The Saturday Six

 

Easter is in JUST a couple of weeks. How is this possible? This week I thought I'd take a look at a few ideas for your Easter season. A couple of these may not be first time mentions on the blog, but that makes them no less meaningful! 

One.

I know I have posted about this before on the blog - probably on the Saturday Six in a previous year! But it's worth mentioning in this Easter-themed list, so I will mention it again. Lindsay Sherbondy, of Lindsay Letters has this really beautiful and meaningful piece of art that we own. (I probably won't be able to find it in time to display it this year, but I am looking forward to it next year!) I'm not typically into the more abstract kind of art, but this one was so meaningful to me that I had to get it a few years ago. The piece is called It is Finished, and it's one that I treasure - both the piece and what it represents! (You can get it in either a canvas or an art print. We have the print.)

Two.

I don't have a Cricut, but if I did (and if I was hosting Easter this year) I think these placemats and napkin rings would be an adorable way to add to the tablescape. Simple - and yet meaningful. If you're crafty (in a good way) and hosting this year, check it out!

Three.

This one isn't new AT ALL, but it's one of my favorites. There are a million Christmas music collections, but not nearly as many Easter options! Years ago, the Gaithers did two projects in the Holy Land, and I love them both. And I think they're great to listen to (or watch!) around Easter time. The Israel Homecoming has songs like The Easter Song, I Have Returned, Hallelyah, Have You Had a Gethsemane?, I've Just Seen Jesus, I Call Him Lord, The Holy City, and Because He Lives. The Jerusalem Homecoming has songs like Jerusalem, Resurrection, El Shaddai, Walkin' in Jerusalem, I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked, and Holy Ground. The music is amazing, and to see so many of the beautiful places in Israel is a bonus!

Four.

Whether you need some activities for a family get-together or for kiddos at church, here is an Easter scavenger hunt that will have participants looking to Scripture for the answers to the scavenger hunt questions! 

Five.

The Marion Easter Pageant was something I participated in for about the first 25 years of my life. If you're local to the Marion area, I hear they're doing the newer version of the Pageant this year, so you can check it out if you want! My heart will always be partial to the original, and I'm so glad it's on YouTube now so we can enjoy it anytime! Here is the link if you'd like to watch it. 

Six.

And finally for today - a list of activities for the week leading up to Easter. Whether you choose to do these with your family or with a group of friends, they could include some incredibly meaningful demonstrations of Holy Week! 

New Month, New Routines

 

It is April on the calendar, but Indiana has completely missed the memo! I think we're in for more cold and rain. Fortunately, our plans today are largely centered around...wait for it...unpacking. We can easily do that on a cold, rainy day.

Today also officially begins our new adventure. The last three days were technically our last weekend at WillowBridge, even though we were not there in person. It was strange, last night, to end our weekend without reading notes, picking up the work phone, and restarting all the chores at 8:30. In fact, at 8:30, we were visiting the friends who had been hanging onto our refrigerated food for us. (Our refrigerator finally arrived yesterday!)

I have thought long and hard about how I hope to spend my April days, since they will look so different from previous days.

* I'm looking forward to having more time each day for Bible study. I was so excited to find my missing box of study books a couple of days ago!

* I'm also looking forward to increasing my water intake again (moving really messed up my careful intake) and having time to exercise again. Those are both high on Ryan's list, too. He has missed his gym time!

* I'm looking forward to having the boxes unpacked fully (so we can see that beautiful garage again) and the house settled to be like home. We have done a lot in the few days we've been here, but there is still much work to do - especially in the details!

* I'm looking forward to going on dates with Ryan and exploring our new hometown. We've heard about many places we think we're going to like, and I'm eager to check them out!

* I'm looking forward to cooking again. We haven't done much of that in the last two or three weeks. I guess maybe first I need to look forward to going to the store to stock up on the things we've depleted.

* I'm looking forward to scrapbooking. I had been keeping up pretty well, but I definitely got behind and need to catch back up!

* I'm looking forward to enjoying spring. I thought maybe if I wrote about it here, the Indiana weather would be inspired to cooperate! :) 

What are your April hopes??

Things I've Learned in This Move

Thank you all for your very kind words yesterday. We felt quite loved. :)

The good news? I found our silverware, which NEARLY put us back in business. The bad news? Our refrigerator did not arrive. They called the day before to confirm delivery yesterday between 12-4, and 30 minutes before the end of the window, they called to cancel. I was quite sad. We pretty much have to eat out until they bring it, because many of our ingredients are refrigerated. And then we can't store leftovers. Hopefully they'll make it here today.

I also found my Bible study book, and that made me SO happy. Ryan found a cord he looked for forever. (He told me he knew when he stuck it somewhere last minute, it was a bad idea, because he was likely to forget his hiding place. Know where he found it? Basket of the paper shredder!!)

But here are some thoughts from our move so far:

* I told myself that my non-organized packing this time would be no big deal. I told myself it was probably overkill anyway and that things would move just as smoothly without my spreadsheets. I was wrong about that. I stopped counting the number of times I wished I could look something up on that silly spreadsheet! Though I do not plan to move again for about 100 years, if we do move again, I'm definitely going back to the spreadsheet, thankyouverymuch.

* So far, the only casualties have been things that weren't packed properly. (Meaning they were tossed in boxes without lids, etc.) And so far, we've only found three things that have been broken. One was a window candle (not one you gave me, Mom!) and the other two were dollar store plastic bins.

* I am so thankful to have a handy husband! Ryan skillfully hooked up our washer and dryer, and they work beautifully. He's also hooked up the stove, and I'm most eager to cook a meal on it! I'm really thankful for all the things he knows how to do!

* It's both fun and frustrating to find new homes for things. We've been scooting little side tables around all over the place, trying to figure out which spot will be the best home for them. And we're trying to figure out which things just don't fit in this space. We know it's possible that not everything can stay. 

* It's also fun to shop the house and put things in new places. We've had some lamps in our bedroom for about the last six years, and I just moved them into the living room. Why did I not do this sooner??

* Braeya and Lexi both act like this has always been home. They do not seem confused or anxious in the least. Both have easily adapted to their new litter box and food dish locations. They're sleeping well. They're playing well. They're eating well. 

* And finally, for today, I have to tell you about this. Our doorbell rang yesterday, and it was our new neighbors coming over to say hi. In all the homes I've/we've ever lived in, I don't remember ever having neighbors come over to ring the bell and say hi. We have had a lot of great neighbors that we met while out in the yard, but I think this was an intentionality first! They were super nice and told us a little about the neighborhood. It was a fantastic start to our time here!

So here's hoping we'll have a refrigerator by tonight and that we uncover a few more treasures today. I can't wait to show you all some pictures. As soon as we have internet, I will! :) 

Home

Friends! Thank you so much for all your kind messages over the last few days. I told someone yesterday that I was pretty sure I would look back on all this and wonder how in the world we did it. That day has arrived. 

HOW DID WE DO IT??? 

God's grace. 

We left WillowBridge a little before noon yesterday, after putting the last of the last of the last of the last in the trailer. Ryan had Braeya with him and I had Lexi with me. Both of them protested for most of the drive, but I am thrilled to report that once we arrived, they were complete CHAMPS. 

We brought Braeya in first, and for the first time ever in a move, she wanted to explore the entire house, and she did! We put the baby gate up at our bedroom door so she could have some privacy from Lexi if she wanted, but she chose to come out and socialize for a big chunk of the day. Lexi, who has no issues with exploration whatsoever, also ran all over the house, checking out every nook and cranny. Both of them were super thrilled about the windows and had a great time looking all around inside and out!

Ryan spent the bulk of the afternoon hooking up the washer and dryer so we could wash our bedding. (We set up our bed at our new house last week on one of our days off, but we couldn't finish making it since we needed to wash all the bedding.) We have missed our bed for this last week; we've been sleeping on the guest bed mattress on our floor.

While Ryan did that, I started unpacking the kitchen supplies. I am not sure I have everything in the best possible place, but I do have most of it IN a place, so I'm excited for that. I still haven't unearthed the silverware, but other than that, I think I have most of the things we need for now. 

The last thing we did last night was start setting up the living room. Ryan and Tim brought the couch over this past weekend, but it wasn't all hooked together, so we did that. We put the rug down and I decided I wanted to switch the lamps we've always had in our bedroom and put them in the living room instead. It's my first big switch of room items, and I really like it. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it before, actually. 

Our coffee table and entertainment center were pretty much made to match the plank floors in here, so I'm really excited about that! 

We don't have internet yet, so we can't watch anything on TV, and I'm trying to quickly write blogs using limited hotspot time. (Might have to hit up the coffee shop for blog writing until we have internet.)

We know that as the next few days arrive, it will start to hit us in new ways that this really is happening, but for now, we are enjoying home. 

Oh! And some of you asked where we landed. We relocated about 40 minutes south of where we were and are now in the town of Bluffton! 

Beginnings...

 

We awaken today to a fresh chapter. 

To be fair, we all awaken to a fresh chapter today. This isn't unique to our little family. Even if nothing is changing in the landscape of your own story, you still have the chance to start a new chapter today. That choice is yours to make.

But for us, today begins a new season of seeking God's direction, planting our roots in a new community, and seeking refreshment for our souls.

It's a strange feeling. 

Yesterday I sat in the WillowBridge office with my morning coffee for the final time. I did the office chores for the final time. I went to the Grabill post office for the final time. Ryan and I had our last conversations with our tenants while serving as their official advocates.

Last night we shared our final team meal with Sean and Sarah. We reminisced, laughed, and answered questions. We came back to our apartment, which resembles something of a sitcom set after shooting the final episode. We listened to our words bounce off the floors and walls while one last load of laundry tumbled around in the dryer. 

This morning we'll grab our coffee at the coffee shop, pack up the vehicles with the last of the last, and then we'll make the drive as a family (one parent and one pet per vehicle) to our new home for keeps.

And so will begin the firsts. 

Our first real meal in our new home. (The leftovers we had during a speakerphone conversation last week don't count as the first real meal.)

Introducing Braeya and Lexi to their new bedrooms. 

Washing our bedding in our new laundry room so we can make up our bed in its new space.

Working our way through potential configurations of furniture layouts to see what will be coziest and most comfortable in this new space. 

Maybe not tomorrow (hello, Indiana weather) but soon...our first walk to explore our new neighborhood. 

Our first time attending our new church. 

And on and on it will go.

It will be familiar to have our days together for a while longer. We've done that with much joy for the last two years. But it will be strange to figure out a new rhythm to our days. Still, I welcome it.

We don't know what all these beginnings hold, but we welcome them.

Endings...

Today is our last day on duty at WillowBridge. What a strange feeling it is. I've wondered, multiple times, how strange it will be to transition back to a schedule that isn't as all-encompassing. 

Already, on our days off, we phantom-hear the work phone. I'll reach for it, 100% certain I heard its ring tone, and then I remember we're off duty and I don't even have the phone. I imagine that is a mere example of what MUCH of life will feel like when we finish our last shift today.

Last week, our coworkers threw a farewell party for us, and it was so sweet. Literally. Check out the cupcakes!

There was also this snack mix, which was EXCELLENT.

We didn't get pictures with everyone, but we did get a few!

And they gifted us this beautiful wreath, which our coworker Sarah actually made. I can't wait to hang it in our new home!

Sarah got a couple of pictures of Ryan and me during gifts...wanna see?

(That last one is a funny story...Rob got us the first season of Little House, and as you can see, Ryan is SUPER EXCITED FOR IT!)

Goodbyes are hard. Yesterday we said goodbye to our church home and our small group. Today we say goodbye to the tenants we've served and the coworkers who have been our extended family these last almost two years. 

Hellos are a gift, and we are excited for the ones to come in our new home, new town, and new church. But for today, I hold a needed place for these goodbyes. I hold a grateful heart for the goodness that has come from our time in this place.

When we were married, our final song of our wedding was Find Us Faithful. And that is my prayer for always, especially on this final day. For all of the things we didn't do perfectly, and for all of the things we perhaps would have done differently, may we close this chapter knowing we were faithful with what was entrusted to us and we gave it our very best and our all. 

Sunday Sentiments

 

My thoughts are everywhere today, but they mostly come back to this: gratitude.

The past two months have been a mental whirlwind for us. It was right around two months ago that we felt the Lord releasing us to a new season and began putting one foot in front of the other into this faith walk He has called us to. 

We have experienced more emotions in the last two months than probably the last two years combined. (Both the number of emotions and the intensity of each one.) We have prayed. We have waited. We have walked. We have run. 

The number of doors the Lord has opened that "shouldn't have" opened astounds us. The fact that we were able to find a home in this market is a miracle. The fact that it was exactly where it was in the process of being ready for us was a miracle. The fact that the company made good on some things that needed fixed was a miracle. The fact that our offer was accepted was a miracle. The fact that we were able to close on time (literally without a day to spare) before delays caused fees was a miracle. 

The fact that we were able to pack an entire home while working full time and taking turns with Lexi (who eats boxes) has been a miracle. It hasn't been pretty packing. I've lamented not using my beautiful organizational system this time, but the packing has gotten done. The fact that we have had enough boxes that "just happened" to show up from friends with extra has been a miracle. 

Ryan was able to borrow a truck from his dad and a trailer from his sister, and that has allowed us to move as we've had time. Originally the truck needed to be back in just a few days, but his dad said he had made other arrangements for his own needs and we could keep it as long as we needed it. This relieved massive amounts of stress from us.

The fact that God gave us (really, me) enough strength to do heavy lifting is a miracle, as we've done the bulk of the moving on our own - just the two of us. And for the things I literally couldn't lift, God sent a friend to help Ryan. The fact that their schedules worked out was also a miracle.

We have two other friends coming to do the final cleaning on our apartment to relieve that bit of the load from our shoulders, and that is a blessing beyond words. 

Oh! And though unrelated to moving, the fact that my dentist was able to get me in for that crown during our last month here was a miracle. I wasn't sure it would all get done while we still had that insurance coverage, but it did, and even though it was not a fun experience, it is done, and I'm so grateful. 

Miracle.

Miracle.

Miracle.

This is how I know God has the rest of it covered. The final goodbyes. The final reach for supernatural strength to complete our race here in this work. The next steps in the next place. He has it all. 

I'm so very, very grateful. 

The Saturday Six

 

This week's lineup is inspired by my desire to (at some point hopefully soon) take something to our new neighbors at our new home. We know that two or three of them lost a really private and lovely view when our house was built (even though we didn't ask for it to be built right there) and one more is also brand new to the neighborhood. Though I've discovered that most new neighbor gift ideas are geared for existing neighbors to welcome new ones, I see no reason why we can't be the gift bearers!

One.

Since we're come up on summer, this is a cute and easy s'more themed gift basket. (And of course, you know my undying love for s'mores.) We actually did something very similar to this one when we bought our Kokomo house! We actually gave it to our lender, who was amazing and was so very missed on this round. (She's alive and well, but she wasn't involved in our process this time and we grew to appreciate even more how easy she made that last buying process.) I know a couple of our neighbors have kids, so this might be a great contender! 

Two.

This one might be a bit of a gamble if you don't know the neighbors, because, well, gluten...but if you know it's safe for them, I LOVE THIS ONE! "We're here if you knead us..." Isn't that clever? I think if you removed the welcome part of the tag, it could work very well if you're the new one rather than the existing one. And again, if you know gluten is safe for the recipients, I also think this could be a great way to support a local bakery if you aren't skilled at making your own bread. (Which I am not.)

Three.

My baking sheets are all packed right now, but when I unearth them (and when our stove is delivered), this could be a great gift idea, too! COOKIES!!!! You know how I love to bake cookies. And I love the idea of the tags with our names on them. (I am the worst with remembering names, so I know I would appreciate seeing them in writing so I could remember!)

Four.

One of these, attached to a little plant, would be PERFECT!!! (Can you tell my aspiring crazy plant lady dreams are peeking out again?) Since we really are looking to put down roots, this seems like a really good option. (Again - also a good way to support a local business. Or if I were already skilled as a plant lady, I could share starts from my own! But I'm not that good.)

Five.

This one is geared more toward a gift for the new people rather than FROM them, but I still like it! A quick and easy breakfast in a basket - and a picture included to help put faces with names! (Granted, you might want to make sure you're comfortable with that part from a safety aspect with people you don't know at all, but I still like the concept.) I would also throw in that I think meals that can be used whenever are a great gift for just about anything. Lynne Ford gifted us a meal to keep on hand for the day we got home from our honeymoon, and I STILL remember that! She knew we wouldn't have food on hand since we just got home, and it was so nice to not have to worry about finding something to eat!

Six.

And finally...with spring officially here and summer on the way - a lemonade-themed gift basket is a great idea, too! (I saw another idea where all the things were stuffed in a drink dispenser that looked like a sun tea jar. Remember sun tea? Those were the days.) 

Whether or not you have (or are becoming) new neighbors, I love these ideas for simple gifts!

Shafferland 3.0...Goodbyes

 Every time we've moved - which, to be fair, has only been twice until now - I've done a series of "slow goodbyes" to our homes. I've loved those posts and how they've allowed me to celebrate the memories made in each home while acknowledging the sweet sadness that comes with putting a period on making more memories in those homes.

I'm going to do that a bit differently this time, because this has been a different sort of home for us. Because we haven't owned our home at WillowBridge, we've done far less to it than anywhere else we've lived. And because our job was so prominent in the time it required, we also did far less in our homes than we have in the others. But I do want to acknowledge the time we have had here and the life we've lived in this place, so I want to mention a few things from our third home, different though it was.

* I was so grateful that this home afforded us a guest room, though we didn't have too many guests stay in it. We did have a couple of overnight guests from our friend circle, but for the most part, that room was inhabited by the kids in our lives. Our godson spent many nights in that room when we would keep him for the weekend every month or so. He was too little for the big bed, so we set up the pack n play and he slept so well in that room. We are grateful we had the space to offer him and that relationship is a reminder to me that no matter how short our time was here, we will always carry a part of this season of our lives in the relationship we have with him and his mom. (And now we'll have to get our own pack n play, since we won't be able to borrow the WillowBridge one anymore!)

