Dedication

 I've written before about how grateful I am that my parents chose to have me dedicated to the Lord when I was just a baby. I know different denominations have different traditions in the worlds of infant baptism and infant dedication. Though I have attended a few different denominations of churches in my lifetime, all of them have followed the infant dedication tradition. 

When I was a baby, my parents (and probably my sisters and grandparents, too) stood in front of the church and promised to teach me about the Lord, pray for me, and bring me to church. And then the people of the church promised to support my parents, pray for me, and invest in me as I grew up in the church. 

I've had the privilege of attending baby dedications for several of my friends' children down through the years, and it is always beautiful to see families promising to be intentional about investing in their little ones in this way!

(The above photo is of me with baby James, the last baby whose birth I attended. The lady in the photo with us was the doula for the birth.)

Yesterday, we had the privilege of being invited to the dedications for Tim and Justine's two children. One is a baby, and one is a toddler, and they were dedicating them both. We'd never seen a dedication done quite this way, and while there were pieces of traditional dedication that I missed (like the inclusion of the entire church body), I loved the personalization of the day. 

The church took each participating family (and all extended family and friends) through separately, and we stopped at different stations throughout the church. The first station was to remind the children of how much Jesus loves them. Then there was a part for the parents, then the grandparents, and then the representatives of the church itself promised to care for and invest in the children. It was really very meaningful to hear each part.

(We got a group picture at the end, but it was taken by the church photographer, so I don't have it yet.)

It was really special that they included us along with their family. We were so grateful. We had no idea, when we came to this job, that we would find such a good friendship in this family, and we're so glad it has continued even past their time of working with us! And we are also so glad to see them leading their children before the Lord! 

Sunday Sentiments

 

Well, if you forgot that today was the time change, you might have missed something. But if you still have time to make it...HURRY!! I told my mom I decided not to participate in it this year. ;) 

But while I wait to see if Lexi can figure out the time change, I'll share with you some Sunday thoughts.

Yesterday I had the extreme privilege of speaking at a women's retreat. These kind ladies have invited me back multiple years, and they just pretty much feel like family now. I hadn't seen them since 2019, and I had so much to tell them! SO much has changed in our lives since then! Ryan went along with me to help me serve, as he always does, and we had the best day. 

The retreat was at the lake, and it was 17 degrees outside. I may not have gotten to stroll by the water like I would have chosen, but I sure did appreciate the scenery from the window!

Toward the end of the day, they surprised us with a gift basket, and I wanted to cry sifting through it. For the record, it isn't uncommon for speakers to receive gifts at an event like this. Though I never go into an event with an expectation that I'll receive something, I always treasure what they give. I love looking around our home and remembering the retreats represented by the pieces in our home.

But there was something even extra special about this one.

They'd given us personalized travel mugs and a bag of coffee from a local roaster.

They made us a keychain for Abby - labeled as the Shafferland Shuttle, which is what our sign says that hangs inside the door. AND there was a travel journal for campgrounds we visit.

And there was a handmade scarf from a local vendor - and a sweet bandana for Lexi!

I wanted to cry, because in each of those gifts, I felt seen and loved. I knew they had searched through the blog and social media to see the things I loved the most and they made each one happen for us. They crafted by hand. They shopped in their community. 

It meant so much to me that they would put this much thought into gifts for us. I'm so very thankful for these people and their offering of love through keepsakes.

It's such a simple thing - and it made such a big impact.

Thank you so much, ladies. You blessed my soul this weekend - in so many ways!

The Saturday Six

 

This week I needed a brain break and found myself lost on Pinterest looking at wall art. I found some fun ones and thought I'd share them with you this week!!!

One.

We don't have a proper entryway here at WillowBridge, but we do have an area in the foyer outside our private entrance that has a big blank wall above it. I think this may be how I started down the rabbit trail of wall art that led to this post anyway. I LOVE THIS ONE because it's a verse. There's something about being personally greeted (and having guests greeted) with a verse every time the door opens that is sweet to me. 

Two.

I always love looking at signs for the bathroom, but of course, most of them are a little edgy for me. Too many opportunities for over-the-line jokes, right? But I did like this one. Also, ten thousand points to Ryan for not being a guy who refuses to change the toilet paper!!!! (The only sign I have in our bathroom right now is one Ryan's mom gave me years ago. It says, "Some days are a complete waste of makeup." LOL!! TRUE!)

