Shattered No Longer Broken

Shattered, no longer broken, is a reference to how many different pieces life can break us into, shattering us and keeping us from living as we were intended to do. Life’s experiences can stop us from growing, cause intense pain, anxiety and fear, make us question ourselves, and doubt that we are even deserving of anything better. It is a reference to all these shattered pieces, being put back together into a beautiful, strong, unique, mosaic piece of art. This book is about my life experiences, my own personal pain and trauma from a life long journey filled with addictions from loved ones, as well as the learning and realization that in order to help others you have to stop enabling them, taking responsibility for them, and trying to control them and force them to make changes. It is about allowing them to face their own consequences and live their own life paths. This book is about learning to take care of yourself, even when everything around you is dark and hopeless. It is about us finding ourselves, our hope and courage to make changes in only those we can control: ourselves. It teaches us that self care, is not selfish, but is very important and vital in our personal growth and recovery. It teaches us to not be dependent on others for Our happiness, self-worth, or purpose. It teaches us to love ourselves, accept ourselves where we are at, and take care of ourselves, so that we are able to support others, without becoming entangled and one with their addictions and behaviors.

This is a story of one woman's journey through horrendous obstacles and terrible injustices. Broken Not Shattered reflects the molding of a true warrior of God. From the day she was born, Zara Banks was in a struggle for survival. After being exposed to abuse, neglect, rejection, and being bullied most of her life, Zara struggled to understand if she even had a purpose in this world. Once becoming a mother herself, Zara questioned why God would allow so many horrific things happen to her. How could she be the mother she knew she wanted to be, when the torment of her past continued to haunt her? Zara continued to face trails in her life that seemed to rival that of Job, but through every trial, she continued to fight for what she felt was right. Facing a millionaire that tried to take her only child, suffering the abuse of her past, and fighting her addictions, by never giving up, Zara became a stronger woman who overcame adversity worse than most of us can even imagine. In the end, she emerged from the flaming depths of hell that continued to surround her in life. Broken Not Shattered proves that you can come out of the darkness in this world much stronger, confident, and victorious. This heart-wrenching, detailed real-life story is a must read for social workers, educators, and all human service professionals. Zara represents our mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters, and neighbors. The unconditional love she reflects for God and her daughter, with her humility and capacity for forgiveness, is an inspiration for all women. (Kim Wasik, retired and still currently a licensed social worker, LMSW) I cannot express how much this book changed my life and exposed faith I never knew I had. Broken Not Shattered opened my eyes to realize that I was worth the fight. This book truly saved me from giving up and gave me the confidence to make changes, not only for myself but also for my children. I realized that if this woman could go through hell and come back, then I could too! (Laci Hall)

New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to live assured when life doesn't turn out like they expected. What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention hurtful, and His promises doubtful? Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a moment, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned, and we quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness. Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But she's also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God. In It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa invites us into her own journey of faith and, with grit, vulnerability, and honest humor, helps us to: Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations. Train ourselves to recognize the three strategies of the enemy so we can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes. Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give us more than we can handle. Shift our suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing us. Know how to encourage a friend and help her navigate hard realities with real help from God's truth.

Even when it seems hopeless, there can always be a better tomorrow. Jill Bishop has one goal in life – to survive. Jill is trapped in an abusive marriage, while raising two young girls. Her husband has isolated her from the world and filled her days with fear. The last thing on her mind is love, but she sure could use a friend. Alex McCoy is enjoying a comfortable life, with great friends and a prosperous business. She has given up on love, after picking the wrong woman one too many times. Little does she know, a simple act of kindness might change her life forever. When Alex lends a helping hand to Jill at the local grocery store, they are surprised by their immediate connection and an unlikely friendship develops. As their friendship deepens, so too do their fears. In order to protect herself and the girls, Jill can’t let her husband know about her friendship with Alex, and Alex can’t discover what goes on behind closed doors. What would Alex do if she finds out the truth? At the same time, Alex must fight her attraction and be the friend she suspects Jill needs. Besides, Alex knows what every lesbian knows – don’t fall for a straight woman, especially one that’s married...but will her heart listen?

Come with Eve as she travels through the 54 years of her life, a life of sadness and pain as well as great victory and joy. Clearly what the devil meant for evil God turned into good. There is nothing quite like experience to make us doubt and reject God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is nothing quite like experience to prove the truth of God's word. Climbing the mountain of obstacles to reach the destination of faith is exhausting, frightening, maddening at times, and at the same time exhilarating, powerful and joy producing. None of any of these things were possible in the author's strength. Indeed her journey through hopelessness and helplessness drove her deeper and deeper into her loving Savior's arms. You may not be able to put this book down once you start it but hang in there and you will feel the thrill of victory of Jesus over the devil in Eve's life. Eve is a mother of three, grandmother of 3 (with two more on the way), wife of the same man for 34 years. She has an Associate's degree in Marketing and a Bachelor of Business Administration, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She has devoted her life to her family and serving God.

Reflections in the Mirror is Gary Bateman’s second book of poetry. This marvelously conceived and captivating new book is a literary collection of selected poetry spanning the years of 2014 to 2019. In this book, Mr. Bateman presents to the reader a very interesting and an eclectic selection of diverse types of poetry and themes. His literary focus and approach are designed to highlight the importance and relevance of poetry in today’s world, and to give the reader a true feeling for and an appreciation of the sense of enchantment and fascination that poetry engenders as the reader is exposed to a vast spectrum of ideas, concepts, fantasy, myths, and realities. Mr. Bateman believes in the dynamic nature and symbolic power of poetry to capture the imagination, emotions, and passions of the reader as he or she enters into a reflective state of thought, a heightened sense of intellectual curiosity, and a deeper realization of the complexities and challenges facing the mortal world of mankind, and what lies beyond mankind’s mortal reach in the greater cosmic world of the spiritual and the unknown.

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