A Spring Capsule

If you've been reading here for a while, you know that almost two years ago now, I started establishing a capsule wardrobe. I've blogged about it several times and have to say I've really loved this change in lifestyle. I've enjoyed not having so much stuff to contend with and so many choices to plod through each day. I've also enjoyed the blessing of focusing on things that work well together in so many different combinations. (I have a Pinterest board about it here...with my inspirations and all my previous posts on the subject.)

But in order to make that work, I've sacrificed a lot of color variety from my wardrobe. Most of my clothes are black, white, and gray, with a handful of blue and teal accents. I started to sort of miss the chance to wear different colors. I didn't want to abandon the capsule project, since so many things about it are working well for me. But I started doing a little research to see if I had spice-it-up options, and decided to try a seasonal capsule wardrobe.

With a seasonal capsule, I'll take the year and divide it into four quarters (or seasons) and pick a color scheme for each season. Some of my pieces will come from the plain capsule I have now and might even rotate through multiple seasonal capsules too, and then I'll add accent pieces in each season's color schemes to complete it. For the sake of cost and convenience, I'll keep my black/white/gray base, and then I'll just add from there.

SO! For the spring capsule, I used this example as my template and decided to use a sage(ish) green and coral as my accent colors. I wanted to keep this as cost-effective as possible, so I relied heavily on the Goodwill to fill in the blanks for me. (And thankfully I hit the jackpot the day I went. Took me an hour and a half of scouring, but I found almost everything! And it took me f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to find the remaining few missing pieces after that day.) I also had to make just a few modifications from this exact template, but it was a good guide.

This was my inspiration collection.

2 Dresses.

These two stinkin' dresses proved to be my nemesis in capsule creation. I only own a small handful of dresses and none fit the bill for the spring capsule, because I wanted some with print/excitement. I'm still damaged from the floral prints of the 90s, so every dress I owned was plain. Since I had to shop, I wanted to find dresses that worked for dressing up when I am out speaking BUT weren't so overly dressy that I would feel weird wearing them at home when I'm just hanging out. That's a lot to ask out of a dress, and then to take that times two felt nearly impossible. The Goodwill failed me entirely, as did almost every single store in town. I finally found the Chevron dress at K-Mart  for $12.00 and the striped dress at JC Penney for $26.00. (That was way more than I wanted to pay, but I do love the dress, and I was desperate.) The Chevron dress is an extra large in the Joe Boxer brand. I really needed a large for it to be long enough, but they didn't have large in stock, and medium was WAY too short. So I swallowed my pride and got an extra large - comforted only by knowing it's a junior dress. The striped dress is a medium a.n.a. brand. Both are very comfortable and feel like jammies.

2 Button Down Shirts.

I had been looking for a good basic white button-down shirt anyway, so finding it as a piece of this capsule was a good nudge for me to actually GET the thing. Button-down shirts are hard for me to find because of how I'm built. It's hard to find one that's big enough in the bust/shoulders/back without being too flowy in the middle.I thought finding a coral button down to mimic the inspiration capsule was going to be hard, but I actually hit the jackpot and found both shirts at Goodwill for $4.00 each. The white button-down has TONS of buttons, which means I don't have to worry about it gapping at the chest, like button-downs tend to do one me. It's a Dress Barn shirt and looked brand new with a little angled striped pattern on it that makes it a bit slimming. The coral shirt is actually a Tractor Supply Company shirt that still had tags on it. Both shirts are 3/4 length sleeves, and the coral one has tabs to roll the sleeves up and hold them.


2 Sleeveless Shirts. 

In the example capsule, one of the sleeveless shirts was a bold print and one was gingham. I was pretty sure I wouldn't find a gingham one in coral, so my goal was just to do the best I could. I found one sleeveless shirt at the Goodwill that had a fun flowery print in green (Basic Editions brand, size medium and looked brand new) for $3.50, so I got that.  Though I wanted to buy another brighter option, I couldn't find one that fit (literally or figuratively) so I decided to use a gray and white striped sleeveless shirt I already owned. I got it at Kohl's last year (Sonoma brand, size small) when I was building my basic capsule. The good part about that was...it was free! I will probably keep my eyes open, and if I find a better option for a future year, I'll snatch it up.


1 Plain Shirt.

Although the inspiration capsule featured a lacy navy tee as a dressier shirt option, I really wanted to find a dressy shirt in coral or green to pull in more of the spring colors. Alas, I couldn't find one that flattered my figure, so I decided to pull a plain navy v-neck (Rock & Republic, size medium) from my existing capsule that I got last year at Kohl's while building the basic capsule. It's not perfect, and maybe along the way I'll end up replacing this one, but for now it works. And it was free! (And who knows? I might find that having the blue is a good mix-in even though it's not truly springy.)

2 Patterned Shirts.

In the inspiration capsule, one patterned shirt was gray and white striped and one was brighter in color. I actually had a gray and white striped shirt at home, but it didn't fit in the most flattering way, so I kept my eye out for a new striped shirt option as well as something brighter. Again, I rocked it on the new striped find when I shopped at the Goodwill (Rough Hewn brand, size medium), so I snatched that up for $4. It's a true t-shirt, but it's comfy! Sadly, I couldn't find another pattered shirt that fit right, but I did find a gray patterned tee at Goodwill for $4 (Mossimo Brand size medium), so I got that one.


