Books of Hope

Broken Butterflies

Emerging Through Grief, A Suicide Survivor’s Poetic Journal

How does anyone survive losing a child to suicide, let alone grieve with hope? Where is God in our suffering? How does God take evil and turn it to good?

Broken Butterflies: Emerging Through Grief, A Suicide Survivor’s Poetic Journal, answers in a mother’s unique, passionate, voice:

• Love God and others who suffer, with your whole heart
• God mourns with you, gives comfort, and declares, “Death, where is thy sting!”
• God transforms you into head-turning butterflies through His brokenness

Losing her teenage son in 2014 to suicide both brought Karisa to her knees and elevated her to new purpose. She does not shy away from wrestling with the devastation of suicide, while keeping aware of the grit of God’s faithfulness.

A broken butterfly emerges as the fragile, yet resilient symbol of God’s purpose for sorrow. Her poems speak to parents, teens, and individuals wounded by depression and suicide. She defiantly declares that the enemy does not win when we put our faith and trust in Christ. Your life, even in harsh circumstances, can be shaped for good in the hands of God.

She provides writing prompts and opportunities to journal on each page, encouraging you to grieve with hope.

Includes “No Regrets Mother Mary,” second-place poetry winner of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference Foundation Awards.

"This book speaks to the heart of those who have lost a child, or anyone close. As a mother who lost twins due to preterm labor, I thought that I had healed from the heart ache of losing my first-born children, but Karisa's poetry gracefully revealed the fractures I still had and filled them with love and understanding. She transformed the pain and suffering into beauty, and that is a hard feat to conquer. It truly takes a special person to emerge from such trauma and to be able to lay it out on pages to help others emerge as well. Losing a child can be extremely destructive but somehow, by the grace of God, she has made it constructive and beautiful. I was amazed by every page turned. God bless her and her family!"

Haleigh L.

Refreshed By His Love

How many times have you felt the burdens of life weighing you down? Perhaps you’ve faced the loss of dreams or a loved one. Maybe you’re distressed by a relationship or puzzled by a problem you face. We all have those moments when life just doesn’t seem right or smooth. Something is out of kilter.

But then, God steps in.

He solves the problem, encourages you through tough times, provides wisdom, strengthens, or shows you His unfathomable love. . . and the world is fresh and new again!

This collection’s stories, poems, essays, and devotions show this love, refreshing us in ways only God can.