The Saturday Six

One.

Listen to the podcast here!

Last week on the Saturday Six, I told you about Courtney Westlake's book, A Different Beautiful, which I'd just read and learned so much from! This week I had a chance to learn even more from talking to Courtney! If you missed last week's post, Courtney's daughter Brenna was born with a rare skin condition that has changed so much about Courtney's perception of beauty and the things that matter in interacting with others. If you have a half hour, take a listen and learn some important life truths!

Two.

It is with great sadness that I remind you tomorrow is the beginning of evil DST. If you've been around this blog very long, you know that I absolutely abhor time changes with all my being. Make us central, make us eastern...I don't care. JUST PICK ONE AND LEAVE IT THERE!!!! So tomorrow is the day you lose an hour of sleep, get up an hour earlier, however you want to look at it. My annual PSA is now complete.

Three.

Ran across this post this week. Really great perspective on marriage and how our choices so deeply impact those around us. Important stuff, right here. Though I don't struggle with addictions like the gentleman who wrote the article, I'm reminded that I always need to work hard at loving Ryan even better than I do. Always room for growth. Always room for improvement.

Four.

 Hey cruise lovers! Did you see this article? A four month cruise hitting 32 countries and six continents? Ryan is SO READY to sign up. But you have to be able to take 119 days of vacation (which he does  not even remotely have), so we're out. My favorite part of the article was where it recommended this cruise for those who were retired or taking a "traditional gap year." Ummmmm the gap year is a traditional thing? HOW DID I MISS THIS?????? I AM BEHIND ON TRADITION!

Five.

 I know not all of you work from home, but I always like to find posts written by people who do, so I can get fresh ideas for how things might work. (When I quit my full time job, I actually scoured Pinterest and Google looking for articles about how to craft productive work-from-home days and found nothing aside from posts by homeschooling moms.) Emily Freeman and I don't do things exactly the same way, but her post offers great tips, so I'm passing it on to you! (And I am thrilled that I have finally found a good rhythm that works for me, too!)

Six.

Source

Back when I worked at the station, I received a copy of LuAnn Gerig Fulton's book Image Seeker. Fun bonus info: I'm friends with LuAnn's daughter, Erica! She's the one who taught me all about essential oils, and she had I have often had good, long conversations together over email.

It seemed I was always rushing to catch up in devo books that I needed to read for studies I was part of, so I hadn't read LuAnn's book until this year, when Ryan and I read it together for our morning devos! I wanted to tell you about it, because if you like the writing style here on the old blogaroo, I think you'd really enjoy hers too! She and I have similar approaches to devotional writing.

LuAnn is an ordained minister (a fact that if I knew...I hadn't remembered!), so she brings that level of knowledge into her writing, but she doesn't hold that over your head and get so theological in her delivery that you have no hope of understanding what she's saying. On the contrary, her writing is quite conversational. She tells you stories about her family, her life, and her struggles. It feels very much like you're just sitting down at a coffee shop with her, hearing about the things you can relate to so easily, but at the end, she offers a spiritual lesson she's learned from that part of her life.

The book contains 31 devotions, so you'll have enough for one month, and each one is designed to help you find ways to bear the image of Christ. (Hence the name of the book!) She studies the fruit of the Spirit, but she covers other passages as well, and each is unique and gives you something to think about as you go throughout the day. Each devo is paired up with a verse or two and concludes with a prayer. Most of the readings are 2-3 pages long, so you read enough to dive in, but it won't take hours of your day to read through.

I love it when a writer offers thoughts gently, so you don't feel condemned, but honestly, so you don't miss the challenge within the words. LuAnn hits the balance very well.
 
We really enjoyed reading these together as a couple, but the study would work well for an individual, too. I don't know if she ever intends to write a second devotional, but if she does, I would absolutely read it! I enjoyed studying alongside her!  

Out of the Sheepfold

Have I mentioned before that I love journaling?

Okay, whew. Just making sure.

Well, today is one of those days when I'm reminded why I love journaling so much. I love being able to look back and see how God worked by seeing words I penned at an earlier stage of life.

This week, Ryan and I started a new devo book for our morning quiet time together. I picked David: 90 Days with a Heart Like His (Beth Moore) from our shelf and we dove in to study the life of King David. I didn't realize, until we opened it, that I had actually started working through this book several years ago, and for whatever reason, I never finished it. But I'd not only read the first half, I'd also journaled in it. So I'm really looking forward to peeking into a whole different season and seeing what God was doing then and how He has worked since then.

And that is why I bring you Exhibit A.(a.k.a. Day One from the study.)

Before I tell you what I wrote, I probably should tell you a Bekah-quirk you may not know. I don't know that I've ever talked about it publicly before, because until recently I've always worked with a team of people and didn't want to look like I wasn't a team player by divulging this weirdness about myself.

