Menu Monday: Nourishing Body and Soul

 

                This week is our last week in a gift of a month of meal plans. And with the busyness of this month, it has been a real gift, let me tell you! Everything is so much simpler when you don’t have to spend all your time figuring out your meals!

Monday:  Meatballs with Salad

What We Loved: I had made these meatballs (in crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning) the week before and froze half the recipe for this week. It was great to pull them out of the freezer to eat! Threw together a garden salad on the side!

Tuesday: Leftovers

What We Had: We combined the last of the roast and the last of the meatballs with fresh veggies on the side. Might not be aesthetically appealing, but it worked!

Wednesday: I Don’t Remember!

What We Had: It’s a complete mystery to me. I forgot to take a picture, and it’s gone now. Ha! Wow. Way to fail, Bekah. I remember eating it at church, but I don’t have a clue what it was.

Thursday: Pizza

What We Had: When you have a day of water messes and sandbags, you don’t have any time or desire to cook, so you call up Casey’s and order a pizza. And then you eat it with gratitude.

Friday: Ground Turkey and Veggies

What We Loved: This has become a favorite for us this month! It’s just ground turkey with frozen green beans, diced tomatoes, and anything else we may have on hand to throw in. Add some Italian herbs and call it a meal!

Saturday: Leftover Ground Turkey and Veggies

What We Loved: What’s better than the meal listed above? Leftovers that are ready in a jiffy!

Sunday: Air Fried Chicken Thighs on Salad

What We Loved: This is a great meal on a Sunday night when I don’t really want to spend a ton of time cooking. Ryan loves chicken thighs, so I used those to top our salad, which was made up of all kinds of garden veggies we had on hand.

Sunday Scrapbook: Moments from the Week

 

I feel like most of our weeks this year could be summed up with “I did not have that on my bingo card!” And this week was no exception. Lots of plot twists, but also lots of good moments.

                It all started out so calm and predictable…with a lovely Sunday. Lunch on the patio. Naps. Meals in the slow cooker. Stunning sunset. We shouldn’t have gotten comfortable – ha!

                Sometimes days are so good, it’s hard to choose the favorite moment from the day! Monday was one of those days. I completed ONE YEAR of reading through the Bible with my friend, Jenn, and we had the privilege of welcoming these three ladies over for a sunset cruise! They were so excited to join us, and we were all glad the weather held!

                We hosted Swiss Village for boat rides on Tuesday, and while Ryan drove the pontoon, Lexi and I stayed back on the patio working! It was a hot one that day, but it was still good to be outside!

                Wednesday was full of meetings and work, and I had a great time with my Growth Group that night as we went over some of the early chapters in Acts. So much good stuff in there.

                And then the plot twists began! Thursday started out feeling like a normal day but quickly took a turn with flooding! For the first time in our lives, we were laying sandbags outside to try to protect our house if the lake overflowed!

                The water did begin to recede on Friday, for which we were grateful. Less fun? FINDING A MASSIVE SNAKE OUTSIDE that afternoon. I will spare you the picture, because it is not welcome on this page. But ugh. It was so gross.

                So apparently I sustained an injury from hefting sandbags, so yesterday was all about Advil, heat on my back and neck, and Ryan trying to work out the knots. Sigh. I’m a mess, friends. A MESS.

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

                Good morning to you from Shafferland! We had a good day yesterday and some of our lake water receded, so we are thankful for that. We have more rain in the forecast this weekend, so we’ll see if it comes back up again, but for now, we are okay!

                I have some treasures for you today. Are you ready??

I was never particularly attached to art growing up. I liked it, but I didn’t have favorite artists or dreams of particular pieces in my home someday. Now that I’m all grown up (ha!) I’ve  become attached to a couple of artists and love finding their work for our house – and my office. But now and then I also love finding free art prints to rotate in frames around the house. Not something to have full time, but something to represent a season or a short time-frame. This post has links to a bunch of free vintage prints. We’re not overly (true) vintage in our house, but I know many people are, so I’m sharing it in case you need a fresh piece for your space!

