Take Four (32 page)

Now, if you’re like me…you’re about to scream because of one aspect of
Take Four
. What in the world is going to happen with Bailey and Cody and Brandon Paul, right? Good! I hope that’s how you feel. Their story is absolutely not finished.

But it will be.

Next year I will debut the Bailey Flanigan series. It’ll have plenty of interaction with the Baxters, more about the Flanigans, and dozens of triumphant and sometimes tragic adventures that God has already laid upon my heart. I can’t wait to write them, and I can’t wait for you to read them. There will be four books, and the first will be called
Leaving
. You can find out more on my website—KarenKingsbury.com!

With that in mind, please know the series I’ve just finished dealt with very emotional, very difficult issues. The idea of a missionary kid heading off to college and going off the deep end is disturbing. Very disturbing. I allowed Andi to get in trouble, because that’s what so many Christian kids do when they go away to college. The truth is, Andi’s experimenting and compromising were very tame compared to some of the real-life dramas playing
out on our college campuses. I know, because so many of you have written to me about the heartache caused by your kids, and the way you’re praying for them.

I would say this, I guess. Before you send your kids away to school, make sure they’re really ready. There’s no shame in junior college near home and then a transfer to a four-year school. And if your student is ready as a freshman for the adventure of college life away from home…pray for them every day, throughout the day. And keep lines of communication open. They will be around some of the craziest kids, doing the wildest things, and they will be hearing lectures that could shake their foundations—in many cases.

When God gave me the Above the Line series, I knew He wanted me to tackle this subject—the subject of what can happen to a Christian teenager away at college. I hope you’ve seen not only the pitfalls and temptations, but also the consequences of choosing those temptations—and in turn the redemption that could only come by finding the way back to the Lord.

In addition, of course, these books were about the power of film. I posted a question on my Facebook about whether you, my reader friends, would like to see the Baxters as a TV series. In less than 12 hours I had more than a thousand positive responses. So you understand the power of film, the need for quality programming for our families. But the road to making those sorts of movies and TV shows happen is marked with pitfalls and temptations. In the end when producers have a goal like Keith and Dayne had, it only succeeds by God’s grace.

So hopefully this series will remind you to pray for the growing number of Hollywood producers making films with a Christian message. The battle for the hearts and minds of our generation has never been more fierce. And so we must pray.

Now…guess what my next stand alone book is?

That’s right—
Unlocked
!

As I wrote in
Take Three
and
Take Four
about Keith and Dayne making a movie based on
Unlocked
—a national bestseller, a story about autism and bullying and the miracle of friendship—a thought finally occurred to me.

I had to write the book.

Unlocked
has pressed in and around my heart for a few years, and it will be one of my strongest ever. God gave me the complete outline on a recent cross-country flight from Dulles Airport to Portland. Twenty-four pages of handwritten notes in a spiral bound notebook. When I was finished, I was quietly crying—the story is that real and rich in my heart. I can see Bailey playing Ella, and Brandon Paul playing Holden Harris. I can see every aspect of the story, and now you can share that with me.
Unlocked
comes out this fall, and I can only thank God, because the story feels like such a gift. And maybe one day a real-life Dayne Matthews will want to turn it into a movie. Only God knows! Look for
Unlocked
and find me on Facebook so you can tell me your thoughts!

As always, I look forward to hearing your feedback on
Take Four
and the entire Above the Line series. Take a minute and visit my website at www.KarenKingsbury.com, where you can find my contact information and my guestbook. And guess what? You can even join the Baxter Family club—where you’ll get every book as a Collector Signature edition—and every book comes with a Baxter Family newsletter tucked inside. There’s no membership fee, but spots in the club are limited.

I’m also on Facebook every day! I have Latte Time, where I’ll take a half hour or so, pour all of you a virtual latte, and take questions. We have a blast together, so if you’re not on my Facebook Friend page, please join today. Check under “pages.” The group of friends there is very special, indeed.

In addition, feel free to write me a private letter or post a public guestbook entry about how God is using these books in
your life. It’s all Him, and it always will be. He puts the story in my heart and He has your face in mind. All Him. It’s helpful for other readers to see how God is working, so please stop by and leave a comment.

Also on my website you can check out my upcoming events page, so you can see where I’ll be speaking at an Extraordinary Women or other event near you. As this book releases, we’re even having the first annual Baxter Family Reunion in Bloomington, Indiana! If you’re not here with me now, then plan to come next year. Details are—of course—on my website. Also, on my website you can get to know other readers, and become part of a community that agrees there is life-changing power in something as simple as a story. You can post prayer requests on my website or read those already posted and pray for those in need. You can send in a photo of your loved one serving our country, or let us know of a fallen soldier we can honor on our Fallen Heroes page.

My website also tells you about my ongoing contests including Shared a Book, which encourages you to tell me when you’ve shared one of my books with someone. Each time you email me about this, you’re entered for the chance to spend a summer weekend with my family. In addition, everyone signed up for my monthly newsletter is automatically entered into an ongoing once-a-month drawing for a free, signed copy of my latest novel. There are links on my website that will help you with matters that are important to you—faith and family, adoption, and ways to reach out to others. Of course, on my site you can also find out a little more about me and my family, my Facebook, and Twitter and my YouTube channel.