Three.

Our wall art in our master bedroom is mostly just made up of wordless photos. We have a couple of large prints/canvases from our wedding that sit on our headboard shelf. But not long ago, I saw this idea of having prints above the bedside tables, and I really liked that idea! I think this would be my favorite. It reminds me of The Notebook, so I don't know if it would make me cry to see it every day or not, but I still love it. 

Four.

Back in 2020, we redid our guest room to have an Anne of Green Gables theme, and we brought that theme here with us to WillowBridge. My parents gifted me some Anne scenes in watercolor from an Etsy shop, and I LOVE THEM on the bedroom walls. But then I found this quote and thought it would match with them perfectly!! 

Five.

Maybe it's because I'm all sentimental as we live this tenth year together, but I happen to love these custom pieces of art that spell out wedding song lyrics! We used two really meaningful-to-us songs at our wedding, and I love the idea of having one or both of them displayed in our living room! 

Six.

And finally - isn't this just perfect for a kitchen? Simple, and I love it. 

Sit in the Rocker

It has been a busy week here at WillowBridge. Today marks the end of a 12-day work stretch for us. Rob was over for a bit yesterday and asked how we were doing. I said, "I'm pooped!" He said, "I didn't want to say anything, but you do look tired." I told him we were at the end of our twelve days, and that was past my personal limit. (I've learned I am not worth much after eight days.) 

So take twelve days plus technology glitches plus the usual fires...and I was a little worn out. 

Oh! And I'm speaking tomorrow, so I've been trying to go over my talks multiple times in preparation for the day. 

Yesterday morning, in between visits from two different repair crews, I plopped down in WillowBridge's newly-acquired glider rocker. A sweet lady from the community was cleaning out her house and donating things she no longer used. She told me her grandbabies are all too big to be rocked anymore, so she wanted to donate it where it could be used. We didn't have a rocker for our single-mom apartment, so we gratefully accepted her gift. 

Ryan had picked it up the afternoon before, but our tenant was still clearing a spot for it in her room, so we left it in the Community Room. I figured I should probably test it out first, right? So I sat with my coffee cup and propped my feet up on the gliding ottoman that came with it. 

I didn't stay forever, but I did stay for a while. 

I always forget how calming it is to sit in a rocking chair...until I do it. 

Restful. 

Soothing.

A simple joy in a busy day. 

We actually own a glider (though not the matching ottoman) and because we don't have room for it in our living room, it sits in the office. I don't normally just hang out in the office - and even less so right now, because it's currently Lexi's bedroom, too. But I think I'll be finding a new spot for our glider, because I'm freshly reminded of the joy it can bring.

Hard days are here to stay (that's just the truth of life since the Fall) and I think it is good for us to find the things that bring a moment of rest to our hearts. There really is something to sitting now and then. 

So if your week has overwhelmed you...take a moment this weekend and sit in the rocker. (Or whatever you have.) Just sit. Just sip the coffee and close your eyes.

Just rest. 

Is it Really a Struggle?

 

You know me! I love words so much, and anytime a word can catch my attention in a specific way, I find myself compelled to share what I learned. Today is just such a day.

It's a phrase we say all the time. Or at least I say it all the time. "He really struggles with that." "I really struggle with this." "That's such a struggle for her."

We all know what it means when we say it, right? 

But last week, our co-worker Sean said something that really caught my attention about that phrase and has revolutionized how I think about it. (And it convicted me, too.)

One of our jobs as advocates for our tenants is to know their areas of struggle. We live alongside them and as we get to know them, we begin to recognize the things that create difficulty in their lives. We're here to hold them accountable to overcoming the things that become obstacles for them. It's not always the thing our tenants love most about us, but I can say confidently that the tenants who are truly looking to grow and mature do usually come around to understand that our accountability is for their own good and they eventually appreciate it. 

Sometimes as a team, we'll brainstorm ways to try to help. Could we say this and get the tenant to think differently? What if we tried this incentive? What if we shared examples from our own pasts? We try to think creatively and vulnerably to find anything that will be helpful.

We were in one of those brainstorming sessions when Sean said, "You know, the problem is, this really isn't a struggle for that tenant. It's actually very easy. We'll be gaining some ground when it actually becomes a struggle."

