It's the Weekly Recap!

* I know it will shock you to know that last Sunday, I spent the day watching the Olympics. I am so going to miss them when they are done! And for dinner...my weird-Bekah love of biscuits and gravy: consumed separately.

* Monday evening I treated myself to an outing at...ready?....HOBBY LOBBY!!! I had missed it so much I even went after remembering my gift card was at home. I was willing to pay out of pocket just to breathe its air. (Such a sap.) I bought the supplies for my Pinterest inspired project! And yes, I managed to make it out with ONLY those purchases, thankyouverymuch.

* Tuesday evening, Mom treated me to dinner at Mi Pueblo (sorry, Kristin!! I did eat in your honor if that helps!) and it was so good. Don't remember the last time I ate there. YUMMY. Anyway. After that, I had to grocery shop, and while in the store...I may or may not have visited this aisle...

* Wednesday my Christmas shopping spree arrived...did I mention that a couple of weeks ago, I did a massive shopping spree online? Yeah. Apparently it arrived in more boxes than I anticipated...

I stared at that stack forever, trying to figure out how to get it all in my car! (I was successful.) That night I tried TWO new recipes that you'll be seeing on here sometime because they were both keepers!

* Thursday was a crazy busy day at work. My desk somehow got buried (HOW did that happen??) and I spent all day trying to unearth it. I managed to find half of it by day's end. Then I came home and scurried through a run, because I was so afraid it was going to rain on me. (And I am NOT hard core enough of a runner to run in the rain, thankyouverymuch.) But check out my time! (Disclaimer to real runners out there - This is REALLY good in my universe.)

* Friday I ran the phones during Mid-Morning for the first time ever. I was petrified I would hang up on someone...accidentally of course. Lynne thought perhaps I'd function better if I got a frappe before the show, so she sent me to McDonald's to get one. I ordered a chocolate chip frappe and when I got to the window, the lady said, "You order the flappe?" Ummmm what's a flappe?

PS - excuse the hair. It's really beyond the beyond...but I haven't been able to get in for a cut because I can't coordinate with my hair lady! AAACK! Don't send Stacey and Clinton after me!

* Saturday afternoon I worked the Fandana Festival in Huntington.

Like my focused look? I was actually trying to just see in the sunlight!! But I was very thankful for sun because the crowd that worked the festival on Friday worked in the rain.

Pinterest Inspired Project.

I already talked a bit about this one this week and there's more to come on it...but here was the inspiration piece:

Source: 6dukes.blogspot.com via Rebekah on Pinterest

I love this and may still make a copy of it. But for now, this is my board to help me learn the truth about how God sees me!

Some Thoughts on Courage

I'm learning so many lessons this week...I'm wearing my own self out!!

I do not think of myself as a courageous person. In fact, I've been known to describe myself as, and I quote...a big fat chicken.

Apparently God sees in me the potential to be more than I am in big-fat-chicken-land. Because it seems lately He's been stirring my heart to find courage deep within myself...and use it.

Gulp.

My job has been the starting point of this new project. I walked in with not a single ounce of experience and found that the best way to learn - was to jump in cannonball style. Yesterday I ran the phones during Mid-Morning, which meant I couldn't engineer. (I'm not talented enough to be in two rooms at one time. Yet.) So I sat by the phone and watched Jim fill in for my job in the next room. It took me back to a year ago when that was still brand new for me. When I sat nervously in the chair, shoes off beside me, shaking and carefully following the scripted notes provided to teach me how to do the job.

That took courage.

But the bottom line was, thousands of listeners were tuning in to hear a show and if I didn't muster up some courage, they weren't going to hear it.

Courage is a necessity. To enjoy something beautiful, you have to be brave.

And now He's calling me to show even more bravery. (Including but certainly not limited to singing on camera for work. That pushed my courage more than even I could handle!)

This is short (for me) but I want to leave you with this link...the post I would have written on the subject if I'd thought of it. Check this out.