When I worked office jobs, I really struggled when new people came on staff. I mean really, legitimately struggled. Even if the people coming in were good, likeable people, I was always, always intimidated by them. I feared they might hate me or be hard to get along with or rush in with all their new ideas and change everything about my nice, neat little world. I think part of the reason this was so hard was that back then, work was my family. I didn't have a husband or kids, so these people were it for me. I spent more hours with them than anyone else, and if things went well, that was great. But if things didn't go well, I didn't have anything better to go home to. Does that make sense?

I tried really hard to keep an open mind anytime new hires joined the team, but I just melted (and not in a good way) inside, because it was hard to reframe my family over and over again. Fortunately, the people I worked with were almost always extraordinarily wonderful, and I'd shake my head at my fears and realize once again, they were unfounded. But you know what? Sometimes it wasn't a match for me. Sometimes the people I worked with were hard to get along with. Sometimes our personalities didn't match. Sometimes they really did "come in like gangbusters" as my mom says, and shake up everything. Sometimes I really did go home in tears every. single. day. because work wrecked me. Or the people of work wrecked me.

On day one of my first go-around with the David devo, I was apparently still working in Financial Aid. (I didn't date the journaling, so I don't know exactly when I wrote this.) But Beth had written in that first day's devotion, "Have you ever felt like the youngest son, the consummate 'little brother?'...Sometime, somewhere, you've probably been treated as if you didn't exist, weren't wanted, didn't matter." (p. 4)

And I wrote in the journaling section:

I've been snowed under by the new people at work. I feel like I have nothing to offer in light of their enthusiasm and innovative ideas. I'm sure that the bulk of my issue is my fault and not their intention. Until the three new ones came in all at once, I felt like I had a place. Now I feel in the way and like I drag everyone else down. 

I don't feel like this is my forever job. It's just where I am for now. But it doesn't mean I have to hide in the corner of the sheepfold there. I can become a transformed woman - perhaps even by the way You use the people who are there - the very ones I resist. You find me worth using, and that comforts me. I know I'm on the journey of being 'in the making' and part of it just requires being summoned from the corner of the fold where I feel tossed and forgotten. I want to look like You. I want to be the daughter You can use and see success in. 

I don't know how long it was after I wrote this that indeed, I was summoned from the corner of the sheepfold and moved to a new job where I had the chance to thrive in ways I couldn't in the land of math. BUT!!! God used the people and the experiences of those eleven years of Financial Aid to shape me into the woman I needed to be to work in radio. And then He took the people and experiences of the four years I spent there to shape me into the woman I needed to be for my work now.


I've learned to see He's always working. Even when I feel thrown in the corner, inferior, and out of place. He's molding and shaping even those seasons. And when I move to a new place in His plan, I can see a bit more easily how the last place served as a training ground. It did for David. That shepherding job prepared him for what God had ahead. And the same (minus the sheep, of course) is true for me - and for you!

Throwback Thursday: Our Wedding Reception

Four years ago today was our wedding reception. It was a Saturday and we had more than a few inches of snow on the ground that scared this new bride to death. I feared no one would be able to come and Ryan and I would have to eat all fifteen gallons of ice cream on our own! Whew!

That would not have been good, considering I barely fit into that dress a second time as it was. I looked back over my reception posts this week, and I think this one is my favorite. It shows some of the reception photos that almost recreated wedding photos. Such fun! Of course, I also love this one, which pays tribute to our time in the prayer chapel prior to the reception. (And if you're just caught up in the days when I had dark hair, this post and this post show how we decorated, and this post gives a glimpse into the day.)

But today, in honor of the fourth anniversary of this sweet day in our lives, I thought I'd show some never-before-blogged photos of the reception fun! ENJOY!!!

Our good friends Tom and Olivia, who drove from New York to be part of our day. The best part was the text I got from Olivia a few weeks after the reception telling us she was sorry she neglected to RSVP for three, but #3 didn't eat much. EEEEEEEEE!!! What a great baby announcement!

Shawn and Ryan. Shawn was one of the first to arrive that day and that reflects his commitment to Ryan and to us. He is always first to help (moved most of our stuff from Marion last year BY HIMSELF), the first to visit (hello, gallbladder surgery) and the first in line to be the friend Ryan needs - always. Shawn, we love you!

An example of one of the things we loved most about the day: watching friends and family mix, mingle, talk, laugh, relax, hang out, and enjoy.

No grooms were bloodied in the pinning of the boutonniere. (I still can't spell that word right on the first try.)

If you heard this week's podcast, this is the picture we were talking about. Best. Family. Photo. Ever.

