Coffee Cup - January 27, 2018

This am I reached for my favorite coffee cup. I never really drank coffee everyday until I went to Niger and Ben Sustar introduced me to REAL coffee. I've been drinking coffee every day since then. So why was this my favorite cup? Was it then size, or shape? No it was the thought behind it. I had watched my best friend's kids for her and she brought me back this cup. She thought of me, and appreciated me. I was going through an incredible hard time in my life and I needed that small selfless act of love. I don't think she knew I absolutely love everything Irish (since I'm 24% irish). It was a simple gift and it meant a lot to me. This cup has traveled the world with me. Because it reminded me of how I overcame that hard time in my life and how I have good friends I can count on. That is rare too....so this am I got it out and thought man I love this cup, I should post something metaphoric about it. I walked across my room to my Keurig(yes it is in my room, I have 4 kids remember) and dropped it onto the floor....it smashed just enough I can't repair it. Then I thought how ironic and then I really got a metaphor.

How many times are we holding onto our favorite things and missing out on the better things? How many times are we looking back at our past , or looking to the future and missing the present? I have learned God sends us certain people to help us along our way to help lead us to where He would have us to be. Other people help pull us away from where God would have us to be also. Some people uplift and some people tear down. Who are you ?

Are you constantly looking back at your “old” life that was full of hurt and pain? If you are doing this, you are missing the present. The present where you were delivered from the life of pain and hurt and are blessed to be out of that destructive past. Or if you are like me and you have lost someone special, then remember the good times but thank God that their pain on this earth is over and if they were saved they are now worshipping at Jesus' feet. Their suffering is over and they are free from the burdens of this world.

I think of life as a big puzzle. Each trial is a piece of the puzzle. Each puzzle piece creates a different dynamic to the final result. So many times in life we get stuck in a hard place and never go on to the next “piece” of the big picture and sometimes we do go forward but end up going back to that same place and never reaching our full potential.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

God has a plan and purpose for everyone. Each one of us was blessed with special talents and gifts that further enables the kingdom of God. If everyone was singer, who would preach? If everyone preached, who would pray for the hurting and sick? Each one of us has a special calling. What is yours? Don't be complaisant in your life. Keep pushing. Ask God what would you have me to do? Today is a new day! Don't go back to the sins of yesterday, push towards the peace and mercy of today. You are a new creature in Christ. Live like it. Don't fake it. BE IT! One addiction isn't worth losing Jesus forever. Let go of the old things and reach for Jesus' hand and go forward to the new.

One little coffee cup broke and now all of you get a lesson…..so today I choose to say I’m thankful for the memories and the past but I choose to look at my present and say guess what. I am happy, happy, happy because God brought me through hard times for that and many more reasons I am blessed.

Phillipians 3:8-21

Indeed, I count whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Matthew 9:15-38 KJV

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. [16] No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

[17] Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

[18] While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

[19] And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.

[20] And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him , and touched the hem of his garment:

[21] For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

[22] But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

[23] And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, \

[24] He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

[25] But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

[26] And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

[27] And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

[28] And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

[29] Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

[30] And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it .

[31] But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

[32] As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

[33] And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

[34] But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

[35] And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

[36] But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

[37] Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

[38] Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.