Thoughts on the Back-to-Work Life

It's been a month now since I returned to the regular work force, and it has been quite a month of learning and adjustment! I've made a few observations that I want to remember down the line, so I thought I'd process them here with you. Hope that's okay!

1. It really is fun to have co-workers again.

When I worked in Financial Aid, my co-workers felt like family. I was single at that time, so I went home to cats. Having co-workers gave me a daytime family. When I worked in radio, my co-workers felt like family because I worked so much. Even after I married Ryan, I still spent so many hours at work that the work crew got the bulk of my day. These last four years of working from home made me realize that one of the things I missed most was the chance to interact with people throughout the day. I often visited Ryan at work just for some human interaction! So having co-workers has been one of my favorite things.

Some of the guys have already figured out how easily I scare and how fun I am to pick on, so I end up becoming their target, but I still think it's fun having co-workers again.

2. I love having a different sort of purpose and contributing financially to our family again.

I loved being a stay at home wife. I really did. I know some women wouldn't find a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment in it, but I did. I loved pouring hours of intentionality into our home and marriage. But in the most recent months of being home, I'd sensed a restlessness in my spirit. My freelance work opportunities had slowed down, and I struggled with feeling like I wasn't serving the greatest purpose I could. And I desperately wanted to be able to contribute financially to our household again. I felt guilty (my own issue, not anything Ryan imposed) for every dollar I spent, because I knew I wasn't bringing in a dollar to replace it.

Returning to work has given me a renewed sense of purpose. I love helping my friend by holding her seat until she returns from maternity leave. I love getting to know the people in our church and serving them. And I enjoyed my recent hair overhaul so much more knowing I had helped pay for it!

3. I miss Ryan.

Hands down, this has been the hardest part of the adjustment for us both. We were both absolutely accustomed to seeing each other throughout the day - whenever I'd run to work to see him or when he would come home to spend the lunch hour with me. Though we text throughout the day and spend our lunch hour on the phone with each other, it's not the same. I really miss him, and he really misses me. He has been so wonderful to come visit me for lunch a couple of times when he's had lunch flexibility, but we are still "that couple" who prefers to be together all the time. We're not tired of each other!

4. We've had to revamp our entire way of doing life.

When I worked from home, I took care of all the chores throughout the day while I worked. I did laundry in between working on other tasks. I cooked fresh meals in the day and in the evening. I got my steps in by the time Ryan got home so I could spend the evening with him. I tried to make sure the housecleaning chores were done during the day, too. Now we have had to re-divide who does what, and all my things have to be done in the evening after I get home. And if it's an evening I'm not home, I have to either stay up late, ask Ryan for help, or do those chores on a different day. We're figuring out a new routine, but that has probably been the second most challenging part of this adventure. We had such a smooth rhythm down and now we'll have to find a new one. (Teamwork for the win!)

5. I'm learning my strengths, weaknesses, and passions in a fresh way.

This job is varied enough in its requirements that I am learning what sorts of things allow me to thrive and which ones present challenges. (Some of those weren't surprising to me, since I have done this kind of work before. Others have been a bit more unexpected and have showed me how I've changed in gifting and passion over the years.) It has confirmed for me some of the things I know I'm called to do and which things I'm capable of doing even if I don't find them to be a specific calling over my life. I had no idea this opportunity would end up becoming a season of definition, but it certainly does seem to be working out that way!

I'm sure I'll learn a dozen more things before I hand the job back over to its owner, but these are the observations I've made so far!

Three Things Thursday

Thank you, Natasha, for this fun post idea! I always love finding random "just for fun" ideas, and this one is new and different for me!

Songs that make me think of high school...

Well here's a fun fact for you! High school was when I got my first CD! Left that world of cassettes far behind and branched out into the newfangled contraptions. So when I think about high school songs, I have to think about some of those first CD purchases.

* I was a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge Point of Grace fan, and I liked every single song they released. I knew every single word for every single part, and many of them were particularly special to me for one reason or another. But one of my all-time favorites was Jesus Will Still Be There.

* I was also desperately in love with Mark Lowry at that time (David Phelps hadn't come on the scene yet) so anything by the Gaither Vocal Band (or Mark on his own) was a winner for me. Mark had a solo release called Rest in the Arms that was a big favorite of mine.

* And Avalon had just come on the scene, right before I graduated from high school. A little Testify to Love, anyone??

(Also...as special shout out to all the 90s hair represented in the songs above.)

Things I like to give...

* Real mail! I try to send notes or cards in the mail now and then (and I'm trying to make it be more now AND then, rather than just OR). We all love a good non-bill in the mailbox, and I want to send a smile whenever I can! Back when first class stamps were still just a quarter, I had multiple pen pals around the United States and regularly wrote long, long letters to all of them.

