The Saturday Six

One.

I'm not sure I have any painting projects in my near future, but you might! This is one of the best posts I've ever read about how to choose the best paint color, so if you're thinking about sprucing up a room in your house, give it a read!

Two.

Hey Ryan? I know you're not really looking for a project right now, but I do think this coffee bar is pretty stinkin' cool.

Three.

Speaking of projects, this post has a ton of ideas for different rooms - all on a budget. If spring is your time to bring a little pep in the step of your house, give it a look-see!

Four.

We are not hosting Easter this year, but if we were, I think I would absolutely use these as party favors for each place setting. Sugar/waffle cones filled with candy? Oh yes! Cute and pretty!!

Five.

I was at the Dollar Tree last week and noticed that pool noodles are back in stock!! First I was excited because - hello!!! - sign of summer!!! Then I was excited because I know there are tons of ways you can use them other than the obvious. I use them to keep my boots standing upright. And I may or may not have gotten new boots, so I may or may not need more noodles. :) But I found this article that had a few ways to use them I'd not heard of before! Pretty nifty!


Six.

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Finally! Back to reading! And when I jumped back in, I did so with quite a splash, finishing this book in one day flat. I couldn't bear to walk away from the action and will also confess to forgetting to breathe for long periods of time as I read.

Several weeks ago, before all the recent happenings of our world, my friend Marissa Shrock asked me if I'd like to read her latest novel, Deadly Heritage. I may have sent back my YES!!! a little too quickly for basic etiquette, but I was that excited to read! Right after that, Nita passed away and I sort of lost my ability to pay attention to books for a little while. But this was the perfect reentry book.

I've told you about Marissa's writing before. This is actually the sixth book of hers I've read. I started by reading her young adult dystopian series (made up of The First Principle, The Liberation and The Pursuit). In recent months I've been reading her new series, The Georgia Rae Winston Mysteries. I started with Deadly Harvest, then read Deadly Holiday, and this week I read Deadly Heritage. 

As I've told you before, I love this series because it's set in Indiana in a community much like the one where I grew up - and live now - and Georgia reminds me so much of my own single self back in the day. (Well, Georgia's a lot smarter and braver than I was or ever will be, but other than that, she reminds me of myself.)

Georgia went to school to study music education, but she ended up following in her father's footsteps and became a farmer instead. Her side interest of amateur sleuthing both assists and agitates her detective boyfriend, Cal. He trusts her instincts and recognizes her knack for uncovering important, case-solving clues, but he also wishes he could have a conversation with her without discussing business (every now and then, anyway).

In Deadly Heritage, Georgia is settling down after a busy fall and Christmas season, filled with way too many opportunities to help out the local police department. She's eager to place her focus on her seemingly stabilizing relationship with Detective Cal Perkins and her grandpa's upcoming wedding to Wanda Morris. But when Georgia's neighbor and Wanda's good friend Beverly Alspaugh winds up murdered in an apparent home invasion the same night her prodigal daughter comes back to Wildcat Springs after a 38 year absence, all dreams of settling down vanish.

All the details of the murder seem eerily similar to the still-unsolved killing of Georgia's own father, years before, and she can't keep from digging to see if she can bring justice for her dear friend and neighbor even though she hasn't been able to do the same for her father.

Swirling around the investigation, wedding plans go forward, and Georgia's questions about the strength of her relationship with Cal seem to only grow. And as time passes, clues grow complicated, Georgia herself seems to be in danger, and Cal seems even more distant.

I love Georgia, her friends, and all the little pieces of life in Wildcat Springs. Even though I always determine I'm going to figure out who is at fault in the mystery, I never do, so once again, I sat perched on the edge of the couch, waiting to see the resolution. I appreciate the humor woven into the suspense, and I really appreciate the faith component included as well.

Great job, Marissa, on this book! Thank you for sending me an e-copy so I could read, and thank you for helping me reenter the world of reading in such a spectacular way!

What I Learned in March

No, it's not the last day of the month, but it is the last weekday of the month, so I'm checking in with my "What I Learned" post. I feel like I missed making notes of many things I learned this month. And if I didn't make a note - did I even really learn it? Much of what you're about to read points to things I learned in a season of grief. Some of them aren't things I learned for the first time as much as they're things I relearned after being away from them for a season. Either way, it's been quite a March.

1. I need to make time to stretch.

This falls under one of those things I knew, but I didn't really know. I've never been diligent about stretching. When I did BeachBody workouts, I probably did my best stretching, because the video workouts included warmups and cooldowns. But when I work out on my own, and especially when I run, I never stretch. And I never do any other kind of formal stretching either. At the start of March, I decided all the stress building up in my body felt kind of toxic, and I needed to figure out how to stretch out, relax, and relieve tension. So I've been purposeful about making more time for it - even though my attempt to establish a firm new habit got interrupted with our crazy month. The days I was faithful to do it, I saw an enormous difference in how I felt!

