Mother of Young Heroin Addict Opens Up and Says, ‘This is Us’
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Christine Naman understands all too well that those who struggle with mental illness and addiction are not faceless numbers. They are real people who are valued and cherished by their families, and she wants the world to know and understand her daughter, Natalie.
“People are silent in their shame,” Christine said in a recent interview. “They’re quiet about it. And when you reach out and say, ‘this is us,’ people are anxious to unload and say, ‘that’s us too.’”
Christine traces her daughter’s years-long battle with mental illness and addiction — and opens up about her own struggles with denial and the shame she carries for not recognizing the signs — in About Natalie, a gripping, cautionary tale of how a child can suddenly end up on the wrong path, meet the wrong people and get lost in the unthinkable.
“I did not know the signs or symptoms,” Christine said. “I didn’t know the looks of things or the smells of things. Often times, it was right in front of me. I just didn’t know what I was seeing.”
Natalie was just 15 years old when she became addicted to heroin. They were everyday people, living everyday lives, and then the floor dropped out.
About Natalie takes readers deep inside Christine’s emotional and mental turmoil as she grows into her new, unfortunate role as the parent of an addict. She steps on syringes left on the floor. She lives the nightmare of finding an unresponsive child on the floor and uses Narcan to revive her. She chases away a drug dealer and stays up all night waiting for her missing child to come home. She rejoices during periods of recovery and hope and is devastated during relapses. When her daughter suffers, Christine suffers right along with her.
Interwoven with Christine’s reflections are Natalie’s brilliant poems that share her personal pain and the unvarnished truth of her struggle.
Full of compassion, understanding and hope for those struggling with mental illness and addiction, About Natalie is a story of fighting for — and right alongside — the ones we love, no matter how difficult the circumstances. It is a story of keeping the faith, battling hard and never giving up.
Bestselling author Christine Pisera Naman is a wife to a beautiful man named Peter and a mother to three fantastic kids named Jason, Natalie and Trevor. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, which she does poorly; painting, again poorly; and volunteering at her local hospital, which she hopes she does well. She is the author of the Faces of Hope series of books that are now housed in the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Her other works include Caterpillar Kisses, Christmas Lights, The Novena and The Believers. About Natalie is her heart poured onto paper.
She hopes that by sharing her family’s difficult story she can bring understanding and knowledge to those who do not know these problems firsthand as well as provide comfort to those who know the struggles of mental illness and addiction all too well.
Harrowing Experiences in Alaska Transform Young Bride Into Woman of Strength
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At the age of 23, new bride Deanne Burch accompanied her husband, Ernest “Tiger” Burch, to the Inuit village of Kivalina, Alaska, a barrier island 83 miles above the Arctic Circle. Tiger was conducting a study of the natives, but Deanne, a naïve city girl, was completely unprepared for what she was about to experience. Tiger would say that what happened to them was bad luck. Deanne calls it destiny.
In Journey Through Fire and Ice: Shattered Dreams Above the Arctic Circle, Deanne recounts in vivid detail her unforgettable story of the months spent in a remote Eskimo village.
“I think when something happens — the tragedy that happened to us in Alaska — you always live on the edge of it. You never forget what really happened,” Deanne said in a recent interview.
In Kivalina, Deanne lived on the edge of two worlds — the one she left behind and the one where she reluctantly participated in all aspects of the women’s lives. Skinning seals, cleaning and drying fish, and cutting beluga and caribou to store became her way of life. Plumbing, running water and electricity were not available. Loneliness was a constant companion until a few women befriended her.
During a span of six days, Deanne and Tiger narrowly escaped death during a camping trip, and Tiger suffered severe burns from a fire in their house. He spent three months in the hospital receiving treatment for seared lungs and horrific burns on his face and hands. His lungs never recovered from this ordeal.
When he was finally released from the hospital, he returned to the village with Deanne to complete the study. The life-threatening and harrowing experiences in Alaska transformed Deanne into a woman of strength who learned how to embrace challenge.
Over 50 years later, she remembers that young girl who left on an unknown journey that will live in her heart forever.
