Friday’s Theme | Friends

I’ve had an amazing day today.  One could call it a perfect ending to a great week.  Spending time having coffee with friends, chatting, and seeing a friend I didn’t expect to see was such a wonderful surprise.

I sat around a table at a new coffee house talking to my friend Carl and reminiscing about our high school days.  We were a little rowdy at times, but typical for teens.  I’m sure most would consider me very straight laced, but there were a few things I did I’m sure others would be surprised about.

A special treat today was when a young lady walked in that we hadn’t seen for almost 20 years.  Her name is Lona and she sat down and visited with us for a while.  She shared with us her amazing testimony of how God has redeemed her life, rescued her from drug addiction, and how she now has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  She’s traveling now, speaking to youth and women and answering some pretty tough questions about her past, but it’s absolutely a beautiful story about God’s grace and love.

I’m a blessed person today for having the opportunity to sit and talk with Lona.  I pray God that you will use Lona to continue as an active participant in your kingdom restoration.  May you fill her life with love and protect her as she shares your love for your children.  Amen!

Coffee, Music, and Praise…

This afternoon I decided to take off from work and hang out at Dunn Bros Coffee house in Dallas.  I’ve been chatting by email with a friend, drinking coffee, and writing.  I’m not sure it gets much better then that.

A few minutes ago I put my head phones on to drown out the sound of a couple of noisy business men.  Jon Foreman can be moving and inspirational.  It’s really cool when you have experiences that cause you to truly see the glory of God and his presence purely because you enjoy a moment of your life that is different than the norm.

I feel as if God has orchestrated an afternoon of relaxation, joy, and creativity for me and I wanted to take a minute to stop and say thanks. 

Thanks God for making my day.  Thank you for bringing pleasure into my life through coffee, music, and writing.  Three of the things I truly enjoy.

Now…back to the story I’m working on for an upcoming post.  It’s fiction and not based on true life, but I’m certainly enjoying the story as it develops.  I hope everyone else does too.

Have a great weekend and take a minute to stop and enjoy the things that God has created around you.  Maybe you’ll find a little piece of joy today too.

Autism and a Starbucks Cup

Yesterday morning was the last Saturday for my son’s (Wakeland) bowling league.  Wakeland bowls in the Miracle League and once again set a new high score with a 128, breaking last weeks high score of 116.  We are very proud of him and try to celebrate every moment he’s participating in.  We are very blessed as Wakeland, even with the severity of his needs, is a pretty normal child.  So we get to have great conversations with him and he’s always making us laugh.

There are however many kids who have extremely hard lives.  Many of them struggle with Autism, a condition that leaves them seemingly trapped within their own minds.

This morning we participated in our normal ritual of purchasing Starbucks coffee on the way.  When we finished, my wife read the side of her cup and we were amazed with what it said.  Here it is:

The Way I see It #264

Every 20 minutes – less time than it will take you to drink your coffee- another child is diagnosed with autism.  it’s much more common than people think, with one out of every 150 children diagnosed.  Learn the early warning signs of autism, and if you’re concerned about your child’s development, talk to your doctor.  Early intervention could make a big difference in your child’s future.  –Bob Wright Former chairman and CEO of NBC/Universal, co-founder of Autism Speaks.

Starbucks Was A Bust

 

After a restless night of sleep and crazy dreams, I climbed out of bed even though I really wanted to just roll over and go back to sleep.  Oh the comfort of a warm bed at 5:00 am on Friday morning.  Against my better judgement I got up anyway, deciding that I needed to head for the office and get my work done.  I made a quick decision to hurry through my morning routine, because what this sleepy head needed was a Starbucks coffee.  So, I skiped the shaving for one more day, which isn’t a big deal, since I’ve grown a beard, but I do like to keep it trimmed nicely and it’s a little over due for some attention.

I rushed through my morning yoga exercises, put on my shoes, coat, then stopped to grab my man purse, lunch, cell phone, and…”where’s my freaking wallet.”  Dang it!  Where did I put it?  Check the man purse…crap, I’m out of time and if I don’t leave now I’ll be late for work.  Guess I won’t be stopping for Starbucks, since I don’t even have any cash.