3 Sweaters.

Confession: I am actually not much of a sweater lover. I feel like an old lady in them even though I know they are no longer "old lady clothes." I went shopping with an open mind, looking for a white, coral, and navy sweater. The coral search was a bust, but I did find a green one at the Goodwill for $4 (Maurices, size medium) that was lightweight and had short sleeves, so I got that. Unable to find any others that looked right, I decided to use a gray sweater I already owned (and love and wear a lot!) and instead of a sweater for the third one, I decided to throw in the chambray shirt I already owned. The gray sweater was a gift from my Mom for Christmas a year ago and came from Gordman's (B Design, size medium), and the Chambray shirt was one I bought as an early-on capsule piece. Got it at Cato (size large)!


3 Skirts.

The inspiration capsule featured a shorter denim skirt, a mid-length white skirt, and a pencil coral skirt, but I made some modifications. I owned a denim skirt already (Cato, size 10), so I threw that in. (It looks awfully boxy on me though, so whenever I find one that is a better fit, I'm getting it.) I couldn't find a white skirt I loved, but I did find a cute one at the Goodwill for $4 that had white, green, and tan in it (Daisy Fuentes, size 8), so I went with that. It was quirky and unusual and kind of a long tennis feeling style. Since both of those skirts hit above the knee, I decided to go with a maxi skirt for the third one. I found one at the Goodwill for between $3.50 (Tryst brand, size small) that was white and gray and fit well, so I added it to the cart.


2 Pairs of Pants.

Before I put this capsule together, Ryan bought me two new pairs of jeans because some of mine were rather (ahem) baggy in the back end. So I pulled out a pair from that purchase from Kohl's (although confession: I own more than just that pair and can fill in with one of the others if this pair happens to be dirty). The ones I pulled out were Lauren Conrad Brand, skinny size 8. Then I went on the hunt for white jeans. I'd been wanting some anyway, and Goodwill to the rescue! Found a practically new pair for $2.00 (Bandolino Brand, size 8)!


1 Pair of Shorts. 

Shorts are rough in the spring in Indiana. It's hard to have days that are warm enough for them, but we're having such an unseasonably warm spring that I thought it just might work! I pulled a pair of dark denim shorts (Kohl's last year size 8) from my capsule and threw them in. If the days are too cold, I'll supplement with extra jeans.


Shoes

The capsule called for three pairs of tan/nude shoes. Two flats and wedges. But I went a totally different direction. I actually found 2 new super cute pairs of shoes at Cato! Both are gray. Lace up casual shoes for $15.99 and dressy slip-ons for $9.99. I owned a pair of goldish ballet flats already (ironically also from Cato), so I put those in as my third pair! 

NOTE:
Because we have had such a cold start to spring, I also added a white and black pair of leggings to help on the skirt days (already owned both, so no additional spending) and I threw in a white and black cami I already owned to wear under a couple of the shirts that are a bit on the thin side. I skipped getting new purses, and I also use a variety of my existing jewelry to spice it all up. 

So...this is my spring capsule! For six weeks (five days a week), I'm rotating different combinations of what you see above, and I'll report in with those combos every couple of weeks so you can see how it works! I have to say that so far, I'm loving it (really loving some outfits more than others but haven't HATED any outfits yet) and I'm enjoying some new pieces!

Linking up with Tamar

Cheeseburger Soup

Because Indiana is being...well...Indiana, my menu plan this week contains both soup and grilling plans. Sigh. It's hard to have winter and spring in the same week. And truthfully, at this point, I'm about to give up on spring.

Anyway. Several of you asked me about the cheeseburger soup a few weeks ago when I made it and blogged something about it, so I made it again this week and am ready to present it today!!

First of all, allow me to say that cheeseburger soup was something I first had years ago at a church carry-in, and though I was wary at first Seriously? Cheeseburger in a soup????), I loved it and asked for the recipe. Fun fact: I made this dish one night when a guy friend was coming over for dinner and he never showed up. I didn't say anything about it, because I feared he thought it was a date and freaked out/bailed, but WEEKS later, he confessed he forgot. Let's just say I ate soup for d.a.y.s.

Anyway. Despite that little awkward memory, I made this soup often and even featured it here on the old blogaroo.

But between the potatoes and the processed cheese, I felt bad continuing to make it - UNTIL!!!!! - a few weeks ago, my friend Allison said something on Facebook about a cheeseburger soup recipe made with cauliflower in place of potatoes. Stop it. Just stop it. It sounded terrifying, actually, but after she FULLY reassured me it was not even noticeable, I decided to give it a whirl.

Shut. The.  Front. Door.

You guys, it really was so good. And I didn't even tell Ryan I'd swapped out the potatoes in favor of the cauliflower, and he didn't even pick up on it. Truth.

So without further ado, I present my healthfully-improved cheeseburger soup recipe. Ryan tested and approved.

