All My Life He Has Been Faithful

 I watched a video on Facebook last night (I'll probably share it this weekend in the Saturday Six), and of course, when I say, "I watched a video," I mean "I cried all the way through it." In it, I was reminded of just how faithful God is and utterly convicted of just how often I overlook His faithfulness to me.

Ryan and I have been juggling a whole bunch of stuff lately. Some of it is work related, some of it is personal, and some of it is just about wrestling through Satan's mean attacks. The last week, especially, has been one in which we wake up and look only at that day's tasks. We do what needs done for that day and then worry about the next day when it arrives. (Although in fairness, that's what the Bible says to do anyway!)

In every single thing we juggled, it seemed we only found more complications and no answers, no reprieves, no resolutions. 

And then came yesterday. A break in the storm of it all.

God came through in the eleventh (eleven and a half?) hour for a financial need that concerned us. 

He provided a favorable resolution to a situation that was so far out of our control, but we had been begging for favor. 

He provided an answer to a question we needed to know, and in the answer, He provided insight into other questions we had, which offered so much peace of mind. 

He provided calm in a conversation that could have gone MUCH differently. 

So last night, I breathed and thought about all these things. God reminded me of the chorus to the song Goodness of God.

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God.

I don't want to overlook the goodness on any day, but after so many days of feeling suffocated and discouraged in the waiting, I cannot let this day pass without saying in print that it's true: all my life He has been faithful. All my life He has been so, so good. 

He has cared for me in ways I didn't (and in some cases couldn't) know in the moment. 

I am thankful. 

More than 50 First Dates (UPDATE!!!)

I was hunting for a picture yesterday and happened upon this post I wrote back in 2014. I had put together a gift of date ideas for a bridal shower and wrote about some of our experiences with the very suggestions I'd given. It was fun to look back through those and see some of our favorite dates! 

But we've actually done more of the things on the list since I wrote that post (and done some of them again...) so I thought I'd do an update post today, just for fun!

* Build a blanket fort and watch a movie in it. (Still need to do this one.)

* Camp in the living room for a slumber party. We do this one every Christmas Eve, so here's our latest updated photo!)

* Go ice skating. We had not done this the last time I posted about it, but we have now! Only one time - because I was TERRIBLE at it, but it was so much fun - and we had almost the whole rink to ourselves!

* Have a Disney movie marathon. (Not yet!)

* Go sledding. We've done this now! We don't have a picture of us together, but I do have pictures from that day! (No one else was on the hill, so we didn't have anyone to photograph us together.)

* Paint the snow with spray bottles filled with water dyed with food coloring. (Not yet!)

* Play snow football. Paint the snow to look like a field. (Not yet!)

* Make chocolate covered strawberries. And eat them. Well...we've eaten them,, but I don't think we have ever made them yet, so we'll keep this one on the list.

* Drive through town and build a buffet made of dollar menu items. (WHY HAVE WE NOT DONE THIS ONE YET??)

* Have an indoor beach party in the middle of winter. (Not yet!)

* Watch movies on mute and make up your own dialogue. (Not yet!)

* Play "Would You Rather?" I don't think we've done this one since I last posted, other than playing it for blog purposes now and then.

* Fly a kite. YES!! We did that over Lake Michigan a few years ago, and it was so much fun! 

* Walk through the park. Oh my, yes. We've walked through many, many parks throughout the years. 

* Be a tourist in your own hometown; check out the stuff you've never seen. We've lived in three towns now in our marriage, and we've had a lot of fun checking out all the local stuff in each one!! I think one of my favorite Grabill memories was the tree lighting this past winter!

* Take pictures in a photo booth. We did this at Ryan's cousin's wedding, because she had an actual photo booth at her reception! I am not sure where those are, though, so will this count? It's from a work event! (We should have cuddled up more. We were trying not to cover our faces with our signs or our signs with our faces.)

* Have a "power outage" date at home - no electricity allowed! (Not yet!)

* Make a wish list while window shopping. Every time we go to IKEA!!!!! (Which we have not done since we have moved to Grabill!) 

* Have a funny movie night. I don't think I have an pictures from it, but we do enjoy watching a good comedy now and then here - when life has been heavy!

* Write a letter to yourselves in 20 years...hide them and read in due time. (We'd better get on this. At this rate, we're going to be in our mid-sixties by the time we can read them!)

