We never think that OUR CHILD will be labeled an "addict." From the moment of their birth, we taught them love, compassion, sharing, hope, manners, patience, faith, and so many more qualities to live by, only wanting them to flourish as a better version of ourselves. When we learn that our child has been using drugs, our minds seem to immediately compare our own youth when drinking or maybe even smoking marijuana. Unfortunately, this is the furthest comparison from the reality of what's ahead. This book is filled with over 160 real-life stories from grieving mothers through our initial discovery of our child's drug use to the devastating end of their journey. We have shared what we have learned, the emotional ups-and-downs, the "enabling," "tough love," "unconditional love," the effect within ourselves and our family, and what we wished we would have known or even done differently. Nobody wants to talk about it when it's happening to them or how families are completely lost when fighting this disease. We believe that these real-life stories will further awareness and help provide comfort and navigation to those who are struggling. You are not alone. By sharing our stories, others will see many of the same struggles and situations mothers have lived as well as the resources we have found along the way. This book is our opportunity to share the painful experiences mamas have endured to help and guide those on the same journey. Although this book sadly cannot bring our children back from the tragic loss resulting from the drug pandemic, perhaps these stories from real mothers who have survived this loss can help you understand and guide you through the most challenging situation that anyone could possibly have even considered-the loss of their child. This book will not provide you with "professional" guidance; however, you will be able to see a small view into this painful journey that us grieving mothers of this pandemic now carry as a life sentence. Lastly, this book is devoted to all the precious children we have lost and to all mothers who are struggling to survive this devastating loss; to the families still fighting for the life of their children. May these stories give you hope and insight, and may God give you strength to never give up.

A decade ago, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She was vivacious and selfless and joyful, and cancer took her from me. But it was not just the disease; it was intense medical malpractice and negligence, a case that should have garnered millions of dollars in lawsuits but could never bring back the person I loved most.We fought for her for months, and right until the end, we did everything we could to save her from the disease and the medical mistakes that were slowly killing her. This memoir should serve as the story of my family, the fraying threads in a tapestry that held together at all costs, but also as a guide for anyone who needs to fight for the person they love. This book is dedicated to all the patients, families, loved ones, friends, nurses, doctors, lab technicians, x-ray technicians, aids, and everyone who finds themselves either working in or needing help from an imperfect system.

Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard-pressed to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people today don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. He paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christian to become holy just as God is holy. Once you encounter the holiness of God, your life will never be the same.

Growing up in a small college town in central Mississippi in the 1930s, Leon C. Standifer knew little of the trauma of war. But by the time he was nineteen, World War II had made war a reality for him. Standifer volunteered for and was accepted by a special army program that would send him to college for technical training; he sometimes hoped and some-times feared that the war would end before the training did. Events turned out quite otherwise. A serious shortage of trained riflemen needed for the invasion of Normandy meant that Standifer and more than one hundred thousand other young men were taken from the program and sent into battle as combat infantrymen. Not in Vain: A Rifleman Remembers World War II looks at American involvement in the war from the firsthand perspective of this nineteen-year-old soldier. As an infantryman in France and Germany during the latter part of the war, Standifer experienced the numbing boredom of daily routine and the adrenaline-pumping excitement of combat. He re-calls the anguish of losing friends in battle and the decisive moment when he slit the throat of an enemy soldier, memories that haunt him still. But Not in Vain is far more than a conventional soldier’s memoir. Although he recounts in vivid detail his personal experiences, Standifer also makes a far broader inquiry into the forces that turned a sheltered young man from a religious, small-town back-ground into an effective soldier. Growing up in the Baptist church, Standifer thought he had learned the differences between good and evil, right and wrong. But after his days in battle, moral distinctions were no longer as clear. Not in Vain documents Standifer’s lifelong debate with himself over the justification for war by considering not only his reactions during combat but also the feelings that have remained with him for life. He describes these intense emotions in his account of a trip taken to Europe many years after the war and of his recent reunion with some of the former members of his rifle company. Written in an effort to come to terms with his involvement in the war, Not in Vain is a probing and timely study of a citizen’s dedication to his country.

After the tragic murder of our oldest daughter by her husband, I was compelled to do something to help other victims of domestic violence. I have been forced to be an advocate against a horrible crime that I did not know existed. Not wanting my daughter's death to be in vain, I have had a God-driven force to tell our story and hopefully reach the law enforcement agencies to make them realize how horrible domestic violence is, and that they should take domestic violence calls seriously and as a crime, not just as a disturbance. My hope is to reach other victims and to help all communities understand that we can stop domestic violence if we work together. Shortly after our daughter's death, I realized that if I could tell our story and could get it published, I could help other families from going through the horrible senseless pain that our family has endured. Right away, the title came to me Not in Vain. I was not sure what God wanted me to do with it until I started reading my journal, my notes, and listening to my tape recordings of the events. It was at that time I realized that this man not only murdered our daughter; he almost killed my whole family. After years of separation and pain, our family did survive. Everything changed in May of 2004. Our lives changed forever.

The beloved and timeless King James Version is made available in an affordable quality edition for Sunday schools, Bible clubs, church presentations, and giveaways. This handsome award Bible will withstand heavy use thanks to better quality paper and supple but sturdy cover material. Includes full-color maps. A great way to honor special achievements--at a budget-conscious price!

Not in Vain is a fast paced novel based upon one man's and a small town's outstanding contribution during the War Between The States. Tiny Prospect, Connecticut sent more men per capita than any other town in Connecticut and this story takes one family from its early history through several battles to an ironic end. Joseph L. Gomez is also the author of Sarah Ann, The Story Of A Pioneer Woman, 1997, Biographical Publishing Company.