Happy Birthday, Husband!

Today is a big day in Shafferland.

Ryan turns 35.

And for something to the tune of 3 weeks, we're the same age again.

He THINKS today's blog is about Easter. He proofread it. :) But I've just saved that one back for tomorrow, and TODAY is HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR HUSBAND day on the blog!

Thirty-five years ago, Ryan Shaffer showed up in the world, and he began living out a great story already written for him by God. I was all of a year old and none the wiser.

{About Ryan, that is. I was also probably actually none. the. wiser. in. general.}

Ryan was a darling little boy. Couldn't you just squeeze him?

He's the tall one.

And then he got older. Can you guess which one he is in this picture?

Everyone at my work guessed the boy in the striped tie and suspenders. You know. The one with a wide open mouth? That would actually be a very good guess, but it would also be very wrong. He is the one in the back row on the left with a blue shirt...corralling the girl in front of him.

And then he grew up some more and we actually knew each other at this stage...but alas, I was a wallflower, and as you can see, HE WAS NOT.

Yeah. Letter jacket. Back row.

After this, a whole lotta years went by, and then one day...

A first date.

And whole new life for both of us.

That's when his life story...the one begun all those years ago even before the toddler dress pants and jammie tops...intersected with mine.

And on a day like that first day, this man huddled with me under a bridge in a wild thunder and lightning storm, while we corralled a paddle boat and I was scared out of my ever loving mind - and he prayed for us. For our safety.

And even though he was on a date with a girl who should be long past being afraid of thunderstorms, he didn't run. He stayed and he kept leading and bringing adventure to me.

Adventures that made me brave enough to try things I'd never tried before. Like completing a 10K. In one piece.

And he ran that with me. Even though he could have done it twice as fast on his own, he showed me love by running beside me...just like he stays by my side each day now.

And a week later:

Our life stories intersected permanently.

Ryan, I'm so thankful for your life. Thankful for your parents, your step-parents, your grandparents, your host of siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends - who made you who you are today. Thankful for the integrity with which you live your life. Thankful that even this many years into the story, I get to be part of your every day.

I'm thankful for every crazy wonderful thing we have done...from this:

to this:

...and everything in between.

It has been a great joy, these past six weeks, to peek over your shoulder as you opened all the cards people sent you. To read their thoughts and memories and what they love about you. YOU are a treasure to everyone you know.

And most of all, to me.

Happy, happy, HAPPY birthday, my Love!

You are still the answer to my greatest earthly prayer. I choose you every day. Thanks for choosing me back.

Today I celebrate YOU.

Wednesdays in the Word: Verse K

Today's verse is a hard one. Not necessarily hard to memorize, if you're memorizing, because it's not terribly long. But the invitation it provides is a hard one.

Here's the thing about sin: it's attractive to the person participating.

It just is.

We want to think, when we study what constitutes sin, that we would run from it...screaming. We want to think we would find it so awful...so repulsive...so foul...that we would just run.

I remember back in my early, early college days, when some of my friends were playing with boundaries that many young adults play with as they experience freedom for the first time. I remember vehemently journaling that I was absolutely APPALLED that they would even consider glancing in the direction of the behavior, much less walking toward it. Did they know NOTHING???

And yet I confess that as time went along, some of those same temptations came my way, and suddenly I got it. I understood their draw to it. It had become attractive to me, too, and turning my head was so hard.

So here's the thing about this verse...I'm sure it is a sweet offering in the ears of God when He hears one of His children ask to be kept from sin. When He looks at a soul He loves and knows that soul wants to live honorably by resisting sin that seems so attractive...how much that must warm His heart!

But at the same time...to say to God, Please keep me from sin...don't let it rule me...we truly have no idea what we're asking. Inviting God to do that kind of pruning work is a hard request. Usually He doesn't just remove us entirely from the temptation...but He sustains us in it. It's a soul-workout.

It's hard. But God is bigger than a hard task. If you invite Him to work, He will equip you for the task. He will. And the reward of allowing God to have dominion in your life rather than sin...is so worth it.

Mother/Daughter Brunch at Eastgate Community

Two weekends ago, I had the privilege of speaking at Eastgate Community Church in Marion...for their mother/daughter brunch. I was invited to speak by my friend Christy, whose brother was my co-worker way back in 1996 when I got my very first job out of high school.

The theme for the day was simplicity - which actually made me giggle. Me? Simplicity? Surely they had the wrong girl. But I asked God to show me what He had for me...and He led me to Psalm 63. So I began to prepare and think about what to say to this group of women...mostly strangers to me.