* Go on a photo scavenger hunt. We've done several scavenger hunts through the years, and while this one wasn't a true photo scavenger hunt it was one of the most recent and one of my favorites. It was the Wayne County scavenger hunt that we did on one of our county tours!

* Watch clouds change shape - just like Carl and Ellie in Up. (We NEED to do this one this spring. For the rest alone!)

* Cook family recipes for each other. We haven't done this one quite like it's stated, but we did have a fun date learning to make my mom's candy last Christmas!

* Have a chocolate tasting night. This is SO on our list for when we visit Hershey (which we hope will be our next vacation). I did a chocolate tasting when I went years ago, so if they still have it, I want to do it!

* Go to the driving range. We did mini golf a few times! Does that count? We just did it at Crazy Pinz for a WillowBridge Community Night, and I WON!!!!! (Also - Ryan is not REALLY eating the ball.) 

* Go to the zoo. We've done this a few times over the years - and this past year we went to the Fort Wayne Zoo. It was a fun day! (Why were we so far apart? We were balancing out the letters, I guess.)

* Go hiking at a state park. MANY!!!!!! Our last one was last fall at Chain o' Lakes. Looking forward to a lot more of that this year!

* Have a fire pit date. We haven't done any of these in true date night fashion since moving to WillowBridge- because we share our yard with the tenants, so there isn't much privacy. BUT!! I mean if you count all the times we had fire pit dates on camping trips last summer, we have had a bunch!!

* Plant a perennial for future years' enjoyment. (Maybe someday!)

* Make homemade donuts. (Not yet)

* Have a water gun fight. (Not yet.)

* Go stargazing together. (We need to do this again!)

* Go to a drive-in movie. Yes! We've done this several times throughout our marriage!

* Have breakfast in bed. Have not done this nearly enough. 

* Have a picnic for two in a boat at the lake. (Not yet!)

* Watch fireworks. Yes! Tons of times. But our last July 4th was a total and utter fail. Here's to a better run this year.

* Go up in a hot air balloon. (Not yet.)

* Play Twister. (Not yet.)

* Make a goofy video. (Always!!)

* Watch a sunrise, and then take a nap in the warm sun. I don't think we did the nap part, but we did watch some sunrises on our last cruise. That was fun.

* Go to a Farmer's Market. I don't think we have. We should.

* Watch funny YouTube videos after a bad day. We should also do this more often.

* Go on a garage sale scavenger hunt. (Not yet.)

* Watch a hit movie from the year of your birth. (Not yet.)

* Watch a whole season of a TV show at one time. Not at ONE time, but we have kind of binge-watched a few shorter seasons of shows since we've been here. If we have a long weekend and no plans, it's a fun thing to do.

* Create your own pizza and name it after yourself. (WHY HAVE WE NOT DONE THIS?)

* Go to an apple orchard. Yes! We've done this again since I last posted.

* Go to a pumpkin patch. YES!!! I think our last time to do this was technically a community night, so I'm not sure it counts. 

* Go through a corn maze. YES!

* Have hot chocolate at sunset. (Not yet.)

* Have a fondue night at home. YES! We own our own fondue pot now!

* Rake leaves and jump in. We did this, and I canNOT find the picture right now. We set up the tripod and *SOMEONE* pushed *SOMEONE* in. 

* Play board games. We do this a lot at WillowBridge, but we are more of SkipBo people!

* Have a movie marathon all weekend long. I know we've done it! I don't think I have a picture.

* Put together a puzzle. (Still no.)

* Build a snowman. We did it once. We need to do it again.

* Have an indoor picnic. YES!!!

* Build a gingerbread house. Not well. But yes! Okay so we decorated a gingerbread camper and took pictures. 

* Have s'mores inside over candles. Not yet!

* Drive around looking at Christmas lights. Every year!!!

* Go tubing. Not yet!

* Go to a Christmas tree farm! Yes! Several times!

I'm excited to keep building this list. Let's keep dating, Baby!

Dedication

 I've written before about how grateful I am that my parents chose to have me dedicated to the Lord when I was just a baby. I know different denominations have different traditions in the worlds of infant baptism and infant dedication. Though I have attended a few different denominations of churches in my lifetime, all of them have followed the infant dedication tradition. 

When I was a baby, my parents (and probably my sisters and grandparents, too) stood in front of the church and promised to teach me about the Lord, pray for me, and bring me to church. And then the people of the church promised to support my parents, pray for me, and invest in me as I grew up in the church. 

