The Saturday Six

One.

This long winter has certainly tested my willingness to believe that spring will ever arrive. Maybe your hope is being tested in other ways...ways that make you wonder if hope even exists. This beautiful piece by Jessica is for you.

Two.

How in THE ever loving world did we miss this coffee shop when we were in Asheville??? (It was probably closed anyway. Snow storm, you know.)

Three.

One of my pieces was featured on Annesley this past week. It's a different tone than I usually write for them, but hopefully it makes you smile!

Four.

A few backyard DIY projects. (Some FAR more labor intensive than others.) I'm trying to hunt down some inspiration for our back patio/porch/yard areas. Last year we focused on the front yard. It's the back yard's turn this year. 

Five.

Looking to broaden your literary horizons this summer? This post is a couple of years old, but what a fun idea for giving you reading direction! Check it out and see how many you can check off before Labor Day!

Six.

Source

You guys!! I have been itching to tell you about this book. I've known about it for months, but it was a secret and now I can finally tell you! :) 

If you have been around the old blogaroo for a while, you might know the name Jamie Bennett. Jamie was the Mid-Morning producer before I was, and she is the main reason I was able to transition into that job as well as I did. She worked so hard to make a wonderful training manual for me and spent almost a month training me personally to take her place. The friendship we had even before I took that job has continued, and I am so thrilled to tell you Jamie just released a book! 

I first heard about this book a few years ago before it was even a book. It was a little project she had begun for herself and she hoped it might grow into a Bible study of some sort. Then, several months ago, it did just that! And then it grew into a book project! I had the honor of reading an early draft of it and offering my feedback, and now I am holding the final product in my hot little hands, and I couldn't be happier or prouder!

Jamie's book, Unveiled: 11 Secrets to Living the Abundant Single Life is a book for single ladies, but it's also so much more than that. First, though, let's talk about the single ladies. (To be fair, the book is really for ANY single person, but she writes primarily to women.) As you know, I spent 34 years as a single girl myself, and I know it can be a long and sometimes frustrating journey, if your heart desires marriage. Jamie knows this too, but she has found a way to reach genuine contentment as she waits for God to unveil her story. She has actually achieved that far more completely than I ever did. I wish I would have been able to read this book years ago!

Through a blend of thorough Scripture examples and her own experience, Jamie explains how it's truly possible to experience God's good gifts, even while you're waiting for the gift of marriage. She teaches readers how to forgive hurts of the past, live in God's abundant grace, and move ahead in His freedom. She offers insights between living with expectations and living expectantly. And she also shares so much more about how to live fully in a season of waiting.

And that is what makes this a book that can reach more than just the single crowd. People wait for all kinds of things. People wrestle with all kinds of past hurts. People have a universal longing for freedom and joy. So even though she may be focusing on the details of singleness, the principles are universally applicable. 

As I told you, I read this book several months ago, but I read the whole thing again when I received the official book, and I learned so much even the second time through. I underlined all through the book and took away nuggets I will use in my daily life, even as a married woman!

Jamie's book is bathed in Scripture, contains all sorts of evaluations, music suggestions, practical application suggestions, personal reflection questions, prayer offerings, and more. This isn't just a book. This is a whole toolbox!

I am so proud of Jamie - and not just because she wrote a book. I'm proud of her for taking the time to learn these eleven secrets straight from the Lord in the years of her own longing and waiting. I'm proud of her for working so hard to organize everything into a beautiful gift to present to others in seasons of waiting. I'm proud of her for allowing God to lead the timing of this whole project. 

I'm excited to tell you about this book, especially if you're single. Jamie's beautiful heart shines through on every page, reflecting HIS heart for His people!

Congratulations, Jamie!