Author Deanne Burch was born and raised in Canada and attended the University of Toronto, obtaining B.A. degrees in liberal arts and social work. After the Alaska journey, she and her husband eventually settled in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, where they lived until his death.
Deanne spent 30 years as a professional international photographer who taught and lectured in the U.S. and Canada. She published several articles in photography magazines and journals. Since retiring in 2014, she devoted herself to writing short stories and children’s stories. Journey Through Fire and Ice: Shattered Dreams Above the Arctic Circle was published in March 2021.
Journey Through Fire and Ice: Shattered Dreams Above the Arctic Circle Publisher: Authority Publishing ISBN-10: 1949642593 ISBN-13: 978-1949642599 Available from Amazon.com
Faith Journey Includes the Good, the Bad and the Proof that God Hears Our Prayers
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Christine Schat sat down and wrote the truth about her life even though some of it was messy. As a teenager, she lived by her own rules, became pregnant, married young, divorced and married again. She made choices that led to the tragic death of her husband and the heartbreak of a prodigal son. She had welcomed Jesus into her life at an early age, but had repeatedly veered off course. Every time she repented, she found God’s forgiveness and mercy to be always available, always complete. This is her compelling story.
The Tree of Faith, God Wants to Answer YOUR Prayer is Schat’s deeply personal memoir recounting true stories that range from dealing with regret to letting go of guilt and letting go of shame. There were many life events that prompted Schat to seek God’s will and to ask for His help. Did God always show up in exactly the way she expected Him to? No. Were her prayers answered as quickly as she’d hoped? No. But ultimately, she recognized the constant thread of God’s love that was woven throughout her life despite her sins.
Schat’s style is easy and conversational, and laced with touches of humor. She shares the moments, thoughts and experiences that led her to a most astonishing realization in the face of adversity.
She discovered that the seed of faith planted in her at birth by the Creator could grow easily in the healthy soil of a humble heart. By spiritually cultivating that seed with life-giving prayer and sonshine, her small seedling grew into a magnificently strong, fruit-bearing tree of faith, deeply rooted and stable. She then knew, that living with Christ, everything is possible.
In The Tree of Faith, readers will discover the age-old secret to obliterating fear, guilt and shame; the personal way God answers questions; strength through adversity and the power of letting go; the unique key to turning life around; and the growing faith that looks past the impossible. Along the way, readers are invited to get involved through chapter questions.
Schat shares the good and the bad of her faith journey, with personal stories and a wealth of wisdom gleaned over decades that can give readers hope that God hears their prayers.
“Now is the time to look to the Light, renew your faith and expect God to answer your prayers!” Schat said.
Author Christine Schat is a UCLA graduate and the former owner of Fort Bragg Bakery. She loves to smile, laugh and share her stories. She currently lives in Southern California but loves to travel the country visiting family and friends. She is especially fond of her grandchildren and has been nicknamed Gram-cracker. But her greatest joy is experiencing God’s answered prayers.
The Tree of Faith, God Wants to Answer YOUR Prayer Publisher: Made for More Enterprises, LLC ISBN-13: 979-8735214540 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Emily Tucker Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
The Message that Families Impacted by Addiction Need to Hear: You Are Not Alone
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When Christine Naman says that her daughter is “doing well,” the caution in her voice is palpable. Addiction recovery is a work in progress — not a quick fix — and Christine has learned to celebrate each day for the tiny victory that it is.
Her daughter, Natalie, was just 15 years old when she became addicted to heroin. They were everyday people, living everyday lives, and then the floor dropped out.
“It’s exactly where you don’t want to end up,” Christine said in a recent interview. “I was caught flat-footed, and I’m embarrassed to say that.”
Christine traces her daughter’s years-long battle with addiction — and her own struggles with denial — in About Natalie, a gripping, cautionary tale of how a child can suddenly end up on the wrong path, meet the wrong people and get lost in the unthinkable.
About Natalie takes readers deep inside Christine’s emotional and mental turmoil as she grows into her new, unfortunate role as the parent of an addict. She steps on syringes left on the floor and wrestles one from the family dog’s mouth. She lives the nightmare of finding an unresponsive child on the floor and uses Narcan to revive her. She chases away a drug dealer and stays up all night waiting for her missing child to come home. She rejoices during periods of recovery and hope and is devastated during relapses. When her daughter suffers, Christine suffers right along with her.
