Thirty Years with the Lord

Today is a sweet day in my heart and life.

Today marks 30 years since I began a growing relationship with the Lord. I wrote about it a few weeks ago, but I want to pay a special tribute to this milestone today.

When I made that decision 30 years ago, I did so out of a place of deep need. New seasons of my life (the onset of junior high and becoming an aunt) showed me that I couldn't keep trying to figure out life and decisions on my own. I needed the sort of wisdom and guidance that only come from the Lord, so I knelt by a bathtub and asked for help.

Let me tell you some things about these three decades.

There have been moments when I have been so absolutely at the end of myself - brokenhearted - and all I could do was curl up in a ball and cry from the deepest places of my soul. I couldn't even say words. God heard those cries and saw those tears. 

There have been moments when I made selfish, stupid, sinful choices that hurt me and hurt people I loved. I haven't been perfect. I haven't done everything right. God was there to forgive me when I confessed and repented.

There have been moments when I lived through seasons of hurt and grief - sometimes from the natural order of life and sometimes from decisions others made. God was there to carry me when I didn't have the strength to walk on by myself.

There have been moments when joy so filled me that my heart felt like a helium balloon sailing off into the sky. God was there to celebrate with me in those amazing moments, even if no one else around me understood my giddy heart.

There have been moments when I lacked wisdom and had to make decisions that affected my future (and sometimes others' futures as well). God gave wisdom when I asked and helped me know the way I should take.

There have been moments when I lacked the courage I needed to do difficult things or take unpopular stands. God stood beside me and gave me the courage I needed in the exact moments of my need.

These last thirty years have been all about growing, learning, maturing, and finding out (one step at a time) where He's leading next. I'm so very grateful for the Lord's patience, kindness, discipline, generosity, and gentle leading.

Today I celebrate thirty years and if I have the privilege of living thirty more, I want them to be filled with as much growing, learning, maturing, and discipline as I've had in the first thirty.

I'm grateful. I'm grateful God saw a straggly haired tweenage girl and wanted to use her. I never had a clue back on that day in 1989 that in thirty years, He'd call me to a unique mix of ministries, but it is my privilege to answer that call. And for as long as He keeps calling, I'll keep answering.

(These words say everything - and if you can handle a throwback to 90s hair, this is my favorite recording of this song. To hear it sung by someone who has walked the highs and the lows makes it even better, I think.)

What I Learned in December

Another month of learning  has come to a close - almost, anyway - and today I wanted to share with you the things I've learned this December! (I have also learned that I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of 2019, though I didn't include that below.)

1. I do not have a future in professional ice skating.

I shuffled around the ice for the first time in my life this month, clinging to my little blue seal walker that I named Louis, and from all video footage, I fully believe that I looked like I was a patient in Ryan's hospital. I don't know that I'll ever find a measure of greatness on the ice. But I didn't fall. How in the world people spin and twirl and land on that itty bitty blade is beyond me, though I love watching them do it!)

2. Going back to work is such an overwhelming adventure!

After four years of staying home full time, I've (at least temporarily) re-entered the working world. Not only is it very interesting to get up and ready early...and pack a lunch again, it's a huge adjustment in being away from Ryan, learning to get in all my water and steps while sitting behind a desk, and oh my. There is SO MUCH TO LEARN! I am profoundly grateful that although He didn't have to do so, God worked it out that I could train and then have a bit of a break to get everything in order at home before actually beginning the job. I now spend most of my evenings wondering what I forgot throughout the day and if I thoroughly and irreparably messed anything up for anyone else.

3. You don't have to have any kind of training or license to own a recreational boat - even if you're going out to sea.

Ryan and I watched a documentary on the Bermuda Triangle (we are strange!) and we learned that there is no law in our country that requires boat owners to go through any kind of maritime training, even if they're planning to travel out in the ocean. Boy, I'd sure want some training! And I would like the drivers around me to have had the same.

4. Typing my journal entries works better for me (at least right now).

I've been keeping a journal since I was 15 years old. I have scads of good, old fashioned paper journals filled to the brim with thoughts, prayers, confusion, ideas, and so much more. I treasure every one of them, and I always will. But throughout the last year, I discovered my journaling has become quite disjointed. My thoughts move about three times the speed of my ability to handwrite, and sometimes my words became completely illegible on the page as I tried to scribble thoughts out as quickly as they came in. I had planned to make this switch at the new year, but I decided to start early, and about halfway through December, I started typing out my thoughts instead. I love it because I can keep up with my thoughts (and read what I wrote!). I am able to clear my head so much better. Maybe one day I'll go back to handwriting, but for now, I love this format.

5. The numbers 911 were chosen for a specific reason.

I was reading an article about life fifty years ago, and one of the points mentioned that 911 didn't exist back then. It went on to say that when it was created, the numbers were chosen because they had never been used for an area code or service code.

