Coffee CubBuster

"Give me neither poverty, nor riches, but only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and forget you, or not enough and steal, disgracing you" Proverbs 30:9-10. Looking back at the old posts on this blog, it feels like a I have a bit of the  Groundhog's Day  film happening in my life. Every other year we have welcomed a baby into our family and every year we've had major bills to pay because of those babies. Lots of people avoid life's hardest and greatest joy of parenting, counting it a financial burden rather than a blessing. But in the same way that God may keep us from success to shield us from our own boastful downfall, He may also withhold security, developing a deeper faith in His provisions. It takes great discipline to see the constant barrage of unplanned annoyances as purposeful protectors. Whether financial, physical, or emotional, every disruption has purposed derivation. What should have taken no more than five hours in the car, took us sev

We are taught as children never to quit. One little blue steam engine even reminds boys and girls that if they "think they can" long enough, they can finish the tough stuff in life. I see the value of teaching follow through as it relates to commitments and task completion, especially nowadays; there is a lesson in integrity, loyalty and hard work that's an invaluable for character building. Yet when you become an adult, you must learn the other side of the coin. Too often we justify not quitting as adults for commitment sake when we are actually jeopardizing relationships for our own selfish sake. We can't give up the things we enjoy for fear of losing our most precious gifts, and because they are gifts, relinquishing them isn't even encouraged by those around us. As with all gifts though, when we cling to them too tightly, we end up destroying them. We can't depart from our fitness regimen, so we fit it into an already packed, stressful schedule, injuring o

Fathers do not always get the reassurance they deserve. Because mothers bear their children, and thus stake hold on bearing their problems, culture neglects to see that our fathers are silently bearing the weight of the world for their whole family. Unfortunately, we have almost forced our men into early retirement with the "super mom" multi-tasking, Proverbs 31 woman walking around as if she is more capable of bearing fruit than her counter part. Poking fun at Dad's delight in sports and the coveted remote only fuels the fire for dressing down the heads of our clans. "Mama bears" might have a knack for nourishment and protecting their cubs, but think for a moment with me of the juggling acts that Papa bears perform on a daily basis. Mothers are expert hat changers (nurse, maid, chauffeur, coach, therapist, teacher, etc.), but dad's are expected to know the silent thoughts, wishes, and expectations under those hats, while immediately exchanging their money

My prayer is that my words would encourage someone, somewhere, to keep going when things seem hopeless. When answers are not given, when God seems to say yes, but not your way. When exhaustion gets the better the of you. Isn't encouragement one of the great purposes of social media? We used to write letters to soldiers to encourage them to keep fighting and come home. We dialed our rotary phones to call an ailing old friend. We text to let someone know we care. We "heart" a post to show someone we see them and love them. Letters are included throughout the Bible because churches, people, and fellow believers needed to be encouraged to keep fighting the good fight to love and encourage the rest of the world as Jesus had for them. When I needed encouragement this week God showed up in this fellow mama's words in  God Knows what you Don't Have . She happens to have a child with special needs, and has gone some five years with sleep disruption. Thank you Jesus for