Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Week

 

Good morning, and happy Sunday! Today is a big day in our household…and I look forward to telling you more about it in a few days! But for today, I want to share some of our most memorable moments from this past week.

Last Sunday afternoon was a total relaxation time, and I drank it up. We’ve had a busy August, and I so looked forward to some Sabbath time. Ryan took this picture of Lexi and me, and I just love it. I love what it represents, I love this little girl, and I love it when Ryan captures us!

I had an extra-long work day on Monday, and I was on the go so much, I didn’t even have the chance to properly document it! But I did capture the sunrise and sunset, both of which were serene. They reminded me that no matter how busy the days might be, the rest of the start and end of the days is a gift.

We had a curtain and curtain rod left from our bedroom overhaul, so Ryan decided to hang them in my bathroom/our laundry room. That window has been empty (aside from a shade) until now. While it hasn’t bothered me that there wasn’t a curtain there, I sure do love how finished it looks with one hanging at the window!

I had a long work meeting with Jonathan this week. We meet every week, and this is basically my training for my job. I always learn a lot, but this week we got into deep discussions about theology and practices and all kinds of things, and it was great! Theology powered by Americanos for the win!

 I’m gearing up to teach Bible study for Growth Groups at our church this fall, and I am so excited about it. I’m excited to learn…and teach! I spent a whole day in the office organizing things for all the groups – and writing lesson plans for my own. Such a teacher nerd.

Ryan gave Lexi a carrot one day this week, and you would have thought he handed her a million dollars. She stood there like this forever, daring either of us to take a step closer to her and her carrot. She is so food-motivated. Cracks me up.

Yesterday was a beautiful day – a much-needed Sabbath rest for me. Guess what we did as part of our day? We went through our memory box from 2024! You know…the activity we always do on January 1? Running a little behind this year. But oh my goodness, going through that box was such a beautiful reminder of what God has done in our lives over the last year and a half. I think it meant even more to us today than it would have if we had done it on time! 😊

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

What a beautifully productive week we have had! Last night I organized things just for fun. (Is that a thing? No? Just me?) I’m so thankful for all I’ve marked off the general to-do list at home, and I have some fun things for you to enjoy today while I…well…probably organize more things.

I haven’t made any of these recipes (yet), but I think they’re worth hanging onto because they are on the cleaner and healthier side of desserts. The peanut butter chocolate truffles…berry crisps with crumb topping…oatmeal bars…and the ice creams…yes, please! (BONUS: I’ve also never made apple butter, but some friends of ours did gift us some recently, and it’s so good! Here’s a recipe for that if you want to try it this year!)

When I hosted the prayer day at church, Ryan suggested I play some soft music in the sanctuary. BRILLIANT suggestion, as silence deafens me. I wanted to find something to play on YouTube that would be quiet and worshipful – and not randomly defaulting to ads. I didn’t want that disrupting anyone as they prayed. I did a search and Josh Snodgrass’s channel popped up. It was perfect. For twelve hours, I listened to worship music and hymns, and it was so calming. I’ll be playing this channel in my office!!!

This house OFFICIALLY wins the prize for most commitment to a theme I have ever seen…ever. Also the most unique theme for a house. Words fail.

Ryan and I have been on an organizing frenzy in our house lately, and it’s been good for us. We both love to organize, so we’re the weirdos who actually look forward to days like this. But for those of you who either don’t like organizing or find it overwhelming, try this approach. Reverse decluttering isn’t a change in what you’re accomplishing, but it does change how you accomplish it, and maybe this way would feel more feasible for you!

The fall capsule wardrobe inspirations are starting to roll out on blogs, and I always find myself drawn to the ones for teachers. I’m not sure if that’s because once upon a time I had hoped to be a teacher or because I dress like one, so teacher capsules feel fitting to me! Either way…maybe you’ll like some of Katie’s ideas! (BONUS: Also – if trends are true, I’m in trouble this fall. None of this is for me.)

The story of our home will always be told through an eclectic grouping of pieces that we have acquired here and there over the years. Our own purchases…pieces from our families…thrifted finds…it’s all in there. I love what we have and don’t want to change it. But I learned earlier this year that my own personal favorite wood for furniture is pine. I don’t think we own a single piece of pine. But I’ve learned I’m always drawn to it. And more specifically, this week, I learned the pine look I love most is scrubbed pine. I didn’t even know it was a thing, but now I do, and the mere knowledge of it makes me happy! (BONUS: Speaking of the story of our home…turns out your front door color tells part of your story too! What does your door’s color say about you?)