And then risk being brave.

Prioritizing Passions

Ever feel like you're supposed to be hyper-enthusiastic about absolutely everything...and involved in it too? And that if you would dare to NOT be passionate about everything...people look at you with a bit of disdain?

I was reading a blog yesterday where the writer linked to a ministry, and of course, blog hopper that I am, I clicked over to check it out and found myself getting pretty excited about it. Then I had the familiar self-lecture of Bekah, you don't have time for one more thing. You don't have time for half the commitments you have NOW!

At my church, I'm on the committee that asks people to be Sunday School teachers. One of the kids' classes didn't have a teacher this quarter and in the committee meeting, I was asked if I'd be willing to teach. It was the perfect storm for self-inflicted guilt. 1. It's Sunday School. How can you say no to teaching Sunday School? 2. It's a kids' class for goodness' sake. You can't turn down the children!! 3. You're on. the. committee! Isn't it your job to fill in when no one else can? I was sweatin' it, but I mustered up the biggest ounce of courage I had (which was really a very small ounce!) and said, "I can't do it this time. I need to attend the Experiencing God class because I need that for my own spirit right now."

And so it was that I prioritized the passion of my heart to tend to my own spiritual health - even though it meant saying no - to my own committee!! - to the kids' Sunday School class.

My sister is participating in a fundraiser walk this fall - to benefit the American Heart Association. Our uncle battled heart disease and she walks in his memory. This week I received the email she sent asking for support, and my first thought was If I were a good niece, I'd go walk with her and help her raise money. It's a great cause.

But I'm training (with much need for CPR, I might add!) for a 10K...and it's my priority. So I will not walk - but I will send money. I can support her that way and still keep my own commitments in the right order.

This is a great big world with a whole lotta people in it. We don't all have to love the same things. We don't have to share every passion. We're allowed to say no. We're allowed to step back and figure out which things are most important to us...which things demand our attention because we've already agreed to them...which things we feel God pushing us toward...and do those things.

And not only do them...but do them guilt-free because it's really okay to not be overly enthusiastic about every life activity.

No - really!

The Voice of Truth (Phase A)

A few weeks ago, we did a show on Mid-Morning that focused on adult eating disorders. I had no idea it was a growing issue...but it is. We brought in a sweet lady from a treatment clinic who talked with us for an hour about body image and the root causes of eating disorders.

While I do not have an eating disorder, I sure as goodness have a body image disorder! I've talked about it on here before. And the day of the show, I had a chance to ask, on the air, what people like me should do. People who just don't see the truth (apparently) about themselves when they look in the mirror.

Her response was so lovely, and among other things, she encouraged me (and those in my boat) to retrain our minds to focus on what is true.

How does that work? How do I live that out in real life?

I've been mulling it over since the show, and I had no idea how to implement it into real, everyday life.

I ran into one of my good friend's dads in the grocery store the other day. I was on the phone (shocker) and couldn't have a conversation with him right then, but he pointed at me and mouthed "You look great!" I wanted to end my phone conversation and explain to him the 15 pounds I've surely gained since seeing him last and allow him to take back his "You look great!"

 But I didn't. I forced a smile and mouthed back, "Thank you!"

I bought a new outfit last week and took it to work to show my buddies. One of them said, "Is it fun to buy skinny clothes?" I just stared at her. Skinny clothes?

Instead I just nodded. And when I thought about it more later, I realized there were days when I wouldn't have been able to find anything in that store (or any other) that fit right.

So as I work on changing my responses, I also decided to work on something else. A Pinterest inspired project.

When I was in college, I had a good friend who had battled an eating disorder for several years. Her bathroom mirror was framed with index cards and post it notes on which she'd written notes and verses to remind herself of what comprises true beauty and how to look at herself from God's perspective, not the scale's perspective.

