What I Learned in August

We welcome a new month tomorrow, and I just cannot believe it! What in the world! It's been a busy month of learning for me...and while some of these things may not matter in the grand scheme of life, I definitely feel a little smarter now!! Happy end of August and happy long weekend!

1. Baseball players make more than football players.

It was a question on Family Feud one night: what athletes make the most money? As the lady on the screen and I shouted FOOTBALL, Ryan shouted BASEBALL. He said it's true. Something about no cap on earnings in baseball? Who knew? Not me! Not the Family Feud lady!

2. You can buy reusable coffee filters.

I mentioned in the Saturday Six earlier this month that one of my Instagram friends is trying to go plastic-free throughout her home. I had no idea this whole plastic-free thing was such a big thing across the nation, but apparently it is! And as I learned more about it, I learned you can buy reusable coffee filters. Personally, I find that very intriguing from a long-term cost perspective. (And will it make my washer smell like coffee? Because I could really get on board with that.)

3. Power washing is fun!

I had never tried it prior to the work day Ryan and I had at my parents' house this month. I didn't expect to actually enjoy it, but I did! It made me pretty sore (it was not-your-mama's power washer, so it was kind of like wrangling a fire hose) but the transformation was super exciting!

4. How to cook fresh green beans.

Since we don't have a garden, and since I was conveniently "allergic" to vegetables until a couple of years ago, I never purchased or received many green beans from gardens. The few times I did, my attempts at cooking them were never right. They were always too crunchy, and while I do know some folks love a firm cooked green bean, I am not some of those folks. My mom gave me some garden green beans this month, and I set out to learn how to cook them FOR REAL without messing them up or making them too unhealthy. Nailed it.

5. You can get a Yankee candle with a person's picture on it.

Did you know this? When we went to Odie's housewarming party this month, one of her gifts was a Yankee candle with her name and picture on it! WHAT?!?!? I had to look it up when I got home, and indeed: here's how you do it!

6. I use my thumb waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than I realize.

All it took was one run-in with the veggie grater to figure out that one. Oh the things we take for granted, right?

That's my list for August! You learn anything new and fun this month?

What's Up Wednesday...on Thursday

I didn't have an inspiration for a post today, so I'm doing the ultimate in borrowing. :) Thank you, Sarah, for reminding me about What's Up Wednesday. I've never actually linked up to it, but I appreciate the topic ideas. 

So here we go! :) 

1. What we're eating this week:

I felt kind of guilty this week for all the food pictures I take, because I'm sure no one actually cares about food pictures. NOW I wish I would have taken some! Would you like to see my caramelized onions? Because that's about all I can give you for a visual. 

Having said, that, we have eaten REALLY well this week. Dashing Dish for the win over and over and over again! We have had:

* Clean Eating In-n-Out Burgers
* 5 Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Zoodles
* Clean Eating White Chicken Lasagna Soup

* Low Carb Chicken Fajita Bowls

* No Bake Cookie Dough Protein Bars

* Flourless Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Ryan has declared them all keepers!

2. What I'm reminiscing about:

I've been trying to work (here and there) on our scrapbook from our vacation this summer, so this week I've been reminiscing about our fun in Springfield! (Is it bad when it takes 34 pages to cover the first DAY of vacation?? Asking for a friend...)

3. What I'm loving:

Cute pictures. We went to our nephew's birthday party Sunday afternoon, and there were some really cute pictures. I mean you really can't top a picture of kids in superhero outfits!

4. What we've been up to:

Hmmmm…..I fear we may be fairly boring on this one. Work? Writing? Cooking? Cleaning? It's been a pretty standard kind of week around here. I guess we did each have coffee meetings with friends this week. Does that make us sound exciting?

5. What I'm dreading:

I have to go to the dentist today. Enough said. 

6. What I'm working on:

Writing and upcoming talks. As you saw in an earlier post this week, I just knocked out a week's worth of devotions due here in a few days, and Ryan and I are busy working on our talk for the conference we're speaking at next month. I also have a dinner and a retreat that I'm preparing for...and two more classes to teach at the library. 

7. What I'm excited about:

We have wellness checks on Friday, and no, that is NOT what I'm excited about. :) Ryan said we could go to Starbucks for our venti freebies as a reward for getting weighed and measured and poked with needles. Hey ultra caramel Frappuccino? Get in my belly. 

8. What I'm watching/reading:

I'm such a creature of habit. I'm actually not reading a book this week due to the busyness of item #6 and all the medical appointments that have decided to congregate in one week. But we tend to always watch the same things: America's Got Talent, endless reruns of Matlock, lots of Family Feud, and whenever we just need background noise? Whatever's on HGTV.