* Our little (literally!) office here probably saw more Zoom calls than writing time, but I did enjoy writing a few pieces in there. From devo readings for our tenants to the fundraiser talk for this past January, I was able to be occasionally creative in that space. And as we leave this home, that little room serves as Lexi's bedroom, so we are grateful for it! She rests best when alone in a room, so I'm glad we have a space to offer her!

* Our living/dining/kitchen area was the space where we spent most of our down time (when we had it) while we were here. We'd escape to this space for quick naps in the middle of long work days. On our weekends, we'd camp out on the couch to watch TV and rest our weary minds. We did a lot of Bible study and praying in this space. The night we got the call about Allen's death, we came to sit in the living room so our cries and conversations wouldn't wake up Tim and Justine, who were sleeping in their apartment on the other side of our bedroom. Though we didn't have time to entertain much, we were able to welcome a few friends in for dinner now and then - and we hosted our small group once before announcing our move. And the kitchen has seen a lot of food prep - mostly for WillowBridge, but still, it was a great space for creating treats! (Oh! We did have our first ever solo Thanksgiving meal in this apartment, and it was pretty tasty!)

* Our master bedroom, though small, was a beautiful sanctuary for us while we lived here. We had hundreds of hours of conversation in that room, late at night when work was finally done, but our minds were too wound up to sleep. And I think I did more praying and thinking in that shower than anywhere else in this apartment. 

Prior to coming here, neither of us had ever lived in a home we didn't own, nor had either of us lived in an apartment (except for college and a few weeks after, for me). We definitely didn't hate apartment life, but we also found it harder to relax in a space that didn't have as much privacy. 

We are grateful for all the memories we made in this home, and it will always be Shafferland 3.0 for us. 

The Elephant in the Room

 

I've saved this part of our current journey for last, mostly because it's awkward, and I always fail at handling the awkward well.

Typically when people make a big life change similar to the one we're making, they start with the job and center everything else around that. 

We did not do that. 

We did begin some conversations with a potential employer prior to making any other concrete decisions, and we have not ignored the work component of this change at all. But I will tell you that the final answer to work has not been settled yet. I won't dive into all the potentials for what that might look like just yet, but we have some options!

If we did not live and work in the same place, and if leaving one didn't so fully affect the other, we probably would have gone about this in a different order. But because of the way our job works, leaving one meant leaving the other, which put a place to live at the very top of the list, even above work.

I'm grateful for Ryan's careful attention to saving and planning that has allowed us to have a reserve for such a time as this, and we are actually really looking forward to a season (though hopefully not terribly extended) of respite following these very intense months of work. We need that for our hearts and souls so we can regroup and be in the best possible frame of mind to move forward from here.

God has shown Himself so faithful in each door He has opened so far, and we are fully confident He will ultimately show us which job He has for us to do next. We are open before Him to go where He leads! 

I do want to also say that hands down, no question, working together has been our favorite thing about life at WillowBridge. We know some people had some pretty raised eyebrows at our enthusiasm about the idea of working together when we came here. We know it isn't ideal for everyone, but we wanted nothing more than to do just that, and it has been every bit as wonderful as we hoped and prayed (and really believed!) it would be. Depending on how the Lord leads in the immediate future, we know we may not be working as closely together again, and that is so sad! We love it, we believe we are good at it, and we also believe it really makes us both better workers.

But even if we never get to work in tandem (vocationally) again, we are thrilled that the Lord allowed us to experience it for this time. It has been a massive blessing. 

I promise that as soon as this piece of the puzzle is fully in place, I will let you know. In the meantime, I hope you like house stories, because we might be camping out there for a bit. :) 

The Things We Love

  

A very wise woman told me, as I prepared to go through this time of transition from one season to the next, to take time to write about my feelings in very specific ways. She urged me to name every feeling and emotion and to take particular note of everything, because all of it mattered. I took this to heart in all the ways, and that included setting aside time to name and be grateful for all the things about our new home that we especially love. 

As we've slowly leaked this news to those around us, almost everyone has asked about the house and what it's like. I thought you might like to know, too. The list below isn't exhaustive, nor is it in any particular order. But it includes some of our most favorite things. 

* We have a garage! Though I want to be clear that we've not been dissatisfied with our accommodations at WillowBridge, both of us dearly missed having a garage. Ryan loved our garage in Kokomo, and if you've been reading here for the last several years, you know that we fixed up that space to use it as an extension of our actual home, too. It was absolutely one of the hardest things for us to leave behind. Ryan missed his work space and both of us missed being able to just hop out of the car and run inside in inclement weather. So we are absolutely beyond grateful to get our garage back, and we are excited that it is fully insulated and drywalled, so if we decide we want to use it similarly to our Kokomo days, it won't take long to completely spruce it up! (This is not a project for our immediate future. Just an option for someday.) 

* We have bountiful indoor storage. This was actually one area where our Kokomo house lacked. We had that magnificent walk-in closet in our master bedroom, but beyond that, there wasn't an abundance of storage throughout the house. This home was well-designed in the storage realm. We have several closets that are lined with shelves and will allow us to easily access things we might not need every day. (Though please also let the record show that we are about to undergo a fairly serious purge. Again.)

* We have a laundry room! In our Marion house, our laundry was in the bathroom, which wasn't a bad thing. But we loved upgrading to hallway laundry in our Kokomo house. And then here at WillowBridge, we've had a whole separate laundry room, and it has been our favorite laundry setup so far. We were excited to find that our new house has a dedicated laundry room also. It's small, but that's totally fine with us. It'll be sufficient for our needs, and I'm as excited to decorate it as I am to decorate the rest of the house!

