The Shafferland Shuffle

* Pausing at the start of the Shuffle today to remember my nephew, Kirk, who was born 28 years ago today. IMPOSSIBLE for 28 years to have gone by, but somehow they have. Here's a post I wrote on his 20th birthday, and I will share it today in his memory. *

* Last Sunday was a beautiful day! I got to spend the morning with the women from the retreat where I spoke, and after the last session ended, I packed up and headed home!  Ryan spent the day with my parents, so I stopped there for our big reunion and then we headed home. Sunday began Ryan's football season, aka, dinner from the football platter. LOL!!!

* Monday was my first day back in the routine at home. Of course there was much laundry to do and other chores {though Ryan kept everything up beautifully while I was gone}, but I did have enough time to make my own pumpkin spice creamer. I felt very fancy!! And I guess Braeya was unimpressed that I was back. This was my view most of the day. {Eyeroll.}

* Tuesday, Ryan brought me some watermelon!! {He hates watermelon and it's just about my favorite fruit, so it was not lost on me that he would hunt some down and bring it to me out of love!!} That night we started co-leading a Bible study group on Erica Wiggenhorn's book An Unexplainable Life. I am really looking forward to it! And also - chances to see Phoebe!!!

* Wednesday I went on a book delivering spree! I had a list of people who had asked for copies, so I just drove all over, delivering them. It was fun until, on the way home, I got stuck in a traffic jam. That part wasn't as fun. That night...we watched the AGT finale. Anyone else watch? Happy with the results?

* Thursday I welcomed fall to Shafferland...decorated the whole house, and I love the way it turned out! It was a blank canvas for me, since I'd never decorated this house before. Loved finding homes for everything! And in the spirit of fall, I made an apple pie-like dessert for Ryan. It looked awful, but it tasted good!

* Friday was a good day! Got new clothes in the mail, had an at-home pizza night date with Ryan, and even had surprise visitors before the evening was over! My friend Sandee was in town shopping with one of her friends, and they came over to see us. I love surprise visitors! {Well. Most of the time.}

* Yesterday we did a county tour. Remember those? Haven't been on one in NINE WHOLE MONTHS...thank you, moving and such. We decided to visit Tippecanoe County, which is the home of Lafayette {Purdue University, if you're not from around here}, although we didn't go there. We had a blast...can't wait to tell you all about it!

Front Row Seats

Hands down, the biggest blessing of this past weekend was feeling like I had a front row seat to watch God at work in the lives of these new friends of mine.

There's something very different about speaking at a retreat vs. speaking at a dinner or church service. When I speak at a one-time event like a dinner, I come in, speak, exchange pleasantries with people, and go home. I know God takes the words and uses them however He wants to, and they are no more or less effective because of the amount of time I spend there. But to speak at a retreat is to live among the people for a couple of days. It offers the chance to sit and have conversations between sessions and {my favorite part} to watch the very beginnings of what God is doing in the lives in front of me.

By the time I spoke at the fourth session this weekend, I looked out and didn't just see faces. I saw stories. I could look at some of the faces and have a bit of an idea of the person they represented. I loved that.

We met in a conference hall that did not have air conditioning. So the first night, we sat sandwiched between the tiniest army of box and oscillating fans {and we fanned ourselves with the stapled weekend programs}.

We propped open doors and tried to get a good cross-breeze going, and I stood at the back of the room while the worship team set the tone for the sessions.

I stood at the back worshiping with the women and hanging onto the little wooden cross Ryan loaned to me for the weekend. {He received this cross when he spoke at his retreat earlier this year, and it's extremely meaningful to him, so to have it on loan was a huge deal for me and I cannot tell you how many times throughout the weekend I checked to make sure I did not lose it!}

I can't tell you how many weeks I spent preparing for these sessions. How much prayer went into the words I said and over the ladies listening. It's a massive responsibility to teach in any capacity, I believe. I wanted to make sure my words were true and filled with Him. And I prayed that for anything I said that was stupid or wrong, His Spirit would convict me and His grace would correct my missteps.

The ladies were so gracious. You can speak all the truth in the world, but if the hearers are not interested in truly listening and applying, it doesn't matter. And it seemed this group was ready to truly hear and apply. It was such a blessing to witness!

I can't tell you enough how passionate I was over the topic I presented this weekend, and I was just so thrilled to hear from the ladies how God was beginning to work in them, call them to greater things, and teach them what He needed them to know.

The weekend was just a giant privilege, and I'm so thankful to be entrusted with the opportunity. These ladies were such a blessing. I'm grateful.

Thanks for allowing me to serve you!!

A Weekend at Camp!

Podcast Tuesday!!! Our weekend adventures fill up this one. Ryan's bachelorhood and my weekend on a campground!

 Click here to listen

I spent much of yesterday asleep on our couch. I was 100% exhausted from the weekend away, but also 100% grateful to have been a part of something so special.

