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.

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.

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.

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.

Our times demand a reawakening; our times demand a reassessment of our spiritual compass. The words within these pages carry within them the energy and power from a higher realm. A realm of peace, happiness and Soul power. This realm is our true center - our spiritual core. We are whole in the eyes of our maker, it is us that fail to recognize the link and claim our place within the vortex of God's love. The ever present unconditional source of all life. Sacred Stones are like bridges over troubled waters, they can aid you in your journey from unconsciousness to consciousness, from fear to courage from anger and spite into the wonderland of divine love. For those that have strayed from the path of wholeness, of love, even those that are new on their quest of their higher purpose, and those that wish to refresh their spiritual countenance, the words in this book will again shine the light on your path giving you the knowingness and certitude of your divine heritage and destiny. And at last you would have found meaning and divine purpose in your life's journey restoring the fountain of joy and bliss that was always there in the first place. It is a promise.

"The year is 2987, almost a thousand years since the Global Catastrophe. Post-oil and post-iron, the islands of New Zealand labour under the tyrannical Fong dynasty that has enslaved the masses to provide for an aristocratic few"--Back cover.

What do we want? What makes us tick? From acceptance to vengeance to curiosity, this book explains the 16 basic and universal desires that shape our behavior—and shows how the ways we prioritize them determines our personalities. Grounded in up-to-date psychological research, this book can help parents comprehend their children’s needs and behavior couples understand each other better employers motivate their employees employees become more effective in their work YOU achieve greater satisfaction and happiness in life