Search Results for: coffee bar

Call Me Numi

· Leave a comment ·

I awoke early this morning, to the sound of Doggo trying to scratch an itch. She laid in the hallway lastnight, and slept through the night. It’s pretty funny when she starts snoring.

I didn’t take time to write yesterday. Challenging myself to write everyday for 30 days has taught me many things. One is that I am challenging myself, so I need to be kind to myself when I miss a day. It was a busy day, but I believe I composed three Blogs in my head. Stopping, and taking the time to let the words flow onto the screen is what I missed.

We gave Doggo a name yesterday. My daughter didn’t want a human name. She wanted something unique, but something that fit her. She watched her over the weekend, hoping her personality would spark inspiration. If that were the case, her name would be ‘Lazy!’

My daughter and I frequent this coffee shop in Marble Falls, TX. The name of the shop is Numinous. It means, “Describing an experience that makes you fearful, yet fascinated, awed yet attracted-the powerful personal feeling of being overwhelmed and inspired.”

This definition describes all the feels upon meeting Doggo. I was fearful, yet attracted. When I found her hiding in the barn, I felt overwhelm. I could tell she had some Pitbull in her, and people still fight them around here. I didn’t know what she had been through, or how she got here, but I could see by her scars it hadn’t been pretty.

After a couple of days, I brought her up to the front porch so she could lay in the sun. I sat down face to face with her, and took this picture. A picture says a thousand words indeed.

img_20170120_150251514_hdr

Her name is now Numinous, but we call her Numi for short. To give her a chance to become what she is called which is pronounced, ‘New Me.’

Make Life Fun

· Leave a comment ·

I was pressing coffee this morning, thinking of how fun life is. Waking up each morning, and viewing the day as a blank canvas. I get to do whatever I want, within reason of course.

My daughter has started a new tradition. She likes the concept behind that little ‘Elf On A Shelf‘, but he doesn’t excite me. We went shopping earlier this week for tree lights, and she spotted this crazy snowman hat. It is getting colder in Texas, and my hair is growing, but it’s still quite short. Knowing my head was probably chilled, she placed it on my head.

She looked at me and burst out laughing! It felt like everyone stopped and looked at what was so funny. We both started laughing so hard we could barely breathe. The hat felt soft, and warm to my head, so I continued wearing it as we finished our shopping.

It was $5.00, so I paid for it, and enjoyed watching my daughter laugh all the way out of the store.

christmascard-2

She has started placing it in different locations before she goes to bed. One morning I strolled to the coffee maker, and he was sitting on top of it. This morning, he was sitting on top of my bag. Now, it’s my turn to move him for her to find him. You can make life fun.

There is a lot of pressure we put on ourselves this time of year. Buying presents for people we normally see only a few times a year can be stressful. Throughout my life, I have given things away, so maybe this idea will work for you too. God wants us to give our very best, and that doesn’t mean expensive. It means to give away something that brings you joy.

When shopping for holiday gifts, or browsing online, I usually see things that I want. Now come on…You know this happens to you too. I have to restrain myself from coming home with things for me! So, when I see these things that bring me joy, I think to myself, “Who can I give it to?” If it brings you joy, the person you give it to can see it’s from your heart.

The holiday season is not about gift giving at all. It’s when our Savior was born, and a time for celebrating that with the ones we love. The world creates chaos with Black Friday sales, and gets us all in a frenzy about buying big gifts on sale. Life should be fun! Giving should bring joy to the giver and receiver. Give from your heart!

Something was brought to my attention after posting my last Blog entitled, Make It Pretty.

I talked about this massive tree my daughter picked out at Elgin Christmas Tree Farm. What I failed to do was post a picture of it, so here it is. For the past three years, my daughter has had a vision of how each tree should be decorated. They are never the same. We use the same ornaments, but the lights are different, and this year was her first year to do garland.

img_20161207_081935840

If your life is not fun, it’s time to stop long enough to enjoy what is happening right in front of you. Thanks to my daughter, and her idea of fun, we get to enjoy this guys presence all day. She even gave the tree a name. We love The Gilmore Girls, so she named it Paul Anka, after Lorelei’s dog. She has made this tree part of our family, at least for a little while.

Before leaving the house yesterday to go into town, we left the tree lights on, along with the porch light. When we got home after dark, Paul Anka was beaming so brightly, you could see him from the street. Walking up to the front door, she peered through the window and grinned. He was shining light all over the den, and in both our hearts.

Make life fun.

 

A New Path

· Leave a comment ·

I backslid this morning and went down to the corner store for a cup of coffee. I’ve barely had any coffee with this round of Chemo. The trip to the store wasn’t about coffee after all.

Three days ago, I wrote a Blog and mentioned a song by Phillips, Craig, and Dean. Randy Phillips have been associated with a church in Austin, TX called Promiseland for years.  Standing at the counter of the store this morning, a lady walked up and started talking to me. I had met her before, and it was such a blessing just to take the time to catch up.

