The Bean Forever Remembers

Just this last week, my husband was in Starbucks and picked up a clearance mug. The mug is black and says "Starbucks" and we really don't need another one. The mug is not what caught my attention, though. It was the box. It is a simple brown cardboard made from recycled material. There are green letters on it that say:

"The bean forever remembers its birthplace: the terraced hillsides, the equatorial rains, the lilac-blue shade of the jacaranda. The bean eternally harbors the nurturing touch of the farmer deep within. The bean gives back blessing each warm cup with the mysteriously inviting flavor of its coffee-land origin."

I love coffee and I enjoy trying new roasts and blends from distant lands. If you are really careful about how you drink it you can actually taste the differences in the different coffees. Coffee beans grown in Kenya have a bright, almost fruity flavor. Coffee connoisseurs will tell you to drink it with fruity desserts or fresh berries. I thoroughly enjoyed the bag of beans we received from Hannah.
The rare Kona coffee grown on the Big Island in Hawaii is a highly prized bean with a light body and a sweet caramelly aroma to it. Again, this was an amazing cup of coffee. It is very expensive and rarely can you find 100% Kona. It is usually blended with Latin American beans of Asian beans to balance it out. We did have some on our trip to Hawaii and brought some home with us. MMMMM it was so good. I had a hard time using the last of those precious beans.
But, it wasn't so much the statement about the bean that grabbed me but the truth that can be found within it.
I have been meditating on John 15:1-17 lately and I immediately thought of these verses when I saw this little box. The coffee bean is sometimes referred to as the "fruit" of the coffee plant (it's actually the seed). The fruit of the coffee remembers where it has been rooted. These verses talk about how to bear good fruit we must remain in, or be rooted in, Christ and His words.
I loved this phrase; "The bean eternally harbors the nurturing touch of the farmer deep within." Do I harbor the nurturing touch of my gardener? (Jn 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener). Or, do I cringe and push away His pruning in my life? (Jn 15:2...every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.) I am trying to embrace His pruning in my life right now, knowing that it will produce good fruit. (Jn 15:5...If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.) I hope that my fruit gives back a blessing to those around me and to the Father. And, that it is with a mysterious inviting flavor of the land I am rooted in.

Menu Plan Monday

Getting organized, even in just one area, helps make life so much easier. I often find that if I am making progress in one area it will spill over into other areas as well. So, I am sticking to planning my menu for the week and hoping it will spill over a little. :)

Monday:Lasagna (made by my hubby at the men's ministry activity where they "taught" the men to cook an entire meal for their wives. He is a really good cook, so this was just for fun for him.)

Tuesday: Baked chicken, steamed veggies and mashed potatos

Wednesday: Leftovers for the kids (Bill and I will be out of town for a Dr. appointment)

Thursday: Steak on the grill, salad and baked potatos.

Friday: Taco and a movie night

Saturday: chicken packets and broccoli salad

Sunday: chicken tortilla soup in the crock pot.

P.S. If you didn't get to read the end of my series "Blessed to be an April Fool", I finished it with one last post late last night. Read it below.

