Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

                Good morning and happy Saturday.  I am hoping for a proper sleep-in this morning, because it has been one full week. Full of good, fun things, but full to overflowing. I rounded up a few things to share with you today, so I hope you enjoy!

I was scrolling through Lindsay Letters’ shop (you know I love her art!) and found THIS amazingly cool library-card-inspired bulletin board. Whoa. Could there be anything more perfect for an office than that? I love it! (Note: There is also a postcard version – and even a guest check – if library cards aren’t your style.)

I love hearing the stories of how people found and decorated their homes, and Katherine’s story of her 500 square foot attic apartment did not disappoint. This reminds me of a DARLING above-garage apartment my friend Christi had right after college. I visited often and loved the tiny perfection of it all. Katherine’s seems larger than Christi’s, but perhaps it just seems that way from the layout and amount of furniture inside. Small spaces fascinate me.

This post is not a new one, which means there is a distinct possibility I have run across it before – and maybe even shared it here. But if I did, I’m not even embarrassed about sharing it again because it is such a beautiful renovation. I think this is a well-done renovation of a very small space. They reimagined it well, used all the spaces creatively, and I love the end result!

A couple of years ago, Ryan sang this Brent Vernon song at our church. I see that it’s now been adapted for choir and orchestra, and here’s a video of a church sharing it. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I really love the lyrics of this song.

Katie went on a cruise and wrote about everything she wore while she was gone. I would still pick my swim romper (because I just like more coverage) but I loved so many of her casual and dress options that she featured! She also offers a link to her previous year’s cruise wardrobe roundup, so if you want even more ideas, you can look at that!

I haven’t tried this recipe personally, but I love the idea of it! I love a peanut butter cookie. I love a chocolate chip cookie. Why have I not considered making a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie?? This one doesn’t require many ingredients, and I confess I’m kind of drooling just writing about it…

I finished a book this week! Let me tell you how I learned about it. A few weeks ago, I received a message from a college friend of mine. She is now the division chair for the Division of Modern Languages and Literature at IWU and is putting together some training for the professors in this department. Each division has some training days ahead of the each school year. She is focusing on prayer and asked if I’d be willing to come speak to them on this topic. I eagerly agreed, and she told me about the book they’re reading together. I ordered and read it immediately, and it sparked so much in my heart.

                Lead With Prayer is co-authored by Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer, and Cameron Doolittle, and while it’s written for leaders, I believe anyone can benefit from the ideas on its pages.

                I have long known that most Christians simply don’t pray as often or deeply/sincerely as we should. I include myself in this truth. Prayer feels abstract, and we add it if we have time. The truth is, we simply don’t have time to NOT include it. And for any of us who lead anything, prayer should come first, last, and multiple times in the middle. I’ve been challenged in this in a practical way recently. I enjoy watching and learning from various preachers, and one I’ve been watching regularly stops preaching – to pray – and then he resumes his sermon. Sometimes he does that multiple times in a sermon. I’ve never seen anyone do that, and it has made a mark on me.

                Lead With Prayer encourages leaders to become people of prayer so they can lead their people in prayer. Does it feel like a waste of time? It’s the best way to “waste” time. How do you pray? When do you pray? What does it look and sound like? The book offers so much on all these topics. The authors tell stories of leaders who purpose to pray regularly and how it has transformed them personally – and transformed their ministries or businesses. They offer practical tips, prayers to read and model, and Scripture to back it all.

                Even if you don’t consider yourself a leader, you can learn from the principles in this book. (I would add that even if you don’t consider yourself a leader, you probably are a leader to someone, somewhere, somehow, so this applies to you.)

                The book is easy to read, interesting, and compelling. I have underlined and made notes all over the place, not just for my time of speaking coming up, but for my own ministries and those with whom I serve.

                God has stirred something in my soul through the things I learned in this book. I have every confidence that if you read it, He’ll do the same for you!

Friday Fun: Sunset Cruise Fun

 

                Earlier this year our church had its annual Bible Bingo night, and just like last year, I threw in a prize of a sunset cruise at the Shaffer house! Last year one of the teens in church chose it (which pretty much was the best gift ever) and she brought her family along for her evening at our house. Well…she chose it again this year! I was so happy! (A return winner is a privilege indeed!)

                About a month ago, this family brought home a sweet new puppy, and we were so excited that they brought him along! We were also hoping Lexi wouldn’t be too exuberant and scare the poor pup. In reality, both were exuberant and I think they held their own. Lexi has been rushed and scared by so many dogs in her day that she struggles when they run to her. But we worked with her and eventually she calmed down.

                We hung out on the patio for a while. Some of the kids tried their hand at paddleboarding, we ate some ice cream, and we caught up on lots of stories.

                And then it was time for the boat ride!!

                Ryan was so sweet to give all the kids a turn helping with driving. We took so many laps around the lake, and it was so fun!

                I’m so thankful for this family. They have encouraged and prayed for me so often over the last few years, and I am so glad that we get to hang out with them for sunset cruises!! 

Travel Thursday: Our Big Trip West!

 

Remember earlier this year, when I reminisced about our birthday trips? I loved rolling down memory lane, reliving some of the truly exciting adventures we’ve had in our almost 14 years of marriage. I paused the memories to catch you up to this year’s story-laden trip to Charleston, so now I want to look back at some of our more recent birthday trips.

                It has been just over five years since we took our big trip west in Abby the RV. Oh, how we loved Abby. What a gift she was to us in those WillowBridge years, when we needed a place to get away from the daily responsibilities. We still dream of Abby 2.0 – someday – when I’m able to be gone on weekends again! But for now, we have no regrets about our purchase and renovation of Abby.

                This trip was one of the biggest of our whole marriage, and one of our favorite things about it was getting to take our home-on-wheels everywhere we went. I had the BEST time looking back over our scrapbook and reminiscing. Want to see some of my favorite moments?

                Our first night out took us to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and the next morning we took it easy, enjoying Bible study and coffee right in our own home. I think we both knew in that moment we had something special on our hands.

                We don’t really do trip regrets, but if I had any, they were from this trip. We passed quickly through Nebraska without stopping to do anything fun. We passed the American Gothic house, and if I had this trip to do over, I would have stopped there.

                Nebraska did give Ryan a chance to be a good Samaritan to a couple of ladies with a flat tire. I was crying in the RV, scared to death he was going to get hit out there.

                This was the trip where we met our dear friends, the Bromptons! What a beautiful stay they gave us – letting us stay on their property, introducing us to all the farm animals, treating us to campfire meals and singing every night, giving me a Little House-esque butter churning experience, teaching us new games, making Ryan’s oxen-driving dreams come true, hosting a proper prairie wagon ride, teaching us to make rope, letting Ryan try his hand at milking a cow BY hand, and making the entire stay one to remember in all the best ways.

                We made our way into Kansas and took a tour through Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park. Who knew Kansas could look like THIS!?

                I wanted Ryan to experience the old west of Dodge City Kansas, which I’ve visited several times since I was a kiddo. We had fun recreating pictures from the days of yore!

                We visited my family and met the newest baby (who is now almost ready for school)!

                This made me do a double take. Oh the mask days!!

                We had so much fun with the fam while we were there.

                I was so excited that we had fun things planned for the way home – like getting my first stamp in my Little House passport. Our first stop was Independence, Kansas! We did more recreated pictures, since I visited there with Mom and Dad when I was little, and we made our own memories, too!

                RV travel is the best: adding souvenir stickers to the wall, updating the travel board, and seeing our home right outside our visit spots.

                Sometimes we had amazing campsites that gave us proper campfire opportunities and relaxing evenings.

                We visited another of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s homes (this time in Mansfield, Missouri) and recreated more pictures.

                Our last stop before coming home was in Casey, Illinois. We still talk about this coffee shop and drink from the mug we bought while there. And we still love thinking about the small town of big things. It’s one of the places we recommend most to people!

                This trip was truly one of our very favorites. We made so many amazing, beautiful memories and had so many unique experiences. I smiled all the way through the scrapbook! (I’m so glad for the time I took to make that!)