Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    No Stranger to Grace
    No Stranger to Grace
    No Stranger to Grace
    Ebook52 pages44 minutes

    No Stranger to Grace

    By Troy Shafer

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The American Dream is a set of ideals in which freedom included the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. This is the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.

    One of my favorite Chapters in the Bible is Romans 13 "Love fulfills the law."... "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

    How does this impact your thoughts and actions?

    Cammy and I had a childless home. So we asked God for what He could do to fill our lives with joy and hope. He provided us a home to love parentless children?

    Today, I woke up in my hospital bed suffering from Acute Congestive Heart and Kidney Failure. I am still recovering from a Disc replacement and Fusion surgery at L-4-L5 in which I suffer from Stenosis and L-5 Nerve Root damage which has left me in a Wheel Chair.

    And I still find myself asking God to help me with the void of not having my own children.

    So I wrote a book about our story to encourage other childless families, that their love is needed and wanted by children who believe in God, and are trapped inside the US Foster Care System.

    And to let other Christian Families know that there are children stuck in the Foster care system that can be adapted by loving and caring Christian parents.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWestBow Press
    Release dateOct 14, 2013
    ISBN9781490801773
    No Stranger to Grace
    Author

    Troy Shafer

    Troy and Carmela Shafer have been Christian Foster Parents serving, at risk teenagers, for ten years in the state of Connecticut. They have appeared on the Fox News Afilliate as Connecticut heroes for their work with at risk teenagers. When Troy and Carmela found out they couldn't have children. They were devastated, it really hurt them to the core of their being . Then they decided to seek God and ask for help to fill this void in their life, I can still remember their faces when they received their first two children. You may have thought that they were waiting for each other for years. The kids got the home they always wanted. And Troy and Carmela had the kids they always wanted. Troy and Carmela made the first night in their home a special night for every child that passed through. They put forth standards for how every one should behave, according to the beautitudes in rhe book of Matthew. Then they threw a party to wecolme the children home as part of the family. . Troy and his twin brother, Todd were born in Easton, Pa. to Robert A. Shafer and Velma R. Shafer on Saturday September 2nd in 1961. They also have two older half sisters, Doreen and Donna Meyers. They were all raised in Avona Heights back in the 1960's. Then moved to Williams Township in the summer of 1970. We had great neighbors like Bob and Barbara Wolfinger and their children Dale and Brenda. The Melcherts lived two houses up the street. Their Children Matthew, Andy, and Steven were best friends. Some of our favorite times were spent down at Mueser Park where there was one large swimming pool with two diving boards, and a high altitude 60 foot diving board. There was a big concessions stand and I can still remember the music playing during the summers of 1964 thru 1969. Then moved out to Williams Township in the fall of 1970. Troy and Todd loved doing two things, playing wiffle ball in the back yard and butterfly hunting in the fields of Raubsbsville, PA. After High School Troy joined th U.S. Army in the flight Operations Department. He served a tour of trainng at Fort Rucker, AL. Worked at Computer Sciences Corporation as a Workflow Manager ftom 2002 to 2012 He is recovering from complications to failed back surgery. Even though he is unable to walk, he believes God can still inspire others to help neglected and abused children in need

    Related to No Stranger to Grace

    Related ebooks

    Inspirational For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Jun 15, 2020

      A lot of people are asking why the world is the way it is. What’s going on? What on earth is God doing? Most of these people have never considered God before, but are questioning now that there is this terrible international crisis that is killing th

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Aug 7, 2020

      Greetings in the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In your July issue of JOY! you asked what we are grateful for. I’m grateful for the fact that Jesus Christ saved me and my family. My third born son suffered severe burns on his body, and my last b

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Sep 23, 2022

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jul 21, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      6 min read

    • Article

      Pastor Jo Swart

      Aug 26, 2022

      Pastor Jo Swart
      7 min read

    • Article

      A Testimony of God’s Faithfulness

      Aug 27, 2021

      My testimony is shrouded in abandonment, pain, and rejection. This is a shortened version of the events that have taken place in my life… Right from the very beginning, my father walked out of the hospital on the night that I was born. He told my mom

      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Apr 22, 2019

      The Bible in a Nutshell is amazing! I have just received a ‘Bible in a Nutshell’ book as a gift from my mom. Wow, wow, wow – what a treat. I can’t put it down and have learned so much from it. What a treasure. Thank you for producing such a valuable

