Update: Extraordinary Creativity

Happy April 1st! 

Here’s a sooner-than-later interview update about Deb Rumpel. She went into crises mode right before finishing January's Extraordinary Creativity interview.  Then her chickens went into chaos as well. I asked Deb how she managed to stay upbeat through all of it.

Welcome back, Deb!

Deb, the creative photographer 2017

Thank you for your interest in an update. These past few months have not been what I would have scripted, but they are reality. I herniated a disc in my lower cervical spine while trying to tidy up my home. (Guess I won’t do that again.) Having not experienced this before, I didn’t know what happened but I did feel level 10 pain running down my arm. It was unbearable. After five days, I had x-rays and an MRI and discovered the disc issue. A week later, I got in to see a neurosurgeon who fast tracked me into surgery four days later. Due to the severity of the herniation and the neurological presentation it was showing, he didn’t want to delay for fear of permanent nerve damage. Hard to believe they consider this in the “out-patient” category, but they do. Thankfully I was able to stay overnight because of anesthesia effects.

Recovery has been painful and slow. I am now seven weeks post-surgery. Even though the nerve pain was instantly gone, there is still muscle and tendon involvement. Now I move onto physical therapy and see what improvements I can make there.

Back at the bat cave, life goes on. I have a son who is getting married in 2 months and life is getting more windy than usual around here. My creative brain is on overload and I have to “talk it down”. My neck and shoulders can’t keep up with what my heart wants to do and accomplish, not only with wedding stuff but also with my chicken coop/run as well as my home.

The chickens have had a rough couple of weeks. We lost one of them due to 2 worms growing in its trachea. What! It is not a common thing up in the North but it has started to occur more often due to the milder winters. Chickens can pick it up from eating infected earthworms. Like you can stop a chicken from scratching and eating whatever comes out of the soil. All of my chickens had to be treated to prevent any more of that. We didn’t eat their eggs for a month, which was sad but, in an effort to keep our food as clean as possible, it was the best call.

Then I lost another chicken just last week. I was so sad because she was an awesome layer. She was egg bound. This means that an egg gets lodged in the oviduct and, because the intestines are shut down during laying, this blocks them up as well. When not caught immediately, it is fatal.

You asked how I stay so upbeat. Hmm. I don’t feel upbeat all the time. I love being with friends and making memories. When I am around people I definitely feel an energy. But in the quiet, it has been hard and frustrating. I need to keep speaking truth to myself. I need to keep reminding myself that this is not forever. I pray for strength. I ask the Lord to show me where to file the things that are hard. I ask Him to give me a new perspective on challenging and disappointing situations. Why? Because I know He is in the business of redeeming all things. He doesn’t waste anything in our lives. I ask Him to give me His eyes, sometimes through many tears. He wants to hear it all from my heart. If I didn’t have a heavenly Father, I don’t think I could do this without turning bitter or losing hope all together at times. I know there is a flip side to things. I know there is something at work that I can’t see in the micro but if I were able to back up and see the whole timeline of my life, it would be a woven tapestry and not just a tangled mess of threads.

There have been many lonely moments in the pain and in the recovery of the last few months. There have been many tears and some temper tantrums in the pain when I just didn’t think I could do another day or even an hour. It is then that I try to speak these truths to myself.

There is a song by Shane and Shane called “Though You Slay Me”. As I listened to it one day, I felt like creating something around it to help remind me of these words. In the middle of song, theologian Dr. John Piper speaks these words: (picture attached at bottom)

Not only is all your affliction momentary.
Not only is all your affliction light-
In comparison to eternity and the glory there-
BUT all of it is totally MEANINGFUL!
Every millisecond of your pain from the fallen nature or fallen man-
Every millisecond of your misery in the path of obedience-
Is producing a peculiar glory you will get because of that.

I don’t care if it was s cancer or criticism.
I don’t care if it was slander or sickness.
It wasn’t meaningless!
It’s doing something! It’s not meaningless.
Of course, you can’t see what it’s doing.
Don’t look to what is seen.
When your mom dies.
When your kid dies.
When you get cancer at 40.
When a car careens onto the sidewalk and takes her out-

Don’t say, “IT’S MEANINGLESS!” It’s not.
It’s working for you an eternal weight of glory.
Therefore, do not lose heart but take these truths and day by day focus on them.
Preach them to yourselves every morning.

