Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit: Inspiring Stories for Young Women about Hope, Strength, and Wisdom

by Kay Allenbaugh

Overview

Rich, enticing, and delectable as a luscious box of chocolates, this collection offers 55 tales of life and love as a teenager. From teens of every age, including women who remember what it was like, come stories of first love, first jobs, best friends, heartbreak, hope, innocence, and the real world. Poignant, funny, and powerful, these stories tell it like it is. From the recollection of a first kiss to tales of self-consciousness about a changing body, from painful struggles with parents and grandparents to the joy of abiding family love, teens will see themselves in these pages and find comfort in knowing that they are not alone

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780743205979
Publisher:	Touchstone
Publication date:	02/21/2001
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	729 KB

About the Author

Kay Allenbaugh, creator of the Chocolate series, is a writer and speaker who is known as "The Caretaker of Stories for Women of the World." She lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Contributors to the Chocolate series include bestselling authors, motivational speakers, newspaper columnists, radio hosts, spiritual leaders, psychotherapists, businesswomen, and teenagers from all over the world.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

Heartwarming, haunting, and often hilarious, the delicious true-life stories in Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit will remind you how much you have in common with young women everywhere. The Chocolate storytellers have shared their own moving experiences — about setting a goal and reaching it, about being the victim of a cruel trick and rising above it, about finding love in unexpected places, and about finding the divine in all things. These stories will comfort you and show you that joy often lies just on the other side of pain. You'll also discover why a bit of mischief can sometimes open the path to spiritual fulfillment.

Alive with humor, honesty, and the intimacy of close friends, Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit will help you discover all the facets of a spirit-filled life — ways to nurture your faith in yourself, to use your creative gifts, to find love through friends, parents, partners, and teachers, and to experience pure joy.

The stories in Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit are written by teens themselves as well as by women with good memories for those years gone by. From lighthearted vignettes to poignant confessions, these stories touch on the things all young women face as they move into adulthood and search for spiritual grounding during times both tame and turbulent. These stories also celebrate the mentors that I believe God supplies each of us — the role models, teachers, and friends we encounter along the way to help guide us when we're lost, believe in us when we're afraid to believe in ourselves, and cheer for us when we succeed.

So find a comfy, sacred place, nibble on some chocolate, and let theheartwarming stories in Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit fill your heart. As you turn the pages, listen for the messages that were meant just for you and look for the stories that would bring your friends the comfort they need as well. I hope that these stories will provide inspiration and show you how far you've come as you decide what you value, what qualities you hold dear in yourself and others, and where to find spiritual comfort when you need it most.

May Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit warm your heart and bring you the hope, strength, and wisdom you so richly deserve.

Copyright © 2002 by Kay Allenbaugh

Table of Contents

Introduction
Onward and Upward
Making It Count Beth Williams
Coming of Age Talia Carner
Diving for It Sheila Stephens
Big Hills Rebecca L. Allor
The "In" Crowd Michele Wallace Campanelli
Miss Congeniality and More Maggie Bedrosian
True Colors Jennifer Gordon Gray
Second Act Jacquelyn B. Fletcher
The Hand-Me-Down Renie Szilak Burghardt

What Is This Thing Called Love?
Love on the Yellow Brick Road Ranae Quashnock
Roller Skates and License Plates Michelle Carrington
Grooming Nisha Kirsten Snyder
An Angel in Disguise Shelly Clark
A Magical Moment Cherie Pedé
Be Careful What You Ask For Michelle Thomas
My True Love Margaret J. (Mimi) Popp
Unforgettable Beauty Jean Jeffrey Gietzen
Aisha, Marcus, and Adrian Aisha D. Gayle

Growing Pains
Southwick's Sweatshirt Brianna Mahin-Ayers
Enhanced with Lace Junette Kirkham Woller
Pretty Enough Beth Schorr Jaffe
Snickers and Grace Dawn S. Neely
Brown- and Blue-Eyed Bridges Candis Fancher
The Tempered Bell Erika Eberhardt
The Long Ride Home Victoria Marissa Hurtado
Zapped Robin Richards
Camp Gramma Kyla Merwin

Vision Keepers
Life-School Tips I'd Tell My Daughter Kay Allenbaugh
Weaving a Tapestry of Life Krista Veenker Rothschild
Defining Yourself Kristine Meldrum Denholm
Character Study Sheila Stephens
First Impressions Linda G. Engel
In the Company of Women Carrie D. Thornton
Clearing the Clouds upon My Heart Sheri Terjeson
True Heart Ursula Bacon


Over, Under, or Through
On My Own Amy Johnson
Regie the Bear Kathleen M. Muldoon
Other Dances Paola Juvenal
Prom Dreams Pam Thompson
Painting Trees Alaina Smith
In Search of Mermaids Barbara Davey
Butterflies and Elephants Lisa Robertson

Keeping the High Watch
Getting Back On Krissa Englebright
Ask and You Shall Receive Ellen Urbani Hiltebrand
My Mother After All Marguerite Murer
A Prairie Tale Nancy Kiernan
A Little Sister's Prayer Diane Gonzales Bertrand
If I'd Known Then What I Know Now Kay Allenbaugh
Little Girl, Big Girl Ruth Achilles
More Than a Test Valentina A. Bloomfield
The Wedding Sharon Schafer

