Book Excerpts
Excerpts One: The Early Days
When I was a little girl, my dad would tell me that he climbed to the top of the mountain and special-ordered a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, freckle-faced little girl with dimples straight from God, and that’s exactly what he got. I loved that story. “Dad, tell me again how you ordered me from God,” I would say. My dad had a way of making me feel like I was truly his answer to prayer.
I grew up with two older half brothers in a small town in the Northwest. We spent most of our weekends at our cabin along the banks of the Snake River in Hells Canyon. It remains our little piece of heaven on earth. I still try to get there every weekend to escape from town and unwind with my family after a busy work week...
Excerpt Two: Let's Go Back, but Not Stay Long
After graduating high school, I took some business classes at a local community college. I got married and went on to follow my mom’s footsteps at the salon. My husband at the time encouraged me to take the quickest path to a solid income. Any dreams I had of a career that required expensive schooling went out the door.
Let me take you back to that first marriage. I was nineteen, and he was twenty-four. He had goals and drive, and he was tight with his money. He was a huge list maker, and he was faithful. My heart was still broken and scarred from a long, rocky “first love” relationship in high school. Instead of taking time to regroup, I focused on trying to fix and rescue my first husband. He felt like a good choice, although he’d had a rough childhood and came with some demons of his own. I remember thinking to myself, As long as he doesn’t cheat on me, I can handle anything! I thought if I showered him with enough love, I could somehow help him change.