Saturday Suggestions

Happy Saturday, friends! Hope you have had a great week. I've been in training all week to learn about federal grant proposals, so I am not sure how well my brain is working today. I hope it's working well enough to give you some fun finds today. Enjoy! 

ONE. 

Last Sunday, I told you about taking down our Christmas decorations and putting them away in tubs. I had mentioned this in an earlier post and had a question about my new labeling system, so I thought I’d tell you more about it! I’ve been learning the Canva website (canva.com) for social media posts for Love INC, and I have found I really enjoy using it. I found this spice jar label template in there and used it to make storage tub labels – just by changing the wording. (I printed it as a full page, so it’s easy to see…it’s not printed as a spice jar sized label.) I laminated each one and taped them to the sides of the tubs! (NOTE: I’m not sure if the link will show you the template if you don’t have a Canva login. Those are free to make, though! The template is called “Black White Clean Minimalist Printable Kitchen Pantry Storage Label.” Aren’t you glad you don’t have to answer its phone???)

TWO. 

Friendships are sweet…I wrote about that earlier this week. And isn’t it fun to give a friendship gift now and then? (One of my favorite things about being back in the land of the working is the ability to get a little gift to share now and then!) I found these adorable cutting boards on Etsy. “Friends are the family we choose.” YES!! I love that sentiment, and I love this sweet little gift. (Note: This shop has lots of cute boards for a variety of occasions, so if you’re looking for a gift idea in general, even if it isn’t for a friendship gift, you might find something here!)

THREE. 

When we first brought Lexi home, we relied on the gentleman at 3Lost Dogs to help us know some of the training tips we used in those early days. He has a lot of great articles on his site, but he also has coaching packages you can purchase, regardless of where you live! He can help you via Zoom! Having some additional help was worth every penny for us since we were brand new to all of it. If you are looking to be first-time puppy parents, we highly recommend the resources on this site!

FOUR. 

I talked earlier this week about some things I try to do when I start to panic over the chaos of life. This one wasn’t in the list, but I’m adding it now! Soft music is so helpful for me!! I stumbled upon this 45-minute recording of piano hymns, played by the amazingly talented Erin Paine. I played it more than once during the packing days lately, and it is so soothing. Check it out! (She has a cd option for purchase if that is more your thing.)

FIVE. 

When Ryan and I were married, one of our gifts was a big, beautiful picture frame that says “Love Lives Here.” It came from hobby Lobby, but I doubt they make that particular design anymore. It has been a decade, after all. But I love the saying “love lives here,” and every time I see the frame, I am reminded that Love is about action. Though I don’t know about finding the frame anymore, I did find this sign on Etsy that shares the sentiment. It could make a perfect last minute Valentine’s Day gift (though it might arrive late)!

SIX. 

I know Valentine’s Day can be a hard topic if you’re wishing for someone special to share the day but don’t have that person just yet. In my single years, I sometimes spent the day alone and sometimes spent it with friends. And now, we often spend it at home, just because restaurant crowds can be crazy. Here’s a menu idea I did once with a friend in my single days and once with Ryan since we’ve been married: fondue! It’s just plain fun food, and it’s yummy, too! Here’s asmall-scale recipe for white chocolate and regular chocolate fondue. If you want to try it out next week, it might be fun!

Date Night: Valentine's Day Preview!

 

We managed to squeeze in a date night this week, and it was fun and a blessing, timing-wise.

            Our church’s youth group had a fundraiser this week, and we wanted to go support them. (Most of our friends have children that age, so supporting them gives us the extra bonus of supporting our friends!)

            The meal was held in the activity center (which is basically a gym), and they had it decorated SO sweetly. Ambient lighting, candles on the tables, rose petals, pretty balloons…it was so nice! (I didn’t take any pictures of the décor specifically, because by the time we arrived, there were many people already eating, and I didn’t want to be the strange creeper girl.)

            Each place setting had a little menu on it, and we could choose the specifics for our meal – like the type of pasta or sauce we wanted. Teens came around with carts of salad, bread, and dessert, and they brought us our drinks, too!

