A Powerful Testimony (and a Giveaway!)

UPDATE Thursday 9:00 pm - WINNER!

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Timestamp: 2010-05-21 02:02:38 UTC
Congrats to Sandy @ Jesus and Dark Chocolate! Email me your address, Sandy, and I'll send the book your way.

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Life, In Spite of Me
Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice
Written by Kristen Jane Anderson
As told to Tricia Goyer
(Multnomah)
ISBN: 9781601422521
May, 2010/204 pages/$19.99

At a time when life should be carefree and full of fun, as well as anticipation of future plans, far too many teenagers are consumed with despair and without hope. And sadly, many decide that suicide is the answer when life overwhelms them. Kristen Jane Anderson was just such a girl. Overwhelmed with life, her discouragement and depression peaked after she was raped at a party. Finally, one night as she sat alone in a neighborhood park in despair, she saw the nearby railroad tracks and decided she just couldn't handle the realities of life any more. She walked over to the tracks, laid across them, and waited to die as the train barreled over her.

Fortunately, that was the new beginning, rather than the end, of her life. In this phenomenal book, Kristen relates the long road of physical and emotional recovery following the attempted suicide that severed both of her legs. Her discovery and acceptance of God's love and forgiveness turned her from hopelessness to joy. Since then, she has shared her story on Oprah spoken to teenagers across the country. She founded Reaching You Ministries to help others who are hurting, and she recently graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies, with plans to eventually attend graduate school.

Life, In Spite of Me is a beautiful story of a life redeemed from the pit. If you parent or minister to young people, you will want to read this book. And thanks to the publisher, who has provided an additional copy for a giveaway, one of you will have the opportunity to be impacted by this book. Just leave a comment on this post by 6:00 pm CST Thursday (5/20) and I will randomly choose a winner. US Residents only, please. You must include an email address if you do not have a blog to be entered.

ABOUT THE BOOK (from the publisher):

She wanted to die. God had other plans.

Why does my life have to be so painful?
What’s wrong with me?
It’s not going to get better.
It could all be over soon, and then I won’t hurt anymore.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture-perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook: three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a seemingly bottomless depression.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old decided she no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

But Kristen's story doesn’t end there.

In Life, In Spite of Me this remarkably joyful young woman shares the miracle of her survival, the agonizing aftermath of her failed suicide attempt, and the hope that has completely transformed her life, giving her a powerful purpose for living.

Her gripping story of finding joy against all odds provides a vivid and unforgettable reminder that life is a gift to be treasured.

Includes notes of encouragement Kristen wishes she had received when she was struggling most.

Read an excerpt of this book here



ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Kristen Jane Anderson has been featured on Oprah and is a popular speaker at colleges, women’s and youth events, churches, and suicide prevention outreaches. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute and the founder of Reaching You Ministries, Kristen seeks to help those who are hurting, hopeless, lost, suicidal and depressed.

Tricia Goyer is the author of three hundred articles for national periodicals, as well as fourteen novels and six nonfiction books, including Blue Like Play Dough.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah as part of their Blogger Review program. 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.”