Lesson's from Bud #1

Ok, I'm gonna warn you...it's a little long!

Yes, it's true...after 5 different Starbucks in 4 different states, I am saying goodbye.

I have LOVED working at Starbucks. I love the people, the fast pace, the coffee :), Howard Shultz, the multi-tasking, the fact that i was able to transfer so many times, and the people!

Have I mentioned the people? I am so incredibly thankful for the people, both partners and customers, that I have been able to meet and spend time with. Each Starbucks has been SO different, but SO great in their own ways. We have had customers that know us so well that they bring us cookies, Christmas and Birthday cards and even sit and have coffee with us when they are coming through on our break.

One of my favorite people, is Bud. I think that I have said things about him before , but I don't remember what...so just act like this is the first time :). Bud is 75 years old and it has only been 1 year and 2 months since he lost his wife to cancer. He comes to Starbucks every morning for hours, just sitting and drinking his coffee. Most of the time his friend Dave joins him. WE all know him and even celebrated his birthday with him, most of the customers walk in to say hello to us AND Bud. :)

Today, Kevin and I stopped by the store and there sat Bud. I sat down next to him and he gave me a hug and made a comment about how I had eye make-up on and no hat! haha and told me his daughter was making him go to Florida so he wouldn't be here in a week. He wanted to make sure that if I came to the store he would be there.

Starbucks is his family (and the people at Kings, where he goes for lunch...everyday!). Tears are beginning to come to my eyes as I think about him. I want so badly for him to know Jesus. Yes, we have talked about it...way more than once. He is just so lonely, the only thing I can do now is pray. Pray that the things I have said, he will remember and that there is someone else God is putting in his life to start where I left off.

That's the thing...God put people in our lives for a reason and we have THAT time to be Jesus to them. We never know how long that time may be. When those people leave our lives, it can be REALLY hard, REALLY hard. But PRAYER is such a POWERFUL weapon and if we pray, lives WILL be changed. I can't put myself down for the fact that Bud does not YET believe, I can PRAY...and I will. LOTS. Not only for him, but for all the others I know that don't YET know God and when I spend time with them...I will love them and be Jesus as best as I can.

If you've stuck with me the whole time to read this...thank you :) There is more I have learned from Bud, that will come soon!

love you!
Happy Thursday!

Fruits of the Spirit in a new light.

Yesterday on my way to work I was praying and I began asking God to help me live out the Fruits of the Spirit. It really changed my day and I wanted to share it with you. It went a little something like this;

God, please help me to:
LOVE you first and others before myself,
choose JOY no matter what happens,
keep PEACE in my attitude and actions,
be PATIENT with everyone and everything, even when it's extra hard,
treat others with KINDNESS first,
be GOOD with my thoughts and actions,
be FAITHFUL to YOU, my husband, friends, parents and siblings,
let my words be GENTLE toward everyone,
and help me have the SELF-CONTROL I need to make the right choices that please YOU.

The Fruits of the Spirit are such great and practical ways to bring us closer to Jesus! I want them to be more evident in my life everyday!

Happy Saturday!
Love you!


Just for fun, here is a picture of my family on Christmas day :). We took many pictures with all of our cameras, so this is just one of the funny ones for those of you who don't have facebook :). I LOVE this picture! :)

iamsecond.

I don't know how he does it, but my husband always finds really cool things online. One of the things he found recently is iamsecond.org . It's a website with a bunch of people, some famous, just telling their testimonies and how Jesus Christ become 1st in their lives. It's super cool and you should check it out when you get the chance! It's always great to hear the amazing stories of how Jesus changed peoples lives!

Love You!
Happy 2009!!!

some randomness and Toys for Tots...