2. I can do all things through Christ.

Okay, so I knew that, but I learned it in a new way this month. From the moment we learned that Ryan's mom would not ultimately survive her illness, his biggest prayer was to be by her side when she passed away. I prayed hard that God would allow him to have that moment, but I did not need to be part of it. I know some people find that beautiful and comforting, but I am not built for it, and I figured I would cause more harm than good. In the (literal) end, Ryan needed and wanted me beside him, so I was there, praying out loud all the way through her death. At one point I stopped and said, "Jesus you've got to help me, because I am NOT built for this." And He did. He helped me not pass out, be present for my husband, and pray my mother-in-law Home.

3. I grieve privately.

It's been many years since I lost someone very close to me, so I was sort of out of practice on hard-core grieving. And it's the first time I've processed such thoughts since I've been married. I learned I really need privacy to do that. We were so busy in the days following Nita's death that I didn't have time to sit down and work through my thoughts. The day before her viewing, I had about two hours in the afternoon to crumple in a heap on the bedroom floor and cry, and I did. The day after her funeral was the only day we had at home together throughout his bereavement leave. I needed that time. I love people and had gratefully greeted hundreds of them over the previous days, but I really needed that grief-privacy so desperately.

4. It's hard to get back into a routine.

Being the lover of lists and color-coding that I am, I fully expected that once our official bereavement time ended, I'd be able to hop back into the regular schedule we had prior to Nita's death. It wasn't quite that simple. I'm still not sure what made it so hard, but it definitely did take quite a while to ease back into our routine. (And I'm still not convinced we've fully gotten back to it yet. Goodness.) But we are working hard to establish it again, because for us, that is part of healing. Everyone heals in different ways, but routine is part of our healing.

5. I think we should live at the lake.

Again, this may not be something I learned, but it was certainly confirmed this month. Oh my goodness. How I love the water, and the idea of getting to see it every day of my life is an idea I dearly love. It was so hard to come home from that retreat by the lake.

6. People are unbelievably kind.

In an anger and hatred saturated world, it sure is lovely to find kindness abounding. Ryan and I were absolutely blown away by the kindness shown to us this month. People left kind words on this blog, Facebook, and Instagram, when we shared the news about his mom's passing. We have a huge stack of cards - and it has meant so much to us that so many would take time to find, write, and mail a card. I didn't cook for about two weeks, while people kindly provided food for us. (I got spoiled!) So many gifts poured in, and no two alike. And all the people who took time to stand/sit for over two hours at her viewing...wow! I am thankful for the outpouring, but I'm more thankful to get a glimpse of the huge good that still exists in this world.

Shop Talk!

I needed a good, fun post for today, so I'm borrowing one from earlier this month on The Blended Blog. I am not a crazy, hard-core shopper, so this particular set of questions is going to push me outside my comfort zone just a bit! This list is all about shopping...

Source

1. Top 3 shops? 

At first I thought this was a question about clothes shopping, but further scrutiny of the whole list makes me think they're asking about ALL shopping. So....let me spread the store love just a bit. We'll start with Aldi. Ryan and I love to grocery shop at Aldi, and our store has a brand-spankin'-new one that just opened a few weeks ago. It is much larger, brighter, and cleaner-looking than the one we had, and we also love the extra selection. We try to get as many of our groceries there as we can, and then we finish up elsewhere. For clothing, I'd have to say my main store is Kohl's. I do my fair share of Goodwill shopping, but most of my wins come from Kohl's. Can't beat clearance and Kohl's cash, right? And of course, I can't fail to mention my beloved Hobby Lobby. My inspiration happy place, and my go-to when I need a pick-me-up for my heart or home. I adore it. Just writing about it reminds me I haven't been there for a while. A trip is in order.

2. Is the majority of your shopping done in-store or online?
I like the stores. I'm oddly proportioned, so when it comes to clothes and shoes, I really need to try them on to make sure they fit right. I HATE HATE HATE returning things, so I really want to make sure something is going to work before I buy it. Yes, we buy things online too, but I'm not one to do it all that way.

3. What's your favorite thing to shop for?
Anything that isn't urgent. I feel like if I have a specific intent or deadline to find something, I'm pretty much guaranteed to NOT find it, and that becomes stressful. But if I can just go look and have fun and buy something if I find it, but come home happily empty-handed if I don't...that's the best case scenario. That's why wedding dress shopping was so nerve-wracking to me. I knew I had ONE NIGHT to find it, and fortunately, I did. That is definitely not typical for me!

