Love Is...

Love is putting others ahead of yourself...

Serving when no one may notice or care...

Loving others when they are unlovely, giving with no thought of what will be returned.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philipians 2:3)

Just a little furthur...

How much does it take to make someone's day?
How much does it take to take an awkward moment and turn it into a moment of joy?

I had God hand me a little lesson a couple of days ago.
I was serving a customer who told me that she wanted two mocachinos. So I asked her if she was looking for a hot or a cold drink (as this is not something on our menu). She looked a good deal miffed. I then proceeded to finish putting her through the till and giving her her cookie. I decided that I should push a little out of my comfort zone and go further and explain why I had ask for clarification and how I just wanted to make sure I was giving her what she really wanted. This led to an immediate smile. Wow, that was not very hard and made a world of difference!

Later, as I was doing what we call a slide of the cafe (collecting dishes, straightening up) I saw her and asked her if they had enjoyed their mochas. She raved about how good they and her cookie were.

Amazing.

So I was thinking and praying about this later. Okay God. I'm getting your message. How often do I miss opportunities to reach others around me because I am comfortable in my little bubble. How often are there people around me who need a little something, or a big something, and I simply pass them by-because it is easier.
May I truly, but His grace live by this verse:
Ephesians 5:2
and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Barista Bonding and Comfort zones

So, this week I've been fighting off a killer cold.
So , I've been loading up on various cold medicines, trying to get better and trying not to gross my customers out. I mean I know that I'm being ultra careful (yea, I sure didn't cough, wipe my hand under my nose and then hand me money for a latte...not that any one's every done that to me!), but you may not realize that and keeping our customers is highly encouraged ;).

Let me just say that I work with some incredible Baristas. I don't know if I've ever worked somewhere where everyone has each others back, and honestly does, as in, they are not just waiting for you to leave so that they can talk about you.
I had such an amazingly off day the other day, and not only did they have me covered as I was at the bar, but one supervisor just went above and beyond, telling my manager that I was doing fine and how we all have off days and so on. I still almost don't know how to handle that (in a good way!)

Then the afternoon just got brighter:
We had some Barista bonding with a bit of an espresso shot competition-two of us did 8, I think the other "only" 6.

I think we might have scared a few people off...our regulars found it hilarious.
Let's say it motivated some cleaning on one of our parts (not mine this time :) ).
Good times.

One of our core values is to be welcoming.
Let me say that I've been pushed out of my comfort zone already at this job, but I really pushed myself yesterday to start more and more conversations with my customers.

The amazing God thing was that I was planning a devotional for my teen girls that I lead about loving others by seeing the needs around us (not just always focusing on our two best friends) and comfort zones, and I asked God to help me to learn this and to lead by example.

And then yesterday happened and it was awkward at first. Some people don't really want to talk.
And it's just hard for me to do that. But I found the responses incredible. People would stop and look at me like "are you talking to me?" Then they would get into the conversation. Smile. Laugh sometimes.

I had a conversation with a customer who was buying a pound of Verona. Verona is one of my favorite roasts and I told him that. He said he thought all of them were supposed to be our favorite. So, I kept talking about it and how I had tried it at home as espresso and it was amazing.
When he walked away he laughed and told me to never loose my personality.

I was just really struck by what a difference these conversations were making.
And come to think of it, were making in me as well.

We live in such a sterile society. Don't talk to me. I'll check myself out at wal-mart thank you. Just give me my product and let me go home and sit in front of my computer and television. Deliver everything to me.

But we really do crave that interaction. We NEED it.

I've just been amazed on more than one occasion at how God has used this job to bring the real me out.

Those of you who know me know this has been an ongoing thing in my life.

But, recently, God has really been convicting me ( for me personally) that it's a matter of pride to not reach out to others around me.
I say I'm shy. Maybe so (although not as much as I used to be).
But, where does that come from? I'm afraid to show who I am because what if others laugh at the real me? What if they don't like what they see and they wound me?

And? Really what difference does that make?
Does it change my value? Does it change how God sees me?
If they do not like what God created, is there something wrong with ME?

Not in the least.

I also find it very eye opening to realize in a new way that God has placed me there for a reason, and that His work is in all things. I can serve Him and others while I serve coffee.

(Oh I love that He created coffee!)

I still need a lot of work in this area, but I find this of great comfort:
Philippians 1:6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Coffee and other ramblings

So yes, I am going to attempt to be a bit more consistent at using this blog. Of course, anything is better than how I've used it thus far :). I used to blog about my life all the time. Lately it's just been for my jewelery blog, and I keep thinking of things God is teaching me that I should share and little tid bits.

