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    Beautifully Redeemed
    Beautifully Redeemed
    Beautifully Redeemed
    Ebook144 pages2 hours

    Beautifully Redeemed

    By Shänka La-Verne Pettis

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    About this ebook

    "Beautifully Redeemed" is a journey through the many stages of love; from the infancy of infatuation and butterflies to the ugliness of contempt, jealousy, pride, and selfishness; and finally, restoration through prayer, forgiveness, humility, and selflessness to display the perfect power of unconditional love.

    Although they had known one another for years, Brian and Shänka were engaged and married in eight weeks. Being married to the person of her dreams, having the exact career that she desired, and the envy of many, she had it made. Living the life that she was sure God intended for her, she and Brian were the "it" couple. But things took a fast turn following their premature union where lust, pride, rejection and infidelity began to destroy them to a point of slow return.

    Would Shänka be able to forgive completely? Would Brian ever be able to live beyond the guilt and shame of his infidelity?

    This book plus devotional is Brian and Shänka Pettis' story of redemption. The devotional included is a workbook that takes the reader on a personal journey of reflection and forgiveness. It is Shänka's belief, from her personal experience, that anyone can experience restoration in a relationship with the right ingredients. Her hope is that you are able to find your story within hers, and you too, can be beautifully redeemed.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateAug 15, 2017
    ISBN9780996895361
    Beautifully Redeemed

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      Book preview

      Beautifully Redeemed - Shänka La-Verne Pettis

      About the Author

      Shänka La-Verne Pettis was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, just a few miles from her hometown-Gastonia.  Born to Kenneth and Aurelia Falls of Gastonia, she is the youngest of two. Her sister, Kenetta Roberson (Robert Roberson), also resides in Gastonia. Shänka is a classically trained vocalist and recording artist, who has traveled nationally and internationally singing and teaching.  Shänka has recently returned home to Charlotte, North Carolina, where she and her husband, Brian and son Brian II, reside.

      Shänka graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Voice Performance and a minor in piano, both with classical concentration.  She also has a second minor in opera theater.  Shanka continued her educational studies at the University of Illinois-Urbana and Concordia University in Forest Park, Illinois, where she studied Education.

      Shänka began journaling in high school and it became an active part of her reflection and meditation during college.  Writing was used as a pastime and therapy for Shänka and she never dreamed of sharing any of it with anyone, other than God.  After experiencing unexpected life events, she felt compelled to share her story in hope to help many who may share in the same or similar experiences.  This is Shänka’s first book of many. Whether it is in song, book, or film; Shänka is committed to helping people realize healing in their lives.

      Beautifully Redeemed

      Beautifully Redeemed(c)

      Copyright (c) 2017 Shänka La-Verne Pettis

      ISBN: 978-0-9968953-6-1

      Ebook: June 2017

      ISBN: 978-0-9968953-5-4

      Paper back:  July 2017

      This book is also available as an unabridged audiobook on CD and MP3 CD.

      Visit www.freedomfaithlife.org for information on this and other products produced by Shänka La-Verne Pettis and Freedom Faith Life Ministries

      Requests for information should be addressed to:

      Freedom Faith Life, P.O. Box 620601, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28262

      Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version, New International Version, Amplified, Message, English Standard Bible, New Living Bible, American Standard Bible Versions of the Holy Bible.

      Reprinting or online posting of our books, booklets, transcriptions of cassettes, videos, DVD’s, or CDs is prohibited.

      Cover design by Nathaniel Pointer, ICatcha Designs

      Cover photos by Celesia Faith Patterson, LLC

      Interior design and layout by Chassidi Martin, L&L Publishing

      Model for cover photo, Shänka La-Verne Pettis

      Edited by Charlotte Heel, Kathleen Blake, C. Martin

      Printed in the United States of America

      Table of Contents

      Chapter One The Good Life

      Chapter Two My First Love

      Chapter Three Love

      Chapter Four Risky Buisness

      Chapter Five Taking Care of Business

      Chapter Six The Release 

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine - Public Success; Private Failure

      Chapter Ten New Life, New Business, and Lots of Trouble

      Chapter Eleven - New Norm: The Supernatural

      Chapter Twelve - MADE: Establishing a New Life

      Open Letter

      Devotional

      A Message from Brian

      Wow!! God is truly great!  Let me start by saying thank you Shanka for writing this amazing truth about love and forgiveness, as I am the result of your prayers and love.  I could not and would not be who I am without you.  I love you so much!  Publicly, I want to apologize to you for my dishonoring our covenant in the past. I was wrong and I am sorry.  I’ve learned so much from you about how to forgive and love unconditionally.  The covenant that I made to God, I promise to make good throughout the rest of our lives.

      Secondly, thank you all for reading this powerful testimony. I will experience this journey with all of you.  Before reading the book, I know my part in the testimony, and I am anticipating reading this powerful testimony through Shanka’s lenses.  It is never easy to put personal experiences on public display, but I believe and know that God has chosen our story to help somebody.  In life, we never know why we go through different things but I am a believer that we go through things to help others, to have a testimony, and most importantly to give God the glory.  It is time to speak out and help those who have been affected by the struggle of sexual lust and infidelity.  As we share this testimony, we know that it will help marriages across the nation as we expose the divorce spirit but utilize and embrace God’s love for covenant restoration.