* We have an open concept living space. After doing a little demo work in Kokomo, we had a fairly open flow from our kitchen to the living room, and we loved it. We know that isn't for everyone, but it's our favorite, and we were thrilled when we had it (even) more so here at WillowBridge. Also here at WillowBridge, we've had a kitchen peninsula, which has given us a breakfast bar for the first time ever, and we fell in love with that. We declared we definitely wanted that again in a future home. Goodness. Did the Lord ever nudge the builders to  make all these dreams come true, or what?! We have the full open floor plan, a nook eating, and an island with a breakfast bar. It's beautiful in every way. And the kitchen even has the same espresso cabinets that we transformed our Kokomo cabinets into...only this time we don't have to put in the extra work! 

* We have beautiful windows. One of the things I miss the most from our Kokomo house is all the natural light we enjoyed there. Since WillowBridge was renovated from an office building, all the windows are office windows. I am so excited to get back to a home with so much natural light. Maybe I can become a crazy plant lady yet! 

* We love the master bedroom. In Kokomo, our master bedroom was actually a little bit TOO big. We always said we would have chosen to make the living room bigger (to allow for dining space at the back) and make the master smaller, since all we needed was to sleep. Our new master is smaller than the Kokomo one, but bigger than our room at WillowBridge, which basically only has room for our bed. We are excited to have carpet under our toes on cold winter mornings and space to move around more freely. And since the closet is actually in the bathroom, we have more uninterrupted wall space, which I also love! This tends to be where Braeya chooses to spend most of her time, so we think she will really love it, too! 

* The master bathroom has all our favorite things. We've never had a large master bathroom in any home we've lived in. (Here at WillowBridge, our secondary bath is actually bigger than the master bath!) This one has a walk-in shower, which we are super excited about. And rather than having a double sink, it has one sink with extra large counterspace on either side, which means we can get ready at the same time and have all the space we need for our stuff! It's perfect. And we have a walk-in closet again - but it's way smaller than our one in Kokomo, which makes it perfect for us!

* The other bedrooms and bathroom are perfectly sized, too. We have a bedroom we can dedicate to office space and one for guests/Lexi's bed, and both are a perfect size. We have a second bathroom with a tub, which will be great for giving Lexi her baths. 

* We have a patio space! WillowBridge has a deck, but it doesn't have any natural or artificial shade, so we never used it. We've missed evening coffee on a porch, but we do have a little patio on the back that fits our furniture perfectly. We are so excited to use it! 

In terms of square footage, our new home is very similar to our Kokomo home and probably WillowBridge, too. (We have never known how many square feet this apartment has.) We love the layout and are excited to make it ours. 

Waiting for Home

Ryan said I was mean to leave you with a cliffhanger. I would say I'm sorry...but I admit it was some of my most favorite writing lately, so I might not be sorry.

So...after we made our offer, all we could do was wait. And journal. (That part was just me.) I'll give you a peek into my journaled prayers from the night we made the offer.

"My heart still feels peaceful, but on the sick side of peaceful. I know, Jesus, that maybe You don't want us to have this house. Maybe You know of another house that is coming soon that is a better price, a better fit, a better location...anything like that. All of that, even. Maybe this is YOUR protection from us making a stupid move. But Lord, maybe this is Your way of writing a beautiful story - of showing us that You have something to give us when it seems there will be no way. Please, Jesus. If this is our home like it felt it was, then please don't let this other offer stand in the way. For whatever reason YOU choose, let ours be the one THEY choose. But if this is Your protection, then help us to bear the disappointment of it."

The next morning, I had an email from my friend Julie, who said this beautiful thing that I hope will drive my own future with others: "Allow me to wait and pray alongside you as we eagerly anticipate what God is writing for your next chapter!" I mean, look at that! Isn't that a BEAUTIFUL gift to offer someone in the waiting?? Thanks, Julie!!

I also saw a quote on Instagram, though I don't know who originally said it, that said this: "May you catch yourself saying a lot this year, 'WOW! I prayed for this. It is here. It's actually happening.'" LOVE that one!!! And I prayed fervently that this would become our reality. 

All day, I tried to be so calm and trusting, and with the Lord's help, I was able to do it. I wasn't anxious, but I also wasn't completely calm. There was a restlessness and a curiosity for sure. And each time I felt my heart leaping toward worry, God urged me to trust. And to help, He allowed me to run across verses and quotes all day long. 

Bonnie Gray, an author I follow on Instagram, said, "Today, when you feel alone, stop and breathe. Give yourself grace. WE may not know the way, but the God who loves you not only knows the way, He intimately knows your way. He is making a way for you."

I ran across Psalm 31:24: "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord."

Psalm 143:8: "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." 

There were more, but you get the point, right?

Amie had said we should know by 5:00, so as the clock drew nearer, Ryan and I sat on the couch, nervously staring at the phone, willing it to buzz. 

It did not.

5:30.

5:45.

6:00.

6:15.

6:30.

6:45. 

Ryan asked if I minded if he went to men's Bible study at the church. I saw no reason for him to sit and stare at a phone with me, when I could just as easily stare alone, so I sent him on his way.

He wasn't even across the parking lot and to the church yet when the phone buzzed. Amie said she'd reminded the listing agent we needed an answer and was waiting. But she didn't want us to think she'd forgotten us. I called Ryan and updated him and then resumed my waiting. 

It was about 7:05 when she texted back - a GIF that said, "Offer accepted!" 

I stared at it and my brain wanted to believe she meant OUR offer, but I wasn't sure I could hope that much. So I said, "No. Are you serious?? Ours?"

She confirmed, and I sobbed.

I texted Ryan and said, PLEASE CALL IMMEDIATELY. Did I care that I had interrupted men's Bible study? Not in the least. 

He called and I squeaked out, "WE GOT IT!" He cried too (and I don't think he'd mind me telling you that) right there in the church hallway. 

He returned to Bible study and I had to wait an entire hour to get my new homeowner hug, but it was so worth it when it happened!

