Looking forward to my morning coffee with great expectation.

Hello friends at Rise Up Lubbock,

This morning was still dark and I was just getting around… I was really looking forward to my coffee this morning. It had been a while since I had a cup and I found myself really thirsty for it. I popped a K-cup into my new coffee maker and the aroma of the almond mocha was fabulous. I could hardly wait for it to finish brewing. As Christians we can be exactly like that when it come to God and his grace. You may find yourself, as I so often have, in one of those dry spells where work and the pressures of life have become so overwhelming that I forget to pray. I don’t intentionally disconnect from my source of strength, but life happens and I look back on my day (or days) and see that I haven’t made time for God in my life. It has been too long time since I’ve felt His touch on my life, and I remember the feeling, the surety, that I’m not on my own, but that my Lord is walking near me. I instantly long for His visitation, His spiritual touch, and his restoration in my life. Maybe you have had those very feelings too. The grace of God is marvelously refreshing, and today my cup is stirred up on the topic of grace. These thoughts are something to share over coffee with my friends, and, maybe you too can share it with someone else who is looking for a little grace.

Dan-Dwayne

I want my coffee NOW!

Hello my friends at Rise Up Lubbock,

This morning was exceptionally crazy! Every morning I get up and do the same things getting ready for my day.  It's brush those teeth and scrub that face, not to mention all the things I end up doing for the family. My son wants me to do that thing and my wife calls down the hall saying she forgot something in the kitchen could I bring it to her please… and when I finely finish I turn to pour myself a cup of coffee, but I forgot to make it. The pot is cold and empty. There is a sudden feeling of exasperation! I spent all that time getting around, doing for others, and I forgot to put on the coffee… I want my coffee, NOW. I become impatient over the silliest things. You know I think that is true about my prayers too. I pray and I want to see immediate results.

Yes, we want to have instant answers. You know, like the coffee I’ll make this morning … Instant. But, most of the time God doesn’t do His work instantly. It takes patience to see the hand of God working, moving the pieces together until His plan is perfect. I hear the sounds of impatience around me more and more every day.

Our culture is teaching us to be impatient, and along with the impatience - selfishness. To me this seems true, especially for our children who are true students of this generation’s culture. I hear the words from so many, Mommy I’m bored… There’s nothing to do, and… This is so boring. In the Bible we see how God created great men. He made a great man out of Abraham – who even left his wife in Egypt because he was afraid his God wouldn’t work in his behalf. Abraham failed on so many occasions and God said he was faithful. His final triumph could not have been accomplished by a forty year old Abram. It could have only been accomplished by the one hundred and fifteen year old Monarch. 

David became a man after God’s own heart – he planned and executed a man’s murder all because he wanted the man’s wife. He repented, God restored him, and it didn’t take a hundred years to do it. What this generation doesn’t get is that many times God turns our sorrow into joy, failure into success, a sinner into a saint by means of relationship. Relationship with God isn’t an instant thing. It requires effort and persistence… something that will never be obtained by the wimpy cry, I’m bored.     

Dan-Dwayne

I have an unusual coffee pot.

Hello Friends at Rise Up Lubbock,

I have an unusual coffee pot. I mean it makes great coffee but the controls are digital and sometimes I think that I’ve set it but because you have to push the ‘on’ button twice to start the coffee brewing… It doesn’t make coffee when I think it will. Obviously, the real problem is that I think I have turned it on but I didn’t. 

So many times, that is how things are in my life too. I think I am in control of my situations only to turn around and find that what I did didn’t really get the right things going at all. Sometimes these situations are very important... but, I had my chance to get it right and I blew it! At this point most of us would give into the feeling of failure and plunge into depression. Funny thing about depression is that it’s all about the ‘me’ syndrome. For example: I’ve let people down, I’ve made a mess of my life, and I’m an idiot. Don’t get me wrong here I understand that depression is very serious. I’m saying these things as I look at life from my viewpoint because I’ve been there. I’ve said those very words out loud. I had to learn to give my ‘me’ problems over to God. I forgot that it is not a ‘me’ life it is an ‘us’ life… Me and God walking through this life together.  Yes, that is when I turn to God. God never will fail, He will never, never leave you alone in any situation. However it is at those critical times that I need to reassure myself that the administration of creation has not changed… God is still in control.  Always remember when it seems we have no control in our lives, it is then when we, through Christ, gain the most control over our lives. 

Oh, we really do get off the subject of coffee from time to time, but back to my original point, I think I need a new coffee pot. 

Dan-Dwayne

It's always more pleasant to share my coffee time with a friend

Dear Friends at Rise Up Lubbock,

No matter how much I may like my coffee it is always more pleasant to share my coffee time with a friend. I mean who wants to go to a coffee shop alone… coffee is much better with conversation (and maybe a scone or two.) Imagine setting there looking at the other people sitting at their tables sharing friendship over their coffee and you set with only your cup to keep you company. So many times I’ve been in just that environment when one of my fellow coffee enthusiasts strikes up a conversation with me. I may be sitting alone but because I’m in the company of friends – I’m not by myself. It’s the same for our Christian walk. Wouldn’t it be sad if we had to go through all of life’s tragedies, disappointments, and troubles alone! Like me in the coffee shop it may appear we Christians are alone, but we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother. So when you can’t get someone to share your coffee time, just remember that you’re are not really alone. Yes, ever since you accepted Christ into your heart and declared your faith… Well, since that day you have never really walked alone. You may have chosen to ignore His presence, but He will never leave you… ever!

Dan-Dwayne