Thoughts on Returning to School

 

When I graduated from Indiana Wesleyan in the spring of 2000, I said I was done with school. I had powered my way through 13 years of regular school and four years of undergrad, and I was brain-tired from learning.

                To be truthful, I really didn’t love learning back then. I never learned to love it at any stage through my college graduation. School was something I endured, not something I enjoyed.

                In the last twenty-five years, my perspective on learning has changed. I’ve come to love it, even though I haven’t pursued it in degree-seeking ways over those years. I’ve taken classes online, read books, and signed up for workshops and courses here and there.

                And now, in the next few days, I’ll be returning to school officially. I cleaned off my learning desk (not to be confused with my working desk) in the spare room. I printed my acceptance letter and first schedule and hung them up over my desk. In my best handwriting, I started writing in my journal that I purchased to capture my heart-lessons. I set up my profile on the school’s portal page.

                I hope my mind is limber enough to think deeply and absorb life lessons about things like theology and ancient languages. I hope my calendar is clear enough to sit with reading and assignments. I hope the ideas flow freely when they need to.

                Someone asked me the other day if I’m excited or nervous.

                Yes.

                I’m excited to learn. I’m excited to do something I never thought I would do in my lifetime. I’m excited to see what God teaches me – academically and spiritually – along the way.

                I’m nervous that it will be a deeper struggle than I can imagine. I’m nervous that I won’t be able to conquer the language study.

                Every adventure should contain a little excitement and a little healthy anxiety, right? Balance.

                Here’s to a great start!

Before and Improved

 

Houses, like people, have before pictures, but never an after. They are all…we are all…works in progress. Hopefully, in both cases, always moving toward growth and improvement.

                When we found this little gem on the lake, the bedroom we chose to be ours was a very different space than it is today. It was dark brown with tiny windows, heavy lace, and thick doors on the closet.

                We worked hard before moving in and tried to make it lighter, brighter, and cozier. And I think we accomplished it.

                Back when we bought the house, the seller told us his dreams for the house, and they included putting sliding glass doors in this bedroom and building a balcony off the side of the house. That idea intrigued us, but we decided we didn’t want to invest in the cost of the balcony. Without that, the sliding glass doors were pointless, but we did like the idea of a bigger window that would make the room brighter and allow us to see the lake better.

                So this summer, while we had some work done on the house, we made the window switch. We kept the window that came out of this space and used it to replace a damaged one elsewhere on the house. And when this new picture window went in, we realized why they called it a picture window. What a beautiful picture it painted!

                We had curtains left from our Bluffton house (which had more windows), so we were able to install those around the window. We shopped the house to bring furniture from other rooms to fit this space better than what had been here. And we used the time to reorganize our closets, drawers, and shelves.

                We also took the opportunity to update our bed cover. The previous one had taken a bit of a beating from a geriatric cat and playful puppy. We kept it to use as a spare blanket, but we brought in a new, brighter quilt. We added a bed skirt for a more polished look, and I donated some of our pillows while thrifting some plain blue ones that felt like they fit the room well.

                We love these changes. The space is even cozier yet. We plan to enjoy it for years to come, and one day, we’ll paint or change up the pillows or hang a picture or something else that brings us to a new version of the space. Because there is never an after. Just improvement.

Eliminating Hurry

 

One of the books I’ve read this month is John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. I’ll tell you more about the book later this month, but today I want to share a quote from the book that stuck with me.

                “The goal isn’t just to declutter your closet or garage but to declutter your life. To clear away the myriad of distractions that ratchet up our anxiety, feed us an endless stream of mind-numbing drivel, and anesthetize us to what really matters.”

                Strong words, but they hold meaning.

                Ryan and I have done a good job (at least in my opinion) in recent years of decluttering our house. A bunch of moves will do that to you. So will moving into a smaller house. We’re still in the process of carefully combing through our possessions and letting go of the things that don’t hold deep meaning for us.

                But that’s just the stuff.

                There’s still the life.

                And that’s the part we are working on pretty intentionally right now.

                We are working to evaluate the things we commit to before we say yes. Are we saying yes because we feel obligated? Guilty? Or do we really want to say yes? Are we filling our days with distractions and busyness? Are we always doing and never being?

                Empty squares on the calendar are okay. They are great, in fact. Nights at home are okay. (Great, in fact!) Naps are okay. (They’re great, actually.)

