Hello All! Lately, I wake up each morning excited to see what will happen each day. Today was no different I woke up at 5:15 am when Luke came into our room to see if anyone was awake. No, I wasn't awake Luke, but thanks now I am wide awake. After tucking in Lukey I stumbled downstairs to make the coffee~SWEET ELIXIR OF LIFE!!! I am finally figuring out that I have to have some quite time with the Lord before the big rush of the morning. I was having some quiet time later in the morning, but that was falling after one of the hardest times of the day. I need the peace and encouragement before the hungry, tired "Bunch" awakes.

God is really revealing to me many big truths over the last years. First, I am a drink offering being poured out over the lives of my children and husband. This is my purpose, why he created me. I am to thank and praise him constantly for the opportunity to serve a HOLY God. Next, he is teaching me that He must increase in my life and I must decrease. I commonly chant in my head "You must increase and I must decrease, come Lord Jesus." I am realizing though that this process can be painful. Change is commonly painful.

I think in the past I have always given lip service to wanting "God's will" in my life. I saw the good in it. I would also try to use it in many ways to get MY own will. God is teaching me to surrender everything and allow him to increase in my life. This means surrendering when I think someone has wronged me, forgiving, relinquishing what I think would be justice, and giving the situation over to God. It can be hard to allow God all control and let him INCREASE in your life, spirit, desires and will. There are times when my will cries out for things to go my way. But His grace is sufficient for the moment and each day. I have also found new freedom in this on many levels. I know God is faithful and he will change me, my heart, my desires, my life to reflect him. I praise God for so many things, but that he loves me sometimes is shocking to me. I have nothing to give him, nothing good in me, but he still wants to come in and love the me he created. He must INCREASE, I must decrease. My old self is dying day by day and HE is making me new. God is so good to me and to us all!!!!! Today I again surrender to the process of decreasing. May God bless you today~

Hello All! If you are in Michigan please watch this video about Proposal 2. We do not need to fund human embryonic stem cell research. Our economy in Michigan is already a mess, please no tax increases!!!!

Hello All! This morning I am thinking about my favorite beverage. COFFEE. It could be because I am sitting holding a steaming cup as I type this. For those of you who don't know, I love coffee. It has seen me through many mornings of parenting. It has helped me to clear my head of the "I was up with the baby" lack of sleep haze. In the afternoon around nap time it is a pick me up to press on throughout the remainder of the day. I figure everyone has a vice. I choose coffee. My husband can't believe how the stuff actually relaxes a slightly Germanic anxious by nature Northerner. But it does, so me and coffee in all forms are best friends. All this to say I have been doing research for an unofficial taste test. I have been sampling coffee locally, primarily for research, and determining who has the best "cup a joe". The results may surprise you. I have sampled Wendy's, Burger King, McDonalds, Star Bucks, two local coffee shops- Great Lakes Java and Java Jack's, coffee at our church and ground coffee purchased from grocery stores. So here are my results. McDonalds regular coffee is consistently the best!!!! Star Bucks is strongest in the coffee specialty drinks, ie. Mocha Latte, etc. I can't drink the coffee specialty drinks too often. I am trying to watch my figure and some of those can have 400 calories in one cup. YIKES! So I decided to try regular coffee at each of these fine establishments. Star Bucks regular coffee consistently tastes burned, as does Burger King, Wendy's and Java Jack's. Great Lakes Java has good coffee, but it can also change day to day. McDonalds is consistently not burned, not too strong and is hot. Cold coffee unless iced should not be tolerated. : ) So imagine my surprise yesterday as I listened to the radio and heard Consumer Reports had found the same thing regarding coffee and the "Golden Arches". Consumer Reports did some research as well. They found even money aside that a plain cup of coffee from McDonalds was the best. It is so good to know I am not alone in my research. I am not just one stay at home mom with a vice. I am a scientist. Lastly,our coffee at church is just wrong! Can't somebody find a way to make good coffee and church go together? Now, go have a cup of COFFEE! Love, Crystal