When I arrived, they had the sanctuary repurposed as their gathering room for the day...

...with darling little centerpieces...

Lunch was so good. Wraps and fruit and some lemon dessert that I could have eaten in a 9x13 serving.

Christy and her friend Mary sang a duet before I got up to speak....

And then Christy's mom, Rhonda, got up to introduce me.

She said 18 years ago, her son called to tell her there was a new girl at work and he thought she'd like me. {How has it been 18 years??} She said she didn't think too much about it...but then two weeks later, she met me...at her son's viewing. She said many people came through line that day, but she remembered me...and not long after, we met and became friends.

She told the ladies how I used to send her flowers and cards around his birthday and the date of his death...and by that time, I was crying.

Sigh. How to begin speaking when I'm in tears?

I so appreciated what she had to say - and just HER!!

She also promised them I'd be funny, so I had to hope I really would be. Gulp!!!!

 They were such a sweet and attentive bunch. Really helped to calm my nerves!

 First time I've ever worn shoes to speak. I'm always too nervous and take them off.

 My visuals. Such a teacher wannabe.

 And my "I look like I'm singing" photo. HA! No singing.

I got through the whole thing and was thankful for a great group of women to share the day with!!!

And for the record, here's sweet Rhonda. Thankful for her!

Scavenger Hunt Date in the Park

I've been so busy telling you about our house and how it came to be ours...that I've completely neglected the happenings of Shafferland! So howsabout I catch you up?

A couple of weekends ago, we were promised a gorgeous Friday, so I planned a fun little date for that night! At work, I'd come across a pin for a park scavenger hunt, so I printed that out...and we set out for the park we love so much!

While I was still at work, I sent this photo to Ryan:

We started out at the B&K hot dog stand...where we loaded up on dogs, fries, and root beer...so we could start our date with a picnic!

{Side note: there was a father/daughter dance happening in the little community center at the park, so we were surrounded by dads in suits trying to remember to document well on phones...and little girls with curly hair and poofy dresses running and screaming in delight. We were woefully under-dressed for the occasion.}

After we ate...we set out in search of all the things required by the hunt! Of course, we took pictures of them all, and I realize it would be 82 kinds of boring to show you every single picture, so I'll just show you some of the funnier ones.

 We had to find the letter S, so Ryan leaned in to point to it. That's when he discovered the mulch was quite fresh. Whoopsie!!

 We were supposed to find something that smelled good. Sadly, nothing was in bloom, so we just took a photo in honor of what would EVENTUALLY smell good.

 For the item of being "in" something, Ryan climbed up INTO the playground equipment. Of course, doing that meant he had to get down somehow.

 Something with feathers. Trying not to disturb the little duckie.

 This was our something yellow. Ryan was trying to do a discreet questionable look, since it was a hydrant. I thought he was pondering what he was going to do, so I was waiting to take the picture. We took so long that a really nice guy walking by asked if we wanted our picture taken together. We wondered if he thought we were wackadoodle...if we wanted our picture taken WITH a hydrant?!?!

 Something you use to play sports. Not sure disc golf counts as a sport, but it did for us!!

 Something filled with air...we borrowed the balloons for the daddy/daughter dance. :)

It was a perfect night, capped off with a trip to {shockingly} Starbucks!!

The Shafferland Shuffle

HAPPY EASTER!!! So excited for Easter Sunday...hope you have a great day!! Here's a peek into life in Shafferland this last week.

* Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, and I admit to getting a little lump in my throat watching the kiddos parade through the sanctuary with their palm branches. After church, Ryan and I smelled grilling...so then of course WE had to grill burgers for lunch. Ahhhh the power of suggestion. :) And that evening we went out for a walk, and then it was time for our beautiful weekend to end. :(

* Monday was {again...what is up with Mondays??} a cold, rainy day, so after work, we did our workout at home and then we rested for the rest of the night. I discovered {YIPPEE!!!} that I am one star away from gold at Starbucks, so that was photo-worthy. We watched Forrest Gump, which marks - are you ready for this??? - the first time I've ever seen that movie. And I ended the day by writing in a brand new journal! A good evening at home together!

