Letting God Do His Work

Podcast Tuesday! Some more stories from our weekend and our date inspired by the letter N. (And Ryan's attempt to pronounce soapapilla.) Hope we can bring some joy and encouragement to your day!

Listen here!

While on our date this weekend - and then on into Sunday as well - we had a lot of great talks. Deep, meaty talks about what we're wrestling with, what we're dreaming about, and what we're asking God for right now. I love these talks we share. I love it even more when I find out we're thinking about the same things, even though we're thinking separately. Such beautiful affirmation. 

One of our talks led me back to a story from years ago that ended up teaching me a really important lesson. I thought I'd pass it on to you.

Ryan likes to tease me that back in our high school days, I liked all his friends, but I never liked him. (Sigh...guilty as charged.) One of those friends led a weekly Bible study at our school, and I attended, both out of spiritual desire and visual interest. (Just being honest!) One week, he told us he felt God had called him to be a missionary overseas, and that's when my hands went clammy in a hurry.

I had no desire to be an overseas missionary. In fact, I feared that more than just about anything on earth. But this guy's desire to pursue missions made me think about it pretty hard. I knew, even in my silly high school crush, that he and I were unlikely to end up together, so his call probably affected me in no way. But I also felt I needed to get to a point in my heart where I was willing to say and mean that I would go overseas of God wanted me to.

It was a long battle of the soul. I wanted to want to go. But I really didn't want to go. And not in a stubborn sort of way, but in a no-true-calling sort of way. 

At long last, I said, as best I knew how, that I would go overseas if God wanted me to, and I stopped wrestling. Stopped letting it consume me. And eventually, I stopped crushing on the guy.

Close to 25 years later, neither of us works overseas as a missionary, but as I told Ryan this weekend, it took me a long time to realize that if God wants you to do something, He'll begin to put a draw and desire in your heart. Of course, it may still not come easily to you. You could still resist. (I've done that with various calls on my heart throughout the years.) 

But eventually, you'll find your heart is more profoundly drawn toward the place God wants you to go than filled with dread over what you have to leave behind.

It's certainly been true for me/us. We've followed in obedience when it's been hard, but we're so eager to see what God has, the sacrifice of what we're leaving behind doesn't seem so awful.

It was the missing piece I didn't know in high school. I didn't know if God wanted me to serve overseas, He would put that call and desire in me. It wasn't my call, so of course I didn't have. I believe He smiled on my sacrifice of willingness, but I think I made the struggle harder on myself than it needed to be.

As we look ahead to whatever our own future holds, we're doing our best to hold our hearts wide open before Him and let Him do His work in His time. He'll draw us where He wants us to go!

The Date Inspired By the Letter N

This past Saturday, we did another alphabetical date, and that was fun, but for some reason, we just had an extra great day together. We always appreciate any time we get to spend alone (yes, I know it's weird for a couple with no kids to say that) but there was something special about this day. We were grateful.

The date inspired by the letter N was themed after NEW experiences. We chose to spend the day in Indianapolis, because we had a gift card for Costco and needed a few things. (That wasn't new. It just helped us choose a destination.)

So our first new-adventure stop of the day was at Lisa's Pie Shop. If you're from this part of Indiana, and have not been to this little gem on US 31 between Kokomo and Indianapolis, we would now highly recommend it. We have driven by it (obviously) for years, but usually it's not open when we pass it, because it's in the evening, and they have daytime hours only. But I'd always been curious about their pie, so we stopped there as soon as it opened Saturday morning.

It's tiny inside: big enough for the food cases and a small handful of bistro tables. They have pies, pies in jars, and then a few cookies and cinnamon rolls. I had to have one. I mean, you know my fond affection for cinnamon rolls! And Ryan loves pies, but married a pie failure, so it was a win-win stop for us both.

We got a cinnamon roll and shared it (also a new experience because Bekah doesn't share food) and then Ryan chose a small cherry pie to go, which we ate later. (All the thumbs up to both samples!)