We walked outside, and she said something that quickly got my attention. She asked if I was familiar with Promiseland Church Austin, and I told her yes. They are bringing a satellite church September 11th to Lockhart, TX. Literally 10 minutes from where I live. We exchanged phone numbers and made plans to go together. So glad I went for that coffee.

This is how God moves in my life.

blog

I saw this Meme earlier this week and saved it. Didn’t really know why at the time, but today, it makes sense. I noticed that this round of Chemo was trying to kick my butt. I’ve been on a vicious cycle of eating, and sleep the week of, and my quality of life was suffering.

My daughter was visiting a friend last weekend, and this gave me time to ponder who I wanted to be, versus who I was becoming. I was allowing my current circumstances to dictate my quality of life. I  made a list of what I wanted to accomplish and started working on the list.

I’ve acquired a new curiosity for life.

The things I listed are things God has shown me, that I had put on the back burner due to lack of energy. It was time to look at what I wanted, who I wanted to be, and get to work. My body has been through hell, and I’ve been caring for the inside with good nutrition. It was time to show some care to the outer shell, so Yoga began.

I started doing Yoga 3 years ago and loved it. It makes my body happy, and I’m a firm believer in using your body to strengthen itself. This lead to reading more about it, and downloading some other books that I’ve been curious about. Strengthening the mind, and body so to speak. I got everything accomplished on my list, so today we have a new one.

afraid

Rebuilding myself from where I am today. People have often said to me, “Keep fighting.” That sounded strange because it didn’t feel like a fight. The Chemo was fighting the Cancer, but I discovered what I was fighting for was my life. Not to get lost in the circumstances, and not to become my circumstances. I am not the same woman I was in March.

I said to someone yesterday, “This has been a remarkable journey.” He said, “I’ve never heard it described that way before.”

That is probably true because it’s easy to let the Chemo become bigger than you. Get curious about life again. Muster up all the strength you have, and use it to start over. This journey is coming to an end, but it took me straight to a new path.

No More Hair

· Leave a comment ·

I woke up this morning before the alarm was set to go off. My body was trying to protect me from that annoying cell phone alarm we discussed yesterday. If you’re new here, welcome!  You may want to read Sweeping Dog Hair first.

blogI took the clock radio off the shelf and placed in on my bedside table before bed. It has two alarms, which works well for me! I set the first one for 6:20 am, which would allow the amount of sleep I need. It would buzz, so I set the second one a little later and with music. Neither was needed.

Before God showed us this house, I was praying for a fenced in yard for Gus. We lived on 40 acres at the time, but near a dangerous curve. I watched him get more brave in his ventures of heading down the driveway toward that curve. He’s a dog and being a Blue Heeler, he likes to run!

There were two Great Pyrenees on that country road that always ran out in front of me and started chasing my truck. Never saw the logic in that because I am driving a truck. I didn’t want that life for Gus. He deserved better. God showed us this house we’re in today and the yard is fenced.

Gus is a dog, but he needs boundaries. As I was gazing at my beautiful hardwood floor, covered in dog hair, God reminded me, “I gave you a fence.” Mr. Smith had already reminded me, he’s a dog and he can stay outside some.

Gus ran around outside yesterday and had fun. When he got hot, or missed his people, he would jump on the screen door. This doesn’t work for me, so this habit needed to be stopped. As I was sweeping, I would politely open the door, see him on the other side of the screen, look at him and give him a firm, “No”. This went on for a while, just like disciplining a child, until I opened the door with the broom in hand. Gus doesn’t like the broom, so he chilled out.

Maybe Gus made the connection that I was using the broom to sweep up his hair, and he was next. I don’t know. I was just grateful he got the message his behavior was stealing my joy and it was to be stopped. Gus is a good boy!

I gave Gus everything he needed, but didn’t tolerate what was not needed. He played outside later than normal, which meant he would sleep later too. I got up early, grabbed coffee and went to the porch to sit with God. Sitting in the swing and having quiet time was a beautiful thing. Looking at the floor while typing I see no dog hair. Gus has always quietly napped when he hears me typing. He knows I like quiet, and Gus wants to please. Gus and I work.

 

blackandwhiteBarbara is a writer and loves being a Mom to her 15 year old daughter. It’s a dream come true for her to be a Let It Go Coach and help others enjoy their lives. She hosts Workshops, does one on one Coaching and is working on her first book.  You may connect with her via email. Letitgocoach@gmail.com

 

Enjoy The Plan

· Leave a comment ·

I love how life flows. Sitting here at my desk, looking out the window, and seeing a beautiful day in store. Texas has had a lot of rain, so the sunshine feels good. The house was perfectly still a moment ago, until Gus, our Blue Heeler,  decided to jump up and start barking at something unseen by me. Our home can be still and become startling  in an instant.

reason

I saw this post this morning and thought it was just beautiful. I tried to post it full size so you could enjoy every ounce of it’s splendor along with me. That didn’t work too well.