Finally, if you gave your life to God during the reading of this book, or if you found your way back to a faith you’d let grow cold, send me a letter at [email protected] and write
New Life
in the subject line. I would encourage you to connect with a Bible-believing church in your area, and get hold of a Bible. But
if you can’t get hold of one, can’t afford one, and don’t already have one, write
Bible
in the subject line. Tell me how God used this book to change your life, and then include your address in your email. My wonderful publisher Zondervan has supplied me with free copies of the New Testament, so that if you are unable to find a Bible or afford a Bible any other way, I can send you one. I’ll pay for shipping.

One last thing. I’ve started a program where I will donate a book to any high school or middle school librarian who makes a request. Check my website for details.

Again, thanks for journeying with me through the pages of this book. I can’t wait to see you in the fall for
Unlocked—
the story everyone is talking about! until then, my friends, keep your eyes on the cross, and don’t forget…we’re all missionaries one way or another, called to make a difference in the place where God has placed us.

In His light and love,

Karen Kingsbury

www.KarenKingsbury.com

1. Whenever I reach the end of a series, I take stock of the lessons learned. What did you learn reading the Above the Line Series? How did God speak to you through the four books?
   
2. Keith Ellison had a dream to change the culture through the power of film. How did God make that dream a reality? How was the reality different from what Keith might’ve pictured at the beginning?
   
3. What movie have you seen that left you closer to God and your family? Talk about what aspect of the movie was most powerful.
   
4. Another theme throughout this series was the struggle our young people face on college campuses across our nation. What personal experience do you have in these struggles? Share an example.
   
5. Do you think a series like Above the Line could help educate parents and college kids about the pitfalls of going away to school? Was there anything about the situations depicted in this series that surprised you? Do you think the real atmosphere on college campuses is better or worse than what was depicted?
   
6. What were Andi’s struggles during this series? Why do you think she rebelled so completely from the truth she’d been raised with?
   
7. Do you personally know of any students who walked away from their faith during their college years? What caused them to rebel? How did their stories end up?
   
8. Bailey struggled in ways that were different from Andi Ellison.
   What were Bailey’s struggles throughout the series, and what caused her to recognize them?
   
9. What’s one thing you can do to help a college student in your life? Do you think a group like Campus Crusade is helpful to kids living at school away from home? How can you support such an effort?
   
10. Through prayer, Andi decided to give her baby up for adoption. Do you know anyone in your life who has done this? What were their struggles?
    
11. How did Andi process her decision? Explain how her feelings sometimes changed in regard to giving up her baby.
    
12. The idea that Andi would choose Luke and Reagan Baxter to parent her child was a miracle in the Baxter family. Adoption is often associated with many different types of miracle stories. Share an adoption story you’re familiar with. How has that situation touched your life?
    
13. James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” How has this verse personally affected your life?
    
14. Bailey realized too late that she hadn’t made an effort to reach out to Cody or his mother. Instead she was too caught up in her own world to take the time to contact them. Is there someone in your life who maybe needs more of your love and time? What could you do to reach out?
    
15. Brandon Paul experienced a life-changing transformation in
    Take Four
    . What led to his decision years earlier to walk away from his faith in God? What are your thoughts on what Brandon’s parents said to him back then?
    
16. Do you know anyone who walked away from God because of something someone said, or because they weren’t treated with love? Tell about this person or this time?
    
17. Like Brandon Paul, it’s easy to be angry at God because
    of something someone else did to hurt us. Read Romans 8:28 – 39. What is the truth about God’s love for us—according to the Bible? What does Romans 8:28 mean to you?
    
18. What impact would happen in our culture if a highly visible celebrity chose to become a Christian? What good might come as a result? What risk is there in holding up celebrities for everyone to emulate—even when they have a very real faith?
    
19. Can you think of a highly visible celebrity—in any aspect of life (sports, arts, music, etc.)—who has a genuine and active faith? What good has that person done for our culture? What cautions must we keep in place regarding our heroes of the faith?
    
20. Explain the victories Keith Ellison realized along the journey of the Above the Line series. Give examples of how he saw God working even in the difficult times. God calls all of us to be missionaries where He has placed us. In what way are you a missionary in your world?
    

Karen Kingsbury,
New York Times Bestselling Author

Holden Harris, 18, is locked in a prison of autism where he’s been since he was a happy, boisterous three-year-old. At school he is bullied by kids who do not understand that despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal on the inside, where he lives in a private world all his own.

Then one day the head cheerleader and star of the high school drama production is rehearsing when Holden stops and listens, clearly drawn to the music. Ella Reynolds notices and takes an interest in him, learning about autism and eventually helping Holden win a spot in the school play.

At the same time Ella makes a dramatic discovery. Long ago, her parents and Holden’s parents were good friends, and she and Holden played together until his diagnosis of autism, at which time Ella’s mother distanced herself from the friendship.

Not until a tragedy takes place at the high school does Ella take a public stand against the way the more popular privileged kids treat those who are different. At the same time, Ella continues to be a friend to Holden and in time their mothers realize that something special is happening. Hurts from the past are dealt with and all around Holden miracles begin to happen in various relationships. The greatest miracle is the change in Holden, himself, and everyone is stunned by the transformation they witness. Ultimately, the community comes to understand that many people walk around in a personal prison and that only by love and faith can the doors become unlocked, the way they dramatically do for Holden Harris.