Embassy Festival of Trees

Since I don't live in Fort Wayne, there are still a lot of traditions I'm learning about - and maybe if Ryan and I ever get to move there in our natural lives, we'll get to make some of those traditions our traditions. This year, Lynne invited me to go with her to the Embassy Festival of Trees, which was pretty much my happy place.

If you're not from the area or have just never been and don't know what it is...it's a 30 year traditional fundraiser to support the historic Embassy Theater in downtown Fort Wayne. This year there are 58 trees of all sizes, decorated to the hilt with a wide variety of themes, decking the halls of the building. Businesses and individuals sponsor and decorate the trees...and it is a blast to walk through and see them all! So. Many. Trees.

WBCL sponsors a tree each year, and this year, ours was decorated by our very own Cindy Scheumann. Our theme was based on the children's book by Lisa Tawn Bergren, called God Gave Us Christmas. Our Lynne and Larry Bower {our news director} recorded the story and our Ron Schneeman did a fabulous job producing it with original music and the whole bit. The story plays on a loop near the tree, so when you visit, you can pause and hear the story while you enjoy the tree!

Want to see our tree?

I think the whole crew did a great job making a memorable tree that portrays God's love for us!!

Thought I would show you some of my other favorite trees, too!

This one had a "Back to the 80's" theme and was all things Neon!

Genius idea from Kraft Moving and Storage:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Tree...SO CUTE!!!

I loved this one and hope to someday incorporate this idea in the tree we have with ornaments from our travels:

And I won't lie...I loved the gorgeous theater:

So that was the Festival of Trees! A fantastic, fun evening...if you're around Fort Wayne and have time to go before it ends on December 3...GO!!!!

And thanks, Lisa, for letting us feature your book!!

Thankfulness, Part 2

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! I know for some of you, this day is going to be a lot of fun with food, family, and friends, and for others of you, today is a day that brings up memories you'd rather forget and pain you'd rather not feel. Regardless of which camp you fall into, I pray God will meet you in a special way today and that your heart finds a way to be thankful!!!

Today I'm continuing the list I began yesterday - the top 20 things I'm thankful for this year!

11. YOU...my dear blogaroo readers.

I really need a big picture of all of you right here, so just imagine it! :) This year I had the opportunity to mail out a few copies of my book to some of you who have become friends through this space. Some of you I've met in real life and some I have not, but I'm really grateful for all of you who leave comments and take time to get to know me and allow me to get to know you as well. Writing is my love, and this blog is, in part, a chronicle for me, but it's a JOY to me that so many of you have hopped on board and read along and care about us and pray for us, and that's just a massive bonus. Thanks for blessing me every day of the year. I am thankful for you!

12. Warm home that IS home.

 I've had the blessing of always...all my life...having a bed of my own, clothes to wear, more than enough {!!!} food to eat, reliable{ish} cars to drive, and no worries of where any of those things are going to come from. I know that is not the case for everyone. I'm so grateful, in these chilly first days of winter, that I can come home at night and sit by a fire and cuddle under a blanket and sleep in a bed with a heated mattress pad. And not only do I have a house...I have a home. A place that feels not only comfortable, but comforting. So, so grateful.

13. Safety on commutes.

 When I took my job at WBCL 3 1/2 years ago, I put my house on the market immediately and fully anticipated...expected, really...that I would be a Fort Wayne-r by winter. I had no idea I would still be commuting and hour each way 3 1/2 years later. {Blissful ignorance. Probably wouldn't have been brave enough to say yes to the job if I'd known.} The girl who hates to drive became a professional {ha!!} driver, and in the time I've been on the road, I've watched cars lose control, I've seen slide-offs, I've seen collisions, I've seen rollovers and more. I'm so grateful that God has protected me from impaired and distracted drivers, from deer, and probably for a host of things I do not even know.  And in the 2 years we've been married, Ryan's had safe commutes as well - and for this, I am intensely grateful.

14. Health.

Sounds crazy cliche, but this year, I've discovered some of my friends - my same age friends - have serious, life changing health problems. Some are permanent. Some don't know if they'll deal with this stuff permanently or not. But it breaks my heart.  And I have other friends whose kids are dealing with life altering and sometimes life-ending issues. Sometimes I cannot even wrap my mind around it. I have no idea why I have my health when others do not, but I am grateful for what I have at this time in my life.

