We Made It!

As we greet this final day of May, I have one thing to say:

WHEW.

We knew when we said hello to May 1st that this month was going to be crazy in ways we couldn't imagine. Mommapalooza, my birthday, five speaking engagements, a vacation, a bridal shower, and a few other things thrown in for good measure made for a wild ride. A good ride, but a wild ride.

BUT WE DID IT!!

This past Sunday, our pastor preached on where do we go from here? Great question! This month marked a chapter change for us. I have some time to work on writing projects, to reflect on the almost first half (can you believe that?) of this year, and to dream about and pray over the possibilities in the future.

It's exciting, really. I told Ryan the other day that this time in life feels like a time of many possibilities, and that is a great place to be! If we findourselves in a place of waiting for direction, at least it's also a place of hope that whatever is out there ahead of us is good and chosen.

Maybe your May was exhausting, and maybe it wasn't. Maybe you're in a waiting period, and maybe you're not. But I wanted to share this with you today to give you some hope. Where do you go from here? Maybe you know and maybe you're waiting to find out. Either way, I hope you see the brightness of possibilities awaiting.

Most of all, I hope you dream. I've always lived in a head full of dreams, and I still do. Those dreams inspire me. Some of mine have ended up reality and some have not. But even those that never burst into being were still beautiful.

Still dreaming, still praying, still waiting to see what God has ahead. (And now that the calendar isn't so full, I have more time for all of it!)

Dream big in June, my friends! 

The Saturday Six

** Quick housekeeping item: KAREN BLINN!! You are the winner of Designed to Pray, the book I featured on the Saturday 6 last week. I'll email you and make arrangements to get your copy to you! Hope you enjoy it! **

One.

I don't think I need to explain to you why I think this photo organization method is so amazing, do I? I happened upon this whole post via Pinterest, and while this girl-after-my-own-heart has a ton of amazing organization ideas, the photo one made my heart sing the most.

Two.

Whether or not you liked the change of presidential power yesterday, I'm pretty sure you can appreciate this article about the nuts and bolts of how they move one President out and a new one in to the White House in one afternoon flat. Given that we took something like a month to move from one house to another, this whole process absolutely fascinated me. I think if we ever move again (which is unlikely), I'd like this staff to be in charge.  

Three.

Maybe Ryan and I are the last people on earth to learn about the RTIC Tumblers, but just in case you're with us, let me fill you in! Ryan's brother and his family gave both of us an RTIC tumbler for Christmas, and we used them this week while home on Ryan's gallternity leave. Mind-blowing and beverage-changing! They're marketed to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for a ridiculous amount of time and they actually do. Ryan had coffee in his and hours later, he said it was still piping hot. I had iced tea in mine and still had most of the ice in it the next day. We are sold! Love them!! Worth the investment if you're looking for new drinkware!

Four.

I've talked often on here about Katie Farrell and the Dashing Dish website. Love Katie's ministry and her recipes! She recently announced that she's expecting her first child, and on  her blog this week, she posted a wonderful article about things she learned in the waiting. Whether you're waiting on a baby or something else entirely, I think you'll find some helpful words in here! 

Five.

Valentine's Day is less than a month away now, you know. Found this post with a multitude of decor ideas, but my favorite is the one for decorating an old window frame for Valentine's Day. Since we have three old windows decorating our home, I love this idea for sprucing them up! 



Six.

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As you know, our January has leaned more toward the heavy side, not because of all the food we ate during December, but because of all the health debacles. I decided life was heavy enough. No need for the book of the week to add to it! So I shopped on my shelves and found one I'd never had time to read, but knew I'd laugh all the way through: The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle.

Melanie has published three books, and if I'm not mistaken, I think her fourth one is coming soon, but I had only read two of the three she'd published so far. I started with her first book, Sparkly Green Earrings, which is a hilarious memoir on motherhood, and then shortly before I left WBCL, I read her third book Nobody's Cuter than You, an equally hilarious memoir on friendship. (I also interviewed her about that book back when I was still in radio.)

But the middle book, The Antelope in the Living Room, her memoir on marriage, sat on my shelf, raising its invisible book-hand, begging to be read, but I just hadn't gotten to it! And my goodness, was it ever the perfect book for a heavy month!

