Feminine::Espresso

Ha! Scramble… that’s my life–as if you needed to be told by the suggestions the serious lack of posts around here make.

With Christmas just around the corner it seems like suddenly a somewhat dull schedule is suddenly packed so full I haven’t even touched Christmas decorations yet! Ridiculous, I know.

Plans for life are something as follows… Saturday will find my sister and I at a concert (ah, Christmas concerts… sheer bliss), which we won’t come home from until the following day; Monday my family plans to be singing at a studio; Tuesday-Wednesday promises a slumber party of sorts; Friday finds us three or four hours from home singing at a coffeehouse; Sunday is a nursing home singing, and sandwiched into schedules wherever it can fit is this new project of renovating our house.

Crazy? Something like that.

What makes matters very interesting with a crazy schedule is getting completely knocked off your feet with a nasty virus. Picture this: Britt shivering in flannel pajamas wrapped in a heavy fleece robe, holding her head in one hand as though it was about to crumble into pieces, sitting uncomfortably at her computer doing google searches on “mono”. Fortunately her worst fears were not realized when she woke up bright and early a morning or two later feeling like her chirpy little self. Illness is definitely something I didn’t make room for in this schedule of mine.

Life for most people this time of year is a helter-skelter rat race. I’m sure many of you can identify with the aforementioned scramble feeling. To be honest with you, I think it’s sad that the significance of the precious event that we celebrate this time of year gets so lost in the hustle and bustle. I realize that often we have little say of what gets packed into our schedules, but whatever you do, don’t remove the Reason for the Season from your life to fit in other things. Remember the baby in the manger, not so much the presents under the tree. Remember what His birth meant, what His life cost, and what He has done for you. Keep Him in your life.

What is it that we seek? In what will our souls find rest and our hearts dwell in peaceable streams of contentment?

 Is it love and respect? Relationships rich in admiration, unbroken by slander and distrust? Is it in romance?

Is the purpose of life found in fortune? Bank accounts overflowing with money? Cash flowing like waves into our pocket books?

What are we looking for? Fame and stardom? Bright lights and screaming fans? Adoring attention from the masses?

Where are we placing our stocks? Health? Family? Friendships? Fame? Fortune and wealth? A life of ease and security? Stability? Is this where peace resides?

I’m afraid it is none of the above. There is no true peace and lasting joy in such material things. That can only be achieved by embracing the eternal hope that Christ has offered to us. By accepting His redemption, there we stand, on the threshhold of making it our life and message. It is the pursuit of a better country. It is the efforts of furthering the kingdom of God. It is about His agenda, not ours. It is His will, His purpose, His message.

Even so, may His glory shine through us.

Take a moment today and thank God for the rich blessings in your life. After all, today is the nationally recognized day we celebrate His abundance on our lives. Is there something that stands out in your mind when you think of “Grateful for”? If so, leave it in the comments. Let’s bless each other by counting our blessings.

May this Holiday be special to each one of you!

Lots of Love,
Brittney Leigh

As is typical with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about the things I’m thankful for. Of course, such habits should be practiced every day of our lives, whether or not we are celebrating a holiday associated with giving thanks. But it seems so appropriate that a certain person’s birthday should fall on the week of Thanksgiving. When I think of this particular sweet gal, I can’t help but think thoughts of gratitude for having the privilege of knowing and sharing a friendship with such a dear, dear young lady.

No, actually, it’s not.

Instead, it’s an advertisement!

Uh, well, not really.

Ok, it’s an encouragement to check out the awesome radio talk show, Way of the Master Radio, hosted by Freakishly Tall Friel, aka.Todd Friel.  If you have never tuned in, well my dear friend, you are seriously missing out!  Tune in to this great radio show aired daily  for two hours.  You’ll not only gain helpful insight into various aspects of the Christian life, but you’ll also be entertained by Todd’s witty humor. 

As Todd would say, it’s time to “Talk the Walk!”

PS!  Please check out my personal blog for a brief summary of my evening November the 18th, 2007… You’ll enjoy the pictures, words, and video (of Todd-), I promise.

Rachel Marie is a sweet young lady who loves the Lord with all her heart. She is keenly interested in the study of biblical womanhood and authored a well-noted article, Just a Girl Through & Through. Along with her gift of writing, her hobbies also include photography, flowers, sewing and a host of other avenues she uses to vent her creativity. Her heart beat is missions with a particular love for China.

Contact:
lajiemarie@gmail.com
www.lajiemarie.blogspot.com  

Apart from God, “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer. 17:9) A marriage-saving love is not within us. A friendship-preserving devotion cannot be found in our hearts. We need help from an outside source. A transfusion. Would we love as God loves? Then we start by receiving God’s love.

 We preachers have been guilty of skipping the first step. “Love each other!” we tell our churches. “Be patient, kind, forgiving,” we urge. But instructing people to love without telling them they are loved is like telling them to write a check without our making a deposit in their accounts. No wonder so many relationships are overdrawn. Hearts have insufficient love.

The secret to loving is living loved.

–Max Lucado

submitted by Katie Marie

I have been so generously blessed lately by my faithful guest-authors who have managed to step in at a time when I have been somewhat inhibited in being able to contribute to this site with my own writings. A special thanks to each of you who have given of your time and resources to help me out and bless others.

For those of you who are interested in participating, I would like to take a moment to encourage you to do so. It doesn’t take much to be an author on Feminine Espresso. As the title of this blog suggests, anything to do with femininity or coffee can’t help but be well received.  Yet at the same time, it is not exclusive to such topics. I welcome anything that lends encouragement, inspires the heart, or brings a smile to the face. My main requirement is that it is not in any way dishonoring to Christ. The benefits of guest authoring includes:

submitted by Katie Marie 

You stay up for 16 hours
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a ‘headache’, and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don’t support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure you’re cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash about your ‘buddies’ that aren’t with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn’t get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

 You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn’t have time to brush his teeth today.

You’re angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He’s told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love’s perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they’ll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don’t.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.