Coffee CubBuster

All colors visible in shining light give the appearance of clear, white light. Think about a prism. The rainbow actually creates bright white light. All colors visible in paint give the appearance of a thick black color. Picture a paint pallet. The rainbow actually creates a brown-black blob. I was once told that Christians view things too "black and white." Your either in or out. Heaven or hell. Right or wrong. I've watched people view the world as beautiful, hopeful, and unchanging, believing God can make all things new and completely change ugliness to artwork. Then I've seen those same people start to view the world in such a dim light. Everything seems bleak and hopeless. Satan can use many lies to completely change a mindset. What once appeared bright white, turns dark black. Do the vantage points change over night? Not usually. It's a slow, steady process of numbing, much like fresh fruit  or bread turning sour or stale. That said, what are we doin...

Iron  is an enigma – it rusts easily, yet it is the most important of all metals. 90% of all metal that is refined today is  iron  ( www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/26/iron).  Refinement of metal seems purposeful;  if a knife isn't sharp enough it can actually be more dangerous than a perfectly sharp knife. My kitchen utensils are proof of this enigma.  Sharpening knives keeps them useful.  So it is with a human being. Without the refinement, or straining process, we become useless .  If we seek to live a life with as little change, disturbance,  or strain as possible, we will inevitably render ourselves useless.  We can actually become more dangerous in our lives and our relationships without subtle or major changes. Yet, so often we are seeking peace, comfort, and a waveless life.  When will the weekend arrive; when is the next vacation; when will the kids grow up; when will retirement start?  Because so ma...

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,   I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’   Matthew 25:42-45 Sometimes we know something to be true, but its truth doesn't settle into us as a reality until an epiphany or revelation occurs. In my instance, the epiphany spoke from the Holy Spirit directly to my heart during a time of sincere, self-centered frustration.  I've always known the importance of taking care of the hurt, helpless, homeless, and hungry, but for some reason, I never pictured my children as those people. The ins and outs of motherh...

I've never taken down Christmas decorations before New Year's Eve, until now. The past two weeks has not been easy with one or all five of our family members dealing with multiple, intermingling sickness symptoms. While Levi hasn't had too much trouble with daily germs the past couple of years, we ended up going to the emergency room twice in a week for both G-tube issues and dehydration.  Thus, I was more than ready to put the holidays behind me, declutter, and disinfect. The boys were able to enjoy sweet moments at different points, but this mama has been running on fumes for fourteen days. Levi's weak condition once again forced me to step outside myself and view the world from a different perspective. Sitting at your local ER on Christmas night opens up new light to the sadness that many experience during a season of "perpetual joy." This life is not our own. No matter how much stock we place on a given event, a circumstance or a feeling, we are all subje...

Did you know that water is one of the hardest beverages to swallow? Because of the speed at which it slides, water has always been undesired in Levi's world. Lately, he's had a much easier time managing water, so he's requesting it more. My simple heart rejoices at every request. His small milestones are still not lost on me almost three years after his birth. Did you know that 65 percent of the population is considered a "visual learner," according to a Pearson Education study? That means many of you will only look at the pictures I put on this blog, rather than actually reading the content. Did you know that regardless of modern medicine and science innovations, you have zero control over your ability to conceive a child? Regardless of what doctors tell you, God is really the only one that can make and take life. Did you know I was told it would be very difficult to get pregnant when I was just twenty years-old?! Did you know for that reason, my husband an...

I've been fortunate enough to have never lost a grandparent that I was old enough to remember until this past week. My sweet Jaja was 80 years old and battling the awful Alzheimer's when she suddenly took a turn for the worse. Thankfully she no longer has to live in a body that she wasn't designed to endure. The "afterlife" isn't a conversation many people enjoy discussing especially at Christmastime, (even though Christmas is all about Jesus coming into the world in order to die), but I think most of us agree, we want to feel that those we love are at peace during and after they pass regardless of the time of year. But I can't help but point out that just as we are not in control of when and how the body is formed in a mother's womb, we are not in control of when and how we leave this world. Sure, we try to take that control away with modern conveniences, but in the end, we do not get to have it all our own way. This leads me to believe...