Get alone with God and preach His Word into your mind until your heart sings with confidence
That you are new and cared for!

~John Piper

Here is the Youtube link to Shane & Shane’s “Though You Slay Me”:  https://youtu.be/qyUPz6_TciY

Deb's Artwork

All that to say, I am not always upbeat. I have an upbeat personality but life is hard. If not yet or right now, it will be. We don’t live in a perfect world. We get weary and lonely, tired of the fight. But if we have truth to hold onto, if we have hope that this is not all there is, then we can keep going. We can know we are not alone. Because my sins are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb I have hope that I am working my way home to where I truly belong. I am a pilgrim on a journey.

I am thankful that I don’t have to do this life alone, either. I have been given friends and family and a wonderful church body. They aren’t perfect. They aren’t always there. But God sees and knows, and He sends encouragement at just the right times (not always in the places I think I need it most but in the places that I most recognize that He is in it, without a doubt).

Today is a new day. His mercies are new every morning. There are adventures to have. Things to forget. Aches and pains to remind me to sit down and ice my neck. There are phone calls to make and receive. Some of those will be life sucking and others will give life. There will be birds to listen to and music with which I can gently dance to. There will be highs and lows. And in it all, there will be a Father who is holding my hand and leading me through. I am a child of the King and that is why I can keep moving forward. To God be the glory!

Extraordinary Creativity

Deb Rumpel recently added a chicken coop to her home in the suburbs, just one of many creative endeavors she has undertaken. A homeschooling mom, adoptive and biological parent of three boys and spouse of 27 years, Deb is inspiring to know.

Welcome Deb!

Q) As a homeschooling parent of three full-throttle sons, how did you manage to maintain let alone stay creative amidst home life?

A) I don’t know that I was very successful at this. I think my creativity came out in different ways through different seasons. When we adopted our oldest son I wrote a lot of poems. I was finishing my English degree at that point and this was a good reflective release alongside of working toward that Bachelor’s degree. When we had our second son and discovered that our eldest had special needs, creativity was more hands on with the two of them. We did painting and clay projects. Creativity was geared to the two boys and then the three of them.

Now that the two oldest have graduated from high school and I am working with our sophomore in high school, I find that I have a little more wiggle room for expressing creativity. I want to get out the sewing machine as well as spend a lot of time dreaming on Pinterest. Last year my son and I got a Groupon for pottery throwing. I really enjoyed that. I would like to try glass blowing next. 

Creativity can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Whether it is trying out a new recipe or changing your table decorations, it is creative expression that can turn black and white into technicolor! I love to change the decorations on my kitchen table or find a new set of towels for the bathroom. I dream about different ways of making my garden more sanctuary like and look forward to spring when I can go to the nursery and pick out a new perennial to add into the landscape. God is the ultimate Creator and I feel like I am reflecting His character when I create.

Q) I met you 6 years ago and life has really changed for you since then.  What is the most impacting change you’ve experienced so far?

A) I think what has made the most impact is working on my own personal growth, figuring out why I fall back into the same patterns. It has been a very intimate journey and one that has been gut wrenchingly beautiful. The Lord continues to teach me about His grace and His care for me. He is giving me eyes to see that He wastes nothing. No matter how hard life gets, it is not meaningless. It all works toward a purpose.

I think the most impacting change has been learning to speak the truth in love rather than being a people pleaser and avoiding the hard discussions. I have lived my life not putting much value on myself. I have desperately tried to measure up. I have come to realize that I love others best when I love myself as well. I have come to know that my heavenly Father has given me value and worth. That fact has made it possible for me to love myself and others with pure motives.

Q) You’ve made an amazing amount of creative additions to your home. Has life always been like this for you?

A) This has certainly been a year of changes. We have recently replaced our uneven cement sidewalk and stoop with a beautiful brick one. It looks so wonderful. We also had ceramic, hardwood looking tile installed over the cement in our basement. In total Rumpel style, we didn’t stop there. We then ended up replacing the paneling with drywall and installing canned lighting in the ceiling. The basement has had an amazing facelift. It has become a place we are all enjoying. In the middle of all that we started the chicken adventure. I think this is normal for us.