So here's a little background story for you. The church that invited me to speak to their ladies for the weekend was scheduled to host the retreat on their church's campground. Tuesday evening {before the retreat began on Friday evening}, I received a phone call from the planning committee that there was an issue at the campground and there would not be any water or electricity there. It wouldn't be able to be fixed before Friday, so the committee scrambled to find a new location.

God worked it out so beautifully, and the same evening the committee learned the church camp was out, another group from another church cancelled their reservation at YMCA Camp Willson in Bellefontaine, Ohio. The next day, they agreed to host this group. What an answer to prayer!

While Ryan worked Friday morning, I packed up my car, and then I had to say my {literally} tearful goodbyes to him.

It was a beautiful day to drive, and there was also a beautiful sight along the way!

It took about three hours...but I arrived!

A million props to the camp staff. They were amazing. They were warm, friendly, funny, welcoming, great cooks with unlimited coffee offerings...thoroughly enjoyed meeting them!

I started out by setting up my book table and getting settled in the cabin I shared with the two worship leaders.

Meals were so delicious at camp, and it was fun to eat with new friends and get to hear bits and pieces of their stories!

I spoke Friday night {I'll tell you more about the speaking part tomorrow}, twice on Saturday, and once on Sunday. In the middle of all those, I had much fun!

The camp was on a lake, so I was able to spend part of Saturday afternoon enjoying a peaceful time beside the water {my happy place!!}.

They had a great little craft...key chains with the message of the weekend: be still. I made one and love it.

And the decorations. Oh, they were so pretty! One of the girls made beautiful hand-lettered art, and she even decorated the table papers!

I didn't sleep much, but I am thrilled to have been part of these ladies' worlds this weekend. This group has my heart:

Can't wait to tell you more tomorrow!

On the Road Again!

No, not a vacation...but a little road trip, nonetheless!

Had you ever told my 16 year old shaking self that I would not only survive high school speech class, but someday, people would actually invite me to speak to their groups, I guarantee you I wouldn't have laughed. I would have probably launched into a full-blown panic attack and run away from home.

The beauty of ignorance. :)

As it turned out, I finished speech class in high school, finished another one in college, and before I even started working at WBCL, I had to learn to speak to groups of graduating seniors...which petrified me to no end. But I learned to relax, little by little, and the last four years have brought some opportunities to speak in front of different church groups, and I really do love it.

So this past Saturday, while Ryan worked, I hopped in my car and drove to Antwerp, Ohio, to speak at a ladies' luncheon at Antwerp Community Church. I'd never been to Antwerp before, but it seemed like a lovely little town:

 The drive was an easy one - despite construction {seriously - is every road in the country undergoing renovation right now} and the church was right off the main highway, not too far over the line into Ohio.

The ladies of the church told me how they'd decided that particular plot of ground was perfect for a church, since it was right by the highway and easy to find...and how the community and church members came together to build the structure.

I knew no one there...but I loved sitting back and watching as the ladies hugged each other, shared stories, and had a great time. In an attempt to avoid scary junior high flashbacks, I asked three ladies at a table if I could join them, and they graciously said yes. They were fun! A mother and her two daughters...and they told me about the ladies of the church so I didn't feel like such a stranger.

They offered a lunch that was spectacular...some of my very favorite things, like chicken salad croissants and seven layer salad...and a buffet of pies. And someone clued me in that the giant bowl of coffee punch was something not to miss...and oh my goodness. HOW TRUE. It was coffee goodness in a bowl...almost like a melted coffee shake. Give me a straw and get out of my way.

While we ate, a gentleman played the guitar and sang some worship songs, and then a woman sang and played for us. They were both very good!

And then it was my turn. You should know that as the lady sang before I spoke...I noticed a storm moving in. And by the time I got up to talk, the deluge had begun, the skies, were dark, and I had a front row seat to it...because the huge glass doors to the church were directly ahead of me as I stood behind the podium. I gripped the sides of it and confessed straight up to a whole room full of strangers that I'm afraid of storms and if it got really bad, I might hit the floor and they should just ignore me.

It ended up storming the entire time I spoke, which was, I'm sure, God's creative way of keeping me fully dependent on Him as I stood before the ladies.

Again, I cannot talk without my hands. And no, my shirt's not messed up. I had to hike it up to clip the lapel mic on my pants.

I was thankful that God held off the extreme wind as I spoke. Right before I got up to speak, I got a weather alert from back home that damaging winds were coming through, and indeed, when I got home, I found the winds had been so bad that trees in our area came down. I'm glad I wasn't home for that and I'm glad it wasn't so bad where I was.

Thanks, ladies of Antwerp Community Church, for making me feel at home! I appreciate you! It was lovely to meet all of you - and your coffee punch! 

The Shafferland Shuffle

* Last Sunday we hosted the Mother's Day Mommapalooza! We hosted a total of 13 people at our house {including ourselves} and had a cookout in our backyard! It was great to have my sister here and two of Ryan's siblings here as well. Lots of hard work, but it was a great day, and our moms seemed to have fun!