I love this one. This is my mom with Mrs. Thomas, who was my third grade teacher, and I dearly loved being in her class. After my third grade year, Mrs. Thomas moved to teaching first grade and Mom was her aide. Those two were a brilliant team and their kids loved them. This is a really good picture of both of them!

Listening for the ocean. Doesn't it just melt you?

Love. (Enough said.)

Dear Ronda. She walked the darkest part of my life right beside me and even flew all the way to Florida just to attend our wedding. This day was a bit colder, but she was there again, supporting and loving us!

I won't lie. I wouldn't hate another piece of this cake. Delicious.

Randy is my parents' neighbor, and not only is he one of the most hilarious people I've ever met in my life, he's one of the very best neighbors. He and his wife and their kids are probably better kids to my parents than I am sometimes. We are so grateful for them and how much they love Mom and Dad.

Love this picture of Ryan's mom and her sister, who we call Aunt Ruthie Woo Hoo. (If you have missed that story in the past, I didn't know about Aunt Ruthie when Ryan and I first started dating. I found a picture of Ryan that his mom had posted to Facebook after a week at the lake. It is a scrumptious photo of him - all six-packy and shirtless on the pier. While I was busy appreciating it, I noticed this person named Ruthie had left a "woo hoo" on the picture. I got right on the phone and texted to Ryan, "WHO IS RUTHIE AND WHY IS SHE WOO HOOING THIS PICTURE???" He cracked up so hard and was like, "Well that's my AUNT...." Whoopsie!! She loves that story, though, and has forevermore been my Aunt Ruthie Woo Hoo.)

Sara, from our wedding party, was so excited that Lynne came to the reception. When I told her Lynne would be there, she said, "LYNNE? LYNNE FORD? I GET TO MEET LYNNE FORD?" So of course I had to make sure they got a picture together!

Oh my word! What a difference four years makes! These two girls are no longer toothless and pig-tailed. They're all grown up! And their mom, my friend Faith, is like another sister to me. (And we have, in fact, been mistaken for sisters on many occasions.)

Guess who got caught talking during the movie? Whoopsie!!! (This is our amazing wedding party. Mark and Lynnette drove from Virginia for the wedding AND again for the reception. Adam and Sara lived here in Indiana back then, and made the trek to Florida to be with us before coming to the reception and my niece, Cassie, traveled from Kansas for both the wedding and reception!)

Our little bears were back! (If you're new here, we had an honorary bridesmaid and groomsman - in memory of my nephew, Kirk, and my former roommate, Angela.)

This is one of my FAVORITE pictures of the whole day. Angel was my co-worker in Financial Aid, and her dear husband (I never got to meet him before he died) was just amazing to her. He set the bar really high. So when she and I would have long talks about the single life, she would encourage me to never settle, because she knew the joy of a kind, hard-working, God-loving husband. But Angel also has this adorable sass about her, so after the loving admonitions, she'd get her finger wagging and her lips pursed and say to me, "GIRL, you better make sure that man has a J-O-B and a Dubbayah-TWO." (You have to say it just like that for it to be authentic Angel.) So when I saw she'd cornered Ryan at the reception, and he had this look on his face, and that finger was wagging, I could only IMAGINE that she was saying to him, "LISTEN buddy. You better make sure you keep your J-O-B and your Dubbayah-TWO, know what I'm sayin'? MMMMMMMM hmmm."

My dad with Randy (the neighbor) and Randy's wife, Tami (wanted you to see how cute she is!) and in the background -- WHAT is happening to my face???

That's all, folks! Hope you enjoyed the little throwback to four years ago!!


** All photo credit to my mother-in-law, Nita Echelbarger, and my friends Rachel Ashley and Greg Spangler. The trio documented the day for me and I am profoundly grateful. **

Learning

Ryan and I just wrapped up teaching the Bible study we started last fall, and I have to say it's been a really enjoyable experience! Everyone in the study was connected to Ryan's workplace somehow, and it was exciting for me to get to know these people better, make new friendships, and deepen existing friendships. It's been a good discipline to study the book of Acts (one more shout-out to Erica Wiggenhorn's study called An Unexplainable Life), and a great opportunity to hear what everyone else in the study learned along the way.

The work God has called me to do pushes me to learn this way pretty much constantly. I'm always reading and studying so I can turn around and teach, whether through speaking or writing. I like it! It's a bonus to get to learn about God while preparing to teach others more about Him, too! Win/win!

But sometimes teachers need classroom time, too.

A few days ago, I received an unexpected email from friend, and her church was starting a women's Bible study, so she asked if I'd like to join up. Not teach. Just join.

Oh. Yes.

