Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Archives for November 2012

A warm story for a cold night: a review of Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund

It’s no secret: Jody Hedlund is one of my new favorite authors. She is skilled at taking historical people and events, wrapping them in a compelling plot, and writing can’t-put-them-down novels. Her two previous releases The Preacher’s Bride and The Doctor’s Lady are fun AND informative. Hedlund does her research.

And as much as I enjoyed those books, I LOVED her latest, Unending Devotion, even more. I was looking forward to the release so much that I bought an ebook copy before I’d heard that I’d be given a copy from the publisher to review. (So, lucky you, I’m going to give my copy away! Read on to find out how to win.)

Unending Devotion is the story of a passionate woman driven to make things right. Lily Young travels through Central Michigan logging towns in search of her sister, whom she fears is living in forced prostitution. Along the way, she rescues other women caught in the bondage of an overlooked slavery. In one such town, she meets Connell McCormick (who is just as enchanting on the page as his name sounds!), whom she doesn’t realize is the son of a lumber baron.

Sparks fly between the two, who don’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to the lumber business and the houses of ill repute that some think are necessary for a logging camp to thrive. Lily is reckless when it comes to tracking down her sister. Connell is cautious and eager to please his father. Both are in search of truth and freedom, and it’s a journey I couldn’t turn away from.

I don’t often read a work of fiction twice, but I would read this book again.

Lily is an inspiring heroine, even if she is sometimes blinded to danger by her love for her sister. And Connell is a conflicted hero who wants to do right by everybody but finds himself needing to choose whom he’s going to please and whether the consequences of that choice will be worth it.

This is a beautiful story of calling, purpose, freedom, redemption and love. And while the characters themselves are fictional, the circumstances about which Hedlund writes are historical. I’ve learned a lot lately about the current tragedy of human sex trafficking but never considered that sexual slavery is not a new problem, and even in the 19th century in the United States, it was a problem.

I would 100 percent recommend this book. Total winner.

If you still aren’t convinced, then check out the book trailer below. You won’t be sorry about reading this book.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OssvMSaSeQ4&feature=g-upl]

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In exchange for my review, I received a free copy of Unending Devotion from Bethany House Publishers.

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AND NOW … the moment you’ve all been waiting for! I have ONE copy of Unending Devotion to give away. So, how can you win?

1. Leave a comment below telling me your favorite setting (time period and/or geographical location) for a historical novel. That’ll get you ONE entry.

2. Check out Jody Hedlund’s Facebook page and “like” her. Come back here and leave a comment that you’ve done that. (Or if you already “like” her, tell me that, too.) That’s another entry.

3. Share this giveaway! Post it to Facebook, tweet about it (tag me @lmbartelt and Jody @jodyhedlund in your message) or e-mail it to a friend. Comment telling me what you did. You’ll get one entry for however you share about the giveaway.

Overall, that’s THREE chances to win.

I’ll pick a winner via Random.org and post the name on Monday, December 3. Good luck to all!

Have it your way

I’ve been reading a book that tells, in fiction style, stories of biblical men who led the Israelites out of Egypt and while wandering in the desert. They followed the Lord’s leading — a cloud by day; a pillar by night. When God moved, they moved. They didn’t know where they were going or how long they would stay once they got there, wherever “there” was, or whether they’d have water or food or shade. The Lord led them and they followed, totally dependent on His faithfulness and goodness.

And if your familiar with this story at all, you know that the people didn’t follow without complaint. They whined and complained and wished for slavery again even though they were free. And God answered even their whining.

He gave them what they asked, but sent leanness into their soul. — Psalm 106:15

A certain fast food burger joint made a name for themselves by telling customers: “have it your way.” Meaning, of course, that a customer could personalize and customize his burger to suit his tastes.

I wonder what this says about our mentality as a culture. Has having things “our way” made us lean in soul?

I often tell my kids, maybe not in the same words but with the same meaning, “Okay, have it your way.” As in, you don’t want to nap today? Okay, have it your way, but you’ll be in bed after dinner. Or, you don’t want to pick up your toys right now? Okay, have it your way, you’ll miss out on stories because you’ll be cleaning up?

This use of “have it your way” is completely different than what the burger chain intended. And I wonder if it’s what God meant when he gave the complaining Israelites what they asked for.

Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say a version of this back to God: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Some days, I feel like I’m fighting to have my way with the day and when I come to the end of myself, I throw up my hands and say, “Fine, God, have it Your way.” Where I want to be is in a place where I start the day saying, “Your will be done,” even if it means I deny myself what I want to do and instead do what the Lord leads.

Today, I have fought to get a few minutes on the computer — to blog, to read a few articles, to answer some e-mail. Instead, I’ve bought groceries, washed dishes, played games with the kids and now I’m in an epic battle with our son for a nap while fielding unending requests from our daughter about a snack. I only have so many hours before I have to start dinner and my husband gets home and then it’s bedtime routine and then I’m exhausted and there goes my day.

I was called to be a writer before I was called to be a parent, and both things are important to me. I will fight for both of them with everything I have but one will inevitably be the loser. (Honestly, all you author moms out there, I don’t know how you do it and I wonder if I’m doing this whole thing wrong.) And when I choose my kids and their urgent needs, a part of my writing life dies.

Saying to God, “Your will be done” is no easy or painless thing.

In another book I’m reading, the author describes this petition of the Lord’s prayer this way:

How different from the prayers of “help me get my way,” “make everything turn out the way I want it to” and “bless my projects” that we are so often disposed to offer! The more we are able to internalize this petition–“Thy will be done”–the more complete our journey to maturity in Christ.

So if asking God to give us what we want produces a leanness of soul, then asking for His will to be done must produce the opposite: a meaty, muscular faith and trust that can withstand the toughest of challenges.

Oh, how I’d much rather be a couch potato Christian. Instead God calls His followers to walk in faith, to exercise trust and to submit to His leadership.

Every day, we are faced with the same choice: to have it our way or to say to God, have it Your way.

So, which will it be?