Coffee Talk

April 15, 2017

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. 

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'. 

Every morning, I either wake up to a toddler holding my face and telling me he's thirsty or an 11 month old yelling from the nursery - don't worry, they're cute. So, it's totally worth it.  As I attempt to get my eyes open and become coherent, I drag myself out of bed to get the toddler (and myself, who am I kidding?) to the potty. We go greet the little one, change diapers, get dressed for the day, and go downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. After grabbing juice, milk, yogurt, Puffs, and feeding the cat, I finally get to start a pot of coffee - the life juice that keeps me going.

When I started to think about what to give up for Lent this year, coffee wasn't even on my radar. I've tried giving up food/drink before, and I failed miserably. I was trying to think of something that would bring me closer to the Lord. Something that would remind me to reach for Him - not something that might trim a couple of inches off my waistline or be an afterthought. I thought about this for days, never once consulting God.

On a random day in February, I was headed home from errands and had just gone through Starbucks for a venti iced latte. Both kids were snoozing in the back of the van, so it was actually quiet. I started to think about Lent again.  This time I actually decided to talk to God about it. What can I do, Lord? With a sip of my latte, He answered me. Coffee.

It's the first thing I do for myself in the mornings. When I'm tired or stressed, it's the first thing I reach for throughout the day. When I want to reward myself, I drive through Starbucks. I could feel the Spirit nudging as I took that sip. God wants to be what I reach for at the start of my day. God wants to be what I reach for when I'm tired and stressed. God wants to be what I reach for when I'm happy.  It was like getting hit with a ton of bricks. (I'm still in shock that He answered me. We all want God to speak to us like He did with Moses or Samuel. The fact that I got a push from the Holy Spirit has me awestruck.)

So on the first day of Lent, I was in Disney World. Every park has a Starbucks. I had even packed a custom Disney Starbucks shirt. (I'm not kidding either. #obsessed) But, I stood strong. No coffee. No espresso. I even passed up the French press coffee at Victoria & Albert's that I had been waiting for since we made the reservation last year. It was rough, but it made me lean on God. After returning home, my coffee pot looked so lonely. (As did the Chip coffee cup I bought in Disney.) When I passed it in the mornings, I was reminded to thank Jesus for resisting Satan's temptations in the desert. Every time I drove by Starbucks, I was reminded to thank Jesus for my salvation. It may sound trivial, but to me it was a revelation. Because of this one, insignificant sacrifice I made for 6 weeks, I now remember to reach for God and give thanks in all instances.

Today is Easter. The baby woke up about an hour earlier than usual, so I came down to the kitchen to make the him a bottle. My eyes were half open, and I'm pretty sure I may have missed a couple of steps on the way down from my room. As I poured the milk, I looked out our kitchen window. The most beautiful, pink sunrise was coming up over the mountain. Standing in awe of His glory, I prayed - bottle in hand - and thanked God for giving us His only son. The coffee pot was empty behind me, but the greatest sacrifice ever made was the only thing on my mind.

I don't want to grow up.

February 16, 2017

Isn't it funny how little kids always want to be grown ups and grown ups always want to be little kids? Adulting is hard, y'all. Some days, I just can't do it. I'll put on leggings, my "I Can't Adult Today" t-shirt, put on zero makeup, and resign myself to eating cookies all day. Real life...like real adult life can kick you right in the tail sometimes. Bills, appointments, work and family schedules, health issues....broccoli...are all here to make our lives just miserable.  How do we combat this misery?

Normally, I would buy the biggest latte I could find and gorge myself on chocolate chip cookies. Since getting into Bible study, I've definitely started taking a different approach. Now, I'm not gonna lie. The latte is still part of my new approach. I love lattes. However, I now reach for my Bible instead of the Chip Ahoy because God's Word tells us everything we need to know about combating misery. My friend (and awesome Bible study leader) Julia calls it life's handbook. I can think of no better comparison.

The gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) follow Jesus during His time on earth. If you don't want to read anything else in the Bible or you're not a believer, I fully encourage you to read the gospels.  As someone who has been a believer for the majority of her life, it's super embarrassing for me to say that I just started reading these books at the end of last year. Now that I'm studying them, I am blown away by what I've been missing, and I absolutely have to share how these books are getting me through life. Jesus was inspiring when He was here. He did remarkable things and spoke about the spiritual life with such zeal and confidence. Through His teachings, you can't help but love harder, show grace more often, and feel a peace that can't be found anywhere else.

In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us not to worry. We can't add a single hour to our lives through worry. (Matt 6:27). Jesus is all we need both physically and mentally (Matt 6:25-34). If we go to Him in prayer with thanksgiving and give all our worry and anxiety over to Him, He will provide for us. It may not be how you want Him to provide. Life may actually get harder before it gets better, but His plan is always in motion. He will stick with you as long as you stick with Him. Seriously, read the last part of Joshua and all of Judges. If God continues to have Israel's back after all they do, He will always be with all of us. Knowing this gives me amazing comfort. The majority of my worries have melted away since learning more about the Heavenly Father and the Son, but sometimes life breaks me down. I let my guard down, and Satan tries to break down the comforting walls God has built up around my heart and mind. He ramps up my anxiety and tries to make me forget the One who loves me and cares for me.

For example: yesterday, I cleaned up toddler vomit out of my bed, toddler poop out of my bathroom floor, and wiped up more snot than I care to mention. I started to lose it around 5 o'clock. I became anxious and could feel my heart rate increasing. I made the decision to stop and pray. I had to pray hard - real hard. I thanked God for my boys and allowing me to be their mom. I thanked God for the love and grace He covers me with even when I've allowed myself to become overwhelmed. I asked for comfort, peace, and relief. As my heart rate started to come back down, my mom walked through the door like a prince on a white horse. She took the toddler, gave me Tylenol, and let me go run errands. She was actually later than normal, but God knew when to send her. In no way am I comparing my #momlife to the trials Israel faces in Joshua and Judges. I am, however, trying to point out that there is no problem too big or too small for God. He goes before us and combats the enemy who takes all forms. We have nothing to fear.

So, when life throws you a curve ball. Pick up your Bible and read about Jesus. Pray and be thankful for this life...even if it kinda sucks at the moment. Give glory to God in everything you do, even if it's cleaning poop off your Kate Spade shower curtain. If you still want to curl up on the couch and watch Netflix after, that's ok too. God understands that we need to recharge. But, if we recharge with Him, we'll only have to binge one season of Fuller House instead of both. ;)

And if you need a laugh (and possible Netflix recommendation), go watch Hook. It'll remind you that being a grown up isn't all it's cracked up to be. Remember to love and let others love you! That's something we can all get behind!