Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs

Refresh:
Spiritual Nourishment for Parents
of Children with Special Needs
Kimberly M. Drew &
Jocelyn Green
(Kregel)
ISBN: 978-0825444036
256 pages/September 2016/$15.99
More than one-fifth of US households with children have at least one child with special needs. Raising a child with special needs is spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically challenging. Parents of these children need encouragement to restore hope and a passion for God in their lives—but the realities of having to be parent, nurse, therapist, and caregiver make it difficult to find the time or initiative to seek encouragement.

Packed with encouragement from parents who understand this complicated balancing act, Refresh is designed to provide just what these parents need. The devotional guides parents to spiritual truths that can be applied to the demands they face every day. It offers perspective and hope through the varying stages and phases families experience, from diagnosis to loss and grief.

Each day's devotional includes a reading from Scripture, as well as stories and testimonies from parents who intimately know the struggle readers face. Their children represent a wide range of special needs, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, genetic disorders, chronic illness, and more. Drew and Green show how the truths of God's Word are relevant, regardless of the diagnosis. Their devotional illuminates the unique lessons and perspectives to be gained as a result of raising a child with special needs.

Insightful and powerful, Refresh will help weary parents grow spiritual roots and turn toward the Light that never fades.


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Kimberly Drew is a graduate of Taylor University, with a degree in elementary education. She and her college sweetheart, Ryan, have been married since 2000 and live with their four children. They also have a son who is waiting for them in heaven. Kimberly developed a passion for children with special needs and their parents after their firstborn daughter suffered a traumatic birth which resulted in multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder, hearing loss, and microcephaly. From these experiences, and a heart to see and know Christ more, came the desire to help other parents grow in their Christian walk through their own experience raising a child with special needs. In 2016, she and Ryan adopted their fourth child, a baby girl with special needs. Kimberly has been serving alongside Ryan in full-time youth ministry since they were married. She blogs at promisesandperspective.blogspot.com.

Award-winning author Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage in her readers through both fiction and nonfiction. A former military wife herself, she offers encouragement and hope to military wives worldwide through her Faith Deployed ministry. Her novels, inspired by real heroines on America’s home front, are marked by their historical integrity and gritty inspiration.

Jocelyn graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a B.A. in English, concentration in writing. She is an active member of the Evangelical Press Association, Christian Authors Network, the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Military Writers Society of America.

She loves Mexican food, Broadway musicals, Toblerone chocolate bars, the color red, and reading on her patio. Jocelyn lives with her husband Rob and two small children in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com or join her on Facebook.

MY THOUGHTS

This book is aptly titled, for it will indeed Refresh parents of children with special needs. I love the devotional format and the anecdotes and testimonies from Kimberly Drew and other parents who share their experiences, struggles, and challenges. Drew and Green present Biblical truth and encouragement, giving hope and strength to weary parents. Each devotional ends with a prayer and a few practical questions that give the reader ways to apply that day's discussion. Refresh is an instantaneous, 24/7 support group that can sit on a bedside table--or anywhere it is needed! Most importantly, parents will be introduced to Jesus, or reminded of his presence on their journey. I recommend this book not only for those who parent these special children but for their friends, as the insights will equip others to come alongside in support. I also suggest Refresh as an excellent resource for children's ministers and churches. Give one or several as gifts this season!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Kregel Publications for a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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