If you've read either of Melanie's other two books, I'm happy to report that her conversational, blogger, story-telling tone carries through this one exactly like it did the other two. I am pretty sure I even read it in a southern accent, because she has one, and it's delightful, and I wanted to feel like she was reading the book to me.

This book is a collection of stories from her marriage to Perry, who is her opposite in many ways, and yet her best friend and support. I laughed so hard and made Ryan mute the TV no less than 37 times so I could read him "just one more thing" from the pages, because sometimes Perry and Melanie were so Ryan and Bekah.

I confess perhaps I should not have read the chapter on Perry's surgeries prior to Ryan's gallbladder extraction, because Melanie freaks out about the same sorts of medical mishaps I do, and it reminded me I worry for a reason. But even though it didn't calm my fears, it let me know I wasn't alone in them, and for that, I was grateful.

I appreciate how most of the chapters end with a tie in to a spiritual lesson, but I just dearly love the stories themselves. They are totally worth the read. It's good to laugh. It's good to know you're not alone in your own personal irrational thoughts. It's good to read real life stories. And did I mention it's good to laugh?

This book isn't a new one. It was published in 2014, so I'm clearly behind the times on this one. But it was a lighthearted read sorely needed in this month of heavy thinking. If you're having a heavy January, I recommend this one. (And Melanie? I cried forever too over Princess Diana's death. I can't believe neither of our husbands took it as personally as we did.)

The Saturday Six

One.

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If it's cold and snowy where you live, today would be a great day to curl up and listen to a podcast! I've got the first Conversation Cafe of 2017 with author Erica Wiggenhorn. I've told you about her new Bible study, An Unexplainable Life several times, because I just completed it at the end of last year. (It's also the study Ryan and I are leading together with our small group.) I really enjoyed this study and it was a treat to get to hear from Erica herself about her passion for Christ and what she learned from studying the first half of Acts. If you're looking for a good study to start 2017, pick this one! And take a listen to Erica's heart!


Two.

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I found this post by Wendy Lawton at the Books and Such Literary blog, and though it's geared toward writers, I think the words are helpful for anyone working from home/getting back into homeschooling right about now. Wendy gives permission to ease back in, which was my exact plan as I returned to work this past week. I appreciated her validation that easing in wasn't slacking off, and perhaps we'd all have a better start to the new year if we allowed ourselves this very thing, rather than rushing headlong into a busy schedule and finding frustration at the inability to keep up!

Three.

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I haven't blogged much recently about my adventures in styling my capsule wardrobe, because I haven't completed any new sections of it! But when I started this adventure, one of the most helpful blogs I found was Audrey over at Putting Me Together. She is down-to-earth, real, shops at normal stores, has a normal body type, and I found her tips and ideas very helpful! This week she shared this post that I LOVED! Tons of ideas on how to figure out what you need in your wardrobe, if that confuses you. Really helpful post!

Four.

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One of the hard things about waiting for answers in the whole medical world is...well...waiting. I don't do it well, especially when I have to watch my Love hurting so much! I had mentioned in passing to one of my friends this week that I was frustrated as to whyyyyyyyyyyy {yes, read in a whine} God wasn't answering, and she reminded me that wait was an answer. {Sigh. I know.} Later, she shared this post with me, which was really convicting and comforting at the same time. Don't know if you're in a waiting game right now or not, but if so...read up! 

Five.

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Last year, I had the opportunity to join up with a team of writers to share posts in the Annesley Writers Forum. This week, they published one of my articles, which happens to be about our "Tuesdays at the Table" project. I'm excited to share that with you today, both to share about this project I love so much and also to share the site with you. Lots of great articles each week by a variety of women! 

Six. 

As you know, this past year I got in the habit of reading a book every week and reviewing it here on Saturdays. As far as I know, I plan to keep that habit this year, because I have loved returning to books after so many years of not having time to read.

But today I feel funny calling this last part a book review, since the book I read this week is considered an American classic and isn't going anywhere whether or not I loved it. But though I won't call it an actual review, I'll tell you that for the first time ever in my life, I read Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden.