15. Fun.

I am so thankful for the amount of fun Ryan and I get to have together. I think more than anything else, we hear from others that we seem to have fun together, and I can assure you, it's not just a "seem" thing...it's true! We have a blast! We laugh hard, we play often, and we try to make any and every activity - clear down to grocery shopping - as much fun as we can. I don't take it for granted that this much joy has entered my life along with Ryan!

16. Our Wedding.

How was this our wedding??? Seriously?? I look back on this day - almost two years ago now - and am stunned that I had the opportunity to have such a dream day. Not only that we were able to make the trip to Florida, but that so many of our family members were able to come too, and that the day was all I ever could have hoped for. I look at our pictures and I sit in awe. God redeemed in a big way on this day by giving me a once-in-a-lifetime dream.

17. My Job.

 If you had told me, five years ago, that I would get married on a beach, I wouldn't have believed you - but I also wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me I would work at WBCL! I love what I do, and I'm grateful for the chance to do life with the same people I grew up listening to. Thankful for the investment they have made in my life and thankful for a chance to do a job that's not just a job. It's ministry!

18. Our church. 

When Ryan and I felt the tug to find a new church home after we got married, we dreaded it. We picked a church that was big, hoping we could get lost in it for a while - and one day we would find our forever home. But this church has unexpectedly opened its arms and welcomed us in and made us family. It's been a beautiful year of finding our place, and I'm thankful for the unexpected blessing.

19. BLT.

 When Lynne came up with this idea just over two years ago, we had no idea what a treasure it was going to become to the two of us and to those who like to hang out with us. This is one of my favorite things of each week. Thankful for Lynne and the chance to share the airwaves with her every Thursday!

20. Tears.

We actually had our BLT show a day early this week, and we heard all kinds of thankfulness from our listeners. One of you said you're thankful for tears, because without emotion, you would be cold and unfeeling inside, and you don't want to be that. YES. OH YES!!! It's no secret I love me some clean tear ducts, but I agree. To cry means I haven't lost all feeling in my heart, and I'm glad for that.

So that's a sampling of what I'm grateful for this year. Also grateful for FOOD...and I'll be enjoying that today - hope you will be, too!!

Thankfulness, Part 1

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I wanted to spend today and tomorrow sharing some things that make me extra thankful. I'm thankful for much more than these two lists say, but in honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share these this week!

1. Ryan's big family.

I grew up in a pretty little family. My dad is an only child, and my mom only has one sister. And I'm the caboose. So our holidays gatherings were pretty small - and even smaller once my grandparents died and all the cousins scattered across the U.S.A. So you can imagine my joy when I married into a family full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews! This picture is probably a quarter of the whole crew - and I do think I've learned everyone's name now - but it's a joy to be part of a big family! 

2. The desert.

It's been four full years now since I walked the desert road, and while it was a long, hot, dark, and exhausting season of my life, I remain thankful for it. I'm thankful for the dependence on the Lord it taught me, I'm thankful for the strength in me it uncovered, and I'm thankful for the way it taught me that God can redeem even the most desperate, hopeless times. I am the girl I am today because of that desert, and I am thankful for it. 

3. The long home sale journey.

Ryan and I never DREAMED, almost two years ago, when we put his house on the market, that it would be the ordeal it has become. We put it up for sale on our own and immediately got a bite and we believed that family would make it their forever home. A year later, they'd moved out, and we were heartbroken and burned by the debacle it became. We spent months cleaning and repairing the damage and put it back on the market. A few months in, we got an offer and had no idea it would take FOUR MONTHS to close on the offer - and that is HOPING it actually happens within a few days like we've been promised {again}. This has been the longest, most exhausting, faith-testing walk of our marriage, and we are tired and so ready to be done. But I'm thankful for the hard season, because it's showed us both what the other is made of in a trial. And for the man my husband is in a trial - I'm grateful. 

4. My book.

In the past couple of weeks, I've had orders come in for the book I published four years ago - in the heart of that desert. I'm still so thankful for the opportunity to publish that book and thankful that I still hold to the words I wrote. I'm thankful for the lessons I learned in the writing and the waiting, and I'm always grateful to hear from others what the book has meant to them. This book has been a blessing to me, and I'm glad its words have reached out to bless others too! 

5. Answers yet to come.

There are so many areas of life that remain a mystery to Ryan and me. And by so many, I mean all, and by life, I mean our immediate future. We pray long and often for answers and direction...and I know they will come...in time. Clearly not in MY time, but in time. And so for these mysteries of the future that are elusive to us right now - I'm grateful. 