* Photo gifts. I love pictures so much and whenever I find a fellow photo-appreciator, I try to make sure I help them document their days and get the photos to them in some way. I've made a few albums for other people and have even just sent photo files now and then so they have them.

* Food! I love giving little snack gifts - and I have to figure out how to make this still fit in my new working life. In the last four years of working at home, I've enjoyed making cookies and other things during the day to share with friends, Ryan's co-workers, etc. (And who are we kidding? I love to give myself a sample!)

Things I like to receive...

* Real mail! And just the mail at all. When I worked from home, I was known to rush out to meet the mail carrier. She probably thought I was crazy. Most mail carriers deal with excited dogs. Mine had an excited Bekah on her route. But I love getting the mail!

* Coffee! Most people know coffee is one of my major love languages, so I tend to receive coffee in many forms. (Beans, grounds, K-cups, fresh hot coffee, you name it). Last week, when one of the pastors made me a cup of French Press coffee, he said he had a feeling I was the most appreciative coffee recipient he had ever met.

* Flowers! I have always loved them. I remember the first time Ryan ever sent me flowers at work after we got married. I nearly lost my mind with joy.

Things I hate that many people like...

* Gum. I hate the look of it, the smell of it, and the sound of it. I can't write any more about it, because I even hate thinking about it.

* Mint. Again - the smell. I just can't. So yes, this means I'm out on candy canes, peppermint patties, and Girl Scout Cookies.

* Nicknames. Ironic, I know, since I go by one. But I don't like them. I call people by their full names.

Clothes I find uncomfortable...

* Heels. I've never been graceful in heels. And they make me incredibly dizzy if I wear them for long periods of time. I own a few, but most of the time I stick to the low stuff.

* Belts. I own one. I wear it about three times a year. I don't need them to hold up my pants, so I see no point in wearing them.

* Tights. I do wear them when it gets really cold, but they're still a wrestling match. Getting dressed shouldn't have to be a workout.

Things I love seeing other people post...

* Anything that isn't sponsored. It's getting especially bad on Instagram, and anymore, I pretty much skip right past those posts.

* Cute babies and puppies. Anything that makes me smile and say awwwwwwwwwwww.

* Vacation ideas! I am still always looking for ideas! My list is so lengthy, and I know I'll never make it to all the places, but a girl can dream! And dream I do!

How about you?? Anything to add to the lists?

What's Up Wednesday

If you're a regular participant in the What's Up Wednesday posts, then you know that I'm all out of kilter. The hosts for that link-up do it on the last Wednesday of the month, I believe, and this is definitely not the last week of January. But it's a busy week around here, and I needed a little something fun for today, so I'm early to the party (that I hardly even attend, usually).

1. What we're eating this week.

This is a strange, strange week in Shafferland eating. Lots of just plain meat and veggie meals, because I am busy almost every single night and don't have time to cook proper meals. This is the first time we've encountered a week quite like this since I went back to work, so it is different for us, but we'll be just fine! I am throwing in a pot of chili later in the week, just to mix it up. And I guess we did have tacos, so it wasn't a total cooking fail. We've also enjoyed a couple of pieces of mouth-watering Texas Sheet Cake that one of Ryan's co-workers made. I won't lie; I could have eaten the entire pan.

2. What I'm reminiscing about.

Christmas. But only because I'm scrapbooking. I found out this past Saturday that Picaboo is running a free-extra-pages sale until next Monday. I have two books completely done and ready to order. I have two more I would like to finish between now and then so I can cash in on the best sale they run. So right now I'm barreling through the busiest photo month of the year, trying to knock out that final quarter of 2019 for one of the two books. (I would be much closer to being done if I hadn't taken a three hour nap on Sunday.)

3. What I'm loving. 

My new haircut! As I mentioned in the Shuffle post on Sunday, my hair was so long and thick that it was taking me 30-45 minutes to dry and straighten it. I don't have that much time in the mornings just for hair! So I'm excited for the shorter, healthier version of my tresses!

4. What we've been up to.

Finding our new year's routine! We're getting back to much more consistent clean eating, workouts every day, new Bible studies, prepping for the return of our small group, and figuring out how our days run most smoothly now that I'm back at work. We've had to make a lot of adjustments on who does what at home so we can get everything completed without either one of us utterly burning out.

5. What I'm dreading.

I'm not gonna lie: my 5K tonight. I made a goal to run one every single Wednesday, and the first three have been BEASTS. The last one was a crazy uphill mental battle, and I don't imagine I've improved in the last week. Hopefully tonight will go well, but I'm a bit scared!

