Bekah Visits Science Central

A week ago at this time...I was not at work.

Love a vacation day!!

You all remember my friend, Julie. Well, she and her family like to visit Science Central, which is up in Ft. Wayne. I'd seen some pictures of the adventures they had and thought it might be fun to go on a field trip with them! So last Thursday was the day!

It ended up being an outing for just the girls...and what fun we had!

This is Science Central: Inside, they have all kinds of stations, where you can learn about...well...a bunch of stuff. They have one area that's designated for kids seven and under, and that's where we stayed. Esther's favorite is the slide. I should have counted how many (dozen) times she went down that thing! And usually - headfirst. It works better to pose for a picture that way.

And after a few times...it's even more exciting!

During slide breaks, Esther did some other fun stuff - like play a duet with her Mama.

Followed by a little solo.

A little play station for attaching numbers and shapes to glass - with bubbles. So fun!

She tried valiantly to peel off what Julie put up...but it was kind of on the other side! Giggle.

Where is Esther???

Oh! There she is! Best way to have a water fight...totally encased in glass. No one gets wet!

HIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!

The bubble machine. It had been used so much that it was hard to get a good bubble going...but we tried. Oh yes. We. I'm an overgrown kid.

I call this piece "Bekah and camel." Mostly because I don't know what else to call it.

Julie wanted me to try on a smock. So of course, I did. But they're not really made for big heads. So removal of said smock required removing earrings, putting down all bags, and trying not to pop my head off!

I wanted to play too!!

After we were done at Science Central, Julie took me to Cheddars for lunch. I'd never been there before. YUM!! We had onion rings (they make a tower out of them - so cute!) and then for dessert...this huge cookie smothered in ice cream and chocolate syrup. Oh my word. I need to do eight workouts to counter that!

After lunch, we went to Target to shop for a bit and then I came home! It was a fantastic day. Thank you so, SO much, Julie and Esther, for taking a day out to spend with me!

Rachel's Senior Reading

Eleven years ago (let's not even go into how long ago that was), I donned a red shirt and black pants, and I stood on the stage of the Baker Recital Hall alongside my fellow graduating English and writing majors to participate in the senior reading.

I was terrified.

I read an essay I'd written about a visit to a clinic...one of my "this-would-only-happen-to-Bekah" experiences.

Last night I donned a red shirt and black pants (purely coincidental, I assure you), found a seat in the back of the Globe Theater, and observed my first senior reading since my own. The reason I went? Our student worker and my dear, dear friend, Miss Rachel Ashley, secured a spot in the reading. (When I graduated, all the seniors read. Now the major is big enough that you have to be selected to read. I was SO proud of Rachel for making the cut!)

I'd like to say it's much more cutting edge than when I read! Power Point and everything! Rachel was introduced by a fellow student. (You'll notice the reading is kind of like church. Participants in the front row, nobody in the middle, and everyone else, including yours truly, in the back.)

Rachel read a paper she'd written for a class. It was a literary analysis on William Faulkner's book As I Lay Dying. I had significant concerns about my ability to understand her paper. I'm creative, but I'm not always very smart. This point can be punctuated by telling you I just misspelled "very."

I was so proud of her. She read with poise and grace (and I understood what she said!). In this picture, you can also see Dr. Mary Brown, who was also a professor when I went through the program. She was a very tough professor...but I loved the way she taught and took her classes every chance I got.

At the end of her reading, she had to answer a faculty response. Hers came from Dr. Buck, who was also one of my professors. I remember doing the response part of my reading - it completely stressed me out! But Rachel was (again) very poised and she answered well.

Oh there's so much I want to say about this sweet girl, but I'll save some for graduation time. Let me just say (for now) she is a blessing to my life. I am so very proud of the person she is - and the writer she is -and continues to become. She's beautiful and she's also a beautiful writer.

Rachel, thank you for inviting me to come to your reading. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else last night than in that seat being proud of YOU!

Next Year I'm Giving Up Chocolate

Another thing that happened while I was on vacation was beginning of Lent.

