I have been honored to receive and review many of Loree's books. The "First Responders Series" has been a favorite and I promise, "A Man Of Honor", will not disappoint. It will leave you blessed and wanting more of these blessed characters. Loree is one of the very few gifted writers that brings reality to her penned words. I've read many novels that bless, but Loree adds something more. Every novel doesn't end with the happy ending we long to see happen. She shows the lasting impact that Christ can bring through every situation according to His purpose and plan. I find real beauty in this.
Honor is grown through circumstance and trial. We learn to put down self and allow Christ to live through us. We die to self and put others first. This is what Dusty Parker has done with his life. He has chosen to give. He has given his life to Christ and laid down his rocky past, trusting Christ to turn his present into a lasting future that holds promise. I admire his character and his integrity. He is a man to look up to and one that changes the lives of others by opening up his self and his past. He shares how Jesus has changed his life for the better, giving praise where praise is due.
Grace is one of those characters you just fall in love with. She holds a strength that surpasses anything found in this world alone. She knows who to call upon in times of trouble. She seeks her Savior in every situation. Even though everything is always changing, she knows her Savior remains the same. She opens her home and her heart. I can only hope to be half the woman she is.
We learn forgiveness and hospitality to all. Throughout this novel we learn about hope and change through simply loving those around us with a Christ-like love. Honor comes from giving self and Grace can stand in honor right along with Dusty. Through their lives they leave a legacy sure to live on for generations to come.
We too can learn what reaching out beyond our comfort zone can do. God is bigger than our deepest fears. He can bring joy in the moment when we are unsure of the outcome.
This is a novel that brought tears and left me with a great joy. We see the affects that 9/11 has on these characters. They are rich and real. They feel pain and understand that they can overcome with faith. We get to see each of them grow as they let go and allow love to touch them. I love walking away from a novel having learned powerful lessons while being blessed by a wondrous story. Honor is a calling. It is one to be lived out in faith.
If your looking for a great series, Loree Lough, is a gifted writer, who will bless your socks off. This would make for a wonderful Christmas gift for that book lover in your life. It's filled with love, giving, redemption, healing and overcoming loss.
You can find this book published by Abingdon Press.
This book was a gift from Loree Lough. Look for, "For Love of Eli", out February 2013
Bestselling author LOREE LOUGH once sang for her supper, performing all across the U.S. and Canada. Now and then, she blows the dust from her 6-string to croon a tune or two, but mostly, she just writes (88 novels that earned hundreds of industry and "Readers' Choice" awards and 4- and 5-star reviews). Loree enjoys sharing learned-the-hard-way lessons about the craft and the industry; her comedic approach makes her a favorite lecturer for writers' organizations, book clubs, private and government institutions, and college and high school writing programs in the U.S. and abroad. A writer who believes in giving back, Loree dedicates a generous portion of her income to favorite charities. (Click the "Giving Back" tab at http://www.loreelough.com. Loree and her real-life hero split their time between a home in the Baltimore suburbs and a cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, where she loves showing off her "identify the critter tracks" skills.