6. What I'm working on.

Two talks for speaking engagements. Ryan and I are speaking together next month at a Valentine banquet and I still have a lot of work to do on that talk. I'm speaking at a women's retreat in March, and though the bulk of the work is done on the talks themselves, I need to finish up discussion question lists for them.

7. What I'm excited about.

Our church's new season! As I told you yesterday, our new pastor is here and working, and we are all filled with much hope and joy to have him after so many months of being without a pastor. I have no idea what is ahead for us, but it's so refreshing to feel the air of excitement!

8. What I'm watching/reading.

I had hoped to squeeze in a second book this month, but with the talk prep and the scrapbooking, it's probably not going to happen. So I read The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock earlier this month and really enjoyed that! We are behind on almost all the shows, but Manifest...New Amsterdam...Undercover Boss...

9. What I'm listening to.

I discovered that the office can be a very quiet place if the furnace shuts off for a while. (ha!) I've actually been listening to my former work buddies from the station! It's like old times again!

10. What I'm wearing.

I didn't have a lot of work appropriate clothes when I took the job. When you've lived in jeans/yoga pants and graphic tees for four years, going back to work is kind of a closet shock! I was very fortunate that my shopping-loving sister retired from her job and had a closet full of clothes she didn't need anymore, because she is knee deep in a yoga pants and graphic tee season of her own! She sent two big bags of clothes for me, and I've had fun trying them out!

11. What I'm doing this weekend.

Scrapbooking. See point #2.

12. What I'm looking forward to next month.

Valentine's Day! I have no idea what we're going to do, but I do love a good date!

13. What else is new?

For some weird reason, our house is super dry lately. We've lived here almost four years and have never noticed this as a major issue before, but we've been waking up with dry noses and sore throats. So we bought a humidifier! It's so cute and little - and I'm just hoping it doesn't end up making my hair all tropical in size.

Celebrating a New Season

You've been there, I'm sure.

You've lived through a season that went much longer than you ever imagined, and when you finally reached the end - and the threshold of what was on the other side - you realized in a fresh way how true the saying ignorance is bliss actually can be.

If you'd known at the beginning you'd have to wait so long, you might not have survived.

I felt that way in my single days. All those nights when I stretched out on the bed, crying out to the Lord to find my husband and bring him to me, I told myself the answer was just around the corner. If I'd known how far I stood from the corner, I'm not sure I could have made it.

My friend Trudy felt like that in labor. When I went to her first childbirth, we kept telling her every contraction was the one. This is it. If you can push through this one, you're going to see that baby. At last, in the meekest and most apologetic voice she could muster, she said, "Can you not say that anymore?" She didn't bank on a 21 hour labor.

Waiting with no end in sight can exhaust a person, body and soul.

And as I've written about a few times, our church has been in that very season for the last eighteen months. The longtime pastor was suddenly gone from our church sooner than any of us thought he would be, and we sat in the land of waiting for eighteen months while the board prayed and searched for a replacement. (Apparently our city is not a sought-after destination for most people, so we didn't have a long list of people aching to join us.)

Last fall, we had a visit from a kind man named Pastor Tim, and he sat through interviews and meetings before preaching a sermon to us one Sunday morning. And then the church voted. And we heard it was good news. And we waited to see if he would think it was good news too.

He did.

So we've been waiting, preparing as best we could in our final days of what felt like the ultimate floundering without a leader. Our dear interim pastor (who really kept us together in amazing ways throughout those 18 months) headed back into retirement at the end of 2019, and we've been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new pastor.

Sunday was that day, and the atmosphere in our sanctuary was a beautiful mix of joy and anticipation.

Photo Credit

The church held a meet and greet prior to the service, where we enjoyed homemade cinnamon rolls - the handiwork of a very talented man in our church. While Ryan and I hunkered in the corner and enjoyed our breakfast, a long line formed - people eager to shake hands with the new pastor and introduce themselves. A line of weary people, hopeful for a fresh start.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

We assembled in the sanctuary and sang songs - new and old. They formally welcomed the pastor into our church and charged him with the care of our people. We gathered around him to pray, and then he preached a challenging sermon.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

And then came the ugly cry. Not his. Mine.

At the very end of the service, he asked all the people ages 45 and below to stand.  (Can we pause for a moment to mention how profoundly relieved I was to still squeak into the "and younger" category?)  He reminded us all that we have important jobs ahead of us. We are the future. Whether our church is thriving or closed fifty years from now will depend in part on whether or not we serve well and heartily. We need to step up and do our part.