Healthier Cheeseburger Soup

* 1 pound ground turkey
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup shredded carrots
* 3/4 cup diced celery
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
* 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 1 head cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (lowfat)
* 1 1/2 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

In a large pot, brown and drain the ground turkey. Add chopped onion, shredded carrots, and diced celery, along with basil and parsley and allow to cook a bit until vegetables grow tender. Add chicken broth, cauliflower, and cheese, along with milk, seasoned salt and Greek yogurt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Smash at cauliflower if you need it to be a bit more unrecognizable. Serve warm.

A Few Tips.

* We use ground turkey, but if you just hate ground turkey, you could, of course, use ground beef instead. Or ground whatever you like.

* For the love of Pete, Jane, and Sally, buy carrots that are already shredded. I nearly cried in the grocery last weekend when that little slot in the refrigerator sat bare. Shredding carrots on the little shredder can be awfully dangerous for klutzes like me.

* I don't think the low sodium chicken broth sacrifices flavor, but if you feel it does, you can buy regular OR add extra seasoning to compensate.

* I try to cut the cauliflower fairly small before I dump it in the pot, but if you find the pieces are still too big, just mash them up a bit as they start to soften in the soup. I actually don't mind them a little bigger, but if you're trying to trick someone...

* I use low fat/fat free milk and find it to add plenty enough creaminess.  Same for the yogurt.

* I let this simmer for about an hour before serving, but the longer it sits, the more the flavors marry. So I guess it depends on how picky you are about that stuff and how hungry you are when you cook it!

This pairs well with crackers/salads/cornbread/whatever you like, and it does reheat well! 

Happy House-iversary!

Podcast Tuesday!!

Ryan's inside scoop on the ripping apart of our kitchen (AGAIN) and a bonus this week: hands down, the BEST labor narrative I've ever read in my life. Ryan's cousin's wife had a lonnnnnnnnnng labor last week and her husband's Facebook updates were simply hysterical.

 Listen right here!

One full year ago today, we were here:

We were a bit taken aback that were there, because even two months before that, we hadn't even set foot inside the house. We didn't know we would be moving. It's probably a good thing it all happened so fast, because we didn't have time to freak out about it.

One of the biggest faith journeys of our married life hit a major milestone on this day. Though we didn't take possession of the house that day, we walked out owning it and dreaming of a future to come within those very walls.

We've been so purposeful in the past year, molding and shaping this house into our home. We've lived intentionally, trying our best to use the blessing we've been given to, in turn, bless others.

I. am. so. grateful. God saw fit to move us here when He did. He knew what was coming that we didn't know. He knew the friendships we needed to form and deepen that we couldn't form and deepen from 40 minutes away. He knew the new computer system Ryan's work would get that require much more time at work, and He knew that would be more manageable if we lived closer to work. He knew the gallbladder debacle and the hip replacement that loomed before us and how much easier it would be if we could just be closer to the hospitals we needed to frequent.

We had no clue, but He knew all that.

So today we celebrate one year of owning this home, and we're thankful that even though there have been so many surprises in this past year, we're able to say that all the many good things we hoped to know as a result of this move have absolutely come true.

If there's one thing we've learned in our marriage, it's that we have no idea what God has next for us. We could live here for the rest of our lives, or God could move us somewhere else. We have no idea. But I am thrilled that we have no regrets from this first year of living here. I don't think any house has ever been more well loved in that short amount of time. If we stay here forever, I completely anticipate that every year that follows will be just like the first: lived to the fullest. If God opens a different door and takes us forward into a new place, we'll go knowing we had a great, memory-packed season in this place.

It's home indeed.

The Date Inspired by "E"

In case you're keeping track, which I highly doubt any of you are, we actually have not yet gone on our date inspired by "D" in our alphabetical dates adventure. We had it scheduled for a week ago, but (spoiler alert!) it's a double date, and our doubles had to reschedule. Since they are a key part of the experience, we'll report in on that one once we've gone. Meanwhile, I already had the "E" date on the calendar, so I took a deep breath and tried really hard to not freak out about out of order dates!

The "E" date was an EARLY BIRD DATE, complete with EGGS and ESPRESSO, and EXTRA fun with our friend Randy, who joined us for breakfast!

Ryan had this past Saturday off work, so we arranged to meet Randy at Omeletty's, which is a local restaurant.

* Fun fact about Omeletty's: we have had their food several times, but this was the first time I've ever been TO the restaurant. My parents actually really like this place and on a handful of occasions over the past year, Mom's gotten food for us (moving/renovating/gallcation) and brought it to us so we didn't have to cook.

* Random observation about the restaurant: their sign says they specialize in breakfast, lunch, and dinner...which makes me wonder if that should just say they specialize in food? I mean isn't that like all the food?

* Random fact learned while eating at the restaurant: they have a HUGE chalkboard on one wall that details all the specialty coffee drinks they offer, but they actually don't have them anymore. The waitress told us the owner's late wife hand-lettered the chalkboard and after she died, he wanted it left untouched, so it stays up there. She said they have a lot of explaining to do when people try to order from it!

* Random PSA: The aforementioned chalkboard sign (which I did not take a picture of because it was crazy busy in there and I felt weird taking pictures) features "expresso," which is not a word. Ryan and I have this conversation a lot, because he calls it expresso, and I remind him it's actually espresso. No "X."

Breakfast was egg-and-coffee-filled and delicious! Someone was particularly excited about it.