So in an effort to do a similar thing, I went to Hobby Lobby and ended up coming home with this:

It's intended for scrapbooking (sort of a shadow box for scrappers) but I'm going to fill it with verses and quotes that remind me of what is true about myself...and then I'll hang it beside the mirror that lies to me every day.

And to start, I added these words, from a song:

The Voice of Truth tells me a different story...Out of all the voices calling out to me...I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth.

Morning

I have to tell you...for NOT being a morning girl, they sure do hold a lot of significance for me!

My desert journey took place when Josh Wilson's song Before the Morning had just released, and I heard it dozens of times every day. The lyrics were so timely for that season of my life that often I could do nothing but pray "Abba, please bring my morning. Please bring my morning."

Even after the desert had ended (and I knew it had....) I didn't feel like morning had truly arrived. I craved it.

Then I went to Florida and God hinted that morning was breaking. I wrote this post about the way God spoke to me through a sunset and a sunrise I witnessed on that vacation.

It was less than a month later that I found out about the job that is now mine and as I've commuted this past year, God has used the dozens of sunrises to remind me that it's just the dark before the morning.

I took the back way to work yesterday to capture this stunning sunrise. (Back way so I could stop the car and take pictures along the way without disrupting the flow of traffic.)

 God is doing amazing works of healing in my heart. He's teaching me to be brave. He's asking me to trust. He's weaving and re-weaving what others meant for evil into something good. He's writing furiously. He's bringing the morning.

 And for all those times I wrote to you in deep hurt...for all those times I said I was going to grit my teeth and get through that desert if it killed me (and I sure did think it would a few times)...for all the ache I felt...I feel like I can't say enough now how grateful I am for a morning.

It bursts forth in ways that surprise me...but I'm so thankful.

If you're hurting...can I just tell you that it's true? It really is the dark before the morning.

End of Summer Doldrums

I know I'm not going back to school, and I know we still have several weeks of summer left (both by the calendar, and no doubt by the heat index)...so why does it feel like summer is OVER??

Perhaps because this is what happened to all my petunias:

It wasn't for a lack of diligent watering on my part. I think it was the 23429387492374028937 degree days. You're looking at bona fide fried petunia. Sadness indeed.

No point in buying more summer flowers, as my guess is any remaining in the store look like what I already own, free and clear. And I'm just not ready to think about fall flowers quite yet.

My house is still on the market almost 14 months after I listed it...and I'm not complaining. God has me here still for a reason and I'm happy to be here in the place that has once again come to be my home. But I've reached one of those points where I don't want to put so much more investment (emotionally speaking) into this place, in the event that it does sell. At the same time, I realize I've gotten lazy when I look up and still see things like this sitting around:

Good grief. I think what I need is a good kick in the seat of the pants to get me into gear of at least sprucing up the place. Spring cleaning in the summer, if you will.

Here are my current attempts to help. I took down the ripped-to-tattered-shreds garden flag that fell victim to some summer storms and replaced it with this bit of cheer....

 And I've been thoroughly enjoying this bit of joy in the dining room:

Perhaps I'll make a point in the day planner to do a little sprucing....you think?

Anybody with me on this one? Anyone else get to the point in the year where you know you need to do something but you're not sure what it is?

Crazy Animals

Don't you just hate it when people post pictures from a zoo trip? I mean, really. They're animals. We've seen them. Seen one, you've seen 'em all.

Well, allow me to try to make it a funner (feel free to use that word!) experience for you. These were some of the pictures I took Saturday, and at the very least, they made me giggle a bit.

I honestly thought he (she?) was a statue when I first saw him (her?)...now that I think about it, this has to be a girl. She was SUCH a diva. She just sat there with her head raised to the sun, soaking up the rays (hope she had on SPF!!) and posing, you know, leaning slightly to the right. (Takes off ten pounds, I hear.)

Then she ever so slowly curled around to clean that spot of dirt and then she resumed the position. CRACKED me up. Of all the animals I saw the entire day, she was the most eager to greet her people. Oh stop...please...with the photos...wait...do I look fat?

