Little Bits of Legacy

Back in my teens and early twenties, I had a long list of people I prayed for on a regular basis. (I am a bit embarrassed to admit I'm not as consistent in my prayer lists as I once was. My prayer habits have changed over the years, and while not all those changes are bad, this is an area that needs work.)

I spent hours over the course of those years pleading in prayer on behalf of some of these people. I never told them I did it. I never plan to tell them I did it. Goodness, some of them didn't even know I existed. I just felt led to pray for them, so I did.

Now and then I have the personal privilege of running into a few of those people. Some of them still don't know me, but I know them. And I know when I see them that those prayers weren't wasted. In most cases I don't know for sure what God did with all the words I prayed, but I can see He's working in them, so I know those moments mattered for something good. It warms my heart and boosts my faith.

This week I had a chance to see a moment like this from another angle, and it gave me goose bumps.

You know I've been working in the church office for these past several weeks, and one of the joys of that time has been getting to know the staff in ways I never had before. They are a great bunch of people that I thoroughly enjoy working with each day. They're funny, encouraging, thoughtful, devoted to the Lord, and purposeful in their work.

One of the ladies who works part time in our office is also quite a prayer warrior. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, she wrote out prayers for all the staff members and emailed them to us. I treasure that little paragraph of a prayer she wrote for Ryan and me.

Yesterday she came into my office after lunch and hoisted a shopping bag onto my desk. "Do you have a minute for me to show you something?"

I swiveled in my seat to give her my full attention, and she pulled a Bible from the bag. The leather cover was worn and cracked, but she peeled it back to reveal the blank pages at the end of the Bible filled from top to bottom with carefully written names.

She told me that years ago, she felt led to pray daily over the youth of the church she attended, and she would pray and pray until they were no longer a part of that church and she couldn't keep track of them anymore. As she turned page after page of names, she went on to say that of the ones she knew about, most were serving the Lord to this day, and it was an encouragement to her to know that her prayers mattered.

She finally landed on the page she wanted and spun the Bible around to me. "There," she said. "I thought you might find that interesting."

There, in the middle of a page, was a carefully written RYAN SHAFFER.

My Ryan.

She had gone to church with him probably 25 years ago, in a different building, different denomination, different city. She'd written his name in her Bible and prayed for him every day. His address was written to the side - and at the end of the line was a checkmark and a note that he had started attending a different church. Her call to pray for him had ended, but she'd stayed with it for the time God nudged her to do it.

And now here she is, 25(ish) years later, attending church with him again, praying for him again, and simultaneously seeing the answer to the first round of prayers she prayed over him.

I handed that worn Bible back before I had a chance to read over all the other names. After all, they weren't my business. But I had to wonder what kind of legacy she left in all these lives that she prayed over so faithfully.

I know this wife is grateful she prayed for a teenage boy back in the day. Her legacy in his life matters to me.

Valentine's Day!

For being the tradition-loving people that we are, I've noticed we really don't have traditions for Valentine's Day, other than to celebrate it whole-heartedly. I don't think we've done the same thing twice any of the years we've been married!

* The first year we were married, we stayed home and Ryan grilled a whole beautiful dinner for me. We exchanged gifts, I got roses at work, and it was a beautiful day!

* The second year, we had the day off together, so Ryan made me breakfast, we exchanged gifts, and then we headed to Fort Wayne for a marriage retreat - and shared a DeBrand chocolate float!

* The third year, we had a fondue date at home, complete with gifts, sparkling grape juice, flowers, candles, and NO CROWDS. 

* The fourth year, we celebrated a day early with a cooking class! Though we celebrated on the actual day with a low-key, at-home date, the cooking class was our big adventure and it was so much fun!

* The fifth year, we did finally go out to eat on the actual holiday! Dinner at Ruby Tuesday, dessert at Orange Leaf - and a token trip to Lowe's. Because of course!

* The sixth year, we went out to dinner again - this time to Red Robin! We made an impromptu stop at the Cake Bake shop for dessert, and I'm dumbfounded that we got a seat. This place is booked with reservations months in advance all the time. I have no idea how our luck turned out so great, but I loved it! 

* Last year, Valentine's Day fell on a day we were scheduled to care for Ryan's mom, so we shared the day with her. I made a special dinner and we took it out to the cabin. 

This year, Ryan outdid himself in making the day sweet for me, and I soaked up every single minute.