4. What do you just HATE shopping for?
Swimsuits. Fortunately I shouldn't have to do this again for a long time. We don't swim all that often, because we don't have a hot tub, pool, lake, river, or ocean in our immediate world. I am okay with just having one or two suits, and as long as I keep my weight in the same vicinity, the same suit should serve me from year to year. But I like to cover a lot more than most suits do, so it's very frustrating to find something that fits right and doesn't leave me feeling entirely self-conscious.

5. What's your most favorite thing you've ever bought?
Hmmmm. That's a tall order. EVER??? In all the history of things I've ever purchased? I guess I will go with my scrapbooks, because they are so precious to me. I'm not a huge spender, but I don't mind paying for those!

6. Do you prefer shopping alone or with others?
It depends on what I'm shopping for. If I'm not on a time-crunch, I love shopping with others, because I can take my time, saunter around, have fun, and look for things. If I am on a schedule, I have to go alone so I can stay on track. No distractions or dawdling! Grocery shopping? ALWAYS and ONLY with Ryan. He makes it so much fun!

7. Best bargain?
I don't know that it's my best bargain of all time, but we had some Kohl's cash recently that was about to expire, and neither of us needed anything, so I was able to get a spring wreath for our front door and a cute little vase for our house - and I think we ended up paying $5.00. Both our purchases were on heavy sales and our Kohl's cash covered all but the last $5.00 of it. (I also got a pretty good deal on an new winter coat a few weeks ago. I hadn't had one in about ten years, and I think I spent $13.00 on the new one.)

8. Thrift store shopping: yes or no?
YES!! I haven't had a Goodwill fix in a while. I'm kind of frustrated that the ones around here (maybe all of them?) changed their clothing organization. They no longer do it by color...just size. I only wear certain colors, so it used to be so much faster for me to flip through everything and see what worked and what didn't. Now I have to make sure I have a lot of time, because I have to flip through every single hanger.

9. Best cities for shopping? When we lived in Marion, we often came to Kokomo to shop because there are SO many more stores here than in Marion. Now we live here, so we do most of our shopping locally. If we "go out of town," it's usually down in and around Indianapolis.

10. Who's your style or fashion icon?
Ha! No one! I have no style or fashion sense. I like what I like and don't worry about it much beyond that. It's okay if it's not trendy. I prefer it not be super-trendy, actually. I like things that carry over for a long time.

So there you have it! Shopping with Bekah! How about you?

God is in the Details

I'm going to make you wait until the very end to read about the thing that gave me major goose bumps yesterday, but it all fits in with the detail work.

Women's events are saturated with details, aren't they? It's what we do. And that was so true of the retreat we worked this past weekend. All the little touches of pretty made us feel loved and worth it, you know?

I adored the little craft they had for women to make throughout the weekend if they wanted. You could make your own little succulent planter to take home! (I had to take pictures of the whole process so you could see how it works. You know...in case you want to borrow this for your own event.) They'd thrifted a whole bunch of beautiful little cups and saucers, so you could pick the one that fit you best:

Then you did all your prepping/choosing/planting:

Surely...surely...I can keep this thing alive, right?

I love this little reminder so much and will think of this group every single time I walk by it in my house!!

As I've told you before, this dear lake means SO much to me, and God granted me the great privilege of getting to see a beautiful sunrise and sunset over the lake on Saturday. During that sunset time, I sat on a bench beside the water, listening to geese fight over who-knows what, and I had a great conversation with the Lord and one with Ryan, too. I took pictures and video, because when a girl gets to see the sun set over the water, she preserves it to take home.

Beauty in the details.

But here's what I loved so much. The goose bump part.

Almost always, when I speak, I take a door prize of some kind. (Sometimes the setting isn't appropriate for that, but if it is, I do.) And when I put together the door prizes, I pray over what to put inside and I pray over the winner. Sometimes I choose a winner by a drawing and sometimes by a marked seat or even a question (like who had the most recent birthday).

I've always had the practice of praying over the winner, and a couple of years ago, I had a winner tell me she almost didn't come to the event that night. She'd been struggling in her heart didn't feel like showing up. But God nudged her to show up and she did...and she won. And the contents of the prize that night (I don't remember now what they were) were perfect for her at that station in her life.

It happened again this weekend. I prayed over the gift basked, I prayed about what to put inside, and Ryan drew my winner Sunday morning before the final talk. (I make him draw because it's too much pressure for me.)

Last night, I read a social media post written by the winner (and it was a public post, so I'm not giving away her secrets here), and she shared about all the many details God worked in for her this weekend. Among them? "There was a giveaway that you could enter the whole weekend. There was one prize to win and about 65 women in attendance. Guess who won the prize? ME! God filled me that much more with His love and blessing, because He knew I needed it. He knew I needed the confirmation of love and acceptance in a room of people who started as strangers and left as friends. He knew I needed the devotion book that was in that prize."

One of the things I specifically pray over the prize is that whoever wins will feel seen, known, and love just in the mere winning. I trust God to make sure it gets into the right hands, and He absolutely did, didn't He?

