Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

The Weekly Read

Scotland on my mind

My thoughts have turned to Scotland. Privileged to have visited there once, I now long to go back, thanks to Liz Curtis Higgs and Here Burns My Candle.

Higgs once again shows her mastery of taking a familiar Bible story and transplanting it to a different time and place. Here Burns My Candle is the book of Ruth set in mid-1700s Scotland. Ruth and Naomi become Lady Elisabeth Kerr and Lady Marjory Kerr, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, respectively, who face widowhood and loss, and who are changed by faith in the Almighty God.

Knowing the Bible story, I knew, in part, where the story was headed, and I wished it different, at times. Fortunately, finishing Here Burns My Candle is not the end of the women’s journey. It’s really just the beginning. Their journey concludes in the sequel, Mine is the Night, which will soon be on my reading list.

With my mind full of Scottish English and my thoughts fixed on Scotland, I half-jokingly told my husband we shouldn’t delay any longer in applying for passports. I long to walk the streets Higgs describes and let my imagination run wild as I picture the Lady Kerrs going about their business.

Two things I know: I have not yet read a Liz Curtis Higgs book I haven’t liked. Here Burns My Candle continues that streak. And even if I can’t travel to Scotland for a few years, Higgs’ command of words and language will take me there again and again. Check out her other books here. (She has another series set in Scotland that tells the story of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. It’s a page-turner, too.)

Read the first chapter of Here Burns My Candle here and tell me you aren’t hooked on this story.

Check out the trailer below for another taste of the story.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGOeKWCS-zs&feature=player_embedded]

In exchange for this review, I received a free copy of the book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

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A whole new world of parenting

My husband and I used to tell people we wanted to have 8 kids — 4 by birth and 4 by adoption.

Having 2 kids 20 months apart has changed that. So did reading this book. 

I won’t say that “Praying Through Your Adoption” closed the door in my mind to ever adopting a child, but it certainly gave me a lot to think about that I never before considered. Like the sacrifices (not just financial) involved, and the waiting (I’m terrible at waiting!), and the insecurity (will the birth mother change her mind?).

We’re nowhere close to being in a place to be ready to adopt. I knew that before reading. But now I know some of the things that need to happen before we ever begin pursuing it. Things like prayer, most of all, and research. What I appreciated most about this book were the personal stories of victory, frustration, anguish, elation, compassion, submission and reality. The author, Michele C. Scott, shares not only her own family’s story of adopting a son, but dozens of other families’ experiences.

This is a rich resource for anyone considering adoption. And because of that, I would like to give the book away. If you’re considering adoption for the first time, or a second or third time, or know someone who would benefit from this resource, then leave a comment on this blog. On Friday, August 5, I’ll pick a winner using Random.org and post the results here. For additional chances to win a book, visit the Christian Speaker Services blog or check out the Virtual Book Tour on Facebook.

And read on for an interview with the author.

What can you tell us about yourself, your childhood, and the present?

I grew up as an only child in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Faith was a vital part of our family life, so I believed in God from an early age. About mid-way through college, after heartaches and some poor decisions, I decided to trust Jesus and the plans He has for my life. I graduated, moved to the suburbs, and married my husband, Eric. I worked in the corporate world and Christian ministry before becoming a work-at-home mom through adoption.


When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer? 

I started writing poems and stories for fun as a child. I even had a poem published in Highlights for Children. Through high school and college I enjoyed researching and writing papers, but I never considered becoming a professional writer until I wrote Praying Through Your Adoption.

What inspired you to write Praying Through Your Adoption?

I’ve been talking to God in prayer for as long as I can remember. I turned to prayer during our infertility, and I had planned to pray through a pregnancy if that had been God’s plan. While adopting our son from Russia, we experienced painful delays and obstacles, such as increased fees and additional paperwork. At a particularly low point in the adoption process, I participated in an online prayer vigil that directed me to pray for very specific aspects of adoption – from government officials to waiting children. I realized the power of prayer specifically in adoption and saw the need to help other families pray through their adoptions as well.

How did you come up with the title?

Becoming an adoptive family is a process. First, you make decisions about the type of adoption and the age of the child you wish to pursue. Then you work to become approved, educated, and prepared for welcoming and parenting this new child. Praying Through Your Adoption shows families how to rely on God and their faith through the entire journey of creating and nurturing their forever family.

What other life experiences shaped you to write this book?

Wow, many life experiences influenced this book. Our infertility is probably the biggest since the longing and waiting for our son is a large portion of our story. But even getting laid-off right before our adoption, experiencing post-adoption depression, and dealing with special needs made me want to encourage others dealing with similar difficulties.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Retelling my experience with post-adoption depression was hard. After our difficult time becoming parents, I never imagined I’d feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed as a new mom. As much as I wanted to skip over that chapter in my life and in the book, I felt it was important to paint a realistic picture for prospective adoptive families. Thankfully, other adoptive families were willing to share their real-life joys and challenges in the book as well.

What’s one of the most important things people need to know about adoption?

One of my favorite quotes in the book is from the late Derek Loux, an adoptive father of and an advocate for orphans. He said,

“My friends, adoption is redemption. It’s costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. And when He redeems us, we can’t even really appreciate or comprehend it.”

Derek’s words capture so much. There is loss, and, yes, there are sacrifices – financial and otherwise – in adoption. But the rewards for answering God’s call to care for orphans are priceless.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

In writing the book, I had the opportunity to feature around 20 families and their unique adoption stories. No matter the circumstances, I could see the special love that ordinary families experience as forever families. I’m grateful for their transparency and support for this project, and I think the readers will be, too.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

With over 143 million orphans across the globe, I would love to see more families consider adoption. But I deeply respect the person who reads this interview or picks up this book and, for whatever reason, decides adoption is not right for them. I hope they would at least consider providing prayer support and perhaps even financial support to families pursuing adoption.

Where can readers learn more about you and adoption?

I encourage readers to visit www.PrayLoveAdopt.com, a website I created to provide information, encouragement, and prayer support for families in any stage of the adoption journey. Visitors can read an excerpt from Praying Through Your Adoption and order a paperback or e-book copy if they desire. They can also visit my blog, www.MommyForward.com, and my main website, www.MicheleCScott.com to learn more about me and my other projects.

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I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speaker Services (www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com).