Turkish Coffee…It’s the “Cezve” Way

Last year in February I went on a trip to Israel for a tour of the Holy Land. We went to all the sites I had read about through my life. I got to walk in Bethlehem where Jesus was born, see where he taught the disciples, and experience sailing on the water he walked on, imagining the storm he calmed. I shared of some of his healings with our group on the site where they took place. And I even got baptized in the Jordan river! I walked the grounds, saw the beauty of the land, met the people native to Israel, and experienced a life changing time in the place where God decided to start it all. The Bible, God’s Holy Spirit inspired word, narrates a story that takes place in that land. God decided to invite us into that narrative and brought together the redemption story that we can freely choose to believe today…to believe in Him.

Among the many things I was looking forward to on that trip, there was a small indulgence that I was excited for. Getting to try Turkish coffee was something I had been looking forward to. I had heard from a friend who had gone to Israel the year prior who really regretted not buying a Turkish coffee pot when he saw it sold at the local bazaar. So I was determined to get one for myself. When the Turks roamed and ruled in Israel for a time, naturally there were some Turkish ways of doing things that got intertwined into the country’s way of living.

Making Turkish coffee involves boiling fine coffee grounds with sweetener (cardamom, sugar, or both) with water in a cezve (small copper pot). Most coffee brewing involves using a filter for coffee grounds, but not Turkish coffee—you pour the boiled, some times sweetened, coffee straight into your mug without filtering anything. Boiling it together with sugar and cardamom creates a foamy layer at the top of the coffee. And it’s rich and oh so good.

After bringing the small, copper pot home, there was excitement for a time as I learned how to use it, but honestly, the excitement fizzled out. It was cool to brew coffee like that, but using a French Press for my coffee was a lot easier. Before I knew it, I was back to doing things the way I knew how and the small copper pot was easily forgotten.

As I reflect on that wonderful trip from last year, I realize that we, well at least I do anyway, have a tendency to do that in life. There’s an excitement over something new, there’s a change, but then for some reason, we fall back into doing things the same old way. The same routine, the same process, the same way we’ve always done. We go back to our comfort zone. We get uncomfortable with making changes. And we go back into being comfortable with the same stuff we used to do.

I believe, strongly I might add, that we’ve be given an opportunity to break out of the old and experience something new. With the challenges the past almost 2 years have brought us through, we’ve had to let go of some of the old ways of doing things just to be able to survive. And maybe at first it was way out of our comfort zones, but now we really are experts on how to do those things.

I remember how, for many of us, middle of March was very scary. And for those that know Jesus, it brought you to your knees at home in prayer. We were all asking the Lord for protection and to bring us through. For those of us working from home, it gave us time to slow down and reflect a bit and spend more time in prayer. This was new for many of us, but it was good. As life began to find some “normalcy” again, going to the Lord on our knees began to occur less and less.

I think God has been giving us chance after chance, opportunity after opportunity, to rewrite the script a bit. He has given us a green light to change our way of thinking and experience Him in a newer, fresh way. Can I make a bold statement? I think we constantly sabotage ourselves by getting stuck in the mindset of the past that it hinders us from walking with both feet, bravely into what God may be calling us to do. We stop ourselves from the next and the new, because it isn’t what we formerly “knew”.

I got married just over 3 months ago. My husband is probably the most intentional, caring human being I have ever met. I am not just saying that. According to our popular, good ol’ enneagram, I classify as a “2” otherwise known as a helper. I have a tendency to put others needs above my own in a good way but also in a very unhealthy way. Basically, I don’t share what my thoughts or desires are all the time. I keep my opinion to myself a lot of the time. But when you marry someone and grow together in your relationship with each other and with the Lord, it really is like we both are holding a magnifying glass. My husband is determined to ask me questions, always. He wants to hear what bothers me, what are the deep dreams I have, what is my preference for dinner. It’s out of my comfort zone, it’s not what I’m used to. But if I chose to keep thoughts, ideas, wants, etc. to myself, how successful do you think our marriage could really be? Nothing can be hidden, everything must be brought to light. This new chapter in my life has challenged me to go deeper in my relationship, friendships, and honestly with the Lord as well. And friends, it has been the most amazing, impactful time in my entire life.  I had no idea before getting married, just how much God was going to unpack in my life.