It took me all of about 3.5 seconds to make that decision! The day of the first study, Ryan asked if I was looking forward to it, and I couldn't believe just how much I actually was looking forward to it. I wanted to go learn from others. Participate when I felt led, but mostly just sit quietly and learn.

On the way to the study, I stopped for a gallon (okay, slight exaggeration) of iced tea so I could be fully hydrated and caffeinated for my time of learning, and when I walked into the classroom, I found a fresh, unopened workbook and a box of colored pencils waiting at my seat.

My nerdiness has surpassed even what I imagined, because those two things pretty much made my entire day. I pulled out my Bible and journal, put my phone away, and for a solid hour, I practiced inductive Bible study methods in my new little workbook and scribbled note after note of wisdom from the ladies in the room.

I threw out a couple of answers when I had them, but mostly I drank it all in. I have missed being a participant, and it was such a joy to have that chance for a little bit of time. I was the youngest person in that room, and I wanted to learn what the others had to say. I wanted to hear what they'd observed from studying words they'd been reading longer than I have.

(Know what else helped? The facilitator had done her homework. She came in with her reference books and notes, her knowledge, her questions, and that helped create a great atmosphere of learning!)

I'm so grateful someone thought to reach out and invite me. I'm so glad the time slot worked. I'm so glad I get to learn from women I don't normally get to interact with, because that's a whole wealth of untapped wisdom for me! And mostly I'm grateful I like to learn. I hope that never goes away. (And also - where was that hunger in most of my high school classes? Missing!!!)

In Which I Thought I Would End Up On Dateline

Podcast Tuesday! This week we're dreaming of lake homes and looking back over our wedding reception, which happened four years ago this week! Hope you enjoy! :)

 Listen here.

Meanwhile, it's been a while since you had a good Bekahland story. Sit back. I've got one for you today.

Last week, one of Ryan's co-workers took a long weekend kind of vacation, and he asked if someone from work could watch his dog. "Watch the dog" could take any form. He didn't care. We could actually take the dog home with us and keep him for the weekend, we could stop by the house and let him out/feed him a few times a day, and we could share responsibilities as a group if it was easier. As long as the dog got fed and didn't use the cage for a potty, he didn't care how the work got done.

As you know, Phoebe comes over to stay a lot, so I'm used to having a dog around randomly, and possibly any other time, I would have been fine with that arrangement. But between helping out with Mom's post-op stuff and trying to get some of my own writing/planning/book delivering work done, I just didn't think having the dog move in was the best fit. Plus, I wasn't sure Braeya would survive meeting a second pooch. She still hasn't made peace with Phoebe, and it's been almost a year since she became a part-time member of our family.

So in the end, one of Ryan's other co-workers said she would be happy to share with me if we could each take part of the rotation. Sure! No problem. So she and I worked out a schedule, we got all the info from the dog's person, and off we went.

Thursday was my first day to go, and I felt very strange pulling up to this house I'd never been to before, walking right up and letting myself in, as though this were a common occurrence. I wavered between looking around to be "situationally aware," as Ryan's brother calls it, and not looking around too much, because I didn't want to look suspicious. At that point I pretty much figured I was on somebody's surveillance camera, and I wanted to look as nonchalant as possible.

I went in, the dog looked at me with a mix of relief and annoyance, went outside, played for a bit, came back in, refused to eat or drink, and went back into his little home to await his next visitor.

But when I went back on Friday, he was starting to reach his saturation point with his temporary time-out. He jumped and hugged and kissed me a thousand times before he ever went outside. I was on the phone with my mom the whole time, because it still felt weird to be in the home of a complete stranger, in a neighborhood where no one knew me or that I had the right to be inside that house.

The little dog finished his business and came back inside, and I let him run around for a bit just to give him a break, while I continued talking to Mom on the phone.

As I stood near the back door, listening to her story, I saw it. A shadow across the front door. The door has that kind of muted glass that allows you to clearly see if a person is outside, but it's not see-through enough to see any detail.

My breath caught hard and I listened as the front door started rattling. So much for my immediate theory that it was just the postal service making a delivery. The dog started barking ferociously, which I appreciated, but to be fair, the little guy is about the size of a seven month old child, so I didn't anticipate much guardianship from him. Besides. Why would he stick up for me when he knew good and well I wasn't staying for the long haul?

I whispered to Mom, "SOMEONE IS HERE!!" and left out the next part where I was thinking, "AND I'M GOING TO END UP ON DATELINE. AND NOT AS THE HOST." The door rattled again and opened. I froze, backed up to the door behind me, and watched as a lady entered.

She said to the dog, "Do you have company?" I wanted to say, "I don't know...do you have a gun? Then we'll decide if I'm company!!" She looked up and clarified that she was Ryan's co-worker's mother, and with that, I had the longest exhale in my human history.

