The Saturday Six

One.

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I missed a lot in southern gospel music during my four years working in CCM radio. Namely...the kids of a whole bunch of artists I liked...grew up. They grew up, they got married, and now they're making music of their own. That's kinda cool to me. While it doesn't matter one way or the other in the grand scheme if kids want to follow in their parents' footsteps in ANY occupation, I do think it is cool when kids who grew up doing the travel circuit like it enough that they make it their life, too. My favorite discovery this week was the song Last Mile by Jeff and Shari Easter's son, Madison, and his wife, Shannon. Seriously cannot get this song out of my head.

Two.

You guys remember the debacle of the fan, right? On the cruise? When they confiscated my fan straight out of my luggage, and I couldn't sleep for the first half of the cruise, because I didn't have the white noise I needed to sleep? {Not that I'm bitter or anything.} Well, this week, Ryan bought me some white noise machines, and I love them!!! If you need the noise but don't want or need the additional cooling of a fan or heating of a heater, these little guys are PERFECT! And little is a good point. They are tiny, easily packed in luggage, and for Pete's sake, I would hope THEY would pass cruise ship inspection. You can adjust the volume and tone of the noise, so it can be as loud or quiet as you want. Happiness in a tiny, loud package.

Three.

 {Go see the picture...she has a copyright protection on hers and I can't tease you!!}

You remember my mild obsession with tiny homes, right? I think this blog might be the jackpot on tiny home blogs!! This blogger shows pictures of their tiny home - which includes an expansion after their daughter needed her own sleeping space - and even a detailed list of their budget and how they made this thing happen. You can spend hours on this one. Just warnin' ya!!

Four.

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Well. Shut. Right. Up. I am always floored when someone has the creativity to do something that I never would have considered trying, and it looks amazing! This blogger made a desk from stained plywood and sawhorses. No, seriously! And I love it! I think it looks so charming!  

Five.

Hey. If I have to cry all the way through the two minute video, so do you.  

Six.

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I've heard of Cheri Fuller and know she is a respected author, especially on the topic of prayer, but I'd never read one of her books until this week. Barbour sent me a copy of her newest work: Dangerous Prayer. It arrived the same day Ryan and I began praying about something big in our own lives, so I figured that could be chalked right up to Divine intervention, and I eagerly dug in.

I mistakenly thought the book was more of a guide...a how-to on prayer, and it's not. That doesn't mean it's a bad book, but if you're looking for a step-by-step guide, that's not what you'll find within these pages. Instead, Cheri tells the stories of people who prayed dangerous prayers: prayers that seemed simple and innocent in the uttering, but the invitation unleashed opportunities for God to move in ways that weren't always easy and comfortable. Yet each time someone prayed a dangerous prayer, God used their bravery to accomplish pivotal, Kingdom-altering things.

 From the dangerous prayers of Hannah and the Samaritan woman in the Bible, to the prayers of historical figures like missionary Gladys Aylward, to the prayers of ordinary people you've never even heard of before, to prayers from Cheri's own life, she shares story after story, painting pictures of how dangerous prayers changed the people who prayed them and the lives of those around them.

This book also doesn't give the false hope that genuine prayer leads to a cozy, rosy life. In some of the stories, she shares how the pray-ers suffered great heartache and sometimes physical consequences. And sometimes the outcome of the prayer wasn't even what they hoped. But in each instance, God faithfully worked, and people left the situations forever changed because of prayer.

Jesus often taught principles using stories, and I think that's a great strength of this book as well: the stories teach the reader, not in a preachy way, but in a mind-picture they're unlikely to forget. The stories are told on a simple enough level that those without a deep Christian background could easily understand them and find a way to apply the same principles to their own prayers. {Another bonus for Cheri's method of not making false promises of easy lives and prosperity: her words offer truth to new believers still learning about their faith.}

If how-to books and step-by-step guides frustrate you, I recommend this as a way to learn more about prayer shrouded inside the twenty-one stories inside. Cheri's story-telling skills are captivating, so if you do like reading stories, you'll find this collection of essays easy to read!

* Thanks, Barbour, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review.*