I'm encouraged. I'm encouraged by little plants...gorgeous sunsets...and perfectly-chosen prize winners. He's in the details.

A Message to Share

Before I show you some more moments from our retreat weekend...we're back with a new podcast this week! We sat out last week, because our hearts were still processing so much from Ryan's mom's death, and we feared we couldn't be the podcast hosts we wanted to be, so we gave ourselves a bereavement week. We're back now with a fresh round of stories for your Tuesday!

Listen here!

Ryan was so kind to take some pictures of my sessions this weekend, and I saw a few extras posted by ladies at the retreat, so I borrowed them too! :)

The topic of this retreat was Fill My Cup, Lord, and it was the most perfect topic for my own life these last few months. As I prepared, studied, and wrote, we were walking through the season of illness with Ryan's mom, and I needed the words I ended up sharing with the ladies. God is so good like that!

Here are a few shots from Friday night, and the session called What's in Your Cup? (The retreat, by the way, was in this beautiful lodge. This was the common area where we did everything!) This first session was packed full of hard questions, but I hoped it set the stage for the rest of the weekend!

Saturday morning, I shared a session called Overflowing, and it contained many of the lessons I learned most while walking through Nita's illness. I hoped the ladies would learn whatever they needed in their own ways, and it sounded like that did happen! (There were some women who came in only for Saturday, so the place was extra full that day!)

The third session, which took place Saturday afternoon, was called Bear the Blessing, and I got convicted by this very message even while I was delivering it! Whew! (And yes, I do change clothes every time I speak.)

And Sunday morning, the final session, was called Pouring In, Pouring Out. I love that talk so much and was excited to share it with them.

This was the first time I'd presented this set of talks together at a retreat, and I think this one may be my new favorite set of talks. I felt like the messages were timely no matter what was happening in the lives of the women in front of me, and I appreciated how God used it to shape me even more. (Granted, that pruning wasn't always fun, but it was necessary.)

It's been so encouraging to see some of the ladies' posts on Facebook since the weekend ended. To read what they took away from the ideas shared has been a boost to my heart. (Not because of my own work, but because of the affirmation of what God has been doing!)

Women's Retreat: Behind the Scenes

Ryan and I got home last night after spending the weekend serving together at a women's retreat.

It. Was. A. Wonderful. Weekend.

I have so much to process in my heart, so I'll start today by showing you some of the behind/between the scenes moments.

Ryan had the entire day off work Friday, so we were able to finish our packing and leave in the late morning. We had a BEAUTIFUL day to drive, and we were so excited that this retreat was held on our beloved Lake Webster. We had carved out a little time before the retreat began to have a date, because we sorely needed it.

(We still hadn't shed our permanently exhausted looks, I noticed.)

We love this coffee shop. I've talked about it before, during our summer visits to the lake. It's just such a serene place, and we love everything we've ever ordered. We sat for a long time, talking and remembering some of our favorite former dates in this little spot. When we felt we had taken up enough of their time and space, we ventured toward the water.

It was so pretty under that blue sky.

I cannot possibly explain to you what a dear, dear place in my soul this lake holds. It's been almost ten years now that I've been visiting it regularly, and God and I have had many, many, many talks here. I've cried a lot of tears into this water, I've sensed many nudges, and I've done a lot of heart-healing. Ryan and I have had some significant moments together as a couple on this lake, and we've put some stones in our life-altar beside these waters. I love all water, but I may love this water most of all.

We headed over to the retreat center to get set up and settled in. They were using a brand new lodge this year, and it was beautiful!!

We stayed in the same room we stayed in last year when we served at this retreat, and they left us some beautiful gifts!

I spoke for the first time Friday evening, and I'll tell you more about that another day. Ryan and I both got a GREAT night of rest (amazing what happens when you don't have a cat standing on your face at 2 a.m. sobbing for a drink).

Check out these beautiful food trays that were among the lunch offerings. WOW!

The women had free time all Saturday afternoon (something I think is wonderful at a retreat like this...down time is as necessary as the programmed time) and Ryan and I took advantage of the opportunity to have another little date and go on our first walk of 2019!

We parked at his family's cottage and checked out the lake view from the porch. :)

Then we walked into town and look where we landed!!!

I mean how did that happen???

We loved every second of that date, and we even squeezed in a little rest before going back for the afternoon/evening session of the retreat.

I was absolutely exhausted at the end of day two. This was an intense set of talks for me (as most of them tend to be, in all fairness) so I was worn, body and soul, when the day was done. Ryan and left the fellowship time a little early, and I wound up with a full eight hours of sleep under my belt by the time the alarm went off the next morning.

Oh, what a wonderful time of heart-healing and growth it was for both of us! We appreciated the ladies being so understanding about our own need for space to listen and be filled, even as we gave all we had to helping them do the same.