 This post offers two gems in one! Heather blogs about a coastal-inspired teen bedroom makeover, which is BEAUTIFUL (and I’m not a teen, but I’d happily have a room like it!), but she also gives the storied history of this room with her daughters over the years. THIS is why I advocate for pictures and scrapbooking. I love seeing how homes grow and change with the people who live in them. I love the memories and layouts that fit each changing season, and goodness, does she ever do a beautiful job of that in this post. “Afters” in a home don’t have to mean that the “before” was bad or wrong. It can just mean that the needs changed!

Ahhhh yes. Another beautiful “tiny” home layout. This one is 450 feet, so it is not as confining as most tiny homes, but I love it. I love the layout, and I love the screened-in porch. The homeowner does a nice job with the tour, so have fun looking through her adorable little home!

It’s been almost exactly 14 years since Ryan and I ran a 10K in Fort Wayne (right before he proposed!) and that was the first time I knew Fort Wayne had hills. It always seemed like such a nice, flat city. WRONG. 😊 Running hills became the hardest part of the race for me, and they weren’t even truly intense hills. So Ann’s words about running hills made a lot of sense to me, as did her analogy to the hills of life. We have a few of those going on right now too, and I’m sure you do also! Hopefully this piece helps you like it helped me.

 I stopped by the bank the other day and as I exchanged pleasantries at the window, the nice lady told me how much she liked my jewelry. I didn’t have on anything magnificent, but I had paused to put a little extra time into my jewelry that day, completing my set with a few bracelets. It always is amazing to me how going that tiny extra step helps me feel more put together. Audrey offers some ideas (including jewelry!) for taking your wardrobe up a little notch in some simple ways!

Melissa wrote about what constitutes clutter, which (according to her) can be different for every person. But I love her perspective on it, because I do believe it is true that different households want and need different things to make everyday life work. While the piece gets a little ad-heavy at the end, I think the overall advice in it is really good. (And her décor is so cute!)

                This has NOT been my year for reading. Work, classes, parent care…those things have taken priority, and reading has taken a back seat. But I have a couple of books I want to mention to you today, so here we go!

                The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble. This book is not new at all. In fact, I may be one of the last people on earth to read it. But in case I’m not, and you are actually that person, I’ll tell you about it. Read-the-Bible-in-a-year plans have been around forever, and in that respect, this book is no different. This is a chronological reading plan that will walk you through every page of Scripture in 365 days. But rather than just giving you a list of verses to read per day, this also offers two pages of easy-to-read commentary to go with each day’s reading.

                This should not replace Bible reading. You still need to read the actual passages. But this can offer you some helpful explanations if you find yourself confused by what you read in the Bible. It’s not intended to be overly academic or deep. But it’s also not fluffy and condescending. It’s a good guide if you are looking for one to go with your Bible reading.

                I just finished this one earlier this week and would recommend it to anyone who needs a boost in reading through the Bible in its entirety.

                HarperCollins Bible Dictionary edited by Mark Allan Powell. I bought this book for my Introduction to Biblical Studies class, since it was required reading. It’s not new, and it’s not small, but I loved it far more than I imagined I would. At just over 1100 pages, I doubt it’s a book anyone would sit and read for fun. And in full transparency, I’ve not read it all the way through either.

                But it’s a really great and easy-to-read resource for any student of Scripture (which we can all be)! Arranged like a regular dictionary, the book offers entries for people, places, and things mentioned in Scripture, but rather than “defining” them in the spirit of a standard dictionary, this book offers passages that tell the stories of each name or word. Some cover several pages and others are just a little paragraph. Along the way, they include photos of places and archaeological finds to help make some definitions easier to understand. They also include Bible references to point you to the locations in Scripture where these words are used.

                Here’s an example of a very short one: “Damaris – a woman who was one of Paul’s few converts in Athens (Acts 17:34).

                Here’s a longer one: “Myrrh – an aromatic gum that grows in Arabia, Abyssinia, and India. Highly prized from earliest times (Gen. 37:25), it was used in incense (Exod.30:23) and as a perfume for garments (Ps.45:9) or for a lover’s couch (Prov. 7:17). It was part of the cosmetic treatment used to prepare young girls for the king’s bed (Esther 2:13), and it was also used in embalming (Mark 15:23; John 19:39). Myrrh appears among the items of luxury trade that exemplify the wealth of Rome (Rev. 18:13). Along with gold and frankincense it exemplifies the rich gifts brought to the infant Christ by the magi from the East (Matt. 2:11).” There is also a drawing of Myrrh on this page.