Stop.

It's so true! Sometimes the obstacles we face really are not struggles at all! We are very comfortable in our behavior, even though it's detrimental to us. We aren't struggling at all. We're sailing along doing our thing, and it's so much a part of who we are that we just do it. 

And on the day we see it for what it is and decide we need to make a change, THEN we start to struggle. And that day will be a good day because we have finally started to struggle.

Who knew struggling could be a good thing? 

So it's the question I'm asking myself right now: What things in my life would I perhaps say I struggle with, but I really don't. Not yet. Right now I'm happily and comfortably doing it my way. Where do I need to struggle in order to grow?

I don't know if this steps on your toes, but my GOODNESS, it has stepped on mine! 

They say the struggle is real. Maybe it's not real enough for some of us in certain areas. Maybe the struggle needs to get real so we can move on to growth, healing, and maturity.

Think about it with me?

Lexi Grae Update

If you need a midweek puppy picture dump, you've come to the right place!! I don't think I've done an update for a little while, so let's take a look at our girl who is getting SO BIG!!!

Growing is hard work. Sometimes you gotta just take a nap with your toy right on top of you. Sweet baby girl. 

She takes inquisitive to new levels these days. Ryan got her a new toy and could not lower it to her level quickly enough, so she hopped up to see it. 

Lexi is really good (most of the time) about not barking at or chasing Braeya. But she literally cannot EVEN handle her excitement when Braeya wanders through. It's like her best life has just sauntered into the room and she wiggles from head to toe. Braeya is curious and investigates, but her excitement level is not the same as Lexi's. 

"Helping" me work early in the morning. 

I was trying to take a nap and Lexi thought my blanket looked like a good snack. End of nap. 

We are working hard on training on the virtue of patience. She was waiting as hard as she could for a treat. Every time I say "wait," she trembles from head to toe, and it is just everything she can do to sit there. It actually makes me giggle.

This was a few days ago, but she loves keeping up with the boys on post office walks!

Those eyes. I can't. 

When Ryan takes a shower...she just sits and cries. So do I, Lexi. So do I. (Reportedly she does the same when I go get ready.)

Laundry is her FAVORITE. And her favorite part of her favorite? Swiping socks and seeing how far away she can get before we realize she has one. 

Also very fond of all the kisses. 

She tuckered out on a walk home, so Ryan carried her. Is this not the best life?? Not gonna lie: I'm thinking of just sitting down on our next walk to see if he'll carry me!

Helping me blog. Oh wait. No. Sleeping while I blog. 

She's energetic and precious and funny. We love her so!

Be Still, My Soul...

 It's no secret that I have come full circle to be a proper hymn-lover in my adult years. (I'm still a little at odds with Crown Him with Many Crowns after singing it the same week I had to get a crown, but other than that, I'm a hymn girl. Ha!)

Ryan and I love listening to them and will often turn on a YouTube channel of piano hymns as we get ready for church on Sunday mornings. I can't possibly pick favorites, because there are just too many I love. 

Yesterday I ran across the lyrics to Be Still, My Soul while reading a blog post, and it sent me straight to my favorite rendition of that song, which is this one by Selah. (This song was from the original group, and Nicol Sponberg has the solo. Her voice is pure gold.)

The verse of the song that I read on the blog isn't in Selah's rendition, but maybe you need the words today, so I'm going to share them:

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

The ladies of WillowBridge always read YouVersion devo plans together, and not long ago, one of the devos we read talked about the importance of keeping journals of God's work in our lives so we can remember His goodness to us personally. Of course, that thrilled my heart, and I tried to encourage the others to take that seriously! Trusting God to guide the future as He has the past can sometimes go a little more smoothly when you are able to remember how He has been at work in YOUR past, rather than history at large.

And those last two lines are my favorite: Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below. 

I follow a few Instagram accounts of people who live on the Great Lakes, and their photos and videos of winter waves crashing against the shore are so awe-inspiring. And those are just the Great Lakes! How much more impressive is the strength of the ocean! And yet those are the very kinds of waves His voice stilled!

We're definitely in a season where it's easy to have a soul that is agitated rather than stilled. So much is happening in so many areas, and it's hard to be still. But the same God who guided the past is here for our future, too. We may not understand, but we can trust Him. He's proven trustworthy. 

