“Thank you,” he managed to say between sniffles. “I love you, Pooh.” He brushed her hair from her face and kissed her.
“I love you too.”
“Would you like to hold your baby?” the nurse asked Micah, breaking the tender moment.
Micah quickly received his bundle of joy. Holding his daughter, he thought his heart would burst from the instant love he felt for her. Little Micala was just a few minutes old and already she had her father wrapped around her finger. A million thoughts of the things he wanted to do and say to his daughter ran together in his mind. The little curly haired bundle with his long eyelashes was really part of him, his own flesh and blood. Pamela watched proudly as her husband constantly kissed and smiled at their baby.
There was a knock on the door and Dorothy entered with Matthew, then left. Both Pamela and Micah felt it was important for Matthew to be present after the delivery so he wouldn’t feel left out. They wanted him to have his time with the baby before everyone else showered her with attention.
“Wow!” Matthew said, looking at the package in his father’s arm. “Mommy, how did you get that big baby out?” Little Micala weighed over eight pounds.
“With a lot of hard work,” Pamela answered after kissing her son.
Matthew smiled watching his father place the baby in Pamela’s arms. “Can I hold her?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Matthew sat on the bed against his mother and held his little sister. Then he did what he’d seen his father do moments earlier, he kissed her on the forehead.
“Am I going to get a little brother too?” Matthew asked, looking at his mother’s stomach.
“We’ll talk about that later,” Micah answered before Pamela could roll her eyes and snap her neck. “It’s Thanksgiving time.” That’s what Micah called their family prayer time. With the baby back in her arms, Pamela bowed her head and Matthew followed as Micah led his family in prayer.
“Heavenly Father, we thank you for blessing our family today. I thank you for giving my wife a safe delivery. I thank you for giving my wife and me a healthy daughter and my son a sister. We thank you for the love we have today and ask that you continue to bless our family with your love and kindness. We ask that you continue to show this family how to love one another and grow in you. We pray that our family will forever be a living example of your love and grace. In your son Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
“Amen,” mother and son echoed in agreement.
Group Discussion Questions
1. Did you agree with Micah’s decision to share his complete history with Pamela? Why or why not?
2. Pamela is a devoted Christian who attends church regularly, yet she is also very judgmental. Are her actions and behavior typical of today’s Christians?
3. Was Pamela’s response to Micah’s disclosure an overreaction or was it justified?
4. Jessica believed the sin of homosexuality wasn’t any worse than promiscuity and physical abuse. Do you agree with her assessment?
5. Pamela stated on more than one occasion that God told her Micah was her ordained mate. However, after he revealed his past, Pamela discarded those words. Are there times in our life when we should discard God’s plan for our life just because it doesn’t appear ideal?
6. Did Micah make the right decision by not sharing the details of his relationship with Richard with his mother once he learned she was attending Richard’s church?
7. Micah felt he would always be judged by his past, especially in the “church.” Do you agree with his belief that the “church” is willing and ready to forgive every sin except homosexuality? Does the “church” have the power and right to hold anyone’s past, regardless of what it is, against them? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever prejudged or condemned a brother or sister because their past was “worse” than yours?
9. Micah couldn’t, in good conscience, allow Richard to take advantage of David, even if that meant placing himself on display. Are you willing to go the extra mile to help someone if it means displaying your frailties? How far are you willing to go in order to prevent someone from making the same mistakes you have?
10. Why do you think Richard had no remorse?
About the Author
A romantic at heart, Wanda uses relationships to demonstrate how the power of forgiveness and reconciliation can restore us back to God and one another. Wanda is a graduate of Western Career College. In addition to building a career in health care, she is also a licensed real estate agent and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in biblical studies. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband of twenty years and two sons.
Right Package, Wrong Baggage is her third Christian fiction novel. Visit the author’s Web site at www.wandabcampbell.net or contact her at [email protected].
Urban Christian His Glory Book Club!
Established in January 2007, UC His Glory Book Club is another way to introduce Urban Christian and its authors. We are an online book club supporting Urban Christian authors by purchasing, reading, and providing written reviews of the authors books. UC His Glory Book Club welcomes both men and women of the literary world who have a passion for reading Christian-based fiction.
UC His Glory Book Club is the brainchild of Joylynn Jossel, author and executive editor of Urban Christian and Kendra Norman-Bellamy, author and copy editor for Urban Christian. The book club will provide support, positive feedback, encouragement, and a forum whereby members can openly discuss and review the literary works of Urban Christian authors. In the future, we anticipate broadening our spectrum of services to include online author chats, author spotlights, interviews with your favorite Urban Christian author(s), special online groups for UC His Glory Book Club members, ability to post reviews on the Web site and amazon.com, membership ID cards, UC His Glory Yahoo! Group and much more.
Even though there will be no membership fees attached to becoming a member of UC His Glory Book Club, we do expect our members to be active, committed, and to follow the guidelines of the book club.
Urban Christian His Glory Book Club
UC His Glory Book Club members pledge to:
• Follow the guidelines of UC His Glory Book Club.
• Provide input, opinions, and reviews that build up, rather than tear down.
• Commit to purchasing, reading, and discussing featured book(s) of the month.
• Respect the Christian beliefs of UC His Glory Book Club.
• Believe that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God.
We look forward to the online fellowship.
Many Blessings to You!
Shelia E. Lipsey
President
UC His Glory Book Club
**Visit the official Urban Christian His Glory Book Club Web site at www.uchisglorybookclub.net
Notes
Urban Books, LLC
78 East Industry Court
Deer Park, NY 11729
Right Package, Wrong Baggage Copyright © 2010 Wanda B. Campbell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-6016-2861-9
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living, or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
Distributed by Kensington Corp.
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