6. Hobby Lobby at 9 a.m. the day after Christmas is akin to Black Friday. Go at your own risk and be prepared to be trampled over a discounted roll of wrapping paper. 

Ryan and I planned to go look for after-Christmas sales on December 26th. We didn't have an agenda, but it just worked out that we were in the neighborhood of Hobby Lobby right when it opened. We stopped and watched people speed-walking into the store as the doors opened. When we got inside, it was a free-for-all, and people were pushing and grabbing and cutting off those around them. I was neither prepared nor caffeinated. We grabbed a few treasures and then decided our time there was done. No need to die over a bag of bows.

So there you have it! A few random things I've learned this month! How about you?

The Shafferland Shuffle

Today we're almost shuffling right out of 2019. It's the last Shuffle of the year! And a full one, it is.

* Last Sunday morning, Ryan and I were welcomed into membership at our church. We've been going there for almost three years, but we hadn't officially become members. We also served as narrators (again) for one of the songs in the morning service - one of the songs from the program earlier this month. And that night we had our first Christmas celebration, with Ryan's step-dad and siblings out at the cabin. It was a very different kind of Christmas, since it was our first without his mom, but it was still a good evening.

* Monday morning was my first solo, official day of work at my new (temp) job. (If you missed this news a while back, I'm covering a maternity leave for our church's administrative assistant.) I had a beautiful sunrise waiting on me when I pulled in the parking lot at church. What a great way to start the day! Because it was just two days before Christmas, the office was pretty quiet, and I got through the first day without too much issue! That night, Ryan finished up his stocking-stuffer shopping and I wrapped the last of the gifts and enjoyed the tree and yule log channel!

* Tuesday was Christmas Eve, and it was beautifully warm and sunny here in Indiana. Ryan and I were greeters at our church's Christmas Eve service, and we stood outside to welcome people - with no coats! LOVED THAT! The candlelight service was beautiful, and then we went to Ryan's grandma's house to have Christmas with his dad's side of the family. Came home, made our little pallet on the living room floor, and slept under the tree for Christmas Eve!

* Wednesday was Christmas Day, so we had our own family (of two) Christmas at home that morning. We had lunch and a gift exchange with my family at my parents' house, and then we went to the celebration for Ryan's step-family. I counted 37 people in a very tiny house. It was lively!

* Ryan and I already had plans for the day after Christmas (prior to my taking the job) so we both had the day off and loved every minute of it. Shopping, breakfast out, and a nice long walk through the neighborhood in the afternoon. (Still sunny and in the 60's!)

* Friday morning I took this picture of Ryan drinking his coffee by the tree in the kitchen. I knew trees would be coming down on Saturday, so it was one last hurrah for cozy mornings. I went to work for what proved to be a truly crazy day of stumbling through unfamiliar programs and trying to work machines I've never used. One of the pastors gifted me this water bottle (which I love!) that says it all! Ryan and I stayed home Friday evening so I could finish writing a sermon for today (I'm speaking at a church this morning) and we had coffee from our fancy new Keurig my sisters got us for Christmas!

* Yesterday was operation undo and redo. Have you done that yet at your house? I started about 10 in the morning and Ryan joined me when he got home from work, and we were still working about 10:00 last night! We got all the trees taken down, the house put back together and decorated for January, and Ryan even got a little extra organizing done in the garage, which made him pretty happy! It was a lot of hard work, but oh my goodness, we are so happy with our freshly spruced up home!

The Saturday Six

One.

Are you thinking about painting a room or ten in your house in the new year? I mean...I'm definitely not. (Nervous eye twitch.) But just in case anyone needs some paint inspiration, here is a post (which contains bonus links to other posts) to guide you in your quest for the perfect color!

Two.

Have you taken down your Christmas decorations yet? I think I'll be working on that today so I can begin the new year with a clean slate. I loved this post about simple winter décor. I haven't decided if any of our trees from our Christmas tree farm will stay up through January, but I did love the decorations in the post!

Three.

If you're trying to kick sugar cravings as part of your new year plan, check out this post. The writer suggests some tips for using essential oils to help overcome sugar addiction. (I have read many times before about some of these oils helping with overactive appetites and sugar cravings. I just like her method of listing out how to use and diffuse the oils in specific blends.

Four.

Super cute sign for a kitchen or dining room. I think we may be just about out of wall space, so I won't be able to get one, but if I did have another wall to fill, I'd absolutely get it.

Five.

My friend Brent Vernon has made the Saturday Six many times for his incredible music and art. (Almost) every December, he does a countdown sketch-of-the-day, and this year he has made them available for purchase as signed prints or digital downloads. There are so many super cute ones, but my top three favorites from this year are this, this, and this.

Six.

January Bible Reading Plan: Take Two! Last week I tried to post a reading plan for January to begin reading through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in one year. It ended up being a bit lower quality than I preferred, so I'm trying it again here!