Then he asked those still sitting to look around at the rest of us. He encouraged them to encourage us. He asked them to let us do what God calls us to do and not hold us back. He asked them to pray for us and lead us well and let us lead them well.

It was somewhere right around that part where I felt the ugly cry gathering behind my eyes.

He asked the 46-and-up crowd to stand and find those of us already standing - and pray for us right then.

We weren't sitting in the area where we usually sat, but people found us anyway. A couple I didn't even know slid down the aisle and the woman grabbed my hand and prayed. Another couple came alongside us and prayed over Ryan. And then - and this is when the ugly cry got REALLY ugly - a dear woman I got to know last November on our Nashville trip showed up in front of me. She wasn't sitting anywhere near me. I knew that. But she had come from her seat across the way to find me and pray specifically for me.

(This is a picture of the two of us from that conference last November.)

I had an ugly cry at the conference, too, and she was the one who found me and prayed for me then. She did it again on Sunday. And after prayer, she told me that she was excited about what God has ahead for me - for Ryan and me together.

There's a lot of joy to be found in knowing someone believes in you, isn't there?

And so we wrapped up the morning service and left the building. I was wearing significantly less mascara but significantly more hope.

Will all the days ahead be neatly wrapped with a bow? Absolutely not. We know that. But we have great hope that, as the pastor said in his sermon, our best days are always ahead of us.

(All the photos except the last one were shared on Facebook by a talented photographer in our church, Jason Graves. He did waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than my cell phone photos sneaked over the top of the seats.)

Rootin' Tootin' Date Night!

Last week we had our second at-home date of 2020. (If you missed it when I mentioned this before, I have a goal of incorporating several at-home dates into our year. I am confident we can have all kinds of unique fun without ever leaving home!)

We enjoyed the first date back on our monthiversary - and it was an indoor picnic. This time the theme was all about root beer! Taste testing and root beer floats!

We had our date Friday night, and it was so perfect, because we were scheduled to get some nasty weather that evening, and we didn't really want to risk being out and about if it actually arrived. We scurried home from work, put on our comfy clothes, and ate dinner at home. I had put a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker that morning before I left for work, so we had a version of this Honey Apple Pork Tenderloin...and broccoli on the side. (That would be the healthy part of the date.)

Next up? The root beer taste test.

I confess that this date was a bit harder to execute than I hoped. I wanted to get a bunch of different root beer bottles, but I only found one store in Kokomo that sells them individually, and they're closed until the end of the month. I found a variety pack on Amazon...for thirty dollars. Ummmm no. I tried to order some online from Antiqology in Huntington, but I had to have a minimum order that was more than I wanted to pay. Sigh.

So...we improvised. We had a can of A and W in our refrigerator (someone had gifted it to us and we hadn't consumed it yet), so we threw that in the mix. We purchased a four-pack and a six-pack of two craft versions we found at Meijer, and then as a joke, we bought a bottle of Meijer root beer.

The post I found that gave me the idea for this date suggested doing a blind taste test, with each sample of root beer poured out into an unlabeled mason jar and consumed. Since we didn't have anyone here to pour for us, we knew what we were drinking each time we sampled. But it was still fun!

We had a taste-test survey (from the post mentioned above) and we labeled our purchases 1, 2, 3, and 4. We poured a little of each one into a jar and sampled away!

We tried the A and W first, and what I learned from this experience is that I'm a classic root beer lover. That one ended up being my favorite! On our survey, Ryan gave this one a 3 for flavor and a 3 for fizz. I gave it a 5 for flavor and a 3 for fizz. (It was my highest scoring root beer of the night and Ryan's 3rd highest scoring.)

Just for fun, I looked up the history on A and W, and while their website seemed rather unhelpful, I found some factoids on Wikipedia. It said the drink was founded in 1919 by Roy W. Allen who ended up partnering with Frank Wright in 1922. They combined their initials to create the brand and that inspired a restaurant chain by the same name. Hopefully this wasn't an original can - 101 years old!

We moved on to our first craft root beer of the night: Virgil's Root Beer. Ryan gave this one a 5 for flavor and a 2 for fizz, for a total of 7 points and second place in his overall list. I gave it a 4 for flavor and a 2 for fizz, for 6 total points and third place in my overall list. I will say that both of us thought it tasted more like root beer mixed with Coke. The flavor was good, but it didn't have an overwhelming root beer flavor to us. In fact, I told him if you had handed it to me blindly and hadn't told me it WAS root beer, I don't know that I would have guessed it.

