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.)

Extraordinary Listening

by TLC Nielsen

I met Juli Chaffee at church more than a decade ago. As a mother of three, business owner, counselor and spouse of 25 plus years, Juli has learned the art of true listening. She runs the Crossroads Counseling Center and is a new board member for Refuge for Women, a nonprofit organization which officially announced a new ministry home in McHenry County in October 2016 to help victims of human trafficking.

Welcome, Juli!

Q) You are one busy lady and also a runner. Where do you manage to find the time and energy?

A) Time is probably my most valuable resource right now. I wish I had more of it!!  There are so many important and valuable relationships, experiences, goals, and tasks that I need to attend to every day, so I work intentionally at prioritizing- but sometimes what I want to do and what I need to do clash and I can’t attend to everything.  I try very hard to find balance so that every day includes a little bit of self-care in the midst of all the “shoulds.”

Q) Besides running, what else do you do for fun?

A) I love travel, camping, reading, cooking, entertaining, and spending time with family and friends.

Q) Why did you become a counselor?

A) I’m not sure if there is a short answer to that- there are so many different layers to what led me into this profession.  I knew from an early age - probably 13 or 14 - that I wanted to be a social worker.  My natural gifting includes mercy, empathy and wisdom.  I also have a passion to be with people who are hurting and have learned over the years that staying present with someone in the midst of their pain, and then helping them walk through it with patience, acceptance and strength, is very holy and important work.  I love what I do and find it deeply satisfying.  

Q) How did you decide to branch out into your own practice/business?

A) Having my own practice was a goal I always had, so it was a natural progression towards that end.

Juli Chaffee

Q) Who influenced you the most throughout your life?

A) Honestly, there isn’t one person that I can point to who carries more influential weight than another.  My life has been shaped, in joy and pain, by many people and experiences.  If I had to narrow it down though, I think my kids have most influenced me.  For me, being a mom was life changing. It was the most important decision of my life to create a person (yes, of course my husband helped) and then to RAISE them!  Holy cow, what a scary privilege and honor. I worked very hard at “learning” who my kids were, what they needed, and how to best care for each of them uniquely in each stage of growth or sometimes in each hour of the day.  They helped me learn how to be kind when I was tired and grumpy, patient when there was “just one more story", grace-filled when I didn’t “do it perfectly,” joyful in the messy, to laugh every day and, most importantly, how to trust in myself rather than the opinion of others. 

Q) In what types of volunteer activities are you involved?

A) Unfortunately, I have had to limit my commitments due to the previously mentioned busy life:-) One area I am committed to is my position on the board of Refuge for Women. I am in love with this organization: what they stand for, their model for healing and restoration, and the integrity that is woven into all aspects of the program.

Q) How did you end up as a board member for Refuge for Women, an organization dedicated to helping human trafficking victims move forward?

A) I attended their fundraiser last spring and through a series of conversations with different people at the event, my name was given to Karen Schultz, the Chicago Director of Refuge.   We met for coffee to talk about the ministry, the needs of the board and what I might be able to contribute.  After a couple conversations, some prayer and “interviews” by other board members, I was asked to join!

Thanks for checking in on the Extraordinary Ordinary blog, where ordinary folks with extraordinary journeys share their adventures! If you’d like more information on how to help the efforts to rescue human trafficking victims, here are a few links:

http://www.refugeforwomen.org/

Refuge for Women on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RFWChicago/

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888

Free online course on how to help from Moody Bible Institute:

https://www.coursesites.com/webapps/Bb-sites-course-creation-BBLEARN/courseHomepage.htmlx?course_id=_274599_1

Extraordinary Skill

by TLC Nielsen 

January 31, 2016 Extraordinary Ordinary Blog

www.lookandbe.blogspot.com

I met a wonderful tech person awhile back, Mrunal Gokhale. Her natural skill with technology led her to teach children how to program Bee robots at schools and libraries. She also works with students on circuitry and Lego robotics. She’s been in the United States for about 15 years and her journey is fascinating.

Welcome Mrunal!

Q) When and where did you get your start with tinkering?

A) I guess from the early years of my school life. I was lucky that the school I went to was very much focused on Science and hands-on experiments, and also the credit goes to my supportive and encouraging parents. As a child, I remember opening up a broken wall clock and an old radio with my mother just to see how it looks from inside! Somehow while growing up, I always loved to open up things to see how they look from inside.

Q) So much has changed since I was a child and you’re a bit younger. How much technology did you have available to you as a child?

A) There was very little high tech, cool technology available to me while I was growing up, mainly because it was way too expensive.  I did read a lot. Books have always been integral part of my life.

Q) How did technology influence your education?

A) Since the middle school years the subjects of physics, chemistry and biology labs were my introduction to the technology. In these labs I learned to use different tools to conduct experiments and understand the subject. Then the high school years introduced me to the world of computers. In those days in India, computer programming was a new sensation.  

Q) Your journey to Illinois has always intrigued me. How did you end up here of all places?

A) Destiny is the reason I landed up here I guess. I have been here for the past 15 years yet I never ever dreamed of leaving India for such an extended period of time! A job with Motorola is the reason I came here in the first place.

Q) Did you and your family ever consider another country or state?

A) We all love to travel and explore different cultures and lifestyles so travel plans have always been made, but we never considered staying in those places forever. I think I would love to go back to India after we retire and live in the part of the country where I grew up.

Q) Is your spouse as technologically proficient as you?

A) Oh yes, he is lot more proficient compared to me. His profession keeps him up to date with the newest technology. He belongs to a family of engineers, everyone in the past three generations of his family have been engineers.

Q) How did the two of you meet?

A) Wow, this question is taking me down memory lane. I graduated with a degree in computer science and joined an IT firm in India. On one beautiful, sunny day, we happened to meet at a common friend’s house for the first time and then kept meeting frequently.  We both were working in the field of computer programming. As we became good friends, I felt that not only our profession but our interests, family background and values were so much similar. Soon I realized this feeling was mutual. After couple of years, we both thought that we were ready to hold hands and spend the rest of our lives together!

Q) Looking ahead, what do you predict for your children’s tech lives when they reach your age?

A) Our generation is so much into smartphones and other gadgets nowadays that the newborn gets to know his or her parents and technology at the same time. We parents are literally inseparable from our smartphones.

I predict that when my children reach my age, they will prefer to communicate with and through technology rather than making eye contact or having face-to-face interactions. The next generation’s learning experience will be very much technology driven from the early toddler years. Even today, the schools are taking “hybrid” approaches where more than half of the learning is done online and the rest using paper and pencil, which is so different from education even six years ago. I am very sure the Internet will be an integral part of life for that generation. Life will sure be different.

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Thanks for visiting the Extraordinary Ordinary blog here at lookandbe.blogspot.com, where ordinary folks with extraordinary stories are highlighted. If you or someone you know has a story they’d like to share, please contact TLC at soulfixer (at) yahoo (dot) com and put” lookandbe” in the subject line.