Grace.

The Shafferland Shuffle

Very slowly, we are starting to find our footing in our routine again, and this week brought a bigger taste of that!

* Last Sunday morning, it snowed again here in Indiana. I am beyond thinking it's cute anymore, but I will say it was the perfect snow. Pretty and snow-globey coming down from the sky, and it didn't stick to roads or sidewalks. Win-win! Ryan and I went to lunch with our pastor and his wife, where we talked all things ministry and ate chicken tortilla soup, because it was that kind of day. And then I rehearsed some of my retreat talks with Ryan so he could know how the power points are supposed to go.

* Monday I spent some extra time in Bible study, and I already told you about the verses from James that were so meaningful to me. I got new oils in the mail, which made me so happy, and then that evening, Ryan and I played divide and conquer. I had a women's ministry meeting at church, and he went to the cabin to see the family. We both got home crazy late and stayed up exactly long enough to have one cup of coffee. Then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

* Tuesday morning I wrote notes to all of the ladies registered for the retreat this weekend, and it was quite a pile when I got done! I met Ryan's step-mom for coffee that afternoon, and since Ryan had a long day, I decided to surprise him with a Grasshopper latte at work. He loved it! We hosted small group that night, and it was a very worship-filled evening. (And Braeya worked the crowd the entire time and then fell into a socialite slumber after everyone left.)

* My mom stopped by on Wednesday to drop off a gift from their church. So thoughtful! They gave us a beautiful little lantern and bird figurine! This was my only day to be home the entire day, so I took advantage of equal work and rest times. I was trying so hard to stay germ-free ahead of my speaking weekend. Ryan and I planned to go to DQ for the first-day-of-spring-free-ice-cream, but he was so exhausted after his work day that we stayed home and ate ice cream from our freezer. And then we had a whole night at home alone together, which we both needed.

* Thursday morning was the closing brunch for the Bible study I was part of this year...except I missed most of this entire semester because of Nita's illness and death. My group was kind enough to reach out and ask me to still come to the closing session, so I did, and it was a good boost for my soul. I spend the afternoon packing all the things I needed for my retreat this weekend. This picture is just the work related stuff. Not clothes and such. I don't travel light. :) And Ryan's sister had a Pampered Chef party that night, and guys were welcome too! We went and had fun, and clearly Ryan is confused about how you use the tools. :)

* Friday morning, we left for the retreat where I've been speaking this weekend. We had a coffee date together, enjoyed looking at the lake, and got all set up to share with an incredible group of ladies! It wasn't really warm, but it sure was sunny and pretty, and the lake was all blue and lovely. Did my heart a world of good.

* Yesterday we awakened to a beautiful lake sunrise, and the whole day did NOT disappoint from there. The sessions with the ladies seemed to go well (I hope so, anyway!) and we had great opportunities to hear from them what God was doing in their hearts. And during the free time in the afternoon, we had our first official walk of 2019, in the sunshine, by the lake! YAY! We even got to watch the sun set over the lake. So, so thankful!!

The Saturday Six

One.

Annesley posted one of my articles last week. I wrote this during my day at the ski lodge. ;) Ohhhhhh yes. The day at the ski lodge.

Two.

Vertical gardens...have you ever tried one? I haven't, and I fear I would just kill all the plants, but these do intrigue me!

Three.

A sheet music typewriter. I've never heard of such a thing. Have you?

Four.

Some friends of mine who are in full time ministry and travel the country in an RV just started a online shop! They're selling T-shirts with graphics about adventure...and they have a "home sweet home" shirt for each state. If you're a T-shirt junkie, check them out! (There's also a blog post on the site that talks more about why they've decided to open the shop and how they plan to use the proceeds.)

Five.

Don't think about it for too long, or you might gross yourself out, but our electronics need a good cleaning as much as (if not more than) our houses. This article tells you how to safely and effectively clean different kinds of electronics. You don't want to hang onto the germs, but you also don't want to ruin your expensive toys!

Six.

Still no time to read this week (sigh) so this final point has nothing to do with books. I'm eager for summer to arrive, which always puts me in a vacation planning mode. Even though this trip is NOT in our budget for this year, one of these days I'd love to do all of Route 66. I think I've told you that before. Have you ever done it? These people have great tips on planning the perfect Route 66 trip!

Filled

Many months ago, one of the groups I'd spoken to last spring asked if I could speak for them again this year. That's always good news to hear! I agreed, and they told me their theme of choice for this year is "Fill My Cup, Lord."

One Sunday morning, last fall, as I sat in Sunday School class, the entire outline for the weekend just fell into my head. We weren't even talking about that topic in class that day. (And this is how it often goes for me in my writing life. I can be far from the topic in my mind and still wind up thinking about it!) So I grabbed that day's bulletin, scribbled down the outline before it left me, and then I began to craft the talks.