I don't know if you remember this or not, but last year I'd decided to skip the whole practice of a Lenten sacrifice. Then, on the first day of Lent, God urged me to give up music in the car for the next 40 days. I thought it was very strange, but I did it. And in that season, He taught me to hear Him. To really listen. And I had no idea how necessary that practice would be during my desert journey.

The day before Lent this year, I got a text from my friend Marie. She said she was going to ask God to give me an idea for a book on Lent. That led to a text-discussion about Lent, and I told her I didn't have a clue what I was giving up this year.

She said to me, Maybe sacrifice isn't about giving something up. Maybe it's doing something we dread and the journey that comes with it.

And I knew right then that I was in for another journey.

The next morning I woke up with FFH's song Undone stuck in my mind. I found that very odd, since I haven't really listened to FFH since their song What it Feels Like sent Isaac into his wilderness and me into my subsequent tailspin.

As the few words to Undone that I actually knew played over in my mind, I remembered Marie's words.

Later that day, I wrote in my journal, All day I've felt a sense of peace - to trust You for this glorious unknown. Redemption is mine and I do know it. Lent for me this year is giving up my hold on the past. To come undone. To surrender to You and to allow You to bring a resurrection and redemption to me.

I had some trouble connecting to the internet in the cottage, so I maneuvered my very non-internet-friendly phone in desperation to find the full set of lyrics to the song. I wrote them all in the journal and then wrote, Yes indeed. It's my theme...Abba, help me to surrender...It's a journey. Just like You said. One day at a time.

And I will tell you, day after day...after day...after day...since that day in Florida, God has brought that theme back to my mind.

Something doesn't make sense...Come undone...surrender is stronger...I don't need to be the hero tonight.

I wonder what He's doing...Come undone...surrender is stronger...we all want love, we all want honor.

The journey is just HARD...Come undone...surrender is stronger...nobody wants to pay the asking price.

Kaegan's Big Ten Party

This has nothing to do with basketball. :)

I would have skipped this post entirely because I do realize that posting about a birthday party for a cat is...well, it's pathetic.

But this was Kaegan's TENTH. Ten is a lot! I didn't want to skip over such an important birthday.

Kaegan's actual birthday was March 11th and...I was gone to Florida. So...my house sitter (bless her heart) threw a "party" in my absence.

Problem.

Kaegan doesn't really like to emerge on demand. So in his proudest moment ever, he made an appearance in the bathroom.

The 80's bathroom.

Thanks, Kaegan. I am so thankful you made it a great picture for me. So a week later, after I got home and settled, I gave him another treat.

Braeya started to join him. I know she looks so sweet, but she's a little bully. It's true. Normally when Kaegan gets a treat, she comes up to him like this, pushes him away, and then as soon as he disappears, she decides she's not interested and also walks away. But by that time, it's too late. He's gone.

This time, he pushed HER away.

You go, Kaegan.

She pouted.

He didn't really seem to care.

He chowed down and she began to sneak her way back toward the action....

A little closer....

In the end, he got every bite he wanted and she got...well...nothing.

I guess it's the privilege of being ten.

It's the Weekly Recap!

* Sunday I was invited out for coffee with a new friend of mine. We had a great time hanging out in Starbucks for a few hours - mostly talking about the Lord. Those are some of the best conversations. I especially love hearing how He speaks to someone else...really makes me appreciate how detailed He is in each of our lives!

* Monday was a Monday. Know what I mean? I knew I should have stayed late to get caught up on work, but when one of my co-workers told me I looked flat out exhausted, I figured that was my cue to leave work behind and come back to life. So I went for a four mile walk outside. Just about froze my hands clean off my body, but had the most amazing talk with God while I was out. Loved it.


* Tuesday I pulled my first twelve hour work day of the busy season. I don't mind working over, but it always throws me for a loop when I don't know going into a day that it's going to be a twelve hour day. Thankfully my outfit was comfortable! I had to go out at lunch to buy an unexpected lunch AND dinner so I could be cooped up in the office that long. There seems to be something wrong with PAYING ten bucks for the privilege of working overtime.... * Wednesday it SNOWED. My thoughts on that: I took that picture on my way to have lunch at Adela Hufford's house. The expression in no way reflects my thoughts on spending the lunch hour with her. Just the snow. Adela is my friend from work who helped me eat leftover fondue after Valentine's Day. Wednesday she returned the favor and made a very yummy sausage/pasta/peppers/all kinds of goodness dish. Thanks, Adela!!