* Monday morning, Ryan surprised me with birthday week treat number one: when he took my car out to put gas in it before I left for work, he also ran through Starbucks' drive thru and got my favorite drink! He hid it in the kitchen cabinet and told me to pick out my travel mug for the day! What a great way to start the day! We had a webinar at work....so I took my scribble paper and TWO drinks. Afternoon meetings and this girl don't mix well. And that night, we had a lousy run and leftovers from Sunday's cookout! Then...we rested.

* Tuesday morning's birthday treat: Ryan got up early and made breakfast for me, and we had a date in the pirogi in the wee hours of the morning before work. He had the morning off and met with the insurance adjuster about our poor roof...and I went to work, where we had a cookout! It was scrumptious! After work, we headed tot he gym {lousy run number two of the week for me} and then we came home where I wrote and worked on my treats for work on Wednesday!

* Wednesday was my ACTUAL birthday, and Ryan began the day well by bringing me a cupcake and coffee in bed...and Braeya helped me blow out the candles. My work buddies spoiled me greatly and Ryan and I had a GREAT evening, despite the monsoon rain that fell. We went to the Pizza Shack for dinner and finally got to see the movie Heaven is for Real. Of course I'll give you the full, picture-filled recap soon, but for now, here you go!!

 * Thursday was a very busy day at work - and the morning guys brightened up the day by "pooling their resources" to buy me a gift and card. {Paint by number kit and post it note.} Ha!! After work, I went to Starbucks to retrieve my free birthday drink and treated myself to a frappe! :) Then I came home and wrote thank you notes for birthday gifts. Lots and lots of thank you notes. I appreciated everyone loving on me so much!

* Friday I went on an outing with some friends during the day - and we paid a visit to Winona Lake. It was cold and rainy, but we had fun anyway! One of my favorite stores we visited had all kinds of spices, teas and soup mixes. Smelled SO GOOD! Ryan had a good day at work too - ice cream sundae day in honor of hospital appreciation week! For our date night, since we'd had such a long week, we took out Chinese food, stayed home, watched a movie and MIGHT have taken an extremely long nap. Maybe.

* Yesterday, Ryan worked, so I did some things here at home, and then I got dressed up and drove to Kokomo to meet Ryan for his cousin's wedding reception. She and her new husband were married in Jamaica last Sunday and had their at-home reception last night. It was a fun evening with dancing and a photo booth - and time spent with family! And cake!! :)

Black Swamp Jam Benefit Concert

Friday evening, I worked the Black Swamp Jam Benefit Concert in Wauseon, Ohio. It was my inaugural trip to Wauseon, and I was thrilled to discover they have a Cato there! What a great place! :) The concert was held at the Fulton County Fairgrounds - and they were one welcoming bunch! Jim Barron and I worked this one together, and when we arrived, an army of guys in bright orange shirts swarmed our van and carried all our things for us!! What service!

We got to have our tables right next to the artist merch tables, and Jim wasted no time in posing with the Citizen Way posters. See what I work with, people?? {Kidding...Jim is quite fun!}

Oh. I forgot to mention he also posed with the frog. :)

I, on the other hand, posed with my milkshake. I was told they were world famous. It seemed rude to not try out a famous milkshake. So. Yummy.

The opening act was actually a guy who has roots in that part of the country. Seth Abram is his name - and he was really good! Really nice guy, too. Jim and I enjoyed talking to him. {His parents listen to our station and call in to chat with the morning guys sometimes, so it was fun to meet them!}

His band members for this particular night were all friends of his who live in Indiana - friends he used to play with often when he lived here. They were great together!

This is Ben Calhoun from Citizen Way. I'd met him earlier this year when I worked the Big Daddy Weave concert and Citizen Way was there too. But this was the first time I'd had my picture taken with him. Ben is possibly the nicest artist I've ever met. He spent the entire evening talking with all the people who came - genuinely investing in each of them.

The band is made up of two sets of brothers - this is Ben with his brother.

They did "Should've Been Me" - which is a song I love, love, love.

And the main act for the evening was Brandon Heath. I didn't actually get to meet him but he put on a great show for everyone!

We didn't get to see much of his concert but we heard it and it was great!

After the concert, Jim and I started home, but it was really late, so we stopped at an Arby's to get coffee. I walked up to the counter and said to the girl, "I just need coffee." She yelled out, "SENIOR COFFEE!!!"

SERIOUSLY!?!??!!??! I just did my roots!!!!!

I didn't get home until 1:30 in the morning, and I was exhausted. But Ryan met me at the door, took my hand, and led me out into the yard. He'd worked so hard all evening {HATED it that he couldn't work this event with me} to string lights in the pirogi!!! It was like walking into the end of a movie. We stood out there in the yard and danced and enjoyed the gorgeous night. It was the perfect end to the night: