Shades of Blue Read online

  WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT KAREN KINGSBURY’S BOOKS

  Karen’s book Oceans Apart changed my life. She has an amazing gift of bringing a reader into her stories. I can only pray she never stops writing.

  Susan L.

  Everyone should have the opportunity to read or listen to a book by Karen Kingsbury. It should be in the Bill of Rights.

  Rachel S.

  I want to thank Karen Kingsbury for what she is doing with the power of her storytelling — touching hearts like mine and letting God use her to change the world for Him.

  Brittney N.

  Karen Kingsbury’s books are filled with the unshakable, remarkable, miraculous fact that God’s grace is greater than our suffering. There are no words for Ms. Kingsbury’s writing.

  Wendie K.

  Because I loaned these books to my mother, she BECAME a Christian! Thank you for a richer life here and in heaven!

  Jennifer E.

  When I read my first Karen Kingsbury book, I couldn’t stop…. I read thirteen more in one summer!

  Jamie B.

  I have never read anything so uplifting and entertaining. I’m shocked as I read each new release because it’s always better than the last one.

  Bonnie S.

  I am unable to put your books down, and I plan to read many more of them. What a wonderful spiritual message I find in each one!

  Rhonda T.

  I love the way Karen Kingsbury writes, and the topics she chooses to write about! Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us, your readers!

  Barbara S.

  My husband is equally hooked on your books. It is a family affair for us now! Can’t wait for the next one.

  Angie

  I can’t even begin to tell you what your books mean to me…. Thank you for your wonderful books and the way they touch my life again and again.

  Martje L.

  Every time our school buys your next new book, everybody goes crazy trying to read it first!

  Roxanne

  Recently I made an effort to find GOOD Christian writers, and I’ve hit the jackpot with Karen Kingsbury!

  Linda

  When Karen Kingsbury calls her books “Life-Changing FictionTM,” she’s merely telling the unvarnished truth. I’m still sorting through the changes in my life that have come from reading just a few of her books!

  Robert M.

  I must admit that I wish I were a much slower reader … or you were a much faster writer. Either way, I can’t seem to get enough of Karen Kingsbury’s books!

  Jillian B.

  I was offered fifty dollars one time in the airport for the fourth book in the Redemption Series. The lady’s husband just couldn’t understand why I wasn’t interested in selling it. Through sharing Karen’s books with my friends, many have decided that contemporary Christian fiction is the next best thing to the Bible. Thank you so much, Karen. It is truly a God-thing that you write the way you do.

  Sue Ellen H.

  Karen Kingsbury’s books have made me see things in ways that I had never thought about before. I have to force myself to put them down and come up for air!

  Tabitha H.

  Other Life-Changing Fiction TM by Karen Kingsbury

  9/11 Series

  One Tuesday Morning

  Beyond Tuesday Morning

  Every Now and Then

  Lost Love Series

  Even Now

  Ever After

  Above the Line Series

  Above the Line: Take One

  Above the Line: Take Two

  Above the Line: Take Three

  (spring 2010)

  Above the Line: Final Cut

  (summer 2010)

  Stand-Alone Titles

  Shades of Blue

  Oceans Apart

  Between Sundays

  This Side of Heaven

  When Joy Came to Stay

  On Every Side

  Divine

  Like Dandelion Dust

  Where Yesterday Lives

  Redemption Series

  Redemption

  Remember

  Return

  Rejoice

  Reunion

  Firstborn Series

  Fame

  Forgiven

  Found

  Family

  Forever

  Sunrise Series

  Sunrise

  Summer

  Someday

  Sunset

  Red Glove Series

  Gideon’s Gift

  Maggie’s Miracle

  Sarah’s Song

  Hannah’s Hope

  Forever Faithful Series

  Waiting for Morning

  Moment of Weakness

  Halfway to Forever

  Women of Faith Fiction Series

  A Time to Dance

  A Time to Embrace

  Cody Gunner Series

  A Thousand Tomorrows

  Just Beyond the Clouds

  Children’s Titles

  Let Me Hold You Longer

  Let’s Go on a Mommy Date

  We Believe in Christmas

  The Princess and the

  Three Knights

  Let’s Go Have a Daddy Day

  (spring 2010)

  Miracle Collections

  A Treasury of Christmas Miracles

  A Treasury of Miracles for

  Women

  A Treasury of Miracles for Teens

  A Treasury of Miracles for

  Friends

  A Treasury of Adoption Miracles

  Gift Books

  Stay Close Little Girl

  Be Safe Little Boy

  Forever Young: Ten Gifts of Faith

  for the Graduate

  ZONDERVAN

  Shades of Blue

  Copyright © 2009 by Karen Kingsbury

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

  Mobi Edition October 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-56414-0

  This title is also available as a Zondervan ebook.

