I am a small town, country girl that looks at our familys farm as the place I called where I grew up although we moved over 20 times and went to 12 different schools in 13 years. I was raised an Independent Baptist preachers kid. (Dont write me off yet!!) When I was a girl I wrote my story of the way my life was going to be. It turns out, life is not black and white nor is it a fairy tale.
In the fall of 2003 I went to the Bible college I dreamed about. I was dating the guy I thought I would marry until my dad told me that if I truly loved him, I would break up with him. He went on to say, the guy I was dating was a like my dad and I was like my mom. I would make him miserable. Around the same time, my future husband had his heart broken and a few months later we met. We were young, heartbroken and homesick. We dated for a year and were married at nineteen. We were very naive. He was my first in every way. A few months after we were married, I realized he lusted me, he didnt love me. It was not until years later that I was setting him up to fail more times than not. I expected him to be at the same level my dad was but did not take into account that my dad had years to get to that point. Through many mistakes, addictions, two kids and ten years later, we were divorced. I did not grow up playing the single mom that was over worked, under paid and terrified at every turn I would lose my house and my kids. I dreamed I was going to be a rooting tooting cowgirl name Calamity Jane (Doris Day movie) I never thought I would live through emotional and verbal abuse, rejected by my dad, and when I finally told my family the truth of my circumstances, no one believed me. No one believed me until my mom finally got a glimpse of my reality. Here we are four years later and I am finally putting some of the lessons God taught me during a painful time of growth in a book. Some of my favorite chapters are about the lessons I learned through my kids or ones that are chapters about the funny things my kids have said or done.
My kids and I currently live in the town of Concord, North Carolina. I am currently singing in the Cowboy Church that is located near our home and speaking whenever the opportunity arises. God has allowed me to grow so much since the first chapters of this book was written. My humor has become my greatest tool in coping with life and keeping the negative thoughts that creep in my mind at bat. I was remarried in 2015 to an amazing man that has three awesome daughters. More on that later in my next book, Lets Get Real.
Beautifully Broken: Real Life Stories and the Lessons Learned from Them.
Beautifully Broken: Real Life Stories and the Lessons Learned from Them.
Overview
This book is full of practical lessons that I have learned through my separation and divorce. It is for the believer or nonbeliever. It shows grace working through my humanity.When I was a girl, I wrote my story of the way my life was going to be. I had everything planned down to the description of my prince. My life would be the ultimate fairy tale. I would have the perfect children and would be the perfect mom and wife.
And then I grew up. I thought I had found forever, but I was wrong. My invisible children were perfect, but my real ones were human. I read hundreds of books and followed every rule. However, I realized I was not perfect and that life (and God) was not just about rules.
We can do everything right, but that doesnt make us exempt from hard times. God determines every outcome even when we dont understand them, and we want to cry, scream, and stomp our feet in protest of the injustice we feel. If we are willing, God will guide our steps, and He will protect our hearts. He knows where we are in our story, but it is our choice how it ends.
Description
When I was a girl, I wrote my story of the way my life was going to be. I had everything planned down to the description of my prince. My life would be the ultimate fairy tale. I would have the perfect children and would be the perfect mom and wife.
And then I grew up. I thought I had found forever, but I was wrong. My invisible children were perfect, but my real ones were human. I read hundreds of books and followed every rule. However, I realized I was not perfect and that life (and God) was not just about rules.
We can do everything right, but that doesnt make us exempt from hard times. God determines every outcome even when we dont understand them, and we want to cry, scream, and stomp our feet in protest of the injustice we feel. If we are willing, God will guide our steps, and He will protect our hearts. He knows where we are in our story, but it is our choice how it ends.
About the Author
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Overview
This book is full of practical lessons that I have learned through my separation and divorce. It is for the believer or nonbeliever. It shows grace working through my humanity.When I was a girl, I wrote my story of the way my life was going to be. I had everything planned down to the description of my prince. My life would be the ultimate fairy tale. I would have the perfect children and would be the perfect mom and wife.
And then I grew up. I thought I had found forever, but I was wrong. My invisible children were perfect, but my real ones were human. I read hundreds of books and followed every rule. However, I realized I was not perfect and that life (and God) was not just about rules.
We can do everything right, but that doesnt make us exempt from hard times. God determines every outcome even when we dont understand them, and we want to cry, scream, and stomp our feet in protest of the injustice we feel. If we are willing, God will guide our steps, and He will protect our hearts. He knows where we are in our story, but it is our choice how it ends.
Description
When I was a girl, I wrote my story of the way my life was going to be. I had everything planned down to the description of my prince. My life would be the ultimate fairy tale. I would have the perfect children and would be the perfect mom and wife.
And then I grew up. I thought I had found forever, but I was wrong. My invisible children were perfect, but my real ones were human. I read hundreds of books and followed every rule. However, I realized I was not perfect and that life (and God) was not just about rules.
We can do everything right, but that doesnt make us exempt from hard times. God determines every outcome even when we dont understand them, and we want to cry, scream, and stomp our feet in protest of the injustice we feel. If we are willing, God will guide our steps, and He will protect our hearts. He knows where we are in our story, but it is our choice how it ends.
About the Author
I am a small town, country girl that looks at our familys farm as the place I called where I grew up although we moved over 20 times and went to 12 different schools in 13 years. I was raised an Independent Baptist preachers kid. (Dont write me off yet!!) When I was a girl I wrote my story of the way my life was going to be. It turns out, life is not black and white nor is it a fairy tale.
In the fall of 2003 I went to the Bible college I dreamed about. I was dating the guy I thought I would marry until my dad told me that if I truly loved him, I would break up with him. He went on to say, the guy I was dating was a like my dad and I was like my mom. I would make him miserable. Around the same time, my future husband had his heart broken and a few months later we met. We were young, heartbroken and homesick. We dated for a year and were married at nineteen. We were very naive. He was my first in every way. A few months after we were married, I realized he lusted me, he didnt love me. It was not until years later that I was setting him up to fail more times than not. I expected him to be at the same level my dad was but did not take into account that my dad had years to get to that point. Through many mistakes, addictions, two kids and ten years later, we were divorced. I did not grow up playing the single mom that was over worked, under paid and terrified at every turn I would lose my house and my kids. I dreamed I was going to be a rooting tooting cowgirl name Calamity Jane (Doris Day movie) I never thought I would live through emotional and verbal abuse, rejected by my dad, and when I finally told my family the truth of my circumstances, no one believed me. No one believed me until my mom finally got a glimpse of my reality. Here we are four years later and I am finally putting some of the lessons God taught me during a painful time of growth in a book. Some of my favorite chapters are about the lessons I learned through my kids or ones that are chapters about the funny things my kids have said or done.
My kids and I currently live in the town of Concord, North Carolina. I am currently singing in the Cowboy Church that is located near our home and speaking whenever the opportunity arises. God has allowed me to grow so much since the first chapters of this book was written. My humor has become my greatest tool in coping with life and keeping the negative thoughts that creep in my mind at bat. I was remarried in 2015 to an amazing man that has three awesome daughters. More on that later in my next book, Lets Get Real.
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
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