Savor The Taste...a lesson from fresh ground coffee

            I love coffee!!  A lot of people say they love coffee, but really it's just the caffeine they are addicted to. Not so with me.  I really love the taste of pure unadulterated coffee. No cream. No sugar. And definitely no "flavors"! I want nothing to get between these taste buds and that wonderful taste and aroma of black coffee.

In fact, once I savor my one-to-three cups of "fully leaded" coffee, I then switch to a good brand of caffeine-free just to continue enjoying the deliciousness of the coffee flavor.

Coffee is a very important part of getting my mornings off to a good start. So pouring a hot, steaming cup of coffee is the first thing I do …that is unless the Hubs leaves the house before letting the dogs out and getting them through their morning routine. In that case, of course, I have to take care of their needs first.  Once done...I pick out one of my favorite mugs and pour that first cup, just basking in the delicious aroma as I carry it up the stairs to my office...to my big comfy chair, where I curl up with my coffee, reading glasses, and my bible.

Now at this point, I would love to say that nothing comes between me and the "pure unadulterated " quiet time I have with the Lord, with His word, and in prayer and meditation...and some mornings that is absolutely true. However, my office can be a whirlwind of distraction with unfinished projects, to do lists, books, books and more books; just waiting to be tackled, checked off, and devoured (I am a voracious reader).  Not to mention the noise and flurry of whatever new "adventure" my puppy, Clair, is getting into.

So...some mornings the distractions lead me away from my intended goal of spending time in the Word, listening for His voice, and praying to have "ears to hear and eyes to see" what the Lord has for me.  Instead, my ears and eyes are being bombarded with Clair bringing me some new "toy" she has just discovered from the bathroom trash can, and now the utterance, "dear lord", is not exactly the beginning of a heartfelt prayer!

So I contemplate this morning...I absolutely love my morning quiet time and I really do hate when I let distractions interrupt that time...but do I crave those times as I would that first cup of coffee?  Do I "wait in expectation" as David says in  Psalm 5:3. To hear God's voice in answer to my prayers?  I don't want anything to dilute the pure taste of my coffee. Am I allowing the silly distractions of my mornings to dilute my time in the Word, in quiet contemplation…listening for His voice?

As I have stated before, I named this blog "Captive Heart" because that truly is my greatest desire...to have a heart that is captivated by the grace and love of my Lord and Savior...a heart that is not distracted by the busyness and noise of this world.

I want to savor all that God has for me...to have eyes to see and ears to hear what He has in store for me this day and every day!   I want to be used by God in whatever way He chooses to bring love and healing to those He puts in my path. I want to hunger after His Word.  I want to say with the psalmist, "How sweet are your words to my taste".

So, with coffee in hand, I will continue to my office each morning with expectation.

How about you...how do you begin your day?

For me...to savor the pure undiluted/unadulterated time with my Lord...ahhhh...now that hits the spot!! 

In the morning Lord, you hear my voice; 

in the morning I lay my requests before you 

and wait expectantly.  ~Psalm 5:3                                                                    

Morning Musings From My Patio…Another lesson

It is a gloriously beautiful morning!  I am sitting out on my back patio listening to the birds singing their little hearts away.  The promise of spring is in the air today. 

I can feel the anticipation of new growth and new beginnings as I sit here, taking it all in...the gentle cool breeze, the warmth of the intense Nevada sun, the trilling of the birds, and the sound of the water cascading down over the rocks of the waterfall in my backyard pond.

 As my eyes seek out each stump of dried old flowers and the still bare limbs of the trees and bushes, my mind begins the mental checklist of things that still need to be done to ready the gardens.Things like cleaning out the dead brush and sticks...it's so much easier to cut back the old growth that was left for winter protection before the new growth gets tangled up with it. 

My mind continues down the list...thinking of those things that will need to be done to make room for the new growth that has been laying dormant all winter and now is just waiting to burst forth with new tender shoots reaching up toward the sun.  I even think of the spring blooming Lilacs, whose buds actually formed late summer or fall and lie dormant until they are ready to burst open...it is important to prune  the flowers directly after they flower, if you wait too long you risk cutting off the already growing buds for next year. 

What a picture of spiritual renewal the Lord gives us through the season of Spring!  I think that I love that this is not a one-time occurence, but an event that needs to take place year after year in order for the plants to remain healthy. 

It's important to know exactly the best time for the pruning of each type of plant if you want to make room for healthy growth.  The plants are always ready to grow and flourish through the seasons, but the right conditions must be met in order for this to happen. When those conditions are not met, the plant can remain stunted and unhealthy; some won't produce the fruit they are meant to produce and some will even shrivel up and die off completely. 

The same is true in our own lives.  We need to allow God to cut back those things in our lives that are keeping us from producing the fruit of the Spirit.  Sometimes we need to choose to let go of things in our lives that we have been so desperately holding on to. We need to let go because they are  keeping us from growing and flourishing in our journey with God.

Yep! Spring is in the air! There are still so many things I  need to do in order to prepare the garden of my heart for the work that the Master Gardener has planned for me.  How about you?