Happy Birthday, Braeya Jo!

We have a birthday in the house!!! (We have one outside the house too, today. Happy birthday to my sister, Lori!) 

Miss Braeya Jo is fifteen years old today. Can you even believe it? How? How is this girl fifteen?

I so, so, so remember the day she came to live with me. There's no way it almost fifteen years ago:

She was so tiny. So very, very tiny. 

She's still not super big, but she's all grown up and living a grand life. Here are some peeks from her 15th year...

She loved that sun porch at our Kokomo house. We all did, and we sure miss it. Every time the sliding glass door was open, she'd make her way out there to hang out on the porch furniture! 

And then sometimes she'd just stop to nap wherever she found a spot. Middle of the living room floor looks good!

I took this when we still lived in Kokomo - but she still sits like this. One paw out, one tucked under. 

She helped with the packing, once we knew we were moving. ;) 

And she took more naps. So did her mama.

Watched some TV...

And took more naps.

She helped write blogs...

She took naps on our suitcases during our move. (She adores our suitcases. If they ever come out of the closet, she claims one and sleeps on it the entire time it's out.)

We moved, and she took to her new home like a champ. She oversaw all the unpacking, naturally. 

She may not have a sun porch now, but she has a perch by the window, and she LOVES IT. We have a tree just outside the window, so she has birds galore to watch, and they make her entire day. She spends hours up here supervising birds. 

She found out she can hang out with Ryan even MORE now that we have a new job. Day made. 

Devos still make her sleepy, though. 

Sometimes the couch needs a hug. She's there for it. 

Her new favorite spot to nap is on our bed. She loves it. She always used to destroy our bed in Kokomo - so she could sleep under the covers. Since we moved, she prefers to sleep on top of the blankets and right by the pillows. 

She knows she's not allowed to have people food. It doesn't stop her from trying. I think the face says it all. ;) 

Hide and seek is a fun game. :) 

She's an ever present laundry assistant...

Christmas tree assembly assistant...

...and Thanksgiving dinner thief (unsuccessful). 

She's still Ryan's girl through and through, but she does still snuggle with me now and then.

And she's such a helper with the presents!

She joins us in at-home dates.

She's always dreaming up new ideas.

She's fond of playing games, too. 

So it's been a big and full year for our girl, but she's thriving, having fun, and well-rested. ;) Happy birthday, Braeya Jo! We love you, sweet girl! 

101 Months

Yesterday marked 101 months of marriage for us! 

A month ago, we were out exploring parks in Fort Wayne and celebrating the move to triple digits. Yesterday was a little less glamorous, but we still ended up having a bunch of fun.

We started out by going to church, and of course I have to stop right here to tell a story. We had gotten up early to spend some time in prayer and Bible study, and I'd been sitting on the couch in my black dress. As we walked out the door with one of our tenants, I looked down to see cat hair ALL OVER my dress. I scurried back in to get the lint roller but of course, the papers were stuck together, and I was in too big a hurry to mess with it. So after having been dressed for TWO HOURS, I hurried to change clothes.

I put on the same dress in pink, but of course I had to change my shoes, because the the black shoes didn't work anymore. Somewhere in the chaos, I lost my sunglasses, so I had to get my spares. I went running back outside and hurried to catch up with the crowd. When our tenant turned around she said, "How many colors do you own that dress in?" LOL!!! Just two.

My hair was such a mess. Lots of walks in windy weather over the past couple of days took it to its breaking point. But for better or worse, here we are at 101 months!

Church was great. (Convicting, educational, and so, so good.) 

After church, we had some leftovers for lunch and then we had a meeting with one of our tenants. And after that...it was time for our date!

Last summer, after we moved here, we visited The Frozen Spoon, which is a local ice cream shop. It's in Leo, which is the next town over from where we live. We've been saying ever since that we need to go back...but walk there, this time. 

Yesterday was our day. We strapped on our walking shoes and set out to get some ice cream! There is this amazing wide sidewalk that runs between Grabill and Leo. It's wide enough for a small buggy...which we know because we've seen it! Lots of people use it every day. People take their dogs on walks, people run and walk for exercise out there...it's a well loved sidewalk. And it was our first time to use it!