Maybe we are not supposed to know at all. God wants us to trust Him. This is a different kind of trust because it is something we have never experienced before. But that is the beauty of our faith. Do you think the Israelites knew the Red Sea would rise up and gather at the sides to create a pathway for them to walk through? Do you think Esther knew if she stood up to the King, he would actually listen to her? Do you think Joseph knew when he was in the dungeon that he would help create a plan to save the land from famine? God alone knows what will come out of the things we are faced with. But what is so cool is that when given the opportunity to move forward or stay back, it’s our choice. Those Israelites walked forward and saw something no one had ever seen before. Esther stood up to someone who had his last queen killed for disobeying him, and she survived. Joseph shared the dreams when given the chance and became a leading force of governance.

We have the chance to see what it is God decides to do with the actions of faith we take. It might be uncomfortable and maybe even scary, but perhaps this is what he wanted us to do along? It’s time to get out of old habits. It’s time to take on new roles. It’s time to make some new priorities. God is doing a new thing and I want to be a part of it. And I would encourage you to join! Get out of that French-pressed routine of life, and grab the cezve to brew a new pot!

Mug Rims on the Surface

A phrase I’ve heard as long as I can remember as common advice and which circulates a lot in the Christian culture lingo is “guard your heart.” I say it all the time as I advise someone in a new relationship or during the beginning of something new. Simply because I remember it being said to me, countless times. And it’s good encouragement, good advice to be sure. But what exactly does it truly mean and how does one go about actually guarding their heart?

I would say guarding your heart is being careful of what you let influence you. I’m not saying to not be the salt of the earth here. I think we can sometimes feel that in order to not be conformed by the patterns of this world, we have to stay out of it. But ultimately, I think that scripture gets taken out of context as maybe even a crutch to avoid others. As Christians we are called to boldly put on the armor of God and fight the forces that are not of this world. That doesn’t mean we stay away from those who do not believe what we believe. Instead, be the Christ-like follower, the person who is called to make disciples and show the light of Christ to this dark world. In the confusion of the circumstances around us, we need to walk through them confidently knowing we have on the breastplate of righteousness, protecting our hearts from being deceived. The ONLY way to do so is to know God’s commandments and to keep them. Don’t go into situations as the minority not being strong in the word. Not asking the Holy spirit to lead the conversation, to be with you and protect you.

We need this more than ever today. We don’t need lukewarm Christians, nor scared Christians, but confident Christ followers aware that they have the King of Kings equipping them to fight the battles of this world. I think we often believe guarding our hearts means not letting us care about certain things. The Word of Truth —scripture— is what will guard our hearts as we develop a sincere faith in the Lord that cannot be moved by circumstances, hurt, and, the things of this world. Do not believe you can minister to people in a bar if you have not spent intentional time with God to equip you for it. Do not think you can let people into your life if you don’t have godly friends on the other side of things supporting you and holding you upright.

I need a coaster in my office. I have a coffee table that I brew my coffee on and often will place a toppling mug of coffee down on the surface. The coffee spills over the edge and leaves a circular mark on the table. I make sure to wipe it down right away but sometimes the heat of the cup will leave a rim on the table. If I were to use a coaster, I wouldn’t need to worry about a mark left on the surface. As a Christ follower, truly seeking to follow the commandments of our Lord, if my faith is earnestly real and sincere, it won’t be “marked” by the circumstances I face.

I believe we need to be careful of what we let into our lives because our hearts can be deceived by our emotions. We must be mindful of what we let influence us, the things we become a part of, and the actions we take. During these past few months, I have been disheartened to see old habits resurface in people’s lives. As we have faced the turmoil of the times, we have been quick to lose the breastplate of righteousness that has for so long protected us from being shaken by our circumstances. We have succumbed to the trends of this world and lost the boldness we once had as Christians as we faced hurt after hurt during these times. Can I be so bold to say this? That it is so troubling to see so many stop standing up for the truth and letting the voice of the public dictate the beliefs we once professed so powerfully.

