Week #16

#105

I have to continually remind myself that life is not full of sunshine and roses at all times.  I am so grateful for the pain I frequently feel when I exercise because that means I can still move with purpose.  I am grateful for the mistakes I make daily because it means I have a job with meaning and passion and am surrounded by others who also make mistakes.  I am grateful that I possess a 'stick with it attitude' and do not give up easily.  I have learned in my almost 46 years of life that where HOPE exists there is promise and possibility.  

#106

Aiden's latte art is getting better by the day.  Between his job at Dunn Brothers (a coffee shop) and YouTube, he has learned some mad skills.  This kid knows more about coffee than I ever will.  When he starts his coffee talk, I just remind him that I don't care about the technical side of coffee, I just care about the final product I am about to consume.

Aiden's coffee lingo

* How did your coffee pull this morning??? (Still not sure what this means)

* These beans are a single origin coffee that is why they are so good.  (I personally thought they were good because the small bag cost $25.00)

* Is it too fast or is it too slow? (What is he referring to when he asks is it too fast or too slow?)

* If you didn't change the grind settings when you changed your beans, the extraction will not be appropriate. (Even if I knew where the grind settings were, I am pretty sure I should not be touching those buttons)

* Today's coffee was a one-dimensional cup. (I think he just made this one up because I have never heard of a one-dimensional cup)

* Did you tamp your coffee with 30 pounds of pressure? (I tamp it once or twice and call it good - how the heck would you know what 30 pounds of pressure should feel like)

*Did you notice the undernote of nutty flavoring in today's brew? (Coffee is coffee is coffee - some are better than others, but pretty sure I have never noted a nutty or earthy flavor)

#107

SPRING is finally here!  Greg mowed the lawn, we ate dinner on the deck, and Aika and Aiden spent time chilling by the fire (of course, with their phones). What a blessing of renewed energy the spring brings.

#108

I know this picture does not do it justice, but the moon in the morning is so majestic.  On this day in particular, I hit the snooze button on my phone two times and had no interest in getting out of bed and going to the gym.  For whatever reason I drug myself out of bed and was greeted with this beauty.  I sometimes think God wants to remind me of the blessings he provides each and every day and had I slept in, I would have missed His reminder.

#109

When I decided to make Easter cutout cookies, I began the process thinking they were going to look like some Food Network cookie decorator champion made them.  However, that idea soon came to a hault when I began decorating them and encountered one issue after another.  The ears kept breaking off, the nose shape was supposed to be a heart, and then those whiskers, oh those whiskers.

 After several failed attempts and a lot of powered sugar redos, I accepted the final product for what is was worth, flaws and all.

 The funny thing is................ the failures and mistakes (aka- 'hot mess') from above taste absolutely identical to the ones I deemed as a more professional finished product.

Just as God made all of our human bodies identical on the inside, how we look on the outside differs greatly.  However, at the end of the day, we are all created equal in the eyes of the Lord with a sincere beauty in each person, regardless of the outward appearance.

#110

My boys working together to fix our fridge.  It was super awesome that our fridge decided to give out on Easter weekend.  The boys were working late into the evening trying to get this thing to stop freezing up.  Seeing these two work together and problem solve makes my heart so happy.  We never did get it fixed and have to call a professional, but so thankful to have a backup fridge in the garage, which only held the most important cold drinks (diet coke and beer).  I guess we will have to put our refreshments on ice until our refrigerator is fixed (or we purchase a new one). 

#111

Ireland teaching Aika how to dye Easter eggs.  As I was explaining our tradition of dying Easter eggs, I actually wondered - why do we dye eggs?  I really could not come up with an answer although I assumed it had something to do with our Christian faith since Easter is a Christian holiday.

After a tad bit of research, I learned that the egg is a symbol of new life, fertility, and rebirth, which is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus.  Christians began dying the eggs red to represent the blood shed by Jesus during his time on the cross.  

What a time in life to reflect on one's own rebirth.  

We all have opportunities for growth and Easter is a beautiful reminder of that.  Jesus died on the cross for all humankind and rose from the dead.  I cannot beat that, but what I can do is attempt to live my life like Jesus did.  I will fall short each and every day, but I have HOPE that my faith in Him will help me navigate the waters of uncertainty and unpredictability in each day.

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
1 John 2:6 NIV

HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL!