Coffee Bar

We have a large foyer in our modest 2000 sf ranch home. Neither of our previous homes had a foyer of any kind -- the front door entered the living room -- so when we were looking for this, likely our final home, a "foyer" was on the list. We did indeed get a foyer - it might be the biggest room in the house!

And in that foyer we have a coffee bar. Really! I was just dusting it and putting away wintery mugs...and I felt blessed anew to have such a space. We love to have people over, and what better greeting than the smell of freshly brewed coffee as you walk in the door?

When we first looked at the house, the bar was...a bar. Photos of the "before," our daughter painting, and now the finished coffee bar are above. Complete with mugs, flavorings, teas, coffees, cocoas, add-ins, stir sticks and the beverage makers, it's a one stop shop. Come on over!

Precepts Training

Just home from two days at Precepts training. On Friday I took a free course entitled Biblical Prayer, and today I took the Advanced Leader Training. Life changing is the only way to describe it.

The mission of Precepts Ministries is "To Establish People in God's Word." Inductive Bible study is different in that the student does the digging. The student is encouraged to thoroughly study the Word on it's own, using context and cross references, before using any commentary. An inductive study Bible contains no commentary, no study notes. The student adds her own study notes, and also color coding.

For today's leader training, we had done three weeks of homework in advance. One week was on 1 Samuel 21-23, comparing the history to the emotion David recorded in Psalms 34, 56, 142, 52 and 54. One week was on Daniel 7, Old Testament Prophecy. And one week was on Matthew 5:1-4, the first two beatitudes. Varied homework to typify varied teaching methods.

The *best* was the insight into the Beatitudes. The meaning of blessed, poor in spirit and mourn.

Each of the words deserves it's own blog. I'll start with blessed.

The Greek word translated “blessed” is makárioi (3107), which means to be “fully satisfied.” This satisfaction is not the result of favorable circumstances in life. It comes only from being indwelt by Christ. Therefore, it would be wrong to translate makárioi “happy” because happy is connected with luck or favorable circumstances. (definition from Zodhiates, Spiros ; Baker, Warren: The Complete Word Study Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. Chattanooga : AMG Publishers, 2000, c1991, c1994)

Full satisfaction regardless of life circumstance; that is what the beatitudes are all about.

This is Christ's recipe for living the abundant life of John 10:10. It is a recipe containing the opposite of what our world wants to tell us will make us happy.

Blessed. We all want to be blessed. Christ tells us how.


Matthew 5:3-12
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.NASB95

The recipe for blessed. That's worth some study.

April 16

Out of town for work, I called our oldest daughter (second child) to go to dinner. My work convention is in the same town as her university.

Tonight was the night I have hoped for and dreamed of and many times thought I’d never see… my oldest daughter and I related as friends. I am teary just typing it.

When she was little I would sing “You are my Sunshine” to her, and she was. But somewhere in her early teens the stormclouds blew in, and in her defense I was so busy with all four of them that we lost connection. We had some rough years, some really bad verbal exchanges, and a few times I thought I had lost her. It's amazing how rough some of those teen age years can be. But tonight we turned a corner.

We got to Outback (her request…she knows that her older brother and I have "Outback Nights" when I visit him at college) and ordered. We started talking about boy X and then Boy Y, and it became obvious that she is not dating at the moment. She lamented “if I don’t meet my husband in college, where will I meet him?” She seemed to be struggling.

She shared that she is so organized and has all these lists…just like me. She asked if we could make a list of what she should look for in a man. I almost fell off my seat. Of course I said yes, and she got out a post it note and began. We went back and forth for the whole meal, choosing the list ingredients after much thought and agreement. She also told me she’d not consider dating someone I disapproved of. That was so amazing. I thanked her. I warned her that when you’re in love your brain falls out, so it was good to set the parameters ahead of time and to write them down.

About half way through I asked her to make me a copy of the list to put in my journal. And she did. I told her I might make it into a power point at her wedding and then rate her groom. (and indeed I will) She laughed but still made me a list, and then signed and dated it.

This is typed exactly as she wrote it…same order, punctuation, etc. [the bracketed explanations are my additions here]


“The List”

• hard worker
• “Christian”
• Communicator
• Tall
• Friends [he should have good friendships]
• Values Family
• Creative thinker
• adores me
• gentleman
• treats everyone nicely [I suggested she watch how he treats waiters in restaurants, does he hold the door for strangers, etc.]
• passionate but not obsessed [has interests, but they don’t run his life]
• makes me laugh!

Speaking as a co author, I’m thinking that’s a pretty good list.

Of course I assured her that she’d meet the right man, there is no rush, she’s 18 and smart and beautiful and the whole world is before her. The world is her oyster.

I fairly floated back to the hotel room. A corner has been turned. A new relationship has begun. A mother's heart is content.

I'm a 35

The Radisson has Sleep Number beds. Each side of this king sized bed can be adjusted by remote control to the perfect sleep number.
I'm a 35. In the words of the infamous Goldilocks...it's not too hard, and it's not too soft...it's just right.
I have the other side of the bed set to 70; I'm pretty sure I could sleep on that side too...

A king sized bed all to myself in a deluxe hotel room...dial whatever number you choose...it's all good!

Fiesta

The seven of us Saturday Morning Bible Study gals went out last week. Five of us were celebrating our birthdays, and received the singing waiter treatment complete with flan and sombreros. These are the times to remember.

Amuse bouche

More inspiration.
Picked up a magazine -- which is more like a coffee table book in quality and price -- titled Artful Blogging. Who knew that blogging was now featured in a periodical?

Having only scanned it thus far, it appears to be the second volume, and it features blog sites of artists: artists who blog to help market their craft. And my oh my do those artists know how to create beautiful sites.

I'm a blog novice, utilizing the free blogspot site. If anyone has a link to a great explanation on how to fancy up a site, or create a custom backdrop, let me know. My creative juices are flowing.

I'm purposefully savoring the magazine...one blogger's layout at a time is enough to fill my senses. One that immediately grabbed me is http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/ I haven't actually gone to the site, I've just admired what's published in the magazine. (I'm afraid to go to the site -- more hours are needed...) Here's a sample paragraph:

I like to think of each blog post as a morning "amuse bouche" -- a small bite, full of Parisien flavor for readers to enjoy with their coffee. Most contain a watercolor, photos, and a story. Ideally, I want to bring back memories of Paris past or arouse desires to visit anew. It has to work for me. I have to be inspired too.

Amuse bouche. What a great phrase. What a great way to read a delicious magazine, to enjoy a garden, to eat a biscotti with my latte: une amuse bouche at a time...

Inspire

Thank you to BL whose belated birthday greeting I just received and read. In it she conveyed how much my blog has meant to her, like the reacquainting of an old friend. (she moved far far away!) And so, here I am. Inspired again.

Starbucks has the cutest new mugs. A little white one with a pink painted center and a pink simple flower on it's front is now in my sink. Beneath the bloom is the word "inspire." A friend in our Bible study gave it to me yesterday. What a lovely word. Inspire.

Diane inspired me on Sunday when she went to the lakefront with me, toting along a copy of Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern. Organization books intrigue me (I'm a freak -- well aware of it) and so since I had a birthday gift card to Borders I stopped today to pick it up. It's sitting here just waiting for me. Buying it and seeing it on my desk has inspired me...I'm cleaning our bedroom and once again trying to find a place for everything so that everything can be in its place. It's not hopeless, really. I just never quite get there...

Lest you think I'm a slob, it's actually not the case. My main rooms are generally in fabulous shape and ready for guests. Seasonal items are arranged and often updated. The rooms are lovely and comfortable and home.

However

My private space is another matter. Perhaps the problem is that I want to have EVERYTHING easily accessible. What is everything you ask? Well, to start with, as I look around me, I see:

journal; laptop; Bible; Organizing book; colored pencils; Precepts study; totebag; quilt in process; basket of sewing supplies; stationary, stationary and more stationary; birthday cards, well...a lot of many types of cards...organized in baskets, of course; a Longaberger basket of stickers (for envelopes); a rattan basket of electronic pieces and parts; a rattan basket of receipts; a basket of assorted post it notes (have I mentioned the pen and paper obsession?); books on knitting; actual knitting; inspiring quilt books; a few photos; a basket of tiny prayer books, lists and verses; tabs that need to go into my Precepts binder; two packs of neon filler paper (did I mention...oh...yes I see that I did...); a basket of pens...I think I'll stop now.

Considering that all of this is within arm's reach, my area looks pretty good. Baskets on shelves within an entertainment center with etched glass doors, as well as on a tall bookshelf on the other side of my desk/sewing table. The desk is in front of a narrow window with a view of our front yard pine tree. There's also a TV in the entertainment center, with a DVD and a VCR, and a love seat on this side of the bedroom. I've become quite attached to this whole end of the room, but it was looking a bit random, and there are a few piles. When cleaning all the other rooms of the house, if I don't know what to do with an item...I send it to my room. Thus today's focus.

I've interspersed the organizing with writing four cards, folding laundry, some closet organization, a bit of writing, and now the blog. It's a perfect rainy afternoon...puttering in my little world, bringing order and beauty while also accomplishing some nagging to do's.

Sigh. Only another 1.5 hours until it's time to prepare the tacos. (also on today's list...did I mention the "Tuesday off work" list?) Even with the mundane tasks taking up precious time, I am so thankful to have a flexible job with an occasional day off to get somewhat caught up.

And inspired.

Sunshine

Having found the "queen chair" (a folding sling back beach chair with just the right angles and a puffy pillow that just fits my neck when I lean way back...) and dragged it to the patio, I am lounging in the bright warm sun, drinking a cranberry lemonade and reading Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden by Emily Whaley. Actually, I'm holding the aforementioned book, but mostly just sitting with my head against the pillow and soaking in my old friend -- sunshine. I'm basking.

The first warm spring day in Wisconsin is something to experience. This year it is so long awaited that it has taken on almost a reverence. As I type I can still see pockets of snow in the woods, but soon the long four straight months of snowy white will be just a memory. A long long wet cold memory.

So, here's the quote that pried me in from my perch to log on and type:

Though there are other ways to finance your gardening, one successful way is to choose carefully whom you marry. A good and generous man is needed, one who knows how to make money and enjoys sharing it, one who is himself not interested in the actual pursuit of gardening but likes to be proud of the premises.

The book is written by an 82 year old opinionated, enthusiastic gardener in Charleston, South Carolina. Little life lessons are woven into a rambling narrative about her lush garden and outspoken joie de vivre.

Happy Spring!