I had mentioned on a podcast not long ago that I'd never read the book, and my mom happened to have a copy that someone gave her for Christmas in 1947. (That's 69 years ago if anyone is doing the math.) So not only did I read an old book this week, I actually read an old book. I think it was as much fun to hold an old copy in my hands as it was to read the story.

Have you read The Secret Garden? If you haven't, the quick synopsis of the book is that it's the story of Mary Lennox, a little orphan girl who comes to live at Misselthwaite Manor with her uncle - although perhaps it's more accurate to say she comes to live with his staff. He's rarely there. She arrives in the winter, and the Manor is a giant, gray, tomb-like place to be, so Mary sets out exploring to keep herself occupied on the long days. As winter creeps into spring and she spends time outside in the gardens, she discovers a secret garden, one commanded closed by her uncle following the death of his wife.

The book was written in the early 1900's, so some of the words are unfamiliar to us now in daily use, and other words are used very differently in our language today. (I told Ryan I'd never read a book in which a female character talked about how excited she was to get fat.) There are also some sections written in a heavy Yorkshire dialect, so you have to slow down in those parts and read carefully to fully understand.

Mary and some other characters in the book believe the secret garden has magical powers, so if magic talk bothers you, you'll want to be prepared for that. But even with that, you could see a sense of innocence and fun throughout every page of this book that seems to be missing from much of what we might read in present-day books.

I particularly loved the way this book simply told a story. I'm pretty sure Frances wasn't worried with character development and multiple plot lines and all the things authors have to mess with today to be successful. It's just a fun story, and I was able to simply enjoy it.

When I was in college, one of my professors dearly loved to visit used bookstores and hunt for old copies of books. Treasures. I never understood it, but after reading this one, I am starting to see her joy in that. (Oh dear. I feel a trip to a bookstore in my future.) I say this because as I read through some reviews of this book on Amazon, I realized many of the copies for sale today are abridged versions and rewritten versions. There was something lovely about holding an untouched version in my hands to read, and I think I might like that again with another classic.

So that was my week with The Secret Garden. Ryan has asked if a movie version of the story is available. ;)

The Saturday Six

One.

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I have ridiculously thick and attitudinal hair. {And when I say it's thick, I'm not kidding. I once had my hair cut and though I had warned the stylist it was thick, I think she commented about a dozen times during the cut that it was the thickest hair she'd ever worked on.} Curls fall right out of my hair, and I never know what to do with it. Though I do not {yet} own this curling wand, I appreciated this curly hair tutorial!

Two.

Thought this was an appropriate token to get for the {super sweet} lady who helped with our house financing. We wanted to say thanks, because her hard and prompt work made everything come together as quickly as it did. We love s'mores by the fire pit. That's home to us. So we thought we'd offer that to her! And the sign just seemed to fit. {Found it at TJ Maxx.}

Three.

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I do love a God-sized dream, and sometimes it gets discouraging when the dreams are delayed or denied {or even detoured}. Loved this article by Lanette Haskins.

Four.

I love that God writes our stories, and I'm drinking {gulping, is more like it} the story He's writing for us in this very moment. The story of transitions and homes and ministry. But I don't think anyone ever says things quite as well as Ann Voskamp, and while our details are different, I say THIS THIS THIS to the idea of God writes.

Five.

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I guess I wasn't the only one to have an out-of-the-ordinary Easter. Callie {a recent blog discovery for me} wrote about her Easter disaster {an actual disaster, not just a weird day like we had} and what God taught her about its imperfection. 

Six.

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Because of our move, I did not get to read a book this week. I started a novel but the moved-up move kept me from finishing it. So in place of a book suggestion, I have a shopping suggestion! My niece is getting married this year, and she purchased a return address stamp to use for all their wedding mail. I liked it so much, I started hunting around on Etsy for one for our new house. Clearly this is not our EXACT one, but this is the design of the one Ryan and I picked out and it arrived this week! Pretty excited about it. {And if you're ever looking for a good gift idea for newlyweds or people moving, this is a good one!}

Worth the Wait?