6. Ryan.

The fact that he's #6 on the list is in no way a reflection of his importance in my heart. I am so crazy grateful for this man and the fact that he showed up on my porch and in my life. I'm thankful for the way he loves me, prays for me, supports me, and does life every single day with me. For all the people who told me that I needed to know that marriage wasn't really like I dreamed, I present Ryan. He has proven that marriage can be a daily joy.

7. Loves who said no.

Yeah. You'd LIKE a picture on this one, wouldn't you?? I liked a lotta guys in my day. Some never knew it, some didn't return it. And you know what? Some of those guys were really great, upstanding guys with good jobs and a wonderful heart for the Lord. And I asked the Lord OFTEN why He was withholding a yes...because it wasn't like I picked a bunch of deadbeats! But looking back, I'm so thankful for all the guys that didn't work out. Because of each no, I got my very best yes.

8. Heritage.

As thankful as I am for Ryan's big family, I'm also thankful for my own heritage. My siblings and parents and niece and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins who all, in their own way, contributed to my life and laid a foundation for me. So thankful for the heritage I call mine.

9. Grace.

When I think about what I actually deserve for some of my past choices, actions, and sins, I'm so grateful for grace. Grateful for God's grace and the grace of those around me. Those who allow me to be a human who sometimes messes up. Those who are willing to look past my blunders to see my heart. Oh how thankful I am for grace.

10. Friendships - Forever and Seasonal.

I used to really beat myself up over friendships that changed or ended. I love all my friends, and feel somewhat like a failure when something changes. But God has been teaching me that some friendships are intended to be permanent life-gifts, and others may just be there for a short season, but both are poignant pieces of my life. I am who I am today because of all the friends I have had and still have...and I'm thankful for each one.

Small World, Big Impact: Celeste

I want to spend the next couple of days sharing with you some things I'm thankful for, so I thought I'd squeeze this tribute in today! Today's post continues something I started a couple of weeks ago...showing you some people I wrote about several years ago who made a marked impact on my life, although chances are good, you've never heard their names. They might not be famous, but they were pivotal in my journey by making a big impact on the world around them...regardless of how small that world might have been.

Today I wanted to introduce you to Celeste.

I was petrified the first time I ever had to call Celeste. I was new in my job, and I was aware that my job-related dilemma was probably a no-brainer. I was afraid I would appear stupid when I called her about it. Celeste worked at a lending institution that handled our student loans, and the person who trained me for my job had told me repeatedly to call Celeste if I had any questions, and she would be very helpful.

I dialed her number and stuttered through an introduction of who I was. In her Celeste-way, she immediately put me at ease and spent several minutes chatting with me and getting to know me before she ever approached my work question. I liked her right away, and after that, I always looked forward to calling her.

One day I called her about a loan, and in our friendly conversation, she found out I had recently been in the emergency room with some stomach issues. She told me she was so sorry I'd been sick, and she hoped I felt better soon. I dismissed the whole conversation after we hung up, but a couple of days later, our secretary delivered a card to my office.

Not sure who would be sending me a card {believe me, they weren't plentiful in that line of work!!}, I opened it, and much to my surprise, I discovered it was a get well card from Celeste. I was amazed. She was such a busy person. Our school alone kept her busy with research and trouble-shooting, and we weren't her only school. I had been more than satisfied with her willingness to go beyond her work duties to ask about me as a person. But to have her remember that I had been ill and even take the time to send me a card was highly impressive.

Celeste was promoted shortly after that, and I rarely get to speak with her anymore. I miss her cheerful voice, her joyful laugh, and her kind words of encouragement. Never before had a colleague in the kind of relationship we shared offered to pray for me or kept such careful tabs on my life. It made me feel special. It inspired me to look beyond the business side of my job and care about people as people.

Celeste, thank you for the interest you showed in me as a person, not just in me as a colleague. I miss talking with you, but I know you have moved on to be a blessing to a whole new group of people. I'll never forget your kindness to me...the kindness you showed through a simple get well card...one you probably don't even remember you sent. But I remember, and you have touched my life and inspired me to reach out and bring joy to others just as you did to me. Thank you.

***

I have absolutely no idea where Celeste is today. After I left the school and the world of student loans, I never had the chance to interact with her again. I tried to find her on Facebook, but my search came up empty. But I'm confident that she is still the same kind-hearted, classy, life-loving Celeste who took pity on a fresh-out-of-college grad and tried to make her job a little easier. And I still strive to look outside the required job to see the heart of people - because of Celeste.

