It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

By Ira J. Harris

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669856658

Ira J. Harris

Ira J. Harris has worked with the University of Wisconsin for over twenty years, she retired in April of 2014. While employed at the University of Wisconsin, she was recognized for her outstanding work in the 4-H Youth Development department, the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and the Center for Addiction and Behavior Health research. She decided to write this book after experiencing difficulties with her loved ones. During her time with the Center of Addiction and Behavior Health, she decided to research the cause and effects concerning alcohol and how alcohol destroys your mind, body and soul, in addition she has researched the different kinds of medications that help to control addiction. Ira hopes that she can reach a large audience of youth and adults today who are struggling with this addiction Alcohol is very dangerous, and she adds; you see hundreds of commercials regarding cigarettes, marijuana, ecstasy, etc., people are dying everyday behind these drugs. Alcohol is a known killer as well, yet we see no commercials stating this fact, only promotional commercials.

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Copyright © 2022 by Ira J. Harris.

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KJV

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version

(Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic

Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

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Rev. date: 12/23/2022

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CONTENTS

Introduction 2022

A Grandmother’s Prayer

Auntie Rita, Uncle Joe, and blasphemy

My Dad, a Man of God?

Our sister, Vada

My uncle Julius, the family overseer, a lesson of drugs, fame, and corruption

Toshe

About me

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INTRODUCTION 2022

I refused to travel down the path of destruction.

I was truly guided by the Holy Spirit to write this book to you.

Even though I Walk Through the Valley of Darkness, I Shall Fear No Evil.

It takes a village to raise a child, let me tell you about my village!

M y grandmother knew we have a spiritual being other than the human being - - God. She wanted me to know him too. Honor thy mother thy father and thy Grandparents.

My grandmother knew I would be the one who would try and hold the family together. The question is, did I?

He therefore, that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Galatians 3:5

I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gifts God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us the spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:

One day I found myself thinking about all my family members who are in their graves. Alcohol was the number one reason they are not here today. Some were graduate students, some were blue-collar workers, some housewives and some were just lost in this world.

I say to you, brothers, and sisters, it clearly says in the Bible be not conformed to this world: but be yea transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2.

Paul, commissioned by God, had God’s Holy Spirit, was truthful and filled with God’s power, used God’s weapons and not his own for God’s work, was confident that he belonged to Christ, and he was filled with God’s power. You can confirm Paul’s work by reading Corinthians. Paul divides people into two categories – those who let themselves be controlled by their sinful nature, (alcohol and drugs) to name a few; and those who follow the Holy Spirit. All you must do is say yes to Jesus and read the Bible to discover God’s guidelines and then follow them. Daily we must consciously choose to center ourselves around God, the All Mighty; and not the world, which is satans’ world.

I give honor to God the Father, Jesus Christ the son, and the Holy Spirit every day and I thank God for the changes he has made in my life because I chose to follow God and be not conform to the world.

It’s two weeks before Easter, and our first-grade teacher Ms. Taylor, my angel, announced that she had a surprise for her class. Deanna leaps up and raises her hand and shouts, What’s the surprise, Ms. Taylor? Ms. Taylor tells us to draw our attention to the blackboard and says, I will draw you a hint; she began to draw a large rabbit on the board. Someone shouts, it’s a rabbit. I said, Ms. Taylor, are you going to bring a rabbit to school? She answered, In three days, a rabbit will be here in your classroom to fill your baskets with colorful eggs and jellybeans. When I got home that day, I told mama that Ms. Taylor told a lie about a rabbit coming to the classroom. Mama replied, Let’s see if Ms. Taylor is telling the truth or a lie.

It is the third day, and I am the first one in line to get to my classroom. To my surprise, and I will never forget this day, the floor was so bright that it felt like the sun was shining from beneath the classroom floor. All I could see was rabbit footprints all over the classroom floor. I knew then that Ms. Taylor was not lying. It was a total pandemonium, some kids were running around tracking the footprints, looking for the rabbit, some were jumping up and down asking questions after questions, and some were looking for