The Saturday Six

One.

This article is written by the worship arts pastor at our church, and while she and I have very different career paths, I was convicted by her reminder to be open to paths orchestrated by God, rather than paths orchestrated by my own logic. Her words remind me of the importance of learning to serve in my own ways and learning to lead the generation behind me to serve in ways that play to their own strengths. Good thoughts to ponder in here.

Two.

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Ack!! How adorable are these labels for organizing?????

Three.

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In case I haven't gotten your house-hunting wheels turning enough yet this week, check out this super cute cottage plan!!!

Four.

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Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and if you STILL don't have plans and need something fun to do, this is a good idea. It's what we did last year! Fondue at home! This is a recipe for cheese fondue for two - it's similar to what I made, and doesn't leave you with a ton of leftovers.

Five.

My friend Kristin wrote this post, and while I am not a sci-fi kind of girl, I can't tell you how much I needed these words. {What I'm saying is even if sci-fi mystifies you like it does me, read this post. It won't confuse you.} Broken...but fixable. I love it.  

Six.

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I'm not sure I've ever before believed I could have an identical life twin, but I am now convinced I do, and her name is Stephanie Rische. Her book, I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See was my read for this week and I am excited to tell you why I loved it.

I hesitate to say this just this way, because if Stephanie happens upon my blog and looks around, she might wildly disagree with these words, but her writing reminded me of my own writing. She's a lover of story, she's a lover of finding God in the moments of every day, and that's what you'll find in her book. So if you like what you read here, the serious and the deep and the funny, you'll like her book. It's got the same kind of feel.

If you're single, {HELLO, my single friends!!} this book is especially for you. Stephanie chronicles her own life journey through a series of blind dates and why they didn't work out, but how and why she learned pivotal life lessons as a result of each failed date. If you need and want to know you are not alone in all the feelings you have about being single when you long to be married, she'll make you giggle while reminding you that you are indeed not alone.

If you're NOT single, this book still has something for you. As you know, Ryan and I are praying and waiting for the sale of our home, and I'm finding many parallels between our current stage of waiting and the lessons that descend upon the life of a girl waiting for a husband. And if you're waiting for anything else - a job, a baby, your restored health - I can promise there are lessons and truths in these pages that you need to hear.

I sat with my jaw dropped as I read, floored at how many things Stephanie and I had in common. Not just the fact that we were both single into our thirties before getting married, but crazy little details, too. We've both had strong God-planted life themes of placing literal stones of remembrance in our lives to mark the work of God. We've both been visited {and subsequently utterly freaked out by} unmarked vehicles claiming to be vacuum sales people. We both resisted online dating for the same reasons. We both purchased our first home while single and mourned doing such a grown-up thing alone. We both found blind-dating to be dreadful and hopeful at the same time. We both spent Tuesdays in deep prayer. I've never before felt like I was reading my own story as I did in this book.

The book is an easy read with short chapters that tell captivating snippets of story, and not every story is about singleness. Many are just about life and the lessons she learned while weaving her way through the singleness and prayers for later. This is one I'll be keeping on my shelf and referring to and recommending often. Congratulations, Stephanie, on a wonderful, thoughtful, enjoyable, thought-provoking read! 

* Thanks, Tyndale, for publishing this book and for sending a copy my way in exchange for an honest review. *