coffee converts

My friend jumped into the passenger seat of my car.  She sniffed, then chuckled.  "Of course.  Amy's car would smell like coffee!"

What she actually smelling was a combination of  the new French Vanilla air freshener that I had just put up that morning, and my Starbucks Pike Place that I had grabbed on the way over.

But what she was alluding to was my (apparently) infectious and contagious love of coffee.

I don't know what it is that I like about it so much.  Wait, maybe I do.  The smell of it captivates me...my parents laugh at me when I walk into a Starbucks, close my eyes and just take a long, deep breath.  It probably has to do with the fact that pretty much every morning for my entire life has started with the smell of fresh coffee brewing.  Nostalgia?  Call it what you will.  I love it.  As for the taste.  Ha, we won't even go there.

Anyway, my friends tease me all the time about my love of coffee.  When two of my besties came over not too long ago, as they were stirring their cups of freshly brewed coffee they were remarking about how they actually never really liked coffee.

"I don't know... I never used to drink it.  Then I just started drinking it all of a sudden, and I don't know...wait..." they locked eyes, then turned and looked at me.

"What??" I shrugged.

"It's you!"

I raised an eyebrow, chuckled slightly and lifted the mug to my lips.  "I don't know what you're talking about."

Okay, so maybe I have a coffee addiction.  And maybe I talk about it too much ("it", meaning, the coffee itself).

But you know, I was thinking.  I so easily converted my friends over to coffee drinking.  How?

I shared my excitement.  I showed them the beauty of it.  The smells, the tastes, the different ways to fix it.

What if I put this same energy into telling others about Jesus?  Hmm.  Convicting thought.

I'm so passionate about something as carnal as coffee... why can't I have that same passion in God's love?

The beauty of it; the smell of it, the sights of it, the feel of it, the redemption in it.  The eternal value of it!

May my love and passion for Jesus be manifest in such a way that others will be drawn to Him; that they will smell His aroma on me, and desire to have Him too.  They will see His smile on my face, and yearn for His joy.  They will hear His heart beating through my voice, and desperately seek to find the center.

May my addiction to Jesus be contagious!

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place."  ~2 Corinthians 2:14

Is this normal- or am I crazy?

I am like really, really, really, really, REALLY excited about Christmas!  I know... it's pathetic... I've been excited and planning since September... :-)
(My birthday is a few days before Christmas... maybe that's why I like it so much...)

It's so amazing when I think about the Christmas story... how God came down out of heaven and was born into flesh to live a perfect life and to ultimately die as a sacrifice for our sins.  It's mind-blowing actually.

Us Christians have a beautiful ministry platform at Christmas time.

Everyone is bustling around in the "Christmas spirit", cheery, festive...  what better time to tell them the Christmas story- the gospel message?  

Go caroling!
Sing about the gift of God...

Bring cookies and tracts...

Bring tracts with you when you are in line at busy stores... Wouldn't it be nice to read a comic while waiting in line?

Anyway... just thinkin'...

Is it to early to be thinking about Christmas?!?!?  I can't help it!

Have a fabulous day, my friends!

~Amy

Did you know...

If you have a blog, Facebook, or Twitter, you have a wonderful ministry platform.

 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always , even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

We have heard this scripture uttered again and again by pastors about to go on missions trips, missionaries giving their testimonies and even just in passing.  We imagine taking trips to Africa, giving Bibles to people in destitute areas, or  maybe even just giving tracts to your server with your tip at a restaurant.  All of these are good things...  but what about at home?  What about your blog- your own little space on the internet- do you share the gospel with people on there?

I must confess that I have not had the gospel spelled out on my blog until now...  I was hit with conviction that I have this blog (albeit small and insignificant) but what am I doing with it that brings glory to God?  I mean, that's what we are here for, right?

I found a wonderful place to get online gospel tracts that you can embed into your posts.

Here's an example.

Here's the link to the site: http://www.chick.com/cartoons/embed.asp

It can be so simple to just add one (or more) of these to your sidebar... or better yet create a whole page about Jesus, who He is, what He means to you and what He did for you- what He can do for others...

Food for thought- please consider it carefully!