Feminine::Espresso

Friendship is a gift that graces our lives. It’s something that’s steadfast in the sunshine and the darkness… and in the time of need. It is not only a gift, but also a responsibility.

A friend will seek out the needs of her friend, and do all in her power to make sure those needs are fulfilled. At times, it will cost an interrupted schedule, exerted energy, and monetary expense. Yet a friend will not count the cost and see these efforts expended as grueling. Instead, she will find honor and pleasure in finding ways to help.

A friend will be selfless and giving. Like Jonathan spoke to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.” (1 Samuel 20:4)

Have you ever noticed the love and devotion that Paul had to the saints in his many epistles? He didn’t like them because they were part of his organization, or because they funded his ministry, or because they had the exact same doctrinal beliefs he had. No, he loved them as individuals, as people… and at great expense.

Be willing to lay your life on the line if you must. Be committed to a selfless heart. Don’t hoard your resources. God loves a cheerful giver, and when you give He will bless in return. Remember, the things you possess are but gifts loaned to you from above anyway.

by Katie Marie

I can still hear the haunting cries of the loons lingering in my mind. As always it was a beautiful time in the Boundary Waters! Time stands still up there. It is forever changing yet life goes on day after day just as it has a hundred years ago, a thousand years ago, as far I know, since the day God spoke it into existence.

 Walking along portages from lake to lake rough trails are peppered with roots, rocks, dips and rises. It is mostly rock up there with a thin covering of sponge earth with brave pines and poplars and a few oaks and cedars scattered here and there. Looking at the shore line it is amazing to see trees growing out of a mere shelf in the rock or a little crack in sheer stone. Yet a few mighty pines tower above the rest. Pines that would take probably 3 of me to reach around its massive girth. How long have they stood there I wonder. How many trees have they seen sprout only to wither and die? How many lightning strikes have passed them by to snap the tree next to it? How many travelers like myself have stopped to gaze upon it? It stands at attention and guards the wilderness. Yet its might is still vulnerable. Even the MIGHTIEST tree will one day come crashing to the ground.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.

Isaiah 40:8  

 God is bigger, stronger, more beautiful than any created wonders. As I pondered these things I thought of Him through the ages. Trees have come and gone, rivers have flowed and dried up but God is never fading, all enduring and everlasting. Then I thought of not just the beauty of the world but the difficulties we face in this life. Cares of this world weigh us down when situations seem impossible. Corrupted leaders, war, famine, oppression, and things of that sort. Yet civilizations have come and gone, kingdoms have risen and fallen, but God still is and always will be Lord of all!

The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 2:11  

[click on images to enlarge]

Katie Marie is an active young lady with a heart for the Lord. She lives in the beautiful state of Wisconsin, particularly enjoying the outdoors and EMS work, not to mention her own sweet pair of darling nephews.

Hurt, pain, suffering, death, loss, lonliness, confusion, stress, fatigue… all a part of life. Questions go unanswered and the million why’s echo into nothingness. One of the most beautiful ways to invest in a relationship is to encourage. Be there to love and support and build up. When your friend despairs, point out the bright side. Help them find a rainbow in a raindrop, peace in a storm, a smile in a flower.

Share a verse, a poem, a song. Drop a card in the mail. Make a phone call. Let them know that you’re there for them, and more importantly that their situation or struggle does not extend the reach of God. Tell them they can cling tightly to the last thread, or they can let it all go and hold on to Jesus. 

Encouragement is vital in life. We all need friends in our lives who can come up beside us and say, “Keep going! This soon shall pass, there’s always hope!” Be that friend to someone else.

I apologize for the impromptu disappearance there… I was out of town, with slow internet access, and very busy. But now I’m back up and running–or shall I say, our Feminine Espresso is. ;) Thanks for your patience. Stay tuned, there’s lots more to come!

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

There’s nothing like being stuck in the cross-fire is there? That’s precisely where Jonathon found himself. Dad hates David, David scared of Dad. Instead of running from the fight and letting them work it out, he stepped in. He settled David’s fears, and then turned to Saul’s issues. He reminded him of David’s heroic acts, he declared there was nothing that David had done to displease Saul so. He went out of his way to speak good of David, emphasizing with poignant grace David’s good points.

And such is your responsibility. Do not demean a person to gain status in the eyes of others, rather bring peace where there is war. Soothe the fight by gentle suggestions as to the person-in-question’s character. Perhaps you are acquainted with one who is enraged (or even just slightly ticked) at your friend. Don’t argue, don’t demand answers to strife-mongering questions, just state simple facts about the good character of your friend.

And whatever you do, never stop loving.