And when I went to church that night, I found out a couple of the girls were going to be painting a classroom. I heart painting!!!! So I asked if I could crash their party...best fun EVER. I was very glad I'd shown up in my workout clothes.

* Thursday I took a vacation day and drove up to the Crandalls' part of the state to go to Science Central with Julie and her daughter, Esther. Girls' day out! We had a blast playing there...eating the most spectacular lunch at Cheddars...and shopping at Target. Thanks, Julie, for giving me a break from the day job!
* Friday was April 1, so of course...new scenery in the world of the office calendar! (This is, for the record, one of my faves.)

Friday was uber busy. It was a visit day at IWU, so I did the whole visit day fair scene - and I taught a class, too. AND - I did it all with a cold. Yep, came down with a full blown cold. I sound like Roz from Monsters Inc. Pleasant, no doubt, for all to hear.

But the best part was Friday night when I got to help Angi with a cupcake order. No I didn't sneeze on them. And I only blew my nose on one. I'm KIDDING, people!! Anyway, aren't these cute? They were for a wedding shower. Not mine. (Just in case there's any question.)


* Saturday I decided to actually take care of myself, since I was sick, and I rested. What a concept. Stayed in bed most of the morning...drank some coffee...watched some TV...and then two great surprises! Surprise #1: Ronda dropped by with chicken noodle soup and strawberry pie. (I adore strawberry pie.)
Surprise #2 - Julie Crandall called and was in town, so she and the kids dropped by to eat their lunch, and they even brought me a sweet tea! My friends take such good care of me. I love em! I spent the rest of the day trying to rest. I did venture forth to the grocery store (which utterly exhausted me) and got in a workout (which nearly killed me).

Books I'm Reading: I really appreciated the lessons God had for me this week in Sparkling Gems from the Greek. It never ceases to be fascinating to me what words mean...so much deeper than I first think! Re-read another chapter in In a Pit with Lion on a Snowy Day and had a great talk with Olivia about that. FINISHED reading When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton is Empty. I feel so affirmed about the things I did right in healing from the loss of my relationship last year - and I also learned some great insights in hope for my future. If you ever know someone struggling to heal from lost love, I would HIGHLY recommend this book. Not your typical breakup book. I wish I would have had it back when I was actually going through the heart of the journey.

Favorite God Moment of the Whole Week: I hopped over to Beth Moore's blog one night this week to see if she had any updates, and she did. She'd posted a little 15 minute video where she introduced a lady she's been mentoring for several years, and this lady has just published a Bible study. As they talked about the process of that Bible study being birthed (which of course, the writer in me loved), Beth said this, and it resonated with me from all sides of my life: It could only be Jesus when it all happens...It takes perseverance to do the thing God has called you to do. You don't have it in you to do it naturally. It is something that is way beyond you. Whatever is in you that He's called you to do, since it's a Spirit-work, it's more than you can do. It takes perseverance to do the will of God.

Update on Last Week's Goals: Despite the curve-balls in the week - like pulling a 12 hour shift and getting sick, I do feel like I've regrouped. I've gotten into more of a routine again and that makes me feel less frazzled.

Goals for the Coming Week: Work on writing: God has laid a couple of projects on my heart and I need to immerse myself in them while they're fresh, so I can really get busy writing! I also want to make the spring cleaning plan. I have so many little projects around the house that need to be done, so I need to get organized about them...so I can get started!

Rippled Coffee Cake

I've told you before that when I first got out on my own, I wasn't much of a cook. But we had carry-in breakfasts at work quite often, so I had to get at least a couple rotations of dishes to take to those events.

I found this recipe in an early Quick Cooking magazine and tried it out on the work crowd. They loved it, so it became one of the early staples in my Bekah-cookbook.

I'd actually not made it at all recently until a friend at church asked if I had any coffee cake recipes. She was in charge of the kitchen at a women's retreat and wanted to serve coffee cake one of the mornings. She asked if I could make five of these for that event, and I did! All in one night.

