Quote: ..".this book is dedicated to all of those individuals whose real lives are much stranger than fiction. It is dedicated to those individuals who have struggled to find their respective places of serenity in the sun. This book is for the lonely, the rejected, the abandoned, the confused, and the hurting. If you're one of them, then this one's just for you..." Book Description (excerpt) "What I could never have expected, however, is that having cancer would be a such a beautiful blessing. Life after cancer is filled with a renewed sense of beauty and wonder. God has graciously given me another chance to focus on what truly matters: my walk before the Father, the love of my children, my call to teach (both in the pulpit and in the classroom), and to help heal others as a Warrior of Light. After cancer, every single hardship I ever experienced suddenly makes sense. My pain has never really been about me. Everything--EVERYTHING--is always about blessing and encouraging others. That's, essentially, the purpose of this book. Through my vulnerability, my prayer is that others gain hope and the strength to fight on another day. My prayer is that others, including whoever you are reading this, will feel less alone and misunderstood. There is a reason for your pain. There is a purpose for your suffering. Perhaps none of it makes sense right now, but someday--mark my words--you will understand it all and see exactly how a loving, sovereign God orchestrated it all to work beautifully together for your good..." About the Author: Shekema Silveri, M. Ed, is a 2008 winner of the National Council of Teacher's of English (NCTE) Early Career Educators of Color Leadership Award, the winner of Georgia's 2011 Milken National Educator Award (coined the "Oscar's of Teaching), and a 2012 Lowell Milken Center Fellow. Her work inside the classroom has been featured on CNN, and her published works on Education have appeared in The New York Times, Huffington Post, PBS Learning Matters, and NCTE's English Journal. Also a television and radio personality, Silveri hosts The Sanctuary, "Where the Spirit Meets the Streets," on Atlanta's Instinct Radio and Comcast DeKalb 25 Public Access Channel. Shekema Silveri is an ordained minister and serves on the pastoral team of First Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church. However, she is most proud of being the mother of four natural miracles (as well as over 2,000 former students who affectionately call her "Mama Silveri") and of being a breast cancer survivor.