            Everything was most delicious, and after our long. full days of work (Ryan) and class (me), we were grateful for a served meal!

            Our Sunday School teacher and his wife asked if they could join us, and we really enjoyed talking to them while we ate. We learned more about their work and family and they had a chance to catch up on our seemingly-ever-changing lives.

            It’s been quite a while since I went to a fundraiser pasta dinner. I do remember serving one when I was a teen, and I can assure you it was not nearly this polished or seamless.

            It was a different kind of date night, but it was much fun and for a great cause!

Depth of Love

 

            Ryan is a great demonstrator of deep love. He does it so well, and I always find myself convicted (in the best way) to improve how I show love to him and others.

            As you know, we’re in the middle of crunch time over here, trying to get everything packed and ready to move – and get the house finished ahead of said move!

            Last Friday was a rough day. Ryan and I did a very long workout Thursday night that was (surprisingly) a lot of fun in the moment, but the next morning, my neck and shoulders ached SO much. I tried everything I knew to do, but my head and neck still hurt.

            I had a miscommunication with a friend that left me in tears. I felt like I was struggling to grasp a simple thing at work. So many little pieces just piled up. None of them were earth shattering, but when stacked on top of one another, they were maddening.

            Ryan called on his way to the lake after work, and we talked for a few minutes. I asked if he’d arrived safely, and he said yes, so I went back to work and plodded ahead toward the end of my day.

            I heard a car door and glanced over to the neighbors’ house to see who had come home. I didn’t see anyone, so I looked in our driveway to see if someone was here. I didn’t see a car, so I figured someone down the road must really be slamming doors hard!

            Then I heard Lexi starting to lose her mind out in the living room. I went out to see what she’d spotted in the yard, and there stood Ryan, in the living room, smiling at me and holding out a Coke.

            I screamed, because I thought he was an intruder, but as soon as I recovered from that, I just melted into a puddle. How SWEET was he? I knew he had so much to do at the lake and such specific plans to cross off his list that night. I managed to ask what he was doing here, and he said, “You need me more than the house does tonight.”

            Oh the depth of sacrificial love.

            He handed me the Coke, which got me through the rest of the work day. Then we banded together to pack boxes and take apart furniture. He ordered my favorite pizza for dinner, and then we loaded up part of the guest bed and drove it over to the lake to place it in its new room.

            I can’t explain what a blessing it was to have half a piece of furniture at home in its new space. I asked Ryan to take my picture with it – a trophy of sorts.  He chuckled and said, “It’s half a bed. It’s not even a WHOLE thing.” I told him I didn’t care. It was hope.

            Ryan and I are cut from the same cloth when it comes to marking items off lists. Success matters, and anything else smells like defeat. It meant everything to me that he was willing to sacrifice a critical evening of work at the lake to make sure something went right in my day. I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t expect it. But I treasured it deeply.

            Thanks, Ryan! Thanks for loving me so well at all times. You are my favorite!

Five Strengthening Tips for Stressful Seasons

 

            I’m not sure how I made it through our engagement season without breaking down from the overwhelm of it all. Two hours of driving each day plus the eight-hour work day. Planning the wedding. Attending the showers. Writing the thank-you notes. Making physical room for Ryan’s possessions. Squeezing in time to date and cultivate our relationship as we moved toward the wedding day…it was a full, full season.

            There were times when I couldn’t catch a deep breath and I’m sure my health took a bigger hit than I realized in the moment. The stress was real and manifested itself strongly.

            The details differ, but we all have seasons like that in the ebb and flow of life. Currently, we are in the final stretch of packing to move, and this will be the first time we have ever moved while I am fully employed on both sides of that move. I am learning a new job. We have a puppy who needs our attention. And yet family celebrations continue, our friends want time with us, and we have responsibilities at church and in our community. We want to navigate this season well, even though there are days when we feel like we are drowning in the muchness of it all.

            I am writing this post for myself more than anyone else, but if you’re in a season of stress yourself maybe it can help you too! Here are five things I’m doing my best to hold onto, even when it feels like my days are spinning out of control.

