From the TBR Pile: Spotlight: Excerpt of It's Never Too Late by Kathie Lee Gifford

Author: Kathie Lee Gifford

Publisher : Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: December 1, 2020

Hardcover : 224 pages

NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, and USA TODAY BESTSELLER
Former Today show host Kathie Lee Gifford draws on stories from her remarkable life to weave together a beautiful reminder that whatever circumstances we face, God is still dreaming big for our years ahead.

When Kathie Lee Gifford stepped down as cohost of the fourth hour of the Today show with Hoda Kotb, you might have thought her best days were behind her. It turns out, she was just getting started. As Kathie Lee says, “I’m not retiring; I’m refiring!”

Taking us from her Chesapeake Bay childhood when she first heard God’s calling, to her skyrocketing fame with Regis, to her decision to leave television for Nashville, Kathie Lee inspires us to pursue what really matters. Because it’s never too late to forgive, to dance the cha-cha, or to make a difference in the world.

God placed His dreams in your heart for a reason. And like Kathie Lee, you might just discover that the best is yet to come. Whether you’re an empty nester, newly single, navigating a career change, or just eager for any change, Kathie Lee helps you hear God’s loving calling because It’s Never Too Late to . . .

Begin Again

Make Sparks Fly

Leave a Good Thing

Have a Party

Change the Ending, Then Change It Again

Is it time for you to rewrite your story, unearth your hidden passions, and live with a renewed purpose? It’s never too late.

Purchase Links

Thomas Nelson | Amazon |Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

An Excerpt from It’s Not Too Late (pages 95-97)

Life with Frank was a lot of things, but one thing it wasn’t was boring. Early in our marriage

I started to be introduced to the myriad of misfits, miscreants, and all-out crazy creatures who

made up his world. I was, for the most part, fascinated by them.

One of the most colorful by far was Evel Knievel, the infamous daredevil who defied gravity

and sanity but kept the world breathless with his exploits. He called often for Frank and would

talk on for hours. Frank loved him; he had covered almost all of Evel’s jumps in ABC’s Wide

World of Sports, and they had become good friends over the years.

Evel’s career had made him a media and cultural darling, but his private exploits were

sometimes more than Frank could endure, especially for hours at a time. After a while on the

phone with him, Frank would suddenly say, “You know, Evel, talk to Kathie. She loves this

stuff.”

I’d look at him like, “What?” but take the phone and Evel would just continue with his tale. I

really liked Evel—I appreciated his uniqueness and his honesty.

Most of the time the subject of our conversations would turn to religion. I tried

unsuccessfully for years to convince Evel that I hated the baggage that comes with organized

religion, and I attempted to steer him to other more positive aspects, but he was better at talking

than listening. Our one-sided conversations would go something like this:

“Kathie, I hate Jesus.”

“I know you do, Evel, but why do you hate Jesus? What did Jesus ever do to you?”

And he would launch into a diatribe about his kids, his ex-wives, doctors, or the media—

whatever it happened to be that had infuriated him that particular day.

It always ended the same way, with me saying, “Evel, I’m praying for you. Lots of people

who love you are praying for you, and one day you’re going to call me out of the blue and say,

‘Kathie, you’re right! I don’t hate Jesus, I love Him.’ “And then he’d laugh and hang up the

phone.

I answered the phone one day in 2012 to hear Evel’s familiar voice literally screaming,

“Kathie! You were right! I accepted Jesus. He’s real, and He loves me. Let me talk to Frank!”

—MORE—

It was surreal. Evel got on the phone with Frank and talked his ear off about his real-life

leap—but this was one of faith. Frank was tickled by it.

“Kath,” he said afterward, “did I ever tell you about Evel’s worst jump?”

“No. What happened?”

“It was in London in 1975 at Wembley Stadium. He was supposed to jump over thirteen

buses. The night before the telecast we walked into the stadium to survey the site. There were the

thirteen buses lined up. Evel looked at the ramp for a long time. Then he looked at me and said,

‘Frank, I can’t do it. I can make it over twelve but not thirteen.’

“I asked him, ‘Are you sure, Evel?’

“ ‘Yep,’ he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“ ‘Well, Evel, if you’re sure you can’t make it, you have to cancel the jump.’

“ ‘No, I can’t cancel,’ he said, ‘But I can’t make the jump.’ “

“Frank!” I shouted in the middle of the story, “Why not?”

“ ’Cause he said he’d do it. That was Evel.”

“What happened?” I asked, almost afraid to know.

“He didn’t make it. Exactly as he said would happen. He hit the thirteenth bus and went

flying in the air for yards. People thought he was dead. But as they carried him out of the

stadium, he lifted up his arm and the crowd went wild. I rushed over to him, and as I leaned in he

grabbed me and pulled me close. Obviously concerned about more than how his latest stunt had

ended, Evel said, ‘Frank, get that broad out of my hotel room.’ “

It was one of Frank’s all-time favorite stories to tell. Not only was it classic Evel Knievel, it

was proof that anyone can make a leap of faith.

About Kathie Lee Gifford

Kathie Lee Gifford, four-time Emmy Award winner, is best known for her eleven years cohosting the popular fourth hour of the Today show alongside Hoda Kotb. Gifford continues to pursue her dreams as an actress, singer, songwriter, playwright, producer, and most recently, director. She has authored numerous books, including her most recent children’s book, The Gift That I Can Give, and four New York Times bestselling books, including The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi.

Connect with Kathie Lee

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Review tour:

Monday, March 1st: Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Tuesday, March 2nd: Bookchickdi

Thursday, March 4th: From the TBR Pile – excerpt

Friday, March 5th: A Bookish Way of Life

Saturday, March 6th: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook

Tuesday, March 9th: The Sketchy Reader

Wednesday, March 10th: @queeninbetween and The Queen in Between

Thursday, March 11th: Seaside Book Nook

Friday, March 12th: Well Read Traveler and @wellreadtraveler