Interwoven with Christine’s reflections are Natalie’s brilliant poems that share her personal pain and the unvarnished truth of her struggle.
Full of compassion, understanding and hope for addicts, About Natalie is a story of fighting for — and right alongside — the ones we love, no matter how difficult the circumstances. It is a story of keeping the faith, battling hard and never giving up.
Bestselling author Christine Pisera Naman is a wife to a beautiful man named Peter and a mother to three fantastic kids named Jason, Natalie and Trevor. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, which she does poorly; painting, again poorly; and volunteering at her local hospital, which she hopes she does well. She is the author of the Faces of Hope series of books that are now housed in the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Her other works include Caterpillar Kisses, Christmas Lights, The Novena and The Believers. About Natalie is her heart poured onto paper.
She hopes that by sharing her family’s difficult story she can bring understanding and knowledge to those who do not know the problem firsthand as well as provide comfort to those who know the nightmare of addiction all too well.
Words for All Offers Spiritual, Life-Affirming Inspiration Website shares writings that detail connection with the ALL of existence
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When minister and licensed psychotherapist Dr. Pieter Noomen made public his personal account of having direct contact with the world of “the Positive State,” his intent was to show us that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that this “more” is accessible to everyone.
“Not in order to escape or ignore our daily earthly circumstances and responsibilities,” he wrote. “But so that we can experientially understand the scope of what full existing is all about.”
He freely shares his thoughts, insights and experiences regarding “Visits into The Real Reality,” “The Seven Names,” “Lessons” and much more on his website, www.wordsforall.org.
Dr. Noomen’s journey toward forming a conscious closeness to the source of all existence began more than 25 years ago when he studied the work of Dr. Peter D. Francuch, who communicated with what he called “the Positive State.” Dr. Noomen would go on to significantly widen his own spiritual path and have extraordinary experiences on the spiritual plane.
Dr. Noomen meticulously chronicled the communications he shared with a spiritual presence and wrote extensively about the appearances he witnessed of the I AM, hoping to forever change the soul of humanity with messages of healing, love, and oneness.
Visitors to Dr. Noomen’s website can read about the 12 components of life through his 12 booklets: Oneness, Love, Life, Fire, Space, Connectedness, Progression, Effect, Freedom, Joy, Differentness and Harmony. Additionally, he shares 147 thought-provoking questions and the illuminating answers that came to him during his communications with the All Spirit. Readers will also find 10 rules for praying and glean inspiration from Dr. Noomen’s numerous lessons and stories.
The message that forms the foundation of his writings on www.wordsforall.org is that directly or indirectly, life stems from one common source, and to connect with that source is the highest level of existence we can achieve on earth.
Born in the Netherlands, Pieter Noomen completed doctoral studies in theology and pastoral psychology at the Free University of Amsterdam and was senior minister of three protestant churches. Later, he worked as a psychotherapist and as a staff member of a Los Angeles metropolitan church. He was involved in mental health issues like suicide prevention and hospice. Sadly, Dr. Noomen passed away in 2019, but his wealth of wisdom and insights freely shared on www.wordsforall.org will continue to inspire people throughout the world to broaden their spiritual paths.
“It’s wonderful when things go well for us. Or if at least some things do so. It’s double wonderful when we’re aware of this and are grateful for the gift it is. It’s three times as wonderful when we fully realize that what’s good and well is already a connection with what is eternal and represents the Real Reality.”
Trish Stevens Kathleen Harrison Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Main [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
How to Overcome Codependency and Build Healthy, Reciprocal Relationships
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“Using neuroscience, psychology, and spirituality, Mary Joye shares how to conquer old habits of needing to rescue loved ones and friends. In this compelling book you can free yourself and learn that living well and giving well can occur naturally.” — Dr. Laurie Nadel, author of The Five Gifts
Are you a fixer, a rescuer or a people pleaser? Do you feel guilty — really guilty — saying no? Codependency once meant being involved with someone who was dependent upon an addictive substance. Today, the definition of codependency has expanded to encompass other unhealthy behaviors associated with relationships.