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Life On Pause

      May 6, 2021

      A Life On Pause
      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Oct 21, 2019

      Well done JOY Magazine for daring to ask the question, “Was Jesus White?” Not that it matters one little bit. The Holy spirit, who lives in every born-again believer is colourless and loves and empowers each one of us in exactly the same way. I feel

      6 min read

    • Article

      FAMILY Secrets

      Mar 28, 2024

      FAMILY Secrets
      6 min read

    • Article

      Letter To The Editor

      Mar 16, 2020

      My working environment is non-Christian and I work very hard with long hours every day. After a few months, through the mighty and powerful work of the Holy Spirit, I started a prayer group at our workplace, but I have been doubting if this is the pl

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jun 16, 2023

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Dec 30, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      May 20, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jul 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      9 min read

    • Article

      DeVon Franklin

      Sep 26, 2022

      DeVon Franklin
      2 min read

    • Article

      Family Matters

      Oct 20, 2023

      Family Matters
      5 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Aug 19, 2019

      Thank you for your wonderfully illustrated Biblical series of articles that you regularly publish. I find that I can’t concentrate like I used to, and love the short, precise, and factual articles. I have learnt so much from reading them. I was fasci

      7 min read

    • Article

      How To Hang A Mezuzah

      Sep 1, 2020

      How To Hang A Mezuzah
      24 min read

    • Article

      Once In A Lullaby

      Aug 2, 2020

      Once In A Lullaby
      13 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jun 24, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Ultimate Gift

      May 23, 2023

      The Ultimate Gift
      4 min read

    • Article

      Extreme Beliefs

      Feb 8, 2024

      Extreme Beliefs
      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Feb 11, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Nov 27, 2020

      I I believe b that we are living in the end times as we read about in all the books of the Gospel and listen to what Jesus had said. He warned of pestilences and famines. I believe that Covid-19 is one of the pestilences, as well as all the locusts t

      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Oct 22, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Nov 19, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      8 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for No Stranger to Grace

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      No Stranger to Grace - Troy Shafer

      Copyright © 2013 Troy Shafer.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      WestBow Press

      A Division of Thomas Nelson

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.westbowpress.com

      1-(866) 928-1240

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4908-0178-0 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4908-0177-3 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2013912617

      WestBow Press rev. date: 10/11/2013

      Contents

      Preface

      Introduction

      Chapter 1   Learning to walk in Pennsylvania Dutch Country

      Chapter 2   Johnny’s Song: Daddy did you see?

      Chapter 3   To take a life or to Give your Life

      Chapter 4   The Wilderness of infertility

      Chapter 5   A light that shines through the darkness

      Chapter 6   Certified to Serve

      Chapter 7   Seeking Love in all the Wrong Places

      Chapter 8   Can Allyshia See God for Who He Really Is?

      Chapter 9   Brotherhood of Three

      Chapter 10   Who we are in the eye of the storm

      Conclusion

      Acknowledgments

      The wounded will wound others, but the grace of God endures all things.

      Experience the power of God’s grace working in a common man’s life, leading him on a journey to New England where he opened his heart to a lovely woman who later became his wife. After being diagnosed with infertility, they decided to serve God by supporting a growing population of at risk children in Connecticut. When the opportunity arose to care for these children, we both asked God separately, it was very clear to us both that we were following the words from Isaiah 6:8. We heard the voice of the Lord call out, ‘Whom shall I send, and who shall go for us?’ In our hearts it was clear, we both answered, Here am I, send me."

      To Cammy; Louis and Rose Bilodeau; and my mother, Velma Shafer, thank you for your constant support. And for the staff at the Vernon Manor Health Care Center, thank you for your steadfast care, which lifted me up when I was unable to stand on my own.

      Preface

      Life isn’t always fair, because we are not perfect. The wounded will wound others when the opportunity presents itself. Everyone has been damaged to one degree or another, and all of us have been sinned against. The choices we make on how to deal with the hurt determine our fate and sometimes the fates of other people around us.

      However, there is a light that shines in the darkness. He is full of grace and has the power to change the lives of those who seek Him. He is our Redeemer, Mighty Conqueror, the Alpha and Omega, the Author of Salvation, and Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

      If you have ever been abused, bullied, raped, abandoned, or broken by others you may have known or by strangers, or if you feel unlovable, you may consider this tested, documented historical truth.

      There was a man walking this earth two thousand years ago who had the authority to rebuke the religious leadership in Jerusalem;

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1