The waves and winds are still blowing, yes. But they also still know His voice and power. I know I am grateful for it. And if you're wrestling in your heart today, I hope those lyrics encourage you too! 

Mixers and More

Back when I was single, I didn't own a stand mixer. I had a bottom-of-the-line hand mixer that served me well...except when it didn't. Somewhere in a vintage scrapbook, I have a photo of the day I tried to make the marshmallow-cream based frosting for a fruit pizza, and I had marshmallow climbing the beaters all the way up to the handheld part. It made for a funny story - post clean-up, of course. 

It was a well-documented fact that high on my wedding registry list would be a proper stand mixer, and I did indeed receive one! She's so pretty. She's a red KitchenAid, and her name is Miss Mixy. She and I have made many things together, with cookies heading the list. She's almost ten years old now and showing no signs of slowing down.

But surprisingly - at least to me - in these almost ten years we've shared, I have never purchased a single additional attachment for her. She came with a stainless steel bowl, a wire whisk, a paddle, and a bread dough hook, and those remain the only pieces I have for her. Clearly we've been just fine, but out of curiosity, I looked up what else she can do with attachments. It turns out you can practically rule the world with the assortment of options. There are way more than I could ever use, but I did raise my eyebrows at a few!

* I don't plan on getting this one, but I did see the meat grinder attachment on the list, and it reminded me of when I was a little girl and my mom would make homemade ham salad. She had an old-fashioned meat grinder that clamped on the kitchen table, and I always found it to be a grand adventure to grind up all the ingredients for her. I wonder if she still has that! 

* They also have a variety of pasta presses, and I have to say I think it would be so much fun to learn how to make homemade pasta. I have heard that once you make your own, you are ruined for boxed pasta ever again. (One of the ladies on my women's ministry team back in Kokomo was apparently quite the pasta maker, but I never had the chance to learn from her before we moved.) Have any of you ever made your own pasta?

* And then there's the grain mill! I went through a brief season a few years ago when the idea of milling my own grain to make my own bread was intriguing to me. I still think I'd like to learn to make bread - especially sourdough - but I'm not sure if I've got the time for grain milling. But I had no idea I could use my mixer to do that, so I've tucked away that bit of information!

* There's also a spiralizer, and that one really piqued my interest. I purchased a super cheap handheld spiralizer at TJ Maxx a few years ago, and I've used it to make zoodles. It works great until you have to clean it, and then it's kind of a pain. Plus there always seems to be a big stub at the end that is too small to feed through but feels wasteful to throw away. I wonder if this one would work better!

* After having sliced my thumb pretty deeply a few years ago while trying to slice veggies on a manual slicer, seeing a shredding/slicing attachment also caught my attention. I have had a healthy reverence for those sharp shredders ever since! (Oh what a story that injury made for me. It was when we lived in Kokomo, and I was a stay-at-home wife. I was making lunch and hadn't gotten dressed yet. I sliced my thumb open, and it was bleeding pretty heavily. I couldn't leave it uncovered long enough to even bandage it, and I couldn't get dressed - easily, anyway - while applying pressure. I finally was able to get public-approved clothing on and walked to the hospital where Ryan worked to see if he could help me. I arrived at the same time as his patient, but the patient was so gracious to allow him a moment to bandage up his bleeding wife before starting therapy. I'm pretty sure that also scored us both Wendy's for lunch.) You see why I need this attachment, right?

* To be honest, it's the ice cream maker that tops my list. I love ice cream and think it would be so fun to run an ice cream shop. Since that is unlikely to ever happen, I plan to be content with making my own ice cream concoctions at home! Can you even imagine the fun I could have with this attachment?

So...do any of you have attachments for your mixer? Any faves out there? I definitely don't want to just cram the kitchen with a bunch of unused gadgets, but I have a feeling I would really use a few of those! 

Sunday Sentiments

 

Yesterday marked three years since Ryan's mom passed away. I think most of you have probably been around since then, but for anyone who might be new here, Ryan's mom was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (brain tumor) in October 2018. She had surgery right away and they were able to remove the tumor, but she never fully recovered and ended up dying in March 2019. 

Ryan's entire family came together to care for her in her last weeks of life. She came home from the hospital for the final time in early January, and from then until her death, we all took turns staying with her and caring for her. Ryan was a tremendous caregiver and he counts it one of the great privileges of his life that he was able to do that for her.

