In a Coffee State of Mind

It says - God is using you for His
special purposes, to shine His light,
to share His Love, to shape His people.

Woke up this morning with an intolerable hankering for a Dark Mocha Caribou (sugar-free dark chocolate syrup, espresso, milk, fresh orange peel and espresso infused whipped cream), so I headed over to my favorite hang out - Crossroads Books & Coffee.

Rachel greeted me as I walked in. She grabbed a cup and started writing up my order...she knows what I like.

I decided to browse through the bookstore before settling down to do a little blogging and found some great things to put on my wish list.


First was this really cool cup that had a rustic crackle finish. Love the rich brown colors. Then I spied a really beautiful, more feminine cup. I would feel so special sipping coffee out of this one. I guess I'm really torn between my feminine, girly side and my prayer warrior, army of the Lord side. Maybe I should have both cups so I could chose the one that suits my mood at the moment!




 Then i found this way cool CoffeeHouse Bible. This one is definately going on my Christmas wish list, except I don't think I can wait that long.

I wonder if people would think it strange if I started an "End of September" wish list? And do I really care if they think I'm strange? Never have before, so why start now?

Next I saw a devotional I just have to have. Coffee with God - 365 Devotionals to Perk Up Your Day.

Hey, I need my days perked up, don't you? I can just see myself sitting in my comfy chair, morning light spilling through the window behind me, steamy, creamy cup of warm coffee in my hands. I'm sure the presence of God would permeate the room. I need this devotional!

And finally, I saw this 2013 Calendar - Times to Treasure. this would be the perfect thing to slip in my purse. that way I would could schedule my days and remember to treasure each moment the Lord gives me. I could remember to redeem the time, to make every moment count.

 Yep, I need this calendar



If you live in the Phoenix West Valley area and haven't been to Crossroads Books & Coffee yet, you must drop by. Hey, you could start your own wish list!

And if you are related to me...see above! (It's a wish list - you don't have to wonder what to buy for me the next time you realize how wonderful I am!)

(In case you think this sounds like a commercial for Crossroads, well, it  might just be. You see, the folks at Crossroads have been awful kind to me and to the Fellowship of Christian Bloggers. Are you a blogger? Check us out at focbonline.com.
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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

You are never alone.

I couldn’t think of anything to write about tonight, so I did a search for “Christian writing prompts” and came up with this one: “You've just found a letter tucked away in an old Bible.” Here's what I wrote...
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Sal was surprised to hear the old clock in the bookstore strike midnight. She had lost all track of time while trying to organize the shelves, but had almost finished the religion section and didn’t want to quit before it was completed.

If she were to admit the truth, her obsessive cleaning session was merely a diversion to keep her from thinking about how miserable and lonely her life was. It had been just a year since she had lost her mother and only 6 months since Jason had walked out on her. Burying herself in work filled the time, but not her empty heart.

“All I want is a shower and a soft bed,” she muttered, wiping the sweat from her brow as she dusted the last few Bibles and returned them to the shelves. She fingered the worn leather of an old King James Version, then flipped through the gold-edged pages. As she did, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

Kneeling down to retrieve it, Sal felt a sudden wisp of cool air brush her cheeks. That’s strange, she thought. She had been raosting all evening among the stale shelves, so the breeze caught her by surprise. Shrugging it off, she unfolded the brittle paper and read.

“To whomever finds this: I have been praying for you. A few months ago God placed you on my heart, even though we have never met and may never meet. He didn’t give me any details, just prompted me to pray for someone who is going through a very difficult time. I know it may sound strange, but he directed me to write this note and stick it in my old Bible so that you would find it and know that he is aware of your hurt and that he is right there with you, even as you read this letter.”

It was simply signed, “A Friend”.

Hot tears stung Sal’s eyes. For a minute she dared to hope that she was the one meant to find this note – that God had prompted someone to pray for her and that it was true that God was with her…even though she was not entirely sure she believed in God.

“I wonder who wrote this,” she thought, flipping to the front of the book to see if the owner’s name had been recorded. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. “Property of Sally Ann McCardell.” That was her grandmother’s name! Surely this could not be her grandmother’s Bible. Granny had died when Sal was only 4 years old. She had been named for her grandmother.
She flipped to the next page; Births: Martha Louise McCardell born September 17, 1959…her mother!

Again Sal felt a soft, cool breeze brush her cheeks as she dropped to her knees. She knew in her heart that God was with her and that she would never be alone again.

(Copyright © 2009 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)