Next, we drove on down to Clay Terrace, which is a shopping area in Carmel (outskirts of Indianapolis if you're not from around here). We have gone there many times for meals at Red Robin, and this was also where we took our Valentine's Day cooking class at Sur la Table last year, but every time we go, all the other stores are closed, so we've never gotten to actually shop there. So...shop, we did! Our shopping included Old NAVY, which was not a new store for us, but it did start with N. :)

We weren't really hungry for a full meal, because that cinnamon roll had staying power, but we needed a little something, so once again, we shared a meal (gasp!!!) and went to a little cafe there in the shopping area. It was similar to Panera, so we did the "pick two" thing and each ate one. Sammich for Ryan and salad for me!

Then we headed to our one specific event we had planned for the day. Another new adventure: an escape room! Have you done one before? This was our first!

I'm obviously not an expert on these, but for those of you who have no idea what an escape room even IS, I'll give what I hope is a correct explanation. The escape room has a theme/scenario and you and a small group of people are locked inside and have to figure out a way to unlock the door and get out. There are puzzles to solve through strategy and sleuthing, and you're given a certain amount of time to solve it and (hopefully) escape the room.

We thought, based on the website description, that we could do it by ourselves, even though we know from social media that often groups of 4-8 work these rooms together. So we booked our appointment, but when we arrived, we discovered we had been added to a group of six. I kind of felt bad for them, because they all knew each other and I'm sure planned to have a fun day on their own, and then they were stuck with us! But they were kind and we actually had fun with them. (More new experiences!)

Our room was called the Cabin. It was set up to look like the interior and porch of a log cabin deep in the woods, and our scenario was that we got lost and are so deep in the woods we also had no cell reception. We were trying to break into this cabin to get supplies and some means of communication to send for help, but we were trying to get in and out before the owner came home.

I was really worried that I would be claustrophobic, but I did okay! It was a lot to have 8 people in a little space, but it was extremely cold in the room, which helped it not feel so tiny and oppressive. And once I found out I could actually get out of the room without intervention (if I needed to), my panic level disappeared entirely.

We made it out with seconds to spare!

After leaving the escape room, we made our stop at Costco and then went back to the same mall we visited during our date inspired by the letter A to go to a store we'd missed that time. Lovesac. Have you heard of it? We hadn't until recently. They make these huge multi-person beanbag chairs and other living room furniture. Some friends of ours had a piece and highly recommended it, so we went to check it out. (We have one piece that will need replaced soon, we think.)

It was not a great experience. The showroom was SO small. They only had about 5 pieces on display. The lady that helped us actually confused us more, and the price range ended up being several thousand out of our range. Gulp. So we won't be getting that. BUT all was not lost, because it was one more new experience!

Our final new experience of the day was Ryan's choice: he wanted to try out Bub's Burgers in Carmel.

Bub's was featured on Man Vs. Food, and Ryan loves to try the places featured on that show or Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Bub's is known for its one-pound big ugly burger, and they have a challenge for people to eat a complete big ugly burger (condiments, bun and all) to have their photo added to the wall. The more burgers you eat at once, the bigger your photo. We saw one poster size photo of this skinny dude holding FOUR plates. He ate four of them!!! How???? We got the HALF pound burger, split that, and we were still stuffed.

In the sea of literally thousands of photos in that restaurant, we managed to find the one person we know of who met the challenge!!

It was crazy busy in there and we had to shout to hear each other, but the food was excellent.

So yes, if you're keeping track, that marks three meals in one day that we shared. Like I said, new experiences all around! :)

A fun, fun date. Grateful!

Linking up with Tamar!

The Shafferland Shuffle

Happy Sunday, my friends! Hope it's a lovely day where you are. This girl is fixin' to hunker down for a "scrap n nap" kind of day!

* Last Sunday morning, as I walked through the house, I found the little cone of almonds Ryan got for me at the fair. He hid them and waited for me to find them. He really does love me! We had a great day together, and that night, we split a salad at Subway, because I was still recuperating from the conference and therefore didn't have kitchen duty! Oh! And look at the pretty flowers that popped out while I was gone!