I would like to reflect on Philippians 3:1 today as you read along with me. “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.”

Paul was writing a letter to the church of Philippi and at the start of his letter to the Philippians, he was reminding the people that God had started a good work in them and he would complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. So it is no surprise that in chapter 3  he would state to them to continue to rejoice in the Lord. No matter what comes their way, he was encouraging them to safeguard their faith. He was also encouraging them throughout this letter to grow in wisdom, to grow in the word and so then, when faced with adversity, they would be equipped to stand strong.

Abide in Jesus. That is what we truly need to do. Jesus brought change and evidence of who he was to everywhere he went and everyone he encountered. But he always stood for what was right, for truth. He knew scripture and was able to pull from it in every situation. That is what we must do. Guard our hearts to not be shaken, but be equipped to change the world.

Not Just Whipped Coffee

It’s time to go back to the beginning of the year. I think many of you, just like myself, had a lot of excitement as the year began. “2020 vision” was a saying that was very common as we turned the page on the calendar. There was a striving focus on “what’s next?” as the year began. And there was optimism and enthusiasm to step into creating new goals and succeeding in them. 5 months into this year, however, the excitement is gone and now, many are at the point where they just want this year to be over. But I would like to state here my conviction that it’s in the moments of adversity when we begin to see things clearly … if we are looking. 

I think of life when the church age first began. As more and more people were following the belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, it was not an easy time to publicly believe. The book of Acts, chapter 7, ends with the stoning of a devout believer, Stephen. It was a risk to stand for your faith at a time like that and Stephen lost his life for the sake of standing for the message of Jesus. Acts 8 shares on this by stating, “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.” (Acts 8:2 NIV)

To say things were bad for the followers of Jesus was an understatement. It was a downright risk to be found out and it meant arrest and eventually death. Believers were scattered and one place I would like to focus on here is city north of Jerusalem—Damascus.

Ananias is someone we don’t have a ton of information on other than the fact that he was a devout man—scripture labels him as a disciple. He was a man who was living in Damascus at the time.

Saul was someone who was present in the stoning of Stephen and at the time became known for going to house after house and arresting anyone who believed in Jesus. He was on a quest to arrest believers and bring them back to Jerusalem while heading to this city, Damascus.

And during that time of persecution—that I’m sure included all the feelings of fear, uncertainty and trepidation on both sides of the equation­­—Ananias, who is undoubtedly wanting to support fellow believers, and Saul, who had in his hands letters to arrest believers and had a job to get done. These men received something many of us would think one wouldn’t get at a time like that: new perspective. 

Now, if you know the story, Saul encountered Jesus as he was on a hot pursuit to arrest any who were following Jesus. In a flash of light from heaven, he heard from the risen Messiah and realized he was in the wrong the whole time. His eyes were opened for the first time and he saw clearly, but ironically, became blind!

We turn our attention to Ananias, who was in Damascus, and he too encountered Jesus, in a vision. He was told where to go and what to do. It’s time to heal Saul’s eyesight. Naturally, as a devout believer, Ananias knew that Saul was on the war path for believers such as himself, and he stated that fact to the Lord. However, it was explained to him that he must go, for God had a purpose for Saul, a good purpose indeed. Saul was going to become a key missionary of the message!

So, Ananias went. Saul’s sight was restored. And the message continued to get shared, about the Savior, during a time of persecution.

God was speaking during a time when things were not looking good. And He still is today. The care, love, plans, and purpose God has for you before a crisis does not change during one.

The story states in verse 10 of Acts 9, “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias.” I love that simple statement because at a time of deep fear, Ananias was still operating as the person he was before the persecution, his purpose was still in action, he was still pursuing Jesus and sharing that message. Fellow believers were scattered and many people at this time were in isolation from others, who believed just like Ananias did. And at a time like that, it could be easy to focus on the fear. But, he did not lose sight of who he was, the goal was still in play. God spoke to Ananias, because he was in a posture to hear from Him.

Saul was on the other side, and he too received new vision for his life. One moment in the presence of God changed Saul’s life forever.

I encourage you in this moment to go back to the optimism of a new year, because I think this time is giving us all an opportunity to gain fresh, new perspective.

You know, I used to never use instant coffee. Something about mixing powder in water and calling it coffee just did not sit well with me. Such a coffee snob, I guess, as I pour water over coffee grounds in my Chemex pour-over. Well, with being stuck at home these days, I saw the recipe for “whipped coffee” and decided to try it for myself. The main ingredient—instant coffee. Something I never liked has turned into a refreshing drink for me during these spring days.

Will you get into the instant coffee mindset with me for just a moment? What do you want the rest of this year to look like? During a time, such as this, I believe God has something new and special, just for you. You may not be used to this, talking with Him, but let me just say that it’s the most refreshing thing you will ever experience. And, like my new discovery of enjoying instant coffee, you just might like this new experience with God. And with that assurance, I write to tell you to be ready, ready for breakthrough.

 

Mugged?

Have you ever felt you’ve been dealt the short end of the stick? Or that you’ve been robbed of something that should have been yours and been given to you, but it was not? There was this one time a few years ago I was walking around at work and I saw someone drinking out of my coffee mug.

Now this is not normally something I would care too much about however I had remembered that I hadn’t really rinsed it out all the way after the last time I used it. I mean, I did not expect anyone else to be using it. It was so awkward noticing the lipstick on the rim and debating on whether to say something or not! And to be completely honest I felt a little jipped—I mean, something that belonged to me was taken by someone else.  

I think, at times, maybe all of us have felt “mugged” or at least felt that we didn’t get what we deserve in a situation. And if this has not happened to you yet, don’t worry, because it will. There will be times you will interact with other people who might just take something that maybe you felt was yours.

Can we talk about a man named Joseph for a minute? Joseph was once raving about the promise he received about one day getting a promotion. He was going to move up from tender of flocks to leader of nations. It was his for the taking, but this guy got a little ahead of himself. He started to brag about it before he even understood what it was about and the people who heard of the situation, well their ears ached to take control of it. They got rid of Joseph, thinking maybe he would somehow take control of their family as leader one day and so they needed to get rid of him. Joseph got sold into slavery, but still ended up moving up in the ranks. He ended up being the guy who prepared Egypt for a famine and became a leader of the nations.

But Joseph was robbed of getting to spend the rest of his childhood and adulthood with his family. He was his father’s favored son and he did not get to receive the blessing of his father the way his brothers were able to. He was put in a prison, accused, ridiculed, and treated unjustly. And I think it is safe to assume he felt jipped and robbed of what was rightfully his. I can only imagine the feelings and thoughts going through Joseph during that time.

Sometimes we will face situations like this. Due to someone else’s actions, we may get jipped in a situation. Joseph fought for his right by staying in alignment with God in spite of everything he was facing. He did not lose sight of what his destiny was even though all he could see in front of him were people— people set out against him. But because he never gave up, God was able to turn things around for him and give him his blessing and his right.

But what do you do when it’s you who’s done the mugging? When, maybe unintentionally, you are the one who took something that maybe was not meant for you in the first place.

I think of the person who is always saying “yes”— the one who is always down to help out, get involved, get the job done. That is a good character trait—serving and helping. But sometimes being the one who says yes to everything can turn into a character flaw.

Sometimes, out of a desire to help, serve or just pitch in, some of us might have a tendency to step into situations that maybe we really do not need to be in—something we may not be passionate about or gifted in. And it occurred to me that sometimes those opportunities to step in just might actually be for someone else. It is unintentional and even without wrong motives, but it can still be damaging. Sometimes the ‘yes’ you give becomes a ‘no’ for someone else. A ‘no’ that maybe should have been a ‘yes’. At the place I am at in my life, I am learning that sometimes it’s better to lean back and examine that thing I think is for me and if it is not, allow space for someone else to step up. 