I had no idea she lived in town or that there was a remote possibility that she might show up while I was there. I have no idea how I managed to NOT leave a puddle of my own on the floor, but in that instant, I was just relieved to learn I wasn't about to be a Dateline story.

So I guess we learned my heart and bladder are both in great shape, and with her entrance, my dog-sitting concluded! She felt bad for the little guy and decided to take him home with her!

I think next time, I'll move the dog sitting at my own home. LOL!!

20 Questions

It has just been a weird couple of weeks! I told Ryan multiple times how grateful I am that I'm not working a standard, full-time job anymore, because it has been such a blessing to be able to help Mom and Dad (and others) so much in the last couple of weeks. But it's also made it strange to find blogging material! So I thought we'd kick off the week with some FUN! Found this little game of twenty questions. I'll throw my answers in and you can feel free to toss back any of your own that you'd like!

1. Do you like blue cheese? Only within the last year have I been able to eat it without gagging. It's still not my first choice, but I guess I can say I actually like it. This means I'm getting old, doesn't it?

2. What flavor Kool-Aid? I no longer drink this, but as a kid, any red flavor was my favorite! I used to make a big pitcher of it every Thursday night at church for the kids I taught.

3. Do you get nervous before a doctor's appointment? I can't even type about it without sweating. White coat syndrome big time!! I'm such a toddler!

4. What do you think of hot dogs? Why can't they be healthy? I love them! I don't like corn dogs, but regular hot dogs? Sign me up. And please hurry, spring, so it can be fire pit/hot dog roasting weather!!!

5. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee: is there another answer? 

6. Can you do a push-up? Yes - the orange kind that you eat! Oh, the exercise kind? Nope. I have the upper body strength of an infant.

7. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My engagement and wedding rings! I wear jewelry every single day (earrings, necklace, and bracelet) but I am not a spend-big-bucks-on-jewelry kind of girl. In fact, my favorite earrings, which I also get the most compliments on, were two bucks on clearance a few years ago.

8. Do you have a hobby? Too many to count! We'll go with scrapbooking, reading, baking cookies, taking pictures, writing...probably should stop there.

9. Do you wear glasses? Nope - I have 20/12 vision. (I made that up. It's really 20/20 but it's better than 20/20 so I felt I should reflect that. It's better than 20/15 but not quite 20/10, so I settled on 20/12) In 6th grade, I wore fake glasses to school because I liked how they looked, and I got in trouble from a woman who said I would ruin my eyes if I kept wearing them. She made me take them off at school, but she wasn't the boss at home, so I kept wearing them there. I also wore an updated version of fake glasses in my early 20's when parents of students didn't take me seriously because I looked so young. The glasses did actually help me be treated more respectfully, believe it or not. All those fake glasses and I still have 20/12 vision. I bit my tongue from mentioning it when I saw that lady out and about a few months ago.)

10. Who was your childhood idol? Dan Jansen. (He's a speed skater. It's a long story.)

11. Name three drinks you drink regularly? Coffee, water, Coke. (But mostly coffee and water. And now I want a Coke since I've talked about it.)

12. Favorite place to be? With Ryan. Whether that's home or on the road - just wherever he is. He's my person.

13. How did you bring in the new year? We went to our friends' Mike and Angie's house and played virtual reality games. Everyone but Ryan ate fun food. He ate chicken noodle soup. Hello, dying gallbladder. 

14. Where would you like to go? Seaside, Florida. It's on the bucket list. 

15. Do you own slippers? Yes! Two different kinds, actually. But I can only wear them when it's really cold because otherwise my feet get too hot. Broken internal thermostat, you know.

16. Can you whistle? Nope. I've tried to learn. Fail, fail, fail.

17. Last thing that made you laugh? Ryan's work stories. They are the best.
 
18. What's your favorite animal? Don't tell Braeya, but I think it might be dogs. EEEK!

19. Worst pain? Worst physical pain I've ever had was my gallbladder attacks. Several over the course of the 15 years I had them were so bad that my lips and fingers would go numb and it felt like I was having a heart attack. Worst soul pain I ever had was from breaking up with those I loved.

20. Do you like to dance? If, by dancing, you mean scooting around the floor, shuffle style, yes! I cannot do ACTUAL dance steps, though I find it beautiful to watch.


Happy Monday, my friends!! Have any answers of your own? Tell me! :)

The Shafferland Shuffle

I feel like this last week has been busy, but not necessarily news-worthy. So it may not be the most interesting shuffle in the history of shuffles, but I shall soldier on and document!