He took me to work in the morning, stopping at McDonald's on the way to get me a breakfast burrito. Haven't had one of those forever, but I surely did love it! (Sorry for my not-so-awake look.)

I knew he was going to pick me up at the end of the day and take me to Indianapolis, but that's all I knew. I haven't had a single day crawl since I started this temp job, but that day c-r-a-w-l-e-d. So slowly. 

Just a few minutes to go!

When he picked me up, we had to stop at a viewing for one of his former patients, and even though we got there when it first started, we still had almost an hour wait in line. Once we got back on the road, I started getting really curious about where we were going to land!

I started asking for clues as we got closer to our destination and I finally learned that we were staying in an Airbnb! 

It turned out to be an apartment building right on the canal in Indianapolis - with this stunning view of the skyline. It was on the top floor and a little tiny space that was cute as a button!

I seriously could have just parked myself in there for days, soaking in that beautiful view!

The building where the apartment was located had a coffee shop IN THE BUILDING. It closed early in the evening, so we scurried down there after we checked in to get some fresh brew so we could warm it up later in the evening. And then we went for our dinner! Ryan found a burger place also located IN THE BUILDING that we went to for our Valentine dinner. We only ate half our burgers, but oh my GOODNESS were they ever good!

We got a dessert to go and headed back to our apartment to enjoy the night skyline, a movie, coffee, and apple crisp!

We exchanged gifts, too! I wanted to get Ryan some gifts for our porch, because he loves it out there so very very much! A little water fountain and a sign:

And he gave me a shirt that I love! And it's true! :) 

I have loved every single one of our Valentine's Day celebrations - even as different as they've all been! But this one holds a very special place. He did a GREAT job planning! 

The Shafferland Shuffle

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope you are all doing well today. It has been a long, strange week here, but of course we have no shortage of stories! Here's a peek at what we've been up to!

* Last Sunday was photo day for Ryan! He had to have his picture taken for the board member collage. :) We started getting some nasty weather that afternoon, but our speaking event went on as scheduled! We made our way to a little country church and spoke at their Valentine's Day banquet (which I told you about earlier in the week). It was a fun evening!

* Sometimes I get interesting photos during the day - and Monday was just such a day. You just never know what Ryan might be up to over at his job! :) I got a WONDERFUL present from our pastor's wife: my very own Sharpie pack! Monday evening we saw the broom challenge running around Facebook, which we later learned was not the big deal it first appeared to be. Didn't stop us from jumping in, though.

* I got a new computer monitor at work on Tuesday - and it's GIGANTIC! My old monitor was something of a relic, so this one is twice the size of what I had. I told them I was going to try to figure out how to watch Hallmark movies on one half of it. I came out of work that night to find this phenomenon of BLUE SKIES, so I took a picture in case I didn't see that again for a while. We also had a beautiful sunset that night!

* Wednesday morning, one of the pastors stopped by a coffee shop on his way to work and brought in extra caffeine for us! YES!!! Ryan went to the gym that night and brought home a BLIZZARD for me - after nearly driving through one to get it! It was so good! Braeya concurred.

* We were scheduled to get 8 inches of snow overnight and into Thursday, and I had completely convinced myself I was going to get a snow day. It did not happen. I was exceedingly sad to miss out on a snow day, but the snow we did get was SO beautiful!! I even found some robins playing in it that afternoon! Also - ever seen a paperclip order this big? That would be 4000 paperclips, by the way.

* Friday was Valentine's Day, and Ryan went ALL OUT in making it a wonderful day for me. I'll have to tell you all about it in detail later, but he picked me up from work and took me to an Airbnb with a STUNNING view. We had coffee and a delicious dinner and enjoyed a night in the city. I loved every single minute of it.

* Yesterday was our official Marion County tour date, and we had fun despite the cold! We also had Chick-fil-A and an IKEA visit - and a whole fun day together. Alas, by the end of the day I wasn't feeling so well, so I crashed on the couch for the night. Here's to a new week, right?

The Saturday Six

One.

As you know, I often share on here posts about fun things to try, but sometimes I love finding a post about the simple and the mundane, because life isn't constantly about trying fun new things. Sometimes it's about living the everyday. And so I share this post by my friend Nadine, who is an almost-full-time traveler with her family. (I've shared about them before.)

Two.