Okay so this one wasn't funny - but man these little jellyfish are pretty! (Pretty because I'm not being stung by one! Although, thank you Friends episode, I know what to do if that ever happens to me!)

The penguins were my favorite. They are so stinkin' cute! These two little guys were way over to the side all by themselves staring intently at the wall. My guess? They were in time out. Probably for pushing a poor penguin into the water. (Come to think of it, one old penguin-dude was kind of limping around. I bet it was him.)

Must be a real bummer to be a polar bear in Indiana in August. Talk about out of your element! Perhaps that explains this expression...

You saw this yesterday - but the three headed giraffe made me giggle. I arrived at this exhibit at the same time a large group showed up, and they sort of hogged the space. From my tippy-toed perch between tree branches, this was the view I had.

Okay this is not even right, but you will HAVE to admit it is stinkin' funny. So when Faith and I went to the Louisville zoo, the lions were in a little habitat on the other side of a really huge ravine. No fences separated the zoo-goers from the zoo-dwellers. I got an awesome shot of a lion that day. As you can see, it was a little different for me this time. I was trying to get my camera to STOP focusing on the fence and START focusing on the lions behind it. Fail after fail after fail...

AND THEN SUCCESS. But are you kidding me??? THIS is the shot I get??? Good night, nurse.

And it got worse on the second try. I gave up after that, as the little missus had a hairball that needed expelled. Have you ever watched a lion have a hairball? I wouldn't recommend it.

Reasons I am thankful to NOT be a rhino include: I have no interest in using poop to communicate, I do not want to be pregnant for 16 months, and I do NOT want to give birth to a 140 pound baby. Thank you Jesus, for making me a regular girl.

Speaking of 140 pound babies...this little elephant baby girl was born just over a month ago. Heaven help me if I ever have a 1 month old this size. (Heaven help me if I'm ever the size of that mama there!)

Ever played peek-a-boo with a bear?

It tires him so.

Thank you for looking at my zoo pictures. You are long-suffering and such a good bloggy-friend.

It's the Weekly Recap!

* Last Sunday I donned my new Olympic shirt (sorry - bad hair day - no pictures!) and sacked out in front of the TV to watch the Olympics. Oh my goodness. What a lovely day. Sundays are lovely no matter what. Add the Olympics and it's just perfection in a 24 hour period.

* Monday I had the EXTREME embarrassment of being part of some Christmas music video for work. I say embarrassment because...did you see the part about it being a MUSIC video? At least I got to look festive:

* Tuesday was a good day. We had our Kitchen Caboodle show at work, and I got to interview Denise Jones from Point of Grace. (EEEEEE!!!!) But my favorite part was that night when I had dinner with one of my college roomies, Christi, and her family. I haven't seen Christi since my Florida trip last year and I have missed her so much. We had our picture taken but it was on her husband's phone and he hasn't sent it to me yet, so just imagine it here....

* Wednesday was Chick Fil A Day and Sheryl and I went! I am not a political person (as I'm sure you have figured out by now) largely because I am not smart enough to understand politics and I prefer it that way, but I do love Chick Fil A. I love their food and I love the way they've stood by their faith (historically...not just this week). So I wanted to support them. Spent a half hour waiting to get into the building and another half hour waiting for food and in that time, did not hear ONE PERSON complain. That might be a world record!

* Know what I had to do on Thursday? Mow the yard. I shouldn't complain since I'm pretty sure the last time I did so was over the July 4th break...which was a month ago now. But I hate mowing!! It's a good thing I had that new day planner that committed me to doing it or I'd have weaseled my way out of it FOR SURE.

