Ugly Mug.

I have officially changed my brewing preferences.  I was a traditional Starbucks kinda guy ... go to the store by the pound of coffee and grind it at home.  Sumatra.  Gold Coast.  Something bold and clean.  I have found a coffee that I now choose to brew at home instead.  Of coarse, when I'm out I still go get a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  At home, though, its now "Ugly Mug" for me. 

The following ads should convey why (especially if you know me personally):

Alone.

My friends at work are gone to China for two weeks to distribute bibles, legally, which has left me alone to work at our church.  I'm proud of what they're doing; it's important and lives will be changed because of it.  They've been gone a week and are scheduled to return on Saturday night (late).

My wife left yesterday afternoon to go visit her sister, who is moving to Las Vegas in a few days.  Along with her sister and her mother, they had planned to spend last night and today together.  She'll be back late tonight.

Although I've been alone, I have not been lonely.  

My first reaction to being alone is calling friends and family to catch up.  I've done that, of coarse.  After a while, I feel caught-up, though, and that desire to just gab really just leaves.  Normally that ends with an odd depression filled with loneliness.

Now, while today has been remarkably productive due to the solitude.  Today hasn't been lonely.  It hasn't been lonely because even though I'm alone, I'm not alone.

I feel ashamed that I so often overlook the eternal presence of Jesus with me.   I'm not talking about Jesus residing with us in some judgmental way where he's looking at my every move waiting for me to do something unworthy of his affection and attention.  I'm talking about the One who called me his "friend", and simply wants me trust and follow him.

I'm grateful that the God who created the universe, formed the stars, sun, and earth, that this God desires knowing me so much that He literally has taken residence up in my life.  

That's friendship.  That's reason enough to not be lonely.

brownies.

oh. and i love brownies.

Running Upstairs.

I noticed a while back that I tend to run when I'm heading up stairs.  When I was younger we used to pick on people walking up the stairs on the bleachers at football games, because there is no way to walk up stairs and look cool or happy or energetic.  With one exception: to run up them.  

I think life is full of stairs to climb, hurdles to get over, and obstacles to overcome.  Most of them are difficult and painful, and, honestly, most of us look bored and pained while we go through them.  However, if we face our fears, own up to our problems, and admit our brokenness there is a momentum that carries us through the problem to wholeness on the other side.  

The momentum that carries us through these problems comes from the realization that we need Jesus.  When facing problems or brokenness, we have the opportunity to see Jesus at the top of the stairs, at the end of the fight, in the outcome of the problem.  

To me, that is a good reason to run up the stairs.