Starbucks does a really cool things each year, they participate in the Toys for Tots program. Basically they put out boxes and people can bring toys in, put them into the boxes, then someone comes to pick them up and they are given to kids in the community. At some of the Starbucks I've worked at, we haven't had much success in getting people to drop toys off, but this year is different...
We have two boxes in our store this year and both come up past my waist (i'm almost 5'10"...so that's pretty high:)). Today, as I was making drinks, my manager looked at me from across the counter and said, "wow! we have to have them come soon! both these are full again and we have a box in the back too.". We have already had them come once already to take the toys because the boxes were overflowing. I just looked at my manager and said, "that's so awesome and such a good problem to have!"
Last week I witnessed a woman and her daughter at the register, the woman was explaining to her daugher what the big boxes were for and the daughter responded by asking her mom if they could go to target and buy toys for the kids who need them :). I told the mom that she has one great girl! The girl was maybe 10 and she was already wanting to help people!
It's so amazing to see these things happening around us! It's awesome to know that people want to give, especially during a time when money is short...so cool!!!

Matthew 25: 34-40

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

A New Creation

This weekend we had a youth leadership retreat. While talking at one point, one of our wonderful girls told us that her friends have asked her why she's different. They were trying to figure out why she had changed for the better! It made me soooo happy that she was given the opportunity to tell them and did such an awesome job at it!

Sort of going along with that...

Kevin used this song in his sermon last night. It is such amazing God and a great reminder that we are given a completely new and wonderful life with Jesus!!!!!

New Creation
Verse 1 :
Holy Spirit Hovering Over The Deep
Speak Out The Light And Let It Flood Into Me
Whisper The Word That Gave Creation Her Form
Im Searching For A Life That Hasnt Been There Before

Pre-Chorus:
Speak Light Into The Darkness
Breathe Life Into My Lungs
Fill My Soul As Deep As The Ocean
Im Reaching For Your Love

Chorus:
All That I Can Do Is Give It Back To You
Youve Taken My Old Skin And Made It New Again
All That I Can Do Is Give It Back To You
Youve Taken My Old Skin And Made It New Again

You Have Made Me New, A New Creation
All New, A New Creation

Verse 2:
Holy Spirit Hovering Over The Deep
Bring Out The Colors That My Hearts Yet To See
The Nights On Fire For The Warmth Of Your Love
But Every Hour Theres A Rising Sun

Pre-Chorus:
Speak Light Into The Darkness
Breathe Life Into My Lungs
Fill My Soul As Deep As The Ocean
Im Reaching For Your Love

Chorus:
All That I Can Do Is Give It Back To You
Youve Taken My Old Skin And Made It New Again
All That I Can Do Is Give It Back To You
Youve Taken My Old Skin And Made It New Again

You Have Made Me New, A New Creation
All New, A New Creation
Brand New, A New Creation
So New, A New Creation

And here is the AMAZING video of Fellowship Church preforming the song...
(Does anyone know how to add a video from youtube.com to blogspot? I couln't figure it out)

New Creation Video

Happy Monday!
Love YOU!

Plans Change...

I like to say that I like change.
The truth is, I don't do well with it at all. When I know what is going on that day/week and something else gets thrown in last minute...I kinda freak out inside. My mind immediately tries to figure out a completely new plan and tells my body to stay calm :). Even sometimes when something changes last minute, there are tears involved before I get back to reality and realize i can do this. ha. Usually it's the littlest things, but it's still there.

I don't want to be like this. The truth is I know that GOD'S PLAN is way bigger than mine and when things get in the way of "my" plans...it's probably God stepping in. I am in constant reminder that he is ALWAYS in CONTROL of ME.

I just wanted to be honest...I'm still working on change :). It still gets to me, but I am trusting on the fact that God is TOTALLY in CONTROL!

Why? Because HE IS!

Blogspot #1

So, I have decided to try it out. We will see what happens.

I wanted to do something other than xanga.com so that people who don’t have a xanga, or even a blog will be able to visit and comment as much as they please :).

So, I will try my best to blog more! I want to use it to update people who don’t live right with me, on my life in Butler and the things that I am learning. The picture at the top is a bridge in Pittsburgh! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bridges in Pittsburgh! Also, it’s snowing that just makes me happy!

So, MUCH more to come in the days ahead, but for now…sleep. I need to get up quite early and make it to Starbucks by 5:30.

Love you all!!!!

please, let me know what you think about the new blog!