9. What I'm listening to: 

That would be Braeya sobbing, because it's been three and a half minutes since we last turned on the bathroom sink so she could get a drink. (Yes. She has a water bowl. No. She doesn't like it. Yes. We are her servants.)

10. What I'm wearing:

Currently? Shorts that are too big and an old t-shirt. I am THE cutest. But on a broader scale, I would like to say I've grown quite fond of stocking my wardrobe entirely from the Goodwill. And when Ryan and I went on our date last weekend, I asked if we could go to the Goodwill in a rich town, so I could get better castoffs. :) 

11. What I'm doing this weekend:

I'm teaching a class at the library, and if it doesn't rain, I'm also doing a photo shoot. If it does rain, I'm probably watching more Matlock. :) 

12. What I'm looking forward to next month: 

We have lots of fun things scheduled for September, and I shouldn't presume to rate them, because each will be fun in its own way. But I am (actually we are) really looking forward to speaking together at this church conference. God has put a big passion on our hearts for the message He's given us, and we're excited to share it! 

Celebrating Good Things

If you heard the podcast yesterday, you heard my desperate plea for prayer for my writing project. If you didn't hear it yet, let me just catch you up!

A few weeks ago I received a writing assignment for a week's worth of devotional readings. I've done these assignments before, and I always find them challenging (in a good way). It's a whole different kind of writing to create something meaningful in just a few words. Each devo has to be just over 200 words, and that isn't much space! Every word matters when you can only say a few.

But this time, in addition to the format challenge, the passage I'd been assigned was challenging. For many days, I read and reread the assigned Scripture, and it utterly baffled me. I usually have a pretty decent understanding of the passages, but this one was so above my head. And I had to write six separate days of devotions from that one passage.

GULP.

I consulted my favorite commentary, and it was over my head too. My friend Kari suggested looking at John Wesley's commentary, which I did, and right in the middle of his thoughts, John said, "This is a perplexed passage." NO JOKE, JOHN!!! It both comforted and exasperated me that he agreed; it was good to know I wasn't alone, but I really needed some insight!

My deadline was fast approaching, and no matter how much time I spent studying and waiting for inspiration, my mind was utterly blank.

After Ryan went to work yesterday, I looked up essential oil combos for focus and clarity, filled up my diffuser, poured a fresh cup of coffee, grabbed a couple of Bibles (different versions), and prayed hard for words.

And. They. Came.

I sat at my desk, only allowing myself breaks for more coffee and the bathroom, and didn't stop until all seven days of devos were written.

Now, to be sure, they need some polishing. But they're written with a few polishing days to spare. I knew God would come through. I never doubted it. I've been in this writing boat before. But I wasn't sure how much spare time I'd have between the arrival of the words and the due date. I'm so grateful for a cushion!

After I finished my writing, I met up with my friend Joyce, who is co-presenting with me at a church conference next month. Joyce is a new friend, but she feels like she's been in my life always, which is such a good and calming feeling. We had just a few minutes to go over our outline and talk about what we felt the Lord leading us to share. I was freshly grateful that the devotions were already written, because that closure in my mind allowed me to fully focus on my time with her and the workshop we will share.

And then I headed off to the eye doctor for my annual visit. I wasn't worried, because, well, I can see. But my Type-A personality tends to turn things like this into some sort of classroom final exam. I must get an A. I must be the best eye student they've ever had in the history of all time.

(Eyeroll.) (Appropriately.)

Turning 40 brought me a bit of curiosity, because it was somewhere around this age that my mom's perfect vision began to falter just a bit. I figure I'm about due. I can't ride the better-than-perfect-vision wave forever.

So I stressed out over every single line I read. True story: I actually built up so much pressure in my mind that when I tried to read the 20/15 line, I could see it just fine, but I got tongue-tied on SAYING the letters. Try explaining that one!

In the end, he said my vision hadn't changed from last year and everything looked top notch. I earned my A. He joked with me, "You can go home and go back to taking your vision for granted."

But I don't.

I know it's not fair that I don't even need readers when I basically do everything wrong. I'm looking at screens way over half the day. If I'm not looking at a screen, I'm reading a book, and probably not in full light. I know it's not fair that I'm 40 and still cruising. And I do not take that for granted at all. It's a gift, I know it, and I do appreciate it.

So I celebrate yesterday. I celebrate the good physical vision, and I celebrate the vision-of-heart God granted in my writing and my meeting. I'm thankful. And since I don't pause to say thanks nearly as often as I should, I want to do it right now.

