Starbucks + Me + God = Time Well-Spent

Every now and then, I load up a massive bag of Bibles, books, journals, notecards, my computer and headphones and head over to my local Starbucks. I order a cup of my favorite coffee girly drink and pick out the perfect seat, where I proceed to unload all of my goodies. Immediately, I pick out a mellow or instrumental playlist on iTunes (listening to A Fine Frenzy as we speak), take a sip of my steaming (or sometimes freezing cold) cup of coffee and open up my Bible. And in those moments, I get to completely soak up the amazingness of God’s presence. To some of you, this may sound really lame, but these are truly some of the most precious moments I have.

In her Breaking Free videos, Beth Moore says there is something extremely special about mixing time with God with a cup of coffee, and I couldn’t agree more. I guess because coffee has a connotation of something cozy and comfortable, and that’s what I want my time with God to be.

I am so thankful that there are days where I can just completely unplug from the commitments of social life and work responsibilities and sit down and spend time alone with my Father. These are the days where I get to recharge my batteries and get ready for tough days ahead.

These four verses have specifically been ones that have pulled me through some difficult days lately:

Isaiah 61:1-4

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
       because the LORD has anointed me
       to preach good news to the poor.
       He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
       to proclaim freedom for the captives
       and release from darkness for the prisoners, ^[a]

 ² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
       and the day of vengeance of our God,
       to comfort all who mourn,

 ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
       to bestow on them a crown of beauty
       instead of ashes,
       the oil of gladness
       instead of mourning,
       and a garment of praise
       instead of a spirit of despair.
       They will be called oaks of righteousness,
       a planting of the LORD
       for the display of his splendor.

 ⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins
       and restore the places long devastated;
       they will renew the ruined cities
       that have been devastated for generations.

These verses are the basis of Beth Moore’s “Breaking Free” study that has truly been a life-changing experience for me. In addition to that, they were the focus Scriptures for a recent sermon at All Souls Fellowship, called The Resurrection and Beauty. I highly recommend purchasing the Breaking Free workbook and listening to the All Souls sermon.

Finally, the last set of verses that have been such an encouragement to me:

Isaiah 43:1-2

¹ But now, this is what the LORD says—
       he who created you, O Jacob,
       he who formed you, O Israel:
       “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
       I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

 ² When you pass through the waters,
       I will be with you;
       and when you pass through the rivers,
       they will not sweep over you.
       When you walk through the fire,
       you will not be burned;
       the flames will not set you ablaze.

So good!

Layovers

This may sound like a funny thing to be thankful for, but I love layovers. There is something about having forced down time that just fills my heart with joy. It probably comes from being an overachiever and feeling like sitting around and doing nothing is wrong in some way. So, when I get forced into a situation where I cannot do something, I secretly revel in it.

Right now, I am sitting in the Tampa airport; most of the work I can do here is finished; and I feel completely free to do something for myself (i.e. read, blog, read blogs, research things, etc.). It’s incredible… just sitting and relaxing.

I might even download some iTunes to start replenishing my meager music collection.