The Saturday Six

One.

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Christmas is a week away!! Can you believe it? You may or may not be ready when it comes to shopping and wrapping and food prep, but the real question is - are you ready for the heart reflection of what Christmas represents? I adored this post by Kathy Howard that outlines specific reasons why Jesus came to earth. {This list pulls from quotes from Jesus Himself declaring why He came.} Hope you find it helpful for your heart as you prepare!

Two. 

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You know I love all things that make memories, right? :) While this is not a tradition that Ryan and I have {exactly}, I love this idea! Make a "capsule" ornament from each year that captures something you love, whether you are on your own, you're a couple, or a family with kids. It's a fun little project and a great memory to have every year as you decorate your tree! You can make one now before you put all your decorations away and then have it ready to go for next year!

Three.

My friend Erica sent me this adorable video this week. This little girl is PASSIONATE about her story-telling, and while a couple of her facts may not be recorded in Scripture, you can't deny she's got a good foundation and a healthy dose of creativity!

Four.

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I don't have kids to write this letter to, but this is the kind of letter Ryan and I would want to write to anyone who might be watching our marriage from a distance. This is how we hope to live.  

Five.

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You know, from seeing the Shafferland Shuffle each week, that I'm pretty passionate about daily photo taking. I just love documenting everything - even the mundane - for posterity. Found this post about some great reasons to document every day, and a link to a site where you can turn your photos into videos. Pretty fun!


Six.

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I love a timeless book. It's actually one of my big hang-ups about a lot of non-fiction published right now. There are so many references to current culture that in ten years, anyone sitting down to read will say "Oh this book is so 2015." I love finding a book that has truth embedded in it so deeply that you have no idea if it was written today or 100 years ago.

And that's why I wanted to read Delighting God by A.W. Tozer. I've read Tozer's work before and his quotes are everywhere, because so much of what he said is concise and quotable - and truth. This book, compiled and edited by James L. Snyder just released, but it's filled with material from sermons Tozer preached throughout his ministry. {He died in 1963, if you're not familiar with him.}

This book is very different from ones I normally read, and it took me about two weeks to read it. It's not hard to read, because Snyder worked to make the language a bit more modern than perhaps Tozer would have used in his early 1900 writing and speaking, but the content is quite deep and to be fully appreciated, it can't be read quickly. I wanted to take my time, immerse myself in the chapters, underline, mentally chew on the words, and then share my thoughts with you.

If you're looking for a fluffy, feel-good inspirational read, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for something to challenge and convict your walk with the Lord, read this. Tozer was burdened for the church at large and how he perceived that it was becoming lukewarm. He believed people were trying to bring God down to their level and make Him more manageable in their minds rather than challenging themselves to pursue deeper levels of holiness.

Here are just a few of the gut-punching {in a good way} quotes I underlined as I read:

* What the Holy Spirit does not reveal to us is not worth knowing.

* If we are going to make any kind of progress, we need to understand what we have really lost. 

* It is hard to get people to think, but it is harder still to get them to thirst.

* When the church of Christ inhales the Holy Spirit, she must exhale everything contrary to Him.

There were many more lines I underlined, and many I journaled about as well. This book made me squirm, and I think that's one of its best qualities. Tozer is right. While he lived in a world that was laced with a lot more legalism and a lot less grace than the one we live in today, I think his heart was in the right place {meaning he really did ache to pursue holiness over legalism}. I think many of us, even those of us who like to believe we are doing well, are in danger of being lazy and we need to be shaped up.


That's actually the analogy I thought of when I read it. Ryan and I have been working out intensely lately, and while we both would have told you beforehand that we were in decent shape, we're learning we had muscles that had grown quite lazy. Our workouts have been stretching them and hurting us - but in the long run, accomplishing good. This book is your workout to help you see the areas of life where you've been lazy and spiritually out of shape. Reading it will stretch and maybe even hurt, but at the same time, the thoughts and challenges within will push you toward holiness.

There are some parts of this book that are repetitious {possibly because it was pulled from sermons rather than being crafted by Tozer as a book from start to finish}, and there are parts that feel legalistic when you read them. When I got to those parts, I had to think carefully about Tozer's intent and how he urged people to work out their salvation. If you have a bent toward legalism in your life, you'll want to watch that carefully as you read, because his practices can push you back toward that rather quickly. 

