I took this picture the other day while we were out at the farm.

On this day, we didn’t invite friends out to join us for an adventurous day of outdoor fun. No. We spent the day making up our fun, just our little family of four. Well, not all were making up our own fun…Hubby was working, putting doors on our Ranger. But the boys and I? We played and explored.

See that dirty, old baseball in the picture? We used that ball and a metal bar from an old jack to play a game I made up. We called it Skee-Ball Baseball. And we had a great time enjoying this newly, made-up game.

Look closer at that photo. See the ominous clouds in that picture? Eerie, yet captivating. It’s as if God was telling us, showing us through His nature, that strange days lie ahead. But to remind us to look for the beauty, even amongst the storm clouds.

Who would have thought that our world would be in a pandemic in the year 2020? For sure, not me. And seriously, why did it take a pandemic for me to get back on here??

This is the first blog post that I’ve written in a year and a half. Friends. A year and a half. I know. I don’t know what to say. Or where to begin. I could write more about why I’ve been absent on here, but I’ll leave that for perhaps another blog post.

Today, it just feels good to swipe the dust off the keyboard and be back.

I thought about titling this post These Strange Days We Are In. But here’s the truth. To the family who is praying fervently for their loved one to come out of the medically induced coma that their dear one was put into, so that he could breathe, they wouldn’t call it strange days that we are living in. They would call it terrifying days. To the mom or dad who just lost their job due to their restaurant shutting down, they wouldn’t call it strange days. They would call it fearful days. To the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care workers who are on the frontlines of this pandemic, they wouldn’t call it strange days. No friends, these are the Covid19 days.

These are the days where an invisible enemy is swooping in on anyone. And this enemy, this illness, doesn’t care about socioeconomic status, race, gender, political affiliation, job status, how many followers you have on Instagram, how long your streak on Snapchat has been going, or your age.

These are the days where people are losing their jobs.

These are the days where students cannot attend school.

These are the days where social distancing is the expectation.

I could go on and on about our current reality these days, but you get it. You know it. Because we are all living it.

But here’s the thing. Lean in. Because this is going to be profound.

Grow.

That’s right, grow. Right where you are. May we all take these days and grow. Grow into becoming a better mom. A better dad. A better friend. A better sister. A better brother. A better co-worker. A better boss. A better spouse. A better baker. A better landscaper. A better person.

I know for me, I can’t do this without seeking help. I’m not talking about getting on Amazon and perusing the self-help tab for the top selling self-help books. Sure, How To Survive a Pandemic in 2020 might have some good advice. (For the record, I have no idea if that is an actual book or not.) Don’t get me wrong. Those self-help books might be good reads. But truly, what will help us grow the most is to open up that Bible. Don’t have one? Get yo’self one. Your local Christian bookstore has plenty of them. Here’s a link to a store for all of you local Cedar Rapidians and they are even offering curb service: http://www.thechristianstorecr.com/home.asp

While I’m on the recommendation kick, want to know what devotional I do with our boys each day to go along with reading our Bibles? It’s this one: http://www.thechristianstorecr.com//Product.asp?sku=9780310747864

In these days, we are doing our part to flatten the curve. To practice social distancing, even though this is very difficult for the extrovert in me. We are home. Trying to do our part to help stop the spread of the awful Coronavirus Disease 2019, better known as Covid19.

While this isn’t how any of us chose for 2020 to go, let’s do this.

Let’s grow.

Grow to be better humans. In this time of uncertainty where we vacillate from feeling fearful to wondering if this is really happening (and yes, it really is happening), let’s grow into more loving people.

The only way to be the best version of ourselves is to let God’s Word seap into us and take root. To allow Him to change us to be even better moms, dads, friends, co-workers, neighbors, brothers, and sisters.

Grow in these times we are living and enjoy this forced rest we’ve been given. Our schedules have been wiped clean. Our calendars are now bare. For those who are still working, we can lift them up in fervent prayer. Praying for their health, praying for them to have strength and resilience. Friends. These are challenging times, but we will prevail with God’s help.

Slow your roll.

Turn the music down.

Lean in.

And grow.

Now I promise, this blog will be a place where you can come and find encouragement. This will be a place where you can get ideas. (Think recipes, lifestyle, fashion ideas, travel, and adventure.) This will be a place where you can laugh. Because from the very first day back in May of 2014, when I wrote my first blog post on this website, I knew that bringing joy, wisdom and encouragement to you was my greatest desire. And that hasn’t changed.

In these days, let’s grow together.

And growing looks different each day we live in this new reality. For instance, since school is cancelled until further notice, I have two sons who have now become my co-workers.😉 I’m no longer the only one working in our home. And my youngest co-worker (co-worker #2) just informed me that our sweet beagle, Daisy, has peed on the carpet. He’s not sure where, but he walked in it. So, I will be teaching co-worker #2 how to locate dog urine on aforementioned carpet and then, we’ll have a lesson in Spot Cleaning Carpet 101.

Also, did I mention laundry is calling me while we are in the midst of these peculiar days? (Anyone else washing comforters and all sorts of random loads of laundry?) (I might even get crazy and wash some curtains.)

And my hair needs washed. It’s been too long. Even though I have neither a fancy ball nor work engagement to attend, I must maintain some sort of decency for the sake of the sweet humans I live with.

So, let’s go forth in these days and grow. In the little ways, in the big ways, in every way that makes us more loving and caring. And if you resonated with this post, would you share it? Let’s spread joy and encouragement in these days.

xo ~

Angela Banae

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