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(3.99) | 6 | Fiction.
Christian Fiction.
HTML: A forgotten secret. A shocking discovery. A sacrifice of love that will bring Connor Evans to his knees. A story of hope and redemption from #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury. Airline pilot Connor Evans and his wife, Michele, seem to be the perfect couple living what looks like a perfect life. Then a plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean. One of the casualties is Kiahna Siefert, a flight attendant Connor knew well. Too well. Kiahna's will is very clear: before her seven-year-old son, Max, can be turned over to the state, he must spend the summer with the father he's never met, the father who doesn't know he exists: Connor Evans. Now will the presence of one lonely child and the truth he represents destroy Connor's family? Or is it possible for healing and hope to appear in the shape of a seven-year-old boy? "[Kingsbury's] ability to accurately express life's sorrows and grief through her characters' inner dialogue rings true time and again." â??Publishers Weekly on Every Now & Then "Her emotionally charged novels often contain a strong romantic component and feature Christians at odds with their everyday world. This title is no exception. Recommend this one to readers who enjoy well-drawn characters and contemporary settings." â??Library Journal on The Baxters Take Fou… (more) |
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| Epigraph |
Of Butterflies and Second Chances  I tell of hearts and souls and dances . . . Butterflies and second chances; Desperate ones and dreamers bound, Seeking life from barren ground, Who suffer on in earthly fate The bitter pain of angry hate. Might but they stop and here forgive Would break the bonds to breathe and live And find that God in goodness brings A chance for change, the hope of wings To rest in him, and self to die And so become a butterfly. ---Karen Kingsbury | |
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| Dedication |
Dedicated to Donald, who continues to be my prince, my safe harbor, my best friend. You give me wings enough to fly, but keep me grounded in everything that matters. I smile when I think of our long walks and nighttime talks, the way you make me laugh after a hard day or your way of putting a layer of sensibility over any situation. You are an amazing man, Donald, gifted in so many areas, yet content to serve. I am blessed beyond words to be your wife, gifted with the joy of your presence in my life. Fifteen years have flown by in a heartbeat, and I can only pray God blesses us with so many more. I love you forever and always. To Kelsey, my love and laughter, my silly-heart and only daughter. Can it be that you are fourteen? That you are standing on the brink of high school and cheerleading and dating? You are gorgeous, sweetheart, inside and out. I cherish our together times, whether washing our faces at the same mirror or figuring out a math problem late at night. The glow in your eyes is the same one that belonged to that pixie-faced four-year-old. The only difference is this: now we don't have forever stretched out before us. Being with you is knowing intrinsically the speed of time, and so I celebrate you, Kelsey, and all we've shared, all we have yet to share as you dance closer to the front door. I love you and thank God for you, sweetheart. To Tyler, my dreamer. How wonderful that God has blessed you with passion and purpose, a plan so big you can't help but breathe it and borrow from it and become it every day of your life. Our time in New York City was something I'll remember forever. And I'm convinced you will always know where your talent came from---whether you're singing on Broadway or playing out a scene in LA, shine for Jesus, Tyler. Shine for Jesus. And no matter what happens, if you quint through the lights, you'll see me and your dad cheering for you from the first row. I love you, Tyler. I couldn't be more proud. To Sean, my humble leader. Watching you among your peers, I am struck by the reality of how quickly you've worked your way into my heart. You've only been in our family for three years, and yet every child in class looks up to you. Of course, God had you in hour hearts long before you came to live with us, and His plans for you continue to play out. Whether you're flying across a basketball court or reading devotions in the morning, your enthusiasm for life and your love for Jesus make you shine like a bright flame. Keep them, Sean. And know that I love you deeply. To Josh, my gentle warrior. I'm convinced if I looked up confidence in the dictionary, there would be your smiling face. You have more determination than a dozen kids combined, and the belief that no matter what task is set before you, you'll not only complete it but redefine it. I'm amazed at your talents, whether in soccer, basketball, mathematics, or artwork. Don't ever forget our family verse, sweetheart. To who much is given, much will be expected. I can't wait to see how God uses you in the years to come. Keep Him first, Josh . . . the way you did when you joyfully went to your room and pulled out half your piggy bank savings so people in Southeast Asia would have Bibles. I love you and I'm so proud of you, honey. To EJ, my overcomer. Before this year, you struggled some. Yet I always knew you were the first chosen one, EJ, the child God first led us to adopt. And because of that, we knew that He had a plan for bringing you into our family, a plan for seeing that through to completion. Now you are blossoming, becoming the most beautiful flower in the garden. Your eyes glow with the light of Christ. and you sit a little taller each day as the compliments pour in. "EJ, that was great seat work," "EJ, what great manners," "EJ, what great sport skills." I need only look at you to feel the sting of tears---and the glory of God's goodness all around. I thank Him for your willingness to see the process through, and I love you, honey. Isn't God the greatest? To Austin, my miracle boy (or Brett Favre, as you're calling yourself these days). Can it be that you are in kindergarten already? What other six-year-old would ask for shoulder pads for his birthday? Not so you can play on a team, but so you can spend hours in the yard decked in your Packers jersey---by yourself or with your brothers---so dedicated to the thrill of sports that no team or game schedule is needed. I watch you growing and becoming, and I think back to that day six years ago, the morning we placed you in the arms of a surgeon and prayed God would give you back to us. Your heart surgery was a miracle, but the greater miracle is the life you've lived since then. Strong, determined, refusing to settle for anything but the best. And yet . . . with all that testosterone you got from Daddy, you have a heart full of my tenderness. I can't slow the ride, Austie, but I can enjoy every minute. I love you and thank God that He allowed you to live. And to God Almighty, the author of life, the greatest author of all, Who has---for now---blessed me with these. | |
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Fear was an owl that rarely lighted on the branches of Kiahna Siefert's heart. | |
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▾References References to this work on external resources.  Wikipedia in English
None ▾Book descriptions Fiction.
Christian Fiction.
HTML: A forgotten secret. A shocking discovery. A sacrifice of love that will bring Connor Evans to his knees. A story of hope and redemption from #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury. Airline pilot Connor Evans and his wife, Michele, seem to be the perfect couple living what looks like a perfect life. Then a plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean. One of the casualties is Kiahna Siefert, a flight attendant Connor knew well. Too well. Kiahna's will is very clear: before her seven-year-old son, Max, can be turned over to the state, he must spend the summer with the father he's never met, the father who doesn't know he exists: Connor Evans. Now will the presence of one lonely child and the truth he represents destroy Connor's family? Or is it possible for healing and hope to appear in the shape of a seven-year-old boy? "[Kingsbury's] ability to accurately express life's sorrows and grief through her characters' inner dialogue rings true time and again." â??Publishers Weekly on Every Now & Then "Her emotionally charged novels often contain a strong romantic component and feature Christians at odds with their everyday world. This title is no exception. Recommend this one to readers who enjoy well-drawn characters and contemporary settings." â??Library Journal on The Baxters Take Fou ▾Library descriptions No library descriptions found. ▾LibraryThing members' description |
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