I love it when my friends ask me questions that make me think. Seriously love it. And this week, this was the question sent my way:

If and when I finally get married, will I be able to say "he was absolutely worth the wait?" I know what people mean when they say that, but I don't know if it's completely true, or at least if it will be for me. Yes, I can absolutely say that my spiritual life is miles beyond what it would have been if I hadn't had to walk this journey. So in that sense, of course it's worth it. But will I ever be able to say that I don't wish things would have been different and I don't wish I had met him ten years earlier so I could have loved him ten years longer? I don't know if I will ever get to the point where I feel it was worth all the missed experiences we didn't get together. I would love your thoughts on it...

No one has ever asked me this before, and I loved thinking it over. I'm not sure my answer is universal, but it is the truth of my heart, so I thought I'd share it with you today.

I fully expected I would get married right after college, and I was 21 when I graduated from college. I think back to the girl I was at 21, and I was kind of a mess. I had no idea {still!} who I really was, and for as strong as my foundations were, my personal foundations needed some serious stabilizing. I believe 100% if I got married {to anyone!} at that age, I could have ended up having a very happy marriage, but I also believe there would have been a lot of hurdles and obstacles between the wedding and truly happy, simply because of who I was at that tender age. And honestly, I fear I might not have enjoyed marriage in general as much as I did from the start of my married-at-34 story.

Ryan has told me a bit about who he was at 21, and while he was still very much a good, loving, godly man, he has been transparent to me about his rough edges. I fear had we met and married at that time, we would have endured a lot of head-butting that we have not had to contend with by getting married as older, more mature versions of ourselves.

So that's the first part of my answer. It was - for us - worth waiting because the more grown-up versions of who we are are so much better than the 21 year old versions of who we were.

BUT.

For me, the girl who ached to get married, singleness was so hard. And I would be lying if I said there hasn't been a bit of a grief process in letting go of dreams for milestones and moments that we are unlikely to ever know because we got married "so late" in life.

For example, I have always wanted to hit the 50 year mark in marriage. And we still could. But we'll be in our mid-80's, so the chances of us being able to enjoy that milestone to the fullest that I once dreamed I would are slim. Who knows!? We could be that spunky old couple that charges ahead right on into our 80's. But we could be the cranky old TV-watching couple, too! Either way - our 50th is not as much of a "sure thing" as I thought it would be dreaming as a teenager. And for me, that is a very real grief I've had to come to terms with.

While this isn't something we long for, those who marry later and desire to give birth to biological kids have to mourn the loss {or potential loss} of that dream. Sure, they could still have kids and be older moms. Sure, they could adopt. But the typical motherhood dream they always had must be grieved when they get "so far" past the age they always thought they would be when they got married.

I talked about all this with Ryan, and I told him in some ways I feel like it could be approached in a similar way to any other lost dream: a child who died or a spouse who died or left home. There are things that will just never be. Dreams left unrealized.

And that is what I love about God's love stories. They are redemption. Ryan and I have losses suffered prior to meeting each other, and those things make us who we are. We have had to grieve the losses that never can be, both with the lives we thought we would have and even the losses that never can be within our own story {see aforementioned golden anniversary adventures}.

But overriding the loss is God's great redemption. A love story that IS worth the wait but in no way takes away from the pain of the pre-wait. Those years mattered. Those years hurt and wounded. Those years grew me and shaped me, for sure. I am richer for them. But they still hurt. And that hurt needs to be recognized. It doesn't need to be pushed away or discounted just because the end result is as wonderful as it is.

I think we have this need to sweep under the rug anything the preceded the beautiful end to any part of a story. And I don't think that's the right thing to do. I think our whole stories deserve to be given their place. Some have a place of grief and some have a place of joy, but they all have a place. I think we need to recognize where we came from, what we went through, what we lost, what can never be - and allow ourselves to experience all the emotions that go along with them. And certainly we need to give the joy of a beautiful ending its rightful place too, and Ryan and I do just that.

Yes, Ryan was "worth the wait" as the cliche answer goes, but that wait was long and hard, and many times no fun at all. And it's okay to say and grieve that, too.

Big Gulps, and Not the Drinks

It's TUESDAY!!!! Podcast day! We're telling stories of dates and Valentine's Day and how we're learning to strap on the full armor of God!

Click here to listen

 I don't know if you saw the Saturday Six or not, but I told you about the book I just finished reading for my devotions over the past month. It was written by Debbie Alsdorf and focused on living in bold faith. So the next book on my shelf was also written by Debbie and is called A Woman Who Trusts God. 