Those things aside, I would highly recommend reading the book, slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully...and asking the Lord to grow and shape you through the words and convictions of Tozer. Especially if you read this at the start of a new year, I believe you'll find yourself thinking in new ways and convicted to pursue the Lord in pure, passionate ways.

* Thanks, Bethany House, for sending a copy of the book my way in exchange for an honest review. *

Our Time Capsule!!

A few weeks ago, I came to y'all with a request for ideas of things to include in a time capsule. We planned to hide it under the stairway in the house before the new carpet was laid...to be discovered however many years down the road, either by us {when we're old and forgot things like time capsules hidden in the days of our newlywed bliss} or by new owners to Shafferland.

I had grand visions of a romantic date for two, collecting everything for the capsule...and hours spent compiling it in great detail, but as tends to happen around here, the busyness got the best of us, and the night before the carpet came, I was whirling around town, taking pictures and scribbling notes to the future capsule finders. Nevertheless, I'm so glad I pushed through and got it done, and today I want to share with you what went inside!

I wrote all my notes for the capsule in a little journal, and I began with an explanation of who we are and why we were making a time capsule in the first place.

Then I explained how much I love to journal and how someone suggested including one of my journals in the capsule, but how I couldn't bear to part with any of them. So instead, I wrote the notes in a blank journal I had and included that as the nod to my journaling love.

We both wanted to include a rock we'd signed, as an example of the rock altar we began at our wedding...our way of creating a tangible symbol of the times God speaks and moves mightily in our lives. It was also a great way to leave our testimony of our relationship with and love for the Lord. We always try to choose a rock from a location significant to the event, so Ryan picked this one out of our landscaping and we signed it:

{Pivotal, I think, that this rock is dated on our 8th month wedding anniversary!}

The thing that started the idea of a time capsule in the first place were the random treasures we found when the step pulled away from the wall and we found puzzle pieces and a 1949 newspaper clipping and kids' playing cards from a game and more. It only seemed right to return those things to the hiding place, so I tucked them inside a Ziplock bag and they went back in the capsule!

Of course we had to include a wedding picture!! I pulled this one from the leftovers of the prints we made for our wedding reception. It also happens to be the same one we have on a giant canvas in our living room, so I thought it was a good choice:

Someone said we couldn't forget to include a picture of our baby girl! She wasn't really in much of a photogenic mood this past week as she has mostly been angry with us for uprooting her palace, repeatedly moving her food dish, and we can't forget...all the pesky noise of hammers, saws, and drills. So this was about as good as I could capture of the little bit of sweetness that is our Braeya. {But this is one of her favorite activities: neighborhood watch cat #1.}

And since the home where we live used to be my grandparents' home, it seemed appropriate to include a picture of them. This one's my favorite.

Being the coffee junkies we are...we couldn't NOT acknowledge that. And since no one knows how we'll be making coffee in 50 years, I thought I'd throw in  a K-Cup in one of Ryan's favorite flavors.

 Here were some other things I photographed to include, though I won't put the pictures here {some are things I don't put online and some are self-explanatory.}

* The outside of our home
* Sign outside the gas station where we usually purchase gas - to show the current price
* Ryan's car
* My car
* The church we attend
* Our running path
* Our leisurely-walk-at-night path
* Meijer, where we visit frequently for groceries, ectc.
* Kohl's/Hobby Lobby - where we spend a lot of time as well
* Lowe's
* Starbucks
* Casa Brava, our favorite restaurant
* The park we love to visit
* The outside of my workplace
* The outside of Ryan's workplace

Then we finished it up with a copy of the newspaper from August 2

And...a printout of the blog posts that tell the story of our proposal:

There were a few more things I would have included if I'd had more time to work on it...but in the end, I had to remind myself the capsule was a snapshot of our lives, not a full autobiography.

About 20 minutes before the carpet guys arrived, we planted our capsule:

And then we left a note so the finder would check for it:

And that's a wrap! Thanks so much, everyone, for all your great suggestions!

