A Promise Kept (30 page)
This is the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it . . .
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (NASB)
My prayer for you, dear reader, is that your eyes may be open to all of the unexpected ways God is keeping His promises to you, now and in the years to come.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin Lee Hatcher
www.robinleehatcher.com
Reading Group Guide
1) Allison moved to a new place to begin her life anew. Have you ever done the same? How did you settle in and become part of your new setting?
2) Before Allison moved to Kings Meadow, she had drifted away from church and other believers because she felt like a failure. Have you ever allowed your faith to “drift”? How did you find your way back?
3) Alcoholism is sometimes called a “disease of secrets” because family members often hide what is happening in the home. Has your life been impacted by a loved one with addictions of any kind? If so, have you been able to reach out to someone to help you find healing and hope?
4) Emma thought that marriage would fill the need in her heart. Then she thought a child would fill that need. Have you looked for fulfillment in people or situations rather than in Christ? What were the end results?
5) Allison learns to accept her “new normal.” Have you had to do the same? Can you share how God helped you with it?
6) Emma kept journals for decades, and Allison began following her example. Do you journal? If so, do you find that God speaks to you through this exercise?
7) God saves Allison and Tony’s marriage by first allowing it to crumble. How has God answered prayers in your life in totally unexpected ways?
8) Tony and Allison used verses from Psalm 118 for their wedding vows. Are you able to look at sometimes difficult experiences in your own life and see that “this is the Lord’s doing” and it is marvelous in your eyes?
Acknowledgments
Thanks first and foremost to my husband, Jerry, who has given me the freedom to use our lives as the inspiration for
A Promise Kept
(among other stories).
Thanks to Ami for the encouragement to write the story that was on my heart. You are a writer’s delight!
Thanks to Natasha for being such a great partner in my crazy life as a novelist.
Thanks to the ladies who plot, play, and pray every summer in Coeur d’Alene: Brandilyn Collins, Francine Rivers, Gayle DeSalles, Janet Ulbright, Karen Ball, Mama Ruth, Sharon Dunn, Sunni Jeffers, Tamera Alexander, and Tricia Goyer. You have spoken faith and hope into my life for more than a decade, and I cannot imagine going through life without all of you in it. You didn’t help brainstorm this particular book, but your handprints are all over it just the same.
About the Author
Photo by J. L. Whitt Photography
Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.
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