Making Memories
Comfort in the Wild Delin Cormeny
The Basket Lady Kathie Harrington
My Christmas Wish Lisl Hershberger
The Great Chocolate Caper Sheila S. Hudson
I've Been Working on the Railroad! Nancy B. Gibbs
A Special Night Out Suella Walsh
Katie's Diamond Katie Harrington
Having It All Sarah Richardson
More Chocolate Stories
Contributors

What People are Saying About This

Sean Covey

Inspiring, real-life stories that will cheer the soul and lighten the mind and breathe hope into the life of every teen.
—( Sean Covey bestselling author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens)

Iyanla Vanzant

Here is the truth about learning to live and love from women who have been there. Read it!
—(Iyanla Vanzant author of Don't Give It Away

Marianne Williamson

These warm and wonderful stories show young women how precious they are and how fabulous they can become!
—( Marianne Williamson author of A Return to Love and Enchanted Love)

Carmen Renee Berry

Chocolate for a Teen's Soul provides wisdom that women of any age need to live life with grace and stamina. Wish I had had something like this when I was young!
—( Carmen Renee Berry coauthor of Girlfriends and Daddies and Daughters)

Introduction

Introduction

Rich stories, like chocolate, not only make you feel good, they can also serve as comfort through confusing times. Many of the stories in Chocolate for a Teen's Soul are written by young women themselves. You will be amazed at the ability of these writers to tell it like it is about everything from personal triumphs, conflicts, and challenges to most embarrassing moments. Some have had to "draw a line in the sand" as they discovered their own boundaries, while others tell of first loves that were never meant to last. These true stories will help you not only survive, but flourish, as you discover what these young women from the teen years to early twenties have learned—often the hard way—about what it means to be growing wise and growing strong. As I began this latest volume of Chocolate stories, I must admit that at first I felt intimidated, because while I'm young in spirit, my chronological years are showing up in many ways! My desire was to find your collective heartbeat and gather stories that talk about the things that matter most to you. I'm pleased to say that the assortment of stories offered in Chocolate for a Teen's Soul are as varied—ranging from poignant to playful—yet connected as each of you are to one another, no matter how old you may be.

Every young woman needs a mentor—someone older whom they can think of as having it all together. Many powerful stories in this book are written for young women by young women themselves, and they are also written by women who will serve as mentors as they look back on their own unforgettable moments with an "if I'd known then what I know now" kind of spirit.

Today, more than ever before, you have the opportunity to be high-tech and wildly creative, and to reinvent your world as you go—but now and then you may find yourself longing for things to be more simple. With so many forces at play, it's no surprise that you may feel grateful for all the opportunities available to you and overwhelmed at the same time. In no other time in your life will you have the youthfulness to climb mountains, the fresh eyes to see the world anew, the passion for first loves, or more desire to be fiercely independent and unique. And with all these opportunities come challenge.

So grab some chocolate and sit with a friend, your older sister, your mom, your mentor, or by yourself and read the stories that are calling to you. May these stories make you laugh and cry, may they provide humor to something you might be taking too seriously, or may they be your companion as you seek answers to your own hurdles. In Chocolate for a Teen's Soul, triumph always reigns—and that's the best kind of inspiration of all! _{Copyright © 2000 by Kay Allenbaugh}

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
A good dose of sugar for the soul is something we all need occasionally, and who better to supply it than fellow life-learners who've garnered their smarts through experience. In a collection of 55 enriching stories, Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit provides "hope, strength and wisdom" to young women looking for a bit of inspirational "chocolate."

Divided into eight sections, this affirmative volume sheds insight into themes on life, such as "Discovering Life's Treasures," "Teen Mischief," and "Proud Mamas," with stories ranging from the surprising to triumphant. Included among the gems are Laurie Nuck's story about a car salesman who gets his comeuppance, "How Slick Stan Learned Probability"; Judith Bader Jones's "Plastic Curtains," relating a girl's struggle with her mom's new boyfriend; and Sheila Stephens's poem "Spirit Petals."

Young women looking for a spirit-stirring pick-me-up will find it here. From these truthful and poignant stories, they'll be motivated to look at themselves more closely and share their own wisdom with friends and family. Teachers and parents will also find this book a useful springboard for discussions on life choices and emotional well-being. An enlightening choice for birthdays, book clubs, or someone who's down, Allenbaugh's collection is one sweet read. (Matt Warner)

bn.com

Gr 7 Up-A collection of very short stories by a wide range of female contributors. All of the selections are light; they do not deal with any controversial or gritty subjects. The entries in the "Teen Mischief" section, for example, include a tale about a girl's first experience showing her stubborn pig, another about a young woman's introduction to shaving her legs, and one about a teen convincing her mother to join her on an amusement-park ride. The authors come from diverse backgrounds, from a Broadway producer to a 13-year-old first-time writer; they are professional women, mothers, daughters, teachers, and students. The variety of voices adds an interesting texture to this confection. Will these stories warm a teen's heart and bring her hope, strength, and wisdom? Perhaps, but they offer frothy, sugary fillings instead of something rich and nourishing to sink one's teeth into. After a main course of M. Jerry Weiss and Helen Weiss's Lost & Found: Award-Winning Authors Sharing Real-Life Experiences through Fiction (Forge, 2000) or Lorrie Moore's I Know Some Things: Stories about Childhood by Contemporary Writers (Faber & Faber, 2000) or even a serving of "Chicken Soup" (Health Communications), if there is still a craving for more inspiration, a little chocolate won't hurt.-Laura Reed, Pickering Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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