Turns out The Frozen Spoon was a little farther than I thought. I had it in my head that it was just under 2 miles one way, but it was actually 2.5 miles one way. So we got FIVE MILES out of this trip! Steps for the day = DONE!

It was the perfect day to walk, though. We said hi to all the horses (from mini ponies to Clydesdales) in their pastures. We talked all the way there and back, which was much needed as we go through this season of transition. 

We do love The Frozen Spoon. And yesterday, we tried something new! I was having trouble picking a flavor, so they suggested I try a flight of ice cream. We decided to split a seven flavor flight!

The Frozen Spoon doesn't have indoor seating, but they have a great outdoor seating area with tons of picnic tables. We found ourselves a table and took our sweet time. (See what I did there?)

This man, right here, you guys. I love him so much. I love how hard he works at this ministry that has been entrusted to us. I love how he makes time for me in the middle of the busiest day. I love how he does his best to understand me, even when I know I'm probably impossible to understand. I love conversations with him. I love laughing with him. I love 101 months with him.

It was the best date. It really was. I'm so grateful it fell on a Sunday so things were a bit quieter around WillowBridge and we were able to take some time with and for each other. We needed it!

Happy 101, Ryan!

Sunday Sentiments

Day one.

We made it through our first day of working on our own. In some ways, it's not a strange feeling. After all, when Tim and Justine worked with us, they had days off just like we do, so there have been many days in the last ten months when we've worked by ourselves. It's not uncharted territory.

What is uncharted for us is the unknown of how long this will last. There's a whole different feel to the building when you know the decisions rest solely on your shoulders, and your teammates won't be back in a few days to work through it with you.

Lest I misrepresent, we are not alone. We have Rob, and we have two other co-workers who are so unselfishly stepping in to help us so we can have some days off this month and talk through things that we need to process beyond ourselves. We are so grateful for them and their help. I honestly don't know how we could face solo advocate life without them. 

But it's still different. 

It's still new. 

Today marks 101 months of marriage for us. One month ago (which feels like 101 years ago, in some ways) we were out enjoying a gorgeous day and celebrating triple digits. Today we're on duty and though we plan to take a break to do something special for a bit, it isn't quite the day of freedom we enjoyed last month. 

And yet I'm even more thankful for Ryan today than I was a month ago. This season is strengthening and growing us in ways we've never experienced before. We're learning to talk even more openly about what's hard, what's confusing, what's exciting. We're learning to yoke together in new-to-us way.

So yesterday was Day 01 and today is Month 101. 

The new and the familiar. The unknown and the deeply-known. 

Naturally, we don't want this to last forever, but we do want to learn the things God has for us to learn while we're living in this time. We're clinging to our Bibles, spending extra time in prayer, and trusting that He won't let us miss a lesson.

Thanks for traveling along with us as we enter this next chapter of life. We really are excited to see what story God is busily writing behind the scenes. We await His revealing of the details in His time!

The Saturday Six

 

One.

Ryan and I haven't figured out our flower planting strategy yet for this year. For the last several years, we had a rhythm down of certain flowers in certain spots around our house. Now that we're in a new space, we have to figure out what works here! But if you're looking for some new hints and ideas for good flowers to choose and how to arrange them and keep them alive, check out this post. (I normally won't share sponsored posts, but this one had a lot of good non-sponsored information in it, so I'm sharing it anyway.)

Two.

Okay, if I've ever shared something like this on the Saturday Six before, I don't remember it. Forgive me if I did. But this DIY brown paper flooring idea is FASCINATING to me. If we ever are homeowners again...

Three.

Mother's Day is in just a couple of weeks...are you feelin' crafty? Here are some paper flower ideas that are pretty cute! If you start now, you even still have time to mess up and try again! :) 

Four.

Looking for a new hobby? This list has some pretty creative ideas: from composting (which I didn't realize was an actual hobby) to calligraphy and more! I am not sure I have time for new hobbies, but a few of them on here did pique my interest! (Not the composting. Not yet, anyway.)

Five.

I love strawberries and am so happy the season is nearly upon us. I also love the strawberry pretzel dessert. I found this post about making it in cute little jars for parfait servings. I am of the belief that all food is cuter when served parfait style, so this absolutely caught my eye. And now I want some...