I'm only a couple of days into it and have very nearly already drained one pen from underlining. I might have known that moving from the topic of faith to trust that this was not going to be easy. 

Debbie talked about how all of us have "meantimes" throughout our lives. She says it's "that place in between a problem recognized and a solution realized." {page 18} Your meantime probably doesn't look anything like mine, but we both have them, don't we? 

She goes ON to say this, which is what made me start doing the big gulp: "How will we live in that space between our prayer to God and the answer on earth? Does the meantime rob us of joy? Does it steal our peace and dilute our faith? Does it distract our focus? Does the meantime open the door for chaos and worry?" {page 18}

Oh man. 

I remember back when I lived in the desert place, I knew I had been chosen for that time, as hard as it was, and I desperately wanted to be found faithful. I focused hard on living well in that time. That was a deep, hard meantime, and I wanted to live it well.

But I confess I don't always put as much effort toward the "tiny meantimes" I live. I confess that I do let the meantime steal my joy and dilute my faith. It does distract me, and I've been known to worry a time or two in my life.

Hence the big gulp.

So this is my focus in prayer this week. As Ryan and I live in meantimes of our own, I want to come out of them full of joy, full of even bigger faith, and full of peace. We both want that. 

So how about your meantime? 

The Saturday Six

One.

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One of my friends sent me the link to this blog post, which pretty much just nails the feelings of singleness. Not all the time, of course, but when it's really hard and you're struggling to put words to why it's hard, this post gives you the words. {And if you're not single, but you have single friends, read it anyway. It will help you understand their hearts.}

Two.

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I know it FEELS like Valentine's Day is a long way off, but it's under a month away. Whether or not you have a Valentine in the significant-other sense, this is a great day to tell the people in your life that you are grateful for them! I have been pilfering through my Valnetine's Day Pinterest board for some inspiration, and I thought I'd share it with you in case you need some too! {Some ideas I've already done, and on those, I left comments for reference of how I liked them or didn't!}

Three.

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I really appreciate this post by Kristen Welch, because I think everyone can identify in some way. We all need reminders that God sees the big picture and reminders to look in this very moment for ways He's present and working.

Four.

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Sometimes I just like a good instrumental hymn to calm my soul. My friend Brent Vernon shared one this week that will give you a moment of heart-respite. You can hear it here.

Five.

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Waiting is hard, and there are four million things you could read {and find helpful!} about surviving a season of waiting. But yesterday this post spoke to me particularly loudly, because it gave me specific prayers to pray in the waiting. If you're waiting for ANYTHING or discouraged by delays and continual no answers when you ache for a yes, check out this post.

Six.

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Last Sunday, I picked up Irene Hannon's latest novel, Thin Ice, to begin a leisurely week of reading. A few hours later, at one in the morning, I was frantically turning the last pages. I could not sleep until I knew how it ended. And she kept me guessing until the end!

I first read Irene Hannon last year with her small-town, feel-good novel Hope Harbor. I am now freshly aware of her talent as an author, because Thin Ice is the opposite of Hope Harbor! This book is the second in the Men of Valor series, and I asked to read it for two completely unrelated reasons: I love figure skating, and I love FBI/crime shows on TV. Those two worlds collide in Thin Ice, making it a good choice for me.

Christy Reed is a former world-class figure skater, who could have medaled in the Olympics, had she not been injured right before they took place. And that was just the beginning of her life filled with too much heartache. In the span of six months, she lost both her parents in a car accident and her sister to a house fire. She'd been working through her grief well until an envelope arrives addressed to her in her sister's handwriting - the sister who died in the house fire.

Convinced something is beyond not right, Christy contacts the FBI and brand new Special Agent Lance McGregor takes her case. His investigation reveals an equal amount of new questions and dead ends where he hoped to find answers. Convinced that Christy's life is on the line, and forced to divide his time among multiple cases and his own family's needs, Lance hopes he can find answers before it's the ultimate kind of too late.

