Secrets of Shiloh
by
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She found a step-stone path that led to a small fishpond and paused to watch iridescent-orange goldfish weave gracefully in and out of their lily pad palace. A toad croaked loudly and with one hop, disappeared under a display of concentric rings dancing across the water.
Rachel followed the pathway that ended at a gazebo in the center of a lovely rose garden. Under the shelter’s cedar shingled roof hung a face-to-face bench swing. Col. Hamilton stood behind the gazebo carefully pruning a pink and yellow peace rose and didn’t seem to hear Rachel approaching.
“You sure do spend a lot of time cuttin’ things off your trees and bushes,” Rachel commented.
“Oh. Hi Rachel. Pruning the branches supports fresh, new growth by removing the damaged or dead parts. It makes the plants stronger and healthier and helps them produce more flowers or better fruit,” he explained.
“We’re like plants in a way,” he continued. “Sometimes God prunes us back to help us grow and be fruitful. But, unfortunately, we often don’t understand the value of His work until it’s too late.”
“Did you learn that in the army, too?” Rachel asked.
“No,” the Colonel answered softly. Looking over Rachel’s shoulder toward the apple orchard, he said, “Shiloh taught me that lesson.”
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About the Book
After the loss of her beloved friend, Col. James, life appears bleak for teenager Rachel Grant. Watching her mother struggle to make ends meet between stacks of bills and a meager income causes the teen’s dreams for college to shift toward an aimless destination called nowhere.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, Rachel reads for the hundredth time the mysterious letter left by the old World War II veteran. When she finally musters the courage to return to Shiloh, the pre-Civil War plantation home of the colonel, a childhood playmate partners with her to help decipher the hidden meaning of the encrypted letter. Together, Rachel and Martin journey through a labyrinth of encoded clues to unlock the Secrets of Shiloh.
The author invites you not to just read this story but to apply it to your life by means of thought-provoking questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. These pages take you to Scripture verses related to the chapter’s theme and offer valuable personal application of biblical truths.
About the Author
Jill Glassco is best known for being an insightful and theologically sound Bible study writer and teacher for women and children from all walks of life. Jill’s first storybook, The Schoolhouse, was released in 2012. She and her husband, Phillip, reside in Birmingham, Alabama, and have been married for over thirty-five years. The Glasscos are the parents of three grown children, proud grandparents times three, and active members of Church of the Highlands.
Follow Jill at: www.wonderfulfamilystorybooks.blogspot.com
About the Illustrator:
Award-winning artist Donny Finley grew up in the small town of Millerville, Alabama. He first became known for painting watercolors of the life he knew in rural Clay County. His painting Fall Rainbow, exhibited at the inaugural National Academy of Arts for the Parks exhibition, was one of five paintings selected by the academy to be reproduced in print to help raise money for national parks. Generations, an Easter egg painted by Finley, is in the permanent collection of the White House Visitors Center. He and his wife, Janet, are residents of Birmingham, Alabama, and have three grown daughters.