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Jody Hedlund QUOTES

Jody Hedlund QUOTES

161 " I’m sorry, he silently prayed. I strayed from you, went my own way, and did my own thing. But I don’t want to do that anymore. "

― Jody Hedlund

162 " He'd been a man of few words, and he'd shown my mother how much he loved her every day in his actions. He'd modeled tenderness, devotion, and kindness. If I truly loved Izzy, I'd do the same. I'd show her my love by cherishing her and preserving her honor. "

― Jody Hedlund , A Worthy Rebel (An Uncertain Choice, #5)

163 " Perhaps that was how it always was--we tended to focus upon the outward appearances of people and miss the true beauty of their character as a result. "

― Jody Hedlund , Ensnared (Knights of Brethren, #3)

164 " Mister, you’re a dead man.” Chapter 2 The steel pressed hard and cold against Connell’s head. He’d been in plenty of dangerous situations, but this was the first time anyone had ever threatened to blow out his brains. The twenty-four-inch-long rifle with its octagon barrel chambered fifteen ready-to-fire cartridges. But at this range, all it would take was one shot and he’d be a dead man. “No one touches Lily”— the man jabbed the tip into Connell’s temple, grinding it into his throbbing pulse—“and lives to tell about it.” The old man grabbed the rope that entangled them. He grunted and twisted it before finally pulling it free. Then he extended a hand to the woman and hoisted her to her feet. All the while, neither his Winchester nor his murderous eyes shifted so much as a thousandth of an inch from Connell. Finally, in all of the shifting, the dirty socks fell away from his head and gave him a clear glimpse of the woman. She untangled her skirt and smoothed down the folds of flowery calico, but not before he caught sight of her long knit socks, which strangely enough were striped in parallel rows of bright yellow and orange and green and purple. “Now, Oren, there’s no need to kill him.” She patted the man’s arm. “At least not tonight.” He muttered under the big mustache that hung over his upper lip but didn’t move the gun. “I agree,” Connell said. “And really, I don’t see that there’s ever going to be a need to kill me. "

― Jody Hedlund , Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides, #1)

165 " God had indeed taken her on a voyage. Through it all, He’d done a mighty work inside her, changing her, teaching her to truly love, and making her ready for even greater things to come. She couldn’t ask for anything more. "

― Jody Hedlund , A Reluctant Bride (The Bride Ships, #1)

166 " So, you’re in love with the Smith girl?” Ben stumbled at his father’s question that was really more of a statement. “No. Not at all.” He forced a short laugh. “Of course I’m not in love with Susanna Smith.” “Well, you certainly fooled me tonight.” “I cannot deny I’m attracted to Susanna,” he admitted. “Who wouldn’t be? She’s intelligent, witty, and interesting.” “She sounds like the perfect match for you.” He wanted to agree. Susanna was everything Hannah was not. He thought about her more than he should. And even in her grandfather’s study earlier, he’d felt a pull toward her that was unbearably strong and difficult to resist. He knew he needed to control himself better around Susanna. Surely he would have less trouble with his attraction once he was finally engaged to Hannah. “I’m in the process of trying to propose marriage to Hannah Quincy.” His father plodded forward without missing a step. “Then you love Miss Quincy?” Did he love Hannah? Ben shook his head. “Sometimes there are factors more important than love.” “Then you are in love with her wealth rather than her person?” Ben wanted to rebut his father’s words—similar to those of Parson Wibird from earlier in the day—but something about his father’s bluntness kept him from doing so. “Hannah Quincy will give me what I currently lack, namely the status and approval of my peers.” His father was silent for a long moment, the steady scraping of their boots against the dirt road reminding Ben of the steadiness of the man by his side. He was a deacon of the church and had been the selectman of the town for years. There was not a nobler or more respected man among the community. “There’s more than one way to earn the approval of your peers.” His father spoke slowly as if weighing his words carefully. “And often the best way is through strength of character. "

― Jody Hedlund , Rebellious Heart

167 " Did he really think I was beautiful? Not in spite of my blemish, but because of it? "

― Jody Hedlund

168 " Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins," Priest said, quoting a verse he'd admonished me with at other times. "I can't stop the hate," I admitted. "It only makes us do things, we regret and creates bitterness. Eventually, bitterness poisons the hearts. "

― Jody Hedlund , A Worthy Rebel (An Uncertain Choice, #5)

169 " The infant gave another squall louder than the last.
I stepped back, uneasiness swirling around my gut. I could handle the most vicious of Saracens and the toughest Dane. But manage a newborn babe? What had I gotten myself into? "

― Jody Hedlund , Always (The Lost Princesses, #0.5)

170 " Whatever the future brought, she was learning to trust that God was with her no matter where she was and no matter how difficult her situation. "

― Jody Hedlund , A Reluctant Bride (The Bride Ships, #1)

171 " She was indeed a worthy rebel. Her courage in the face of torment gave me the courage to take a stand against the wrongs too. I'd always wondered what my purpose was. And here it was before me. Providence had allowed me to experience the suffering and heartache of the peasants not only that I might empathize with them, but so I could become an instrument of change. "

― Jody Hedlund , A Worthy Rebel (An Uncertain Choice, #5)