This book is suspenseful from the beginning; the kind of heart-stopping suspense that really would encourage you NOT to read this at one in the morning before trying to sleep, though I did just that {and would do it again}! While Christy is a believer, and there are strong mentions of faith and the Gospel woven throughout, the story is not void of extreme {and sometimes disturbing} violence. Unfortunately, the type of crimes investigated in this book are too common in real life, but if you are jumpy about violence, I wanted to warn you that this book holds a lot of it. Having said that, if you normally watch TV dramas that include this kind of content, this book gives you that without unnecessary side stories.

I appreciated being able to read a story like this without the interruption of foul language, and while there is definitely a strong love-story line woven throughout, there is no inappropriate sexual content either. {Desire, yes. Sex, no.}

Irene tackles hard scenarios and portrays them well. Her characters are well-developed and I didn't find her storyline predictable, which made the suspense {obviously} all the better! I completely forgot to breathe as I read, which in my world, is the mark of a great book.

Thanks, Irene, for a compelling suspense novel, and thanks Revell, for sending a copy my way in exchange for an honest review!

The Saturday Six

One.

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Tis the season to being hunting for the perfect Christmas card photo shoot poses...no, seriously! It's less than 100 days until Christmas, people!! I was hunting around online for some ideas and happened upon this article with some samples of pictures taken of a couple over the course of their marriage. While I in NO WAY want to speed along our life, I do look forward to someday looking back and seeing our history of photos over the years!

Two.

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Earlier this week, I had curled up on the living room floor to pray and seek the Lord over some areas where my heart wrestled. I happened upon this prayer by Rachel Wojo, and it was so perfectly timed for what was happening in my jumbled mind. I am sure I'm not the only one with a jumbled mind, so if you have it too - these words might comfort you as well.

Three.

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 I made many friends in my time at the station...and one of them was Don Otis, a publicist who took time to get to know me as a person, not just a producer. He just completed a HUGE accomplishment: he hiked all 66 mountains in the lower 48 states that have peaks of 14,000 feet or greater. I cannot even imagine the effort put into that kind of goal, and I'm so proud of him for hiking to the last summit just recently. Check out this article he wrote about his journey...and CONGRATULATIONS, Don!

Four. 

Just in case you are behind on the happenings of David Phelps, this is his rendition of We Shall Behold Him. I dare you to not get goose bumps.  

Five.

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YOU GUYS!! Did you see this one? A couple had their engagement pictures taken by recreating some scenes from 101 Dalmations. Stinking adorable. Check out the link at the end of the article for more pictures. I can't handle the cuteness!!! 

Six.

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Earlier this week, I told you about Kristen Strong's new book called Girl Meets Change...which is a fabulous read for any of you facing a season of change {of ANY kind} right now. I wanted to also let you know that she has a companion small group study guide available that you can get free if you purchase her book before the end of the month and submit the proof of purchase {directions in this blog post}. Tis the season for searching out good books to study together, so this is a good and affordable idea!
 

The Saturday Six

One.

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This bridal party story = adorable. You must look at the photos. {And MJ - thanks for sharing this one on Facebook so I could read it!! Credit goes to you!!!}

Two.

Even if you're not a professional photographer, if you like taking pictures, there's always room to grow. This article, though aimed at professionals, has great ideas at the end for photo projects. I've read bloggers who do a photo a day or Project 365, but I think there are some creative other ideas in here too! If you're in a picture taking slump, this might help you!!

Three.

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I haven't done this challenge before, and I'm not sure yet if I will do it {at least publicly} this year just because I already have a set pattern for the old blogaroonie, but I do love reading some of the series for 31 days of blogging in October. If you're interested in DOING it, it's never too early to start thinking of a topic! Here's the info...about the series and the new host this year!

Four.

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The first year of our marriage, we were CRAZY busy. Too, too busy. And one of the goals we made at our first anniversary was to begin protecting our time a bit more. To carve out days and times for rest. We've held to it well, in my opinion, and this article by The Nester is a great reminder of why we need rest and how to do it - because some people truly do not know HOW to rest! We all need it. God taught us that in the lineup of creation! If you've struggled with rest, don't miss this read.

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Ryan's cousin posted this link on Facebook this week, and I thought it was well-written, vulnerable, and filled with good reminders. If you have a dream in your heart that God seems to be saying NO to...that can be all kinds of hard. I appreciated this reminder that He knows the dreams...He's the Giver of dreams, and He has tenderness toward us. 