                I admit to rolling my eyes at this purchase before the class, but I have actually found it really helpful in my personal Bible study and teaching prep, so I’m glad I bought it! I’d recommend it for anyone!

Friday Fun: Boat Rides for Days

 

I had this post marinating in my head all week and had NO IDEA that we would spend all of yesterday fighting flood waters! WOWSA. We had about 13 inches of rain in 48 hours, and life got a little wild around here in a fat hurry. I will tell you more about that next week, but let’s go back to a simpler time – like two days ago, for example – when the sun shone and the waters didn’t threaten to run over the lake’s edge.

                Last weekend was our turn to host small group, and some of them weren’t able to make it (wedding), so it was a small-small group. Is that a thing? We decided to do an abbreviated gathering with pie and ice cream – and boat rides! The sunset missed the memo that we were doing a sunset cruise, but…details.

                Then, a couple of days later, we had some friends over, and I have to tell you about them. Ryan and I met these sweet ladies at a church event a couple of years ago, and we just loved them. We don’t get to see them often, but I thought they might like a boat ride, so I’d asked them early this year if they wanted to come over. We had a date on the calendar, and it fell right in the middle of all that torrential rain that fell last month. This week was the first time all our schedules allowed us to have the SAME free night, so we rescheduled.

            They came bearing gifts – handmade! They loved touring the house and enjoyed relaxing while Captain Ryan drove us around the lake. We loved seeing their delight!

                    The next day, we welcomed a busload of Swiss Village residents for the second time this summer. Most were repeat visitors and were excited to enjoy the lake on a hot and sunny day!

                And in less than 48 hours, the water level went from looking like this…

                …to this.

                I’ll keep you posted. 😊

Throwback Thursday: Remembering

 

Tomorrow marks 38 years since my nephew was born straight into Heaven and the presence of Jesus. I have written about this day many times over my twenty years of blogging, and sometimes one of the challenges of remembering an event so many times in the same space is trying to find something new and meaningful to say that says it better than you said it before.

                But also, sometimes what you said before is still worth hearing!

                So let me point you to a few posts I’ve written over the years, and maybe you can find something in Kirk’s story that is meaningful to your own story today.

                Here is a post I wrote where I shared some quotes my sister said to the kids in their church one week after Kirk’s birth and death. She wanted to do the children’s sermon at their church so the kids could understand the inexplicable. She did such a beautiful job, and I’m still in awe of her words.

                Reflections and a letter to him on his twentieth birthday – a milestone that felt mind-blowing then. 38 is so much harder to grasp!

                On his 21^st birthday, I visited his grave and spent some time writing, remembering, and reflecting.

                In honor of his 30^th birthday, I published the story I wrote about him back in junior high! I am so glad I wrote this (for an assignment) before the memories faded. This was the very thing that pushed me to help others write their children’s birth stories so they can hold the memories forever.

                And now it’s been 38 years. My life is not defined by this loss but it is marked by it. Marked for the better, by the way. Because Kirk lived, my life is forever changed. I will always honor and celebrate that by honoring and celebrating his life!

Wednesday in the Word: Wonderfully Made

 

Last night as I scrolled Facebook, I ran across one of Lisa Harper’s posts, and it hit me hard. I wanted to share it today, but let me give you a little context, just in case you aren’t familiar with her.

                Lisa is a gifted Bible teacher, and I’ve been learning from her via her writing for years. She’ wise, intelligent, and also hilarious. Her wit is perfectly presented, and I just love reading what she offers in what can sometimes be the toxic world of social media!

                Lisa has never married, but several years ago, she adopted a little girl from Haiti. Missy was maybe four or so when she came to live with Lisa, and now she’s a teenager, and I love the Missy posts. She has the joy of the Lord in a way I’ve not seen in most teens (or, let’s be honest, even adults).