                And so we begin the process of eliminating hurry – ruthlessly – by decluttering life. I’ve been thankful for a more-decluttered-than-usual summer, and we’re doing our best to keep moving in that direction.

                We have much to learn about this. But less really can be more. Less busyness. Fewer commitments. More quiet. 

Back to School Day of Prayer

 

It’s been almost one week since the Back to School Day of Prayer at our church. God put the idea on my heart several weeks ago, and I wrote it on a scrap of paper. I remembered, years ago, reading on Kelly Stamps’ blog about how she and her friends would gather to cry and pray after sending their kids off to kindergarten.

                I thought about stories I’ve heard about the challenges of school years – for students and teachers alike – and I thought about the great need to saturate the year in prayer.

                So we put together a day where the church sanctuary would be open from 7 in the morning until 7 at night, and anyone from the church could come and go as they pleased to pray for as long as they wished. We also had cards with the first names of our students and our teachers, so people could adopt a name to pray over for the year.

                By the time the day ended, each name had been prayed over, but what I want to share with you today has little to do with that part of the adventure.

                It has everything to do with what God did in my own heart.

                I was there for all twelve of those hours. I made a little nest over in the corner of the sanctuary, and for a portion of the day, I read, studied, and did a little work. But for the majority of the day, I sat and prayed. And listened. I did a lot of listening.

                Soft worship music played in the background, and I simply…sat.

                I realized, several hours in, that I’ve not done this before. I have never just camped out in a sanctuary for hours on end to pray. I haven’t listened for that long before.

                We don’t do it, you know. Most of us, anyway. We five-minute-pray and rush through everything in our day. We don’t take time to sit and pray. It takes too much of our time, and we aren’t willing to spare it.

                I felt great sadness about that – for myself and for those around me. I wondered what we are all missing out on, not because we don’t pause for prayer, but because the only thing we do is pause for prayer. We never stop and linger.

                That day in the sanctuary, I prayed for many students and many teachers. I prayed for those who came to pray. But I also prayed for our people as a whole. For myself and our whole congregation. What could life be like if we fully embraced the power of prayer? What would life be like if we sat still for extended periods of time and really listened?

                I think our lives would transform if we all took a full day – an extra full day – multiple times a year to simply sit and listen. Can you imagine if we took the time?

When Friends Come to Visit...

 

                God has been teaching me many things this year. Some lessons seem to take root more easily than others, but I’m learning, just the same.

                One of the lessons that I continue to wrestle with is how to manage my/our time when it comes to others’ expectations. We’re both really good managers of our time. We know how to be productive, and we know how to rest. But we both struggle when we sense that other people have expectations of how we should spend our time…and those expectations don’t always match our own.

                We are learning that it’s not only okay…but it’s necessary…to have time at home. Lots of time at home. I have so much more to write about this, but I need to learn it a bit more fully before I try to share it.

                But we have been intentional this summer about being home, and because we have, some of our friends have been able to come see us. What a gift that has been! There are so many more I hope will be able to come, but for the ones who have so far, we have been grateful.

                Saturday afternoon, some friends from the Kokomo area came to see us, and we were thrilled they were willing to make the drive. It had been a couple of years since we saw them, though I’m thankful for the gift of emails, texts, and social media that keep us caught up on each other.

                Saturday was hot, but we sat on the patio for a while, rocking, enjoying the boost of air that the fan gave us, and watching the quiet lake while we caught up. We headed out for a boat ride, and Ryan drove as fast as our little lake’s speed limit would allow just to stir up enough of a breeze to allow us to breathe in the heat and humidity.

                Lexi lived her best life, running from one to the next, offering hugs and licks.

                We moved the party to the living room so we could take advantage of the air conditioning, and then we gathered around the table for dinner.

                It wasn’t an elaborate meal, but it was tasty! We kept the conversation going while we ate, and then it was time to take group pictures and say goodbye – with many hugs.

                These are my favorite gatherings. They aren’t Pinteresty. They aren’t fancy. They’re just hanging out on the patio, taking some laps around the lake, and lots of talking with a little bit of eating. But I’ve learned to find great joy in that kind of simple.

                I’m glad we were home so they could come to visit. I’m glad they were willing to make the long drive. I’m glad we could catch up. And I’m glad for friendship.

Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Week

 

Good morning! Hope you have had a good week, friends. We’ve had a full week over here, but we have made some good, good memories along the way. I looked back over the pictures we took this week and realized last Sunday seems roughly 150 years ago now. I guess the week was fuller than I realized! But here are some of the most significant memories from the week:

Last Sunday was just a sweet, sweet day. After church, we were able to be home for the entire afternoon and evening, and we soaked up everything about a beautiful summer day. We sat outside on the patio, we went for a boat ride, we napped…it was the best day. Why do people not celebrate these kinds of days more often? We should.