1, Make time for God. No matter how many things my to-do list holds for each day this month, I refuse to surrender my Bible study and prayer time. It may feel like that’s an easy thing to defer to tomorrow, but I need that time more than ever. It’s true that I may not dive in as deeply, and I may struggle to absorb as well. But I’m showing up. I will read and study and journal and pray. I will go to church. I need that time of learning and fellowship. It’s a non-negotiable.

2. Take a few minutes for fun. I know I won’t have any spare time this month. That is not an exaggeration, though I realize it sounds like one. If the moment doesn’t hold something, I need to be holding a box and a tape roller. That’s how hard I need to work at packing and moving. But for the sake of my mental health, I need to MAKE a few minutes for fun every day. It might be a scrapbook spread or writing a page in a project. My mind NEEDS that escape. This is how I relieve stress, and it’s important that I make time for it. I might not have a half hour to devote to it, but I can give it ten minutes! And ten minutes of a break might give me ten hours of brain power to keep going!

3. Praise through the panic. When I feel that knot in my throat and know I’m crossing a stress threshold, I will choose to find some way to praise the Lord. Maybe I’ll listen to worship music. Maybe I’ll pray. But changing my thoughts will become imperative! This is not my natural reaction, but I want it to be!

4. Say no. This one won’t always be possible, but I need to use it when I can. I’m such a people-pleaser and want to accommodate everyone. Unfortunately, in this stretch of time, that won’t be possible. There will be things I/we have to be part of that we don’t have time for, but not showing up won’t be an option. There will be other things we want to do…but we just can’t this time. We are grateful for the friends and family who understand that and know we’ll catch the next round! The more we can say no until this round of stress has passed, the healthier we will be!

5. Remember: it’s a season. These sorts of times come around every so often. We lived through it when we were double-commuting. And then we changed our lifestyle so that wasn’t a thing anymore. We lived through the stress of taking care of Ryan’s mom when she was so sick. We knew we needed to be present for the remainder of her days, and we were. We made it through when we were at WillowBridge and didn’t always have backup. And we’ll make it through again now.

            Remember that although some seasons are full, how often you hit those seasons can partially be up to you. Beyond-your-control events aside, you have the opportunity to decide how busy you want your life to be. If you can’t ever catch your breath, it might be time to slow down a bit. There aren’t any awards, I’ve been told, for being the busiest or accomplishing the most. (That was disappointing news. I wanted to win!)

A Year with Lexi: How a Dog Changed Our Lives!

 

It’s been almost thirteen months since we brought Lexi home to be our puppy. It was the first time either of us had ever parented a dog from its infancy, and neither of us had a clue what we were doing.

            We had done unending amounts of research. I stuck to what I knew best: Pinterest. Ryan watched hours of YouTube videos, learning behaviors and how to train. We read dozens of articles to learn what things we really needed and what things we really didn’t. In typical new-parent fashion, we ordered some things based on practicality and others based on cuteness.

            She was trembling from a fresh bath when we arrived, and our friends placed her in Ryan’s arms. He held her shaking little body while I tied her “Lexi” bandana around her neck. I wrapped her in a pink princess blanket, and we posed for our first picture together with her.

            And then we drove home, stopping for coffee on the way, because we figured she needed to learn the importance of that immediately. We came home and launched into introducing her to everyone at WillowBridge – and showing her where her bed, potty, and water dish were located.

            Our pup-ternity leave lasted about three days, and we devoted every minute to making her feel safe and loved, training her, and taking a ridiculous number of photos.

            And now we’re a year into this puppy life. It’s been, in some ways, everything we thought it would be, and in other ways, nothing at all like we thought it would be. Our lives have changed in every way, and for those of you who are, perhaps, considering a puppy, I thought I’d share our experience on the first year of puppy-hood.

·         We thought it would be a lot of work. It has been much more than we even thought. Part of this is Lexi herself. She is smarter than we knew she would be. Sometimes that works to our advantage. Potty training went magnificently, and I think it’s because she’s so smart. Behavior is sometimes a challenge, and I know it’s because she’s so smart. We've been advised that if we work hard, we will have a great dog in the long term. But we're still in the short term, where staying "on" all the time matters to create good habits. It's like a newborn, toddler, and teenager, all rolled into one.