 * Tuesday, we woke up to a snow-covered ground. Ummmmm APRIL?!? Despite the snow, it really was a GORGEOUS day, and I had been so looking forward to it, because that night was the Easter Pageant, and I was so eager to have Ryan experience that with me. It was SO STRANGE to attend it rather than be part of it, but it was a great part of our Easter week. {Confession: I did not take pictures during the performance so I could just soak it up, so the picture of that is from the Easter Pageant Facebook Page.}

* Wednesday, Lynne and I had the privilege of being shadowed by a high school freshman named Natalya. She was LOVELY! I really enjoyed spending the day with her and letting her peek into what we do! We took her for lunch at Shigs in Pit, which is a FABULOUS BBQ place in Fort Wayne. That evening, Ryan and I went for a bit of a frigid run and I made strawberry shortcake for us at home! Know what's disappointing? Not realizing you were out of whipped cream before you made the shortcake.

 * Thursday evening was work-at-the-house-for-sale night, so we packed a picnic dinner and headed over to do some painting. We started out with a run, and on our way back, I found a tree in bloom!! I was ridiculously excited and stopped the run to take a picture. We worked on painting trim on the shed and garage - and got quite a bit done! Stinks to have to be a responsible adult, but it was a good night.

* Friday was Good Friday, and since Ryan works in health care, he didn't get any sort of break. :( I only had to work a half day, so at noon, I swung by McDonald's with my friend Amy for a quick lunch, treated myself to a frappe and headed home! I spent the first part of the afternoon securing Ryan's Easter and birthday presents and then hunkered down to scrapbook and actually finished a book!! When Ryan got home, we watched a movie and then went for a walk through the eerily quiet campus - but I was mostly excited to find REAL LEAVES ON TREES!!!! Combine that with the baby lilacs I found earlier in the day, and it really, really, really feels like spring!

 * Yesterday was a long....long...day. We started out shopping for my Easter dress. Yes. I waited until the day before Easter to shop for a dress. I'm an idiot. After MUCH frustration, we found one that works! :) We grabbed lunch at Chipotle and then went to the house we have on the market to do more painting. Ryan was up on the roof for a while, and his mom and I worked to repaint the front porch. It looks so cottage-y now!

The Saturday Six

One.

This song by Phillips, Craig and Dean has been out for a few weeks, but this week I really heard the words for the first time. I remember when my heart beat again for the first time after feeling dead for so long. Thankful for redemption.
Two.

Source

Excited to see this news on the Planner Perfect blog...Jenny Penton has her Planner Perfect pages available on Etsy now! I interviewed her several months ago on Mid-Morning and really like her philosophy on planning/organizing a day. And her pages are just stinking cute!

Three.

I co-blog over at the Mid-Morning blog, along with Lynne. This week, we gave the blog a facelift, using one of the pictures from our recent photo shoot! I really love the new look - check it out and see some of Lynne's writing while you're there!

Four.

Source

I loved this post about kitchens through the years. The retro table in the first kitchen reminds me of the one we had at our house when I was growing up. Goodness how kitchens have changed!! Still one of my favorite rooms in the house when I think about redecorating. {Not ours. We just did ours. I love it.}

Five.

Source

I appreciated this post about photography...last year I took a picture every day to use on the Shafferland Shuffle {and in my scrapbooks} and this year it's a 3-picture collage each day. I sometimes struggle to see things in a fresh way, so this was helpful!

Six.

 

Source

This just made me laugh. I love her wit about not hitting "big blogger" status...and I think it's funny because while I love this blog just like it is, I sometimes think, Man now that our wedding is over and we're not having kids and all Braeya does is sleep...do I have a niche? Thanks for hanging out with me even though I write mostly about my lunch and the success or failure of that day's commute. 

New Traditions

For many years {and I mean many years}, Marion has had a community Easter Pageant. It started back in the 30's and was a way for people from all denominations across the community to come together to tell the story of the Cross. I was in it for the first time when I was two, and it was a way of life for me until about 10 years ago, when they had to stop doing it because the building where it was held was condemned. All the sets and props had been built for that building, so they couldn't hold it anywhere else.

The YMCA bought the building and restored it - and this year was the first year the Pageant came back with full drama. For a few years, they've showed a video of it at Easter, but this year it was real again.

I was so excited to go - so excited to share with Ryan this play that had meant so much to me for so many years.

I should add that the Pageant is told entirely in song. No spoken words. The cast of actors tells the story with actions while a choir and orchestra tell the story with song.

Before we went, I'd heard a rumor that they'd made some changes this year. Some songs had been replaced by new ones, and others had been added. And I heard some of the drama had been changed.

It. Made. Me. So. Nervous.

I'm a purist and traditionalist about stuff like the Pageant. Don't mess with it. It's my history.

Ahhh....didn't I just blog about that kind of thing this week when I said I had to learn {back in the day} to let this house be mine in the present rather than a recreation of Grandma and Grandpa's in the past?

