Encourage. Empower. Extend.: Love that Brew

This past week we’ve been discussing more about the subject of love and how we can love others, ourselves and forgiving with love. Today, I want to talk about love in the form of something enjoyable, easy and not so demanding but approachable. The love for coffee.

Yes, I said coffee. I love coffee-all forms of coffee. I love it made in various ways from an extra shot of espresso, a foamy cappuccino, a creamy latte, and even those delightful frapuccinos. If it has coffee in it then I am a happy girl!

Here are some interesting facts about coffee:

- 5 countries in the world grow coffee.

-Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world (oil is the first.)

-A Belgian named George Washington invented instant coffee in 1906.

-Coffee has been used as a beverage for over 700 years.

-Black coffee with no sugar contains no calories.

-Drinking a single cup of coffee that has been brewing for 20 minutes provides the body with 300 phytochemicals which act as antioxidants and stay in the body for up to a month.

-In days gone by, Turkish bridegroom had to promise that they would always provide their new wives with coffee.

-A coffee tree lives for between 60 and 70 years.

-Worldwide, more 1400 millions cups of coffee are drunk every day.

-Caffeine, which is found in coffee, increases the effect of some painkillers, especially aspirin and paracetamol

There is something about coffee that makes me feel good from the moment I smell it brewing to it percolating. It’s a welcoming aroma that draws me every time! It’s like instant bliss to my senses. I love hearing it being poured into my cup, I love wrapping my hands around a steaming mug of it, I love the taste and I love the possibilities that come with it. What do I mean by that?

Usually when I drink a cup of coffee, I am either reading a great devotional or another good book while savoring every last drop. It makes me feel relaxed, fulfilled and thankful for the small things in life. Other times I am sharing it with family or friends over a loving and cozy conversation. Sometimes, I simply drink alone and just ponder my day away. It has become a must-have for me when I am writing. For some reason whenever I open my laptop and begin to pound on those keys, my coffee mug has to be in hand. Coffee has become a force of habit for me and something I don’t even think about but naturally desire. I know it sounds crazy and maybe it is an addiction, but like love it is something I can’t live without. Love is the same way- it’ insatiable!

In the end, it is more about enjoying the experience of coffee early in the morning while watching the sun rise or late in the evening ending my day. Like love, it can be comforting to me like a friend that I can count on to keep me encouraged. However, unlike love it isn’t fleeting. I can count on coffee to be there as long as I go and purchase it. Love on God’s terms is much the same-always available and purchased with the finest ingredients. His love is ready for the taking, ready to warm you up on a cold day or be there for you over a long conversation. More so, His love is a reminder that something’s are just meant to be treasured and savored slowly. God’s love is the jolt of energy I need daily to get me moving!

So you see coffee has its place in this world, but love forces the world into existence with meaning that goes far beyond any brew I might obtain. What kind of love are you willing to brew up today and who would you like to share it with?

I hope today you are filled with a love that gives you an experience you won’t forget. Maybe it will be over coffee with a friend or maybe love will have you take coffee to a friend. Either way, enjoy the possibilities of love because it is with brewing over….

Movie Love Quotes for Valentine's Day Contest ( Answer any of the following and receive 1 point for the giveaway)

1)“Love actually is all around us.”

2) “You are the only person that can make
my heart beat faster and slower at the same time.”
3) “There are only four questions of value in life.
What is sacred?
Of what is the spirit made of?
What is worth living for?
What is worth dying for?
The answer to each is the same. Only love.”

4) “I am someone else when I’m with you, someone more like myself.”

5) “Without a heart I can never really know what it would be like to love someone.”

6) “I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen.”