·         We thought we would love her. We love her much more than we knew we could. Both of us have admitted we did not know it was possible for us to love a dog this much. Her devotion to us and her sweet, adoring eyes are too much for us to handle. I’ve told Ryan dozens of times that any bad day we may have is instantly cured by her exaggerated jumps of love that greet us when we arrive home. 

·         Asking for help was the best thing we ever did. We had purchased an online training package before we even brought her home, and it was immensely helpful in those first weeks. Our one-on-one sessions with the trainer told us that we needed to actually lower our expectations and let her be a puppy. We also received help with in-person training from professionals who knew how to circumnavigate her intelligence when it crossed into manipulation. (Yes, that is an actual thing.)

·         We knew people would have opinions, but we didn’t know they would be so varied – and so easily expressed. That has probably been harder for me than it has been for Ryan. I take things more personally. Regardless of what we choose to do, we know someone won’t approve. We stand by the decisions we’ve made in how we train and raise her and in the habits we use in our home. They work for all of us – Lexi included. I don’t know that my skin has thickened. I think I just share less so I don’t receive backlash. That may be the hardest part, actually.

·         She has far more energy than we ever knew she could have. We’ve been told puppyhood lasts three years. We’re a third of the way there. She has calmed considerably from where she was at this time last year, and we are glad for that! (I was literally wearing winter gloves in the house this time last year, because she was teething SO HARD. I also had to tie up all my long cardigans, because she hung off them using her teeth. And I couldn’t wear shorts because she scratched and nipped at my legs, and it HURT!) But she still gets the zoomies sometimes. She still wants to run at full speed always. (When she catches you in the back of the legs at full force, it about knocks you over. This is also why we hesitate to leave her with people. I’m afraid she’ll love them so hard, she’ll knock them over!)

·         Our time is no longer our own. We have to carefully calculate how many hours we are going to be gone from home at a time. We can’t take long day trips anymore unless we are willing to board her or can take her to our destination. That has probably been the biggest change for us. We are praying God sends us a “Ryan and Bekah” who can be her second home like we were for Phoebe! 

·         She has an actual personality just like people do. She is a scheduled dog through and through, which is great, because that’s how we prefer to live. But the moment we change up the schedule, she is lost. It blows my mind how much a change in routine affects her, but it absolutely does. She also seems to understand when I tell her we are going to be gone for a while, and if I do that, she handles our exit with no complaints. But I’m not kidding…if I fail to mention it, everything falls apart when we try to go! How is this possible? But it is! She also knows words and places and people and loves with her whole heart - and person. (Just ask Braeya. Lexi loves her with wild tail wagging and squeals of joy. Braeya loves quietly and from a distance.) 

We love our girl so fiercely and are so thankful she is part of our home. Before she was born, I prayed God would give us the puppy we needed for the life we have. It’s been a growing and humbling experience to train and parent this sweet, energetic, full-of-life baby girl, but I believe God answered our prayers in beautiful ways!

Cultivating Relationships with Depth and Purpose

 

Several years ago, I had a conversation with a friend of mine at the church we attended at that time. She had such a magnetic personality. She was fun, deeply rooted in the lord, encouraging to every end, and did nothing ever halfheartedly. She was the kind of person everyone wanted to be friends with because she was so much fun and always left everyone feeling better than they did when they came into her presence.

            But as you might imagine, that left her with quite the conundrum. It’s a good thing to be the person everyone wants to be friends with, because it means you’re doing something right. It’s also an exhausting thing to be the person everyone wants to be friends with, because it means you never have any quiet to your life. You’re always in demand.

            But in this conversation we shared, she told me that she absolutely loved the friendships she shared with the women in her life. She loved going out to dinner or hanging out for a movie night or one of those parties where you know you’re going to buy something even if you don’t need anything. Then she shrugged and said, “But you know what? If I have to pick between a night out with the girls and a night with my husband, I’m going to pick my husband every single time. And if the girls get tired of that and don’t want to be my friend anymore, it’s okay, because he’s my priority and always will be. He’s the one I live with. He’s the one I made a promise to.”