* Last Sunday, Mom told us NOT to come out to visit. (She worries we spend too much time on her.) Her exact quote was, "I don't want to see you today." So naturally, we sent a selfie so she had to see us. Hee hee hee. Ryan was doing a big paperwork sorting project, but he paused for a nap, so Braeya "helped" by sitting on top of all the stacks while they were unoccupied. Me? Well, I just read blogs.

* On Monday, I did a full day road trip over to our old stomping grounds of Marion to deliver books to folks who wanted to use them for a Lenten study. It was like the days of yore, packing up my car for a day of commuting! While I was in town, I felt it only right to go to Poppy's Xtreme Donuts to get Ryan a treat! And after stopping to visit Mom, I discovered I had a treat of my own waiting when I got home...NEW SCRAPBOOKS ARRIVED!!!! Woot woot!

* Tuesday was crazy busy with all kinds of chores and errands, so I took just a quick second to sit and rest in the afternoon before hopping up to cook, because we had friends over for Tuesdays at the Table! This time we had friends from our old church in Marion. They hadn't seen our house yet, and we had a great time hosting them! :)

* Well Indiana proved the old adage true: March came in like a big old mad lion. Woke up at some ridiculous hour with weather radios going off and hail hitting the windows and the power going out. Whew! It finally calmed down, though. My sister came up to be with Mom that day, so I had the WHOLE DAY to work in the office. Braeya was so happy, she snuggled right up with me while I wrote! And it was the first day of the great spring capsule wardrobe project. More on that later!

* Thursday was our 51st monthiversary, and it was nothing but pure chaos and not much time together. Ryan didn't even get to come home for lunch that day, so I took lunch to him and we ate in his cloffice. By the time we got around to taking our official photo that night, we were both exhausted, I'd had a massive meltdown, and it took THIRTY TRIES to get one good photo. (And I don't even really like IT. I was just tired of redoing it!)

* By Friday, we were just pooped. I tried to cram in steps during the day, and Braeya kept high-fiving me whenever I walked by the bathroom. Ryan and I had plans for a double date that night, but we had to reschedule it, so we just stayed home and watched a movie. It was much-needed down time! And at the end of the night, Braeya played hide-and-seek with us. Do you see her?

* Ryan had to work yesterday, so I stayed home and did work there. We'd awakened to snow, but it melted off when the sun came up, and it was just a nice blanket/work/coffee/sunshine kind of day. We had to run some errands, so we went for coffee, and found out it was a BOGO day for macchiatos. SWEET! We went to visit Mom, and check out the amazing sunset we got to see! And with that...our crazy week was complete!

The Saturday Six

One.

Listen here...

This week I had the pleasure of welcoming my real-life friend Sarah Albert on The Conversation Cafe. Sarah is the one that coached me through the 21 Day Fix, and she is also the one who taught the canvas class at my mom's birthday party last summer! She is also an artist and has recently developed a 5 video series on cultivating a more meaningful prayer life. We talked all about prayer and she has great ideas for getting your kids fully involved in prayer time, even from a young age! Take a listen to her thoughts!

Two.

In the podcast, Sarah talks about the prayer beads her family uses to keep their focus on prayer and to help their minds from wandering to other subjects. If you like to craft, you can make one, of course, but if you don't have time or creative talent, Sarah does have those sets of beads for sale! 

Three.

I might be leaving this one here more for myself than for anyone else! {Hey, it's my blog! I can do that!} Found this handy post with a lonnnnnnnnnnnng list of tutorials for using PicMonkey. I use it for all the collages on the Shafferland Shuffle, and for any other photo that I edit beyond cropping. But I am certain there are a million ways to use it beyond what I know, so I'm going to check these out! But for those of you who also use PicMonkey (or who don't, but are about to start!), here you go! In related news, I'm so sad that PicMonkey recently changed a lot of free features to be paid-only features. Some of my favorites are off-limits to me now. Boo.

Four.

You know I love a good home tour!! Know what else I love? Home office tour! Author Deborah Raney shared this post this week that lets you peek into her writing space. And she's a coffee addict like I am! Beautiful little space. I always love seeing what inspires people to do whatever they do - whether it's writing or something else.

Five.

 A thousand times YES to this post by Lisa Bevere! While I continue to declare I AM NOT OLD, I will say I am old enough that I have a definite appreciation now for realizing that seasons that seem like a waste are really just preparation. Sure, I'm still eager to get to "the good stuff" of what I'm hoping to see realized in my life, but the steps that take me from here to there matter so much. I'm living IN the reality of how years that led up to now prepared me for now. Read Lisa's thoughts! Truth!!!!!

Six.

Source

This week, I had the chance to read a book that offered me the unexpected. It was a two-fer. I went in expecting to read a story about the life of an extraordinary young woman, and I did just that. The unexpected bonus was getting to read a gentle but clear challenge to change my perception of just about everyone I encounter. Hadn't expected that part, but my goodness, am I ever grateful!