One of his very specific prayers was that he would be able to be with her when she passed away, and he was. It was not our scheduled night to be with her, but he felt we should go anyway, so after he got off work, we drove to the cabin, and we got there just a few minutes before she died. I think there were 13 of us gathered around her bed, praying her Home. 

And after she died, Ryan sat with her until the funeral home arrived. He said he wanted to spend every minute there by her side because he knew there wouldn't be any more minutes after that. And so he stayed.

That night there was a beautiful sunset, and Ryan stopped the car just down the road from the cabin so I could take a picture of it. 

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Indiana, and I told God I really hoped there would be a beautiful sunset again. 

We had a community outing at WillowBridge yesterday, and we ended with a picnic at the park. We were able to find a picnic table by the river, and while everyone else talked together, I just stared out over the water, taking in the magnificent sunset. 

Having time to stop and savor, pray, or reminisce is a luxury for us, and it probably wasn't the most ideal time for me to do it. But I was grateful I could sneak away in my mind to remember my mother-in-law. I could remember that night so vividly and think of the good moments we shared in the years we did have together.

What a sweet gift it was that God gave us this sunset yesterday. What a sweet gift it was that God gave Ryan the chance to be there for Nita's Homegoing. What a sweet gift she was for all the years of her life. And what a sweet gift it is that I get to continue sharing my life with her Ryan. I am grateful for how she shaped his life for him to become the man I love so much.

The Saturday Six

 

I don't know about you - but I enjoy glimpses of life behind the scenes - and today's Six is all about that! :) 

One.

Ryan and I really enjoy watching the show Unwrapped and learning about how different foods are made. It's really fascinating to see! Whether you have kids or you just like learning, check out this link with videos of how a whole bunch of things are made - from crayons to maple syrup! (Toilet paper, Legos, balloons, and paper money are also included.) Why do I enjoy learning so much more now than I did in school??

Two.

You know I love the Little House books and TV series. So of course I loved this series of behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the show! I think my favorite was seeing the blizzard being created. (I do love "TV magic" but I also have an appreciation for seeing how they make it happen!)

Three.

Ryan and I have been on two cruises together, and one of my favorite things is...no cooking for a week! And I can eat whenever I want! Though we haven't sailed Royal Caribbean before (and this video was made pre-pandemic), I found this video tour FASCINATING! How they store and prepare and feed all those people on a boat is really interesting! 

Four.

Several years ago, one of my friends (who was a photographer at the time) did an annual retro photo shoot with a couple from our town. It was always for their Christmas card picture, and I loved looking at those galleries! They always dressed up and did 50s-style activities. So fun. When I ran across this quick video of a lady who lives like it's still the 50s...I found that very intriguing! I don't think it would be for me, but I think it's really fun to peek into! (And check out that car!) 

Five.

Once upon a time, many years ago, I wanted to be a teacher. And now I have the greatest respect for teachers. And if you read this day in the life of a teacher, you might just have an increased appreciation yourself. THANK YOU, TEACHERS!!!

Six.

And rounding out today's behind-the-scenes...how about a beautiful time-lapse of a sunflower from seed to flower??

Decisions, Decisions

 Tis the season again, you know. 

Easter dresses. 

Remember when I used to take you with me to Cato and have you virtually vote on a dress? Man, I miss Cato. (To be fair, there is one in Fort Wayne, but we never get to that part of town.) 

When I was prepping for the WillowBridge Fundraiser, I ended up taking a risk and buying my dress online at Shein - and it fit so well! So now I'm thinking that may be the way to go for Easter, too. Anyone wanna dress shop with me today? 

Option 1.

I don't have any pink dresses, and normally patterns scare me, but I do like this one! I don't think I could pull off the hat, though.

Option 2.

I do love blue dresses. Maybe that's why I liked this one?

Option 3.

More blue! But this one isn't a maxi dress...and I wouldn't be able to pull off that hat either. Or cram all my stuff into that purse!

Option 4. 

I don't think I have a green dress either, but this one feels super springy and delightful to me. 

Option 5. 

And the last one (at least for today) is blue again! (And yes. I know I'm not that tall. Or thin!) 

Any votes? Tell me your thoughts!