Blessed to be an April Fool - Part Four

I fully believe God had a very intentional purpose in allowing me to experience a traumatic delivery such as this. I know my husband and I learned so much from this. It is hard to describe the thoughts and feelings after you or your spouse almost dies. Even today, six years later, I have an appreciation for life, knowing how quickly it can and will pass away. I don't always operate in that, but it does change my perspective on things when I slow down and think of all that God has blessed me with.
Many people were used by God on my behalf that very scary night. When Bill crashed our friends' dinner party, they gathered around him to pray. We were still unsure if I was going to need a C-section, so they were praying that things would turn around for me. One of the women in this group "saw" something as they prayed. She has told me that while they were praying all she could see was red. In her heart she knew it was blood, but couldn't explain it. Then suddenly there was a bright light and everything turned white. She didn't understand it at the time, but stayed up late into the night praying for me.
I have a twin sister who, at the time, lived in Oregon, a two hour time difference from where we live. She was a children's Pastor so Saturday nights were early to bed for her. She knew that I was in the delivery room and assumed I had not had the baby since she had not heard from any family. She has recounted waking abruptly at about 1:30 a.m. her time (3:30 our time), and feeling an urgency to pray. She had asked our mom to call her as soon as the baby had been born, no matter what time of the night. Since she still had not heard anything, she did the only thing she knew to do: pray. She says she prayed diligently, not even sure of what she was praying for. Two hours later, she says, she felt a peace wash over her and fell right back to sleep. It was 3:30 her time, 5:30 our time. That was the time they took me into surgery. Our parents called her later that morning when they knew she would be awake to tell her what had happened. She knows that God woke her to intercede on my behalf.
I have had others tell me that they were unable to go to sleep that night, or woke early in the morning with an urgency to pray for me. I know God had a plan all along, but I believe I needed those prayers. And, those that prayed for me needed to see the result of their prayers.
I believe that God used this situation to touch people's lives. Even today, I am quickly recognized by all the nurses that were there that night. I'm sure that many of them stopped to think about their lives during that experience.
There is one person in particular, though, that I believe was the main reason for this "near death" experience. My awesome, Christian Doctor, Traci is married to a great man named Roger. Roger is also a doctor and at that time was not a believer. Well, at least not in God. He was a believer in medical science. He could find an answer to almost anything with enough research. Some women in our church had begun to pray for Dr. Roger in our own prayer times. I believe God knew he would need a dramatic wake up call. He was a great guy, but really believed that God and religion were just there to make us "feel better".
After Robby had been born, Dr. Traci was exhausted and scared. Dr. Roger came to check on me either later that day or early next in her place. Apparently, she had been having dreams of me every time she tried to close her eyes and sleep. Roger spent a lot of time in medical journals and on the internet to try to "explain" what had happened to me. I think he thought it would make Traci feel better to know it wasn't her fault (which it was not.) The problem with that was he could never really explain it. He had some good theories but no concrete evidence as to what exactly happened, why it happened or why I was still alive. He discovered that another woman just 3 months before had died of similiar circumstances in childbirth. Traci, Bill and I, as well as so many others in our church, continued to stand on God's goodness and faithfulness. The what, why and how didn't really matter. Only the Who.
Within the next few months, Dr. Roger began to slip into the sound booth a few minutes late for services and leave a few minutes early so no one would see him. God continued to work on his heart and Roger gave his life to the Lord. Today, he still sits in the back of the church but that is so he can slip out if he gets paged and so we don't have to hear him sing. :)
If Doctor Roger was the only reason I experienced that it was well worth it. I know that he has touched so many others for the Lord in ways I never could through his private practice.
When people hear that my son's birthday is April 1st, I often hear "Oh, an April Fool's baby." My response is usually "Oh, no, he's not the April fool. I am." Time and time again, I think of what a fool I was to believe that I had any ounce of control in that situation. It was all God. He is good and faithful, and thankfully, knows a whole lot more about what is going on than I do. He was in control the whole time. When the delivery room was full of nurses and doctors unsure of what to do, He was in control. When I was in the worst pain I had ever experienced and could feel my life slipping away, He was in control. When my husband had to go home to an empty apartment, He was in control. When my doctor told her husband about her harrowing delivery, He was in control. Thank you God that you use the "foolish things of this earth to confound the wise"(1 Cor.1:27). I am so Blessed to be a Fool.

Blessed to be an April Fool - Part Three

Coming "to" after general anesthesia is a strange experience. It is a lot like the movies when you see from the first person perspective. Blinking, bright lights, voices that sound muffled and incoherent. I'm not exactly sure what time it was Sunday morning, but I was already in my room when I woke up. My whole family was there and the first thing I said was, "Bring me my baby." They placed Robby in my arms. I remember feeling groggy and bloated and puffy, but at peace knowing that whatever had just happened it was all ok. I had my husband and now my baby.
I had an IV in one hand, another in my arm and a unit of blood was dripping slowly into the other arm. Nurses kept coming in checking my vitals. Shortly after waking, a man with long red stringy hair pulled back in a pony tail, with cheap "diamond" earrings and the faint smell of cigarette smoke on his scrubs came bounding into the room. It was my angel! Actually, it was Kevin from the lab, he drew a small amount of blood to test my hemoglobin. "Well, honey," he said in a gentle voice, "you sure gave us a scare last night. We sure are glad you're here." I think that was the first moment I really realized how close it had been.
Bill had begun to call our friends and tell them the good news. During one call I heard him tell a friend, "No, the doctor says she'll be able to have another baby some day."
"What?!!?" I said. That was when I learned that they had not done a hysterectomy after all. After hearing each of the doctors and nurses and my family tell me their perspectives, I put this together.
The surgeon had taken me into surgery planning to do a hysterectomy. Once I was out, she assesed the situation and it reminded her of the cows on the farm. After birthing a calf, the cow's uterus would turn inside out from exhaustion and come out of it's body. She suspected that I might have been experiencing the same thing, except mine stayed inside my body. She described to me how she took her fist, put into my body and felt the uterus pop into place like a balloon. Immediately it began to contract as it should, and she had to quickly pull her hand out. The nurses described how almost instantly my cheeks turned a little pink.
The doctors put their heads together and deduced that I may have been in labor all week and just not responded to it. Eventually, my body became so tired it just opened up and let the baby be born, but with horrible consequences. They felt that no permanent damage had been done and I would be able to have other children.
During this ordeal I received 8 units of blood, including the one later that morning. A normal healthy woman has about 6 or 7 units of blood and possibly 8 when she is pregnant. It is possible that every drop of blood in my body was replaced. I was extremely bloated from all the extra fluids they gave me in my IV's.
I was also extremely tired. That first day is pretty blurry. Our Senior Pastor at that time, had come to the hospital during the night to be with Bill. And, since it was a Sunday, he announced to the church that our son had been born, but carefully explained that there had been complications and no one should visit us in the hospital. I think Bill received many phone calls but, otherwise, we were able to be alone with our new baby.
As I have been writing this, Bill has mentioned that as dramatic as this experience sounds in print it was even more so to live. I have some theories as to why God brought us through this experience, but I also know I will not fully understand till I see Him in Heaven.
Part Four will include some amazing stories of how God used others on my behalf in this situation and what I believe is one of the reasons that this happened.