I had never heard of this brand before, so I looked it up. According to their website, "Virgil's is all-natural. We don't use any preservatives, any artificial colors, or any GMO-sourced ingredients. Great taste without the chemicals." It also said this root beer had fifteen different all-natural roots and spices.

I did like it, for sure, but because it didn't knock me over as a root beer, it didn't win my highest vote.

We went on to our third sample, which was another craft root beer: Henry Weinhard's root beer. Ryan really liked the flavor, giving it the maximum 5 points, and it had a TON of fizz, so he gave it 5 for that as well. It came in at 10 points and his best score. I did not like the flavor of it at all. I gave it a 2 for flavor (generous, actually) and a 5 for fizz, because the fizz was off the charts amazing. It came in at 7 points total for me, which was way higher than how I felt about it.

Neither Ryan nor I drink any alcohol, so I don't know what beer tastes like, but I do know what it smells like, and this tasted way too much like the beer smell for me. I was completely turned off by it.

I tried to look up some info on their website, but you have to submit your birthdate on the site - it said to cater to their beer-drinking customers. I found that completely unnecessary and refused to submit my birthdate, so if you want to know more about them, you can send them your birthdate and learn!

Our final root beer of the night was kind of a joke that ended up not being funny. When we were shopping for our samples, Ryan showed up at the cart with a bottle of Meijer brand root beer. We laughed, and then decided it might be fun to actually try it. Wouldn't it be funny if it ended up winning the whole night? The off-brand root beer?

The joke was on us!

It was AWFUL! Completely flat - no fizz at all! And the flavor was terrible. We both gave it a 1 for flavor and fizz, giving it an extremely generous overall score of two...and last place on both our lists. Perhaps we just got a bad bottle, but if not, it wasn't a great experience!

We really did have fun sampling and talking over our likes and dislikes with each one.

And to end the night? We poured our personal winners over ice cream and enjoyed root beer floats for dessert!

It was such a fun date! It would have been fun to have a few more options - but I thought we did pretty well with what we had access to in our town - and without breaking the bank!

(This would also be a fun whole-family date if you have kids, or it could be a fun group game.)

Oh! And if you are in need of a root beer fix, just come on over! We have plenty of extra!

The Shafferland Shuffle

Good morning, friends! After weeks and weeks of blissfully mild winter temps, we have found ourselves in the middle of a chilly bitterly cold front, so it's all about blankets, sweatshirts, and cuddling right now!!! Hope you're staying warm and safe wherever you are!

Here's a look at the last week in Shafferland!

* Last Sunday was ridiculously eventful. Ryan and I headed off to church and our houseguests packed up to leave. Meanwhile, in a strange, strange turn of events, we had four people at our church have four unrelated medical events pretty much simultaneously. We had two ambulances and a fire truck parked out front! Goodness! Once we were home from that, we spent the rest of the day resting, watching TV, scrapbooking (okay that was just me) and enjoying one another's company. And Ryan felt the day called for a razzleberry pie. I didn't argue.

* One of our staff pastors had to run some errands on Monday, and when he came back to the church, he brought Starbucks for us! Every Monday is better with extra coffee! We were able to be home Monday evening, and I made a meat loaf and veggie sheet pan! I also hunkered down to prep for our small group fellowship night, which was just 24 hours away.

* I attended my first staff meeting on Tuesday. Coffee, almonds, water, note paper, and a laptop. I still don't travel light, do I? Our small group got together for the first time since early December, and we had the best night of fellowship and prayer! It's so great to see all the shoes piled by the door again.. The sign of a full and happy small group!

* Right before lunch on Wednesday, I looked up to see Ryan standing in the door of my office. WHAT?!?!?!?! He came to surprise me for a lunch date, and he brought me a latte, too! I love him so much. I ran my next 5K after work (it was uuuuuuuuuggggggggggggggggly but I did it!) and then I did all our menu planning and grocery list making.

* Ryan documented my last exhausting hair drying/straightening extravaganza on Thursday morning. It was taking me about 30-45 minutes to dry and straighten my hair by that point, and haircut day could not come soon enough! I had a big bulletin assembly party that day at work, and that night, we went on a grocery shopping date! (It was also a boot-buying date, because I had my two favorite pair of boots fall apart back to back already this year.)

* We didn't really have any sunshine all week, but we sure did have some pretty colors Friday morning before it all went gray again! Ryan and I had an at-home date Friday night, which I'll tell you more about next week. It was a root beer taste testing party - and root beer float night!

* Yesterday? HAIRCUT DAY!!!!!! Oh I was so excited! I spent over three full hours in the chair and came away with much shorter hair and no gray!! YES!! I spent the afternoon making dinner for my friend whose job I'm covering while she's on maternity leave, and then Ryan and I took dinner to her (and her husband, of course). I GOT TO HOLD THE BABY!!! She liked me and I was in snuggly baby heaven!

