Slamming Caffeine

Don't let anything get in the way of your view.

Seriously, if you have a driver's license, you know that there is nothing more annoying than some huge flat nasty bug on your windshield. It's annoying, it's gross and it can actually be a hazard. A dead bug can be an obstruction to seeing the road ahead clearly.

Most of us get so, forgive the pun, but "bugged" by the mess that we find the nearest gas station and sponge the junk off.

So why do we hold onto the bugs that block the windshield of life?

If you love a great cup of coffee, that you'll appreciate my heaven on earth scene...rain softly coming down, a city by the ocean (Seattle, San Francisco, Carmel..you get the picture), friendly baristas, fragrant beans roasting pleasantly, fresh roasted coffee just waiting to be ground into most benevolent of brews....Huge comfy chairs, once-read newspapers left behind, the sound of quiet conversations in the background with the occasional excitement of reunited friends...the aroma of fresh baked pastries...traffic bustling outside with cars and people and dogs and bread trucks.

See? I literally get lulled into this fantasy land when I think about coffee. I lose all grasp of reality.

Here's the flip side of that beautiful moment: Imagine being introduced to a certain type of instant coffee that tastes better than fresh brewed coffee and waking up early in the morning in eager anticipation of being able to act as your own barista in your own home. No more drive-thru lines, no more $5 lattes.

NIRVANA.


The only problem with this picture is that in my case I have a very sensitive gut and what with my in-home access to my favorite beverage, I consumed far too much of the stuff. Soon, I was doubled over in pain (it seriously felt like the insides of my esophagus and stomach were being ripped apart with a razor). The nutty part? I was (for a couple of weeks anyway) willing to sacrifice comfort for more of my golden brown elixir, until finally I couldn't take it anymore.

I begged God for help.

"Help me, God. No more, I can't take it anymore. I'm clearly insane. This stuff has become like heroin to me and I can't put it down." (What the heck? Seriously, what is WRONG with me?)

God answered my prayer and QUICK. No hangovers, no headaches...the very next day it was like He had wrapped me in soft, puffy clouds and gave me clarity to see. I had peace and appreciation for all that was around me. The pink cherry blossoms, the green green grass, my son's beautiful smile. It occurred to me that I had been in self will.

That would be the exact opposite of God's will.

It's been a few days now and I occasionally find myself having an internal battle about whether or not I could maybe just maybe have a traditional Starbucks latte because after all, I'm so tired and could really use that kickstart. The thing is that so far (cause trust me, I'm praying in between those crazy thoughts) I don't want to trade in a "jump" for the peace and joy and serenity that I've found.

It may seem stupid to be addicted to coffee, but some of us seem to have that kind of personality. Whether it's Facebook or the Housewives franchise or gossip or alcohol or coffee, some of us have the propensity that act like that bug on a windshield--we are splat up against the very thing that it keeping us from seeing what God wants to see--that our life is good and beautiful and enough.

We cling to the things that dirty up our windshield. We can't see clearly, we have an obstacle to get around but yet we are hesitant to stop by the gas station to clean it up.

And the real zinger? It's only after we've cleaned up the mess that we see what we've been missing.

HAIR (and attitude) by JESUS

Are your Mom and Dad are too busy bringing home the bacon to help you figure out how to make your hair look good in the morning, let alone help you navigate through life?

If you are in a situation where your parents are too clueless, busy, checked out or clocked in to pay attention to you, you've got to know that there's a way out of your hair dilemma, loneliness, confusion or personal drama.

First of all, let's get it straight. Whether you know it or not, you're part of HUGE, loving family. Your family is so big, that it's impossible to know everyone in it!! It's sort of a GANG.

If you know anything about gangs, you know that normally, you've got to be "jumped" into a gang to be a part of it.  That tends to involve violence, terror and intimidation by the members of the existing gang.

Here's the GREAT news!!!!! God has already taken care of the "jumping"!!! If you've accepted the LOVE of Jesus in your life, God sent His son Jesus to get jumped for you!!! By dying a sinner's death on the cross, He took our punishment!!! The flogging, whipping, piercing and bleeding??!! That was the PRICE HE paid for our membership in HIS GANG!!!

Nice!

OK, thats great, but your parents are still not as available as you'd like.

Let's focus on Jesus for now and leave your parents for later.

It sounds cliche, but Jesus HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!! AND IT ROCKS!!

I'm guessing that your thing is to do well in school, make lots of friends and look cute in the halls. As long as your hair looks good and your clothes make sense, you're happy.

Now take that plan (and there's nothing wrong with it, by the way) and put it up against Jesus' plan. He wants you to do well in school--and to really discover what drives you; what motivates you. He wants to stir your heart for something amazing!! AND to excite you about finding a way to serve others in a way that is unique to you. It could be volunteering in an animal shelter or going to build houses in Mexico or helping inner city kids in your area!!

There are NO LIMITS to what GOD can do in your life!! The cool thing is that you don't even KNOW what could unfold as you submit your will to HIM!!! (I'm so excited for you, I can hardly contain myself!!)

And friends? Not only does Jesus want you to have friends, but to extend that friendship to others. Especially to those whom everybody else seems to ignore or disregard (the handicapped, the goth crowd, the nerds, the outcasts, the loners...the ones that eat lunch by themselves..).  When you reach out to others, you're extending HIS LOVE...and guess what? When you extend HIS LOVE, you get MORE OF IT YOURSELF!!! It's kind of like a "pay it forward" kind of deal!!

Your friendships will start to be deeper and more meaningful. You'll attract trustworthy, amazing people into your life that will inspire you to be the best you possible!!

And your hair? Of course, Jesus wants you to feel confident, but that assurance should really come from the inside!! With Jesus as the center of your life, you're going to have an inner confidence that will radiate outwards. Have you ever noticed that if you're counting on your hair to look good in order to have a good day, that your mood will fluctuate depending on the 'do? When we're Jesus-centered, we can laugh at ourselves if we don't look perfect, realizing that all of that doesn't really matter!! Your true friends will love you no matter what your hair looks like!

So back to your parents. They're busy. You can't change that, but what you can change is your attitude.

Get up a little bit earlier each day and spend time reading the Bible. Even just a chapter.

And, if you want, say a prayer. Something simple like, "God, increase my love for Jesus. Let me see the world, my family and friends through Your eyes today."

Remember, GOD LOOKS AT OUR HEARTS, NOT OUR LOOKS:

1 Samuel 16:7 says (MSG): But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”