 Hey! You can see part of the chalkboard behind him!

We had a great time talking with Randy. He's a fun friend, and we actually spent a couple of hours there swapping stories and having fun!

Early bird dates are fun, and if you're going to do one, try going to a place you've never been for breakfast. Whole new experience!

The Shafferland Shuffle

First of all, it's stinkin' DST day. If you forgot, HURRY!!!!! You're late!!!!! Or just go back to bed and reclaim the hour you lost.

Not that I'm bitter about it. :)

Meanwhile, a peek into our week!

* Lately we've been enjoying brunch on Sundays, and this past week, Ryan made the whole thing. Food tastes better when someone else does all the work! :) Speaking of "all the work," have I mentioned how much work Braeya creates each day by unmaking the bed we meticulously make each morning? That child. One super fun thing from Sunday? New patio furniture!! I had been busy on Pinterest figuring out how to make patio furniture out of pallets, and here Ryan was planning to surprise me with furniture the whole time! Excited to have it; now if it could WARM UP so we can use it!!

* Monday began my week of hard core writing, where I was determined to knock out a BUNCH of projects and not be sidetracked with a bunch of errands. So I hunkered down at the computer for most of the day. I did watch my friend's 5 kiddos for a little bit in the evening, and they decided to have an Easter egg hunt using my home decor. One of them used ME for a hiding place. No, I don't lay eggs! LOL! Ryan got busy diagramming the kitchen cabinets so he could begin the refinishing project this week!

* Tuesday, I went to a Bible study that uses the inductive study method. I've not done that before, but was so excited to get to use colored pencils in my study! It was a GORGEOUS day out that day. Blue skies, clouds, and the hope that spring will one day come! (Since it showed up for January and February and now we're waiting for it to return.) That night, we had our final Bible study with our small group, and when we got home, Ryan started the cleaning process for the cabinet adventure!

* On Wednesday, Ryan's boss made lunch for everyone, and I even got invited to enjoy some of it. He's a GOOD cook. I came home to resume my writing projects, and had an assistant sleeping in my lap for the majority of the time. And here's a peek at all our kitchen drawers in their new, temporary location on top of the table. Sigh.

* Thursday was a "must drink lots of coffee" kind of day. I was so tired! I love weeks that require much creativity, but they do make me tired! Got some baby snuggles in that evening, and then we had one more Bible study. (How many studies can I participate in at one time???)

* Friday night, I went to a celebration party to catch up with the ladies from one of the retreats I spoke at last fall. So good to see them and hear the stories of God at work in them! Ryan stayed home and started painting the cabinets! Can't wait to tell you more about all those things.

* Yesterday was our "E" date - and if you're keeping track, you are correct in remembering that we have not yet had the "D" date. WHOA. The Shaffers go out of order? It's true! But it was a fun date, and then we came home so Ryan could dive back into cabinet painting - and I helped! This is a lot of hard work, but it's going to be so worth it! :)

The Saturday Six

One.

Listen to the podcast here!

Last week on the Saturday Six, I told you about Courtney Westlake's book, A Different Beautiful, which I'd just read and learned so much from! This week I had a chance to learn even more from talking to Courtney! If you missed last week's post, Courtney's daughter Brenna was born with a rare skin condition that has changed so much about Courtney's perception of beauty and the things that matter in interacting with others. If you have a half hour, take a listen and learn some important life truths!

Two.

It is with great sadness that I remind you tomorrow is the beginning of evil DST. If you've been around this blog very long, you know that I absolutely abhor time changes with all my being. Make us central, make us eastern...I don't care. JUST PICK ONE AND LEAVE IT THERE!!!! So tomorrow is the day you lose an hour of sleep, get up an hour earlier, however you want to look at it. My annual PSA is now complete.

Three.

Ran across this post this week. Really great perspective on marriage and how our choices so deeply impact those around us. Important stuff, right here. Though I don't struggle with addictions like the gentleman who wrote the article, I'm reminded that I always need to work hard at loving Ryan even better than I do. Always room for growth. Always room for improvement.

Four.

 Hey cruise lovers! Did you see this article? A four month cruise hitting 32 countries and six continents? Ryan is SO READY to sign up. But you have to be able to take 119 days of vacation (which he does  not even remotely have), so we're out. My favorite part of the article was where it recommended this cruise for those who were retired or taking a "traditional gap year." Ummmmm the gap year is a traditional thing? HOW DID I MISS THIS?????? I AM BEHIND ON TRADITION!

Five.

 I know not all of you work from home, but I always like to find posts written by people who do, so I can get fresh ideas for how things might work. (When I quit my full time job, I actually scoured Pinterest and Google looking for articles about how to craft productive work-from-home days and found nothing aside from posts by homeschooling moms.) Emily Freeman and I don't do things exactly the same way, but her post offers great tips, so I'm passing it on to you! (And I am thrilled that I have finally found a good rhythm that works for me, too!)

Six.

Source

Back when I worked at the station, I received a copy of LuAnn Gerig Fulton's book Image Seeker. Fun bonus info: I'm friends with LuAnn's daughter, Erica! She's the one who taught me all about essential oils, and she had I have often had good, long conversations together over email.