Christmas Shopping Palooza!

This past Saturday, we had a rarity in Shafferland: a Saturday off work with no plans. Gasp!! So we took advantage of the moment and planned a Christmas shopping extravaganza. We wanted to try to knock out as much of the shopping in one day as we possibly could.

Ryan is a blast the shop with...so I really looked forward to the day! We slept in a little and made breakfast at home. While we ate, we worked on our plan for the day, and then we headed out to shop!

Ryan thought we needed this:

I thought we needed these:

But then...we remembered we were there to shop for OTHERS and not for OURSELVES.

So with our point of view freshly realigned, we began to think of those we loved:

To those of you receiving this one this year, you're welcome.

After working hard on our shopping, and knocking a lot of it out of the way, we hit one of my favorites for lunch: Burger King! I love that place.

Yeah, I was wearing my Christmas shirt. The bottom says "I Really Tried." LOL!!!

We took a break in the afternoon to watch a movie. This one was Ryan's choice, but I admit to getting some good laughs!!

I admit, though, my most favorite laugh was this one. Ryan matched the theater seats! I was dating a head and pair of hands!

In the end, we didn't have the place to ourselves, but there were probably less than 20 people in there, so it was very lovely.

After the movie...a little more shopping and a little more fun!

We did our grocery shopping, got a pizza, and came home to rest and watch a movie on TV.

I loved the proof that we could have a fun, all-day date that didn't cost too much! {Shopping excluded.} We never left town, ate fast food, went to a matinee movie, and still had the time of our lives! 

The Shafferland Shuffle

* GREAT church service last Sunday. Loved the sermon and the time with our Sunday School class. After church,we realized we hadn't filled the provide-Thanksiving-dinner-for-a-needy-family box that we committed to do, so we hurried and did that so we could drop it off at the church. Then we went home and watched as the first snow of the season {at our house} began. And so begins measuring the snow in the bird bath! That night, while Ryan watched the Colts game, I signed a new round of books some people have ordered for the Advent season!

* The snow that fell on Sunday meant that Monday morning kicked off a new season of crazy early commute times. It was a white-knuckle drive, but I was thankful I made it safely! Work was good - and then that evening, we enjoyed quesadillas and naps by the fire. {Is it bad when you have to take a nap on MONDAY???} And Braeya helped me with the second half of my workout...I encouraged HER to work out as well, but she walked off at that suggestion. Can't say as I blame her.

* Tuesday was not as bad as Monday, weather-wise, but people got a little overconfident on the roads on the commute home, and I was a whisper away from being hit by a fishtailing truck. {Tip: don't cut off drivers on icy bridges when you're hauling a trailer. It doesn't end well. Sincerely, the cut-off driver.} Ryan and I had a blast that night at Starbucks, meeting up with my friend, Olivia and her little girl. She kept us so entertained!! We hardly ever get to see them, since they live out of state, so this was a treat!

 * Wednesday was my second turn working at Habitat for Humanity for the station. BEYOND thankful that the weather held {snowstorms and bad wind were the forecast} and thankful for some tasks I was actually capable of doing! I got to help with some office work and cleaning! It was a c.o.l.d. day, though, so I was equally glad to come home and snuggle under the covers!!!

* Thursday, after work, all the WBCL ladies gathered to celebrate one of our own, the lovely Dana. {If you ever call in to Mid-Morning, you've talked to her, because she answers our phones for us! She and her husband are expecting a baby, so we had a shower for her! It was a lot of fun - and then I scurried home to make it to a Mary Kay Christmas open house before I finally got home! Ryan took time to help out some friends at their house - and to deliver books for me. He's a good author-husband!

* Friday, Lynne worked at the Habitat site, so I had the office to myself and knocked out a WHOLE BUNCH of work that day. That night, Ryan and I had grand plans of getting all kinds of responsible-adult chores done - like grocery shopping and list making. OR...make tacos and curl up on the couch to watch movies!!! There's something about a Friday night at home with candles burning, the fireplace on, and movies playing. Can't beat it!

* Yesterday was SO FUN! we were looking forward to it! We spent the whole day together and did 90% of our Christmas shopping! We were shopping MACHINES!! We had a blast - and we even squeezed in a movie in the afternoon, which is something we rarely do, but it was fun. The weather was pretty decent, and we enjoyed having fun together!

The Saturday Six

One.

