscences, scattering the ashes of two broken homes and putting them to rest. Each chapter offers a different glimpse inside the cycle of intimate partner violence, where honeymoon phases and traumas coexist. Everyone could fall victim to abusers. This book bravely displays the reasons a quirky, twenty-something teacher would, and did.
Between the Dreaming and the Coming True: The Road Home to God
Robert Benson - 1996
For those who have questioned their Christian faith, Robert Benson offers an account of his sojourn in a season of trouble and his journey back to God. In this spiritual self-portrait, Benson's experiences--battling depression and re-examining the deep Christian faith in which he has been immersed since childhood--become poignant testament of one believer's struggle with the mysteries of faith's road.
Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy
Fran Macilvey - 2014
However, right after she gave birth in the hospital, she felt strange. Unbeknownst to anyone, another daughter was on the way, but before anybody responded, an hour had passed. Because of the delay, Fran was born with cerebral palsy.Growing up with her siblings in Africa, Fran always felt different. When everyone else was playing and having fun, she would watch and wish she could join in. After the family moved to Scotland and Fran grew older, her hurt turned into anger, self-hatred, and suicidal depression. Then one day, someone looked at her and saw a woman to love, and that was the start of her journey to self-acceptance.Fran has written the painful truth about her life to help readers understand how disabled adults really feel. In her revealing account, she shows just how hard it is to maintain the appearance of a “normal” life. More importantly, out of her million and one mistakes have come lessons in real acceptance, peace, and joy, which she would like to share with her readers.
A Season to Remember
Carson Tinker - 2014
But on April 27, 2011 everything changed. An EF4 tornado ripped through the small college town and changed it forever. Carson Tinker, the starting long snapper for the 2011 and 2012 National Champion Crimson Tide, was among those forever changed by the events of April 27. Tinker lost his girlfriend Ashley Harrison to the storm, but not his faith. In the midst of unfathomable destruction, Tinker saw love, companionship, perseverance, and triumph in a community torn apart by a natural disaster. Where everyone else saw tragedy, Carson Tinker saw blessing. Following the storm, the Crimson Tide suited up to face their most challenging season to date. Tinker’s personal story guides readers through what cannot be described any other way than a season to remember.
Sit. Stay. Heal.: How Meditation Changed My Mind, Grew My Heart, and Saved My Ass
Spike Gillespie - 2015
It traces my journey from a brutal Depression in 2012 to some amazing healing over the course of 2013 through a dedicated daily meditation practice. It also includes Twelve Lessons for those of you who wish to get a meditation practice started without tracking down a guru, without converting to a particular religion, and without investing in $500 yoga pants. All you need is your ass, your lungs, and a desire to try.
Tiny Titan - One Small Gift
Ann Yurcek - 2006
Becca surprised everyone with a rare genetic disorder called Noonan's syndrome. As Becca struggled to survive her family plunged into poverty. Their remarkable journey out of poverty is a story of it's own, but within the pages lie secrets much more important we all should know.Tiny Titan by Ann Yurcek launches a new kind of Mother’s Day story for all the countless mothers in America who dedicate their lives to exceptional children with special medical and mental health care needs. The story and the children are real. BOOK ONE - BECCA'S STORYIn 1989, the Yurceks sixth child, Becca was born with a rare genetic disorder, and while she struggled to survive, her family tumbled into poverty. This is the true and inspirational story of their journey out of poverty and the many miracles they received along the way. BOOK 2 - GIVING BACK In the spirit of giving back, they adopted and reunited five siblings separated in foster care. And for their new children they fought for resources in mental health and child welfare with the same tenacity they had fought for Becca in the medical world. Others' said their journey was impossible, but they proved them wrong.Winner Gold Mom's Choice - Best Adult Non-Fiction5 Star Dove AwardBooks & Authors - Best InspirationalTINY TITAN SAMPLE CHAPTERBy Ann Yurcek -9- Christmas I sunk into despair. The holiday was fast approaching and Christmas was the last thing on our minds with Becca critically ill in the PICU and everyone else sick too. There was no money for gifts, and there was no time to buy or make anything. I was sick, tired and depressed over the circumstances we found ourselves in. If the phone rang, I was afraid to answer it because it might carry the news that Becca was worsening or no longer here. The phone was a constant reminder of trouble. It rang with bill collectors waiting for money. It rang when medical personnel had more dreaded news or another crisis for Becca. My emotions rose and fell like tidal waves, up, up, up and down, down, down. I tried not to think; not thinking was how I coped. It was like the stairs I ran at the hospital, up and down, and then I’d stop and sit, empty and mindless. I could not think about my children going without gifts at Christmas, but our lives were impossibly out of control. We had fallen into a dark hole due to no fault of my innocent children. At any moment they were going to lose their new baby sister. They were caught in the tidal wave of catastrophic illness when they needed a Santa most to give them hope. How would I explain to my children that Santa forgot them?I was used to planning ahead and beginning in July bought two presents each month to cover birthdays and Christmas. Over the years my frugal plan had worked flawlessly. I squirreled away the hottest toys for Christmas gifts with early season purchases. While other families were school shopping I was making wishes come true. It was a challenge to make my kids birthdays and Christmas memorable. I love the holidays and I began to bargain shop for Marissa’s September birthday gift. I budgeted a little each month until Christmas, finding sale and clearance treasures, completing my shopping race under budget. In November we celebrated Jim, Nathan and Ian’s birthdays followed in December by Matt’s birthday, and then Kristy’s birthday in early January. The gifts I bought with Jim’s carpet points guaranteed the boys November birthday gifts. Matt at age three was easy; all I needed was something big. Big for my little kids were exciting and ten dollars went a long way. Other than that I had nothing.
Raising World Changers in a Changing World
Kristen Welch - 2018
But many of us forget (or never knew to begin with) that lasting personal joy is not necessarily found the way the world says it is--through reaching a certain socioeconomic status, having a certain job, buying a certain house, or having a certain amount in one's bank account. In fact, says Kristen Welch, popular blogger and author of Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, personal satisfaction comes not from grabbing onto things but from holding them with an open hand and, very often, giving them away.In this inspiring book, Welch shows parents how to discover for themselves and instill in their kids the profound joy that comes from sharing what we have been given--our time, our talents, and even what's in our wallets--with those who have less. Through powerful personal stories as well as stories from Scripture, Welch offers a tantalizing alternative to status quo parenting that has the power to impact not only our own families but the entire world. At the end of each chapter, one of the author's kids offers their perspective on what it's like to be raised as a world changer.
In Unison: The Unfinished Story of Jeremy and Adrienne Camp
Jeremy Camp - 2020
While on a three-month-long tour, Jeremy met and built a friendship with the lead singer of another band. In a beautiful and inspiring story their love unfolded taking them both by surprise. After 16 years of marriage, Jeremy and Adrienne have experienced devastating losses and incredible joy, and have grown alongside each other. They continue to build a friendship as they juggle life and frequent separations, due to tour schedules, with the demands and stressors of parenting their three kids.In Unison is the story of the lessons they’ve learned in love and marriage told from each of their voices. They vulnerably share the highs and lows of life together and offer practical advice for how to deal with conflict, manage finances, move through grief, and work to build your own family culture. You can’t do marriage without Jesus, and when you keep Him in the middle, together, you can build a lasting love.