Six.

Check out this funfetti inspired dessert board! (I love funfetti, so I kind of want to do this...except then I'd eat it all myself!) 

The Little Things

Yesterday I wrote about some of my favorite memories of serving in church from my teen years forward. It occurred to me today that at most of the churches I've attended, I've also been a greeter, and I love greeting. 

That, in turn, made me think about all the "little" unofficial ways of serving, whether in church or in life, that may not come with a fancy title, but they are so very important. 

Greeting was one of those jobs for me. I tried to imagine every single person coming through the door was walking in for the first time. I wanted them to know someone saw them, I wanted them to get a free smile right from the start, and I wanted to be approachable enough that if they had any questions, they would feel free to ask. After all, I've been a visitor in a church before, and it's always awkward to feel like you've walked into someone else's club and you aren't sure you belong. 

Ryan and I always tried to be an unofficial greeter in Sunday School, too, anytime we noticed someone new in the room. (Ryan was always very good about inviting people to Sunday School, too, because it can be hard to walk into a classroom alone.) 

Those "little" church jobs matter so much. The person who will go up to the altar to pray with someone who is praying alone. The person who remembers a name and sends a card or social media message to follow up. The person who offers a seat in a row when someone looks lost. 

Churches tend to do a great job of recognizing their valued volunteers. They do awards and recognition for those organized positions where people commit to serve. But I fear some of the unnamed jobs go unnoticed as well as unnamed. That's a shame, because they are SO important.

I've been made freshly aware of this where we work, even. WillowBridge is in a separate location from the rest of Gateway Woods, so we don't see everyone every day. Or even every week. (I'm still learning some names and faces, even!) God has convicted me that I need to pay more conscious attention to what's going on. Send some emails. Write notes. Pray the prayers. Be involved - even from down the road.

The little things matter. They matter at church, at work, and in life. It's okay if what you feel led to do doesn't fit neatly into a committee. Just reach out. Be present however you're able. It matters so much. 

Serving

We have just two days left with Tim and Justine before they move on to their next chapter, so this has been a busy week of having conversations with them - both what we need to know for work and just fun friend stuff - and preparing for this major change! We have staff changes in the mix, tenant changes in the mix, and I'm trying to make sure I don't miss any major moments or meetings. 

I say all of that to say...I might be borrowing some blog ideas in the next few days. Well. And yesterday. And today. :) 

I found this blog idea yesterday and the memories it conjured up made me smile so much that I looked like a perfect idiot just sitting there grinning at my computer. I figured that meant I should write about it. You might learn a thing or two about me that you didn't know before! 

The idea was to think about all the places you've served within a church setting and share a favorite or two. 

My very first official role of serving within the church took place when I was in high school and I landed a spot on the nursery worker rotation. Our church had gone through some really painful splits and by the time I was a teenager, I was the youth group. There was another teen who usually showed up on Sunday mornings, but on Sunday nights and midweek services especially, it was just me. Do you know how hard it is to get a youth pastor excited about a church with ONE teen? So instead of having a thriving youth group to be part of in those years, I just launched into serving the babies. 

Back then, of course, we lived in a different sort of world and you didn't have to take classes or do background checks or have super strict policies for checking little ones in and out of child care. I worked every second Sunday morning with my friend Betty and every fifth Sunday morning with my friend Bonnie. (Why do I remember that??) And I also often got to fill in for anyone who had to miss church on another Sunday. I loved crawling around on the floor, playing with the babies, and I was pretty good at getting them to calm down when their moms tip-toed out the door. 

Shortly after that, I also started teaching some elementary-age kids during the midweek service, too. I found old curriculum books in the church library and pieced together lessons, snacks, and crafts for them. I loved my Thursday night teaching! (When one of those moms picked up her boys one evening, she shared with me that what I did was a gift and it was something she couldn't do. That was the first time I ever remember an adult outside my family identifying gifts in me, and I appreciated it!)

In my twenties I spent a few years serving on the church board as the secretary. I took minutes of the meetings and provided snacks. I enjoyed my years on the board, actually. (That's saying something for the girl who hates meetings.) The pastor made the meetings fun, and even though I was the teasing target (as the much-youngest member) for most of the board, we all had a great time together. 

