Derrick Moore - Raise Him Up: A Single Mothers Guide to Raising a Successful Black Man

raise
him up

2013 Derrick Moore & Stephanie Perry Moore

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION.

ISBN: 9-781-4016-7782-4

Printed in the United States of America

12 13 14 15 QG 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication

To
Victor Moore

(Derricks Brother)

What a blessing a single mother hung
in there and raised you up!

No better brother is there in the world.
Proud of all youve become.

We hope every reader stays her course so
that she too can raise such an awesome man.

Life wasnt always easy for you, but
you listened to your mama

and you turned out alright... we love you!

Letter

Hello, our sister,

The Sisters in Faith brand was created to encourage and empower you. As African American women we share a special bond. Our ancestors sacrificed so much for us. As a people weve come so far, yet we know we want to go farther. When we look toward the next generation, our hope in our youth is strong. We want the best for our children. We especially want our males to achieve greatness.

We thought it fitting to have a title for mothers raising sons alone. Sister, if youve picked up this book, youre probably in need of a helping hand to assist you in making sure your son soars. This book was mostly written by a godly, African American man, Derrick Moore. Derrick was raised by a single mother, yet she helped him achieve much with little. That passion with which she raised him is poured into the pages of this book. We pray this guide will inspire you to push your son even harder and strengthen you with biblical nuggets to get your job done.

Above all, we want you to know we care for you, sister. We are thankful you are a mother on the move for God. We are proud youre carrying on. We want this book to help you raise your son.

May the Lord bless you.

Michele Clark Jenkins & Stephanie Perry Moore Sisters in Faith General Editors

Acknowledgements

When you are a single mother raising a son, your task to raise him isnt an easy one. You arent a male. You have to do it alone. You have to be mother and father. You have to be strong.

Well, when you know God, He lightens your load. He is there to help you. He is there to make sure you are there for your son. The Lord helped us write this book for you. May it bless your soul.

As authors we need help, too. We are raising our hands in thanks to everyone who helps us.

To our parents: Dr. Franklin and Shirley Perry, Sr., and Ann Redding, thanks for raising us up.

To our Publisher and everyone in the Bible, Reference, and Curriculum department: particularly, Bob Sanford, Gary Davidson, Heather McMurray and Alee Anderson, thanks for raising our writing by allowing us this opportunity.

To our extended family: brother, Dennis Perry; sister, Sherry Moore; Godparents, Walter and Marjorie Kimbrough; nephews, Franklin Perry III, and Kadarius Moore; and godsons, Danton Lynn, Dakari Jones, and Dorian Lee, thanks for raising our spirits by always being there.

To our copy editors: Brenda Noel and Dawn Sherill-Porter, of Echo Creative Media, thanks for raising our work to another level with your tireless efforts.

To our friends whom mean so much: Calvin Johnson and the Johnson family, Antonio and Gloria London, Jim and Deen Sanders, Bobby and Sarah Lundy, Kenny Perry, Yolanda Rodgers-Howsie, Pastor Eric and Meik Lee, Pastor James and Jamell Meeks, Pastor Tim Dowdy, Teri Anton, Paul and Susan Johnson, Chan and Laurie Gailey, and Connie Raiford, thanks for raising our hearts with your endearing friendship.

To our teens: Dustyn, Sydni, and Sheldyn, thanks for raising our love to another level as we want Gods best for you.

To Stephanies partner, Michele Clark Jenkins, thanks for raising our creativity to a new level, as this was your idea.

To our new readers, we offer thanks for raising our purpose as we hope this book touches your soul.

And to God, who has given us each other and our dreams, thanks for raising your Son from the dead. Through our faith in Him, we all can be successful.

Table of Contents

Raise Him Up:

You want your son to make it? You want your son to be all he can be? You want your son to be a successful black man? I know you do. Well, sister, you are the key to making that happen. It may get tough. He may wear you out at times. Your days may be long. But dont give up. Dont send him away. And do not give in. God is with you; and on this side of heaven, no one loves your son as you do. So isnt it worth the investment? You can raise him to be successful, to realize all the dreams that are within him, and to be excellent.

I understand there can be challenges: lack of income, the absence of a male role model in the home, and the peer pressures that come with growing up. These are all realities you may face. With the explosion and popularity of non-scripted programming featuring the real lives of everyday people as they unfold before your very eyes, it can become enticing to trade your own reality for televised reality. Shows like: The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Leave it to Niecey, and Basketball Wives can intrigue you and pull you in; but you have your own realitya challenging and vital reality. You have the daunting task of raising a son on your own.

The experience of being a single, African American mother is a realitya non-scripted, real-life experience that only a single, black mother can understand. This book is in your hands to help you. With a biblical twist and a spice of my own experiences, I would like to take you on a journey that will help you provide the passion and purpose for your son to achieve greatness.

Together we will delve into the book of Acts and take notes from the lives of Peter and Paul. This extraction of biblical truth, together with uplifting stories from an exceptional single mother and athletes who encourage us, mixed with an opening motivational part and three inspirational closing points, will reveal the reality that you can raise your son to be significant, successful, and satisfied. The arrangement of this book was created to warm your heart and encourage your soul, for I feel where you are.

I know you can do it! I was raised by a hardworking, single mother who gave everything to make sure my brother, sister, and I would have a chance at success. The choices we sometimes made didnt make things easy for my mom. Life didnt make things easy for her because our circumstances were difficult. And God didnt make it easy because He wanted her to take up her cross daily and follow Him. She was steadfast; you can be, too. Keeping your eyes on the reward of seeing your son be all he can be will give you the strength and determination you need. You