* I spent Monday working hard on post-conference chores, and when the mail came there were TWO packages for me! A really cute new workout shirt from my sister and our most recent scrapbook. I love mail! We had planned to spend the evening at home, but our friends who were getting ready to move needed some help packing last minute items, so we spent our evening at their house, helping. Ryan found this mask. Scary, isn't it?

* Tuesday night, we met up with our moving friends for a last dinner with them. We actually had dinner at home and then just had dessert when we met with them. Know what the funniest part of the day was? Teaching Ryan to say "soapapilla." You should ask him about it! It was a great last hurrah with our friends.

* Wednesday, when Ryan brought my coffee, he'd put a little treat with it! (Okay so they were Dashing Dish cookies I made, but I still loved it. This is such a fun cup.) I spent the whole day buried in Lynette Eason's latest book. Couldn't put it down! And by bedtime, my legs were KILLING ME from the week's workouts...so far. And the week wasn't even done!

* Had a HUGE treat on Thursday! My college roommate (well, one of them) who now lives in Florida, happened to be in town for a visit, and we got to spend a few hours together. It was wonderful! We needed a hundred more hours to catch up! That night, I had a Pampered Chef party to attend, so Ryan grilled his dinner and managed to knock his spatula on the ground, which resulted in my favorite Ryan face. (hee hee hee) Party was fun, too! I made salad dressing. :)

* Friday's workout nearly killed us both. I sat on the couch all day with only enough energy for Pinterest, and Ryan was pretty wiped out when he got home from work, too. Even Braeya! Oh. But wait. She didn't do anything!

* Yesterday we had such a fun day!!!! We went on a day-long alphabetical date. The date inspired by the letter N. It was all focused on new experiences, and we had many! I'll tell you more about it next week, but it included eating in some new places and trying our hand at an escape room for the first time!

The Saturday Six

One.

I guarantee these words from Lisa Bevere will step on your toes, but I also guarantee you need to read them. When you invite God to work in your life...

Two.

My sister clued me in to this one. Did you see it circulating Facebook? The couple who went to the Goodwill and picked out wacky outfits for each other and then went out on a date as though they were dressed normally? It does indeed sound like a Shaffer thing to do. I confess I fear what Ryan would choose for me!! 

Three.

Wow. Really great marriage advice found here. The underlying cause of the symptoms that lead to divorce and how to guard against it! 

Four.

 Remember how we visited an RV dealership on our last county date? I like to research life in an RV in case it ever becomes our life someday. This week I happened upon this blog which I haven't fully investigated yet, but I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed with how much they stashed in one camper!

Five.

 Made this recipe from Dashing Dish this week. Chocolate cake with zucchini in it. Delicious. Another keeper!

Six.

This week I gobbled up Lynette Eason's brand new book, Chasing Secrets.  I first read Lynette Eason almost one year ago, when I was traveling home from my niece's wedding in Kansas and read the second book in this series. I ended up reading that entire book on the drive home and was so caught up in the suspense of it all that I screamed every time he braked. (Ha!) Naturally I had to read book three when it came out earlier this year, and I continued the trend with book four, just now.

The series is called Elite Guardians, and it features a group of women who serve as bodyguards. Each book focuses on a different woman, and though you'll see characters from previous books, each story easily stands alone, so you won't be frustrated if you start with a book other than #1. (Quite a relief after the issue I had with a mid-series book a couple of weeks ago!)

Chasing Secrets is a bit different from the other books in that it begins in Ireland with a flashback to the early 1990's when a little girl and her nanny hide from attackers who annihilate the rest of the little girl's family. Returning to present day, some Irish cold case investigators discover that the little girl (who has always been presumed dead) might actually be alive, and they reopen the case.

That leads them straight to elite guardian Haley Callaghan, who has no idea the spotty memories of her past are surrounded by such tragedy, mystery, and secrecy. Just as she learns the news, her own caseload of people to protect begins to blow up (quite literally), and she's thrust into a whirlwind of information, danger, and far more questions than answers.

Chasing Secrets, like the books before it, holds a firm faith message, but it does not water down the suspense or the reality in which some people live every day. (To that end, I came away from the book very grateful for the safety I take for granted all too often!) And I will also confess that halfway through the book I was certain - CERTAIN - I had figured out whodunnit, and I was so excited. Turns out I was wrong. Congrats on stumping me, Lynette, and also confirming that I did not miss my calling by skipping detective work!