I'm a slow learner.

Tuesday night came, and I waited in the frigid outside for over an hour to get in...and I found a perch at the top of the bleachers and waited for it to begin.

The first strains of familiar music played and I knowingly tapped my foot and mouthed along with the words I knew so well. I pointed out things to Ryan that flooded back to me while we watched...

...and then the music changed.

I caught my breath, but I waited...and...I liked it. The songs they put in...fit. They told the story. And I cried. I cried because the new way was not only as good as the old way, but it was...gulp...better. It was a fresh perspective on what I knew. And I loved it.

The Marion Easter Pageant Facebook page had some great pictures from dress rehearsal, and I am borrowing them to show you some of my favorite parts and how God made His Sacrifice new to my heart this year:

I loved the way the Christus {the name used for Jesus in this play} interacted with the people. He wasn't stiff and distant...he hugged them and looked them right in the eye and smiled at them. I think Jesus really would have done all those things, and I loved the reminder of it.

They added the forgiving of the woman caught in adultery, and I loved that change. To see her thrown down in front of him...and the way he crouched down and looked her in the eye before writing in the dirt and sending her on her way with the admonition to leave her life of sin...was moving. {Tears.}

He lifted a lifeless body up and raised her back to life...never thought about what it would have been like to watch that miracle take place in real life. So moving.

This particular scene wasn't new or done much differently from what I remember, but the music was so moving. I loved it.

In all the years I was in it, the crucifixion scene was done using a backdrop of crosses. To see an actual PERSON shaking on a cross made this new and deeply touching. And all the while this was taking place, a choir of angels stood to the side and sang a new song called "Oh God, He's Dying..." and when the darkness took over and the thunder blared, they huddled with their faces hidden. Heaven grieving...a powerful thing.

And then to see his body taken down...I can't even imagine what it would have been like to be there and see that take place.

This is the way the Pageant used to end...the women at the tomb and the angel...and the words of Christ the Lord is Risen Today....

This time, the Christus came back...and the angel choir gathered around and sang. I loved the ending focus on a RISEN Lord!

So thankful God kept my heart open to receive a new tradition...and so thankful for the reminder of what He did for me!

Home

I think today will conclude this little mini-series I've been writing about our home. Really appreciate you reading along!

In 2012, one hundred twelve years after some man I don't know had a dream to build a house...seventy-seven years after my grandparents moved in...and twelve years after I moved in, this house got a new name.

It ceased just being Bekahland and became...Shafferland.

When Ryan and I got married, he owned a home and I owned this one, and we chose to live here for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was its almost-halfway-between-two-jobs location.

He moved in to Shafferland, but he also moved in to project-land. So many things needed updated and fixed and...well...helped.

And for the last {almost} year, we've worked so hard on this place. We redid the kitchen, two bathrooms, the carpet in the main living areas, created an outside living space and replaced the plumbing. We added shutters and began landscaping.


It's been a year of hard work and long, frustrating, inconvenient days, but looking around...I'm so happy to see what we've done. Not only does it look better...but it's ours. It's home. I tell Ryan over and over that I wish Grandma and Grandpa could see this place, because I know they would love it. They would love the way we love this house...and they would love the cozy place it's become.

We love coming home. We love resting in this place we've worked hard together to make our own.

People ask us a lot of questions...and I think the only thing that comes close to the most popular question {when are you having kids?} is So.....what's going on with the housing situation? Are you moving to Fort Wayne? What's happening?

Are you ready for the answer? Here it is:

We have no idea.

True story! We have spent hours working through all conceivable {and a handful of inconceivable} scenarios, and we are not sure what's next for us.

But this I can tell you, without a doubt.

If we stay here in this house...forever...what a legacy that will be! To be able to trace the story back to the box-on-bricks beginning like I've done for you...and then recount the memories yet to be made...spectacular! To carry on the legacy of my grandparents would be an honor. We have big dreams for this place that would be such fun to put into place. If we stay...it will be grand. It will be a joy in every way.

If we move out of this house and into another one...then this house will be one of the most treasured memories of my life. It will always be the place where I wrote my book...and where God carried me through my darkest season. It will always be the place where Ryan came to ask me to pray about a future together. It will be the place we came home to after our honeymoon, where we spent our first Christmas, and where we learned to be a team. It will always be the place that we made our home.

But for as much as I love it...as much as we love it...and we so, so do, we also know, it's just a house.

We are the home. Wherever this man I love so much sits beside me and holds me close is home.