The topic was assigned well before Nita's glioblastoma diagnosis and all that came with it, and it "just so happened" that the bulk of my planning and writing fell right in the middle of her illness.

So while I wrote about what it means to have the Lord fill your cup, I was the one with a bone-dry cup in need of filling. God does some of His best teaching in hands-on scenarios, and I found myself living smack in the middle of it as I prepared and wrote.

And even now, a few miles down the road into the latest grief journey, He continues to fill. I find new places of emptiness and experience new ways that He fills.

* I've tried to write down all the verses I've stumbled upon that have met me with a word of encouragement when my heart was overwhelmed.

* Even my daily devotions, which have taken me through the book of Matthew here in these last 3 months, have provided all kinds of perfectly-timed-insights I hadn't expected to find.

* He's filled me in ways I can't quite explain as I've found time to do things that make my heart soar. Scrapbooking, writing, journaling...they're ordinary, but they've brought about some healing as I've found time for them.

* He's planted new dreams and desires in me - and even the hope of dreams and desires that aren't even revealed yet. There's a definite filling found in a dream.

* He filled us both with the hugs and words of the hundreds of people who came to Nita's viewing and funeral.

* We've been filled with the words of the kind notes in cards that have appeared our mailbox. We've read every single card and message. They're all blessings.

* The lyrics to songs have come to be extra meaningful to us, and at least for me, some songs will always be associated with this season.

* We've been filled through thoughtful gifts that have poured into our home. So many things are part of our everyday landscape now and will push us to think of Nita and this season each time we see them.

So yes. Our cups are filled, and I'm excited to take that fresh filling into my speaking and share with the ladies what I've been learning. I'm excited to see how God plans to fill each of them as they learn.

It's what He does. He sees our emptiness and doesn't leave us that way. As long as we're willing to accept what He pours, He fills us.

This girl is thankful.

A Little Thursday Fun

I originally wrote this post last week and then didn't feel like it was the right time to share it. So I put it aside for later, and what do you know? Today is later! While reading blogs last week, I found Natasha's relationship quiz. I mean, she didn't create it, but she shared it, and it was fun to read on her page, so hopefully you'll like it here! I didn't use every single question, because you know how wordy I am! It got kind of long. But here were my favorites.

In Shafferland...

* Who's older? I am, by 11 months and a few days. We have about three weeks every year where we are the same age. Then I get old again. I was at a meeting this week and told someone that I was older by almost a year, and she said she NEVER would have guessed it. I celebrated that response, and Ryan said, "Really? She thinks I look old?" LOL! I guarantee if I didn't have regular hair interventions, I'd look way older than 40 and WAY older than Ryan!

* Who was interested first? I don't know that we know, but Ryan was the one who said something first. And it shocked me to no end! Definitely thought he was out of my league. (I actually had figured out who I thought he was going to tell me he WAS interested in dating, and instead he told me it was me!)

* Who's more sarcastic? Probably me, but I try really super hard to reserve those zingers just for Ryan. I don't want to offend people! (Offending people is one of my greatest fears - and one of my greatest heartbreaks when it actually happens.)

* Who makes the most mess? In general living, neither of us. We hate messes. But if Ryan's doing a home improvement project or I'm creating, then watch out. Messes are pretty much guaranteed to abound. Never fear, though! We'll clear them right up as soon as we can.

* Who has more tattoos? Neither of us has a single tattoo and we don't ever plan to get any. I hate pain, so I see no need to inflict it upon myself on purpose.

* Who is the better singer? Ryan, for sure. Show choir vs. shower, right?

* Who hogs the remote the most? I like to think we share well. I get to have it all day while he's at work, so I just hand it over when he comes home. He's earned it. And for the most part, we like to watch the same things, so it really doesn't matter. He's not quite as into Hallmark movies as I am, and I don't love all the suspense and action movies he enjoys, so if we happen to park on one of those, the other one just zones out.

* Who is the better driver? Ryan. RYAN RYAN RYAN. I hate driving. I am a good driver in that I've never gotten a speeding ticket or been in an accident, but I still hate it. And when it comes to snowy/icy weather, forget it. I'm terrified. He's a really good driver in bad weather, though. (Fun fact: I was on my way to the aforementioned meeting earlier this week, and Ryan didn't have to go, so I drove myself. Phoebe's people passed me on the road, and when I told Ryan the next day that I'd seen them, he said, "Yes, they told me they thought they saw you, but then they didn't think it could be you, because I wasn't with you." HA! I love it! It's true! We rarely split up!)

* Who spends the most? Ryan. I try not to spend since I don't have a steady income. (That is my decision, not his. He wouldn't care.)