At small group this past week, one of our guys introduced us to this singer, and after listening to a few of her songs, I declared she could be on my favorites list. I love the tone of her voice and the style of her music! (It's been a while since I found a new artist who fit that bill for me, so I'm passing along the love!) Charity Gayle is her name if you want to search her songs!

Three.

I loved this guest room tour - both because it's a darling and welcoming room and because it's almost the same layout as our guest room! Mental notes for later!!

Four.

How adorable are these igloos??? (Ryan and I went to this place last year for the Christkindlemarket, but I don't think they had the igloos then. I feel like I would have remembered them.)

Five.

You know my love for the Dashing Dish website and recipes. They rolled out an updated version of their website this week, and it has some new features and helps on it! You can read about it here (and I continue to offer my two thumbs up - plus all the thumbs I can borrow - to say how much I love this site)!

Six.

Where do I sign up for one of these backyard beaches??

Tributes

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is always one of the hardest posts for me to write each year, because I know this day brings so much division in the hearts and minds of people I love.

I think of you who are waiting and praying for love, and I know this day hurts. It hurts because you watch people around you get flowers and dress up for dates, and you're reminded of what hasn't yet come for you. It hurts because you know you're going to see engagement announcements pop up at the end of the day, and you don't know how you're going to conjure up genuine joy and deal with the genuine stab of pain that comes along with it. Oh, how I remember those years. I remember the ache and the desire to just fast forward through the whole day and move on to normal life again.

If that's you, then I'm sending you a giant blog hug today. I have no idea if breakthrough or more waiting is part of your immediate future, but I do know God is faithful and He will sustain you in the waiting unitl that time comes. And then He'll keep sustaining as you move on into a new season. But I acknowledge your hurt and make a place for it here.

I think of those of you who miss the love you had and lost. Whether that loved walked away or passed away, you feel that loss deeply, and today is a confusing mix of what you loved before and won't experience today. I haven't lost love to death, but I have lost a love that walked away, and I know the intense grief that stormed and then trailed for months - even years - after.

If that's you, then I'm sending you a giant blog hug today. I don't know why you had to experience the loss you did, but I know God never wastes a thing, and He will somehow use every part of it to strengthen, shape, and grow you. And He'll sustain you too - in this time of raw pain. I acknowledge your loss and make a place for it here.

I think of those of you who have someone to call a Valentine today, but your relationship isn't what it could or should be. I feel like so many relationships and marriages around me are under attack, and maybe you're part of that number. Maybe you're weary from fighting - for or against the one you love - and you just need a shred of hope. Maybe you couldn't find the right card to buy, because every single one glowed with gushy love and that hasn't been your story for a while now.

If that's you, then I'm sending you a giant blog hug today. I don't know why this season rages like it does. I don't know when it will be better, but I would love to pray alongside you that such a day will come soon. That you'll know the joy and peace of good love again. I acknowledge your struggle and make a place for it here.

And I think of those of you who are excited for today, because it's a chance to spoil your love with extra love. I'm grateful for just such a day myself. And I want to pause to pay tribute to Ryan and the love he shows every single day.

Ryan,

Thank you for getting up early to shovel the driveway and sidewalk when weather dumps on us all night. Thank you for carving time out of your morning to drive me to work when the roads are slick and especially for coming back to get me at the end of the day. ;) Thank you for pumping the gas so I don't have to stand out in the cold, and for getting us safely around all our travels.

Thank you for bringing me my first cup of coffee every morning and surprising me with a Blizzard when I don't feel well. (Feed a cold, Baby!) Thanks for washing dishes and cleaning out the litter box - and for washing your hands in between the two. (HA!)

Thank you for encouraging me when I feel like I can't get through a workout and always telling me I'm beautiful, even when I tell you I look like a busted can of biscuits. Thank you for praying with me and over me every day. Thanks for studying the Bible with me and being the best small group co-leader I could ever have.

Thank you for giving me little gifts to show your love - which I love, but they bring joy to others, too! The constant stream of fresh flowers on my desk and the typewriter pen holder are two of the most commented-on things in my office. I love bragging on your generosity when people ask me about them.

Thank you for always giving of your time - surprising me at work when you have extra lunch time and taking vacation time to help volunteer at church things so you can be close to me.

Thank you for speaking well of me even when I'm not around. Every single time I run into someone who knows you, they always make a point to tell me they love the stories you tell about us. Thank you for encouraging me to pursue the dreams God has put in my heart, and thank you for encouraging me whenever I have a hard day.