This recent thought reminded me of when the church was first built and the systems they had to build to help the church grow.

Acts 6:1-7 says, “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’ This proposal pleased the whole group… So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Everything is important and that is why God has given every person out there a unique gifting to get the job done. It’s not only about you— it’s about allowing others as well to step into their calling, see God’s hand on their life, and rise to the occasion. That’s what is so amazing to me— God wants to do so much with all of us if we are willing to step into the purpose he has. Just make sure you are stepping into things out of seeking him, and not your own motives. Say yes to God and truly ask Him what it is He has for you this year. I go back to the name of this blog—the purpose behind the whole, sometimes “trendy”, blog posting thing. We need to abide and brew. Live out a relationship with God— abide in Him. And start doing something about it—brew. Do what he has called you to do!

Orders Up: One Lukewarm Coffee To Go!

Ummm no?! What sort of order is that? That’s at least what my response would be if a barista offered me coffee that wasn’t hot or cold, but just somewhere in the middle. Lukewarm just doesn’t ever sound appealing now does it? And I don’t think it would be something you’d order.

When a parent is about to give a baby their bottle of milk, normally they will test the heat of the milk on their wrist. The milk can’t be too hot for the child or too cold. It needs to be lukewarm so they can drink it and be fed. Now fast forward to today and normally you’re not going to order yourself a lukewarm drink. Summer heat normally brings a nice cold brew and early morning, at least for me, my choice is a steaming hot cup of coffee. You make your choice between hot or cold. It’s as simple as that. To me, choosing the lukewarm option isn’t even an option.

In the choices of your life, however, are you compromising and becoming lukewarm? Are the choices you are making somewhere in the middle? Not able to clearly commit, not able to fully say yes and or no? Because here is what I gather, as an adult you can handle hot and you can handle cold, you don’t need the lukewarm option like an infant does.

Why is compromise so easily done nowadays? Why can’t we choose one thing or the other- why do we end up in the middle?

Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples and followed him in his ministry for three years. But then he was the guy at the end of the day who ended up betraying him. He was not all in as a follower. He was lukewarm, not fully planted. And because of that, he easily compromised what he believed in and fell into the devil’s schemes. When you don’t fully commit and end up in the middle, you are not in control, but rather, you are letting the circumstances you find yourself in control you.

I think of my college days and how I entered into a world of “freedom”- that’s always the lingo used when you get out of the house and are not so much under your parents wing. I remember thinking to myself that it’s time to decide what my faith is going to look like. It’s time to determine what I value as a young Christian and at the time, what I saw around me seemed appealing. There were times when I was tempted to let the setting and the moment take over- I do have some regrets but I also know that God is so forgiving. It was at that time that I had to decide what I was going to let dictate my actions. I realized that what I thought was “freedom” wasn’t even freedom at all. It wasn’t until I knew what I stood for that I began to understand what it really means to follow Jesus. And how it’s not a bondage or a cage, but following Jesus brings so much more possibilities. Not about rules or regulations, but definitely about living by the standard modeled by Jesus. God wanted to take me to new levels of knowing him. And when I realized that, that is when I truly felt free.

I think it’s imperative to examine where you stand and know without a doubt what you believe in. Because when the offer of 30 shekels hit Judas, his commitment to Jesus wasn’t strong and he was able to make the decision to accept the money instead of standing by his friend. I don’t want to be someone on the fence about things. I want to be someone fully planted with integrity. I want my yes to be a strong yes and my no to be a firm no. I know I admire it when I see that sort of character in other people and so for me that’s how I want to live. I think for you, reader, is just to examine where you stand for yourself. The next time you are out, are you going to let what’s around you pull you in, or are you going to stand strong in your convictions and take control of your life? I’m ordering my coffee the way I like it and I suggest you do the same!

“My integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.”- Psalm 25:21

The Grind…it’s fine?