Coffee in hand and bread rising in the oven is the start of a great day. Taking a peep out the front door, I see Gus has lost his spot on the front porch. It is has been taken by Mama cat and her four kittens.

My desk has a reasonable order to it this morning. My morning devotional sits beside my left arm with my reading glasses resting on top. It was read at the very start of my day.

To the right is my cell phone, coffee, notes, books and my vaping supplies. Yes, I quit smoking last year and now enjoy vaping. It’s still a habit but I believe it’s healthier and cleaner than cigarettes.

I am surrounded by several of my favorite things on my desk. It is much like my life in general.

Surround myself with people and things who will love me, help motivate me, encourage me, inspire me, enhance me and bring happiness to my world. This is as far as I’ve gotten into today. There are things I want to accomplish, like setting up a schedule for my daughter to continue with her home school courses through the summer.

If we stay in the present moment and enjoy the plan before us, it’s not a lot of work. I love the verse that says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Today’s devotional from Jesus Calling by Sara Young said, “Let Go, relax, be still and know that I am God.” I love what He is doing and I love the people He has placed in my life to share the journey.

One Love

· Leave a comment ·

As I picked up the K Cup to pop into the Keurig this morning, I looked at the name and it said, ‘One Love’. Yep…Bob Marley does coffee.

1 Corinthians 13:4-6 describes it best. To receive it and believe are simple enough, but to live it is a little more challenging for us mere mortals. I recently met a couple that emanate this kind of love. The kind of love only God can manifest between two. One love.

Patient and kind coupled together is always fun for me. It’s quicker and easier to be anxious and mean, especially to the one dearest to us. This is where I appreciate the part, ‘it keeps no record of wrongdoing’, because my list can be extensive.

That was one of the first things I had to let go of was my record of wrongs. Giving myself permission to let go of all the pain in my heart allowed God to create in me a clean heart. Have you ever walked into a closet that was so full you could barely move? That’s probably how God feels when asked to work on our hearts. He needs room to move. Let it go.

To forgive and forget. Forgiveness is free but to forget as well? By letting go you learn to think of that hurt as a lesson learned and move on. It may still pinch you from time to time, but by letting go of the pain associated with the experience, it becomes a valuable lesson. One you hopefully won’t make again in the near future.

To trust. If God places someone in your path to love, trust Him. God doesn’t make mistakes, and maybe you’re thinking, ‘but I do’. Read the verse in its entirety. It’s okay to make mistakes, and if you have the right one to love, they will keep no record of wrongs.

Love always perseveres. This is not to be confused with breaking up and getting back together over and over again. One love stands strong in adversity. While one of you is weak the other is strong. To have one love, one of you must stand firm on these promises when the other one can’t. God made it that way and it works. It all begins by letting go.

That’s Even Better

· Leave a comment ·

I grew up watching my grandmother worry about things long before they happened, and promised myself I would not do that. Unfortunately, I did worry for many years.

understand

This morning I woke up feeling anxiety in my body. Grabbing a cup of coffee, I strolled out to the porch to wait for the darkness to turn to light. I’ve had some battles this week, so I marked it up to that. What I saw was, I needed to stand firm in my faith, beliefs, and what I know as right.

A couple of birds flew overhead, gracefully flying to their next destination. Were they arguing, or loosing feathers from stress? No. Matthew 6:26  (AMP) “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

Yes, we are! When we worry, we are thinking of the future. Our mind will think past, present, (briefly) and future. It doesn’t want to stand still in the present moment because it wants to be a problem solver, and drag us along for the ride. I use the image of cans ties to the bumper of a car after a wedding. I can either let go, or be dragged. I’m going to continue letting go.

Turning to leave the porch, and walk inside my home, I caught a glimpse of the pond. Elvis, our large grey stork was standing there looking at me as if to say, ‘Good Morning’. Every time I needed to know God was near, this stork has shown up. It’s not an everyday occurrence, only when needed, and it still surprises me.

overthink

Sitting at my desk typing away, I gaze out the window to get a better look. Now, the large white Egret is there, on the opposite side of the pond from Elvis. After more than a year of living here, I have not seen them visit at the same time. This reminds me of God’s promise:

Zechariah 9:12 (AMP) 12 “Return to the stronghold [of security and prosperity], you prisoners of hope; even today do I declare that I will restore double your former prosperity to you.” Have you heard the saying, ‘Double for your trouble’? Well, this is it darlin’s. God will give us double the blessing for any trouble this world throws at us.

That is what I saw this morning. How about you? Is something staring you in the face that has you filled with anxiety, or is it in the future? If it’s in the future, it has a very good chance of not happening, because time changes circumstances. All we have is this present moment we’re sitting in right now.

I encourage you to be still in this moment, and know that God is near. He has it all worked out. It may not look like what we have planned, but in my experience, that’s even better.