It seemed I was always rushing to catch up in devo books that I needed to read for studies I was part of, so I hadn't read LuAnn's book until this year, when Ryan and I read it together for our morning devos! I wanted to tell you about it, because if you like the writing style here on the old blogaroo, I think you'd really enjoy hers too! She and I have similar approaches to devotional writing.

LuAnn is an ordained minister (a fact that if I knew...I hadn't remembered!), so she brings that level of knowledge into her writing, but she doesn't hold that over your head and get so theological in her delivery that you have no hope of understanding what she's saying. On the contrary, her writing is quite conversational. She tells you stories about her family, her life, and her struggles. It feels very much like you're just sitting down at a coffee shop with her, hearing about the things you can relate to so easily, but at the end, she offers a spiritual lesson she's learned from that part of her life.

The book contains 31 devotions, so you'll have enough for one month, and each one is designed to help you find ways to bear the image of Christ. (Hence the name of the book!) She studies the fruit of the Spirit, but she covers other passages as well, and each is unique and gives you something to think about as you go throughout the day. Each devo is paired up with a verse or two and concludes with a prayer. Most of the readings are 2-3 pages long, so you read enough to dive in, but it won't take hours of your day to read through.

I love it when a writer offers thoughts gently, so you don't feel condemned, but honestly, so you don't miss the challenge within the words. LuAnn hits the balance very well.
 
We really enjoyed reading these together as a couple, but the study would work well for an individual, too. I don't know if she ever intends to write a second devotional, but if she does, I would absolutely read it! I enjoyed studying alongside her!  

Out of the Sheepfold

Have I mentioned before that I love journaling?

Okay, whew. Just making sure.

Well, today is one of those days when I'm reminded why I love journaling so much. I love being able to look back and see how God worked by seeing words I penned at an earlier stage of life.

This week, Ryan and I started a new devo book for our morning quiet time together. I picked David: 90 Days with a Heart Like His (Beth Moore) from our shelf and we dove in to study the life of King David. I didn't realize, until we opened it, that I had actually started working through this book several years ago, and for whatever reason, I never finished it. But I'd not only read the first half, I'd also journaled in it. So I'm really looking forward to peeking into a whole different season and seeing what God was doing then and how He has worked since then.

And that is why I bring you Exhibit A.(a.k.a. Day One from the study.)

Before I tell you what I wrote, I probably should tell you a Bekah-quirk you may not know. I don't know that I've ever talked about it publicly before, because until recently I've always worked with a team of people and didn't want to look like I wasn't a team player by divulging this weirdness about myself.

When I worked office jobs, I really struggled when new people came on staff. I mean really, legitimately struggled. Even if the people coming in were good, likeable people, I was always, always intimidated by them. I feared they might hate me or be hard to get along with or rush in with all their new ideas and change everything about my nice, neat little world. I think part of the reason this was so hard was that back then, work was my family. I didn't have a husband or kids, so these people were it for me. I spent more hours with them than anyone else, and if things went well, that was great. But if things didn't go well, I didn't have anything better to go home to. Does that make sense?

I tried really hard to keep an open mind anytime new hires joined the team, but I just melted (and not in a good way) inside, because it was hard to reframe my family over and over again. Fortunately, the people I worked with were almost always extraordinarily wonderful, and I'd shake my head at my fears and realize once again, they were unfounded. But you know what? Sometimes it wasn't a match for me. Sometimes the people I worked with were hard to get along with. Sometimes our personalities didn't match. Sometimes they really did "come in like gangbusters" as my mom says, and shake up everything. Sometimes I really did go home in tears every. single. day. because work wrecked me. Or the people of work wrecked me.

On day one of my first go-around with the David devo, I was apparently still working in Financial Aid. (I didn't date the journaling, so I don't know exactly when I wrote this.) But Beth had written in that first day's devotion, "Have you ever felt like the youngest son, the consummate 'little brother?'...Sometime, somewhere, you've probably been treated as if you didn't exist, weren't wanted, didn't matter." (p. 4)

And I wrote in the journaling section:

I've been snowed under by the new people at work. I feel like I have nothing to offer in light of their enthusiasm and innovative ideas. I'm sure that the bulk of my issue is my fault and not their intention. Until the three new ones came in all at once, I felt like I had a place. Now I feel in the way and like I drag everyone else down. 

I don't feel like this is my forever job. It's just where I am for now. But it doesn't mean I have to hide in the corner of the sheepfold there. I can become a transformed woman - perhaps even by the way You use the people who are there - the very ones I resist. You find me worth using, and that comforts me. I know I'm on the journey of being 'in the making' and part of it just requires being summoned from the corner of the fold where I feel tossed and forgotten. I want to look like You. I want to be the daughter You can use and see success in. 

I don't know how long it was after I wrote this that indeed, I was summoned from the corner of the sheepfold and moved to a new job where I had the chance to thrive in ways I couldn't in the land of math. BUT!!! God used the people and the experiences of those eleven years of Financial Aid to shape me into the woman I needed to be to work in radio. And then He took the people and experiences of the four years I spent there to shape me into the woman I needed to be for my work now.


