title: Derek's Story
author:  Laura J. Boggess 
description: Sometimes it's tough to grow up. I know. <br /><br />After years of struggling, my parents divorced when I was twelve. The changes my family went through during that time were devastating for me and my siblings. We needed a friend like Klaio.<br /><br />Klaio was born out of my desire to comfort other young girls and boys who are going through tough times. <br /><br />I first heard the word <i>klaio</i> in a Bible study (the correct pronunciation is "klah'-yo"). We were studying Luke 19:41, which tells how Jesus wept upon seeing Jerusalem during His Triumphal Entry. My Bible study teacher shared that the Greek word for <i>wept</i> in that passage is <i>klaio</i>, which can be translated as : <i>to weep, to lament, every outward expression of grief</i>. She went on to say that Jesus' tears in this passage were not the pretty tears we often see in the movies. Rather, the word indicates that He was wailing in sorrow, that he was overcome with emotion. <br /><br />This description made an impression on me. The thought of our Lord expressing such sorrow nearly broke my heart. Later that day, as I was out running, I found myself thinking about the word <i>klaio</i>. When I thought of the depth of grief the word expressed, I felt a strange longing in my heart, a recognition of sorts. It felt like something inside of me had finally been named. I realized that this was the kind of grief I had experienced as a child--<i>Klaio</i>, gave word to the emotion I experienced when my parents divorced and my family was changed forever. <br /><br />As I ran along, lost in thoughts and memories, suddenly, a little bird alighted on the path in front of me. She seemed to look at me. She seemed to be there for a reason. The thought occurred to me that there is no greater sorrow than the fall of man. And so, the bird Klaio was born. <br /><br />When I look back on that very painful time after my parents' divorce, I clearly see the Lord's fingerprints all over my life. It is much easier to see that now, in hindsight. It is my prayer that this book, and subsequent ones in the series, will speak to those experiencing difficult times and that they will be reassured of God's presence in their lives, even during trials.
zlib_text: Table of Contents
  Title Page
  Dedication
  One-RACHEL
  Two-DEREK
  Three-RACHEL
  Four-DEREK
  FIve-RACHEL
  Six-DEREK
  Seven-RACHEL
  Eight-DEREK
  Nine-RACHEL
  Ten-DEREK
  Eleven-RACHEL
  Twelve-DEREK
  Thirteen-RACHEL
  Fourteen-DEREK
  Fifteen-RACHEL
  Sixteen-DEREK
  Seventeen-RACHEL
  Eughteen-DEREK
  Nineteen-RACHEL
  Twenty-DEREK
  Epilogue-RACHEL
  About the Author
  
  Then Comes Marriage
  Copyright © 2016 by Emily Goodwin 
  Photography by Kelsey Keeton
  Cover Design and Formatting by Black Ink
  Editing by Lindsay at Contagious Edits
  Proofreading by Jessica Meigs 
  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
  whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a
  book review. 
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either
  the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual
  persons, living or dead, or actual events or places is p