172 " I think you’ve taught him his lesson, Oren.” The young lady pushed the barrel away from Connell’s face. “I don’t think he’ll manhandle me again.” When she gave him a “so-there” look and then raised her chin, a spark of self-pride flamed to life in his gut. His mam had always made sure he knew how to treat a girl, but this was obviously no ordinary girl. “If anyone was doing the manhandling, it was you.” Connell rubbed the sore spot on his forehead. “I didn’t ask you to sit on my lap.” Her eyes widened, revealing a woodsy brown that was as dark and rich as fine-grained walnut. The color matched the thick curls that had come loose from the knitted hat covering her head. Oren stood back, tucked his gun under his arm, and tapped his black derby up. His eyebrows followed suit. The girl opened her mouth to speak but then clamped it shut, apparently at a loss for words. A wisp of satisfaction curled through Connell. After the way she’d let the old man humiliate him, he didn’t mind letting her squirm for a minute. But only for a minute. Mam’s training was ingrained too deeply to wish the girl ill will for more than that. He shoved himself out of the chair and straightened his aching back. “Look,” he said, plucking a last dirty sock from his shoulder. “Can we start over? I’m Connell McCormick.” She hesitated and then tilted her head at him. “And I’m Miss Young.” “I sure hope you’ll forgive me if I’ve caused you any . . . discomfort.” Surprise flitted across her elegant, doelike features. “Well now. With that polite apology, how could I refuse to forgive you?” He gave her a smile and waited. The polite thing for her to do was offer her own apology and perhaps even a thank-you for his attempts to save her from Jimmy Neil. But she only returned the smile, one that curved her lovely full lips in perfect symmetry but didn’t make it into the depths of her eyes. "

― Jody Hedlund , Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides, #1)

173 " Part of me anticipated what was to come, but the other part warned me that if I allowed him the liberty of kissing me, I might give him the impression that I was an easy conquest. That I didn't think I was valuable enough to wait for. That a physical connection was more important than developing a relationship first. That I was willing to give away precious kisses and intimacy outside the bounds of a loving commitment. "

― Jody Hedlund , For Love and Honor (An Uncertain Choice, #3)

174 " You’re amazing.” He didn’t realize he’d spoken the words aloud and that he was staring at her again, until she averted her eyes, looking down at the floor while clicking her reticule open and shut several times. He was tempted to beat his forehead with his palm for speaking so forthrightly, yet her small smile and the flush in her cheeks stopped him. She was amazing. He didn’t know of any other woman who would consider sacrificing so much of her time and energy to do this. Certainly none of the other ladies of the Ladies Home Missionary Society would consider such a thing. "

― Jody Hedlund , An Awakened Heart (Orphan Train, #0.5)

175 " If we have courage and willingness to face a challenge, perhaps then God will give us a way through it. "

― Jody Hedlund , A Worthy Rebel (An Uncertain Choice, #5)

176 " Through all the hours of praying, I’d come to realize perhaps weaker men had an easier time praying than strong ones. In all the years I’d relied upon my own strength, I hadn’t needed God’s. Now I was coming to understand the truth of my father’s claim that God’s grace and presence shine the strongest in our humblest moments. "

― Jody Hedlund , Always (The Lost Princesses, #0.5)

177 " Still, I hadn't let either my frigid limbs or my growling stomach draw me away from the book. In fact, once I was finished, I might even be tempted to read another. The floor-to-ceiling shelves that covered the wall opposite the fireplace contained more books than I'd ever seen anywhere else, and they tempted me beyond endurance. To be sure, they were all bulky and aged and musty. Nevertheless, the words were alive and burning inside me. "

― Jody Hedlund , For Love and Honor (An Uncertain Choice, #3)

178 " For several seconds he twirled the meat and stared at it. The minute Lily Young had walked into the door he’d forgotten his hunger. And now, he was ashamed to admit, he was much more interested in studying the vibrant Lily Young than doing anything else. "

― Jody Hedlund , Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides, #1)

179 " Mrs. Doc make good mother.” He tousled David’s hair. The baby giggled. “Thank you, Richard.” She tickled the baby’s belly and earned another giggle. The soft sound bubbled through her heart, making it float. “David like you.” “He’s a sweet baby.” Richard’s eyes were round with admiration. “Mrs. Doc mother to many children—some day.” Her heart rolled over and then toppled to a crashing fall inside her stomach. “No. Actually, I won’t be a mother to many.” She dropped her chin to stare at the brittle sagebrush, which had become their staple fuel on the barren plains in their endless travel to reach the Rendezvous. Richard was silent for a moment. “Doc no give Mrs. Doc children?” She gasped, and mortification spilled over her. Had he figured out that Eli wasn’t her husband in the truest sense of the word? "

― Jody Hedlund , The Doctor's Lady

180 " Sister Agnes had called it “true love’s kiss.” I didn’t know if such a kiss was somehow enchanted. More likely the kiss was a summoning, a beckoning, a pleading that resonated deep within the soul of the dying, urging that person to fight back and return to the arms of the one giving the kiss. "

― Jody Hedlund , Always (The Lost Princesses, #0.5)