Aimed at mothers of children with disabilities, this book celebrates the special challenges they face with a strong religious overtone.
From Mothers of Special-Needs Children
The author’s faith-based writing is interspersed throughout with Bible references and words of inspiration from several other women who have experienced the joys and difficulties of special-needs children.
Norma Stanley’s own daughter was born with cerebral palsy, and her book includes passages from women with a wide range of parental experiences, including the mother of an able child who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in high school and died five years later.
Men Make a Difference
Husbands aren’t forgotten, with a chapter on “Chosen Men for Chosen Women.” The author begins by stating that she believes mates must be “ordained and predestined by God,” then admonishes women who “rush into a relationship before God is ready for a relationship to take place.”
Following pages tell how Stanley met and got to know her own husband over a period of years. Then other mothers offer stories about the men and relationships in their lives, from the solid husband to the one-year marriage. The chapter begins and ends with a Bible verse, and includes one of many page-long poems sprinkled throughout the book.
Bible Influences Book
Old and New Testament stories are referenced throughout the book, in chapters on topics such as “The Battle Isn’t Ours,” “Dying to Self to Find Yourself” and “Never Give Up, Miracles Do Happen.” Bible verses abound, and the whole is based around Stanley’s interpretation of the role of God in her life.
Although this loosely organized, self-published book would have benefitted from some professional editing, the author’s obvious sincerity and down-home style will charm readers whose values are mirrored in the biblical references that form the basis of the positive message within.
Stanley, Norma F., The Elected Lady - Finding Victory in the Challenge, 2007, Outskirts Press, 145 pp. ISBN 1-59800-673-8.