Here are some more thoughts from my journal: 

"I can't explain the joy we feel from knowing we have a home to go to and a wonderful place to start a new life. Jesus, thank You for this blessing. Thank You that somewhere, months ago, a builder decided to start constructing a house right in that spot so it would be ready for us now when we need it. Thank You for every decision that went into it. From the cabinetry to the layout to the light fixtures to the flooring and more. We just love it. We love how perfectly timed it was to be ready for us. Thank You for all the ways You're paving the way now, and we didn't even expect it. We don't even know what all the ways are yet, but we trust that they are there."

You see, years ago, Ryan and I had a dream of building a home. In fact, when we got married, Ryan owned a piece of land, and we had picked out a home that we wanted to build on that land. But then we learned that the county had rezoned and we were no longer permitted to build on the land, so we had to sell it. With it, we sold our dream of ever building or owning a brand new home. 

But God had other plans, didn't He?

I tell you...I love everything the builders picked for our new home. If I had been there to make the decisions myself, those were the decisions I would have made. Instead, someone else made them for me and saved me a LOT of time. I am grateful. 

And so this is how the second piece of the puzzle slid into place. Our offer was accepted, and we knew we would have a place to live. 

Isn't hope a wonderful gift?

Hunting for Home

If you missed the end of last week, you might be a little confused by today's post! You can go back and read the fuller versions of the stories if you'd like, but the quick version is that I shared a life update for our household: we're leaving our jobs at WillowBridge. I also shared on Friday that the first piece of the next season that God led us to know was where we would be going to church. You might think that the next piece would be about a job, but it's not. (It actually was the next piece we started exploring and having conversations with others about, but it was not the next answered question.)

Because, you see, one of the tricky parts of our job is that when we leave the work portion of it, we also lose our home. The perils of living and working in the same space, right? In order to leave, we had to have a place to go.

Since we knew the general area where we wanted to live, we started looking online for options. 

There weren't many. At the time we began looking, there were nine houses for sale. Three were major fixer uppers, and while you know that we do enjoy a good project, this is not the time in our lives when we have the capacity for a major project. Three were so far out of our price range that we couldn't even look at the listings. And three were in the ballpark. (Even though everyone's ballparks have been stretched by current housing market prices, of course.)

We asked our friends if they could recommend any real estate agents for us to work with, and they gave us a name. We called her and she was able to work with us right away. I sent her the three listings we'd found that looked like good options and were in our general price range. We set up an appointment to meet with her on a Tuesday, and the weekend before we went, Ryan told me one of the houses we sent her showed that it had sold.

So the morning of our house hunting adventure, I texted the agent to confirm we were still meeting, and she told me we would be seeing all three houses that day. I guess the one hadn't sold after all! What a fun surprise! 

Ryan and I drove into town and met her at the first house on the agenda. It was in a really cozy area that reminded me a lot of the area where we had lived in Kokomo. This house had a basement, which was high on my list and hard to come by. We weren't sure about the house other than the basement. Some things in the pictures had looked a little strange. But we thought it was worth a look. We rolled up in front of the house and officially met our new real estate friend for the first time in person.

As we exchanged pleasantries, a gentleman walked out of the house. We learned he was the listing agent and had stopped by to open the house for us. He also had mentioned that the house had received an offer just that morning. We were still welcome to look if we wanted, and we could make an offer, but we just needed to know that another offer existed.

We walked through the house and admired the obvious love that had been put into making it a home. I promptly fell in love with the finished basement, but I told Ryan that for as much as I loved that space, the house just didn't feel like home. I didn't think this was it. He agreed. Nice, but not for us. We said we hoped it went well for the people who had made the offer, and in less than ten minutes, we were out the door and on to the next house.

We didn't have far to go, actually. It was in the same neighborhood! This house was a new build, and it was the one we thought had sold. We'd only seen pictures of the outside, since the inside wasn't constructed at the time of the listing. We pulled up in front of house #2 and walked through the front door.

I hadn't even left the main living area, before I knew I was in in big trouble. I had fallen completely in love with that house. Never mind the stickers on the windows and the paper covering the floor. Never mind the chilly temps and imaginary light fixtures yet to be installed. I was so busy trying to shove my feelings down inside that I barely noticed Ryan seemed to be struggling with the same feelings of house-infatuation that I had. Questions tumbled out of our mouths and Amie fired off text after text to the listing agent to find answers. Ryan and I ran from room to room, already imagining where we would put our furniture. 

We were there over an hour, and at the end of the time, I looked at Amie and said, "I didn't mean to love it this much."

We had one more house to see, and online, house #3 had been the one to beat. It had been the one we hoped upon hope would not sell until we got there to see it. So we all piled into our cars and headed across town to see this house.

The house was every bit as lovely in person as it had been online. The previous owners had built a newer, bigger home, and they were already living in it, so the space was empty and ready for our imaginations to work. We walked all around, imagining and dreaming, and there were things we really loved about that house. (The shower in the master was pretty much amazing.) But the house was so big. Much bigger than we realized from the listing. We knew we would have to buy significant amounts of furniture just to fill the rooms. And the master, though beautiful, was very small. We would have to cover a window just to put our bed in the room. And even though the house had been well-loved and remodeled, there were some big ticket replacements looming in the not-too-distant future. 

We parted ways with Amie that day and began driving back home. We felt like we were living an episode of House Hunters. What would it be? One, two, or three?

Before we even got back home, we knew that the new build was the one for us. We had prayed SO specifically that if and when the Lord had a home for us, we would know it. We prayed that we would feel it was home the moment we walked through the door. And we both knew it without a doubt as soon as we walked inside house #2. 

We also knew that the way the market is right now, if we had an interest, we better say so IMMEDIATELY. So while we were yet driving home, we called Amie and told her we wanted to make an offer on the house. 

She took all the information, sent us what we needed to complete online, and submitted the offer for us. She said they would let us know within 24 hours.

And as we kicked back to wait and pray, she called again.

Someone else had placed an offer on the house sometime between the time we visited it and the end of the day. 

Sunday Sentiments

 

One of the faith-building aspects of life at WillowBridge is reading and learning together with daily devotions. The guys (team and tenants) always do a reading plan together, and the girls do as well. We just finished up a plan written by Leeana Tankersley, and I don't know that any other plan could have been more perfectly timed for my heart than that one. Sarah and I choose the plans based on what we think will meet the tenants where they are, but that one may have ended up helping me more than anyone! 