* Who is smarter? Ryan would probably tell you I am, and I am going to say he is. I may have been the bookworm - and I may still be the one who thoroughly enjoys actual study time, but Ryan has smarts and wisdom I'll never have.

* Who has the most common sense? Ryan. I think I was in the appetite line when common sense was handed out.

* Did you go to the same school? Yep! All the way from kindergarten to senior year! (Although I was a year ahead, so I got out first.) Fun fact: Ryan was in my mom's class in first grade.

* Who is the most sensitive? Oh I win that one by a long shot. Ryan is so good about rolling with the punches. I'm easily undone.

* Where do you eat out most as a couple? Wendy's!!! You can't beat a 4 for 4 and a free Frosty.

*  Where is the farthest you have traveled together as a couple? The Caribbean. We went on a cruise during our first year of marriage, and while I forget which port was the farthest south, it was in the Caribbean. (Was it Nassau, maybe? I think that might have been the farthest.)

* Who does the cooking? I do! I do all the meal planning, grocery list making, and 98% of the cooking. Ryan is a great cook and enjoys doing it, but I am the one with more time to make it happen.

* Who is more social? Ryan. It's kind of a trick question because really, we both are pretty social people. But I need breaks in between bouts of socialization.

* Who is the neat freak? Both of us, really. Ryan is better about it than I am, but we are both pretty neat.

* Who is the most stubborn? Ryan would probably say I am, and that's likely very true. But he can be awfully stubborn if there's a hill he thinks is worth dying on!

* Where was your first date? Ryan planned the whole thing, and it was so much fun. We went to the canal in Indianapolis, went on a paddleboat ride, and went to the zoo! (And we were caught in a nasty, nasty, nasty pop-up thunderstorm IN THE MIDDLE of our paddleboat ride. We had to get out of the boat under a bridge and sit on the side, holding onto the boat, until the storm passed. I was so anxious, he actually stopped the date to pray out loud for me. And he still asked me out a second time.)

* Who has the bigger family? Ryan!! By about 18 million people.

* Who does the laundry? I do. Again, Ryan can do laundry, but I have time, so I do it.

* Who is better with the computer? Ryan. Granted, I'm on the computer all day long, and I use a bunch of programs pretty efficiently, but if something breaks, I'm lost. Ryan has to swoop in and save the day. The whole patience thing really serves him well here.

* Who drives when you are together? Ryan. Always Ryan. See the above story from Phoebe's people. Pretty much the only time I drive if is Ryan is too sleepy to continue. And that always turns into a story.

* Who picks where you go to dinner? I rarely care. I just want food. Sometimes Ryan picks, sometimes we choose it together, and sometimes he gives me a handful of choices. (I do better with choices. Otherwise I can't narrow down the 400 options to anything manageable.)

What's in a Name?

You might remember that last weekend, I told you about the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt. I participated in it and ended up following a few authors on social media. One of them was Robin Lee Hatcher, and a few days ago on Instagram, she made an acrostic using the letters of her name.

Now if you know me very well at all, you know I love acrostics. (If you've ever heard me speak, you've probably learned one of those acrostics. They're my love language.) And I thought it sounded like a fun challenge to pick out words that I feel describe me, according to the letters of my name. Robin promised it wasn't an easy task, and she wasn't lying. :) But it was a fun little thing to do.

Here's what I came up with. (Feel free to tell me if you think I missed the mark on a letter. Gently. Tell me gently. Because we all know the B in Bekah could stand for big chicken.)

B = Baker

I love to cook, but I really love to bake. I don't do it as often as I'd like because I also like to sample, and I can't afford that kind of daily caloric intake. Cookies, cookie bars, cakes...really anything but pies. And I so wish I could bake pies. I love them. Ryan adores them. They're his favorite dessert. And he married a pie baking failure. Womp womp. I've been known to have secret dreams of running a home bakery, and I almost always sign up for desserts when it comes to pitch-in meals.

E = Emotional (Wreck)

Okay, so I prefer to not think of myself as a wreck, but I wanted to try to help those of you considering a correction to my listing. :) But I think we can all agree I'm not afraid of any emotions spilling out. I am much better than I used to be about crying. I really was a wreck for many years, and now I'm much more mellow. But I do love all the emotions. I love a good cry, I love to laugh, I love to be crazy excited about something fun and wonderful, and if you color outside the lines on the road around my car, I've been known to get a little on the defensive side. I used to apologize for being an embracer of the emotions, but I don't anymore. I think they're a wonderful gift from the Lord, and I don't mind enjoying them.