I've learned to see He's always working. Even when I feel thrown in the corner, inferior, and out of place. He's molding and shaping even those seasons. And when I move to a new place in His plan, I can see a bit more easily how the last place served as a training ground. It did for David. That shepherding job prepared him for what God had ahead. And the same (minus the sheep, of course) is true for me - and for you!

Throwback Thursday: Our Wedding Reception

Four years ago today was our wedding reception. It was a Saturday and we had more than a few inches of snow on the ground that scared this new bride to death. I feared no one would be able to come and Ryan and I would have to eat all fifteen gallons of ice cream on our own! Whew!

That would not have been good, considering I barely fit into that dress a second time as it was. I looked back over my reception posts this week, and I think this one is my favorite. It shows some of the reception photos that almost recreated wedding photos. Such fun! Of course, I also love this one, which pays tribute to our time in the prayer chapel prior to the reception. (And if you're just caught up in the days when I had dark hair, this post and this post show how we decorated, and this post gives a glimpse into the day.)

But today, in honor of the fourth anniversary of this sweet day in our lives, I thought I'd show some never-before-blogged photos of the reception fun! ENJOY!!!

Our good friends Tom and Olivia, who drove from New York to be part of our day. The best part was the text I got from Olivia a few weeks after the reception telling us she was sorry she neglected to RSVP for three, but #3 didn't eat much. EEEEEEEEE!!! What a great baby announcement!

Shawn and Ryan. Shawn was one of the first to arrive that day and that reflects his commitment to Ryan and to us. He is always first to help (moved most of our stuff from Marion last year BY HIMSELF), the first to visit (hello, gallbladder surgery) and the first in line to be the friend Ryan needs - always. Shawn, we love you!

An example of one of the things we loved most about the day: watching friends and family mix, mingle, talk, laugh, relax, hang out, and enjoy.

No grooms were bloodied in the pinning of the boutonniere. (I still can't spell that word right on the first try.)

If you heard this week's podcast, this is the picture we were talking about. Best. Family. Photo. Ever.

I love this one. This is my mom with Mrs. Thomas, who was my third grade teacher, and I dearly loved being in her class. After my third grade year, Mrs. Thomas moved to teaching first grade and Mom was her aide. Those two were a brilliant team and their kids loved them. This is a really good picture of both of them!

Listening for the ocean. Doesn't it just melt you?

Love. (Enough said.)

Dear Ronda. She walked the darkest part of my life right beside me and even flew all the way to Florida just to attend our wedding. This day was a bit colder, but she was there again, supporting and loving us!

I won't lie. I wouldn't hate another piece of this cake. Delicious.

Randy is my parents' neighbor, and not only is he one of the most hilarious people I've ever met in my life, he's one of the very best neighbors. He and his wife and their kids are probably better kids to my parents than I am sometimes. We are so grateful for them and how much they love Mom and Dad.

Love this picture of Ryan's mom and her sister, who we call Aunt Ruthie Woo Hoo. (If you have missed that story in the past, I didn't know about Aunt Ruthie when Ryan and I first started dating. I found a picture of Ryan that his mom had posted to Facebook after a week at the lake. It is a scrumptious photo of him - all six-packy and shirtless on the pier. While I was busy appreciating it, I noticed this person named Ruthie had left a "woo hoo" on the picture. I got right on the phone and texted to Ryan, "WHO IS RUTHIE AND WHY IS SHE WOO HOOING THIS PICTURE???" He cracked up so hard and was like, "Well that's my AUNT...." Whoopsie!! She loves that story, though, and has forevermore been my Aunt Ruthie Woo Hoo.)

Sara, from our wedding party, was so excited that Lynne came to the reception. When I told her Lynne would be there, she said, "LYNNE? LYNNE FORD? I GET TO MEET LYNNE FORD?" So of course I had to make sure they got a picture together!

Oh my word! What a difference four years makes! These two girls are no longer toothless and pig-tailed. They're all grown up! And their mom, my friend Faith, is like another sister to me. (And we have, in fact, been mistaken for sisters on many occasions.)

Guess who got caught talking during the movie? Whoopsie!!! (This is our amazing wedding party. Mark and Lynnette drove from Virginia for the wedding AND again for the reception. Adam and Sara lived here in Indiana back then, and made the trek to Florida to be with us before coming to the reception and my niece, Cassie, traveled from Kansas for both the wedding and reception!)

Our little bears were back! (If you're new here, we had an honorary bridesmaid and groomsman - in memory of my nephew, Kirk, and my former roommate, Angela.)

This is one of my FAVORITE pictures of the whole day. Angel was my co-worker in Financial Aid, and her dear husband (I never got to meet him before he died) was just amazing to her. He set the bar really high. So when she and I would have long talks about the single life, she would encourage me to never settle, because she knew the joy of a kind, hard-working, God-loving husband. But Angel also has this adorable sass about her, so after the loving admonitions, she'd get her finger wagging and her lips pursed and say to me, "GIRL, you better make sure that man has a J-O-B and a Dubbayah-TWO." (You have to say it just like that for it to be authentic Angel.) So when I saw she'd cornered Ryan at the reception, and he had this look on his face, and that finger was wagging, I could only IMAGINE that she was saying to him, "LISTEN buddy. You better make sure you keep your J-O-B and your Dubbayah-TWO, know what I'm sayin'? MMMMMMMM hmmm."