Six.

I had a little first in the reading world this week: I read my first movie novelization. {If you're not familiar...it just means that normally people write books and then if they make it to the big screen, it's because others adapt the books to make them work as movies. In this case, the movie was made first, and an author adapted it into novel form.} The book is The War Room, and Chris Fabry wrote the novelization from Alex and Stephen Kendrick's film.


The War Room {the movie} hits theaters August 28th, and if you go here, you can enter your zip code to see if it's coming to any in your area. This movie is a faith-based film, created by the same folks who did Courageous, Fireproof and Facing the Giants. If you enjoyed any of those, chances are good you'll like this one as well, because it holds similar strong convictions and tackles real life family and faith issues.

You'll meet Tony Jordan, a pharmaceuticals salesman climbing the corporate ladder, and determined to reach the top, no matter the cost. His wife, Elizabeth is a real estate agent who seems to become more and more of a "married single mom" to their ten-year-old daughter, Danielle. Their marriage is unraveling, not because of any one big offense, but because years of tiny compromises and poor decisions have added up and begun to take a toll.

As Tony finds himself lured further into the world and farther from his home, Elizabeth finds herself in a Divine appointment when she's hired to sell Miss Clara's house. Miss Clara has spent most of her life a widow, mourning her war veteran husband who died so very young. But Miss Clara has a war room of her own - a prayer closet where she does battle every day for those around her. She might be aging, but when she gets on her knees, she's strong and full of a blend of sass and saint. God pairs up Elizabeth with Miss Clara...and the two women battle together on their knees for those they love.

The story itself is characteristic of the previous movies listed above, and there is a measure of predictability and almost too-good-to-be-true timing {it is, after all, a movie}, but I will say that the MESSAGE of this book and movie is so needed at this time. Scripture is clear that we are fighting battles against a spiritual realm, and way too many of us are untrained and under-equipped to get out there and truly fight a battle on our knees through the sweat and the tears. If you're accustomed to just praying some nice, fluffy, well-crafted prayers here and there, you're not going to war. And this world needs warriors.

I think I loved the message even more than the story itself; I'm convicted to not just pray, but to pray for those around me. To do battle on their behalf. To do battle on my OWN behalf. And for that reason, if you can possibly read the book or catch the movie, I think it would be time very well spent. And if you are the kind of person who learns well from the example of a story, rather than reading books of application, then this story will teach you well.

* Thanks to Tyndale for sending a copy of The War Room my way to read and review. *

The Saturday Six

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I talk about Ivanhoe's ALL THE TIME on here, and some of you have asked me what it is...if it's a chain...what to get if you go...all that kind of stuff. Well, fortunately for all of us, the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel recently ran an article on them, so check it out! Fifty years of goodness wrapped up in this family owned operation!

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Just learned about this website this week...which is actually inspired by a new book coming out! It's a site where you can share the story of your wedding dress, how you found it, what it meant to you, and even pictures from your wedding day! It's like the TV shows without the drama!

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Can't get enough of Fixer Upper even in the off season. LOVED this Q and A with JoJo! Especially loved the question about whether or not the homeowners keep all the furniture!

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Oh....how I struggle to sit quietly and listen! I should have known, when I wasn't so great at it way back in Kindergarten, that it would be a lifelong struggle in every facet. Appreciated Holley Gerth's words here.

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You know how it is when you read an article about rest and listening, and then the very NEXT one you find is also about rest and sitting still...and even through the thick skull you've been accused of having, you realize God MIGHT be trying to teach you something? Pretty much what I felt when after reading Holley's post above...I read this gem by Andrea Lucado.

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I've talked to a few of you this week who are in a HARD season of waiting. Oh man. Waiting is not something I excel in at all...and while I'm in some waiting periods of my own, they're not life-rocking for me right now, like they are for some of you. But my own times with that, like waiting for a  husband or waiting for that house to sell a few months ago...remind me that waiting is just entirely exhausting. This article is about waiting for a husband, and I know for many of you who read here, that's the struggle of your own heart. If that's you...read!!! But even if your wait is for something else entirely, this article is a great reminder of what God does IN us in seasons of waiting!