2019: A Year in Review

It may be a day or two premature for year-end recaps, but I have other things I want to talk about in the days to come, so today I'm bidding 2019 a fond farewell.

January.
Last January was a hard month. It began (almost to the exact day) with Ryan's mom's final hospitalization, her return home on hospice, and the beginning of our long days and nights spent driving back and forth to the cabin to care for her while Allen went to work. We tried to stay healthy in flu season, we tried to eat clean and work out when we could, and naps were the order of the day whenever we could find a spare 10 minutes. We did our best to squeeze in purposeful dates - and I'm pretty proud of us for making sure they happened. Yes, it was a hard month - and exhausting, too.

February.
February was just a shorter version of January. More trips to the cabin, more caring for Ryan's mom, more short nights and long days. But we also squeezed in Ryan's annual day of skiing with his friend, Shawn, a Valentine's Day celebration, a weekend visit from some friends, and a county tour! Not too bad for how tired we were and how much we had going on daily.

March.
March was difficult, to be sure. On the 5th, we said our final earthly goodbye to Nita, and then of course, we had the viewing (greeted over 800 people that day) and the funeral as well. As we worked through grief and tried to return to a normal schedule, we also spent a weekend away at a women's retreat, where I spoke. It was a beautiful weekend and came at the perfect time for us.

April.
Beginning in April, we spent all our free time at Ryan's dad and step-mom's old house, helping them fix it up so they could put it on the market. Though we did get a break from all forms and work and life at the end of April when we went on a week-long cruise to celebrate Ryan's 40th birthday! For the first time, we saw Aruba, Curacao, and the Dominican Republic. We loved this getaway. It was so very needed and welcomed!

May.
After we came home from the cruise, we got back to work at Ryan's dad's house, and we spent all our spare time there in May, too. We also hosted Mommapalooza, celebrated my 41st birthday, and I spoke a handful of times - including a huge event at our church!

June.
Continuing in a familiar pattern, our free time in June went to helping Ryan's dad at his house - and we ALMOST got it done that month. Almost! We were able to keep Miss Phoebe for a few days, planted a tree at our house in memory of Ryan's mom, and wrapped up the month by participating in the patriotic program at our church - we were both narrators this year. And I almost forgot! We did a quick getaway to St. Joseph, Michigan that month, getting to meet our favorite Bible study author and enjoying some hiking in Warren Dunes State Park!

July.
July was one of our busiest months - but so much fun! We watched fireworks over the lake on the 4th, started the long haul of work on our own house (repainting the deck and knocking down a very well-constructed fence), hosted friends overnight (and turned our house into a hotel for their kids), visited another county (which included visiting a car museum and a pickle factory!), went to the fair - twice - and enjoyed a free night at Kokomo Beach with Ryan's work!

August.
We spent the month of August doing more work at our own house - and by "doing," I really mean "supervising," because this was the kind of work that was beyond us. Had to bring in the professionals! We met our newest nephew, went to Colts Training Camp and took a lonnnnnnnnnnng bike ride on the Monon trail. (That was all part of a county tour...minus meeting the nephew.) We met up with my family for a full family weekend trip in Shipshewana to celebrate my parents' 65th wedding anniversary, and at the very end of the month, we met up with friends for game night!

September.
The month began with the completion of our major house projects - which culminated in the sun porch that you saw in the Christmas tour photos. (We decorated it like a tree farm for Christmas.) We went to our first air show and our first Purdue football game (together). We rounded out the month by doing one last landscaping project...putting down 8 ton of stone around the sides of the house that hadn't previously been landscaped!

October.
Most of this month was just sort of a normal work kind of month, but we did have some fun, too! We celebrated our 7th engagementversary with a visit to a local corn maze. We knocked another county off the list with a hike through McCormick's Creek State Park. I had a big event for women at our church, we went to Ryan's co-worker's wedding, and I took senior pictures for my bonus niece. 

November.
We started November with a super fast trip to Georgia to meet our friends' adorable new baby girl! As soon as we got home, I met up with my dear Lynne Ford for the first time in about two years - and that was such a fun day! Right after that, I left for a leadership conference in Nashville, Tennessee, along with about a dozen other women from our church. I got the house all decorated for Christmas, hosted my women's leadership team for a party, took pictures for Charity's piano recital, ate our way through the Turkey Tour 2019 and we ended the month as we'd begun it: on the road for our anniversary trip! We visited Metamora, Indiana, knocking another county off our list, and checked out the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio!

December.
The month arrived with bitterly cold temps, but that didn't keep us from enjoying Winterfest at Kings Island, or having fun on our seventh wedding anniversary! We came home from our trip and launched right into being part of the church's Christmas program. (Narrators again!) We Christmased our way through the last half of the month...and I started a new (temp) job.

For all the hard and all the good, it's been a full and fruitful year. I'm grateful for every piece of the journey and for the chance to share it with Ryan!