I was also in my twenties when I started leading women's Bible study. It was another role I really loved. It surprised me that I loved it so much. To that point in my life, I'd only worked with babies and small children, but I found I really enjoyed working with other women who wanted to dig into the Word deeply. I can't remember now how many years I led that group, but it was one of my favorite times of ministry and service. 

I went through a few years when (mostly because of living in a different town from the church I attended) it was difficult to serve on a consistent basis. I still found ways to plug in, though. A week of VBS, filling in for Sunday School and midweek service teachers, and other such little jobs gave me a way to be involved even on a short term basis. 

And then at our last church, I served together with Ryan as a small group leader and LOVED IT. As you might remember, I was working to coordinate small groups when we moved, and I really enjoyed that role, too. I think I would have loved exploring it for a much longer time! And I was involved in women's ministry there, too - first as a team member and then as a team leader.

I feel like all those ministry roles were important training ground for me in the work I do now. I love it that God uses each little thing to prepare us, shape us, and mold us. We know that the work we do and the lifestyle-nature of it will probably make it more difficult for us to serve in the local church to the same extent we've done before, but this is also a whole different kind of serving! 

Grocery Top Three

Oh, Natasha...you have saved the blog today. 

We devoted our day yesterday to throwing a surprise party for one of our tenants. It was fun, but between prep, party, and cleanup, it was a full day! And then I sat down with zero brain cells left and zero idea of what to blog about for today. As I read posts from yesterday, I found Natasha's idea and decided to borrow it. She's right...it is fun to see how people feed their families and what they love to buy/cook/eat most!

Favorite Food Stores
(Natasha interpreted this as stores she would love to shop at, rather than where she actually would. I'm going to go with where we actually shop.

1. Aldi. We get everything at this store that we possibly can, which sometimes changes from week to week.

2. Wal-Mart. At this stop, we get the things Aldi didn't have.

3. Sam's. There are a handful of things that we like to purchase in bulk, so we get those at Sam's. 

Least Favorite Food Stores

1. Wal-Mart. Ironic, isn't it? We go here because it's more convenient, but I'm still not a fan.

2. Save-A-Lot. To be fair, this isn't really a least favorite store. It's the tiny grocery store in Grabill, and we only go there when we run out of something between shopping trips and need to grab it in a hurry. We don't actually find their prices to be a significant savings, so we don't make this a regular stop. 

3. I don't think I have another least favorite! 

Always on My List

(There are actually several things that fit this category! I'll pick three at random.)

1. Coffee creamer. Of course.

2. Honeycrisp apples. My nighttime snack.

3. Chicken tenders. We cook with a lot of chicken.

Rare Purchases

1. Bread. We usually have a loaf of bread in the cabinet - mostly for Ryan, but we go through it very slowly, so it's not often on the list. 

2. Sparkling grape juice. Only on special occasions. I'd drink it all myself.

3. Ice cream. We used to buy it all the time, but it's a rarity now. 

Never on my Grocery Store List

I asked Ryan to help me think of things that might be staples on a lot of people's lists, but we never buy them. 

1. Frozen dinners. I borrowed that from Natasha's list. But it's true! We never ever buy a premade frozen dinner.

2. Snack cakes. For our own home, we never buy any kind of prepackaged snack cake. We have gotten them for WillowBridge, but never for our house. 

3. Ramen. Not since college. 

Cereal

We actually gave up purchasing cereal entirely last fall. We used to eat it every single night for our snack, but when we did our 5 day sugar fast, we stopped eating it and never picked it back up. But...

1. Great Grains. When we did eat cereal every night, we ate Great Grains - usually the cranberry or pecan kind. 

2. Fruity Pebbles. This would be Ryan's pick if he could pick any cereal at all. 

3. Captain Crunch Berries. This is what I lived on in college. Well, that and Mountain Dew. And if you saw my college pictures, it showed. ;) 

Crackers

1. Veggie Rounds. I think that's what they're called. It's the Aldi brand of Ritz crackers that has a bit of a seasoning on it. I may have one or two, but Ryan is the main consumer of them - during chili season.