I wanted to share with you an excerpt from one of the readings, in case it's as meaningful to you as it was to me! Leeana said:

"One of the hardest things about hard things is that you are typically not the only one in your life who is affected by the hard thing. You likely have a network of people who are impacted, each processing their own big feelings in their own time and in their own way...

...We pick up our problems and our people's problems when we lose our hope in God's potential, the divine possibilities. We forget the creative genius of the...

...rainbow

burning bush

manna

pillar of fire

cloud by day

wilderness

mountaintop

belly of the fish

stormy sea

stable

star in the East

dove

wedding

cross

earthquake

bread and wine

spirit.

These were all God's way of saying the same thing to humanity: I am here. I am here to help you, give you rest, give you hope. I am here to protect you, nourish you, save you. I am here. It's not all up to you."

As we prepare to move and begin a new chapter, this hard of our lives affects more than just the two of us. We have a boss who has to adjust running an entire department in the transition time after we leave. We have co-workers who will have to change everything about their days to fill in for what we used to do. (And we know what that's like, because we did it last year when our co-workers left!) We have tenants who are preparing to not have us here with them. We have a small group who just found us and now have to say goodbye to us.

It's hard across the board. And it's hard for us, too. For all of the good and the exciting that lies ahead - and there is much of that! - there is also hard as we say goodbye. 

There are also answers we don't have yet. Things we are walking toward in faith alone, and that is hard to do. (Easy to talk about, but hard to live out in reality.) I loved all those reminders of God's creative and miraculous solutions to big needs. We have actually already seen His creativity and miracles at work in our own journey, which gives us hope for much more of the same! 

That last line though: It's not all up to you. My reminder that I am not God's personal assistant. I'm to walk in obedience to His directives, not creating answers as I go! 

Thank You, Lord, for these words this week. And thank You for Your creativity! 

The Saturday Six

 

I don't have a theme this time...too much happening to construct a theme this week. But I hope you enjoy the links just the same! 

One.

I think I may have mentioned this on the blog recently - or maybe I only thought about mentioned it. But either way, I don't think I linked to the YouTube channel. This is a guy (from Indiana!) who records hymns in four part harmony, but he's the one singing all the parts! His name is Michael Eldridge, and his music name is Acapeldridge. (Get it??) We have LOVED listening to his music, and I admit he's even stumped me on a few hymns! He has incredible talent, and it's fascinating to watch him do all four parts. 

Two.

I stumbled upon this video through social media this week - on Natalie Grant's account - and then I said, "Oh hey! I know who they're talking about!" The video is worth the watch. the woman they honor in it is from our area and I have followed her social media off and on over the last couple of years. Her faith is courageous and inspiring. The incredible amount of back-to-back loss she has endured blows my mind. This blessing was most well deserved, I must say. 

Three.

We love watching home makeover shows, but it's also always fun to see a spruce-up that doesn't require restructuring. KariAnne's redo of her brother's back porch (to hold him over until he can implement his ultimate big plans for the space) is adorable!! I love everything she was able to do with rugs, furniture, and accessories!! Genius.

Four.

I am not sure that this would be the best fit for me, because I like my current meal plan process, but I do think this is an EXCELLENT idea for organizing all your ingredients and recipes for the week if you have trouble tracking everything down when the actual days arrive. Also pretty genius. 

Five.

I haven't written about a capsule wardrobe for a very long time. I feel like my closet is bigger than it has been for a while - not because I've done much shopping, but because I've been given a lot of hand-me-downs in the last couple of years! One thing I hope to do in my new season of life is reevaluate the clothing situation again. I found this guide pretty intriguing. Could I narrow THIS MUCH? I am not sure, but I like the idea of trying! 

Six. 

Another thing for the next season of life? Doing better with plants!! I really would love to have a plant in the bathroom, but let's face it: most bathrooms are not loaded with windows! But this gives me hope!  Any of you have plants in your bathroom??

The First Piece

 Thanks for your kind words yesterday, friends. Your emails and texts and comments were comforting, and I appreciated them.

When Ryan and I began our conversations about the next season of our lives, we knew we had to figure out where to go next. In some ways, we had a very blank slate before us. Just like when we came here, we weren't confined to any particular area by a school system for kids (since we don't have kids!) or really any other limitation. And the same remains true today. 

We looked at some job opportunities that would have taken us out of state, but ultimately, we decided we wanted to stay closer to "home base" to be able to be present for family things when needed. That has been a huge challenge for us in our current role. Sure, we're only a couple of hours away, but because of our schedule, we've missed a lot of holidays (most of them, actually) and the ability to help out with other things along the way for Ryan's grandparents and my parents. We knew we needed to stay close enough to be accessible and hopefully able to participate in more of the holiday gatherings.

In addition, we have a godson now, and we feel strongly that the commitment we made to him and his mother in taking on that role means we should be able to have an active presence in his life. We want to have an active presence in his life. We also have friends we've made while we've been here that we don't want to be ridiculously far from. So if we could find some sort of middle ground that would allow us to be part of all the lives in all the cities, we wanted to do that. 

It was also in those early conversations that we talked at length about church. Please hear me (loud and clear!) on this one. We love the people of the church we have attended while we've been here. The staff of the church has welcomed us, loved on us, cared for us, and not expected anything from us, because they were well in tune with the work we did and understood that it limited our ability to be involved at the church. Just last fall, Ryan and I were invited to join a small group, and they have been SO good to us. So good. Telling them we were leaving was so hard.

But even in all the goodness of the church, it was still a very strange way to attend church. We visited several churches when we first moved, but we finally decided that the one our tenants attended (or at least most of them did) was the best fit for us, because it best allowed us to help them in their faith journeys. We were there for their baptisms, their questions, their participation. But the flip side of that coin was that church was really an extension of work. We could never go and just be on our own, because even if we happened to have a Sunday off, we were still surrounded by tenants and questions.

Committing to participate in serving or being involved in groups was difficult, because even if we said yes to something, if we were on duty and a work emergency came up, we had to cancel our commitment to tend to work. (And we hate canceling commitments.)