The other day my coworkers borrowed my old school coffee grinder. You know, the type that has a handle that you crank as you pour whole beans into the top and then pull out a drawer full of either course grounds or fine coffee dust, depending on how tight the knob is set, perfect for a good cup of coffee modified to how strong you want it to be.

They were making me laugh as they would turn the handle over and over again and then tap out and switch. That was their routine. Crank that handle as fast as they could as the beans were grinding down and when they got tired, they would switch out.

And when there were no more whole beans in the top of the grinder, it was finished and the end result was fine coffee dust, ready to be brewed into a pour over cup of coffee. Oh so good.

Just like the process of coffee beans refined into grounds for the purpose of making coffee, I think we also go through grinding times in life that can in time bring purpose. A unique process that can bring fruition to our lives. Not to negate the fact that when you are in the grinding moments of life they are indeed difficult and not the choice to be in, but to understand that there can be good things that come out of those times. Just like coffee beans getting ground into coffee grinds, we also go through a refining process during those situations. Anytime I have gone through something difficult in my life, I have noticed two major common denominators:

1. Something came out of it.

2. Someone came alongside.

With the whole “if God is in control, why does He let x,y, and z happen?” question that brings a lot of debate between believers and nonbelievers alike, I know for certain that God walks with us during those moments. He cries with us, he mourns with us, he laughs with us, he lives with us. With the direct result of the fall of mankind, the things that happen in our lives are not what God had outlined in the beginning, but with free will, he lets us make our choices and sin becomes the root. But our sovereign Lord, has not let go, and he continues to be a source for us to hold onto as we face the effects of sin in our world.

I am not saying to be looking for those hard grinding times in life, but I am saying to try to be optimistic during those times. Ask the God who sees to be with you and He will bring blessings in the midst. Just like the process of the beans being refined into something to make great coffee, the deepest and darkest seasons of your life can bring forth something good. They can grow you and refine you in new ways.

My grandpa passed away in September and it had been especially painful as it was during a time when I was just getting closer with him. And I found myself asking “why?”. Why couldn’t I have had a better relationship with him instead of learning more about him after he passed? But as I was in those moments of grief, I was able to ask an even more important question: What do you want to show me, God, during this time? What can I learn, what can I get out of this? During that time it brought more opportunity to grow closer to my grandma. Even more so, it’s brought to mind just how precious and limited time is. Tell your family you love them, spend time with them, pray for them, and take advantage of each moment. Be thankful for the people in your life and more so, tell those people what they mean to you. Be intentional. Because you never know what tomorrow will bring. This is something I am thankful to have learned then rather than later and it was only learned during a season of mourning and grieving.

And secondly, continue to let trustworthy people in. Get connected with friends who can lift you up and help you as well. My coworkers were able to get through grinding the coffee beans faster because the weight wasn’t just on one person. During the grinding seasons, let God take some of the weight of it. Let him, and through people he brings forth, help you as you go through the grind. Because before you know it, you made it through less haggard and spent because you had help.

“We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.  – 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 Ask God how He wants to refine you and the moments when you are in the “grind” will bring to your life more than you thought could come out of it.

Risky Ristrettos

Restricted. One feared word among my household growing up was this. If myself or one of the siblings got in trouble, even the threat of being on restriction was something to scare us to behave. To be on restriction meant we would lose something in our daily routine. Whether it was no more television or being grounded and not allowed to go out, avoiding restriction was a goal amongst my siblings and I. We felt that without those things in our life, how could we get by? How would we survive?

But if this is something to avoid, why does it seem that sometimes in our lives, we place our own selves on restriction? Why do we only live by the bare minimum at times? It makes me think of the ristretto. Trust me, I may love a good cup of coffee, and be borderline obsessed, but I had to do some research to figure out what this drink is.

The ristretto is a type of espresso made in a shorter amount of time than regular espresso because less water is filtered through the grounds. The ristretto, though smaller, contains a bigger “umph” because of the more concentrated flavor. However, this drink contains less caffeine than a shot of espresso simply because it contains less water. Many that try the ristretto consider it to have more caffeine because of the stronger taste, but that is not the case.