These pictures were taken at the marathon session- hence the disposable baking pans. But apparently they still tasted good, because a few people asked for the recipe!

The Recipe:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


In a mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, sour cream, eggs, and oil; beat well. Spread half the batter into a greased 9X13 baking pan. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Carefully spread remaining batter on top. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla; drizzle over warm cake.


I just use a generic cake mix. If possible, I try to buy 8 ounce tubs of sour cream so I can just dump it in without bothering to measure.
I dump all the cake ingredients in a bowl. Mix it up with a spatula. I don't mess with the electric mixer.

I will say that the crumb mixture for the middle makes a LOT. You risk being on sugar overload. While I normally pride myself on a well-packed cup of brown sugar, I don't pack this one as tightly. It's truly just too much sugar.

Mix it well so you don't get some straight cinnamon.

When I spread the first half of the batter in the bottom of the pan, I try to spread less than half of it in. Trust me. You will be glad when you get ready to do the top half.

Even it out to the corners...

Spread the crumb part as evenly as you can.

The worst part about this whole thing is trying to apply the top half of the batter without getting crumbs stuck in it. I try to put it on little by little and even it out. It helps if you have a little over half of the batter left to work with.

A few crumbs will poke through - but hopefully not too many!

While it bakes, you can get the icing ready. I dump it all in a bowl.

Mix it up. It will be brownish from the vanilla - unless you use clear vanilla. (I always use pure.)

Let the cake cool for just a few minutes...

Add the icing. It will tend to pool in the middle of the cake, which sinks down. I try to maneuver the pan a bit to let it run toward the edges before it hardens.

SSMT: Verse 7

It's April! I love a new month and the promise it brings. I know it's really just another day, but it feels new. And I love that.

And a new month also means a new SSMT verse. This brings about the seventh verse I memorized this year, which is amazing to me. I still can't believe it!

For the last few days, I prayed and prayed for God to send me the next verse for this journey. I found a couple in my reading that I thought might be it, and then one day, when Kari and I did our daily quizzing on the last verse...the same quiz we'd done almost every day for half a month, I suddenly saw her verse. I saw it as what I needed...not to memorize, but to saturate my heart.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

John 10:10

For the last month and a half, I have undergone some pretty intense spiritual battle. God told me to expect it, and He wasn't kidding. It started out coupled with anxiety, and while I'm thankful for that part of it to be gone, it's now just...overwhelming and confusing.

Truthfully, this verse probably won't take very long to learn in terms of words. But I know God needs the truth of it to settle over my heart. And I won't lie; I'm kind of scared about what that might mean for me.

* The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. That's the whole reason he shows up. He doesn't descend upon my life because he cares about me in any way. He's not interested. He doesn't want to comfort. He has nothing good to bring. His sole purpose is stealing, killing, and destroying.

* In the past month and a half, God has literally bathed my life in beautiful moments of promise, redemption, hope, and joy. I shake my head when I read back over the account of His work. It's...well, it's abundant. And Satan hates that. And true to what this verse says, he has been showing up to steal away every bit of hope I have in my heart. He has tried to snatch my joy, my peace, my confidence...and much more. But it's stealing. It's not his. It's MINE. Given to me by my Abba. He's taken enough from me this past year. No more.

* Kill in this verse means a sacrifice. He's trying to kill my spirit. Sacrifice me for his own personal gain. And I am not putting up with it.

* When I looked up the word study for destroy, it said, "ravage, decimate, demolish, obliterate - wholly, completely, and utterly." I don't know about you, but those words cut me in the gut a lot more than destroy. He's after me. He's after the future God has for me, and he's not intending to stop until that plan is unrecognizable.

Thank the Lord that HE has come that I might have life and have it to the full!

* He has come. I don't have to wait for Him to show up and hope that He will. He's already here.

* Life is "the very life-force itself...vital principle which animates living beings." He has a plan and it's the very core of who I am. Everything that Satan wants to steal - He has come to give me anyway. He has come to redeem what Satan did rip from me.

* To the full means "over and above, more than enough, with abundance, excellence and extraordinary." My God has something good for me. Not just good. The best. Exceeding. Extraordinary.

And I want it.