Emily Christensen

with

Nathan Christensen

How much can a life change in just five years?For Emily Christensen, that span began with her conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and ended with the adoption of six children with special needs. But the highs and lows between those two points are almost too hard to believe: enduring cochlear implant surgeries, meeting and marrying the man of her dreams, grieving the death of both of her parents, becoming a chaplain, and fostering more than seventy children.At the core of the story is an account of her ongoing efforts to save the life of her youngest daughter, Kyrie (pronounced keer-ree-ay). Born with captivating eyes and a full head of curly hair, Kyrie also came into the world with Pierre Robin Sequence, a disorder where her lower face and airway were not properly formed. First as a foster mom and then as an adoptive mother, Christensen has fought her way through red tape, endured tremendous physical discomfort, and upended her entire world (all with the patient support of her husband), just to help her daughter breathe.Looking back, Christensen shares how those trials ultimately helped her to gather a unique family from the chaos of life. Her stories, both joyful and harrowing, mark out a path that has led her toward deeper faith and spiritual understanding, emotional and physical healing, and blessings that she had never imagined were possible for her.A real-life page-turner, this memoir abounds with tears and laughter, surprising insights into our relationship with God, and hope for surviving those seasons of trial that come to everyone. "Living is how we gain our wisdom," says Christensen. "I try my best, hopefully learn from my mistakes, and keep moving forward, one stumble at a time."

Keeping Kyrie

Paul Henderson

Pitchford, Michael

"Making Space for Community Development" offers an account of the key changes to the context and practice of community development since the 1970s, told through the experiences and insights of a group of highly experienced practitioners. The book, intended for those practicing and interested in practicing community development today, focuses on dilemmas arising from the shift to partnership working from a more confrontational model, and the professionalisation of the field. Bringing together a wealth of experience and knowledge from across areas of play-work and youth through to the environment, community enterprise, race equality, immigration and housing, the book raises key questions for contemporary debates and current practice.

Making Spaces for Community Development

Nigel Lowe

Gillian Douglas

Ferguson, Neil

Margaret Robinson

Mervyn Murch

Explores the relationship between grandparents, their divorced children, and their grandchildren.

Grandparenting in Divorced Families

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