            She wasn’t defeated in this. She owned it. This was her life and her choice, and she was really happy about it! She didn’t expect everyone to understand or agree, but it also didn’t matter to her if they didn’t. She was still going to pick her marriage over anything and everything else if she was forced to choose.

            Our many moves in this past decade mean we have a lot of relationships that have changed. We’ve lost friends along the way because once we were out of sight, we were also out of mind. We’ve lost friendships because sometimes the friendship needed constant attention, and once we couldn’t give that anymore, everything fell apart. Some friendships aren’t gone, but now that we don’t have the luxury of seeing those people all the time, we simply don’t interact as often.

            What I’ve learned from it all is that I hope to cultivate every relationship with depth and purpose – but without co-dependence. I want to have friendships that last a lifetime but are okay if they aren’t deeply invested in every single day of my life.

            Last week I got a message from a friend of mine that I’ve not seen in person in two decades. We message back and forth upon rare occasion on Facebook, and that’s about it anymore. But in her message, she said she wanted to come see me so we could have lunch and talk for a bit. Catch up for a minute. I feel no guilt or awkwardness because so much time has passed. I love her as much as the last time I saw her, and I’m sure the same is true from her to me. I’m excited she’s coming over, and even if it’s another 20 years before we see each other in person again, it’s okay! The same depth and purpose of friendship we had when we first met about 25 years ago is still there.

            The same is true of the friend who had the conversation with me about her choices of how to spend her time. We hardly ever see each other, but when we do, there is much joy and encouragement passed between us. And then we move along with what is immediately before each of us.

            Some relationships are all about in-person contact every single day. Others are almost always a long-distance communication. Some ebb and flow with life changes. But I hope I’m always committed to investing in what I can and not demanding of more than another person can offer in that season.

            And above all, I’m so very thankful for all the friends God has provided along the way. They are a true gift indeed!

Sunday Sentiments: Finding Worship in the Ordinary

 

The Saturday after New Year’s Day was a full day in our little home. My favorite kind of Saturday is the one in which I can sleep as long as I want, stay in my jammies all day, and enjoy being home. I don’t mind being productive, but I prefer a leisurely productivity, not a race against a clock.

            The Saturday after New Year’s Day was not that day.

            Ryan got up early to drive to the lake house to complete a long list of projects. One of our friends went to help him, and the two of them had a great (and productive) day of marking off list items! He came home late that afternoon with a giant grin and a spring in his step.

            I, on the other hand, worked on normal breathing rhythms.

            I’d gotten up when Ryan did and immediately launched into chores. My main task for the day was to pull down all the Christmas decorations around the house, purge the things I knew would not be a good fit at our new house, and pack away the rest. I wanted to put new labels on all the storage tubs, since the old labels were five years (or more!) old and no longer really applicable to what I found in the tubs.

            Taking down decorations with the help of a puppy is not for the faint of heart. I was trying to go slowly enough to be careful with our fragile ornaments, but quickly enough to get the job done, because I did not have a single moment to spare.

            The more I took down, the sadder the house looked. For the first time ever, I wasn’t putting regular décor back in its place, because everything that was there is now packed for our move. The trees left naked spots next to the TV, and the entry table just sat, waiting to receive packages and serving no other purpose.

            While I worked on that giant project, I also washed and dried our sheets, so I could make our bed. I cleaned all the fruit I’d purchased at the store the night before. I made a cheesecake trifle for small group. I pulled off all my nail polish and applied a new manicure. I touched up my roots, washed and dried my hair, and got ready for small group. I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. And somewhere in there (before the shower and getting ready part) I did my workout for the day. Literally every other move in the workout was a burpee. I hate burpees. By the end of the workout, Lexi was hanging over the baby gate, watching my eyes with genuine concern, while I lied and told her I was fine.

            Ryan came home and carried the trifle (my arms were done) to the car, and we went to small group, where I looked forward to three things: seeing our friends, eating good food, and sitting.

