The Saturday Six

One.

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I have never lost a child, but I've walked with those who have and have ached and cried for their deep ache. I have, however, experienced intense, gut-wrenching loss, and this post is so beautifully written with deep truths embedded. So even if your loss hasn't been a child, read this and know you're not alone.

Two.

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A POWERFUL read for anyone who struggles with living in shame because of the words and actions of another. Seriously powerful read.

Three.

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While spending time with Tom and Olivia last weekend, I was struck by the tremendous amount of effort they put into parenting, specifically where consistency is concerned. I thought of it when I read this article, because while their two year old is a delightful little girl, she did occasionally cop a two year old attitude, and they did not let her get away with it. {In one event, they even followed up THE NEXT DAY to reinforce an apology she needed to make and had not yet issued.} She may be two, but there was no mistake in my mind that she knew what disrespect was and exactly when she was doing it. And they didn't let her get away with it. Our hats are off to them and all parents who work hard to raise kind, loving, respectful children.

Four.

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Several weeks ago in our Sunday School class, we prayed for a family I've never met: the couple had four daughters and were days away from giving birth to the fifth when a frightening and unexpected medical condition claimed the life of the second-to-youngest daughter. They actually had to postpone her funeral because the mom went into labor with the newest baby. I read through a blog they created, and this post stuck out to me, because I appreciated the father's thoughts on why his daughter did not become an angel when she died. {And I got a giggle or two out of his stories of how she was also not an angel when she lived.}

Five.

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I fear all my posts for this Six have leaned on the heavier side, and I'm not sure why. But I can't keep from posting this one, too. You may remember {more so if you're from Indiana} hearing about the murder of Amanda Blackburn, wife of Pastor Davey Blackburn, late last year. She was killed during an early morning home-invasion in Indianapolis, leaving behind her husband and their young son and entering Heaven alongside their unborn child. It was a scary, heartbreaking story, and Davey has not hidden his grief process along the way. This blog post is so convicting. I hope I would say the unabashed yes too, but I admit, it's scary to think about. 

Six.

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It is not often that I could summarize a book with this simple phrase: buy this book...NOW. But this week, the book I read may shoot straight into the carefully reserved category of classic best-evers.

Letters to my Daughters: The Art of Being a Wife by Barbara Rainey is possibly the best guide on being a godly wife that I've read in a very long time. Maybe ever. Lysa TerKeurst's endorsement on the front cover, "Hands down, a treasure of a book" is absolutely true. {And I always cringe a bit at those kinds of endorsements, but this time I heartily agreed.}

Barbara Rainey, alongside her husband Dennis, founded and still run the incredible ministry FamilyLife, which invests in training men and women to pursue marriage and parenting as callings from the Lord. Barbara has also recently started a new line of home decor called Ever Thine Home, and I'm crazy about it. {The Adorenaments that I told you about right before Christmas are still some of my favorite things.} And in addition, she and her husband have over forty years of marriage to their credit, six grown children, and twenty-one grandchildren.

So Barbara knows marriage. She's lived it, she's trained her kids for it, and it is indeed her livelihood in ministry. And I think there's a real danger for someone with that kind of experience and opportunity to approach teaching with a know-it-all mentality.

She does not.

This book was born out of a request from Barbara's daughter-in-law, who asked her if she would be willing to share some of what she'd learned about being a wife. So began a series of letters, not just to that daughter-in-law, but to all Barbara's daughters and daughters-in-law and many more young women who hungrily sought her advice. And now, we all get to benefit from the sharing.

Barbara presents the topics of marriage as analogies, with sections of the book comparing marriage to things such as fine cuisine, beautiful dancing, masterful photography, and more. Analogies {again} can be a dangerous thing because they can run the risk of appearing cheesy and predictable.

Not these.

This book is well-crafted, full of underlineable {feel free to use that word} nuggets, and this finely tuned blend of wisdom, conviction, and compassion. You won't find lectures or condemnation. You'll find understanding, vulnerability, and much empathy. Barbara doesn't ignore uncomfortable topics, but handles each with grace and truth. She explains truths of Scripture, uncovering God's intention for marriage and acknowledges how our sin-filled world has tainted those truths. She doesn't hide the reality that Satan longs to see us all fail at marriage, but God can restore the most broken and complicated relationship if He's given the freedom by both sides to do so.

Ladies, read this book. Read. This. Book. Are you single? Read it in preparation. Are you married? Read it and learn how to grow. {You know that Ryan and I value our marriage to the fullest, and we have a great marriage, but even I felt pangs of conviction on areas where I've slacked and areas where I could just flat out love better if I tried.} Do you know a woman who is getting married? Give this as a gift. {It's even a lovely book TO give, because it is hard-bound with a ribbon bookmark and lovely art inside.} Do you know a woman who is struggling in her marriage? Give her this as a gift.

I devoured this book and will read it again and again. I've underlined it and will refer to it so often in my own writing and sharing on marriage. This book is indeed a treasure. One to be consumed and shared.

So go and do just that. {Right now.}

* Thanks, Bethany House, for sending a copy of this book my way in exchange for an honest review. *