Category Archives: Coffee Inspiration

Jump start your day with coffee inspirations

Coffee Inspiration: Pour A Cup of Faith and Hope

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The Oxford Dictionary explains that Faith is:

“1. Complete trust or confidence in something or someone;
2. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual comprehension rather than proof.”

On the other hand, Merriam Webster dictionary describes hope as:

“1. To cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true;
2. To expect with confidence;
3. To desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment.”

There are various scriptures that describe both faith and hope. Some of them on faith are as follows:

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

II Corinthians 5:7 – “We live by faith, not by sight.”

I Corinthians 13:13 – “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Scriptures describing hope are as follows:

Romans 12:12 – “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Psalm 39:7 – “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”

Hebrews 6:11 – “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.”

As I searched the scriptures regarding faith and hope, I was reminded that “without faith, there is no hope.” For example, several years ago our family lost a loved one. In a conversation with her fiance, he told me that he no longer had any hope. As I listened to his grieving heart, I asked the Lord to help me listen and to give me words to comfort him. It was then that I realized that even in a time of loss, that God wants us to continue to have faith in Him and in doing so we would have hope. As I mentioned this to him, I could see a change in his attitude and countenance. Since that day I have thought of and prayed for him and hoped that in time he would come to realize that there is “hope even in the darkest of times” when we put our trust and faith in God.

In “Thank Heaven for Coffee (and in other little pleasures)” by Barbour Publishing, Inc., I found the following quotes on faith and hope:

Faith: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

Hope: “Look to this day…for yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision…but today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Remember, “He that lives in hope dances without music.”–George Herbert; and,

“Beginnings are always scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts. You just have to give hope a chance to float up.”–Steven Rogers

May the Lord bless your hearts and minds as you have faith and hope in what God can do.

Blessings,
Yvonne

Coffee Inspiration: Pour A Cup of Kindness

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The Oxford Dictionary states that “kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”

Psalm 63:3 – “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.”

Hugh Mitchell wrote the song, “Thy Loving Kindness” using Psalm 63:3-4. The words are as follows:

“Vs. 1: Thy loving kindness is better than life, Thy loving kindness is better than life.
My lips shall praise Thee, thus will I bless Thee: I will lift up my hands unto Thy name.
Vs. 2: I lift my hands, Lord, unto Thy name, I lift my hands, Lord, unto Thy name.
My lips shall praise Thee, thus will I bless Thee: I will lift up my hands unto Thy name.”

The Scripture is filled with words of wisdom about kindness and how we should act toward one another. Some of these words are as follows:

Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.”

I Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient, love is kind….”

Isaiah 63:7 – “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us–yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.”

When I read these words, I see that kindness then is actually an act of faithfulness. If we truly love, then we will show this kindness towards one another and in doing so show our faithfulness to Him.

In “Thank Heaven for Coffee (and other little pleasures)” an Arabian Proverb is stated as follows:

“A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.”

This is the type person I want to be: someone who listens with a kind heart. May the Lord help all of us to be like Him and show kindness to those whom we come in contact with each and every day.

Blessings,
Yvonne

Coffee Inspiration: Pour A Cup of Patience

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We are told that “patience is a virtue”. We also teach our children to “be patient” until we can get around to helping them. Patience, according to the Oxford Dictionary, states that “it is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.”

The Bible clearly defines patience as it relates to the characteristics of a Christian as follows:

I Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”

Psalm 27:14 – “Wait (be patient) for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord.”

Waiting and being patient has never been one of my most notable characteristics, but the Lord has shown me that if I wait and am patient, that he works all things out for my good and even better than I could have imagined. So instead of jumping to conclusions, I try to wait and pray and see what God is going to do about the situation. He has never failed me yet and He has always “shown me a better way.”

In “Thank Heaven for Coffee (and other little pleasures)” by Barbour Publishing, Inc., it has this to say about patience:

“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will be powerless to vex your mind.” – Leonardo DA Vinci

The above quote sums up how we should grow in patience and Galatians clarifies the results of patience–the fruit of the spirit will be more readily seen in each and every one of us.

May the Lord help each of us to “grow in patience” as we walk with Him daily.

Blessings,
Yvonne

Coffee Inspiration: Pour A Cup of Courage

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As a child, you may remember the story of the “Wizard of Oz” and how, along with Dorothy, the lion, tin man, and scare crow all traveled together to the Emerald City to see the Wizard so that they could ask for something they were missing in their lives. Dorothy wanted to go home, the lion wanted courage, the tin man wanted a heart, and the scare crow wanted a brain.

Today we are going to talk about the lion’s request: courage. Merriam Webster Dictionary states that “courage is mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”

God’s Word is filled with scriptures speaking about courage and strength. Here are three for you to think about when you need courage from the Lord if and when you are going through a difficult time in your life:

Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I Chronicles 28:20 – “David said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.'”

Psalm 31:24 – “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

I believe Billy Graham summed up the word courage when he said:

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” – Quote from “Thank Heaven for Coffee (and other little pleasures) by Barbour Publishing, Inc.”

May we, like the lion, be of good courage and take heart because our God is always with us.

Blessings,
Yvonne

Coffee Inspiration: Pour a Cup of Love

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Crosscards.com

On Tuesday, February 14, we will be celebrating the “love holiday”–Valentine’s Day. We have heard that “love makes the world go round”, “love and marriage come together like a horse and carriage”, and “all we need is love”; but what does the dictionary have to say about love: The Oxford Dictionary gives the following definitions:

“Love:
1) An intense feeling of deep affection
synonyms: fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy
2) A person or thing that one loves
synonyms: beloved, loved one, love of one’s life, dear, dearest”

Husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, and family and friends try to surprise one another with a special gift on Valentine’s Day in order to try and show/express their deepest feelings of love for that person or persons.

In Corinthians 13:4-8, Christ shows us His definition/teachings of what love truly is:

“Love is patient
Love is kind
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude
It is not self-seeking
It is not easily angered
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.”

He sums up the chapter by saying (verse 13):

“And now these three remain:
faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.”

I don’t know about you, but whenever I read Jesus’ words regarding what love actually is and what it means to me as a Christian, I am immediately examining my heart and life so that I can truly show this kind of love to others each and every day. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I let the “little things” bother me and I am not thankful for all that Jesus has blessed me with. However, I get down on my knees and ask His forgiveness if I have wronged someone or said something rude. We are not perfect. We are on a journey in this world and if we show the kind of love that Christ has shown us, then this world would be a better place. All we need to do is remember to ask for His help.

As we celebrate Valentine’s Day this coming week, remember to show our family/friends/loved ones that we love and care about them and how we can always “protect, trust, hope, and always persevere” because “love never fails.”

In “Thank Heaven for Coffee (and other little pleasures)” published by Barbour Publishing Inc., we are reminded of the following scripture:

A CUPFUL OF LOVE
“God has poured out His love into our hearts”–Romans 5:5 (NIV)
Since we have been so loved, let us not neglect sharing that love with others even in the simple offering of a cup of joe.”

Blessings to All,
Yvonne