            In the middle of juggling a thousand tasks and nervously watching the hands on the clock swing closer to small group time, I found myself unable to catch a deep breath. Wasn’t January supposed to be new, fresh, and amazing? Why could I only find the stress?

            Somewhere in the middle of that, I managed to scroll Instagram long enough to catch this post from my good friend, Brent Vernon:

“January reminds me that there's a whole year ahead of me and so much has to be done that I have little to no control over. So I feel like I'm spinning my wheels sometimes. Thankfully, I've noticed this pattern and things typically work out just fine.

“This morning, I went to the park with my coffee as I do. I told the Lord that I was not depressed or even terribly discouraged. But neither did I, at the moment, feel particularly encouraged and certainly not euphoric.

“It's the perfect time, I thought, to praise the Lord.

“I've become somewhat skeptical of public worship posture and affectation. I question this of myself when I sing praise and am aware that people could be watching. I also realize that it's quite easy to lift my hands and sing the praises of God when everything is going well. Certainly it's natural to do so when you've been through a difficult situation, and survived.

“Tonight, I know that so many of you are struggling with big problems and questions I haven't even thought of. I don't know that the Holy Spirit will, in every situation, make you okay emotionally. Maybe the questions that haunt you will lead to important answers, or grant you a depth of empathy and understanding. Maybe that extended dark path will lead you somewhere you could never have imagined, and wouldn't trade.

“Whatever it is, I hope you're able to praise Him tonight. We have a wonderful Savior who deserves every bit of it.

            So I determined, right there in my kitchen, to praise the Lord. I would praise Him for the beautiful decorations I’d packed away and for the lake house where I would unpack them next year. I would praise Him for a husband with unending levels of skill who works so tirelessly to do projects at the lake that I don’t know how to do. He’s saved us so much money by using his own talent. I would praise Him for the money to buy food for our family and to share with our small group. I would praise Him for a love of cooking that made me excited to put together a dessert to share. I would praise Him for the ability to move, however awkwardly, in a workout. I would praise Him for friends to share the evening with and the encouragement I knew we would find.

            I’m trying to do it more and more. Praise Him for the terribly ordinary parts of every day. Praise Him because He is worthy and deserves every bit of it, just as Brent said.

Saturday Suggestions

 

ONE. 

One of the things I worked on this week was planning our meals for the month of February. I already told you I’m working on a bigger, long-term plan to have a year-long rotating menu plan. Though I am not following this plan layout specifically (at least yet), I loved the idea of having a theme for each day of the week and using that to drive your planning. I could absolutely see this becoming a planning theme for us over time, especially if my current method becomes cumbersome as the year goes on!

TWO. 

I told you this week that we hosted our friends from out of state who come to see us almost every year on their way to a marriage retreat. They’ve stayed with us four times, and two of those were right around the losses of Allen and Nita, so we were a bit out of sorts. This time we’re in the process of moving, so we’re kind of a mess. We have great hopes that one day we’ll feel like good hosts when they arrive. I am keeping this in my backpocket for when that day comes. SO many ideas for double dates and group dates. While I might not feel that every idea presented is a fit for us personally, there are some really fun finds in here!

THREE. 

I am so excited to get our new home at least partially assembled so I can start showing you some of the things we’ve done and how it’s all coming together. We are officially in the finishing-touch stage, and it’s SO EXCITING to think this will really be happening soon. I have a Pinterest board with tons of ideas for colors/furniture placement/fixtures, etc. thispost has served as an inspiration piece for our  home office and guest room. This is the first time ever that we’ve had to combine the function of those two rooms. (We are going from a three-bedroom home to a two-bedroom home, so the guest room and office will have to share a space. I’m not replicating this room exactly, but she gave me some great ideas of how to make it work. (Her furniture is similar to ours, so that helps.) I also just want to go stay in her guest room! Looks so inviting!

FOUR. 

I was hunting around for a dessert to make for Valentine’s Day and happened upon this one. I don’t know if I’ll make it or choose something else, but I thought these were so pretty! The author of the post shares the recipe, which isn’t overly healthy (hello, butter and sugar) but it DOES teach you how to make a frosting that relies on the color from raspberries, rather than red food coloring. I know there are many people who can’t have red dye in their diet, so this is a fantastic alternative. Also, the lemon/raspberry flavor combination sounds pretty delicious to me. I may have to try it for that alone.

