A personal testimony of how to deal with the impact of cancer.

Is there really life after being damaged? Yes there is life. Life has a way of taking us through seasons that we must go through to obtain. There are four seasons in the natural. Summer, fall, spring, and winter. In every last one of them you experience a different type of weather and in your life every season that you go through you are going tp experience a different effect. Each and every last one of us has something that God has made us responsible for, so lets take charge and let God manifest the things that he has promised. Remember that even if you are damaged you are still not broken.

Damaged, But Not Broken A Memoir by LaKeisha Fears-Perez Damaged But Not Broken is a collection of memoirs as told by young people who are heartbroken and who have failed or in some way been affected by negativity. Their recollections are of abandonment, abuse, addictions, and neglect. Their stories prove that the effects of tolerance and how we hold fast to what we see and what we are exposed to varies from individual to individual. The theory of what is perceived early in childhood before the age of five is rooted and embedded in a childs psyche. We set our children up for failure when we subject them to unstable conditions. The environment and what we expose our children to affects how they view themselves and the world around them. A well-rounded balance is essential in a childs life and until they are introduced to religious training, they tend to see us as their god from the moment of birth. Whatever we expose them to is indelibly written in their brains. Children are like little sponges soaking up everything until they come to the age of reasoning at which they begin to understand right from wrong. Unacceptable lifestyles are damaging,an accident waiting to happen for children as well as adults. The emphasis is not so much on where we are in life as it is on what we are doing where we are. What we are doing to our children can cause them to struggle with the worries of this world and not be able to adapt very well. Getting it out of ones system has proven to be liberating, and the number of broken adults who pass hurt onto their children and continue the ongoing destructive dysfunctional cycle is unfortunate. The stories you are about to read are therapeutic. They are a way to get it out for some and just simple acknowledgement for others.

Damaged Everyone is damaged but all are not broken What if you were raped at sixteen by the preacher's son? Would you still go to church? What if your mother was a drug addict and you didn't know your father? Would you know how to love? What if your mother taught you to seek the rich and devour the weak? Would you be morally sound? Damaged reveals how one's past can direct their future. Three stunning black women seem to have it all, but each is damaged by something or someone from their past. Outer beauty is chipped away, inner beauty is hidden and only one will capture both. Jade Arlington grew up witnessing the unmovable faith her parents demonstrated. She was destined in her mind to remain pure until marriage. Her life spins out of control by none other than the preacher's son, Brian. Innocent time spent together leads to rape and the seed of pregnancy. Jade heads off to a university in Los Angeles, running from one God only to crash into two devils, Sasha Matthews a self proclaimed gold digger and Tamara Whitfield a punching bag for Todd, her on-and-off again boyfriend.

Events in our lives, both good and bad, form rings in us like the rings in a tree. Each ring records memories that affect our feelings, our relationships, and our thoughts about God. In this classic work, David Seamands encourages us to live compassionately with ourselves as we allow the Holy Spirit to heal our past. As he helps us name hurdles in our lives—such as guilt, poor self-worth, and perfectionism—he shows us how we can find freedom from our pain and enjoy the abundant life God wants for us.

Abandonment from a love one can hurt you down to your core. Especially if it starts with your mother. Not experiencing love from the person who is suppose to be your first love can be very damaging. There is two ways to look at not wanting your child and giving the child away. One way is if you feel you are absolutely doing your best by giving the child away. The second is that you are just selfish and you do not care about the child. I do know who my birth mother is and we are not on bad terms I love my mother and a lot of things I held on to then, I don't now due to me experiencing motherhood and the different struggles. Do I agree with some of her actions? No. The issue started there with not feeling that love from my mom. Not knowing who my father is. Why did my mom give me up but keep my sister? Why doesn't her husband like me? Wondering if I was a burden to my grandparents and is that why I felt like they were mean because they were hard on me? Did they resent me? All those small feelings that led me to look for love or to feel like I belonged. Getting in the wrong relationships and staying because I didn't have any where else to go. Experiencing women friendships that turned into sexual relationships. Rushing into relationships not knowing when to cut things off because I didn't want any one to feel like I gave up on them because I wanted the same in return. But in return, I experienced a lot of heart ache and confusion. I picked up toxic traits. Its like each encounter I had with people they took something good from me and replaced it with something bad. I never really knew how to love even though I was looking for love. I knew how to survive. So ask yourself are you looking for something you can not even give? If the answer is yes then you still have to work on you and that is okay. I am still working on me and self love is the best love cause when you are bettering your self it is just that much better when your better half come along. That is what I believe. I still have not gave up on the idea of love and I don't let my past experiences determine my future.

Damaged. Broken. Destroyed. I’ve heard it all. A single moment of trusting the wrong person shattered my life into pieces, and my family has never looked at me the same. It’s impossible to convince them that I’m anything more than the broken girl they rescued all those years ago. Until I meet him. Ramsey’s grumpy demeanor and menacing scowl scare most of the world away. But not me. Not when I’ve seen his gentle hands soothe an abused colt or comfort a terrified mare. And when I finally get up the courage to strike out on my own, Ramsey’s there. Roommates felt like such a safe proposition until Ramsey’s lingering touches and wicked smile light a fire in me I don’t think will ever be extinguished. And he feels it, too… But just as my new life begins to take root, an evil from my past emerges from the shadows, casting a darkness on my newfound freedom. And this time, they won’t settle for pieces of me. They want everything…

A fabulously off-beat collection of short stories about love—the best and worst thing in the universe—written by the creator of BoJack Horseman with his hallmark scathing dark humor “Transcendent tragicomedy.... Prepare to be devastated and made whole again.” —The A.V. Club Featuring: • A young engaged couple forced to deal with interfering relatives dictating the appropriate number of ritual goat sacrifices for their wedding. • A pair of lonely commuters who ride the subway in silence, forever, eternally failing to make that longed-for contact. • A struggling employee at a theme park of U.S. presidents who discovers that love can’t be genetically modified. And fifteen more tales of humor, romance, whimsy, cultural commentary, and crushing emotional vulnerability.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ECPA BESTSELLER • The author of Relationship Goals and Crazy Faith proves that no matter how badly you’ve messed up, no matter what hardship or pain you’ve experienced, nothing can destroy the priceless, God-given value of your life. Your Damage Does Not Define You Underneath our designer clothes, makeup, jewelry, and photo filters are cracks left by abuse, mistakes, rejection, and disappointment. Bestselling author and pastor Michael Todd reveals his own damage: the hits he’s experienced from trauma, dumb choices, and lingering struggles passed down through generations. Using candid stories, engaging illustrations, and biblical wisdom, he encourages readers to be H.O.T.—humble, open, and transparent—and face the pain of past hits to move toward the triumphant future God has for them. Damaged but Not Destroyed will give you tools to identify the impact of your damage, see yourself the way God sees you, and realize that healing is all about progression, not perfection. No matter how badly you’ve messed up, and no matter the pain you’ve experienced, nothing can destroy the God-given value of your life. It’s time to turn your damage into destiny! You may be damaged, but you are not destroyed. The Value Is Still in You