Bigger Pictures

It's podcast Tuesday, so we're here with some stories for you! If you're caught up on  your blog reading, it won't all be brand new information, but I think you'll still find some good laughs. And please! SEND ME BUBBLE WRAP! ;)

 Listen here...

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote this post about the joy I find in this season of our lives, where I freelance and soak up the stay-at-home-wife life. God is good about constantly reminding me that He's doing things I can't see, and sometimes I'll have a conversation with someone that makes me wonder if that was merely a conversation or if it was the first peek under the veil of something bigger God is doing in my life.

Yesterday I emailed a new friend who reached out to me for writing/publishing advice, and in her most recent message to me, she asked what lessons I'd learned as a writer. Hmmmmm. What a great question!

I thought through my writing life and decided upon a piece of (what I hope is) wisdom to share. And then I decided it transcends writing and might fit you too, even if you're not a word-lover like I am.

Earlier in the same email, I had admonished her not to let her worth as a writer hinge on the perceived successes and failures of the publishing world. It can be discouraging when you know you have a message to share, but you don't have the social media following or other marketing advantages needed to catch the attention of an agent or publishers. It's easy to start believing your words don't matter because you aren't popular enough to share them.

That was something I wrestled with so very heavily when I tried to publish my first book. I did all the things I knew to do, trying to find agent representation, and most of the time I didn't even receive an acknowledgement, much less an offer for representation. After several months of frustration, I learned about the world of self-publishing, which was not embraced very lovingly at that time. As I explored it, I had more than one person (including a published author I loved very much) tell me not to consider it because it was a second-rate avenue mostly reserved for people who couldn't cut it in the traditional market.

And yet I felt if I waited around, I might never get to publish a book, and I had a message I longed to share. So I went for it. I self-published.

Did that book become a best-seller? It most certainly did not. Did it become my foot-in-the-door opportunity to catch the attention of a publisher, as I had read about with other authors? Nope.

But as I recounted that experience for my new friend seeking advice, here's what I told her:

* That book was the single ray of light in one of the darkest years of my life. I sent in the manuscript right before I entered into the relationship that ended up changing my life forever, and not in the way I thought it would. As I grieved the loss of love, the book officially released into the world, and I had one beautiful thing to enjoy. God knew all that timing.

* That book was the way I made a connection with WBCL. Lynne interviewed me about that book and that was how I met Jamie, her producer. And when Jamie left the station a few months later, I applied for and got her job. It allowed me a chance to experience a career I never knew I would love.

* Working in radio, then, was how I began to learn to speak in front of others and how to share stories. It allowed me to make connections with people and begin doing the speaking I do now.

* Of course we can't forget that radio played a pretty significant part in the beautiful proposal Ryan put together for me. :)

* I still hear annually from friends who read His Advent: Still His Greatest Gift every single Christmas. It's a joy to hear how that little book has found a lasting place in their Christmas traditions.

(And by the way - some of those self-publishing naysayers have actually gone on to use that venue themselves, so it must not be so terrible after all!)

That little book will most likely never have a place on a world-changing list, but it had a central place in a much bigger picture that certainly changed my world. It's a little-taught truth in the writing world. Books feel like the end goal to writers, but they're not. They're just one part of a very big puzzle that impacts all of life.

What a joy it is to come to a place of understanding that the little things in life can become some of the biggest. God is always working, often in ways we can't see until much later. Little conversations and tiny ideas can end up becoming a central part of His big picture for all of us!

I don't know about you - but that is really exciting to me!

Not All Date Days Are Perfect

A couple of years ago, I spoke at a women's retreat here in Indiana, and I walked away with a whole gaggle of new friends! I really enjoy seeing the happenings of their life on social media, and one of them (Hi, Anna!) posted this on Instagram yesterday: "This highlight reel was never meant to steal the joy God gave you...I love social media, but probably my BIGGEST pet peeve is the fact that Satan has taken something meant for good and twisted it."

I'm not sure what happened that prompted the post, but I want to borrow her words for the Shafferland corner, too. I love posting about our adventures here (and sometimes I post for my own personal archives as much as anything else) but I never ever would want the sharing of our fun to cause anyone else to feel negatively about life. Things aren't always perfect here. We have rough days and things that fall apart just like everybody else. We aren't exempt from life! 

This past Saturday is a perfect example of that. Ryan had a day off work and we didn't have any obligations (double rarity) so we decided we wanted to cash in on a date I'd been gifted for my birthday. We were so excited about it, because it was such a cool gift. 

I mean doesn't that look like fun?

We started watching the weather early in the week and there was a slight chance for rain on Saturday. But we decided it's Indiana, and the weather is often wrong here.