This morning however is going to be about coffee. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am now willing to agree with my husband that I am indeed a coffee snob, but I am trying to come up with a better term for it. I tell him that I have just learned to enjoy the better things in life, and somehow just end up coming across as a hilarious comic routine which leaves him hooting. Oh well.

But, this is what happens when you work for a local coffee house, begin to like better coffee, then start working for a company that sells the top selling coffee in North America. Being educated in coffee (which included tastings, called cupping, more on that later), how it's made, how to describe it, how where it's grown affects it's taste...it all adds up. Or at least this is what I keep telling myself. In all honesty I am very thankful to God for giving me a job that I so thoroughly enjoy and that I can be passionate about.

Soon after being hired at this job, I discovered the beauty of the French Press. (again, another blog ;) )

Of course said dear man added fuel to the fire by giving me my own espresso maker for Christmas. I have been having a ball with it! I am still floored over it to tell you the truth.

Which leads me to my wonderful brew of choice this morning: Verona.
But, not only Verona, but Verona as an espresso shot.
In a nut shell Verona is more of a Cocoa tinted, sweeter brew while espresso is a little more bitter with caramel notes.
But, I am in high heaven this morning with my Americano misto. (Americano=espresso shots +hot water. Misto=also some foamy milk)
And if you do not speak coffee, I sincerely apologize and will be posting more blogs about such things in the future.

What can you do?

I know we have all been hearing about the devestation in Haiti since Tuesday.

It's easy to feel as if we have nothing to offer, or what little we do have can do little to aid such an enormous need.

But, God has called us to help the poor and needy:

Luke 12:33-34
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are told that in doing so we are shown as His children and are really doing it for Him:

Matthew 25: 31-40
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' ;

Fo Here in North America we have so much disposable income-even those of us on a tight budget!

Maybe it means giving up our entertainment for the week or month (movies, eating out, new music);

Maybe it means not buying that new pair of jeans or shoes;

Maybe it means not going out for that coffee every day, but we can all do something.

I challenge you to find a way to bless those who are in sever need. Share His Love with hurting.

The Desires of your heart

(yes, I know, I've been pitiful in the upkeep or even true starting of this blog. I need to keep better priorities. I USED to blog all the time (*rip xanga*).)

Andrew and I had an amazing conversation the other night that has caused me to further think on a certain subject: God giving us the desires of our heart.
We all know the verse: Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
And likewise we've all been told, and maybe even half believed that when we truly delight in the Lord He will replace our desires with His and we will be truly content with that.
But, do we truly, deep down believe that loosing our desires will be a joyful thing or that He really will replace them? In a tiny corner I think that all of us REALLY just want Him to give us what we ask for , how we ask for it, and right away. We really are hoping, at least in a secret place that this verse really doesn't mean that we will have to change at all and that God really wants for us what we already want.

What triggered our conversation was the ending of our church's summer conference. It was just a time of refreshment and deep fellowship.
We (my husband and I) went out for something to eat and were talking about how completely we felt accepted, how overwhelming blessed we felt to be a part of that fellowship and how amazing it was that God had placed us there.

We talked of a plan that we had a couple of years ago. A plan that we, at the time, were so sure of. A plan that fell to pieces in our feeble hands and was a bit devastating.

But God is so much bigger than our tiny little plans.

Andrew repeated something he's said to me many times: how every time God has told him no, He has in His time given him (and now us) something so much better.

THAT is what this verse is about! It is one thing to "know" that and quite another to have God tangibly hand us this lesson.

There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that we are in the centre of His will and that He has given us something better. We belong here because He has placed us here.
Has it been easy to come here instead of Him handing us what we asked for then? Not in the least.
Has it been worth all the pain and heartache?
Absolutely!
Ephesians 1:11,12
"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory."

One Year

A year ago...
I was lying in a hospital bed, not allowed to leave it unless it was to use the washroom.
My health coverage was not in effect yet, and I needed to be flown to Toronto for surgery.

I was always the healthy one, so, when my leg started to hurt, we didn't think much of it.
I thought I was getting my mom's bad legs, that I had cramps. So I started to do things with that in mind...but it got worse.
Then, I thought maybe it was a muscle thing and started to treat it that way.
It was getting to the point where I couldn't stand in one place, had to put it up all the time.
The only thing that seemed to relieve it was hot water. It felt more and more like someone had taken my leg and twisted and twisted it.

