Coffee & Orphans

Monte finally converted me to the love of coffee sometime in 2008. On our quest to learn how God wants us to be involved in orphan care beyond adoption, we came across some delicious coffee that supports orphans. Gobena Coffee is the name - and they have a great story. A family began this work in response to what they encountered after adopting their daughter from Ethiopia...go HERE to learn more. Around Christmas 08 we placed an order for 5 different bags of whole bean coffee (free shipping when you order 5 or more plus we just really wanted to try each of them). We gave one bag as a Christmas gift. The first bag we tried was Ethiopian...and it was different than any we've had before...very much a change of pace - a distinct fruity flavor(you non-coffee drinkers may not get that...give it a try anyway). We are now into a bag of Guatemalan, and WOW it's really good as well...a smooth medium roast. 3 BIG positives about their coffee: Organic - Fair Trade - Shade Grown. And on top of all of that 100% of the profits are being reinvested in the lives of orphans!!! Does it get any better than that?

We've also tried Saint's Coffee and really like it as well - 1/3 of their profits go back into the lives of orphans. Their beans are roasted-to-order and shipped exactly when their ordered. We tried a bag of Decaf and their Christmas Sampler box. The sampler box was grounded, but they were all still very good...St George the Dragonslayer Blend was our fave. The Decaf was whole bean, and it was stamped as roasted within just a few days of our receiving it.

So...if you are a coffee drinker, there are some great options out there that provide an opportunity to enjoy some awesome coffee and support orphans around the world, as well as give a fair share of the revenue to the farmers growing the coffee beans - which in turn helps eliminate poverty. If you're not a coffee drinker, maybe you should give it try like I finally did...of course with an adequate amount of creamer and LOTS of sugar or vanilla syrup!!!

On the Third Day

So...we recently came across this song that I'm sure many of you already know, but I just have to post it because it has become a new favorite. I can't wait for our church to learn it! We just finished 4 great days of revival meetings...words are NOT enough to describe what our AMAZING God has been up to...we are in complete awe of the goodness of our LORD Jesus! Mix that with the sunshine that has been so beautiful here the past couple of days - and the flowers bursting out of the ground...just feels like a good time to share this song. We first heard it on an album called In Christ Alone: Modern Hymns Of Worship recorded by Bethany Dillon & Matt Hammitt, but the author of the song is Matt Maher. Here are the lyrics:
Verse 1
Creation brings an offering,
As autumn leaves turn to gold,
The trees bow down in highest praise,
Now made bare before Your throne.
The western sky an amber blaze,
At the end of the day,
For everything must die to rise again.
Verse 2
The winter’s chill, a bitter cold,
As sin and shame leave us to fall,
The clouds now full of newborn snow,
For grace to come and save us all,
Within the darkest night of man,
Was found Your saving hand,
For everything must die to rise again.
Chorus 1
On the third day, behold the King,
On the third day, death has no sting,
On the third day, we’re forgiven and reconciled.
Verse 3
The earth it groans in labor pains,
As flowers stretch to heaven above,
Your creatures sing the prophet’s song,
To be a gift of selfless love.
The sun is rising in the east,
And Your spirit is unleashed,
For everything must die to rise again.
Verse 4
And so we wait in joyful hope,
For You to come and take us home,
And so we join beneath the cross,
In suffering from whence we go.
The greatest act of sovereign grace,
In the universe displayed,
For everything must die to rise again.
Chorus 2
On the third day, the saints rejoice,
On the third day, we lift our voice,
On the third day, united and glorified.

What powerful lyrics! My fave line is "For everything must die to rise again." It is so amazing how God the Creator gave us knowledge of Him all throughout His creation. And the seasons - what a creatively beautiful way to teach us. Take a look and listen below.

6th Picture Tag

So, Elaina tagged us on Monday and we're just now getting around to it...how lazy can we be? Apparently very! Here is how it works:

Open your pictures and select the 6th picture in your 6th folder. Tell us the story behind that picture.

This picture is from November of 2005. We had just bought our new "fancy" camera. It was our Christmas gift to one another, but we got it early because we were having revival services at our church. We were having a Big Tent Family Crusade to be exact...that is if I remember correctly. This was taken at the meal before the service. The only people I recognize are T.J. and Randi at the head of the table. I remember a cold front came through that week and we had to move some of the nights inside...you never know about this Texas weather! If you feel like being tagged, please join in!