Source

You know this season of waiting {aka house sales} has nearly been my undoing at time - and my goodness, it HAS been my undoing when it comes to the presence of ANY color at all in my hair. Seriously. If you think I'm kidding when I say it's pure white, you're WRONG. But what a HUGE perspective I got from this post by the lovely Crystal Stine.

Two.

Source

This is particularly interesting if you're a writer, but I believe the deeper truth of learning to look at life with an "and" mentality instead of a "vs." mentality might do everyone a world of good.

Three.

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I've told you how much I adore Fixer Upper on HGTV. Love these pics of how Chip and Joanna decorate for Christmas. Would also love it if they moved onto our block. Just sayin'.

Four.

Source

I've read {and I think even posted on here} stories like this - of soulmates who couldn't live without each other. Here's another one. This would be me, if anything happened to Ryan.

Five.

Source

Another story that makes you think that all is not lost and there are still good, kind souls in the world. What if we all took this kind of time with people?

Six.

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I was never in Chorale in college {largely because I cannot sing}, but my roommate was in it, so I was quite the groupie and always loved hearing them sing. This week, I read this post by a former Chorale singer, and even though I don't know her, I thought this was well-written. Even if you've aren't an IWU alum and know nothing about their Chorale, I think you'll like this.

Please Try to Follow My Brain

I am going to tell you right from the start that today's post is going to be one of THE most wild goose chases I've ever sent you on as far as a thread goes. I have all these things I want to tell you and it's entirely possible they are in NO way related. But I'm Bekah, and I sure am going to try!

Earlier this week, Ryan and I met up with my/our friend Olivia. I was in Olivia's wedding a little over 3 years ago, and now she lives too far away to see very often. :( But she was in town and graciously offered to plant herself at Starbucks to meet up with anyone who wanted to see her.

Twist my arm.

Olivia is also now a mom to one of the cutest little girls on the planet, and she was there too! We've met her before, but it's been a while, so when we arrived, she gave us that wary I'm sorry...do I KNOW you??? stare.

But of course, she warmed up to Ryan in no time.

It was a combination of his charm and his possession of a book. She's a sucker for books.

So I tried my hand with the book thing...and it worked!!

The book I read with her had something to do with hippos. I didn't actually read the book because reading kids books really freaks me out.

It's the whole rhym-y mcrhymerson thing. I get this really weird voice and start to sound something like Flo from the Progressive commercials.

Who, by the way, I've been told I look and act like.

So while we read, I pretty much just pointed to the pictures of the hippos and said to her things like "Where's his eye?" I could sort of say that in a normal voice.

Hold that thought for one second. I'm coming back to it.

But before I leave our lovely evening at Starbucks, I feel compelled to show you this photo Ryan took. It's either a selfie that 2/3 of us were unaware we were in or a photobomb of a picture of us reading. Either way, it makes me laugh.

 And this is me with Olivia. I am so proud of the mom she is. She does a great job. I was so impressed with how she didn't wander off into the whole "who's a good wittle girl..." baby talk, but rather, just calmly addressed her daughter as a person and seems to be doing a remarkable job of intentional parenting. I knew she would. She's just good like that.

Okay. So now back to my weird baby reading voice.

I was freshly aware of my weird octave-higher Flo voice when...I had to not only use it, but preserve it.

One of our work girls, Dana, is having a baby, and last night was her baby shower at work. During the day at work, they brought around one of those recordable storybooks and wanted different staff members to take a turn recording a page.

A rhym-y mcrhymerson page.

So I shut the door to my office and pressed record...and sing-song-in-a-Flo-screech that little poem. I shut the book and declared myself done forever with children's books.

And then came the shower.

All the work ladies gathered round and they opened up that book and listened to every. single. page. All the on-air guys, with their deep, honed voices...and Lynne with her smooth delivery, and then {imagine this part two octaves higher} there was Bekah screeching out the poem in sing-songy rhyme.

So we've learned my next career is not to make children's audio books.

I HAVE, however, discovered what it might be. My next career, that is.

Do you know Penelope from Saturday Night Live? {To be fair, I do not actually WATCH Saturday night live, but someone told me about her and I found all the clips online and watched them. And laughed hysterically.}

My secret talent? I am Penelope. I can do the voice, the face, and even come up with my own versions of her material.

I realize of all the talents I could have in life, this is perhaps not the best one, but it is way better to witness than my poetic delivery of baby books.

Here's one of my faves. You should watch.

And thank you for following my brain. You may rest now.