A Little Challenge for November...

Some of you might have read about this on my blog yesterday...but I wanted to write about it here too - because I wanted to invite everyone to be a part.

Thanksgiving is coming up in just about a month, and I'm busy prepping to decorate my house in reminders to give thanks. Ryan and I are making plans to visit our families {the great juggling of the family visitations} - and of course, that means making plans for the food we'll take with us.

And in all of that...I don't want to lost sight of the purpose of Thanksgiving....to give thanks.

While there's nothing wrong with this practice, I don't want my thankfulness to be a hurried note on my Facebook status. I want to actually give thanks back to people who have invested in my life.

It might be a phone call.

A card.

A visit.

A donation made in their honor.

A little gift.

Something that says, "Hey, I remember the time you invested in me by ______________. I am the person I am today because of the time you took."

Imagine it. Imagine being the recipient of this unexpected gratitude. What a blessing!

I'd love you to join me each day in November if you'd like to be part of this. Drop by my blog and at the end of my post each day, I'll offer a suggestion of someone you might thank that day. Who you pick and how you thank them is completely up to you.

Want to join me this November in being part of a blessing? Let's do it!

Favorite Things (Cue the Music)

I'm a pushover for lists of favorite things. It could be someone's favorite fishing lures, and I'd still read it. I say if someone is willing to be a product guinea pig and share their opinion, then I'm more than willing to listen. If you feel the same way, read on!  You just might stumble on to something that you've been wanting to try or discover an item you didn't know existed.

JAG JEANS

Withhold judgment until you read what I have to say.

Yes, you pull these jeans on, but the fit is fabulous. Even though they're shown here with a top tucked in, you don't ever wear them this way unless Steve Urkel is your fashion icon . Here's what's so great about these jeans: No zippers or buttons AND the wider waistband keeps you snug and your tummy flat without, and I mean without, compromising comfort or fit. I like the straight leg, though I am planning on snagging a skinny black pair to wear all winter long tucked into boots.

I'm high-waisted (mine plays peekaboo under my bust), even so, these jeans don't squeeze into my non-existent waist and create spillover. Too much info, I know, but this is the kind of stuff women want to know.

They're available locally at Von Maur. Online try www.6pm.com. This site offers deep discounts -- up to 80% -- on name-brand items. I recently found a pair of Sofft leopard pumps for just $25.00!!
Standard ground shipping is free. Inventory doesn't generally include every size, but when you find yours, grab it. Things sell out rather quickly.

FREE FALL DECORATING

I flank our fireplace mantle with two metal French flower buckets, changing out the greenery seasonally. For fall, I like "stalkish," non-flowery filler. The ornamental grass (Miscanthus Sinensis) in our front yard flower bed is perfect. It looks like this when I cut it and bring it indoors:

Twenty-four hours after it's placed into the buckets it morphs into this:

 



While I wish this ornamental grass retained its original vibrant color and feathery form indoors, I like its fall "outfit." Now I just need to go outside and cut more to fill out the buckets.

SALLY HANSEN TRIPLE STRONG

I bit my nails from the time I was four until the day I graduated from high school -- I kid you not! I have no idea why I suddenly had the willpower to quit the habit I'd tried to kick, unsuccessfully, for 13 years. Whatever the reason, I now have long, strong, beautiful nails; that is, until a few years ago when my nails became brittle and started to peel. Thank you, menopause. Nothing helped, even an expensive treatment from my favorite shopping channel. The answer to my nail issue was as close as my neighborhood Walgreens: Sally Hansen's Triple Strong. This stuff really works. Apply it once a week. I use it as a base coat under nail polish and as a top coat. Remove it every week and apply again.

See for yourself: my nails are strong yet flexible and healthy.

 

 

 

THE WOOD SHACK ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUE

 



Oh, the treasures you'll find at The Wood Shack Architectural Antique on Baker Street in Fort Wayne: weathered shutters just waiting to become room dividers...old metal register grates begging to be hung as art work. Or, my favorite, finials. I don't officially collect them, but I do own three that I display as a trio, or as individuals grouped with other treasures.

 



Whether you're looking for artwork, shelves, or any other home accessory, make any reclaimed store your first stop. Peruse with an open mind, asking yourself, "What could this become?"

 

BABY LIPS

 

I've never been a lip balm girl. I think they're too gloppy and heavy. But lips need moisture, especially during winter. What's a girl to do? Use Maybelline's Baby Lips. It has a light feel on the lips, provides a sweep of sheer color, and, best of all, it makes your lips feel soft and hydrated.

 



 

 

JUGHEAD

 

Okay, the supersize insulated mug, er, tankard sold at Speedway isn't called Jughead; that's my name for this 64-ounce money saver. I was spending a literal fortune at fast food restaurants, buying up to three (some days even more) iced teas every day. At $1.08 a pop that adds up to . . . a lot.

 

Enter Jughead.

 

Now I make my own iced tea every morning using Lipton's Cold Brew tea bags. That in and of itself is a true miracle. I NEVER thought a five-minute cold brew could taste as good as made-from-hot-water, fresh-brewed tea, but it does. .

 

Granted, Jughead isn't pretty, but he does his job. Who could ask for more?

 

 

YASSO BARS

OH. MY. GOODNESS. I could wax poetic about these delectable Greek yogurt bars. They're creamy, high in fiber and protein, and only 80 calories. Eat them for breakfast, as a morning snack, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a treat -- they're THAT delicious and good for you.



Okay, you know what I'm loving right now. What about you? Tell me about your faves. I'm listening!

Sitting Back to Enjoy

We are too busy.

You know that?

All of us...we're always on the run, always checking things off the to-do list, running, running, running...and we don't kick back and rest.

This past weekend, Ryan and I took some time to go visit one of my friends from the days of yore. The days when I was a recent college grad and Jenna was in college and our paths collided in the Financial Aid Office. I was a counselor and she was a student worker, but we were fast friends and forgot that any age or level came between us.

And we're still friends, all these years later. I watched her get married and prayed for her during her years of waiting for babies and rejoiced with her when the first sweet baby was born...and then the second.

And now Jenna's been able to celebrate with me as she and her entire family welcomed Ryan in with open arms this past weekend.

A lovely weekend of sitting, resting, laughing, stories, and more. Take a peek:

1. What to do when stuck in this for two hours?

 Well, first I'd recommend checking out the dates of the Chicago marathon before traversing that way. HA!!! Then I recommend sitting back and having the best heart to heart conversation with your traveling buddy. And if you're traveling alone - call someone!! Passes the time and creates such joy.

2. Savor the goodness - and not just of the food.

Recognize it? I've learned that those who have enjoyed a Giordano's pizza before know them anywhere! This was my first, and I enjoyed the chance to try something Ryan loved - and to share fellowship with my friends. It was while we sat at length in the restaurant that Jenna's daughter wanted to look through my purse and have Ryan show her how to use the tripod she found in there...where Ryan and Jenna's husband engaged in a long conversation about the church...where Jenna and I laughed at her son, who was happily sorting through the pieces of pizza on his plate. Much enjoyment - and not just because of the food.

 

3. Indulge in a favorite.

 We made our way to an apple orchard during our visit and found these bags of Honeycrisp apples, which just happen to be my favorite. I used to eat one every day, but came to the place where I couldn't justify the hefty price tag, so I stopped. But since it was vacation, and since we were surrounded by the goodness - we had to partake. I've enjoyed every bite.

4. Make a memory.

 I have a picture similar to the one above from 2010, when I visited this orchard for the first time with Jenna. I was just healing from my painful breakup - and in fact, that trip was part of my heart healing. What a joy to come back, 3 years later, with God's redemption from that hurt, sit in the same spot, and make a beautiful new memory!

5. Have a good laugh.

 He's sitting in his food. It cracked me up. Why have I not thought to protect my food this way?? BEKAH DOESN'T SHARE FOOD!!!!!

6. Be Goofy.

 The orchard had tons of old tractors sitting around for photo props...and they were several inches deep in the mud. I decided it would be fun to "push" one out for a photo. No lasting productivity - but it sure was fun and a good laugh. Never kills anyone to be a little goofy!

7. Leave your comfort zone.

 Pumpkin guts. Need I say more?

8. Celebrate the gifts.

 

Over 10 years of friendship with the lovely Jenna. Definitely cause for celebration.

A weekend of sleeping in, seeing sunrises, indulging in late night coffee - and just soaking up the rest and the joy.

Are You Living the Life You Desire?

This weekend Doug and I will attend our 40th high school reunion. 40th. High. School. Reunion. Reaching this milestone feels so unbelievably impossible, I've resorted to my nemesis, math, to convince myself that it has indeed been FOUR DECADES since I watched my then-friend -- and future husband -- run cross-country...

That's my Doug in the middle.

Acted in The Visit (I played a nun) ...


This was obviously taken during dress rehearsal because I'm in jeans and army boots (left), and not in full nun regalia. Yes, I wore a habit.

 



And in Butterflies Are Free (as the free-spirited Jill) ...



There's enough material in the bell-bottoms alone to re-cover a sofa.

Cheered the Bruins on to victory (though, judging by this photo, it appears I've given up on them and am now wallowing in despair) ...

Tadpole eyebrows alert!

And was crowned Prom Queen wearing the dress my parents bought me to wear to the previous year's prom but didn't because Gary -- whose name I'm declining to post because we all do dumb things in high school that shouldn't be held against us when we finally grow up and become adults -- dumped me TWO WEEKS before the festivities ..



I believe this photo was snapped immediately after my boyfriend whispered the endearing words,  "I think my class ring is snagged in your hair." :)

I absolutely loved my senior of high school when these photos were taken. The things I did defined me, which is why I was utterly lost once I graduated. Though I was a Christian, my life wasn't hidden in Christ, and, to be honest, I didn't want it to be. After all, if Christ actually possessed me (He already owned me when I received His gift of salvation), then my life couldn't be about ME.

