In an instant, without warning, without reason, the life my children and I knew was ripped from us and we were left alone. My children were without their father, and I did not have my husband. My incredibly whole and happy family was gone. I didn't know who I was anymore. I went from being someone who was happily married, just beginning the middle of a life with three young daughters, to a single mother and a widow. I was becoming an empty shell of the person I used to be and I had no idea what life was going to become for us. The struggle to survive the overwhelming grief, and emotions of confusion, guilt, anger, debilitating sadness, PTSD, while trying to sustain and rebuild a life was some days close to impossible. There were days I didn't think I was going to survive let alone be happy again. However, it seemed God and the universe had other plans for me. I believe the same is true for each and every one of us. No matter what you believe is supposed to happen, or what direction you think your life should take, fate may have something entirely different in store for you.Author Bio: Janine holds a Bachelors degree in both Psychology and Elementary Education. She is currently attending Graduate school working towards a Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband Dennis, three beautiful daughters, Jacqueline, Victoria and Olivia and their dog Sonny. Her strong faith in a higher power has kept her moving forward giving her the strength, determination and courage to tell her story. This is her first novel.

Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019 A young slave girl witnesses the heartbreak and hopefulness of her family and their plantation community when her brother escapes for freedom in this brilliantly conceived picture book by Coretta Scott King Award winner James E. Ransome. Every single morning, the overseer of the plantation rings the bell. Daddy gathers wood. Mama cooks. Ben and the other slaves go out to work. Each day is the same. Full of grueling work and sweltering heat. Every day, except one, when the bell rings and Ben is nowhere to be found. Because Ben ran. Yet, despite their fear and sadness, his family remains hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he made it North. That he is free. An ode to hope and a powerful tribute to the courage of those who ran for freedom, The Bell Rang is a stunning reminder that our past can never be forgotten.

Ma has made a dozen delicious cookies. It should be plenty for her two children. But then the doorbell rings -- and rings and rings.Each ring of the doorbell brings more friends to share the delicious cookies Ma has made."Refreshing, enjoyable and unpredictable." -- School Library Journal. Also available in a Spanish-language edition, Llaman a la puerta.

Fresh, funny, and full of verve and variety, this clever book of 22 illustrated poems about school captures what kids love to do when class lets out. “Finally…. Finally…. Finally…. BRINNNNNG! That wonderful bell begins to ring. “ Everyone knows that the best part of the school day is the moment it ends! After school, kids can hang out with their friends, play video games, attend music lessons, avoid chores, practice sports, do homework...well, maybe that last part isn't so great, but the rest is a blast!

For centuries ringing bells have signaled the welcome of the Christian church to all who would hear its gospel. At certain times and in certain places, however, prejudice has led the church to limit its welcome to its own kind. The Southern white church during the civil rights movement fell victim to racial prejudice and its bells rang a welcome only for those who supported the segregated status quo. Donald E. Collins tells the story of the Alabama-West Florida Methodist Conference and its reactions to the civil rights movement.Part memoir and part historical analysis, Collins reflects on white Methodists' struggle to come to terms with their consciences in the face of racial change and the standards of Christianity's universal gospel. With events in Alabama during the civil rights movement as backdrop, Collins tells the story of the challenge that confronted the Methodist church during those stormy years. From the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956 to the Selma march in 1965 and beyond, this narrative describes those struggles for change against the forces of resistance. Based on Collins's own experiences and those of the more than 55 Methodist ministers that he interviewed, this moving story is told with pride, pain, sorrow, and hope.

Set in the American community of Rivercrest in a multi-racial junior school, this text provides a portrait of the beliefs and understandings held by students, teachers and administrators with respect to issues such as race, social class and gender.

This devotional book for teachers includes a devotional, scripture and prayer for each day of the school year.