I'm sad that this series has come to an end (although I do need to go back and grab the first book, so I guess there is still a heart-stopper awaiting me with this crew!) but I'm looking forward to Lynette's next series. (There was a preview in the back of the book!)

* Revell provided me with a copy of this book; all opinions are my own! *
 

Fun Friday Photos

Last night I hunted for a photo to show you, and I couldn't find it, but boy did I ever find a few other treasures I think you'll like!

A few photos from my childhood...in no particular order:

I'm not going to lie. Cleaning does not excite me to this level anymore. 

One of my favorite hobbies was reading to my dolls. (Clothing optional. For the dolls.)

 I call this piece "Unfortunate Poster Placement." Sorry, dog.

 These were my most beloved shoes of my childhood. Alas, around the same time I got them, I found a kid in story hour who walked with his feet turned in. I thought it was the coolest walk ever, so I copied him. My parents thought it was a product of the shoes, and got rid of them. Of alllllllllllllllllllll the things I could remember from my childhood, my brain has chosen to remember this. Shaking head.

In other news - who poses with a bear and a grill?

 Not paying attention in church. Also. Early form of church selfies. :)

 As a little girl, I "parted my teeth down the middle," as my sister would say. Whew. Quite a look. I am grateful my teeth figured out a correction on their own and I squeaked by as the only sister who didn't get braces!

 So my love languages haven't changed. Good to know.

 We do a move like this in our workouts. It's SO not as cute on me now as it was back then. Maybe I should bring back the bow?

 My debut as a fashion model. Possibly not fashionable, but my confidence cannot be questioned!

 Also - I still make that face! I was cool before my time.

 Ahhhh tiny Bekah. You make me smile!!!

Goodbyes are Never Easy

Back when Ryan and I were trying to sell the various houses we owned, we learned something: all the houses on the market sold except ours. We joked that we should just offer a service to any of our friends who contemplated selling their home. Want to sell? Put it on the market right now. Should fly away in no time, and ours will continue to sit. We were good luck charms (except there's no such thing) for everyone but our own selves.

We've decided a similar trend is developing in the relocation of our friends. Thinking about moving far away? Become friends with us. You'll fly the coop in no time. We'll help you pack. And then we'll cry.

The summer after we got married, two of Ryan's best friends in the world moved away. One was Adam, who along with his wife, Sara, stood beside Ryan at our wedding. We had been looking forward to double dates and just the dailyness of life with them, but God called them into ministry in another state, so instead we donned our grubby clothes and spent a hot Saturday carrying boxes from their little ranch house into a moving van.

Right about the same time, Ryan's good friend Randy moved out of state, too.

In just a few weeks, the two guys who carried Ryan and held him accountable were hundreds of miles away, and my heart grieved for Ryan's loss.

The good news, of course, is we don't live in the days of yore. A cross-country move doesn't have to mean goodbye forever, now. We still get to see Adam and Sara now and then, and those times of fellowship are sweet indeed.

And bonus!!!! Randy moved back, and we get to meet him for (crazy early morning) breakfast now and then.

So then we found a new "couple friend" in Nate and Jenna from our church. Ryan and Nate met in PTA school and the four of us really enjoyed hanging out together. So naturally, Nate got a new job out of state, and we said goodbye to them, too. :(

This week there were new goodbyes. One of the first "couple friends" we made after becoming a couple ourselves moved away. What a sweet history we have had with these two, watching them move from dating to engaged to marriage to parenthood:

And this week we said our goodbyes. Well goodbye for now. Not goodbye forever.

But I am so grateful for these two. Grateful for their love and investment in us these first five years of our own marriage.

And you know what else I'm grateful for? The host of other friends we have, near and far, who love us so well. Goodbyes are never easy, but having friends to even say goodbye to is a sweet gift.

Friends? WE LOVE YOU!!!! Goodbye-friends, hello-friends, and always-here friends. We love you all!