* Friday was SUCH a fun day. It started with this gorgeous sunrise on the way to work:

We had a VERY fun show on Friday, and as a bonus, we had in-studio guests! A group from IWU came to watch Mid-Morning and then invited me to eat lunch and share a bit with them. That was one fun Friday!!
* Yesterday I went to the zoo with some blognonymous friends, so I can't post pictures of the whole adventure, but check out this "three-headed giraffe." LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One Thousand Gifts: I am so thankful that I reached the 1000 mark!! I have loved doing this journey and learning all the ways God speaks love into my heart through little gifts - like the beautiful mama and baby deer I saw by the side of the road this week as I drove to work!

Pinterest Inspiration: I was a PINTEREST FAIL this week. No projects. Sigh. Please do not misunderstand...I spent plenty of time ON Pinterest....just didn't make effort. Judge me. :)

Intentional

For those of you who subscribe to the Mid-Morning MMe-Note, I'm so sorry...this is a repeat. But I wanted to share here what I wrote for the e-newsletter this month...

I have a confession to make.

I just got a new day planner and I am way more excited about it than any person should be. Yes. I still use a paper day planner. (So does Lynne!) I appreciate a good piece of technology as much as the next person but there is something so refreshing to me about blank pages filled with promise and wonder…and the opportunity to fill them with color-coded systems. (I know. I’m a nerd.) 

The last couple of years, I’ve pretty much flown along without a day planner (which is very much unlike me). But my fear of forgetting to be somewhere work-related has pushed me back into using the thing, and I am excited about a once-again-semi-structured life.

But here’s something new for me in this (did I mention very cute?) planner I have: it has a section for monthly goals. Not just a calendar where I can scribble down all the appointments and commitments. Not just a daily page where I can make a list of oil changes, grocery shopping, and all those other things I have to get done. Monthly goals. A place where I can make note of things I intend to accomplish.

It drives me to be intentional.

There’s something to be said for intentional living. I’m not talking about intentionally scheduling when you’ll take out the trash or clean the laundry room. I’m talking about intentional living in your relationships.

What if I purposed to hide a card in a friend’s house while I visited…to be discovered later…whenever…at some divinely appointed time? What if I purposed to bake a batch of cookies and take them to someone who needs to know she’s not forgotten? What if I purposed to remember the anniversary of heartbreak for a friend and take her out for dinner that day so she’s not alone? What if I purposed to put aside a day I’d planned to go and stand in support of someone pursuing a dream?

I made a page for it in my planner. I’m the sort of girl who is more likely to follow through if I write it down. If I plan ahead. If I’m intentional.

It won’t be a daily thing…but what if I did it once a week?

I’m excited to see how God moves…probably more in my heart than in the hearts of those I reach out to. After all, He’s been pretty intentional in my life, and I know I’m grateful!

Stirring the Pot

Last year, after I got my job at the station, I struggled for the longest time to find a new routine. I was accustomed to the shortest of commutes...sometimes not getting out of bed until a half hour before reporting for duty. I was used to long evenings and weekends filled with...whatever I wanted!

Then I got a new job, and suddenly I spent two hours a day on the road...and had to factor in naps and extra time for standard chores. Sometimes I had to work weekends. I didn't mind any of those things, because the job was worth it a thousand times over...but it was a huge adjustment.

It was hard for me after 11 years of the same daily routine. It was hard for my friends and family who were all used to me attending everything...and suddenly they heard the words "I can't" fairly often.

But with time...I got used to it. I learned to fill my commutes with prayers and phone calls and mental processing. I learned that cat naps get me through the evening. I learned that working a weekend isn't bad at all when you love what you're doing! I started to figure it out.

A new routine.

So much so that I realized whenever I actually do move...I'm going to have to start that process all over again. New routines...new timetables. New everything. And it will be okay! I'll figure it out!

Ever feel like you just  get a handle on something and SURPRISE!!! The pot gets a little bit stirred and you have to start all over again? The surprises don't have to be bad...in fact, they can be very, very good things! But they still evoke change.

Jeri at my work (the one who coerced me into this precious 10K?) gave me this sign last week:

I am a big fan of the comfort zone. I so enjoy dwelling there. I know the routine. I know the expectations. But God rarely leaves me there. What He has planned for me doesn't just push outside the comfort zone...it's not even TOUCHING the comfort zone.