Ryan took Monday off work to catch up on things around the house, so I worked from home to be able to spend time with him. I did take a break mid-afternoon to go on a fun little date with him. We rode our bikes down the trail and enjoyed a nice, cool afternoon!

While I don’t imagine that most of you would find an evening of organizing the house to be a significant positive memory, we do! We had a whole night of that this week, and as we discussed later, just getting the house put in order gave us great, great joy.

I spent a whole day in our church sanctuary praying over the coming school year and the students and educators in our church. I learned so many things from that time of prayer, and it was a significant day for my heart!

Ryan was SO EXCITED that preseason football returned this week! He and Lexi had fun watching the first Colts game, and I was happy for him that his version of Hallmark Christmas movies has returned!

I had to work late one evening, and Ryan so sweetly did the grocery shopping to help me out. He came home with roses for me! So beautiful. I love flowers – and when they’re a surprise – even better!

We rounded out the week with a big Saturday: our church’s back to school bash in the morning (where Ryan served snow cones and I took pictures) and then we welcomed friends in the afternoon! John, Sandee, and Kari came to visit and had dinner with us! It had been way too long since we saw them!

                Here’s to a sweet week ahead!

Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

                Today is a big, fun, full day, and I’m looking forward to it! we have several plans and even though I’ll probably be a sweaty, smelly mess by the time the day ends, I’m looking forward to a good day. And hopefully some of these fun finds will help you have a few good moments in your day, too!

Ever wish you could live more simply? This piece offers ideas for how you can do just that. Slow down, read, and maybe you can find a thing or two to put into practice!

I adored Andrea’s post about all the things she has thrifted for her kitchen. I am getting better about finding things I actually want and need for our kitchen – all secondhand. I went through some seasons where everything had to be brand new, latest, and greatest, so this is a sort of freedom and relief for me! I love seeing how others make it work in their homes. (BONUS: If you just like reading thrifting hauls, this one has some intriguing finds in strawberry and nautical themes!)

This house in Arizona is just as cute as it can be. It popped up on the “For the Love of Old Houses” Facebook page this week. I love that page for finding cute homes, but I’ve had to start looking at the pictures on Zillow instead of the Facebook page, because people are SO MEAN about the houses! This one is pink, which might not be everyone’s personal choice for an exterior color (though the car in the last picture is also pink, so it must be the owner’s favorite!) but the house is ADORABLE. The arched doorways and cottage feel…even the heart shaped dough bowl on the island…so cute. I really enjoyed my virtual tour! (BONUS: If you have a little under five million to spare, maybe this house would be your jam? It’s adorable too…and the arched doors are just perfection.

This hasn’t been my best garden year, though I am sure it could have been worse. Our really cold May followed by our breathtakingly scorching July and construction workers setting up ladders in the garden didn’t exactly provide a trifecta of goodness for me. I’m not discouraged. I know not every year can be the best. I’m working through some mental plans for next year that I hope will make things better, though I know the weather is out of my control. But THIS garden up in Prince Edward Island…whoa. I am impressed each year by her skills and the sheer size of her garden (which is meant to provide for a very large family for a whole winter). It’s so pretty.

I’ve been following a Facebook page called “The Best Cookie Community,” because cookie pictures make me happy. I saw a post a few days ago from a woman who had made a cookie table for her daughter’s wedding. She said, “I’m not a baker, and the groom’s family is not from the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, so they had no idea what a cookie table is about…I had 29 different flavors of cookies, with a grand total of 4,722 cookies.” WHAT!? If I knew about cookie tables, I’d forgotten, so I read about this longstanding tradition here. Impressive indeed, and I can absolutely get on board with this idea. (BONUS: If you scroll to the end of that post, there are links to just over two dozen other posts that can teach you all you need to know about the Cookie Table!)

A few days ago, I wrote a post about my own college dorm rooms (of yore, obviously) and how wildly different they are from today’s super cute rooms. That entire post was inspired by Brendt, who wrote about sending her daughters off to college and decorating their rooms. She posted about dorm rooms again this week and had adorable inspiration! I’m sharing it here, in part, in case you are sending someone off to school this year or soon, but let’s be honest: I would live in this room myself! So if YOU need some room inspiration, here you go!