“Codependency is like narcissism in reverse,” explained licensed therapist, Mary Joye, LMHC. “Narcissists are self-absorbed, while codependents are hyper focused on the needs of others. And these two personalities can become instantly attracted to each other.”
In her new book, Codependent Discovery and Recovery 2.0, Joye helps readers uncover the traits, psychological roots, financial aspects and neuroscience behind their codependency, and more importantly, what to do about it.
As a healed codependent herself, Joye’s unique approach offers readers a holistic alternative to typical 12-step addiction models and covers the full spectrum of codependency.
She shows you what motivates your codependency and teaches you how to overcome the toxic thinking and behaviors associated with it by using evidence-based techniques of healing. Rather than merely learning how to say no to others, you will learn how to say yes to yourself and form healthy, reciprocal relationships.
For expedited and lasting recovery, Codependent Discovery and Recovery 2.0 includes meditations, affirmations, a quick-fix chapter and easy two-column Life Lists that allow the opportunity for self-reflection, offering readers an invaluable self-help experience.
By using these transformative cognitive behavioral tools, you can change no matter where you fall on the continuum. It is possible to reinvent yourself in a positive way while learning how to give and live well.
About the Author Mary Joye, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor and regular contributor to DailyOM.com. She was interviewed in O, The Oprah Magazine in an article titled “The Greatest Love” about her prior codependency and rise from it. Formerly, she was a professional singer/songwriter in Nashville at Warner Brothers. She reinvented herself as a licensed mental health counselor at 45. As a writer and therapist, she helps people get in touch with their emotions.
Preparing for the End-Time Event: Bible Scholar Reassures Faithful that Tribulation will be Brief
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For those who believe in end-time prophecy, it’s important to prepare for the Day of the Lord and to share the gospel with nonbelievers. In his compelling new book, The High Sign, Bible scholar David S. Heeren reveals his unconventional interpretation of what the sign of Jesus’ Second Coming will be and shares the promises Jesus made to the faithful.
“Jesus specifically said we [believers] are not to fear, not even worry,” Heeren said. “Jesus said in addition to shortening the tribulation, he would turn it back onto the heads of the treacherous people who are destroying their nations. Additionally, the prophet Isaiah says this: The destroyers will be destroyed, and the traitors betrayed.”
In his book, Heeren shares more than 200 points of evidence involving 24 scriptural events that support what he says will be the sign of Jesus’ Second Coming. His findings are the result of 16 years of research involving Scriptures as well as independent sources. Today, he is more convinced than ever that he has identified the celestial event that will signal Jesus’ return.
His investigation began after reading the book of Isaiah, which describes great visions given supernaturally to the prophet, including many about the Day of the Lord. It was after reading Isaiah and praying Isaiah’s prayer: “Here am I, send me,” when the meaning of many biblical passages began to crystalize for Heeren, and the message of The High Sign started taking shape.
Heeren found 54 prophetic images, and the evidence mounted concerning the identity of the celestial sign of Jesus’ Second Coming, until there were more than 200 individual points leading him to arrive at unconventional interpretation that few, if any, theologians have reached as yet.
“There is not a single contradictory point of evidence, at least none that I found, and I have studied this specific subject now for 16 years,” he adds.
Heeren also explores in detail the Flood of Noah, the demolition of Sodom, the plagues of the Exodus, and the arrival and Second Coming of Christ — and how astronomical events are tied to each. To help readers recall his main ideas, Heeren provides summarization points at the end of each chapter, and concludes his book with a list of seven things for Christians to do to prepare for the Day of the Lord.
David S. Heeren is an award-winning journalist and author of 17 books. He used his background in mathematics and logic to create Tendex, the first internationally used statistical system for rating professional and college basketball players. Nine of his books have Christian themes, including the Online Book Club Book of the Day The High Sign, Day of the Lord, What the Bible has to Say about the U.S.A., The Sign of His Coming and God…or not? To learn more, please visit: www.endtimesmystery.com.
The High Sign Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC ISBN-10: 1647531586 ISBN-13: 978-1647531584 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Helen Cook Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 903.654.0938 Direct 281.333.3507 Office [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