K = Klutzy

Not gonna lie: K was a hard one for me. The only descriptive word I could think of was kind, and while I do strive to be kind, it feels a bit presumptuous to say, "Hello...I'm Bekah...I'm particularly known for my kindness." (Eyeroll.) So I cheated and looked up words starting with K that describe people. Words that came up that I hoped did NOT describe me included kaput, killer, knocked-up, and know-it-all. Kissable came up, but that only applies for Ryan, so we'll skip passed that. Kooky and Knucklehead were contenders, but I do feel klutzy is the very best choice. I am indeed a first-class klutz. Remember how I had to have physical therapy after our fifth anniversary trip because I injured my shoulder hanging onto that handle above the car door for the entire state of Florida? Remember how I broke a couple of toes tripping over an ottoman? Remember how I STILL have an injured elbow from misjudging my distance from a doorframe? Oh yes. I'm a klutz. Ryan frequently hears a crash from the other room, followed by, "Ohhhhhhhhh that's gonna leave a mark." (And he says, "What did you do now?")

A = Author

There were several other words that came to mind for this one...like athletic, attractive, amazing...but those are words that describe Ryan. So we'll go with author for me. Now, if you've ever heard me speak, you have probably heard of me refer to myself as the scribe, because God is the Author. So I feel just a wee bit sacrilegious using this one for myself, but I wanted to give some kind of nod to my love for writing. Without an S in my first name (or a W for writer) I was forced to go with author. I have always loved to write, and it is the main way I process everything I do and everything that happens to me. I spend a lot of time with my beloved words.

H = Hospitable

At least I hope people see me this way! :) I love welcoming people into our home, whether just for a cup of coffee or for dinner...or to stay for a few days! It makes me so so happy when they say they feel safe and comfortable here. That's always my goal. Our house isn't fancy, but I always try to make sure it's cozy, and I hope people sense that when they walk in the door!

So that's my BEKAH acrostic. If you do one for your name, tell me what you come up with!

New Bibles...New Seasons

What is podcast Tuesday without a podcast? Well, it's a lot like today. Ryan and I sat down to record it for you this weekend and realized...we didn't really have anything we felt was important to share. The whole week had been full of saying goodbye to his mom and trying to find our footing in life again, and none of it seemed appropriate podcast material. So we decided we'd sit this week out and we'll be back next week with a fresh round of stories for you!

Meanwhile...

I was unable to verify this online in a quick search, but I am almost certain I once read that Billy Graham got a new Bible every year. I've written before about my own practice of using a new Bible in different seasons of my life, so that the notations I make inside reflect what God was teaching me then.

Even though I haven't been rigid and predictable about how long I use one Bible before I move on to the next one, I have a handful of them now that tell the spiritual story of my life. There's the Bible I read from toward the end of high school and all of college. I find notes I made when tests overwhelmed and friendships were tested by scholastic stress. I have one I used throughout parts of my twenties, when singleness overwhelmed me, and I clung to promises that God hadn't forgotten me. I have one from my desert years, where I highlighted all the verses people sent me, and I wrote their names beside the verses. There are more Bibles in the collection, but those represent some of the big seasons.

I've been using the same Bible for almost two years now and absolutely love it. I have no plans to stop using it throughout the rest of this year, because I'm making notes of my study of the gospels in its pages. SO many sermon points are jotted in the margins. I've marked verses I turned into prayers on specific occasions. My memory verses for this year are marked with pink sticky notes. I love that Bible. I love the journey it reflects - and I'm still living that journey.

Yesterday morning though, as I did my devotions, I ran across a couple of verses from James, and I loved the wording in the NKJV.

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (James 5:7-8)

This month, with all its unexpected twists and turns, has been a time when I've spent even more time just sitting quietly before the Lord, listening, asking questions, and waiting to hear. I have no idea specifically what He has ahead for us, but I do believe He's doing a work in our hearts right now, and it's both exciting and maddening. (Maddening only because patience isn't my most natural gift.)

So with all those thoughts in my head, I read through those verses again and again. I didn't remember ever seeing that exact wording.

And then I remembered...I just received a copy of the NKJV Bible to review a couple of months ago! I went to the shelf where I'd placed it carefully for safekeeping (until the next Bible season arrived) and turned to James 5. I read the words over and over from the brand-new-to-me pages.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth.

You also be patient.

And then the part that stood out to me most of all:

Establish your hearts.

Patience may not be my forte, but I love to have a job while I wait (for anything). My job right now? To establish my heart. To soak up whatever God wants and needs to teach me. To listen and pray and make sure I'm fully in tune with Him.

So I'm not abandoning my current Bible just yet, but with the introduction of those verses from James, I feel the Lord brought on the first hint of a new and unknown season. And the Bible is ready, waiting, and the first verses to hold special significance for me have leapt from the pages already.

I'm excited to see what He does for me...for us...with me...with us.

The middle of March may not be the time you really think about introducing a new Bible, but God can bring on a new season anytime He wants. He isn't bound by calendar years. So I'm trusting Him to introduce this season in His way and time, and I'm poised with my fresh Bible pages, ready to learn.