The Saturday Six

One.

Earlier this week I gave you some Valentine's Day ideas, in case you want to get a head start on the holiday prep. Here's a post from KariAnn Wood with five simple Valentine's Day craft ideas. She always has cute projects, and you still have time to make them!

Two.

I'm not a gardener - and I don't envision becoming one in the near future, but I did find this post fascinating. All kinds of information and resources about starting plants from seeds. Any of you out there garden this way? I think it's fascinating, even if it's not something I have time to tend to right now!

Three.

The ultimate USA Bucket List, comprised of 101 locations to visit. How many have you been to? I counted eleven for myself. (That's actually more than I thought it would be!)

Four.

How cute are these football stadium cookies? If I had just a smidgen more ability in the creativity department, I'd absolutely be making these!!

Five.

I find snow absolutely gorgeous - as long as I don't have to drive in it, of course! These photos of snowflakes up close are stunning!

Six.

This is so cute! Valentine's Day Love Lunch ideas and printables - for a sweetheart AND for kids. Really cute stuff if you want to pack a special (and simple!) lunch this year on Valentine's Day!

Learning to Abide

Thank you so much for traveling along with my crazy stories yesterday - and for assuring me I'm not alone in my embarrassing moments! I feel better with company in my boat. :)

I'm doing a complete about-face today and sharing from the heart. I mean...I have to try to find some dignity, right?

Before I launch into what I want to say today, I have to back up and remind you of something I said a year ago!

At the beginning of 2019, I took a word-of-the-year quiz, even though I am not hugely fixated on that annual practice. I know some people really like to grab onto a specific word every year - and that's perfectly fine! No judgment from me if that's what you enjoy. It's just not a thing I need to have in my life. I took that quiz last year more out of curiosity than anything else. The word I ended up with was courage, and I wrote this post about how I had a feeling (for me...in 2019) I needed to have the courage to wait. Not so much courage to do big, huge, amazing, loud things, but courage to be still.

At the end of 2019, I wrote this post, where I reflected on how finding the courage to wait really had been a significant part of my year - and often in ways I couldn't have expected.

Again, out of curiosity, I took the word quiz again this year. My word for 2020? Abide. I didn't do any major research after the quiz. I didn't dig for a verse to match it. I didn't really do anything besides raise my eyebrows and say, "huh...interesting!"

And then I started seeing the word everywhere.

At first I just smiled when I saw the word and moved on to the next thing. But a couple of days ago, my friend Brenda Yoder said this on Instagram, and it made me pause:

Abide means to wait expectantly. This is a face of resting and abiding. Of waiting expectantly in quiet trust. I don't know quite what I'm waiting for, except I know on whom I wait. 

Hmmm...sound familiar? Last year I was drawn to wait with courage, and this year I'm drawn to wait expectantly while I rest and abide?

Maybe the real word for me is WAIT.

For me, at least in this season, abiding means not worrying. Not trying to rush what I can't change anyway. Not trying to figure out what can't be figured out. Not trying to manipulate what isn't mine to control.

It's about being content to just be. That isn't code for lazy. I'm studying and taking steps forward as I feel led to do so, but in the grand scheme, it's simply about being.

And it's about being content to simply be.

Sometimes that feels like an incredible gift. The pressure has been removed. I can freely abide and wait for God to show me what's next. Other times it's utterly maddening, because I want to see measurable progress. 

Regardless of which way the day swings, please don't think I have this entirely figured out. I'm not perfect at it. (Some days I'm not even mediocre at it.)

I'm learning to go a day at a time.

We still have about 50 weeks left in this year. 50 weeks for me to quietly experience what this means in my life. I may never dig in hard and pursue the word as some might, but I'm interested to see what I learn along the way.

This Would Only Happen to Bekah

I feel like in our post-podcasting life, you're starting to miss out on the classic tales of Shafferland (which, if we're honest, are usually classic Bekah-tales) so I'm going to do my best to begin keeping you up to date on those!

I have a couple for you today...and please do enjoy.

***

As you know, I've recently started this new (temporary) job, and of course I have so much to learn. Every day is a new adventure in the learning department. I had a feeling I'd end up looking stupid in front of others more than I like, but one day really outdid itself.

Until this one particular day, the mail carrier always brought the mail to me in the office when he or she arrived at the church. One day, though, she put the stack of mail in the box rather than coming inside. The box is secured with a lock, so I found the key and went to retrieve the mail.

Couldn't get the key to turn in the lock.

