The Saturday Six

One.

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Several years ago now {I prefer not to count how many, because it will make me feel old and I am not interested in that today}, I had some dear friends that lived just around the corner from my Marion house. Amber was in my ladies Bible study, but she would also come over just to hang out a lot, because I had cable and they didn't, and she had a few must-see shows. I would watch their kids {just two at that time} upon occasion. They felt the Lord leading them to move to Hong Kong to teach in an international school, so they moved! They now have four kids, and were it not for the beauty of social media, I might have lost them entirely. Last week, Amber posted this article about a project Nate {her husband} volunteered with. I know you don't know them, but I wanted to share because I do know them, and also because this project was a new one to me, and it seems to be doing great things!

Two.

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You all know of my love of Fixer Upper and all things HGTV, and I suppose it would be fair to say I get caught up in the styles of {most} typical decorating schemes. But even so, I do have a deep appreciation for people who can find the style that reflects THEM. I like to think our coffee bistro kitchen is that way. Maybe not what everyone else would do, but totally Shaffery. And that is why I love this woman's turquoise and white Pyrex inspired kitchen. First of all, I love that she collects Pyrex from the 50's and then I love what she did with it. Check it out!! {The photo is the before, so click over to see the after!}

Three.

Ryan and I are pretty excited that IKEA is coming to the north side of Indianapolis next year. So I read this article to learn all the tricks of the trade for finding the best deals once a trip to IKEA is no longer a whole day trip!

Four.

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Earlier this week, I did a post on the new vest I just got from the Simply Bliss Boutique, and they are providing a $25.00 gift card to their boutique. Reminding you that the chance to enter that ends tonight, so head over to my original post to leave a comment/entry if you wish! A few of you mentioned you would like this vest better in an olive color {mine is stone - kind of a khaki color}, and I wanted to let you know that they do carry the very same vest in olive, as pictured above!! 

Five.

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I fear if Ryan and I actually did have a son, I would be the mom receiving this phone call from school. 

Six.

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Earlier this year, I read a book by Johnnie Alexander called Where She Belongs, and I reviewed it here. One of my favorite things about the book was its small-town setting and lovable characters. So when book 2 of the Misty Willow series, When Love Arrives, came out this fall, I had to read it! Had to see what happened to these dear people I loved from book one! 

In the opening pages, Dani Prescott is hiding outside a children's hospital, secretly photographing one of Ohio's most eligible bachelors. Not because she has a thing for him, but because she's angry with him. In a TV interview she'd found online, Brett Somers vehemently blamed Dani's mother for causing the plane crash that killed his parents years earlier. But Dani's mother, the pilot of that plane, died in the crash as well.

Dani got her pictures, but before she can leave, Brett discovers her and, having no idea he was the subject of her photo quest, strikes up a conversation with her and even asks her out. She says yes. And then he asks again. And again. Brett and Dani are careful to keep their respective secrets, but they also find themselves wildly unguarded in ways they've never been before. Adamant that they are not dating, a friendship grows, but feelings and secrets grow with it, leaving them in a most precarious situation.

Novels can sometimes approach matters of faith very awkwardly, containing conversations that seem preachy and unnatural, and in this book, I think Johnnie handles that aspect beautifully. Both Dani and Brett are struggling heavily with their attitude toward God {as you might imagine after losing parents in such a horrific tragedy}, and the friends and family members that surround them handle their anger and confusion with such a natural grace. I think there's much to be learned in these pages about walking alongside a wrestling heart.

Though a few of the scenarios are a bit predictable, and the book is in no way suspenseful, there were a few twists and surprises I didn't see coming, and something about the tender vulnerability of Dani's heart made me identify with her and cheer for her wholeheartedly. The parts that some might deem too typical were actually endearing to me.

The book is certainly feel-good and yet has a depth to it. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to this little town and this family and am excited to see that book three is due out next summer!

Thanks, Revell, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!