When Joy Came to Stay
Read When Joy Came to Stay Online
Authors: Karen Kingsbury
PRAISE FOR
KAREN KINGSBURY’S BOOKS
When Joy Came to Stay
“Kingsbury confronts hard issues with truth and sensitivity.”
F
RANCINE
R
IVERS, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
L
EOTA’S
G
ARDEN
“Kingsbury’s poignant tale of a lost and broken family and how they experience God’s miraculous healing is a sure guarantee to bring hope and joy to her readers.”
M
ELODY
C
ARLSON, AUTHOR OF
D
IARY OF A
T
EENAGE
G
IRL
“A thought-provoking account of the battle of depression in a believer’s life. It leaves no doubt that God is loving, merciful, and faithful.”
N
ANCY
M
OSER, AUTHOR OF
T
HE
S
EAT
B
ESIDE
M
E
A Moment of Weakness
“With the careful pacing of a seasoned storyteller, Karen Kingsbury spins a tale of love and loss, lies and betrayal, that sent me breathlessly turning pages to discover what might become of Jade and Tanner. These flawed characters are easy to sympathize with…and celebrate with by the story’s end! Contemporary issues of faith and the First Amendment add to the timely message in
A Moment of Weakness.”
L
IZ
C
URTIS
H
IGGS, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
B
OOKENDS
AND
B
AD
G
IRLS OF THE
B
IBLE
“Karen Kingsbury has written a heart-gripping love story
A Moment of Weakness
demonstrates the devastating consequences of wrong choices and the long shadows deception casts over the lives of God’s children. It also shows the even longer reach of God’s providence, grace, and forgiveness.”
R
ANDY
A
LCORN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
S
AFELY
H
OME
AND
T
HE
I
SHBANE
C
ONSPIRACY
“One message shines clear and strong through Karen Kingsbury’s
A Moment of Weakness:
Our loving God is a God of second chances.”
A
NGELA
E
LWELL
H
UNT, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
T
HE
J
USTICE
Waiting for Morning
“What a talent! I love her work.”
G
ARY
S
MALLEY, BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Kingsbury not only entertains but goes a step further and confronts readers with situations that are all too common, even for Christians. At the same time,
Waiting for Morning
will remind believers of God’s mercy and challenge them to pray for America. The book…reveals God’s awesome love and His amazing ability to turn moments of weakness into times of strengthening.”
C
HRISTAIN
R
ETAILING
, S
POTLIGHT
R
EVIEW
From Readers
“Your books are like cheesecake…. One is never enough.”
—C. W.
“I have never had novels affect me as deeply as yours have.”
—L. B.
“I’ve been on a Karen Kingsbury reading binge…I can’t stop reading them!”
—P.B.
“No other author has made me cry and laugh so much in one book.”
—L. L.
“I have never enjoyed reading quite so much. My friends ask me, ‘What are you reading that moves you like that?’”
—B. H.
“I am amazed at how addicted I have become to your books.”
—A. S.
“What a marvelous and huge talent God has given you.”
—L. V.
“You are my favorite author, and I do a lot of reading.”
—L. J.
“If there were more Christian novels like yours, this world would be a better place.”
—A. D.
“You are unbelievably gifted. In my mind, you are to inspirational fiction what Charlie Parker was to the saxophone, what Mark McGwire is to the home run, what Michael Jordan is to basketball, what Tiger Woods is to golf. You are that good.”
—M. A.
“Thank you so much for writing such wonderful books…. They are hazardous to my housework!”
—L. B.
“When I think you can’t top your last book, you go and do it again.”
—D. R.
Donald, who is and has been my very best friend regardless of the storms of life. Thank you for believing in me, loving me, and praying for me as if your life depended on it. Persecution is a promise in the kingdom of God, but with you by my side the lessons we have learned this past year are both vivid and welcomed. My greatest joy is knowing you are by my side, now and forever.
Kelsey, caught somewhere between the oh-so-cute little girl and the tenderly precious young woman whose image grows clearer with each passing season. Whether kicking a soccer ball, mastering a math test, or seeking God’s heart on the daily dilemmas of growing up, you are proving yourself to be intensely committed, deeply devoted, sincere, genuine, and true. I am the most blessed mom in the world to have the privilege of calling you my daughter, my little Norm, my song.
Tyler, tall, strong, and handsome—in the days of becoming, it is clear the type of man you’ll be. And yet now, for a short while, you’re still a little boy, remembering to pick a dandelion for me on family walks. Kind and compassionate, always ready to share, thinking of others. When I look at you, so often I see your daddy. And on many wonderful moments I see your Father, too. If I could bottle your zest for life, your sincerity, and share them with others, the world would be a different place.
Keep your eyes on the goal, son; God has great plans for you. I love you always.
Austin, no longer making baby steps but running through our house and our hearts. It’s marvelous to see the way God has made you focused—gifted with the ability to master an action regardless of the time and energy involved. Even more amazing are the glimpses of a tender heart beneath the toughness—“Daddy, I’m going to kiss your wife…”
Mingled with your three-year-old laughter are words that will ring through the decades. I remain always in awe of the miracle of your life.
And to my loving Lord and Savior, who has, for now, blessed me with these.
As with all my books, this one was written with the help of many friends and professionals who made it ring true literally and sing true spiritually. Writing about depression is not something I’ve done before; although I’ve wrestled with testing and persecutions, battling depression has never been one of my trials. For that reason I did extensive research on what I came to understand as an illness and drew heavily from the results God brought my way.
In this light I especially want to thank my dear friend, Sylvia Wallgren—a Christian counselor and licensed psychiatrist—for giving me understanding. In a way that was both miraculous and timely, the Lord ordained that Sylvia and I meet. She also is a prayer warrior and lifted me up to heaven’s throne daily as I wrote this book. I strongly suspect Sylvia will be a treasured friend—part of my close, close circle—throughout our journey here and on into eternity. Sylvia, I can’t tell you strongly enough how much your daily encouragement and e-mailed prayers meant to me, still mean to me. I thank God for you.
Again, thanks go to my amazing editor, Karen Ball, who takes my work and fine-tunes it so that the music you hear is truly a thing of beauty Karen, you’re a gifted editor, and I am blessed for knowing you, working with you.
To the Multnomah family, from my dear friends in sales to those in publicity, marketing, editorial, management, cover design, endorsements, and everyone in between—you are the most amazing people to work for. Every now and then, in the quiet moments before dawn, I find myself in awe that this is my job and you are my coworkers. I believe God is taking our books someplace we’ve never imagined before! Thank you, a million times over.
Like last year, thanks to Kristy and Jeff Blake for taking care of my precious angel child during those hours when I absolutely needed a moment to write.
Also a special thanks to my niece Shannon Kane, to Jan Adams, and to Joan Westfall for always being the first in line to read my books and give me valuable feedback. Also to my other family and friends for your love, support, and encouragement in every aspect of my writing. Especially my mom and dad, who have been there since my first stapled, colored-in book at age five.
With every book I write there are people who pray for me and lend an ear while I talk plots and character traits. These are my special, oh-so-close friends and sisters in Christ, the golden ones who will never change or leave regardless of the passing of days. You know who you are and how precious each of you are to me and my family May God continue to richly bless our friendships.
There are nights in the midst of writing a book when leftovers are the best thing going at dinnertime and the laundry is piled to the ceiling. For those times and any others when I might have been just a tad preoccupied, I thank my incredible husband and sweethearted children—I couldn’t do this without the combined efforts from each of you.
And thanks to the Skyview basketball team, for always giving me a reason to cheer, even on deadline.