So if you are needing a quick caffeine boost to get you through your day, you may find the taste of this drink to be strong, but the lasting effect is not as powerful. You will feel the caffeine at first but then it will just die out.

It is risky to live your life through ristrettos. I’m not just referring to trying to get enough caffeine to last throughout your day, but I believe this applies on a deeper level.

Is church your ristretto? Is it something you go to, get your quick fix, hear a message about God, and then move on throughout your week? Are you feeling the boost and then notice as the week goes on, you’re feeling more and more drained? Sometimes you may hear an impressive message and it hits you and you feel energized about the whole “God thing”. But how easily do we forget? We are human and then as soon as lunch rolls around after a Sunday morning sermon, the message is forgotten and you’re week has begun.

I don’t want to live my life like that- on restriction. I want my relationship with God to be like a pot of coffee that I continue to drink from throughout the day. As satisfying as this half shot of expresso may be in the moment, you can’t let your life be lived by waiting for the next one. I want to be embracing the boost that a relationship with God offers all the time.

Don’t wait til the next time you hang out with friends to feel renewed, but spend time with God throughout each day, and be energized by the fact that He has a plan for your life and wants to be on your side.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”- Isaiah 40:31

Brewing or wooing?

Sometimes I wonder if I am cultivating a life that engages God in new depths or if I’m acting as if I’m still in the stages of a new relationship.

You know how it goes: the woo stage. Where everything is new and exciting and you’re portraying the best version of yourself. Not being bold, but careful, polite. Not exactly walking on egg shells but also not hitting the depths of a real relationship. The good, the bad, the ugly and the downright transparent moments that bring deeper trust and a new level of fully being known.

I think sometimes we let our relationship with God linger in the woo stage. Where things are careful and nice but not very deep. Where we shelter ourselves from considering the next level of the relationship, the hard conversations that bring us closer and stronger.

God doesn’t want that for us at all. He doesn’t want to be held at arms length and admired from afar. He doesn’t want us to portray our best self to Him either. He wants us to be honest with Him and even more so, honest with ourselves.

I named this “blog” or “online journaling” or whatever you want to call it Abide and Brew simply because I believe wholeheartedly that if we pursue abiding in a relationship with Jesus, we as believers can implement that faith into something profound to those around us. As silly as the brewing analogy may seem, I stand by the idea that God has gifted us to grow and learn and create and pursue Him and in the process continue to learn and grow in who we are. The more I have pursued God, the more I have seen Him do things in my life, and the more fruit I have seen from it.

If we aren’t pursuing Him deeper by spending time in His word, being in prayer, or growing in relationships with others, what is being brewed in our lives? What is being cultivated?

As fun or exciting as the woo stage is, at the end of the day, it’s nothing substantial. Let’s start to be raw and authentic with the God who knows our thoughts and our hearts when it comes down to it. He chooses to let us decide to share our hearts with Him, and I will choose that transparency every day.

1 John 2:5-6 ” But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

French (De)pressed

Ever noticed how fragile glass is? I mean, this is no new conundrum but seriously, that stuff is breakable. If a glass is dropped- it is done. If it gets too hot or too cold, cracks begin to surface. Back in February I brought my glass French Press on a weekend retreat. I packed my bags and carefully put it in the car and started an 8 hour drive up to Sacramento. You all already know where this is going. The French Press did not make the trip!

Fragility vs. agility comes to mind as I reflect on the things we go through. Life has a tendency to bring tosses and turns, swift fast balls that come out of nowhere, and tumultuous moments that will leave us wondering what happened and how to move on from there. And what tends to happen when we get a crack on the surface of our lives? We either move forward and find the glue that will hold us to together or we let the crack spread into a shattered glass. We break down and inevitably decide to lose the battle and give up.

I think of a child that was born in a dangerous time. And if his parent’s succumbed to the will of the leadership at that time, the child would not have made it to his first birthday.

“Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live.” – Exodus 1:22

Moses was born in the midst of this order that every male child be thrown into the Nile. And his parent’s had to decide how they would react to this edict. Would they let this dangerous decree shatter the joy that the birth of this son brought? Or would they let this hit just be a hit and not break them? This was no doubt a fragile moment and a dangerous decision. If caught, Moses would have been killed and they likely would have died as well.

“It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.”- Hebrews 11:23

I look at this and see agility. They were quick to make a decision and not let the fear of what could happen stop them from protecting their child. They decided not to let something so scary depress their lives, but instead stayed above the situation. And that was no light decision, so how did they make it?

The parents of this man- this man that God used to usher in the exodus for the Israelites- are not mentioned a lot in the Bible. But who they were and what they did bears significance. It wasn’t only about Moses and God’s plan in that moment when they decided to hide him. It was also about the fact they saw God had a purpose for their son. In the midst of trial and confusion, they still saw God. They didn’t let the brokenness of their circumstance hinder them from seeing God’s hand. They refused to let the chaos of what was going on stop their faith in their Lord. They continued to trust.

Reading this from an outside perspective thousands of years later, we tend to brush over the words of what they did. Yup, they trusted and God protected Moses. We see the outcome as we turn the page, they did not have that benefit.

It’s hard… no, it’s sometimes downright difficult to trust God when you’re in the thick of the worst times. When you see certain things going down around you and it just seems like one thing after another. One hit after another, it’s hard to not be shaken. It’s hard to not be shattered when you don’t see what the outcome’s going to be. And it becomes easy for us to write off a mighty God who cares. Yet He still does. He does care and He wants to walk alongside us and bring pieces back together instead of seeing us shatter and give up.

I think what helped Moses’ parents choose to protect their son in that moment was that they were both walking in their identity. They knew who they were and did not forget. They were both God’s chosen people and they did not lose sight of that.

What brings us to trust God in hard situations? It’s about us still standing strong in who we are. Remember your identity. Remember God has called you. You may not know what that looks like, how things will turn out or what will happen, but He calls you His child. This is what I think stayed with those parents and how they saved theirs.

Us remembering who we are brings us to remember who God is. He doesn’t want us to be cautioned taped and fragile, ready to break. He wants us to believe that we won’t be broken in the hardest moments. Because regardless of what may happen, He still is there.

Hot Shot Cafe Au Lait

Bottom line is this: sometimes you want to be the best. And that’s a good thing. We should be striving to do our very best in all that we do. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes when we reach our goals or get applauded or recognized for doing something and it being well done. But when the limelight fades a bit and you end up in the back seat of something good, how do you handle it? I think there’s a sense of ownership that comes with different things that we put our care into and sometimes when it’s someone else moving something forward or achieving something you wanted to achieve, it can be a little hard to celebrate them. And you start to feel a little more unimportant.

I am learning to thank God for those moments. When I need to take myself down a notch and be grateful for opportunities to see others shine. It’s really a good thing when we allow space to see someone else accomplish something good. It reminds you that all glory goes to God and not to yourself. And also, it reminds you that as you pour yourself into different things, as a disciple, you can usher and walk with others to grow into more of who they need to be too.

Ever read or tried reading the Chronicles in the Bible? It can sometimes be a bit of a hard read because it’s mostly a lot of genealogies. And it lists those names that are a little too hard to pronounce.

But in between the strange names and the lists of family members, there are stories in the lines. In 1 Chronicles 5 there’s a quick note about a war waged and how it ended up.

“The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.” 1 Chronicles‬ ‭5:18-20

You may be fully equipped and ready to tackle on this season that you are in. You may know full well how to handle it, process, and move forward. But how much more indispensable will you be if you ask for God’s hand in it? I will just say that with you being able to take a step off the platform and ask for help, that any given moment that you tackle on will be so much more fruitful and powerful than you can imagine.

And if it is your desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus in your workplace, in your home, in your friendships, and wherever you go, consider putting on the eyes of Christ. When someone succeeds, celebrate them and be thankful that God has never stopped moving and he moves in others lives everyday. And he will move in yours too as you seek Him daily. You don’t need to be the hot shot, but you do need to give God and others a shot.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