Let me back up and tell you about the story part. A Different Beautiful is (in part) Courtney Westlake's story of her daughter, Brenna, who was born with a rare skin condition called Harlequin ichthyosis. Though they weren't sure she would survive long after birth, Brenna is now a thriving preschooler with a spunky personality and quite a zest for life. But that life has not been void of challenges.

Brenna's skin requires careful attention to make sure it stays hydrated and free of infection, which means all the things the majority of us take for granted as routine requires much additional work for Courtney and her husband. The laundry, the bathing, the application of particular lotions - even caring for her hair and nails - all of it looks different for them. Since I've never known anyone with this particular condition, reading about it and understanding what their normal looks like was very educational and interesting.

But although she does want to educate people and every writer wants to be interesting, those two goals weren't the end for Courtney. Brenna's birth changed more than Courtney's routine. It changed her perspective. She looks at beauty differently now, and I would dare to say she looks at it the way Jesus does. Before Brenna was born, Courtney dreamed about what moms expecting baby girls do: dressing them up, mani/pedi dates, prom hair, and more. Those things seemed to represent beauty. But now she sees beauty in a whole new way, everywhere she looks, and she aches for others to do the same.

And for this reader: mission accomplished. My mind is spinning with new thoughts that I'd never considered before. Understanding how my reactions affect those in front of me. Understanding how a change within my mind doesn't mean much if it doesn't change my interactions with others. Understanding in new ways the beauty of a soul and relationships and a mind focused outward. Understanding of the importance of treasuring God's gifts to me, even if they don't fit the world's "normal" mold.

I love stories. Courtney probably could have told me Brenna's story in the pages of this book and I would have walked away satisfied with the time I invested in reading it and encouraged others to read it too. But I am thankful she didn't stop with a story. I'm thankful she took time to gently teach through the means of the story. I'm thankful she challenged my thinking in how I view myself and everyone around me.

* The author provided me with a complimentary copy of this book , but all opinions are my own. *

Letting Go of Routine

Ryan and I are very structured people, and we don't apologize for that. People ask us how we "do it all," and, well, first of all, we don't, but secondly, we do as much as we can because we're organized. We plan way ahead, we keep a color-coded calendar, we tend not to waste time, and we work hard.

Sometimes I envy those who fly through life by the seat of their pants, because organized living is work. It's getting up every day and staring at all that needs to be done and sliding tasks into time slots so by day's end, the balance of work and fun has been accomplished. Ahhhh, to get up at will and lay on the couch and read a book all day...right?

I don't think there's anything wrong with being organized, just like I don't think there's anything wrong with being a go-with-the-flow sort of soul. I believe the Lord made us with a beautiful array of personalities, and if we all approached life with the same plan, we wouldn't end up with nearly as many good stories, now would we?

But I do think it's wrong of us (organized and laid back alike) to hold so tightly to "our way" that we can't try life any other way, even for a minute. It's been an area of conviction for me lately.

Yesterday one of my friends texted me early in the morning and asked if I would pray for her son, because his class had a substitute teacher, and the change in routine created anxiety for him. And as I stared at that request on my phone, God nudged me and reminded me I knew a measure of how that little guy felt. My own week, which had been carefully scripted in full color code, had been changed multiple times. Extra appointments. New responsibilities. Canceled events. Filling in, helping out, meeting needs: all good things, but all things that changed the plans for the days and caused me to push aside my own work. And some of that work really needed to be done.

Yes. I definitely could feel a bit of the kiddo's pain. I decided to use the changes in my schedule as a great reminder to pray for this little guy while I prayed for improvement in my own attitude. I prayed that we both would learn to let go of our needs for routine and learn to accept the missions and lessons God had for us throughout our day. Missions and lessons that perhaps could only come through a change in plans.

 Chances are good, I'll always be a scheduled soul. Ryan probably will be too, and the fact that we are like-minded in that approach to life is one of the reasons we work together so well. (In full representation, Ryan handles changes to the day with a bit more grace than I do.) But I'm learning to loosen my grip a little, and I'm trying to embrace the beauty God has hidden in those unexpected changes.

Amid the Chaos

Today we celebrate 51 months of marriage, and today I want to pause to honor Ryan with my words!

As you know, this has been a very weird year so far. Not a bad year. Just a weird year. (I'm looking at you, hospital visits!!)

This year we've been reminded in fresh ways that our best planning can be completely thrown out the window with unexpected emergencies.

This year we've learned to work well as a team, even when our normal best strengths are put aside for the needs at hand. (ahem: patient and nurse)

This year we've learned to pray boldly and hold our expectations and dreams loosely.

