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Advance Praise for
Made of Honor
“Made of Honor is most definitely sassy, cynical, humorous chick lit. But in Mary’s inspired hands, her book is also custom-made with love, faith and a huge dollop of aromatic tenderness.”
—Sharon Ewell Foster, Christy Award-winning author of Ain’t No Valley
“With a voice that begs you to relax, sit down and put your feet up, Marilynn Griffith writes of the complexities of love, family, friendship and what it means to be the bride of Christ, and does so with honesty, humor and grace. Don’t miss Made of Honor or Marilynn—both welcome additions to Christian fiction!”
—Lisa Samson, Christy Award-winning author of Club Sandwich
“Marilynn Griffith’s voice just sings! Watch out, world, Made of Honor will make you laugh out loud and welcome you into the Sassy Sistahood.”
—Kristin Billerbeck, bestselling author of She’s All That
“Fun! Fresh! Full of faith! A merry heart does good like a medicine, and Marilynn Griffith’s writing is just what the doctor ordered.”
—Annie Jones, bestselling author of Mom Over Miami
“With poetic description and compelling storytelling, Marilynn Griffith delights readers with every sentence.”
—Stephanie Perry Moore, bestselling author of the Carmen Browne series
“Hilarious! Marilynn Griffith is a great new voice readers won’t forget!”
—Cyndy Salzmann, bestselling author of Dying to Decorate
“Whether it’s a book or a blog, Mary Griffith brings a fresh, funny, faith-filled new voice to the world of Christian chick-lit. More, please!”
—Lynn Bulock, bestselling author of Love the Sinner
“Marilynn Griffith is a fresh voice in Christian fiction. Her funny, breezy style is sure to take the market by storm!”
—Tracey V. Bateman, bestselling author of Leave it to Claire
“From the beginning to end, you can’t help but see the hand of God ministering through Marilynn Griffith’s work.”
—Vanessa Davis Griggs, bestselling author of Wings of Grace
“Marilynn Griffith digs deep inside to write a novel about everyday people who love the Lord.”
—LaShaunda C. Hoffman, editor, Shades of Romance magazine
“Looking for a sassy, engaging read that keeps you turning pages and recalling your faith? Look no further. Marilynn Griffith won’t disappoint.”
—Stacy Hawkins Adams, bestselling author of Speak to My Heart
“I roared with laughter when I read the opening lines! And what a refreshing change to read a novel where not one, not two, but most of the Christians don’t have lily-white backgrounds! Made of Honor is sassy and soulful, laugh-out-loud funny and oh-so-real. A welcome addition to Christian chick lit!”
—Laura Jensen Walker, bestselling author of Dreaming in Technicolor
Made of Honor
Marilynn Griffith
For my parents, Donna Lee McElrath and
Michael Onyedika. Thank you for giving me life.
Because of your love I was created, fearfully
and wonderfully made.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing a book is never the work of one woman. The fingerprints upon these pages are many. My apologies if someone is not mentioned by name as space is limited. My gratitude, however, is not, I thank you all, with all my heart. That said, special thanks to:
Christ, for helping me tell this story. As always, You brought me through.
Ashlie, Michelle, Fill Jr., Ben, James, John and Isaiah, thanks for eating all that Chunky soup without complaining and for tolerating all the soap and candles I made instead of dinner. I love you all.
Fill, for your unflinching belief in me, for proofreading my proposal, keeping my computer running, making graphics when I need them yesterday and tolerating my mania in general. You are my hero. Your love makes me strong.
My mother, Donna, and all the Freeman clan, thanks for being so funny, even when life was serious. I’m honored to be part of such a gifted family.
Kent and Debbie Nottingham and the family of Calvary Chapel Tallahassee, thanks for loving my family and teaching us the Word for the past ten years. Thanks for being a place of refreshing.
My editor, Diane Dietz, for laughing in all the right places and for being a pleasure even amidst her losses; executive editor Joan Marlow Golan, thanks for giving me a chance and for your hard work for our line.
Dave Robie, for his diligence in finding a home for my work.
Jessica Ferguson, thanks for being my best critic and my cheerleader in hard times. I never could have done this without you.
To the many people who gave input on this book at varying stages: Lisa Samson, Sharon Ewell Foster, Laura Jensen Walker, Linda Baldwin, Beth Ziarnik, Tracey Bateman, Lynn Bulock, Rachel Hauck, Stacey Hawkins Adams, LaShaunda Hoffman, Vanessa Davis Griggs, Stephanie Perry Moore, Dr. Gail Hayes, Cyndy Salzmann, Kristin Billerbeck, Colleen Coble and everyone I’m forgetting to name.
Angela, Jackie, Vicki, Donna, Rosemary and the other godly single women in my life. You inspire me.
My friends, Joy, Melissa, Gail and Claudia, thanks for tolerating my silences and disappearances. Each of you is a gift to me.
The ladies of The Threshing Floor: Amy, Jennifer and Staci, thanks for your great feedback and support. You mentored the mentor.
Yolanda Callegari Brooks, for your friendship and support. I love you. Sisterly.
My Faithchick.com sisters. Blogging with you and getting to know you has been a pleasure. I’m honored to know you all.
To Heather, Claudia, Bobbie, Paula and all my friends in the blogosphere. Thanks for being there. It means a lot.
To the Word Praize family, thanks for your support and friendship and for hanging around despite all my absences. I believe in each of you.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 As the book opens, Dana has mixed feelings about her best friend’s wedding. When her instincts turn out to be correct, she prays for Tracey and tries to help her sort out her feelings but realizes she wants her own marriage to be different. Have you ever known ahead of time that a relationship might not be the best idea for you or for a friend? Did you go through with it anyway? What happened?
2 Dana, Tracey and Rochelle are some of the last members of the Sassy Sistahood e-mail list. If you had a chance to join a group like this, would you? If so, which of the three friends would you probably be closest to? Whom did you identity with most?
3 Dana’s sister has done some hurtful things to her, but now Dahlia’s trying to live for Christ. Would you struggle with having someone like her back in your life or would you freely forgive Dahlia, knowing that God will transform her as she grows as a Christian? Did Dana do well in how she handled this situation? If not, what could she have done better?
4 Austin, the local news reporter who visits Dana’s shop, becomes a new and unexpected friend. Though the two women seem to have little in common at first, as they spend more time together, they realize they have much to share. Have