How We Got Over:: Testimonies of Faith, Hope and Courage

I highly recommend this book, which is a true source of inspiration and courage. I loaned it to my daughter to read and now we both have to sneak it from each other to read.When I purchased my copy I should have gotten two or more. One for her, one that is solely mine and one to share with friends and other family members. Each story is a personal one and gives one hope in their own personal struggle. This book is a second Bible for my household. It is full of hope, love and wisdom. "How We Got Over" is a must have for every personal library!

Trevy A. McDonald and Bettye J. Allen lend their editing talents in How We Got Over: Testimonies of Faith, Hope and Courage. For years African-Americans have endured racism, hardship and inequality but have managed to overcome through their faith in God. While reading How We Got Over, I was reminded of my frequent conversations with elder men and women as they shared personal anecdotes. It is these same experiences of our ancestors and forefathers that have given us faith, hope, courage and the wisdom to prevail over such obstacles in present day. How We Got Over contains over sixty stories of encouragement from various contributors. "Testimonies of Faith," examines this basic but necessary principle needed in our daily lives. We are reminded that faith without works is dead as contributors share their near death experiences, examples of hostile working environments, brush with breast cancer and economic hardships while remaining steadfast in their convictions. In "Hope," a family copes with the birth and subsequent loss of baby girl Megan due to a condition called Premature Rupture of the Membranes. Through Megan's passing, family and friends were reunited and faith is made whole. In the section titled "Courage," contributor Lorenzo C. Robertson's story, I Aint Mad at God, reflects on the day he was diagnosed with AIDS. This devastating news altered Robertson's view of life, enabling him to live with vigor and has empowered him to give back to the community as an administrator for an AIDS service organization. The rich stories in How We Got Over, will support the AIDS pandemic in South Africa by offering awareness programs to women and shelter for the orphaned children infected with HIV/AIDS. These stories and more, some of spousal abuse and homelessness, are told by African-Americans who have turned trials into triumphs, disappointment into fulfillment and sorrow into joy. How We Got Over is overflowing with exemplifications that by faith, hope and courage, we are granted the wisdom and grace to persevere and succeed as people of color.Reviewed by Nicki LancasterAPOOO BookClub

Collaboratively compiled by Trevy A. McDonald and Bettye J. Allen, How We Got Over: Testimonies Of Faith, Hope, And Courage is a thoughtful and thought-provoking collection of Christian experiences, as well as testimonies of faith, hope, courage, and the wisdom of listening to one's elders. These brief yet poignant stories range in tone from sorrowful and reflective, to the profound and uplifting, and work together as a whole to reinforce the strength of the human spirit and the power of God's love within a Christian context.

Regular folk truly have some stories worth telling, especially when their tales concern spirituality. Miracles, near-death experiences, hardships overcome--these are the events one expects to find recounted in a collection of anecdotes about faith, hope, and courage. They're all there in How We Got Over: Testimonies of Faith, Hope, and Courage. And then some. In over sixty stories, editors Trevy A. McDonald and Bettye J. Allen bring together a rich collection of distinct voices, all centered on telling how trust in God made a difference in the believers' lives.These testimonies have a rare quality. They resonate with an aural timbre and evoke vivid imagery like stories more typically heard in the oral tradition. Thankfully the editors captured these artifacts in text form. Despite occasional brevity, each tale has the power and grace of a well delivered sermon, and many pack the unmistakable force of truth that comes from recognizing situations we ourselves would never want to endure, though we may take comfort in knowing that someone else lived through the circumstance, relying on unfailing faith in God to bring them through. Thus, the true strength of these testimonies lies in the life lessons they teach.As expected, most of the stories are told from a first-person point of view, some with bylines, some without. A few are narrated in third person. All contributors have a bio blurb appearing at the end of the book. From the stories and bio information, we see a cross-section of people represented, both men and women from all across the nation in various age groups. Although quite a number of the contributors avow affiliation with the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) denomination (particularly some of the preacher wives), other faiths are represented, too. Indeed, another beauty of the book is how it weaves together a tapestry of themes across geographic region, class, denominational difference, gender, and age.One person tells of deliverance from spousal abuse, then another picks up with a tale about a couple's lean years spent together, uprooted from place to place by education and job necessity, until one day they finally land in a stable situation where they raise a family and enjoy a prosperous life. Flood waters in the South almost do away with one young man, while a woman in the Midwest gets tossed around by a tornado yet lives to tell about it. An AIDS victim bravely deals with that scary situation, offering astonishingly warm words to those still ignorant or in denial about the disease, encouraging them to learn the facts and overcome their fear. (Proceeds from the book, by the way, support AIDS orphans.) The range of tales these regular folk tell no doubt includes something everyone can relate to.Told in eloquent, engaging prose, with a Bible verse introducing each story, How We Got Over belongs right alongside a daily devotional and Scripture for inspirational reading. In fact, beyond its inspirational genre, the boo