FIVE. 

Earlier this week, I talked about teaching ourselves to look for God in all the big and small areas of life. When I took the “One Thousand Gifts” challenge from Ann Voskamp’s book a decade ago, I used a composition notebook to keep track of them all. But I love the idea of using this five-year diary book to count those gifts of seeing God at work. This particular book is undated, so you can start it at any time. Each page is meant to serve for five years, so you can, by the end of that time, look back and see what was happening on that day each of the years prior. You could count as many ways you see God at work as you can fit into the lines and have a beautiful record at the end of that time!

SIX. 

Ryan and I did a do-over on last month’s semi-failed monthiversary date. We had extra fancy hot cocoa bombs this time and although we didn't do the popcorn on this particular night, that had been part of the plan, so let's talk about popcorn! We've been using a really yummy white cheddar seasoning on ours lately, but I found this post with ideas for homemade popcorn seasonings. I haven’t tried them…yet. But once we get moved and settled a bit, I absolutely want to try some of these!

Hope you find something that fits you this week. Happy weekend, my friends!

The Celebration Continues: 122 Months

 

Sometimes you just need a do-over. Our last monthiversary was a little on the sad side. We were both tired, stressed, worn from renovations/holidays/being apart, and then the day didn’t go according to plan at all.

            So now it’s a month later, and we’re tired, stressed, and worn from renovations and being apart…you can see how this is shaping up to be quite different from last month, can’t you?

            We are clinging to the ever-growing light at the end of the tunnel and believe with all our hearts that next month will be a whole new story, because we’ll be moved, and even though we will still be, I’m sure, living out of boxes, it will at least allow us to be in the same space for the evening, and we welcome that.

            We aren’t complaining, truly. We have buckled down and banded together to see this thing through to the end. We tell each other every day that we’re almost there and it’s SO CLOSE.

            This is what monthiversaries are really about. We celebrate what went well – and we had a lot of “went well” in the last month. A lot of prayers answered in very definitive ways. Some of them weren’t what we imagined, but we do have an answer, and we rest in that. (Answers to prayer don’t always have to line up with your hopes and desires to BE answers. Sometimes we need to hear that, don’t we?)

            So yesterday we celebrated 122 months and focused on the many good things that came to pass in the last thirty days. We grew. We learned. We strengthened. We persevered. We celebrate all those things.

            Ryan worked at the lake house after work, and I powered through the work day so I could get back to packing. In there somewhere, I managed to make dinner and do some laundry, and Lexi helped with it all.

            Ryan came home, and we ate our Big Mac salads at the kitchen island, because the table was full of wall art waiting to be packed. Both of us were hungry enough that we didn’t care about relocating.

            Though Thursdays are normally our recovery day in our workout routine, we had to use Wednesday for that this week, because we went to celebrate Ryan’s Dad’s birthday with his family! So we pulled out the dumbbells and did a 45 minute workout! January’s monthiversary was our first day to do workouts in this series, so it was actually gratifying to see how much stronger we’ve gotten in a month’s time!

THEN, we had a do-over for our date from last month! When our friends were here last week to stay with us, they gifted us homemade hot cocoa bombs that were almost too beautiful to consume. (We worked past it and consumed them.)

They were SO GOOD. Ryan said he was ready to order a dozen more! (His was mint and mine was milk chocolate.) We enjoyed our treats while we watched a couple episodes of Without a Trace.

It was a sweet evening. Thank you, Ryan, for celebrating with me! I love you so much!!! Let’s ring in 123 months at the lake!

The Joy of Wonder: Teaching Ourselves to Look for God

 

I’ve been preparing for the retreat I’m speaking at in March, and I don’t want to say too much about it, because I know some of the ladies who will attend read the blog, and I don’t want to share too many spoilers. But one of the sessions I prepared took me back to Ann Voskamp’s bestselling book One Thousand Gifts. It’s twelve years old now, if you can believe it, and I still love what she teaches within its pages.