I pushed in harder, pulled it out a bit, turned it over, and tried every trick I knew, but it didn't work. I returned to my desk, waited a few minutes, and tried again. Still no luck.

One of the other office ladies strolled through, so I admitted my dilemma to her, and she tried. No luck for her either, and I will confess that made me feel much better.

Swallowing what little pride I had within me that day, I sent a text to the maintenance guy (who happens to be Ryan's cousin and is familiar with my brand of crazy) to tell him the mail was stuck in the box. When he arrived to rescue it, someone had stopped in the office with a question, so I couldn't go with him to the box. I did watch him out of the corner of my eye though, and I promise that box just fell wide open in his presence. He smiled, winked, deposited the mail on my desk, and disappeared.

The next day, the same thing happened all over again. The carrier left the mail in the box, I couldn't get it to work, and the maintenance guy on duty stopped by the office on an unrelated matter. Even though this guy is NOT family and probably thinks I am just a disaster, I admitted I couldn't get into the box. He followed me to watch and see what I was doing wrong. I put in the key, turned...and nothing.

Right about then, I heard Ryan's cousin say, "Try turning the key over." I spun around so fast I almost lost my balance and said, "Where did YOU come from?" So there I stood, with two VERY amused guys biting their lips to hold back laughter. I turned the key over, and that box fell right open. They started laughing right out loud, and I wanted to crawl into the box and shut the door behind me.

I really really really did turn the key over the first time. I promise.

***

A few days after the key incident, I took soup to work to eat for lunch. I put it in a nice travel soup mug we have, but I learned upon arriving at the office that the lid doesn't have the best seal. It hadn't spilled everywhere, but it had leaked onto everything else in the lunch box.

So the next day, when I packed soup again, I chose a different dish, and I made sure this one had a tight seal on the lid. I arrived at work with all soup INSIDE the bowl and felt I had conquered the situation. (Ahhhhh, pride...)

When lunchtime arrived, I put the dish in the microwave, and carefully placed the lid so that it would catch any splatters but also offset it from the dish enough that it wouldn't seal up while I was heating. (I've had that happen before.)

Well don't you just know, that lid somehow scooted over in the microwave and sealed tightly to the dish!

I tried to peel it off, but the dish was hot, so I couldn't get a firm grip on it, and the lid wouldn't budge. I tried to pry it open with a fork, but it still wouldn't budge. (I was also wearing almost all white, so I didn't want to push my luck.)

After about five minutes of wrestling, prying, and pushing, I gave up, put the dish in the fridge, and went to McDonald's. (A real shame, let me tell you. Just kidding.)

When I unpacked my lunch bag that evening, Ryan tried to get into the dish, and I would like the record to show it took him quite a while to break into it too. (And the dish was cold for him!)

Lesson learned: no more soup in that dish.

And now you know how I came to be shut out of my own lunch bowl.

And for now, this concludes embarrassing moments with Bekah. Thanks for reading!

Scripture Memory Secrets

I've told you before...memorization is not my forte. In fact, when our music pastor at church first asked me if I'd want to be a narrator for a program, my immediate answer was: Sure! If I can read it. If I have to memorize, I'm out.

I've never been great at memorization, and if you add to that the utter stage fright I get when I stand in front of a group and have to recall information...well...it's not good.

But this year I made a goal to try to be intentional about memorizing Scripture, because I know it's important. I told you I found this list of verses to memorize, and I've been working at it already in this early part of 2020.

Even though we're only half a month into the year, I do have three observations to share with you regarding this adventure.

1. If you are part of kids' lives, start teaching them verses right now.

I wasn't always terrible about memorization, of course. I could accumulate information with the best of them as a little girl. And I'm learning as I go through these verses that the ones I did learn as a little girl are firmly fixed in my brain. I can spout them off rapidly, and I am grateful for parents, Sunday School teachers, and youth pastors who encouraged Scripture memorization.

If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, Sunday School teacher, mentor (you get the idea, right?) - please, OH PLEASE start teaching the little ones in your life right now. Those words will settle in and stay there, long into adulthood. I only wish I would have learned more then so I would know more now.

2. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Thank you, Judy, for sending me that little story last week! I'm going to share it here!