Thanks for making me laugh every single day and for laughing at my stories too.

Thanks for planning surprises and appreciating the ones I plan for you.

You are the best Valentine. I love you so!

Get a Different Name Day

I'm writing to you late on Wednesday evening for you to read sometime on Thursday, whenever you get up and about and start your blog reading adventures.

I've been on the couch ever since I came home from work. Some mutated version of Ryan's germs finally grabbed hold of me, and I've felt pretty blah all day. No fever, no aches or chills. Just blah. I would have gotten a stellar nap after work had Braeya not felt compelled to play a game of knock-the-picture-frames-off-the-wall. I turned her straight over to Ryan the moment he came home from the gym. And she's slept ever since.

Of course.

We also began getting what could become a nasty winter storm. It started late in the afternoon and is supposed to continue through the night and into Thursday. There's a fairly significant part of me that hopes they're not wrong and I might get a grown-up snow day. (That I could use for unending hours of rest.)

So as I sit here, with old reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond playing on TV and Ryan and Braeya conked out on the couch, I thought we could talk about a just-for-fun holiday that I discovered takes place today.

It's get-a-different-name day.

Have you ever wanted to change your name? Or do you love what your parents named you?

I often get asked if my real name is Rebekah, and it is! (If you didn't already know that.) When I was little, I wanted to be a Becky. I begged my parents to let me go by Becky. They said no.

I tried to go by Beckie behind their back, rationalizing it by customizing the cute spelling. I had a couple of friends at school who called me Beckie, but I don't think any of us believed for a minute that I could pass for a Beckie or a Becky.

For a while I wanted to be a Brittany. I thought if my parents would only have thought of that name, they surely would have chosen it. I can't remember now how many years I secretly hoped I could one day be a Brittany, but I'm also aware now that I am not a Brittany.

I don't remember when I finally transitioned to using Bekah, but I do remember that when I worked in Financial Aid, I had some pretty strict rules about who could call me Bekah. My friends and co-workers could, but when it came to students and parents, I required the full name of Rebekah.

It wasn't until my radio days that I became a full-time Bekah. I decided that saying my full first and last names on-air was cumbersome. and Bekah had a faster, easier flow to it.

I like being Bekah. I think it suits me well. Now that I've overcome the Brittany stage, I don't think I need to have a different name.

But how about you? Any other name dreams ever cross your brain throughout your life?

House of Love (A February Home Tour)

How many of you decorate for holidays other than Christmas? Obviously you know I adore Christmas decorations and go crazy over the top on that one, but when it comes to other holidays, I'm much more hit-and-miss in my decorating schemes.

Last month I showed you how we transitioned from Christmas décor to winter décor here in Shafferland. We kept a few of the trees, but we removed all the ornaments and made them more of a winter look. I added pinecones, snowmen, and a few sparkly new year looking pieces.

We've loved that winter look. It's been fun and cozy all at the same time! But alas, it's February now, and therefore it's time to pull out a few red and pink touches! I confess to being late to the decorating party for Valentine's Day, partly because we weren't home the first weekend in the month and partly because Ryan had that cold, and I hated to ask him to hunt around in storage for seasonal décor.

I don't have a ton of Valentine's Day pieces, actually. I'd love to have more, but I seem to never make it to the store for clearance items after the holiday, and I hate paying full price for things!

I continued in the theme of transition and didn't take down everything I'd had up in January. I removed everything that was a specific new year decoration, and I took down the pinecones and a few of the snowmen. Winter is still in full force here, so I left the trees.

I found this wooden ticket Ryan bought me last year and paired it with the tree in our living room!:

I found this little burlap banner on sale at Hobby Lobby a few days ago, so I added it to my collection and pulled out this old pink love sign I've had for many years. It seemed appropriate to combine those seasonal pieces with the little sign we always have out that says, "Love makes this house a home," and a couple of pictures. (Yes, Lori, I know I need to update the baby picture!)

This frog is a piece from my single days, and since I found my prince, the picture seemed an appropriate pairing...

More frogs and love from years gone by:

Our sweetheart:

I added a heart and swapped out the printable in the bathroom:

A little heart in the bedroom - and the humidifier. It's a romantic addition to the room.

And a sign on the office door!

It may not be huge, but I am quite happy about all the sprinkles of love throughout the house!