I've had the privilege of attending baby dedications for several of my friends' children down through the years, and it is always beautiful to see families promising to be intentional about investing in their little ones in this way!

(The above photo is of me with baby James, the last baby whose birth I attended. The lady in the photo with us was the doula for the birth.)

Yesterday, we had the privilege of being invited to the dedications for Tim and Justine's two children. One is a baby, and one is a toddler, and they were dedicating them both. We'd never seen a dedication done quite this way, and while there were pieces of traditional dedication that I missed (like the inclusion of the entire church body), I loved the personalization of the day. 

The church took each participating family (and all extended family and friends) through separately, and we stopped at different stations throughout the church. The first station was to remind the children of how much Jesus loves them. Then there was a part for the parents, then the grandparents, and then the representatives of the church itself promised to care for and invest in the children. It was really very meaningful to hear each part.

(We got a group picture at the end, but it was taken by the church photographer, so I don't have it yet.)

It was really special that they included us along with their family. We were so grateful. We had no idea, when we came to this job, that we would find such a good friendship in this family, and we're so glad it has continued even past their time of working with us! And we are also so glad to see them leading their children before the Lord! 

Sunday Sentiments

 

Well, if you forgot that today was the time change, you might have missed something. But if you still have time to make it...HURRY!! I told my mom I decided not to participate in it this year. ;) 

But while I wait to see if Lexi can figure out the time change, I'll share with you some Sunday thoughts.

Yesterday I had the extreme privilege of speaking at a women's retreat. These kind ladies have invited me back multiple years, and they just pretty much feel like family now. I hadn't seen them since 2019, and I had so much to tell them! SO much has changed in our lives since then! Ryan went along with me to help me serve, as he always does, and we had the best day. 

The retreat was at the lake, and it was 17 degrees outside. I may not have gotten to stroll by the water like I would have chosen, but I sure did appreciate the scenery from the window!

Toward the end of the day, they surprised us with a gift basket, and I wanted to cry sifting through it. For the record, it isn't uncommon for speakers to receive gifts at an event like this. Though I never go into an event with an expectation that I'll receive something, I always treasure what they give. I love looking around our home and remembering the retreats represented by the pieces in our home.

But there was something even extra special about this one.

They'd given us personalized travel mugs and a bag of coffee from a local roaster.

They made us a keychain for Abby - labeled as the Shafferland Shuttle, which is what our sign says that hangs inside the door. AND there was a travel journal for campgrounds we visit.

And there was a handmade scarf from a local vendor - and a sweet bandana for Lexi!

I wanted to cry, because in each of those gifts, I felt seen and loved. I knew they had searched through the blog and social media to see the things I loved the most and they made each one happen for us. They crafted by hand. They shopped in their community. 

It meant so much to me that they would put this much thought into gifts for us. I'm so very thankful for these people and their offering of love through keepsakes.

It's such a simple thing - and it made such a big impact.

Thank you so much, ladies. You blessed my soul this weekend - in so many ways!

The Saturday Six

 

This week I needed a brain break and found myself lost on Pinterest looking at wall art. I found some fun ones and thought I'd share them with you this week!!!

One.

We don't have a proper entryway here at WillowBridge, but we do have an area in the foyer outside our private entrance that has a big blank wall above it. I think this may be how I started down the rabbit trail of wall art that led to this post anyway. I LOVE THIS ONE because it's a verse. There's something about being personally greeted (and having guests greeted) with a verse every time the door opens that is sweet to me. 

Two.

I always love looking at signs for the bathroom, but of course, most of them are a little edgy for me. Too many opportunities for over-the-line jokes, right? But I did like this one. Also, ten thousand points to Ryan for not being a guy who refuses to change the toilet paper!!!! (The only sign I have in our bathroom right now is one Ryan's mom gave me years ago. It says, "Some days are a complete waste of makeup." LOL!! TRUE!)

Three.

Our wall art in our master bedroom is mostly just made up of wordless photos. We have a couple of large prints/canvases from our wedding that sit on our headboard shelf. But not long ago, I saw this idea of having prints above the bedside tables, and I really liked that idea! I think this would be my favorite. It reminds me of The Notebook, so I don't know if it would make me cry to see it every day or not, but I still love it. 

Four.

Back in 2020, we redid our guest room to have an Anne of Green Gables theme, and we brought that theme here with us to WillowBridge. My parents gifted me some Anne scenes in watercolor from an Etsy shop, and I LOVE THEM on the bedroom walls. But then I found this quote and thought it would match with them perfectly!! 

