Do you have a special needs child or know someone who is?
Room at the Table: Encouraging Stories from Special Needs Families is rooted in the 2 Samuel 9 account of King David, who extended kindness to Jonathon's disabled son, Mephibosheth, and granted him a seat at the king's table.
Author Stephanie Pavlantos, the mother of Matthew with cerebral palsy and Starr Ayers, the mother of Ashley with Down syndrome, co-authored the collection of real-life experiences from families, guardians, caregivers, and individuals with special needs. These stories of hardship, courage, and blessings will encourage, enlighten, and equip readers for ministry in their communities. Room at the Table also contains a light-hearted look at life through the eyes of these extraordinary individuals.
Stephanie and Starr's vision is to increase awareness of the impact of mental and physical disabilities on families and caregivers. They aspire to promote understanding, diminish fears, and provide suggestions for ways people who know and love special needs individuals and families can minister to them.
Those with special needs are compassionate individuals who love freely and desire love in return. There is no need to fear them or allow their disabilities to intimidate you. As people made in God's image, their wants and needs are the same as yours and mine.
We are all children of God with special needs. Only Jesus knows
the battles we have fought and won or lost, or the ones we are still fighting. When life or insensitive people hurt, wound, or leave us bitter, Jesus is the One who heals, loves, and restores us.
Room at the Table: Encouraging Stories from Special Needs Families will inspire and instill in you a greater desire to show the kindness of God to "one of the least of these." (Matthew 25:40 NIV). Whether you shed tears or laugh out loud, these stories will touch your heart.
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Stephanie Pavlantos and Starr Ayers speak from personal experience, and they rightly note that this is a book of stories from special needs families. As Matthew (Stephanie's son who has cerebral palsy) writes in the Foreword, "Sometimes God uses those who are 'differently abled' to show His love in a way that differs from anything else."
All stories in this book are deeply personal. Yes, there has been pain, but there is triumph. Always triumph. As you read these stories-each written by a parent, grandparent, sibling, therapist, or themselves-you will be emotionally touched and spiritually blessed. Each story ends with a "What You Can Do" challenge and opportunity. One that has deep meaning for me is, "Don't compare the special needs individual with those who are not-see them for who they are and the gifts God gave them."
Bravo to Stephanie and Starr for this "labor of love," compiling stories of grace and acceptance that remind us that there is Room at the Table for YOU.
Dr. Michael C. BlackwellPresident, and CEO Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina215-862-2452
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Situated on the main street of the historic Delaware Riverfront town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, Farley’s Bookshop and its knowledgeable, experienced staff have endeavored to satisfy the literary tastes of the area inhabitants for over fifty years. Whether you are Bucks County born-and-bred or just stopping by to enjoy the crisp river air and delightful scenery, you will be pleasantly surprised to find the largest and most diverse collection of books-in-print in Bucks County. Farley’s may have competition, but it has few peers. We encourage you to browse our website, but please remember that getting acquainted with our online persona is no substitute for exploring the narrow passageways and teeming shelves of our storefront and discovering that perfect book nestled amongst so many others.
New Hope for American Art is the most comprehensive book ever published on artists from, and surrounding, the New Hope Art Colony (also known as the Pennsylvania Impressionists). This book, with its 612 pages and over 1,000 color plates of artwork include biographies of 165 individual Pennsylvania Impressionists and New Hope Modernists as well as artists from the Philadelphia Ten, a pioneering group of women all educated at Philadelphia art schools.
In this book, you'll find biographies and artwork from such artists as:
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New Hope for American Art was authored, designed and published by James M. Alterman, an expert in the field of Pennsylvania Impressionist and Modernist painting. A longtime collector and owner of two fine art galleries, Alterman wanted to create a user-friendly book intended not only to educate collectors and enthusiasts about this art but to help train one's eye. The book offers valuable tips on how to avoid common mistakes often experienced by new collectors drawn from the author's personal experiences as a collector and fine art dealer.