I love being creative but it is tricky to try and fit it in. I get frustrated by the stops and starts because life circumstances barge in unexpectedly and force a break in my own agenda. I bring out my creativity only to have to put it back into a box and hide it in a room until there is space for it again. Sometimes, though, I can’t hide it and I must write or create. There is no holding back the dam when that surge comes forth.

Q) When and why did your chicken coop come about?

Deb's eggs

A) I love my chickens! I put a lot of other projects on hold to take this on. It was a lot bigger than I expected, but I don’t regret doing it. At first it was just my desire to have eggs and meat that came from healthy chickens (as organic as possible rather than raised on corn). Thankfully, my hubby came alongside of me and we did this together. We built a lean-to on our shed and a little run out of a dog kennel purchased from Craigslist. We are still in our first year and learning the ropes. There is still much to learn and fine tune in our little flock but we are moving forward. It is so wonderful to bring in fresh eggs every day and know that they are chock full of vitamins and protein. I am so thankful for all my neighbors who have agreed to let me explore this chicken craziness and have even chased them back into their pen if they get loose. I have the best neighbors!

Q) What were some solutions to the tricky problems you’ve faced?

A) Prayer is huge. I need to remember that God is the one in control and not me. I am totally dependent on Him. He is the one to meet my deepest needs. It is so important for me to draw near to Him and remember that none of what I face is happening without His knowledge. I am comforted in knowing that I am not alone and whatever I face, it is not wasted. He redeems everything!

Having a close support system is crucial. Having a couple of people who know you well and you can text, “Pray,” reminds you that you are not alone. Hiding when you are in trouble or struggling is not good. Seeking out a counselor when appropriate is not a weakness but a strength. Being in a life-giving church is important as well.

Q) Where did you find the strength and innovation to keep your marriage alive?

A) I won’t lie. We have had some pretty dark years. Being in the ministry, having three small children and huge medical bills really stressed our marriage. We kept putting “our stuff” on the back burner in order to put out every day fires. It caught up with us when we were both absolutely empty. We talked with a trusted counselor and worked through our own stuff and our together stuff.

We still don’t go on dates much but have learned how to listen to each other. We have “eyeball time” and go through our “highs and lows” from the day. We ask each other questions like, “What do you need from me in this situation?” We are more in love than ever before. Our relationship has grown so deep. It is far from perfect but we are committed to our covenant with one other.

We seriously like being together. We love making memories. We have fun quoting movies, VeggieTales, and random sayings from our kids. We love laughing together and do it a lot but not as an escape from talking through the hard things.

Q) Who was the most influential person in your creativity?

A) My mom was the one who really encouraged my creativity. She was always doing crafts and selling them at shows during my growing up years. She was a seamstress and artist at whatever she did. She made banners, vestments, and candles for her church. She was always trying new things. She did so much, even without the help of Pinterest.

When I went to college I had no idea what to focus on. She encouraged me to try my hand at art. I didn’t understand this. Even though I enjoyed crafts, I in no way considered myself an artist. I had never even taken an art class before. She took art classes at the same time. We both drew and painted. I thought she was much better than I was. Her encouragement tapped into me, though. I had my own artistic style and she nurtured that as much as she could.

When I was 24, my mom died of cancer. I lost not only my best friend but also my biggest encourager. Before she died, she tried to give me a crash sewing course on her machines. I never really got the knack for the whole making clothing thing but I stitch straight lines for crafty projects on the machine. I also love to write, especially if I have inspiration. I love to take pictures and create memories with them. Most of my creativity bends towards encouraging and blessing others. That is where my inspiration comes from now. It is so worth it to make a cape for a little girl or collage together some old pics to email to a friend. It is a blessing to my own heart to see a smile or hear, “I really needed that today.” I pray that the Lord will continue to use my gifts as an instrument for His glory. May I reflect the Father’s heart to those around me. “That all may see the good that I do and give glory to God!”

Are you an extraordinary ordinary creative like Deb? You can find her Pinterest wall and discover the 300 other projects she has going: https://www.pinterest.com/chicknhens/

Thank you for coming to the Extraordinary Ordinary blog here at lookandbe.blogspot.com, where ordinary folks with extraordinary stories tell their tales!

If you know someone with an extraordinary story, please send an email with the subject "Extraordinary Ordinary" to soulfixer1 3 (at) yahoo dot com (without the spaces of course.)