Blessed to be an April Fool - Part One

Two days ago it was April 1st, a popular day in our house for obvious reasons. It was also a Sunday and we had a very special service. A young woman from our church shared the beautiful story of how God saved her life during a near fatal car accident that included a 40 foot drop from an overpass. It was beautiful to see how God had shown her through this experience that He has a great and mighty plan for her life. She feels as though she has been given a second chance at life. Her life has been forever changed.
As I sat and watched her story and as she shared a beautiful song, I tried hard not to let those around me see me breakdown. The flood of emotions filled my thoughts of my own life changing event 6 years ago. I have talked about it a few times, but haven't ever written it down. I was encouraged early on to write it down so I would always remember.
Of course, I remember being pregnant. I had been working as the lunch lady at a local elementary school. The kids had marvelled at my growing belly and I was feeling heavier and heavier. (I didn't know you could gain 65 lbs, but I did.) The last week of March was Spring Break and I had decided not to return after that since my due date was April 7th.
Now, God and I had been having lots of conversations regarding this baby. Early on I had told Him that I wanted a boy and I wanted him to come in March. I had also prayed for a "slippery baby", but you'll see how well that worked for me. I thought God and I had made quite a good deal with one another.
It was Sunday March 25th and I woke early to pains in my belly. It would get tight and I could hardly breathe, but it was bearable. This had to be it! I readied myself for church in the only thing I could still wear - big hand-me-down overalls. Not exactly a picture of the glowing expectant mommy to be, but it was comfy. I tried to play it cool and not get too excited. My doctor attended our church, so she and I sat towards the back and kept time on my bulletin. Less than 5 minutes apart. She told me to go to the hospital after church. After arriving at the hospital, the contractions began to slow down. She met us there about 1:00 and by 3:00 they sent me home. I was so disappointed but I knew it wouldn't be too long. That day I walked the mall and took a tablespoon of cod liver oil (DON'T DO IT!!!) just to try to get things going again. Of course it didn't work. In fact, it did the opposite; I was plugged up for days, 'nough said.
Everyday the following week I continued to have contractions and made contact with my doctor in some way. Monday- phone call. Tuesday-regular visit, dialated to 1, 50% efaced. Wednesday- phone call. Thursday- water broke!?! Ooops, false alarm just sweaty from the rising spring temps and my weight. Finally on Friday, March 30th, I gave up. I knew it wasn't going to happen even though I spent much of my time this last week pausing and bending over to catch my breath from the contractions I was having every 5 to 10 minutes. I decided to treat myself to a pedicure at a nearby beauty college. Of course, I didn't tell them until I arrived that I was 9 months pregnant. At first they refused to touch me saying I would go into labor if they did. I assured them that it was dr. approved and if they didn't I would burst into tears and sob uncontrollably until they did. They did! That was the best pedicure ever!!
In our tired desperation, we called Heth and her hubby, Nate, and asked if we could come over for dinner. I think we needed some reassurance that this baby wouldn't be in there forever. After some delicious spicy Mexican food, we stumbled home about 12:00. At 2:30 a.m., I woke to the worst pains I had experienced yet. I tried sleeping on the couch, but by 6:00 a.m. I couldn't stand it anymore. It was time to go to the hospital.
And, the rest of the story will come later this week.

Menu Plan Monday

This week's menu is nothing too exciting, but my family will be spending precious time together. So, does the food really matter? Well, here it is.

Monday: Tomato-basil penne pasta, salad and bread

Tuesday: Crock-pot Pork Roast, potatos and veggies

Wednesday:Grilled cheese and soup

Thursday: Bratwurst, potato salad and baked beans

Friday: Chicken packets, soup or salad

Saturday: Mexican (taco) night and Birthday Cake!! Tonight we are celebrating Robby's 6th birthday with Nana, Papa, Uncle Steve, Aunt Nicole and cousins, Emily and Megan.

Happy Birthday, Little Man

Happy Birthday, Little Man

Happy Birthday to my little man. You are 6 now and growing up so quickly. You have changed so much over this last year. You started Kindergarten and are loving it. You are so smart. Your intelligence is unbelievable. You have a unique ability to understand such difficult ideas.

You have a great ear for music, already. I enjoy listening to your songs on the piano and am amazed when I hear you sound out a new one. I know one day you will be over your "shyness" and share your music with others.

I love that you want to be a pastor, just like your daddy, when you grow up. You patiently wait each day for him to come home and you are so understanding of his crazy schedule. I love that you give your dad such great ideas for his next "sermon series".

I can see already that God has a great plan for your life. I am looking forward to all that this next year holds for you.

But, please, don't grow up too fast.