2. Cheese Its Extra Toasty. One of Ryan's favorites. We used to get them every week, but he finally decided he was tired of paying the high price for them, so we just get them on occasion now. He likes how burned they taste.

3. Graham Crackers. S'mores, baby! 

Spices

1. Seasoned Salt. I make my own, and I use it to season almost everything.

2. Garlic Powder. One of my most often used spices.

3. Cinnamon. Love it! Not with garlic powder, though. 

Fruit

1. Grapes. We love to snack on them throughout the day.

2. Bananas. We put them in our smoothies every afternoon.

3. Strawberries. One of three things we put in our homemade smoothie packs. 

Condiments

1. Organic ketchup. I cook with it almost as often as I use it for a condiment.

2. Chipotle sauce. Ryan loves the bottled Taco Bell brand sauce and uses it for chip dip sometimes. I also put a tiny bit of it inside our ham and cheese quesadillas when I make those. 

3. Avocado salsa. Ryan just discovered this at Sam's Club and is IN LOVE with it. Delicious. 

Frozen Vegetables

1. Onion and pepper mix. It has been a game changer for me to find this when I want fajitas in a hurry!

2. Sweet potatoes. I get frozen cubed sweet potatoes at Aldi. No more peeling and chopping!

3. California blend. We steam this for a quick side when we're in a hurry. 

Frozen Fruit

We don't buy it - because it's so expensive! We do make our own frozen smoothie packs using fresh strawberries and blueberries, plus canned pineapple. 

Do we have any common food loves???

Self Care

If ever there was a post I'm probably NOT qualified to write, it's this one. (But watch me do it anyway!)

Probably the number one question we get from people is "What exactly do you do?" That is followed by the comment, "I will never understand your job." 

It's fair. We're just now coming to the place where we are understanding it ourselves, and we've done it every day for almost 10 months. We don't expect everyone to get it. And we don't mind explaining it repeatedly. 

But another popular question we get centers around what we do in our down time or how we practice self-care so we don't burn out. 

We're still learning how to do that well, and we certainly don't have it mastered yet. We're working on it. We've been told every couple has to figure it out for themselves and it takes time. 

Our job, as you know, is not an 8-5 thing. We don't clock in and out. We work throughout the day and we also take breaks throughout the day. We have some days that are work-heavy and some days that are lighter, so we fit in our personal time accordingly. It's been a stretch for a couple of Type A scheduled people!

But here are some of the things we currently do to rest our minds and bodies in the middle of a very busy schedule!

* Naps. Sometimes our days start early. Sometimes they wind up going late into the night. Sometimes they're just mentally draining from difficult conversations. If we have a few minutes of quiet, we dearly love to catch a quick nap. Even twenty minutes can make all the difference in a day. 

* Walks. Oh how we missed being able to do this every single day over the winter. But seriously, every single day that the weather is remotely decent enough to be outside (even if it's a bit cold or windy or whatever) we go on a long walk. We try to be gone an hour or so, and we use that time to talk through everything on our minds and hearts. 

* Coffee break. There are some days we just need to get away from the building for a change of scenery. It's really important since our work and home are in the same space. If we need to get out, we'll take some time and just go get coffee. Sit. Stare. Talk. Whatever we need.

* Word Crush. We usually play a half dozen rounds of Word Crush every night to unwind. It's really fun, it stretches our brain in a different direction, and we like to think it keeps us sharp. Bonus? Now and then, we learn new words!

* "Our" shows. We have always had a show or two we love to watch, but they've almost always been TV dramas. We really don't have a full hour to devote to that anymore, so "our shows" are more in the half hour range now, but we really love putting one on to escape mentally for a little bit. We're working our way through the seasons of Mad About You while we eat lunch every day. One episode is about perfect for a mealtime, so we usually watch that while we eat. And then at dinner, we usually watch an episode of People Puzzler or America Says. We are pretty good at both of them and serve as an honorary team member for whoever is on that day.

* Random planning. I like to take Pinterest breaks or work on planning a trip. I really enjoy it, so sometimes I'll just sit and do that for a while. Or I scrapbook. I've kept up on those really well since we moved. Ryan likes hunting online for things we might still need for Abby or watching YouTube videos about RV maintenance life. Though these are things we do separately, we usually do them at the same time and will tell each other about what we're finding.