      This journey of love does not stop with this book, but it is a daily reminder of how to sustain your covenant.  This book will teach you how to pray and confess the Word of God over your spouse:  men and women alike.  The goal of this book is that all God-ordained marriages as well as single individuals that desire to get married, will truly gain insight on and key nuggets on how to pray in the beginning and throughout your marriage.  Does this mean that marriage will be perfect?  NO.  Will you have more information on marriage as result of reading this book?  YES.  Think on this:

                      "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:….

      Hosea 4:6 KJV

      Shanka will illustrate for you the good, the bad, and the ugly side of her covenant experience.  We all have things we are working on with God, but remember this:  Love continues to say I do to God first and to marriage second.  If we truly say YES to Him, He will lead us and guide us into all truth on all paths.

      Through this experience, Shanka teaches the importance of prayer and confessing the Word of God in marriage daily.  I enjoy praying and laying hands on my wife as she sleeps.  I pray for her to rest and find rest in our Lord.  It is my honor to serve as her husband.  As God protects me, He shows me how to protect her and our family.  Wisdom is of the feminine gender in scripture, and I am thankful that my wife operates with wisdom.  I need her prophetic insight on my journey as her husband. 

      As you read Beautifully Redeemed, picture yourself being restored to a place of being whole, complete, healed, and fully loved.

      Daily Covenant Confession

      I’m in covenant with God, first.  You lead me and guide me.  I will trust in You with all my heart as you have instructed me.  I understand that my trust comes from You, and through Christ, I love my spouse as Christ has commanded me to.  I respect my spouse and honor my spouse as You commanded.  If I hurt my spouse, I hurt God and myself.  My marriage continues to experience God’s supernatural favor daily.  Wisdom submits to God’s authority.  I am made perfect through what You did on the cross. Your finished work allows me to love my spouse unconditionally.  Thank You Lord for showing me how to love my spouse daily.

      I pray God restores integrity in every marriage.  It’s my desire to see all God-ordained marriages thrive.  One final thing, learn to forgive and love like Christ daily.  It’s your heart on display.  People are watching you from afar and taking note.  Show them unconditional love.

      Dedication

      This book is dedicated to my loving husband of nearly five years.  We have been through more in four years than many couples who have been married for decades.  You have been the inspiration and breath of this work.  I pray that God expands your borders so much that you will be overtaken by His love that will pour out in ways unimagined. Thank you for your love and support for all of my crazy ideas.  Thank you for loving our children the way that you do.  Thank you for providing for us a life that others dream of having.  Thank you for never pressuring me to do anything outside of my desire.  Thank you for selflessly allowing me to share our truth so that men and women all over the world will be blessed in their marriages.  You truly are the man of my dreams.  I love you, Matt.

      To every woman who thinks that there is no hope for your marriage; to every woman who feels shame and guilt for staying married after infidelity; to every woman whose home is simply a house filled with things and not with love; to every woman who has contemplated suicide; to every woman who feels that depression is just a part of life; to every woman who refuses to give up; to every woman who locates the fighter inside and chooses her, this book is for you.  God sent me to help you through this process of covenant marriage.  I pray that this book blesses you and gives you strength for the next part of your process.  I love you, and I’m praying for you daily.

      Preface

      This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.  The story that I am sharing with you is one of great joy and pain.  This story depicts my journey from the highest of  heights to the lowest points in my life; and yet, all of these moments have made me who I am today.  I have been through the fire.  That is such a popular phrase, but I have had to re-assess some of the different purposes of fire:  Fire keeps us warm, can be used as a warning sign that there is trouble, represents love as a symbol, makes us feel loved when we are with family during a camping trip, helps us to cook food, burns severely when touched, the way in which the world will be destroyed, and it purifies the most precious metals in the world.  The events that I will disclose are experiences that will exemplify all of the aforementioned properties of fire. 

      I would like to focus on the last example provided.  Fire was used in my life to purify me and has caused me to shine today.  Through it all, I have learned that trusting Jesus is the ONLY way.  I have overcome fear, anxiety, rejection, low-self esteem, and perfectionism by way of this fire.  Having gone through depths of pain, I can honestly say that I would do it all again.  A songwriter wrote a song entitled, For Your Glory. Today, I have a better understanding of that lyric; For your glory, I will do anything.  Take this journey with me, as I share my story of redemption and complete restoration through prayer and unconditional love.  My name is Shanka Pettis,  and I am beautifully redeemed. 

      CHAPTER ONE

      The Good Life

      Love.  Don’t we all just want to find love?  Be loved?  Give love back to someone who has shown us love?  You answer that in your heart.  For me, I grew up knowing love in the way that perhaps you did too.  I was the youngest child of four.  My sister and I are the only children to my parents’ union, and I have two older brothers.  We had everything we needed and most of what we wanted growing up. 

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