...just smile!

People throughout our lives impact who we are both for the good and sometimes for the worse. These individuals help to shape who we are and who we will become. Last Sunday we celebrated All Saints day. There was lots of discussion throughout the week on who our ‘cloud of witnesses’ are and how does that history influence our lives. As you think about the various people who have impacted your life. Flip the coin… You have influenced people in your life as well. How are you going to have an impact on someone else’s life? When thinking about Saints, I think of Mother Teresa. “Be smiling when you visit the poor. Even if you have nothing to give, smile to them, it costs nothing.” I think we should have this philosophy in engaging with all people we come in contact with. Just smile and treat others with kindness.
~peace and love~
Angelica

Carrot, Egg, or Coffee

Are you dealing with some rough issues? Have you had it up to your ears with finals and papers. Is you past haunting you? Does the future feel over whelming? This is a good story about dealing with the life struggles that we all go through. I hope you can find some understanding in your world after reading it. ~Angelica

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?'

'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

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Happy Halloween!

Happy Fall!
This morning I was greeted with a blanket of green laid before my feet as I walked in the backdoor of the CoffeeLoft.org house. The tree in our back yard dumped all of its beautiful green leaves and it covers the yard/sidewalk completely. It was a very warm welcoming with the looming idea of snow being right around the corner. It reminded me of the seasons of our lives- although there are parts of it we might not be looking forward to we should always try and enjoy the beauty we see in all our lives… even if it might not seem like much at the time. So on this beautiful fall day I just want to send you a smile. Watch the leaves and know how important you are!! ~Angelica