* Listening to hymns. Sometimes we just turn on Natalie Raynes' YouTube channel and just listen to hours of hymns while we do other things. It soothes our souls. 

Things we're looking forward to doing for down-time include...

* Kayaking, biking, and hiking, now that the weather is warming up again.

* Returning to a regular workout routine. It simply hasn't been possible in this first year of work. We are looking forward to making that change in the month of May.

* Reading. This is just me...not Ryan. I haven't had time to read for pleasure, and I miss it. I'd like to reintroduce that to my routine!

So that's where we are right now! Until we have new co-workers, our own time will be even harder to come by, but we appreciate other co-workers pitching in to help us out some! 

What is your favorite way to spend your down time?

Plan Z Birthdays

Why does this always happen to poor Ryan's birthday?? I'm pretty sure it was his 39th birthday that we ended up doing a substitute for a substitute for a substitute idea because everything kept falling apart on me. Some of it fell apart the day before his birthday. And I felt like this year was a repeat performance of that year. He was so gracious, but I was NOT a fan. 

This year, I made sure we got three days off in a row for his birthday so we could go have an adventure in Abby. I was going to pick a state park we hadn't explored and go have a grand time. We were going to leave Wednesday night after we finished our shift and be gone all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for his actual birthday. And then...there was a meeting on Friday that we couldn't miss. Right in the middle of the three day stretch. 

That was the end of the camping trip. 

I was determined not to let it dampen my spirit though. I decided we would pick a park close at hand and just spend his actual birthday hiking.

And then it rained. All. The. Live. Long. Day.

So! Would you like to hear about the next plan?

We needed to do something inside because of the rain, but of course those options are still limited. But I remembered that my friends Adam and Michele (hi, Michele!) told me about an adventure they had some time ago that sounded really fun. I decided this was the winner for the day!

We got up early and headed out toward Elkhart, Indiana. This is in a county we've already toured, so we had already seen some of the sights. Somehow, though, we missed a big one!

Before we get to that, though, we stopped at a place called the Baker's Nook Cafe. It's just a little mom and pop spot I read about online. We really enjoyed it. Food was super tasty, and Ryan was excited that they had Jamaican Me Crazy coffee. (That was the coffee we drank all week long on our honeymoon, so it has a special place in our hearts.) 

Then we went to our destination for the day!

The RV Hall of Fame and Museum was actually a lot of fun, and we're so glad we went. It was a perfect activity for a rainy day, and we almost had the entire place to ourselves while we were there, which made it even better! 

There is an exhibition hall inside with a collection of vintage campers and motor homes that tell the story of how this industry came to be. Oh how very glad I was that I did not have to camp in the twenties and thirties! (Of the 1900s that is.) Whew. I won't show you all the pictures we took, but here's a sampling of our day.

We started out in the theater to watch the 7 minute introductory movie. Had the whole place to ourselves! 

I really liked the little display they had of a miniature assembly line. It was fun to get a feel for how RVs are made from start to finish. (And it also took me back to the Barbie days we talked about a few days ago. LOL!) 

Then it was time to start seeing full size models! I think Ryan wanted this car more than the trailer behind it. 

I have to confess that it seems strange to me to think of people who drove cars of this era...camping. I feel like this is an odd match-up. 

This one made me smile. And the S on the wall inside made it feel like we for sure needed a picture with it. 

Then we headed into the main exhibition hall, and I found it darling that they had them all lined up beside a road!

We had fun peeking inside these vintage campers, and in some cases, we could actually walk inside!

This reminded me of an old pie safe...but in an RV. 

Why have a bunk when you can have twin hammocks? I told Ryan they should bring this back. Hammocks are in...why not make a bed a hammock?

Where's Ryan?

Fancy!  Front and back door!

Even Abby has come a long way from these days:

After we were done walking through the exhibition hall, we were able to go upstairs and see it from above!

We had a great time at the museum. (Though I do still have a sore head from misjudging the entrance to a doorway and taking a HARD hit.)

We were done sooner than we anticipated, so we headed back home, and on the way, Ryan indulged me with a quick stop in Shipshewana to see if they still had the little cabins I fell in love with a couple of summers ago. They DO!!!!

