The Saturday Six

One.

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I purposely choose not to do political talk on this blog, and in truth, I'm not a big political talker in my everyday life either. {So that works out nicely!} But this past week, as every single commercial was about politics and I had grown weary of all the mud-slinging and the arguing, I turned to Ryan and said, "I'm so tired. Call me when Andrew Shepherd is running." He said, "Who?" I said, "You know...My name is Andrew Shepherd and I AM the President." He cracked right up. For not being a politically minded person, I will say that The American President is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Two.

I confess when I first heard this song {Ryan introduced me to it} I didn't like it. But he loved it and played it so much that it has become one of my very favorites. Powerful words and more than that...true words.

Three.

I did another play-on-words present for some of the folks who helped us throughout the moving process. {I still have some of you to thank...you're not forgotten!} Ryan and I went to the donut shop in Marion that we discovered after we moved away. It's called Poppy's Xtreme Donuts, so my sign for the people we treated said "We are x-tremely thankful! Donut know what we would have done without you." Then we drove around and surprised them with donut deliveries! It was much fun. ;)

Four.

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Yes. Yes. Yes. These words about being hard on yourself when you try to do it all and you can't...because you really can't.   

Five. 

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Just a PSA for you: MOTHER'S DAY IS TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!! If you forgot, I'm here to remind you! And if you're looking for one more recipe {or the entire menu} that keeps the food on the healthier side, check out this list from Dashing Dish!

Six.

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I learned a lot of author names in my four years of working for Mid-Morning. One that I remember, because Lynne loved talking with her, was Sharon Jaynes. Even though I'd not read her books myself, I remembered that I enjoyed hearing her on the air, so when I saw she had a brand new book coming out, I asked for it immediately. And. I. Am. So. Glad. I. Did.

This brand new release, called Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, is a book that I'm sure is helpful for any believer, but I think it has a special place for those who have been believers for a while. People like me. People who know the Bible, have read the accounts, heard the sermons, "get the stuff," and yet need a genuinely fresh salve smoothed over their soul.

That's the danger, isn't it? You spend your life walking with the Lord and somehow you get spiritual callouses. Places of the heart that begin to harden over and you don't even notice it...until you do. And then you're not sure how to soften it again. How to hear fresh truths in familiar places. How to unlearn teachings that maybe you didn't learn correctly in the first place. How to heal wounds you might not even know you had until someone tosses some spiritual salt into them.

Then you pick up Sharon's book and devour it because it speaks to your soul in a way you've not experienced for some time. Sharon blends stories from her own life with accounts from Scripture and through the weaving of the two, she shows how we've learned to absorb the Lord into our lives...to a point. And then we stop. We don't push through to grab hold of the true fullness He offers. We miss out on blessings because we stop too early. We settle for, as my friend calls it, "fire insurance" salvation rather than gulping in a full and abundant life.

I've been a believer for over thirty years now, saved as a little kid, and my parents gave me a fabulous foundation in the Lord. {And I'm grateful for it.} But this book pushed fresh air into my spiritual lungs. I truly learned as I read. I saw things in ways I hadn't before, and I'm grateful.

From learning more about what forgiveness does {and does NOT} mean, to learning how to kick shame to the curb, to finding the fresh courage to boldly march forward and claim what God has ALREADY ORDAINED for my life, this book helped me see familiar things in new and needed ways.

I'm so grateful Lynne interviewed Sharon so I could know her name and know I could trust her words. And I'm grateful she wrote these words. A blessing to my week, for sure. Thanks, Sharon! And thanks, Baker Books, for giving a printed place to such truths and for sending a copy my way in exchange for a review!