Saturday did not end up being one of those days.

It wasn't just rainy. It was stormy. And no matter how far we drove, we didn't seem to drive out of it. We thought maybe if we killed some time, the day would clear up!

So we stopped at a Goodwill in a fancier part of the state than the one in which we live. And indeed, the choices were fancier. :) 

I'm now prepared for our next game night. This one is on my level.

And I bought a couple of skirts too, I promise.

Clearly, it was still raining when we left, so we decided to do the lunch part of the date first, rather than going to the gardens and conservatory. 

Our gift certificate was to Porter Books and Bread. We'd never been there before! It was adorable inside: exposed brick walls and one wall accented with pages from books. A spiral staircase. Food made from local ingredients. So what we're basically saying is...a place full of wonderful character! Take a look:

They serve breakfast all day, so we both ordered from that menu. Ryan got a bagel sandwich, and I got a wrap, and both our meals came with a pineapple spear. Ryan also got the bottomless fresh brew and I got a latte (that came in the cutest aluminum cup). 

We found a little corner next to the coffee roaster and made ourselves at home while the rain just poured and poured outside. It was so cozy in there.

My hair was dying a slow, painful death from the weather, but we had a wonderful time together. 

We left (still in pouring rain) and decided maybe this wasn't the best day to go to the Conservatory and Gardens. We could always go another day when it wasn't so ever loving crummy outside. (I'd learned they aren't only open in the summer, so we could go in the fall or even winter!) 

We weren't hungry enough yet for the Cake Bake Shop, given that we had just eaten, so we decided to add a stop to our day:

Yeah you probably saw that coming, didn't you? It's a good place to spend a rainy day. And lots of people agreed. It was a busy place!! We had fun looking around, dreaming, and possibly buying a few small things.

After a good spin through IKEA, we thought we were hungry enough for a date at The Cake Bake Shop. (This was the amazing little place we stopped at on Valentine's Day and had the best little date.) 

We knew it was probably going to be busy, and we also knew it was a big gamble to go without a reservation. We'd already lucked out once. But we also had no idea when we might be ready to arrive, so we thought we'd take our chances.

Bad idea.

Ryan went in to get in line and sent me this picture. The place is so very tiny, and the line was hovering over people trying to enjoy their cake! Ryan told me we could get the cake to go and sit outside on the patio. It wouldn't give us service, but it would give us a seat. The rain had let up, and the sun had even peeked out. 

But this place is not the kind of place we can afford to frequent, so if I was going to go, I wanted to be able to sit and enjoy and be waited on - and NOT have people hanging over my table as they waited in line. It wasn't worth it to me to burn up the gift card on such a crazy busy day. 

So we left and headed back toward home. Not long after we left, the skies let loose again, so how very glad was I that we weren't stranded on a patio with soggy cake!?!?

(I did read online that the shop is opening a second location and hopefully it will be bigger!)

I was really really sad that the third stop was out for us, too, but Ryan was so kind. He offered to go anywhere I wanted to go for a plan B treat.

We decided on Panera and dashed in just before a crazy strong thunderstorm hit. Coffee and scones by the window? Okay!!!

We did a little shopping and came on home to rest for what remained of the evening.

It wasn't the date we'd planned, but I was grateful for a day with Ryan and a good story to share, even if it wasn't the intended story. :) 

So to go back to what my friend Anna said, not all the days are perfect, and we certainly never want to make you think they are. But we hope even on the less-than-perfect days, we can enjoy the blessing of being together and the chance to have some kind of adventure!

The Shafferland Shuffle

Well it has just been a little week, hasn't it? Much adventure we did not expect! Here's a peek!

* We had a great sermon at church last Sunday! I was taking notes pretty furiously! (As in quickly. Not as in angrily.) And then we had a glorious Sunday afternoon of rest, naps, walks, and beautiful nothingness. Our fave.

* Monday morning, I met up with Ryan's mom, grandpa, aunt, sister, and nephew for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. It was fun to be included, and it sure didn't hurt to get baby snuggles. (First time I'd gotten to hold him since he was born!) That afternoon, while I was home working, it just pourrrrrrrrrrrrrrred. Got me out of flower watering duty! And look at the beautiful gift Ryan gave me that evening. A purple Sharpie! It really is the little things for me. Made my whole day.