  Visit www.zondervan.com/ebooks.

  This title is also available in a Zondervan audio edition.

  Visit www.zondervan.fm.

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

  Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

  * * *

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Kingsbury, Karen.

  Shades of blue / Karen Kingsbury.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978-0-310-26694-5

  I. Title.

  PS3561.I4873S53 2009

  813’.54—dc22 2009028795

  * * *

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

  The verse on page 224 is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. All rights reserved.

  Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.r />
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com

  Interior design by Michelle Espinoza

  DEDICATION

  * * *

  To Donald, my Prince Charming …

  This is the fall we’ve been waiting for, my love. All our boys at our wonderful Christian school, and you there teaching and coaching in the midst of it all. For two decades I’ve watched other people’s kids be blessed by your talents as a teacher and coach, and now … finally … those kids will be our very own. I rejoice every day as I watch you and the boys drive off to school together. In this very short season, I can’t wait to see how God uses your time with our precious young men, in helping them learn, in mentoring them, in giving them the great privilege of being the coach’s sons. The list is long. I only know that after so many years of praying and dreaming about this time, I don’t want to miss a minute of it. Thank you for your faithfulness, my love. For consistently loving me and our kids, for always leading us back to the Lord again and again and again. Thank you for praying about this wild and amazing ministry of Life-Changing Fiction TM and for supporting me through every step. I love you more now than ever, if that’s possible. The music plays on, in this great scene in the story of our lives. Let’s keep dancing, keep singing, and keep falling deeper in love with every glorious day. I love you always and forever.

  To Kelsey, my precious daughter …

  I remember six months ago putting your birthday in my countdown clock on my phone and looking at the seconds as they fell away. Because even if I stared at those numbers for a long time, I couldn’t quite grasp that my baby girl would be twenty this 7 year. And now … here you are. No longer a teenager. Along the way of your wonderful childhood we ushered in so many beautiful chapters. Watching you grow to a toddler we lost the baby you once were. But we were dizzy with love over what we had gained. Then we watched you grow into a preschooler, chattering and tossing your long blonde hair and making best friends with our cat, Orky. Along the way we lost the toddler, but we were in awe of what we had gained. And it’s been that way with every stage of your life. We no longer have that sweet baby or the curious toddler. The precocious preschooler and the kind kindergartner are also gone. We’ve said good-bye to Kelsey the grade school girl, and we let go of the tomboy middle schooler with mud stains on her soccer uniform. The high school girl with braces on her teeth and a song on her lips has grown and gone away too. And yet there you stand, a part of all of those girls, but at the same time all grown up. A beautiful, faithful young woman. Kelsey, from the time you were very little we said you were one-in-a-million. Now that you’ve come this far, you’ve proven us right. You love God, you treasure your relationship with me and your dad and your brothers, and you are choosing to live for the Lord with every decision you make. We are so proud of you, honey. God’s great plans for your life are right here on the brink. Keep on, sweetheart. Because one day we’ll look back and remember the short time when you were a college girl, twenty years old, with all of life ahead of you. I love you so much, honey. You’ll always be my little Norm.

  To Tyler, my lasting song …

  I love that you are branching out, Ty, that you’ve taken time to write music and work on your piano playing. One of the highlights of this past year was the moment when you told me you absolutely knew God was leading you into a future of Christian music. Then watching you start to pen songs from the overflow of your heart, songs that talked about God’s greatness and purpose, His mercy and grace. How great is our God, that He would lead you in this direction. I’ve also seen your heart grow attached to the special friends in your life who love God as much as you do. Another gift from our Lord. I am so grateful for your place at our local Christian school! I’ve seen your faith become strong and personal, and I’ve watched you hold your shoulders back, head high as you lead with compassion and set an example for your peers. Keep pushing the limits, Ty. And as you take the stage for whatever’s next this year, know that I’ll be cheering you on. Let’s enjoy this coming season, and the ones that follow it. With your Dad there teaching you in so many ways, I see you becoming more like him with every passing season. Your music fills our home, and I can’t imagine the deafening silence that lies in the not-too-distant future when you go off to college. In the meantime, keep singing for Him. I am so proud of you, Son. I love you always.

