Dave Barkey

The Haven Acres Story Book One Dave Barkey

Marriage is a high risk venture. A man and a woman, though well acquainted and madly in love, find themselves in a new relationship, Not only are their bodies designed differently, their minds do not function the same way. Their emotions are wired differently. They have been brought up by parents having a different set of values, different customs, and probably unique dynamics and models of marriage. Is it any wonder that divorce is the escape route of choice?The Haven Acres Story presents the first two years of the marriage of Brad Crosley and Stella Norton. The first volume in the trilogy, narrated by Brad, recounts how smitten he was when he got acquainted with this recent graduate of the University of Iowa. Even after she confessed she was already pregnant following a casual encounter with a man she didn't even know, Brad pledged his faithfulness to her and committed himself to be a father to a child that was not his own. They launched their relationship in a wedding chapel and Brad continued his teaching of high school English literature. A few weeks after Gerald was born, Brad enters their apartment to find the baby unattended and a note attached to his diaper announcing the departure of Stella with no indication of her destination. Devastated, Brad determines to find her while caring for Gerald and attempting to establish himself in a new position as the principal of a small town elementary school. A private detective assisted him to find Stella working as an escort in Missouri. When Brad travels to contact her, she evades the encounter and moves on to find similar employment somewhere else. Brad's anger and disappointment prod him to seek guidance. In a hospital chapel he finds a prayer book containing the Prayer of 'st. Francis. The message opened his mind to a fresh awareness that God seemed to have a new role for him to play in His agenda. On the way back to Iowa, some unexpected experiences enabled him to realize that, even as he was pursuing Stella, God was pursuing him. Would there be any possibility their marriage could be restored?