Extra Ordinary Music by TLC Nielsen

I met Becky Capelli decades ago when she was a teenager working at Drakes Office Supply. Years later, I bumped into her at a local church where she was leading the choir, and she introduced me to her spouse and their two children. It’s been a privilege to see her children blossom in music as they’ve grown up, too, and to see Becky become successful as the owner of Songbird Studio Inc. Becky’s extraordinary adventure in spreading the love of music to those around her makes her life more than ordinary.

Welcome, Becky!

Q) How did your music studio come into existence?

A) I had co-owned a music studio several years ago for about six years when my kids were babies. Once they hit school age, I had to put private music instruction to rest and get a "day job" until they were much older. I was at that particular job for about 10 years. But music, especially sharing music, is my passion so, as soon as I felt the timing was good for my family, I re-entered private music instruction by opening Songbird Studio Inc. four years ago.

Songbird Studio in Grayslake, Illinois

Q) That was a long journey! So when did your love of music actually begin?

A) I was very young. I cannot recall a time when music was not a love of mine. It is how God wired me up! I started piano lessons when I was 5 years old. Mr. Luder was my piano teacher. Our family didn't own a piano so he would meet me at our church and teach me on the church piano. My parents were later able to purchase a piano... rent to own. I guess they figured I was serious enough about it to make that investment. I think they were right! I still, to this day, use that same piano in my own home.

Mr. Luder also taught voice lessons which I began at age 10. But even beyond lessons, I was always listening, learning, and playing music any chance I could. I always say music was and still is my "thing" - it's what I was wired to do. For some it may be sports or theater or scholastics, but for me it has always been music.

Q) Who influenced you the most musically?

A) Three come to mind: my parents and Mr. Luder. I was fortunate to have the same private music teacher from the time I was 5 years old up until I went to college. He had a huge influence on me, opening up so many genres and styles of music as well as allowing me to explore my strengths and weaknesses. He taught me that learning and making music is hard work and takes discipline, but it is so rewarding and most definitely meant to be enjoyed.

My parents never missed an opportunity to allow me to use my talents, and they continually encouraged and reminded me that we each have talents which are meant to be shared. They understood and encouraged my passion for music. Some of my earliest memories of singing are with my dad. I believe this is why I am so connected to the idea of private music teaching. I had such an awesome and positive experience having Mr. Luder in my life, as well as supportive parents - a combination that is so valuable when taking music lessons.

Q) What other factors kept you involved in music through the years?

A) Most definitely the church and school. I grew up singing in church and, as an adult, I was actively involved in singing on the worship team. During my school years I participated in choir and band (percussion). 

Currently, as a music teacher and mom, I am less and less active in performing. I have found great satisfaction and joy in teaching, encouraging others to use their talents in whatever capacity they can in their lives. It's fabulous!

Becky Cappelli

Q) Where did you think your music would take you?

A) Oh my! When I was young I had my sights on performing... traveling the world and singing! But I am SO grateful that is not what I ended up doing in the long run. I think God knew I wasn't cut out for that. Instead, I can build into others who may (or may not) have those dream. I believe I am exactly where I'm suppose to be doing what I am should be doing.

Q) Did you ever consider careers outside of music? If not music , then...

A) I have not. I have only entertained other jobs/opportunities that would allow me the freedom to still do music but not a career... just a paycheck.

Q) What pivot point catapulted your life in a different, unexpected direction?

A) Probably my kids. But in such a beautiful way! As a mom (a working mom), my decisions in what and how I could provide for our family and whether or not music was a means to do so greatly revolved around my kids and my availability to them in their stages of growing up. Music had to take a backseat for a lot of years. It was always a part of our lives but not a means in which to have a career. It taught me patience and trust in God's timing. Yes, music is my passion but people, especially my people (my family) are most important. God always has a plan and He is always good.

Becky's website: songbirdstudioinc.com and you can "Like" her studio on Facebook as well here:  www.facebook.com/search/303323743096917/local_search?surface=tyah

Thank you for visiting the Extraordinary Ordinary Blog at lookandbe.blogspot.com! If you'd like to recommend an ordinary person with an extraordinary journey to be interviewed, please contact TLC Nielsen at soulfixer13 (at) yahoo (dot) com and put ExtraOrdinary Blog in the subject line.