imitation

My husband and i have recently been reading Hebrews. We have had a wonderful discussion on the first few chapters and hope to keep the discussions going! In the meantime, i spent some time meditating on chapters 5-7, seeking to absorb them as best as i can.

Upon reading chapter 6 the first time, i was immediately struck by verse 12: "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Imitating those who have come before me.

At about this same time i had just finished reading this memoir and had rediscovered my love for memoirs. (Girl Meets God is one of my favorites.) So i found it appropriate that i now felt called by God to read more of them in order to learn from, and thus imitate, others.

So i began my search for the *perfect* person whose life i could learn from, in a Christian, Jesus-filled kind of way, who had also written about it. I started off at Barnes & Noble, perusing their Biographies and Memoirs section. Nothing stood out. I then spent an endless amount of time checking out all the books on Amazon's "bestselling memoirs" list. Again, nothing that really grabbed my attention. Clearly someone's story should suffice, right??? But since i had received Word from God about imitation so clearly, i didn't want to simply settle for just any book.

And then one day i arrived to work (like i always do), turned on my computer monitor (like i always do), and began my day (like i...well you get the idea. same old same old). All the sudden, i looked down at the two books that i have stacked underneath my monitor (to raise it) and thought, "hey, i wonder what these are all about." To my amazement, one of these was the perfect book!

It's called Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Marytrs to Modern Missionaries. It takes the reader through Christian history, specifically highlighting those Christians who have stood out for one reason or another. So not only do i get to read about one person, i get to read about several people throughout history!!

I have been reading whenever I have the chance and have been captivated by the stories and lessons I can learn from those who have come before me. Plus, it's written in a reader-friendly kind of way so I haven't ever gotten the sense that I'm reading a text book.

I highly recommend this for anyone who would like to imitate those who have come before us. There's so much to learn.

More info on the book can be found here.

yummy childhood goodness with a twist

Today I found out some great news... some TASTY great news. Two of my fondest, tastiest treats from my childhood have joined forces to create what I believe will be one of the yummiest treats out there.

Before I unveil this new creation, here's a brief background of the two treats i grew up with.

The first treat:

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When i was in elementary school, the only Krispy Kreme shop nearby was located in Daytona, FL. Therefore, whenever we would venture to the beach, we would also stop at Krispy Kreme and enjoy some doughnuts!! It was a win win situation! Beach time and doughnuts. I never imagined that a better combo could be born...until today.

The second treat:

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Cheerwine. Ahhhh... Love it still to this day! For those of you who don't know, it's a soda that has a very distinct taste, almost similar to dr. pepper cherry vanilla. It too was hard to come by, since it is only available in the Carolinas. I connect my love with Cheerwine with childhood memories of cabins and family vacations there. My grandparents rented out cabins (and eventually built their own) in North Carolina and we had quite a few family gatherings there through the years. Oftentimes, my sister and i would insist on having our parents bring back a few 12 packs of Cheerwine to Florida!

And now, the great unveiling...

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The Krispy Kreme Cheerwine Doughnut!!!
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/16/krispy-kreme-cheerwine-doughnut-announced-lets-brainstorm-other-ultimate-southern-collaborations/

And this makes me VERY excited! Especially because i'll be heading down to North Carolina next week where I will be able to indulge in this fabulous combo!! When i return, i will post my review.

moments from heaven

My co-worker (and Pastor of a church in NYC who i'll refer to as PC) just returned from an hour and a half "coffee run."

But there's a Starbucks on every block in New York! Why the heck did it take so long??

Well, in Starbucks PC noticed a guy sitting at his own table, reading The Shack. (PC and I have spoken many times about this book and about how life-changing it has been for many, including people close to us.) So PC made a comment in passing to this guy of how good a book it was.

The guy responded, "Do you know much about it? Because i've got a lot of questions."

And thus began an hour long conversation between them about the book, Jesus, Christianity, and other such topics. PC has a gift for engaging in natural conversations with people about these topics, never getting into "debates" or seeking to "convert" but rather hearing the person, getting to know them, and addressing their needs in love.

At the end of their time together, no major conversion took place. The gentleman did not declare himself to be a Christian. (But is "on-the-spot conversion" the point? I don't think so.) Rather, he left with a sense that he was heard, with a greater understanding of Jesus and with much to contemplate. This conversation may perhaps serve as a mile marker as his journey continues onward.

I love it when God gives us moments from Heaven like this.