My dad with Randy (the neighbor) and Randy's wife, Tami (wanted you to see how cute she is!) and in the background -- WHAT is happening to my face???

That's all, folks! Hope you enjoyed the little throwback to four years ago!!


** All photo credit to my mother-in-law, Nita Echelbarger, and my friends Rachel Ashley and Greg Spangler. The trio documented the day for me and I am profoundly grateful. **

Learning

Ryan and I just wrapped up teaching the Bible study we started last fall, and I have to say it's been a really enjoyable experience! Everyone in the study was connected to Ryan's workplace somehow, and it was exciting for me to get to know these people better, make new friendships, and deepen existing friendships. It's been a good discipline to study the book of Acts (one more shout-out to Erica Wiggenhorn's study called An Unexplainable Life), and a great opportunity to hear what everyone else in the study learned along the way.

The work God has called me to do pushes me to learn this way pretty much constantly. I'm always reading and studying so I can turn around and teach, whether through speaking or writing. I like it! It's a bonus to get to learn about God while preparing to teach others more about Him, too! Win/win!

But sometimes teachers need classroom time, too.

A few days ago, I received an unexpected email from friend, and her church was starting a women's Bible study, so she asked if I'd like to join up. Not teach. Just join.

Oh. Yes.

It took me all of about 3.5 seconds to make that decision! The day of the first study, Ryan asked if I was looking forward to it, and I couldn't believe just how much I actually was looking forward to it. I wanted to go learn from others. Participate when I felt led, but mostly just sit quietly and learn.

On the way to the study, I stopped for a gallon (okay, slight exaggeration) of iced tea so I could be fully hydrated and caffeinated for my time of learning, and when I walked into the classroom, I found a fresh, unopened workbook and a box of colored pencils waiting at my seat.

My nerdiness has surpassed even what I imagined, because those two things pretty much made my entire day. I pulled out my Bible and journal, put my phone away, and for a solid hour, I practiced inductive Bible study methods in my new little workbook and scribbled note after note of wisdom from the ladies in the room.

I threw out a couple of answers when I had them, but mostly I drank it all in. I have missed being a participant, and it was such a joy to have that chance for a little bit of time. I was the youngest person in that room, and I wanted to learn what the others had to say. I wanted to hear what they'd observed from studying words they'd been reading longer than I have.

(Know what else helped? The facilitator had done her homework. She came in with her reference books and notes, her knowledge, her questions, and that helped create a great atmosphere of learning!)

I'm so grateful someone thought to reach out and invite me. I'm so glad the time slot worked. I'm so glad I get to learn from women I don't normally get to interact with, because that's a whole wealth of untapped wisdom for me! And mostly I'm grateful I like to learn. I hope that never goes away. (And also - where was that hunger in most of my high school classes? Missing!!!)

In Which I Thought I Would End Up On Dateline

Podcast Tuesday! This week we're dreaming of lake homes and looking back over our wedding reception, which happened four years ago this week! Hope you enjoy! :)

 Listen here.

Meanwhile, it's been a while since you had a good Bekahland story. Sit back. I've got one for you today.

Last week, one of Ryan's co-workers took a long weekend kind of vacation, and he asked if someone from work could watch his dog. "Watch the dog" could take any form. He didn't care. We could actually take the dog home with us and keep him for the weekend, we could stop by the house and let him out/feed him a few times a day, and we could share responsibilities as a group if it was easier. As long as the dog got fed and didn't use the cage for a potty, he didn't care how the work got done.

As you know, Phoebe comes over to stay a lot, so I'm used to having a dog around randomly, and possibly any other time, I would have been fine with that arrangement. But between helping out with Mom's post-op stuff and trying to get some of my own writing/planning/book delivering work done, I just didn't think having the dog move in was the best fit. Plus, I wasn't sure Braeya would survive meeting a second pooch. She still hasn't made peace with Phoebe, and it's been almost a year since she became a part-time member of our family.

So in the end, one of Ryan's other co-workers said she would be happy to share with me if we could each take part of the rotation. Sure! No problem. So she and I worked out a schedule, we got all the info from the dog's person, and off we went.

Thursday was my first day to go, and I felt very strange pulling up to this house I'd never been to before, walking right up and letting myself in, as though this were a common occurrence. I wavered between looking around to be "situationally aware," as Ryan's brother calls it, and not looking around too much, because I didn't want to look suspicious. At that point I pretty much figured I was on somebody's surveillance camera, and I wanted to look as nonchalant as possible.

I went in, the dog looked at me with a mix of relief and annoyance, went outside, played for a bit, came back in, refused to eat or drink, and went back into his little home to await his next visitor.

But when I went back on Friday, he was starting to reach his saturation point with his temporary time-out. He jumped and hugged and kissed me a thousand times before he ever went outside. I was on the phone with my mom the whole time, because it still felt weird to be in the home of a complete stranger, in a neighborhood where no one knew me or that I had the right to be inside that house.

The little dog finished his business and came back inside, and I let him run around for a bit just to give him a break, while I continued talking to Mom on the phone.

As I stood near the back door, listening to her story, I saw it. A shadow across the front door. The door has that kind of muted glass that allows you to clearly see if a person is outside, but it's not see-through enough to see any detail.