Loved it.

We came home and sweet Justine had made Ryan a buckeye pie, so that served as his cake for the day. He didn't mind a bit!

He said he had a happy birthday, and I sure hope so!! :) 

Sunday Sentiments

 

Thank you all for the birthday wishes for Ryan. We had a great day yesterday celebrating him!

The night before his birthday, long after he fell asleep, I curled up on my side of the bed, praying over the many unknowns of our immediate future. We have less than a week until Tim and Justine move on to their next life chapter, and we know the transition season (for which we do not currently have a solid timeline) will look so strange. So different. 

Ryan and I have learned many things during our time here at WillowBridge. Not only have we learned many things in general, we've also learned many things about ourselves, our relationship with God, and our relationship with each other. And one thing I have personally learned in these last few months is that God will likely ask me to do things that feel so very much beyond my capabilities. And when the moment comes, He'll strengthen me for it. 

So as I curled up in bed, wondering how long or short of a time we'll be without our support couple, God nudged me to give that burden to Him. No need to carry it. I can't do a single thing about it anyway. Stewing about it in the darkness from my bed does not make anyone get here faster. But trusting God to bring the right people in His time will strengthen my faith. I don't know what kind of story He's writing, but I remember the story He wrote with us, so why would I think He's give up writing now?

Do I want this season to last indefinitely? Absolutely not. But if it does, do I believe He will give me the day-by-day grace and strength to get through it? I sure do. (Though I may have to remind myself of it now and then. Or frequently.)

These words from Isaiah may need to be written on our walls in permanent marker. (Just kidding, Rob, if you're reading this.) 

Do you not know? Have you not heard? 

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

(Isaiah 40:28-29)

And so I rest in that promise today. God has given me a fantastic teammate in Ryan. We've worked hard the last almost ten months to build up a brand new connection together. We've found a rhythm in working together. We're not perfect, of course, but God has taught us how to make this teamwork flow, and I know we can do this. And when we falter in our own strength, He will be faithful to give us HIS strength. After all, He's not tired.

So we gear up on this day, facing a new week, knowing that by the end of the week, the team we've always shared our days with will be no more.

But we are so thankful that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, is also on our team. He's not leaving or forsaking us. 

The Saturday Six

 

First up...the OFFICIAL happy birthday to Ryan! If you missed it, I celebrated his birthday on the blog yesterday, since today is Saturday Six day. :) You know, I normally don't have a theme to the Saturday Six, but today I sort of do. I was drawn to all sorts of things that are fun but more than likely will never be a reality for me. It's probably the same for you, but maybe you can have some fun looking!

One.

I most CERTAINLY do not have fourteen grand to spend on a swing, but man, oh, man, if I did...have you ever seen anything so delightful? I'd probably never leave it. 

Two.

Ryan and I are always looking for ways to live smaller, so we're probably not contenders for this 50,000 square foot mansion in Texas. (Though if we could afford it, we could also afford the aforementioned swing.) Nothing about this house tempts me...except the pool. I could take a second look at that! 

Three.

This one might not be entirely far fetched, but it is for us right now. Still, I think it's creative! I found a link to this blogger's free e-book about how to visit all 50 states in 12 trips. If you download the e-book, she has each trip laid out into an itinerary! So if you hate vacation planning this could actually be helpful! 

Four.

On the complete flip side from a 50,000 square foot mansion, the Apartment Therapy website has the 251-500 square foot home contest open until Monday. I have had a BLAST looking through the small spaces which somehow don't look nearly so small when well-organized and beautifully decorated. I would say our chances of living in a home this size are far greater than the 50,000 square foot house, but still, probably not likely right now. 

Five.

I do love a good milkshake. I don't get them very often, but I do love them. I don't know when or if I'll ever make it to one of the locations of The Yard Milkshake Bar, but I drooled ALL the way through the menu. Is it milkshake overkill? Oh absolutely. But in the best possible way. Brilliant. 

Six.

I hope this one DOES happen for us someday, but I wanted to share it because some of you mentioned after last week's Six that you also love the idea of a Route 66 trip. This site gives turn by turn instructions if you want to keep planning away! (I won't lie...it mesmerized me!)