  To Sean, my happy sunshine …

  I love your heart, Sean. I love that you are always looking for a chance to sidle up to me and talk about every topic that breezes through your heart. You and I can sit for hours talking about different job descriptions, or the state of our nation’s faith or political climate. We talk about God and heaven and why it is that some people won’t turn their hearts to Him. One of the things you’ve often said lately is that you don’t know how you’ll learn to be a grown-up. “What if I don’t know how to pay bills?” you’ll ask. Or, “I won’t have any idea how to run a house, Mom.” And sometimes, “I hope I make it as a pro athlete, because I’m not sure I can do anything else very well.” It touches my heart that you care so much about the future and what’s ahead. But our job — your dad’s and mine — is to help you relax a little. God will make the next step clear when it’s time for you to take it. Kids don’t become grown-ups all at once or overnight — even though it sometimes feels that way to us. God will walk you through it, and we will too. I guess the great thing is that you care so much. You’re a conscientious young man with a great heart for God. Not long ago I told you that as you got older, if you went to the public high school, you’d either end up very lonely — the way Kelsey was through high school — or you’d get dragged into the incessant partying and immoral choices of most athletes at our local school. I love how you’ve watched for whether I was right. Just the other day you said, “I’m so glad we’re going to the Christian high school. Remember what you said about being lonely? Well, last weekend the kids we know had a big party, and me and Josh didn’t get invited.” You had a knowing look in your eyes. “It’s because they know we won’t drink, Mom. So you were right about being lonely around that crowd.” I wanted to stand up and shout, “Yay for God!!” We are so blessed to have you boys starting high school with your dad at such a wonderful school. I can’t wait to see all the ways you grow in the coming years, and how you start to understand the details of life that today seem so elusive. And don’t worry about being a pro athlete, Sean. You’re great at lots and lots of things. I love you so much. Hold tight to Jesus. In life, He’ll help you suit up exactly where He wants you to play.

  To Josh, my tenderhearted perfectionist …

  Starting a new school and leaving friends you’ve known all your life is never easy. Yet you, my dear son, have made this transition with optimism and faith — and for that I will always be grateful. It was the same way when Dad homeschooled you boys for those years. You didn’t complain, but rather looked for the positive in each situation. That’s the case now, and I know that God will bless you for it. You have embraced the new kids at your Christian high school, knowing that it is a different situation than the one you would’ve found at our major public school. There won’t be crowds of kids, but there will be a class you’ll be close to, and pep assemblies that are more fun than what’s happening down the street. And there won’t be the constant pressure to drink and party, nor the assumption that as a star athlete you’ll have physical relationships with girls. For the most part, you will be surrounded by kids like yourself. In making this decision, your dad and I prayerfully asked God where you and your brothers belonged. God made it very clear. We know you would’ve been a
standout athlete at the big public school, but that is not what this time in your life is about. We did not adopt you so that you could be popular or have your name in the headlines. Rather, we brought you here asking God that we might raise you as a godly young man, one who will honor Him and one who will lead your future family and generations to come with the faith and knowledge you learned here with us. Here’s the cool thing. You’ll be even more of a standout at your smaller Christian school. And you’ll be a leader too. I can’t wait to watch it all play out, Josh. I’ll be in the front row, cheering you on always. I love you so much! Hold on to Jesus!

  To EJ, my chosen one …

  What I love about you, EJ, is the way you’re always surprising us. You have the driest sense of humor in the family, often making us burst out loud with laughter at the things you say. Though you’re easily the quietest of the kids, you are very perceptive, knowing just when to say the right thing and finding perfect timing to put a smile on our faces. But the words you said the other day made me smile in a different way. One of your siblings was commenting that getting A’s wasn’t that important. As long as a class was passed, that was what mattered. You gave a puzzled look. “Not me. I say get the highest grade of all. That way you can do anything you want when you grow up.” Now, for some kids that might be the natural response or something they might’ve repeated based on a parent’s teaching. Not you. For years you would grow bored of school and we would struggle to keep you interested. Then, after being homeschooled by your dad, you had a change of heart. You try harder than anyone, and you look with anticipation for your report card. You’ve been on the honor roll at school for the past few years, and now I know why. You want the chance to grow up to be whatever you want to be. I couldn’t be happier about that, EJ. Whether God has in mind for you to be a pastor or a doctor, a politician or a civic leader, a businessman or a teacher and coach like your dad, you’ll go after the dream and you’ll get it. Because God will honor your determination to try. I’m so glad you’re finding your strength in Him. He is all that matters in the end. We are thrilled with all you’re becoming, all you desire to be. Keep your eyes on Jesus. I love you so much.