As soon as He senses I'm getting comfy, He gets His big old spoon out and starts stirring the pot of my world...drawing me further toward what HE knows I'm capable of doing.

Know what? That's one time I'm secretly glad He stirs the pot.

Five Years

Monday I interviewed Denise Jones from Point of Grace.

(I know. Shut up, right?)

I posted on Facebook after the interview, "Had the chance to interview Denise Jones (from Point of Grace) this morning. Last time I talked to her, I was wearing a Mickey Mouse costume, sans the head (which was in my hand). I decided not to be nervous about the interview, since I really had nowhere to go but up..."

Julie Crandall responded, "Imagine five years ago saying, 'Last time I talked to Denise Jones..."

It's true. Who EVER would have thought?? Not me. Just for fun, I looked back five years to see what was going on in life....

Apparently I'd had it up to here with Daylight Savings Time. (Some things never change.)

I'd just gotten a response from Focus on the Family regarding a letter I fired off after hearing a radio broadcast (oh the irony!) about surprise children. My heart has healed greatly in five years - at least where that matter is concerned.

I was in deep grief because our Hobby Lobby announced its upcoming closure. Happily, today I report to you that a brand new one is under construction in our fine town. (Probably just in time for me to move! HA!)

Oooh I remember this one: got a new boss at work and met him for the first time mid-ugly-cry-meltdown in my office.

I was stocking up on glue sticks during the back to school sale so I could scrapbook. Pre-digital era, obviously. :)

It was just about 3 months post-tornado and my niece was preparing to go back to school.

I learned to use weights for the first time. (Pre-pre-pre-cursor to the 10K.)

I had a please-shoot-me-now relationship with Wal-Mart. Again, some things never change.

Five years...a whole new life.

God. Is. Good.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

What do you cook for the cook extraordinaire? This was the dilemma I faced a few weeks ago, when my co-worker Doris had a birthday. Doris is THE cook at the station and has held that title for years. Nothing humbles a girl who cooks for everyone's birthday like finding out "the cook's" birthday is coming up. GULP.

So...I thought I'd give this little Pinterest find a try...just, you know, to see. So I made it, took it to work, and for the first time that I can remember since beginning my job, she took a vacation day! LOL!! The rest of the staff ate it and raved over it...so I made it again and took it (rather nervously) for Doris to try. I almost apologetically put it down on her desk and scampered away to wait.

She loved it so much, she asked for the recipe. I'm still scraping my jaw off the floor. I think that speaks enough for this recipe, which I found on Pinterest from here at "The Girl Who Ate Everything."

The Recipe

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.
For the streusel topping:  In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Sprinkle Streusel topping over apples. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

It's true that it's a lot of ingredients and involves apple chopping but trust me  it is SO WORTH IT! I did use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese and it worked fine. (Will anyone notice with 3 sticks of butter? But I digress...)

Flour, brown sugar, and melted butter mixed together for the crust....

It's a very thick crust once you have it all combined.

I put a sandwich baggie over my hand and pressed the crust into the bottom of the pan.

While it baked, I chopped up the apples - truly the worst part of this entire recipe. (Might not be as bad if I learned to use the apple peeler/corer/slicer I have owned for how many years now?)

I tossed them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture to keep them from looking ugly when they started to brown. I'm such a visual cook. :)

Soften the cream cheese just a little.

Add the sugar.

As you add the eggs and vanilla, it will get pretty runny.

Pour it over the crust after it comes out of the oven.

Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon/sugar over the batter

Combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, and oats for the streusel topping.

The topping will be really thick and hard to combine.

Break it up and sprinkle it over the cheesecake bars.

Bake - and it will come out all pretty like this.

Add the caramel topping and refrigerate.

It's just straight up good. Even for breakfast....not that I know...