            Looking for God in the everyday is something I feel like we’ve mostly become too busy to do. We rush from one thing to the next and then collapse at the end of the day, wondering where God is and why we haven’t noticed Him lately.

            Perhaps we’re just too busy to look. Perhaps we need to teach ourselves to look for God.

            Perhaps we need to recognize that He is in even the smallest things. It doesn’t have to equate to parting the Red Sea or closing the mouths of hungry lions to involve Him. Bigger doesn’t equal more of God. He’s in everything – and perhaps most often in the smallest things.

            As I write this today, a very gentle and non-threatening snow is falling outside my window. It isn’t lost on me that every flake flitting about in the wind is unique from any other flake that has ever fallen. Isn’t that amazing? The wonder of God in falling snow.

            Several days ago, as I sat in our home office in training for learning how to write grant proposals, I looked up and found SEVEN DEER meandering through the empty retention pond behind the neighbor’s house. I couldn’t stop myself from gasping out loud, even though I was on camera, and I popped up from my seat to take their picture before the last of the daylight slipped away and I couldn’t see them anymore. The wonder of God in sauntering deer.

            We haven’t had much sun this winter, and perhaps that makes me appreciate it more on the days when it does appear. I’ve been in the office, sliding the blinds up early in the morning to capture the bare-from-winter trees silhouetted against the sun spreading its first soft light into the sky. The wonder of God in pink sunrises.

            We are part of a small group here in our new community, and we eagerly look forward to the nights we all gather. It’s all very informal and mostly about conversation, encouragement, and prayer. (And food.) I’m always sad when we have a conflict and can’t attend – which thankfully doesn’t happen often. To have this kind of a group to love and embrace us is a rare gift that hasn’t happened too often in our lives, and we do not take it for granted. The wonder of God in friends and fellowship.

            On and on it goes. He’s there. He’s there in the small things that can become the big things if you take time to notice them. I hope you’ll do it today. I hope you’ll teach yourself to look for God and live in the joy of that wonder!

Dreams and Goals for February 2023

 

Good morning, friends! Happy shiny new month to you! Happy shiny short month! On this beautiful first day of a new month, I want to share with you the goals I have for the days ahead.

ONE. I have started packing for our upcoming move, but the number of packed boxes is embarrassingly small. This month will be ALL about the packing. Pretty much every spare moment I have will be spent putting things in boxes and preparing to cart them to the lake house. I should be a pro at this by now, since this is our third move in four years, but the packing process seems so daunting when it sits before you nearly in its entirety. Ryan will help as much as he can, but he’ll also still be finishing up the last of the projects at the new house, which I can’t do.

TWO. In addition to continuing to learn my job in writing grant proposals, I have been asked to help with a grant proposal outside of work, too. I’m really excited about collaborating on this project, and this month will bring about some of the preliminary work on that.

THREE. Although I’m thrilled that I accomplished so much prep work on my retreat-session-writing last month, I can’t remove myself from it too far during this month. I want to continue reading over it, learning it better, and tweaking the words as the Lord directs me to do so. I also have another writing project that is in its conception phase right now, and I want to work on it as I pack!

FOUR. Valentine’s Day falls in this month and at this point, I don’t have a concrete plan for celebrating! We always try to do something special for Valentine’s Day, even if we celebrate at home. (Sometimes that is preferable because of how big the crowds get in restaurants.) I just want to enjoy the day, whatever it looks like!

FIVE. Friends, if everything goes as planned, we hope to officially move during this month! I am so excited about this. We feel like we’ve been living in strange limbo for months now, with renovations and packing and dividing to conquer and everything. We know settling will take some time, but to be able to have everything in one spot and enjoy the space we’ve worked so hard to prepare will be such a gift! This is the anticipated highlight of our month!

SIX. I almost forgot! I do have another week of online training for work this month. The first one was so helpful and while I’m a bit nervous about this second one, because it’s a step up in the “grant proposal sandbox,” I am looking forward to absorbing the information they offer!

 

            That’s what we’ll be doing over here. Any goals on your end??