My friend Judy emails me now and then with thoughts brought on by blog posts, and I always love hearing from her. After she read about my goal back on New Year's Day, she sent me some encouragement, including this little story that was in a newsletter at her church:

Long ago, a farmer working in his field observed a young fellow carrying a bucket and walking down a long road tot he local stream, the nearest source of fresh water. He filled his large bucket and then walked the long road back home. But there was something puzzling. The young fellow's bucket had several small holes. As the man watched, he could see that water was pouring out of the holes. The man had to wonder whether there really was any water left in the bucket by the time the young fellow reached his destination. Day after day, the man watched the youngster carrying out this same routine. Finally, he could not hold his curiosity any longer. When the young man passed his way on his return trip, the farmer asked him why on earth he kept walking to the stream and filling his bucket with water, only to lose most of it on the way back home. Cheerily, the young man replied, "Well, I won't argue with you on that, Sir. But at least my bucket is staying clean!"

This story is a wonderful illustration of the value of Scripture memorization. Whether or not we are able to remember and recite the Scriptures we've pondered over and committed into our hearts weeks, months, or years later, they are deepening our walk with the Lord and doing a life-changing spiriutal work in our hearts.

As a not-so-recovering perfectionist, I admit that sometimes I get frustrated with memory work - to the point of wanting to quit - when I can't recall things exactly. I really appreciated this reminder that even if I don't have it down word-for-word, the work I am putting into this does matter. It is doing a work. No quitting!

3. Look for songs to help you.

This past week, one of the verses on the list was very familiar to me because I remember most of it from a song that appeared in an Easter cantata I sang in back in junior high. It's not the first time I've realized a song I know is pulled from the words of Scripture, and I've learned that I can memorize much better when it's set to music.

If you're having a rough time getting a song in your mind, check to see if it's been put to music anywhere. Maybe you can learn the song!

***

Those are my observations so far. Is it going perfectly for me? Nope. But is it going? Yep. And I don't intend to quit.

Valentine's Day Ideas - A Month in Advance

You know me! I'm a planner!! Now that I'm working full time again, I'm finding it's even more important for me to plan ahead as much as I can. The days feel a little more manageable when I have my ducks in a row. Granted, sometimes it's a crooked, quacking row, but it's a row!

Having said that, Valentine's Day is a month from today. I know some of you aren't huge fans of the day, and I absolutely had many, many years of being in that boat, so I understand! But if you want to throw a little Valentine's Day décor in your living space, find a unique gift for your love, or plan a little treat party for your friends, family, or even co-workers, here are a few ideas for you. (And you have more than twenty-four hours to put the plan in place!)

Décor:

I know some people like the idea of Valentine's Day décor so they can have something new to look at, but they don't like everything to be all cutesy with hearts everywhere. I tried to find a few ideas that are a little bit different.

I found this wreath on Etsy and love it. The colors are absolutely Valentine's-inspired, but the look is classic. (Plus, I love hydrangeas, so this one won me over with no problem.

If you have some simple red and white pillows (either as part of your regular décor or leftover from Christmas), you can add one love-themed pillow and have a whole new look!

If you want to spruce up your kitchen or dining area, how about a simple table runner that pulls in the Valentine's Day scheme?

Gifts for Your Love:

If you've run out of gift ideas for your significant other, here are a few ones you may not have tried yet!

Maybe it's the radio girl/podcaster in me, but I love soundwave gifts. Have you seen them? You can submit anything from a heartbeat recording to words to songs and get the soundwave printed out to hang in your home.

Being the lover of words that I am, I also adore gifts that involve great sayings or quotes. If you have a special phrase that you never can find on anything...have one made! Here's an Etsy shop that does custom quotes - and if you're not a burlap person, you can pick a different kind of background. (Choice of fonts, too!)

Though they weren't Valentine gifts, Ryan and I really love our watercolor paintings of our homes. They make a really thoughtful gift - so if you're stumped, maybe paying tribute to the home you've made together would be a good idea! This isn't the shop that made ours, but here is an idea for you!

Snacks and Treats:

Valentine's Day isn't all about the food, but it is a day to do a little something special if you can. If you are tired of the same old ideas, maybe these will give you fresh fodder!

If you're trying hard to be good and it's disheartening to come upon the season of chocolate and sugary everything, here's a list of healthy treats you could explore! (Disclaimer: I haven't looked through every single one...yet. But I might be consulting the list for our celebration!)

Fondue is a fun treat for Valentine's Day! (In my single years, I had a Valentine's Day fondue dinner with one of my fellow single friends!) Whether it's a friend party, date, or family party, here are some fondue recipe ideas for you!

Dessert boards (or cheese boards if you prefer) make a great variety-laden snack (or meal!) idea. Here's a dessert board for Valentine's Day, but you wouldn't have to even include this many things if you didn't want to.

Certainly this isn't an exhaustive list of how to celebrate the day; that's what Pinterest is for! But maybe this will get your creative juices flowing.

However you choose to celebrate Valentine's Day, I hope you know you are very loved!