If I could tell the Young Lynne in these pictures anything, it would be this: The Big Life you're hungry for has nothing to do with scrambling and scheming. It's not about gaining the admiration or approval of others. It's found in humbly following Jesus.

Back then you couldn't have convinced me that Jesus -- simply knowing, belonging to, and obeying Him -- could out distance, out give, and out satisfy any of my "about me" dreams and desires.

But HE does.

German preacher and hymn writer Joachim Neander expresses it beautifully and powerfully in his hymn "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" --

Praise to the Lord
Who o'er all things so wondrously reighneth
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

The details of the life God has gifted me aren't at all what I'd imagined in my teens...they're infinitely better! Call it the life I desired but didn't know I desired.

Preacher Neander is right: YES, my desires have been granted in the life Jesus chose for me.

Doug and I love our life together!

Dreamin'

I sat in the front seat of the car, catching glimpses of color-twinged trees flying past, but my main focus was on the driver.

One day earlier, he'd blessed me with two incredible gifts. The first was a beautifully worded offer of forever-love and the second was ring he'd designed and slipped onto my hand.

Less than 24 hours later, I was beside him in the car on the way to Brown County for a day of hiking, photo shoots, absorbing fall sights, and...wedding planning.

It was this day that he said to me, "I can be ready in two months if you can."

And though I felt like a crazy girl...I said yes again.

Yes to finding a dress, assembling a wedding party and planning a ceremony in two months.

So we started dreaming...and we started with where to get married.

He thought this would make a good location:

And though it felt almost wrong to go far away from home less than a month before Christmas, I said yes again.

So we were married and came home to live in the house I'd inhabited for the last 12 years. We wanted to make it ours - a haven that we both loved. So we started dreaming...about a little outdoor area to love. And together, we made this:

And so it goes...

...the dreaming.

We dream about everything from vacations we want to take, to projects we want to accomplish, to the house where we might want to move.

Sometimes the dreams are huge and distant and we wonder how and if they'll ever be a reality. Sometimes they're right within reach - if we just make the effort to actually reach.

We're dreamers...and we're unapologetic.

Even if they never become flesh, the mere dreaming brings a smile. But for those that do come to life - what sweet joy!

Effects of Cigarettes, Drugs & Alcohol on a Teen's Brain

Drug, alcohol, and cigarette use during the formative teenage and young adult years destroys the brain. There is no denying the reality. If you need proof, these 3-D surface views of drug, alcohol, and cigarette users' brains -- acquired by SPECT imaging looking at cerebral blood flow and metabolism -- should convince you.

Dr. Daniel Amen is offering Mid-Morning listeners who purchase the poster a $3.00 discount. Use the code Henslin50 when ordering at Dr. Amen's website.

On the blog, it's difficult to read the poster's text which identifies each brain. Here's the who and what:

TOP LEFT                 TOP MIDDLE                  TOP RIGHT

3 years of meth use  4 years of alcohol use     2 years of marijuana use

Age 22                        Age 21                                Age 16

 

MIDDLE

Healthy 16-year-olds' brains

                                    

BOTTOM LEFT              BOTTOM MIDDLE         BOTTOM RIGHT

3 years of cocaine use    6 years of inhalant use     3 years of smoking

Age 22                              Age 24                                  Age 16

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Dr. Daniel Amen for giving us permission to include his poster on the Mid-Morning blog. Listen to the October 4th Mid-Morning featuring Dr. Earl Henslin for an informative discussion about the effects of drugs on the brain.

 

 

Dr. Earl Henslin is making his e-book Intervention available to WBCL listeners for FREE at his website. Use the Coupon Code DRHENSLIN. Thanks, Dr. Henslin, for caring about the WBCL family!



Kerri Zurbuch's Stuffed Peppers' Recipe

Stuffed peppers. They're like little food pockets! On the October 1st Mid-Morning, Kerri Zurbuch shared her favorite way to prepare this recipe staple.

Here's what you'll need:

1 pound of cooked pinto beans
4 cups cooked rice, barley, quinoa -- or a mixture of all three
2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
2 onions, finely chopped
24 ounces of tomato sauce
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning (she prefers McCormick's)
1 tablespoon ground cumin (add more, if you like)
6 peppers cut in half, seeds and ribs removed (pick your favorite colors)

Mix all of the ingredients together and drop a large dollop into each pepper half (enough to fill each one almost to the top). Top with cheddar cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.



Here's why this recipe is a keeper:

1. You can prepare the mixture -- 4 quarts worth -- and freeze it in four 1-quart bags for future meals.
2. You can prepare the mixture, stuff the peppers, and then put them on a cookie sheet and into the freezer. Transfer them to freezer bags once frozen. You've got a meal ready to pop into the oven or take to someone who's just had a baby. You gotta love that!
3. You can prepare the mixture, stuff the peppers, cook and eat right away.

Thanks, Kerri!