                So this story made me sad:

                Missy is deeply kind and almost always sees the glass as more than half full. Based on the extreme hardship that followed her first mama, Marie's, death in Haiti, she has legitimate reasons to be pessimistic & self-protective, instead she's quite the opposite. And please don't tell me she got it from me. Her tender heart was already well-formed before God allowed me to become her second mama. Believe me, I got the long end of this proverbial stick.

However, some days the hard edges of life poke her soft heart in a way that breaks mine. When I picked her up yesterday, I could tell by the atypical downward slope of her shoulders she was sad. After a while she shared how a girl ~ whom she thought was her friend ~ held up her hand up when Missy approached in a social setting & said, "That seat's saved."

She explained tearfully, "Mom, I know I'm different from the other girls but it hurt my feelings that she wouldn't let me sit with them."

Of course I wanted to bellow words that aren't in the Bible about how that insensitive (likely insecure) young woman behaved. But that wouldn't have been helpful...especially since the sentiment of, "That seat's saved" doesn't end after high school & the feeling of not fitting in or not being wanted is unfortunately a very common experience for most ~ if not all ~ image bearers.

So instead we spent several hours last night strategizing how to build up "kind callouses" so we can respond compassionately even when it's not reciprocated. Then we ate ice cream & watched a funny movie all the while Holy Spirit was pouring comforting oil over the fresh scrapes on my miracle daughter's beautiful soul.

This morning we bellowed the truth of who our Heavenly Father says we are before she shouldered her backpack and walked bravely into another day of being viewed as different.

Aren't you grateful that Jesus hold ups His nail scarred hand and waves us over with an unconditionally loving, "That seat's saved especially FOR YOU" greeting every time we stumble toward Him? What a kind God we serve.

                Oh the timing of this post. It was a night in which I swam in the waters of questioning everything about every decision I made in every area of my life. I nodded vehemently at “The feeling of not fitting in or not being wanted is unfortunately a very common experience for most – if not all – image bearers.”

                Speaking truth over my own life is something I’m still learning to do. (Spoke about that recently!) So I cracked open my Bible to Psalm 139 and read again “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” I may not always like myself. Those around me may not always like me. I’m guessing some of them don’t ever like me. But all of that aside, He made me. He made me to be who I am, and even when I feel I am falling short at every turn, I am still fearfully and wonderfully made. Missy is. Lisa is. I am. You are.

                If you click on that link above the story, you can sit in on Lisa and Missy singing truth over Missy’s life. Maybe you need it sung over yours like I needed it sung over mine??

                I am fearfully and wonderfully made, no matter what anyone says. And so are you!

Tuesday Tales: Fall Decor!

 

I sat down on the couch about 8:30 last night, after a very full day, and that was when I remembered I was supposed to have taken pictures of my fall décor for the blog.

                Whoopsie.

                And because I’m not a big-name blogger, it is 100% okay that I got up at said hour to take the aforementioned photographs. Will you find quality lighting? No. Will you be able to see the decorations? ABSOLUTELY!

                Ready for a fall tour??

                I’m so thankful that over the last few years, I’ve tightened up my fall décor collection to make it better fit the feel of our home. This little pumpkin is an example of that. I bought it several years ago – I think at Hobby Lobby – and it is perfect for the feel of our house! I have it on our coffee table on this stunning tray my friend Amber made for my 40^th birthday.

                This vignette is under our TV. I thrifted that blue pumpkin last year!

                The blue pumpkin in this corner is difficult to see. Maybe if the photographer hadn’t been trying to take rescue photos in the DARK…. 😉 Look hard and you’ll find it!

                I think this is my favorite version of this table yet! I thrifted those tall candlesticks earlier this year – when we were in Ohio for the marriage conference! And this is my favorite display under the cloche ever! I think I’ve had that for 13 years. Finally getting the hang of the arrangements!

                A garage sale pumpkin (from our Kokomo days!) fit right by the new mirror.

                Another thrifted blue pumpkin.

                My produce basket isn’t needed every day anymore, so I turned it into a decoration.

                The fireplace area received some subtle nods to fall.

                My sister gave me this cute crocheted stack of pumpkins. (Her sister-in-law made it.) It is perfect for the office!

                Beside the bed…

                More thrifted pumpkins.

                I love the non-traditional colors of our fall décor this year. Thanks for pretending I took all these in the best light of the day!