There is a scene where spirits blend,
Where friend holds fellowship with friend;
Though sundered far, by faith they meet
Around one common mercy seat.

Hugh Stowell

Sometimes, in the thick of a trying circumstance, it’s hard to see a way out. We grope and crawl around in the dark, and don’t know which direction is up, much less the way out. We pray, but the answers still don’t seem to come. Life is at it’s darkest. That is when it is time for you to step in and help your friend. Hold them, love them, pray for them… and give them advice.

Such was the case with David. When a king hates a guy, that’s about as bad as it gets. David was running for his life, but where to go? Where to hide? And the unknown: he’s not really that mad at me, is he?? He did well to find his trustworthy friend. Jonathan lent his ear, and then his advice, helping David devise a plan to save his hide. When David panicked, Jonathan was his calming potion.

 When your friend is struggling, speak the truth in love. Help them understand how to get from point A to point B. Be sure to seek God’s wisdom in giving your friend advice. When you feel inadequate, remember that the strength of God is the strongest when you’re at your weakest.

The rough, eternally scarred hands of a Carpenter reached out toward one who pushed them away. No stranger to suffering, He heard the man’s words as if they were the only words spoken in the universe.”No, My son. This is not the time. That is not the place. Your dreams were not too big for Me. They were too small.”

Dominion,
novel by Randy Alcorn

Dreams. We all have them. Sometimes perhaps they’re far-fetched romantic fairy-tales. Other times nothing but simple caricatures of our imagination. But our dreams are the manifestation of our longings, wishes, prayers and cries of the heart. Dreams are the grounds of our emotions, the basis of our hopes, the reality of our desires.

I’ve heard those who claim dreaming to be a silly waste of time. But I find such a notion debatable. God is the one who placed in us the desires that we have, and to try to piously snuff them out is ludicrous.

Our outlook on life and goal for our future is shaped by our dreams. How can we expect Him to fulfill the desires of our heart when we shun the dreams He has placed there?

We cannot out dream God. He has a purpose for each of our lives, and the dreams He places within us help us to reach His potential for us.

There are those dark times when life shatters into a nightmare, and dreams seem stupid and useless. In our darkest times it is easy to become confused and wonder if we expected too much. Our dreams look stupid and silly, and maybe too big for God. But even in those times of confusion His plan exceeds our own. His dream for us reaches way beyond what our imagination could fathom.

It’s not that our dreams were too big for Him. They were too small. He couldn’t fit in them. Those are the times He has to dash our dreams.

But He will never tell us to stop dreaming. Instead He encourages us to dream on, to follow our hopes where ever they may lead, to find the dawn, and to cling tightly to Him.

Dreaming is our daring hope, and sometimes it’s all we have. In the Bible, Joseph wasn’t afraid to cling to his dream. When everything pointed the other direction, he dared to dream on. It wasn’t until after he was sold as a slave, unjustly made a prisoner for many years, and served a country that was not his own that his dream finally came true.

Dream on. There’s always the promise of the dawn.

Indeed, this is a crucial part in relationships. When David’s life was threatened, he ran to the friend he knew and trusted: Jonathon. He knew he could spill the turmoil of his life at Jonathon’s feet. Jonathon would listen.

Sometimes all your friend needs is a listening ear to pour out the burdens weighing on his or her heart. There’s a time to speak, but there’s also a time to bite your tongue and be quiet. Listen with your heart, be attentive to what your friend (or even sibling or spouse) are saying. Don’t interject your opinions if not necessary, that can come later. Interrupting a heart-train-of-thought can derail it.

Protectively guard the secrets expressed. This is the way you build trust in a relationship. Don’t take advantage of a trusting friend to exploit to another. That is injust and cruelty at its best. Jonathon was the son of the one who vehemently sought David’s life. I’m sure Jonathon could’ve been lavished with more material rewards than his heart could wish to just leak bits of information, but he did not. He was true to David and their friendship.

Listen with your heart, and never abuse the trust a friend places in you.

Have you noticed that the dignity in our culture has been reverted to nothing but a mere stick-in-the mud? Where T-shirt and jeans present themselves at weddings and funerals, pajamas browse around WalMart, and sloppy turns trendy. I really enjoyed this article on the cultural decline in fashion.

Your clothing speaks loudly for you. Before you open your mouth it makes all sorts of statements:

“I’m a lady.”

“I’m not a lady.”

“I care about my appearance.”

“I don’t care about my appearance.”

And the list goes on. Regardless of the endless tirade of people claiming that “it’s the inside that really counts”, the outside speaks so loudly that it is sometimes difficult to hear what’s inside.

[read full article: The Blight of Casualization on Women's Fashion]