Like A Cedar In Lebanon
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Lebby was a vibrant, affectionate sixteen year old when Jack first came to their church. She was the youngest of four children and adored by her family. She was a tender, quiet girl, embracing life with a wide-eyed innocence and exuberance that captivated those around her. Always a beautiful child, by the time she turned seventeen, she was a stunning young lady with long blonde hair, a shapely body, deep blue eyes framed by long, dark lashes, and a smile that could melt anyone’s heart. Her beauty did not go unnoticed by Jack. He began spending more time at her house, presumably to talk with her parents about church business. Lebby was flattered when he began to pay attention to her, and it didn’t take long for the sweet, naïve, inexperienced young lady to develop her first crush. At seventeen, Lebby thought she was in love, convinced she had found the man of her dreams, the one she wanted to marry and have babies with. That he seemed enamored by her only fueled her feelings. She thought it endearing that he was the only one who ever called her by her full name, Lebanon. “Lebby is the one who belongs to everyone else,” he told her. “Lebanon belongs only to me.”
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About the Book
Sweet, naïve Lebby (Lebanon) has a wonderful life as the youngest child of a minister in the small community of Yacolt, Washington. Her world is shattered when she’s swept off her feet by the handsome, experienced Jack, who arrives to be the youth pastor in her parents’ church. Behind Jack’s charm lurks a very troubled young man. By the time Lebby realizes what she’s always wanted, who she really loves, is her childhood friend, Ethan, it’s too late. Convinced she has no choice but to marry Jack, they leave Yacolt together. Later she’s forced to flee with her two babies and go into hiding.
Will she eventually be free to be with Ethan? Will she learn true forgiveness as the story of Jack’s tragic and troubled childhood unfolds? Can she forgive the man who forced her into hiding?
Jack spends years struggling to find God, who he feels abandoned him, all the while leaving a trail of broken dreams and broken relationships. His search for his wife and children takes him on a journey from jail to a rehabilitation facility to a stint as an army chaplain in the Gulf War.
This is a story of hope, redemption, a woman’s strength and victory, and a father’s love and legacy for his children.
About the Author
Leola Ogle went to work at Phoenix Teen Challenge in 1992 and retired in 2011. She’s devoted her retirement years to her passion to write. She writes fiction based on her years of working with people. She is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, Jeff. Together they have eight children, lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She, along with her husband and several children, has been involved in ministry for years.