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday we woke up at the lake...oh sweet happiness. I showed you already a glimpse of the church for two we enjoyed...and then we spent our last few hours of lake love with Ryan's family - eating lunch together, going on one last boat ride, and then we had to say goodbye to our lake for another year. {Sob.} Came home and re-entered the real world.

* Monday, I confess that your Bits girl reached her renovation saturation point in the ugliest of meltdowns. Though our kitchen is done {and has been for a while}, we've been living in a torn up house since we started that room back on Memorial Day weekend. With a dining room looking as the picture below indicates {and you can multiply that by every room in the house}, construction at work and construction on my route TO work, I had just h.a.d.i.t. Wasn't pretty. Thankful Ryan is patient.

* Tuesday night we {brace yourself} did more work on the house. I'm running out of things to tell you about when it comes to this home improvement adventure! So instead I'll tell you that I had a HORRID headache all day {thank you meltdown the day before} and it got worse at work, when I was sitting under the new {one degree short of the sun itself} lights and the accompanying cleaner fumes. So here's how I look sans done-hair and any makeup:

* Wednesday evening we began unloading the furniture from the main parts of the house into the den {the current name of that room until we think of something better. Den might be too 70's.} - which was quite a project. I think we've permanently traumatized Braeya with all our moving and ripping up and hammering and sawing and...you get the idea. However, she did feel thankful for the jungle gym we constructed just for her.

 

* Thursday was our Friday, since we both took Friday off work. We worked SO HARD that night - trying to get the time capsule ready, the touch-up painting work done, the light in the hallway replaced {Ryan said it was the most nightmarish light replacement he's ever done}, and baseboard cleaning. I was thoroughly exhausted at the end of the day. Especially when I looked in our Hoarders room.

* Friday was a bullet point list of accomplishments: vacation day from work, eight month anniversary, completion of the wedding scrapbook, installation of the carpet, continuation of the landscaping work, beginning of the return to normal inside the house, AND we attended/worked the first night of the Fandana Music and Arts Festival. I hope you're sitting down. I'm tired just reading all that.

 * Saturday was THE most lovely day. We were able to sleep in and work on putting our house back together, which was so good for both our hearts. I got to meet up with my friend Kari, too, for a while, which was wonderful! And that night, we got to enjoy a date, since I worked the night before, on our anniversary. And until I have a chance to show you the joy that is our home post-renovation, check out this sign we found in Hobby Lobby {on sale} - which actually made me cry right there in the aisle.

For the record, I do believe in prayer, not wishes...but I love the reminder that Ryan is the realization of many prayers and a dream come true!

Taking a Time Capsule Poll

Hey y'all!! It's time for another interactive Bekah's Bits post, so get your typing fingers READY!!!

As part of the great overhaul of Shafferland, Ryan and I are getting new carpet put down in the main living areas of our home. The current carpet is probably about 30 years old and definitely is a quality they probably don't make anymore. {The only worn spot on the whole thing is right below the stairway door, compliments of the day I confined Braeya downstairs while I worked upstairs and she got so mad she ripped a hole in the carpet.}And just ask Ryan - the staples they used back in the day of that installation are also well made. And plentiful.

Anyway. While ripping the carpet off the step that leads to the upstairs {held on firmly by about 100 staples and that is not an exaggeration}, the entire step ripped away from the wall, revealing a tiny space under the stair landing.

I wish I could tell you that as the step ripped away, we were greeted by a treasure box containing a secret stash of unclaimed wealth...but alas, it revealed mostly debris, and a few random treasures, including:

* a paper butterfly bearing my sister's name
* a paper doll dress
* three playing cards {apparently from a children's game}
* a puzzle piece

 

 And this newspaper from January 7, 1949, when you could buy a 4 gallon electric automatic hot water heater for $54.98 and a tune up at the Chevy dealership for $9.00.

 

My writer's mind is aflutter with the stories behind even these small things, but my memory-maker's heart is also aflutter...

...because I think before we seal that step back up with a fresh roll of carpet, we need to bury a treasure box underneath it to be discovered some day however many years from now when we {or whoever lives here then} call the soon-to-be-new carpet quits and put down a fresh piece.

So tell me! What would you put in a treasure box time capsule?