We knew that one of the things we needed most of all in our next chapter was to be part of a church where we could really be part of the church. For a while, we know we need to just go and soak it all in. It won't be about deep involvement at the start (or at least we believe that will be the case) but it will be about simply being. Resting in the Lord. Learning from His Word. Meeting people that we hope will become more of our ever-growing framily. And then, when the time is right, diving in to serve in ways that we haven't been able to for the last many months.

Finding a church in a new community is one of the hardest things. But both of us had often expressed that if we just lived in the right area, there was a church we would love to be part of. And so in the most backwards of forward-planning ways, we decided to pray about that as a first step of a new season. We asked the Lord if it would be possible and pleasing to Him for us to live in the area of this church where our friend is the pastor. We have visited it before. We have met people there, and if it isn't too bold of me to say, we feel like we have a few friends there already in the people we've met on our visits. 

So we asked. We asked with great hope that the Lord would put His favor upon that. 

And we believe He has led that way. In ALL of the decisions that stood ahead of us in those early days - and even with all the decisions that STILL stand ahead of us - I must admit that knowing we have a church home is one of the greatest comforts. We know that no church is perfect. But we know that church is a big piece of heart growth and health, and we are both excited and so comforted to know that answer is already set in place. 

Acts 2 talks about believers in the early church meeting together and sharing fellowship. It says, "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." This is one of our biggest prayers for this next season with a new church family. We look forward to the opportunity to fellowship together, share daily life, and praise the Lord together! 

He Knows

There was so much we didn't know before we rolled into this two-stop-sign-and-two-water-tower town. We unfolded from the seats of our vehicle, which were pulled as far forward as they would go to make room in the back for the luggage we brought along to sustain us for two weeks until we could go back for more. 

I smoothed the front of my black dress and inhaled deeply at the sight of the office-building-turned-apartments, aware that everything about our lives would never again be the same. We rang the doorbell and Rob invited us in to gather around the community room table with his own family for our first WillowBridge meal. We ate pizza together, and he handed us the keys to everything and told us to make ourselves at home.

Ryan and I began to haul suitcases and boxes up the stairs to an empty tenant apartment, which would become our temporary home until Rob and his family could move out of the main apartment. On the way, I almost squashed a toad and almost passed out when I realized it. We found our apartment had been pranked by a tenant we had only met at our interview. He had discovered the door was unlocked before we arrived and strategically hid Pringles around the apartment in various drawers and cabinets. He fessed up in no time flat, because he couldn't wait to see what we thought of his joke. I pretended to find it much funnier than I really did. 

The next morning, Ryan and I filled our travel mugs with coffee and reported for the first of our forty hours of training that week. Our minds grew mushier as we made our way to Friday, trying to absorb all the things we didn't know, because we had no background in this field. The teachings on trauma, poverty mindset, cultural competency and more were good and necessary, but nothing was as effective as jumping in and doing the work itself.

And so we did. We jumped in cannonball-style and gave this work every ounce of everything we had. We knew it would be all-encompassing, but we had no idea how all-encompassing. We knew - or at least we hoped - we would love the tenants we served, but we had no idea just how deeply our hearts would care about them. We knew people wouldn't understand what we were doing or why God compelled us to do it, but we also knew He had compelled us to do it, and we would do it with all our might for as long as He asked us to stay. 

We had absolutely no idea how difficult it would be when the day came for us to step down from our role as Community Advocates. We knew it was right. We knew that with all our might. But when you work in a role where your tenants are your family, your office is your home, and your time clock never punches out, it's hard to know how to walk away. It's hard to find a good ending point, because one doesn't exist. So you just assign a day to it and say this is it. This is when we're done.

So we assigned the day and battled irregular heartbeats for days while we waited for the right time to tell Rob. Turns out there isn't a right time to do that, either. So we just assigned a day and said, this is it. This is when we tell him.

And then we had to do it all over again with Sean and Sarah. And the tenants. And our co-workers. We ripped off what felt like a whole box of bandages delivering the news over and over again. Trying to explain. Trying to answer questions when sometimes there weren't answers to give. 

And now I'm here to rip off the bandage with you, my friends. Every night for weeks now, I've said to Ryan, "What should I blog about tomorrow? The only thing consuming my mind is the one thing I can't talk about yet." And so I've shared pieces of my heart on some days and pieces of fluff on other days, and I thank you for reading them all and loving me no matter what I brought. 

There are many more days of stories to come, but today I bring you this piece of it. We are leaving WillowBridge, and the reality of it brings about a hurricane of emotions. We are grieving hard. We were open before the Lord to stay as long or short of a time as He asked, but we really thought it would be longer. We live and work in a fallen world with broken humans. We ARE broken humans. These are some of the reasons we grieve. 

We are also celebrating, because we know we are obeying the Lord's leading, and that is cause for celebration. We celebrate the things ahead that are good and exciting. I can't wait to tell you about those parts.

And in some areas, we are just numb. If I were to list for you the volume of things we have tried to juggle in the last few weeks, I'm pretty sure your jaw would drop to the floor. The logistics of leaving a place of employment, leaving our home, and making decisions for the future (plus regular life carrying on in the midst of it all)...well...it's been nearly impossible to manage. That's saying something for two people who love to manage and organize! 

This we know with all our hearts: this time was not a mistake, nor has it been in vain. God called us here unmistakably. We have seen the realization of a deep dream of ours, which was to be able to work together in ministry. (We loved EVERY SINGLE SECOND of that portion of the last 20 months.) We have grown as a couple and as individuals. We have learned that we are capable of much more than we ever knew. God has taught us more of His heart for the vulnerable as we have served them. And we have made friendships we never would have known otherwise. For these things, we are so, so grateful. 

Yes, there was so much we didn't know before we rolled into this two-stop-sign-and-two-water-tower town. But God knew all of it. He knew what was ahead, and He called us here. There is much we don't know now about what lies ahead in our new adventure. But God knows all of it. He knows what is ahead, and He has been unfolding it one detail at a time.