This year we've learned (again) how to power through utter exhaustion, as in the commuting days of yore.

(And the year has only just begun. EEK!)

But Ryan, you are the perfect fit of a teammate for me. I hope you know that. Thank you for being such a champion for Mom after the great surgery of 2017. Thank you for calling to encourage her, for making sure she got home safely, and for helping us arrange all the details that you instinctively knew about when we had no idea. Thank you for understanding the time I've needed to devote to helping and for not being mad when I've been tired or behind at our house.

Thanks for being the biggest champion of my work. Thank you for being excited when I get an invitation to speak or write and for always making sure I have enough time set aside in my schedule to do the prep work I need to do.

Thanks for studying the Bible with me, for our long theological discussions, and for praying with me every single day. Thanks for praying for me when you know I'm feeling overwhelmed.

Thanks for your huge heart for everyone. I learn so much from you and your generous spirit. Just the other day, when I asked about helping someone, your response (without hesitation) was "There's always room to help people in need." And you live that out. Always.

This has been a weird year, yes. But in the chaos, in the craziness, you continue to love well. You continue to set a great example for me and all those around you. I am so proud of you and thankful for you. I hope you know how much I've loved these last 51 months and how excited I am to see what God has ahead for us! HAPPY MONTHIVERSARY!!!!!

Grace is Greater

What? A book review in the middle of the week? Isn't that like a Saturday Six thing? Why, yes! It is! But today is different, partly because I had the chance to be on a book launch team, so I wanted to give a little more attention to this book. It's also different because today begins a new month and the Lenten season, and in honor of both those events, this topic is important.

Source

I first read Kyle Idleman's writing when he released Not a Fan. And I am a fan of Not a Fan. If you're not familiar with that book, it's a challenge to consider whether you're really following Jesus or if you prefer just to be His fan. Admiring what He does without getting too caught up in the demands and costs of discipleship. When I read that book, I did a lot of underlining and vehement nodding, and mental list-making of people I suspected could benefit from the truth of that book. (Just kidding on the last part.)

So when I found out about Grace is Greater, I knew I wanted to read it. And I want to say right up front, that I think the reason Kyle wrote this book is commendable. He shares in the beginning that after presenting the Not a Fan material (with much passion and holy-boldness gusto) at a conference, a gentleman came to his book table and handed him a scrap of paper with a Scripture reference written on it. Though normally such anonymous scraps would have been lost in the pocket-trash shuffle, he pulled this one out later and read it, looking up the verse to see what it said. Hebrews 12:15 - "See to it that no one misses the grace of God."

With that, Kyle felt conviction to make sure his Not a Fan message continued, but continued saturated in grace. Greater grace, less pulpit pounding. Yes. The message of Not a Fan is still true and important, but so is the grace of God. Grace that is greater than a whole passel of things we tend to put above it.

I'm pretty sure this is the exact message Satan hopes none of us ever fully grasp. When we realize the depth and fullness of God's grace, the devil loses a lot of ground, and that doesn't work for him. So he puts in a lot of overtime hoping we'll continue to believe that our guilt, brokenness, regrets, wounds, bitterness, vengeance, resentment, disappointments, weaknesses, and despair are all-consuming. Bigger than who we are. Bigger than God. And Kyle spends this entire book, refuting every one of those lies, chapter by chapter.

Maybe you never knew about grace. (It's not given much air-time in some churches.) Then again, maybe you have heard a lot about grace, but you've heard a misrepresentation of it. That happens in some churches, too. I appreciated Kyle's approach throughout the book, because he is honest about the bigness and freedom that comes with grace, but he's also honest about the repentance and consequences our actions require to receive that grace.

Another thing Kyle does well? Presenting truth beautifully with a trace of humor. He's just a flat out funny guy, and several times, I stopped to read stories to Ryan because they were just funny. But he didn't spend so much time trying to be funny that he sacrificed the truth of this important message.

A few of my favorite lines from throughout the book:

"Before we collide with the grace of God, we must collide with the truth of our own sin. I wonder what hard thing Jesus would say to you and me." - p. 39

"You may not be locked up behind bars, but that doesn't mean you're not a prisoner. Most of us are desperate to be free from the guilt and regrets that imprison us." - p. 54

"Stop thinking about what's been done to you and start thinking about what's been done for you." - p. 85

"Whining is the opposite of worship, and complaining is the rival of grace." - p. 138

(There were many more!!)

Since this is the first day of Lent, maybe this is a good time to give up some of those regrets and the bitterness and other such things, and make room to receive the grace that is greater than all of it. The grace for which Christ died to make possible. Perfect timing, don't you think?



 * Baker Books provided a copy of this book at no charge. All opinions are my own. *