Grace and Good Coffee

Finding grace and good coffee to survive every day.

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gratitude

gratitude

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I like to start my blogs the same way I would if I were picking up a conversation with an old friend. “It’s me again! Let me tell you about today…” But in reality, sometimes it’s been a while in between conversations, and if you’re not really good friends, it might seem a little awkward. Nevertheless, I have a hankering to talk about something today, so cheers to the awkwardness ensuing.

Photo credit: Emily Hunsaker

It’s officially October, so we’re quickly approaching the season of gratitude. You know, the couple of months out of the year when we’re forced to think about all the things we’re supposed to be thankful for, even though we’re still annoyed with everyday life.

It feels something like this:
I’m still working all the time.
I’m still just as exhausted as ever.
I’m still overweight.
I’m still stressed out.
I’m still not “living my best life” … *insert eye-roll here*

You know what? You don’t have to fall into that trap. “Living your best life” does not mean you’re expected to live out someone else’s highlight reel. Forget that staged mess! Life is dirty and stressful and downright MEAN sometimes.

Living your best life might just mean being thankful for the 3 things that didn’t hit the fan today, and dragging your butt out of bed on purpose tomorrow to do it all over again, because there are people who need you to do that.

And honey, that kind of gratitude these days is my kind of gratitude.

We all know the reality is that most of us are able to get ourselves wherever we need to go, feed ourselves when we’re hungry, work to pay our bills, and even jump into a whole heap of trouble every day if we feel like it — and I usually do. Sigh.

When I can actually pause to think about the word “gratitude” on purpose, I quickly realize that I have a LOT to be thankful for. I may not be a spring chicken anymore, but I can still do most of the things that I’ve always been able to do. And thank goodness for that, because I have a toddler who likes to keep me on my toes!

But on most days when I don’t have time to sit and think about it, I’ll just keep whispering, “Thank you Jesus for my coffee. Amen.“

What can you be grateful for today?

Blessings,
Emily

joy in waiting

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For the past few weekends, I have taken joy in waiting for my morning coffee.

I add the aromatic scoops of goodness to my french press, boil some water, stir it all together with a wooden spoon, and set my timer for 10 minutes of waiting – anticipating the best coffee I’ve had all week. It has quickly become a treasured tradition in my Saturday and Sunday morning routine.

In the background, my daughter is playing and running around our living room with joyful abandon, oftentimes needing Mama’s attention or help… and although I’m not quite “awake” yet, I still wait with joy, knowing the promise of what is to come. After just a few minutes of brewing, the rich smell wafts into the room where we’re playing together, and it brings a smile to my face.

In a world overrun by impatience and the longing for instant gratification, my french press reminds me that the best things in life can’t be rushed. We must wait for many things, and it’s not always as easy as Saturday morning coffee.

We work hard, we stress, we need some things to be easy, and we struggle when they aren’t. Waiting for the fasting window to end, waiting to lose weight, waiting in traffic when we’re already late, waiting for someone to text us back, waiting for test results, waiting for a paycheck when we’ve got bills to pay, etc. It’s not hard to see why “waiting” has a bad rep. Sometimes we find ourselves waiting for really big things like love, children, forgiveness, reconciliation, or healing.

Unfortunately, waiting is rarely joyful.

But what if we could lean on God’s promises in the waiting? What if we thought of Him as the ultimate barista in charge of the french press that’s brewing our coffee, trusting Him to know when it’s ready? If we could do that, could we take JOY in the waiting?

We live in a world full of uncertainties and naysayers who try to suck the joy out of our lives, but here’s what they don’t want you to know: we don’t have to subscribe to the negativity.

We can CHOOSE JOY – even in the waiting.

The feeling you get when you hug a close friend. The sound of the birds singing in the morning. Someone holding a door for a stranger. The stories you hear of hope and healing. The comfort you find in talking with a fellow believer about His promises. The Truth in His Word. Think on these things; look for and focus on the joy that’s all around us.

No matter where you are in your journey right now, you can choose to take joy in the waiting.

Take comfort in His Word, and carry it with you like a light unto your path:

Matthew 5: 1-16, from The Message (MSG) Bible

You’re Blessed:
1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5 “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Salt and Light:
13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Blessings,
Emily