Then I had a morning when I ran up and down two sets of stairs and promptly passed out.
After that happened my breathing was not the same. I'd loose my breath very easily. If I went up a flight of stairs it sounded like I had just run a marathon...

My mother in law finally made me go to the Doctor, and withing about five minutes, he knew exactly what was wrong-I had a DVT and a Pulmonary embolism.
In other words, I had a blood clot in the centre of my leg and some of it had taken a little trip to my lungs.
I was rushed to the Emergency Room, where I was sent right in due to the nature of what was wrong to me.
I had never had to be in the hospital for anything, so it was all a bit overwhelming, as I was instantly surrounded by numerous people who were putting IVs in me, checking my heart and everything else that could be checked.
It seemed to take forever for my husband to get there, who had gone to pick up some necessary items for my comfort.
To top things off nicely, they discovered at the same time that I had severe anemia. Which also means that they had an awful time getting IVs in my already wimpy veins.

That first night in the ER I did not sleep at all. They had to keep the curtain open and watch me all night, and the ER is not exactly a quiet place regardless of the time.

Right from the start I had a myriad of people praying for me, across Canada and the United States, and I felt it.

Like I said, at this point in time, I did not have medical coverage. Which means we were acuring quite a nice little bill. Not as big as if I lived in the US, but not free either.

Well, it turned out the blood clot in my leg was about twelve inches long. I also had clots in all the parts of my lungs, as well as one which had enlarged a part of my heart. They were worried that more of the clot would travel up to my lungs or heart and because of this I needed a surgery in which they would place a tiny filter under my lungs and heart. The problem was they could not perform this surgery here, and I needed to be flown by air ambulance to Toronto.
Well, the problem was that they would not do this unless I had coverage.
Technically I was not supposed to receive coverage until mid march.

So, my husband was doing whatever he could to get me my coverage. He went back and forth between the offices of those who could help...and he was about to be thrown out of the OHIP office (health care)...when he broke down, knowing how badly I needed this. All of a sudden he was in a back office, being asked how bad I was and how badly I needed this surgery. A call was made to the office of the Minister of heath and I was then covered, backdated to the begining of February!
This type of thing NEVER happens and is always accompanied by months of appeals!
SO many people were praying, and I know that that is what did it.
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.


I was then flown for the surgery-which was no fun, as it was done through my neck, yuck, but may have saved my life.

It was a scary time, but I knew that God was Soverign and in control.
Psalm 139 was of great comfort to me:
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

In the midst of my fears of going asleep one night for fear that I would never wake up again, God gently reminded me that He would not allow that to happen if He had more for me to do.
He reminded me of something Andrew Jackson said one time when questioned about how calm he was on the battlefield. He told them that God had already decided when he would die, so he was just as safe on the battlefield as at home in bed.
I knew that this was true!

Now here I am, clot free, off my blood thinner, working...and praising Him!
I was thinking last night, as I ate some pizza that it was much better than what I was eating a year ago-hospital food.

Sale in my etsy shop

So, after contemplating what type of sale I want to run for Christmas, I have decided to offer free shipping on EVERYTHING!
What a deal!!
Give a unique gift this Christmas! :)
Here are a few of the choices currently up in my shop:
A Moonlit Garden Walk
Green Hues Beadwoven Earrings
The Night Before Christmas


A Midsummer Night's Dream

God's Grace takes many forms

The other day I was really frustrated. There had been more than one thing go "wrong" that day, and I was pretty grumpy.
I had to be reminded of what was truly important:

It's amazing to see God's grace continued in our lives and in our marriage. He's just been doing a lot in us lately. It's amazing to think that our love can continue to grow more and more with time.

I was thinking earlier about how much better we are doing, but how our circumstances have not changed. God is in the process of doing something He knows is better: He is changing us.

We have an abundance of apples this year, and I was wanting to try something else with them besides crisp -as much as we love it. Mum suggested a recipe she had for an apple cake.
It's in a notebook that The Husband's grandma had put together.

It looks really yummy, I can't wait to try it :).

Great First Day

Today was my first day at the new job at "The Coffee House".
I am really going to love working there! I am so thankful to the Lord for providing me with a job I will really enjoy :)!

I spent the rest of the afternoon helping out upstairs in the kitchen as The Brother In Law is visiting and Mum wasn't feeling up to doing much cooking.
One of the things I helped with was "cabbage rolls". We made them with grape leafs instead of cabbage, a bit like a Greek recipe. Mom also told me how to make them with cabbage for future reference.
And yes, I'm "one of those people." Yes, I love candy corn...it's a like The Husband and I do not share, which is fine with me!