Five.

Maybe it's because I'm all sentimental as we live this tenth year together, but I happen to love these custom pieces of art that spell out wedding song lyrics! We used two really meaningful-to-us songs at our wedding, and I love the idea of having one or both of them displayed in our living room! 

Six.

And finally - isn't this just perfect for a kitchen? Simple, and I love it. 

Sit in the Rocker

It has been a busy week here at WillowBridge. Today marks the end of a 12-day work stretch for us. Rob was over for a bit yesterday and asked how we were doing. I said, "I'm pooped!" He said, "I didn't want to say anything, but you do look tired." I told him we were at the end of our twelve days, and that was past my personal limit. (I've learned I am not worth much after eight days.) 

So take twelve days plus technology glitches plus the usual fires...and I was a little worn out. 

Oh! And I'm speaking tomorrow, so I've been trying to go over my talks multiple times in preparation for the day. 

Yesterday morning, in between visits from two different repair crews, I plopped down in WillowBridge's newly-acquired glider rocker. A sweet lady from the community was cleaning out her house and donating things she no longer used. She told me her grandbabies are all too big to be rocked anymore, so she wanted to donate it where it could be used. We didn't have a rocker for our single-mom apartment, so we gratefully accepted her gift. 

Ryan had picked it up the afternoon before, but our tenant was still clearing a spot for it in her room, so we left it in the Community Room. I figured I should probably test it out first, right? So I sat with my coffee cup and propped my feet up on the gliding ottoman that came with it. 

I didn't stay forever, but I did stay for a while. 

I always forget how calming it is to sit in a rocking chair...until I do it. 

Restful. 

Soothing.

A simple joy in a busy day. 

We actually own a glider (though not the matching ottoman) and because we don't have room for it in our living room, it sits in the office. I don't normally just hang out in the office - and even less so right now, because it's currently Lexi's bedroom, too. But I think I'll be finding a new spot for our glider, because I'm freshly reminded of the joy it can bring.

Hard days are here to stay (that's just the truth of life since the Fall) and I think it is good for us to find the things that bring a moment of rest to our hearts. There really is something to sitting now and then. 

So if your week has overwhelmed you...take a moment this weekend and sit in the rocker. (Or whatever you have.) Just sit. Just sip the coffee and close your eyes.

Just rest. 

Is it Really a Struggle?

 

You know me! I love words so much, and anytime a word can catch my attention in a specific way, I find myself compelled to share what I learned. Today is just such a day.

It's a phrase we say all the time. Or at least I say it all the time. "He really struggles with that." "I really struggle with this." "That's such a struggle for her."

We all know what it means when we say it, right? 

But last week, our co-worker Sean said something that really caught my attention about that phrase and has revolutionized how I think about it. (And it convicted me, too.)

One of our jobs as advocates for our tenants is to know their areas of struggle. We live alongside them and as we get to know them, we begin to recognize the things that create difficulty in their lives. We're here to hold them accountable to overcoming the things that become obstacles for them. It's not always the thing our tenants love most about us, but I can say confidently that the tenants who are truly looking to grow and mature do usually come around to understand that our accountability is for their own good and they eventually appreciate it. 

Sometimes as a team, we'll brainstorm ways to try to help. Could we say this and get the tenant to think differently? What if we tried this incentive? What if we shared examples from our own pasts? We try to think creatively and vulnerably to find anything that will be helpful.

We were in one of those brainstorming sessions when Sean said, "You know, the problem is, this really isn't a struggle for that tenant. It's actually very easy. We'll be gaining some ground when it actually becomes a struggle."

Stop.

It's so true! Sometimes the obstacles we face really are not struggles at all! We are very comfortable in our behavior, even though it's detrimental to us. We aren't struggling at all. We're sailing along doing our thing, and it's so much a part of who we are that we just do it. 

And on the day we see it for what it is and decide we need to make a change, THEN we start to struggle. And that day will be a good day because we have finally started to struggle.

Who knew struggling could be a good thing? 

So it's the question I'm asking myself right now: What things in my life would I perhaps say I struggle with, but I really don't. Not yet. Right now I'm happily and comfortably doing it my way. Where do I need to struggle in order to grow?

I don't know if this steps on your toes, but my GOODNESS, it has stepped on mine! 

They say the struggle is real. Maybe it's not real enough for some of us in certain areas. Maybe the struggle needs to get real so we can move on to growth, healing, and maturity.

Think about it with me?