* Tuesday evening we hosted our small group for a special time of prayer for our church. It was good to see all of them again after being apart for the summer! I made banana bread, and it was completely gone before night was over. (Dashing Dish for the win!) Tuesday was also the day the coconut oil jar fell off the lazy Susan in our cabinet and nailed me in the leg. You remember that story. ;)

* Wednesday morning I met up with one of our really good friends who moved out of state last summer! She was passing through town quickly and asked if I had time for coffee. Let me think: yes! So good to see her! Ryan and I recorded the announcements for church that night and went out for an ice cream date after! (First and last time to the ice cream stand this summer.)

* You remember the drama that was my Thursday. Bekah + veggie slicer = disaster? Do I really need to say more? (I do: thank you, Jesus, for finding me a husband in health care. You knew I'd need it.)

* Friday I actually finished making the casserole I was attempting to make on Thursday when the veggie slicer got the best of me. It was so good! And even though I learned it's nearly impossible to crack eggs without my thumb, I did manage to curl my hair without a thumb! We had been invited to dinner at some church friends' house that night, and look at this appetizer tray!!! I was so impressed.

* Yesterday did not go exactly as we planned. We set out to have a date day gifted to me for my birthday, but it didn't entirely go as we expected. I'll have to tell you more about it tomorrow. Despite the many changes in plans along the way, we had a fun day together, and that's what really matters!

The Saturday Six

One.

Last Sunday at church, our interim minister preached about the dangers of gossip. It was a refreshing, simple, basic sermon that probably every person on planet earth needed to hear. Sometimes simple truths are the ones we need the most, but we miss out on them because everyone wants to present something much more complex. This post on kindness is similar to the sermon in that it's stuff you know, but stuff you might need to hear again today. Maybe a return to basics is a great way to begin this list today!

Two.

I know. It's still August. (For a few more days.) But if you're thinking ahead to Christmas, as I already am, this might be a fun way to come up with gift ideas for your husband!

Three.

Berry ice cream floats? Intriguing!! (And surely a serving of fruit, right?)

Four.

Did you see this story? These poor homeowners!!

Five.

Looks like I'm a few months behind in finding this video, so maybe you already saw it. The (singing) voices of Aladdin and Jasmine, 23 years later, singing A Whole New World. Even though Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie, Aladdin was in my top 3, and I loved this song! I used to belt it out in the car.

Six.

Source

I wasn't sure I'd get through my book for this week because it was 484 pages long. That's  a lot of pages! And then I started the book on Monday night and finished it on Wednesday afternoon, so that should tell you it was definitely a good read.

My college roommate, Jenny, introduced me to Francine Rivers probably close to twenty years ago now. (WHAT?) Also, when I say she introduced me to Francine, I mean she introduced me to Francine's words, not the author herself. I started with A Voice in the Wind and have read most of what she's written in the years since! (Including, oh yes, the beloved Redeeming Love.) For my birthday, Jenny gave me her brand new book, The Masterpiece.

I knew it would be good, but...wow. This book is set in present times (important to note since Francine has written a lot of biblical fiction) and is a powerful story that not only captivated me in the story line, but it taught me so much about walks of life I've never known personally.

The Masterpiece tells the story of Roman Velasco, a somewhat newly discovered (but extremely successful) California artist. Though his work is highly sought after, his personal life is somewhat of a disaster. He spent the first part of his childhood with a mother caught up in drug addiction and prostitution and then found himself shuffled all around the foster care system. Now in his thirties, Roman isn't quite sure who he is or what he wants out of life, and all the financial success he enjoys can't compensate for the rest.

Grace Moore shows up on Roman's doorstep, sent by a temp agency to serve as his personal assistant. Though she desperately needs this job to try to help her get back on her feet, she's not sure she can handle Roman's belligerent attitude. Even so, she feels she has no choice - a byproduct of a series of poor choices this once-good-girl has made in the last few years.

Francine tells the stories of both characters by allowing readers to peek back into years gone by, uncovering the moments that went on to make them both who they became as adults, and though I was just as captivated by those parts of the story, those were also the parts where I really learned. She captured all the blends of human nature so well, and it helped open my eyes to see what it might have been like to live in a world very different from the one in which I grew up.

As always, with her books, there is a clear and fearless thread of faith and the unmistakable plan of salvation presented. Also in this book, she presents the reality of spiritual warfare, not sugar coated in any way. In full disclosure, there are a couple (literally only saw two) unsavory words, but given the atmosphere in which Roman grew up and continued to live, there certainly could have been thousands incorporated, so I felt she handled that part graciously throughout the book.

As much as I have loved everything she's ever written, this one just earned "Favorite Francine" book on my shelf. I'll read it more than once and love it just as much each time, I'm sure.

Thanks, Jenny, for gifting this to me! :) And thanks for opening my eyes to Francine's books 20 years ago! :)