Are you overwhelmed with grief caused by a devastating life event right now? Have you been through a situation that caused you immense pain?A loss of a loved one, a divorce, a terminal illness and the loss of a job, are some major events that are usually unexpected and unplanned.Magdalene, in her book "A young widow's testimony" talks about how God brought her healing and wholeness when she made the choice to trust in Him with her pain and walk the journey with Him.Only God knows the plans He has for our lives. Will you trust Him with your pain and allow Him lead the way?''For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future". (Jeremiah 29:11)
Single at 32, married at 33, and widowed at 34. Virginia Lloyd finally meets the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, only to discover he is dying from cancer. After John dies, Virginia must battle the chronic rising damp in the house they had shared. And so in her first year as a young widow, Virginia, like the house, must dry from the inside out. "The Young Widow's Book of Home Improvement" is a wry and touching love story that plays with the parallels between our homes and ourselves.
No one imagines or dreams of being a caregiver to a loved one, however when life happens this becomes reality.This book is a mere glimpse into the life of a wife and mother who refused to give in or give up when life turned upside down.This book is truly a story of grace that starts and ends with a love story. It tells of how God will reward your love sacrifice when you persevere as a caregiver.
A perfect marriage. A young husband with a budding career. A single phone call that stunned a newlywed wife and a small Arkansas community.At twenty-seven, Alexis McMahan's life had finally molded itself into perfection ... until the call that ended it all and forced her to start over.Through Christ, Alexis and Jorre McMahan had overcome tumultous circumstances while they dated, leading Jorre to become a football coach. Bonded together by Christ, football, and their impassioned love, the pair married, and Alexis assumed her new identity as Coach Mac's wife. Three months after their wedding, in the midst of football season, Alexis's picturesque world shattered when Coach Mac collapsed and died on the field, surrounded by his players.Jorre's unexpected death at the age of twenty-six confronted Alexis with the unknowns of young widowhood and so much more--the tragedy of Coach Mac's death unearthed his painful secret. The hidden truth cracked Alexis's perception of reality and catapulted her into an angry pit of despair. There her faith wavered ... until she chose to trust the only one who could pull her out and into the light: Jesus.
Pastors and church leaders are responsible for countless things. Unfortunately, in many churches, ministry to widows remains largely neglected and forgotten. Highlighting the Bible’s recurring commands to care for widows with sensitivity and compassion, this book encourages church leaders to think carefully about how to serve the widows in their congregations and suggests practical strategies to that end. In part 1, the authors summarize the Bible’s consistent teaching regarding the care of widows. In part 2, the authors offer hands-on counseling and a host of practical suggestions related to ensuring that widows receive the support and encouragement they need to thrive in the church.
Written with unexpected humor and great warmth, The Widower's Notebook is a portrait of a marriage, an account of the complexities of finding oneself single again after losing your spouse, and a story of the enduring power of familial love. "This is deeply moving ... beautifully written and modulated, with a dollop of droll, black humor. It is such an achievement, like running uphill against a strong wind."--Joyce Carol Oates On a summer day in New York Jonathan Santlofer discovers his wife, Joy, gasping for breath on their living room couch. After a frenzied 911 call, an ambulance race across Manhattan, and hours pacing in a hospital waiting room, a doctor finally delivers the fateful news. Consumed by grief, Jonathan desperately tries to pursue life as he always had--writing, social engagements, and working on his art--but finds it nearly impossible to admit his deep feelings of loss to anyone, not even his to beloved daughter, Doria, or to himself. As Jonathan grieves and heals, he tries to unravel what happened to Joy, a journey that will take him nearly two years.
"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you ... plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope." Jeremiah 29:11 In her book Walk with me, Jesus, philosopher and writer Ronda Chervin, Ph.D. offers widows a practical spiritual path that can help them attain hope and faith in God's love and provision. Using the stories of women saints who suffered the loss of a husband, she encourages and affirms women in their new state in life while leading them on the journey to healing and interior joy. Drawing from the themes of the Stations of the Cross, Dr. Chervin ties the sufferings of widowhood with the Passion of the Savior in a way that is both beautiful and healing. Quotes from Scripture and the saints, and prayers to help you turn your heart toward the Lord and His Mother, offer consolation and hope.
“Oh, my word, I’m living this.” Dear friend, If you and I are new to each other, let me start here: This is not how this was supposed to go! In the portrait I had long ago painted of my family, I didn’t intend to include words like “widowed single mom.” I had envisioned many more decades with my husband Robb in the complicated, beautiful life of marriage. But in the course of twelve hours, our family of four became a trio, and since that day my boys and I have been creating a new life in an upside-down world. I have written this new book, which in a lot of ways is a sequel to And Life Comes Back, to answer the question so many have asked: “And then what happened—after the crisis became reality and your life began again?” I’ve leaned into honest storytelling to offer a look into the chaos and beauty of who we have become. I’ll be honest, this book was harder to write because I’m living it right now—I hardly feel like an expert who has figured it out. I hope my straight-up-honest stories will give you encouragement to take the next step. And the next. And the next. Sometimes, you just have to pretend you know what you’re doing, pretend you’re brave enough, and pretend you can do this. Sometimes you just have to pretend you’re normal until the new normal finds you. See you in the pages, Tricia
A gripping account of thirteen women who joined, endured, and, in some cases, escaped life in the Islamic State—based on years of immersive reporting by a Pulitzer Prize finalist. FINALIST FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • NPR • Toronto Star • The Guardian Among the many books trying to understand the terrifying rise of ISIS, none has given voice to the women in the organization; but women were essential to the establishment of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s caliphate. Responding to promises of female empowerment and social justice, and calls to aid the plight of fellow Muslims in Syria, thousands of women emigrated from the United States and Europe, Russia and Central Asia, from across North Africa and the rest of the Middle East to join the Islamic State. These were the educated daughters of diplomats, trainee doctors, teenagers with straight-A averages, as well as working-class drifters and desolate housewives, and they joined forces to set up makeshift clinics and schools for the Islamic homeland they’d envisioned. Guest House for Young Widows charts the different ways women were recruited, inspired, or compelled to join the militants. Emma from Hamburg, Sharmeena and three high school friends from London, and Nour, a religious dropout from Tunis: All found rebellion or community in political Islam and fell prey to sophisticated propaganda that promised them a cosmopolitan adventure and a chance to forge an ideal Islamic community in which they could live devoutly without fear of stigma or repression. It wasn’t long before the militants exposed themselves as little more than violent criminals,more obsessed with power than the tenets of Islam, and the women of ISIS were stripped of any agency, perpetually widowed and remarried, and ultimately trapped in a brutal, lawless society. The fall of the caliphate only brought new challenges to women no state wanted to reclaim. Azadeh Moaveni’s exquisite sensitivity and rigorous reporting make these forgotten women indelible and illuminate the turbulent politics that set them on their paths.
A wife and mother finds her crazy courage as she faces the unexpected unfamiliar life after her husband's untimely death. He was killed at age 32 by a drunk driver in the line of duty. She is faced with a decision between hiding under the covers or facing her new life as a widow. Through this journey she learns valuable life lessons that she wants to share with the world. With intimate details and anecdotal stories she hopes to encourage others to use their own crazy courage.