My breath caught hard and I listened as the front door started rattling. So much for my immediate theory that it was just the postal service making a delivery. The dog started barking ferociously, which I appreciated, but to be fair, the little guy is about the size of a seven month old child, so I didn't anticipate much guardianship from him. Besides. Why would he stick up for me when he knew good and well I wasn't staying for the long haul?

I whispered to Mom, "SOMEONE IS HERE!!" and left out the next part where I was thinking, "AND I'M GOING TO END UP ON DATELINE. AND NOT AS THE HOST." The door rattled again and opened. I froze, backed up to the door behind me, and watched as a lady entered.

She said to the dog, "Do you have company?" I wanted to say, "I don't know...do you have a gun? Then we'll decide if I'm company!!" She looked up and clarified that she was Ryan's co-worker's mother, and with that, I had the longest exhale in my human history.

I had no idea she lived in town or that there was a remote possibility that she might show up while I was there. I have no idea how I managed to NOT leave a puddle of my own on the floor, but in that instant, I was just relieved to learn I wasn't about to be a Dateline story.

So I guess we learned my heart and bladder are both in great shape, and with her entrance, my dog-sitting concluded! She felt bad for the little guy and decided to take him home with her!

I think next time, I'll move the dog sitting at my own home. LOL!!

20 Questions

It has just been a weird couple of weeks! I told Ryan multiple times how grateful I am that I'm not working a standard, full-time job anymore, because it has been such a blessing to be able to help Mom and Dad (and others) so much in the last couple of weeks. But it's also made it strange to find blogging material! So I thought we'd kick off the week with some FUN! Found this little game of twenty questions. I'll throw my answers in and you can feel free to toss back any of your own that you'd like!

1. Do you like blue cheese? Only within the last year have I been able to eat it without gagging. It's still not my first choice, but I guess I can say I actually like it. This means I'm getting old, doesn't it?

2. What flavor Kool-Aid? I no longer drink this, but as a kid, any red flavor was my favorite! I used to make a big pitcher of it every Thursday night at church for the kids I taught.

3. Do you get nervous before a doctor's appointment? I can't even type about it without sweating. White coat syndrome big time!! I'm such a toddler!

4. What do you think of hot dogs? Why can't they be healthy? I love them! I don't like corn dogs, but regular hot dogs? Sign me up. And please hurry, spring, so it can be fire pit/hot dog roasting weather!!!

5. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee: is there another answer? 

6. Can you do a push-up? Yes - the orange kind that you eat! Oh, the exercise kind? Nope. I have the upper body strength of an infant.

7. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My engagement and wedding rings! I wear jewelry every single day (earrings, necklace, and bracelet) but I am not a spend-big-bucks-on-jewelry kind of girl. In fact, my favorite earrings, which I also get the most compliments on, were two bucks on clearance a few years ago.

8. Do you have a hobby? Too many to count! We'll go with scrapbooking, reading, baking cookies, taking pictures, writing...probably should stop there.

9. Do you wear glasses? Nope - I have 20/12 vision. (I made that up. It's really 20/20 but it's better than 20/20 so I felt I should reflect that. It's better than 20/15 but not quite 20/10, so I settled on 20/12) In 6th grade, I wore fake glasses to school because I liked how they looked, and I got in trouble from a woman who said I would ruin my eyes if I kept wearing them. She made me take them off at school, but she wasn't the boss at home, so I kept wearing them there. I also wore an updated version of fake glasses in my early 20's when parents of students didn't take me seriously because I looked so young. The glasses did actually help me be treated more respectfully, believe it or not. All those fake glasses and I still have 20/12 vision. I bit my tongue from mentioning it when I saw that lady out and about a few months ago.)

10. Who was your childhood idol? Dan Jansen. (He's a speed skater. It's a long story.)

11. Name three drinks you drink regularly? Coffee, water, Coke. (But mostly coffee and water. And now I want a Coke since I've talked about it.)

12. Favorite place to be? With Ryan. Whether that's home or on the road - just wherever he is. He's my person.

13. How did you bring in the new year? We went to our friends' Mike and Angie's house and played virtual reality games. Everyone but Ryan ate fun food. He ate chicken noodle soup. Hello, dying gallbladder. 

14. Where would you like to go? Seaside, Florida. It's on the bucket list. 

15. Do you own slippers? Yes! Two different kinds, actually. But I can only wear them when it's really cold because otherwise my feet get too hot. Broken internal thermostat, you know.

16. Can you whistle? Nope. I've tried to learn. Fail, fail, fail.

17. Last thing that made you laugh? Ryan's work stories. They are the best.
 
18. What's your favorite animal? Don't tell Braeya, but I think it might be dogs. EEEK!

19. Worst pain? Worst physical pain I've ever had was my gallbladder attacks. Several over the course of the 15 years I had them were so bad that my lips and fingers would go numb and it felt like I was having a heart attack. Worst soul pain I ever had was from breaking up with those I loved.

20. Do you like to dance? If, by dancing, you mean scooting around the floor, shuffle style, yes! I cannot do ACTUAL dance steps, though I find it beautiful to watch.


Happy Monday, my friends!! Have any answers of your own? Tell me! :)