Daily Addictions

So yesterday I forgot my coffee.  Actually I did it on purpose.  I woke up feeling perky and ready to meet the day and quickly thought, “Why bother with making coffee today?  You’re ready to go!”  And go, I went.  Out the door and empty handed, I headed off to class.  Upon arriving and finding my seat, I settled in and prepared to learn. 

The 8am lecture came and went, and I found myself struggling to pay attention along with a case of the yawns.  As the 9am lecture started, I was already promising myself a trip to Starbucks during my next break.  That lecturer may as well have been the sandman himself with the effort it required me to stay awake during that hour.  I doubt I heard anything he said. 

Other classmates had their coffee close by.  I know because I would occasionally catch a whiff of that unique aroma, and briefly I would feel a jolt of energy.  I almost felt like I was cheating with their coffee.  I know—how silly!  However, once again I remembered why I promised myself a month ago that I would make coffee everyday and drag it to school with me.  It was for this struggling I needed to stave off.  I realized once again that my brain has become dependent on coffee.  Then it really hit me…

What if I was addicted to spending time with Jesus the way I am addicted to coffee?  What if I came to terms with the fact that He really is my life elixir and that without Him I can do and accomplish absolutely nothing without Him and His presence in my life?  What a changed woman I would be!  So much would be better.  I would probably be a better student and definitely a better wife.  I probably would even be a better driver!  (Road rage flares in my life occasionally.)  I could offer encouragement and love to those around me because it would be brimming over in my own life.

So what’s the hold up?  All of this sounds so amazing.  Why haven’t I already embraced time with Jesus?  Why don’t I already have this joy and love in my life?  There are so many answers to this question, but each one is not good enough to even be called an answer.  They are all excuses, and they all lead back to ME.  The only thing standing between a life-giving relationship with the Lord and me is actually ME!

How can I change this?  Maybe I just need to make the same promise to Him about our relationship that I made about coffee.  I promised myself to bring coffee to school with me every time I come; my attention and learning have become dependent on it.  Now I need to fully realize that the Lord is my wellspring, and it is from Him that my life flows.  If my very life depends on a daily meeting with Him, I can certainly do that.  Maybe we can even have a cup of coffee.  J

Delightful Creativity

Yesterday I made my first post.  It was a quick, short one, but I just had to post it because of an epiphany I had.  I had stayed up late Monday night creating some things, specifically the coffee cozies I posted about yesterday.  It took me a few tries before I could get the hang of making them, as it always does when I make something new.  

Then yesterday when I gave two of them to a friend, I realized how delighted I was to share with her what I had made.  Instantly I thought of our Father in heaven.  I know how excited I get when making something new.  I take my time in the creating process, and each piece gets just as much attention as the last.  I do not finish until the work is complete--how like our God!  

Our Father so patiently puts us together piece by piece.  Psalm 139:13 (shown below) tells about how he knit us in our mother's womb.  Our personality, our gifts, and talents are chosen by Him piece by piece in order to build us into the ultimate masterpiece.  Because He builds us with His own hands, we can only find our perfection in Him and His son Jesus Christ.  Just like the creations I make, His creations are never the same.  Each one is different and unique, so much so that He knows each of us by name.  Each of us is born with a purpose He placed with in us.  We are not made to be empty.  God Himself finds glory in each one of us.

So it is now no surprise to me why He loves us so much.  I love the things I make, getting excited about the completion of each one.  If I can get so excited about some cotton fabric and thread, how much more is the Lord delighted in the works of His great hands that He builds with flesh and bone. 

Below are some scriptures containing the word "create."  When I did the search with YouVersion.com I found 52 verses that contain the word "create," and I listed some of the ones that stood out to me.

"...everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

Isaiah 43:7

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Genesis 1:27

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

Psalm 139:13

"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."

Colossians 1:16

"For this is what the lord says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: "I am the lord, and there is no other."

Isaiah 45:18

Cozy up your coffee!

I found a tutorial online (free as always!) about how to make your own Coffee Cozy.  These are cute and kept in your bag for when you need coffee on-the-go.  I made the top two for a friend's birthday.  Quite green, don't you think?

Loving Today

Creativity is disgustingly addictive! How I would love to spend my days dreaming dreams of creations and building them piece by piece with my own hands.  No wonder God loves us so much!