For many of us, the dream of starting a family is the hope we hold most dear. Sometimes, though, things don’t go as easy as we planned. There are few who will admit the hardship this brings—from struggling with infertility to the daunting process of adoption—and we end up suffering in silence and solitude. In this candid and thoughtful memoir, author Ashley Biddiscombe takes an unflinching look at the struggle she and her wife faced in starting their family—something that might be especially familiar to LGBTQ couples like them—and their eventual decision to adopt children with special needs. Biddiscombe’s story gives voice to countless difficulties that often go unspoken along journeys like hers. Beginning with the secret traumas of fertility treatments and the heartbreak of having the “baby door” close, she examines the strain this can put on one’s relationship both to one’s partner and to one’s very self. Moving into the intimidating world of adoption, she probes the difficulties of raising children with unique and difficult traumas of their own, of establishing and maintaining a relationship with birth parents, and of the isolation one can feel as a LGBTQ couple in a world generally catered toward the straight. Finally, she relays the unique and often very private struggles of raising children with disabilities—from the social alienation one might feel from the “outside” world to the difficult process of finding the right diagnosis and support system. Ultimately, Only the Strong Survive is a story of resilience in the face of great pain and the indomitable power of unconditional love. No matter where you are in starting or raising a family, you are sure to find compassion and understanding herein.

The. Aliens. Are. Here. The heart-pounding conclusion to The Overthrow trilogy that began with Bloom and Hatch. The alien invasion of Earth is imminent. But maybe not all the aliens are united. A rebel faction has reached out to Anaya, saying there's a way to stop the larger invastion--a way for humans and hybrids and cryptogens to work together. Can they be trusted? Or is this a trap? It's not even clear if Anaya, Petra, and Seth are united--some of the hybrids think they'd be better off if the aliens won... With everything on the line, these three teens will have to decide who they are at their core--alien or human, enemy or friend.

Drawing on the wisdom of Pope Francis and the spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, austen Ivereigh has written a captivating spiritual guide for our turbulent age. Designed as an eight-day Ignatian retreat, First Belong to God serves as a roadmap to deeper discipleship. It does this by focusing on the three foundational forms of belonging: to God, to creation, and to others. Whether you're embarking on a solitary spiritual expedition or a journey with like-minded individuals, First Belong to God offers the next best thing to a personal retreat with Pope Francis: a full-soul immersion into his wisdom via the classic Jesuit retreat that shaped him profoundly.

If you supervise or mentor anyone in your work life, these pages will expose you to the mother lode for helping others grow, succeed, and excel. POWER UP!-THE GUIDE TO LEADERSHIP COACHING WITH STRENGTHS gives those who coach others the reasons, formats, skills and tools to thrive in that practice. Strengths coaching accesses that "sweet spot" between having a personal counselor and a wise consultant to provide optimal assistance. With a clear outline of the chief skills, tools, and critical mindsets for thriving with strengths-based coaching efforts, POWER UP! is an especially rich resource. Gene Knott is a widely sought "coach's coach," whose diverse client roster spans the range of leadership roles found in both for-profit and not-for-profit settings. Grounded in current knowledge about positive psychology principles and management scholarship, POWER UP! draws on the author's 24 years of experience coaching executives and working with a range of organizations to deliver a robust, highly useful manual. In these pages you'll find: o strengths coaching's mental maps, lenses and platforms o the 7 key skills for coaching others using positive power o more than 40 easily adopted activities, instruments and tools o numerous case examples, stories and learning devices o a special chapter on leader, team and organization coaching o "strongboxes" with wisdom for coaching with strengths - Gene Knott is a master coach, bringing to life the power of strength-based methods in the coaching process. His straightforward approach makes the theory and research easily understandable, with practical activities, insightful stories, and key takeaways in every chapter. Anyone interested in coaching and being part of the strengths revolution will profit from this book. - Tony Silbert, MSOD, Founding Partner, Innovation Partners International; co-author of Healing Conversations Now

Every generation faces challenges, but never before have young people been so aware of theirs. Whether due to school strikes for climate change, civil war, or pandemic lockdowns, almost every child in the world has experienced the interruption of their schooling by outside forces. When the world we have taken for granted proves so unstable, it gives rise to the question: what is schooling for? Thrive advocates a new purpose for education, in a rapidly changing world, and analyses the reasons why change is urgently needed in our education systems. The book identifies four levels of thriving: global – our place in the planet; societal – localities, communities, economies; interpersonal – our relationships; intrapersonal – the self. Chapters provide research-based theoretical evidence for each area, followed by practical international case studies showing how individual schools are addressing these considerable challenges. Humanity's challenges are shifting fast: schools need to be a part of the response.

"The author details a plan for helping individuals who have a mental health issue flourish in their lives"--

“Urgent, timely, and inspiring biblical wisdom for Christian leaders who want to start strong, thrive fully, and finish well!” –W. Scott Brown, Christian Leadership Alliance “Too often technique and numeric growth are on the minds of young pastors. Learn from a veteran and seek faithfulness!” –Matt Schmucker, co-founder, 9Marks “A powerful and preventive message for every pastor who desires to hear ‘well done’ at the finish line.” –Cliff Clifton, North American Mission Board, director of Send DC As leaders, it’s our greatest desire: a life that honors God, strengthens our family, and draws those we lead to Jesus Christ. But behind our well-intentioned efforts and carefully prepared sermons, we also carry fear of failure, disappointments, hurts, and hidden sins. These can become slow leaks resulting not only in public failure, but more importantly, in devastation to those we love and lead. But here’s the good news: You don’t have to live in fear. The God who called you stands ready to empower you to confidently plug the slow leaks in your life, to vigorously flourish, and to finish well. In Beware the Slow Leaks, Pastor Steve King draws on over forty years of ministry to equip Christian leaders to build healthy, gospel-centered habits now so they don’t have to bail their ship later. With biblical wisdom, personal stories, and spiritual care, King inspires ministers to practice what they preach—providing eight pro-active strategies to help Christian leaders fully thrive and confidently finish. Now is the time to fortify your hull against the slow leaks. Join Pastor King as he points you to the God who has called you to sail the waters with Him, not just bail your boat.