Amelia and now Ezra are coffee foam connoisseurs. If I don’t offer a taste quickly enough for their liking, I can count on a tiny finger full being scooped from my cup. I enjoy lattes made at home and so does their mom. Lately, I discovered a new way to enjoy my morning dose of caffeine. Hear me out before you scrunch up your nose and think gross! Getting here was a process.
I haven’t always loved spicy foods. Like coffee, the heat from jalapeños, cayenne, and those warm curries was an acquired taste. My husband has craved that heat for as long as I’ve know him. Once in Charleston on the eve of his graduation, he challenged the chef of a local wings restaurant to take it up a notch from the ten star heat available on their regular menu. I think he singlehandedly polished off two pitchers of iced tea that evening and his goodnight kiss left a sting on my lips, but he finished every bite.
For my morning latte, I brew my single eight ounce coffee strong and add a frothed topping of my own design. My grandkids know it well. The elders set the brewer while the youngsters help by choosing the pod and sprinkling in the good stuff. For those of you daring enough to try it and for those, who like me, want a recipe that fits into one screenshot, here is my favorite latte.
Fill your mug half full with a strong blend you enjoy. I prefer flavored coffees and my current favorite is gingerbread. Froth together your milk of choice (I use almond) with two pumps of your favorite coffee syrup (toasted marshmallow and spiced brown sugar with the gingerbread for me but being inventive is half the fun), a generous sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice to cut the bitterness (think toddler helping), and a shot of hot honey. I add these to every cup, regardless of the flavor combination. Will you try it?
Amelia waited for me to hop her onto the kitchen countertop after Ezra chose my pod from the coffee drawer, inserted it into the brewer and closed the lever. She repeated aloud the instructions as she depressed buttons with her tiny fingers. “Coffee, strong, eight, K.” She’s learning that each family member has a different preference. Caroline is a six while her mom and Papa and Grammie are twelves. How fortunate are we to live in an age with so many options?
When Amelia pretends, I hear how her mom takes her coffee shop treats and I even get to see myself through her eyes. “What do you want, Yolly?” she asks, but before I can answer, she continues. “We have dairy free with no maltodextrin.” Since my cancer, dairy has been a problem and she’s heard me explaining often enough to be well versed in my dietary preferences.
Amelia is brilliant. She is a strong willed child with big emotions but the Bible says she is fearfully and wonderfully made, with Divine purpose infused into every strand of her DNA. (Psalm 139) She is a work in progress, as are we all. Those of us privileged to steward her heart and mind are held more highly accountable to her Creator and Heavenly Father and ours. We cannot take this charge lightly, not even for a second.
“Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it. [Eph 6:4; 2 Tim 3:15]”
Proverbs 22:6 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/pro.22.6.AMP
God designed family when He placed the first man and woman together in a garden and commanded them to multiply and fill the earth. God created men and women in His own image and He called His creation very good. The image of God in us is dimmed by sin but it is not erased. We champion human dignity in many different ways because innately we understand that life is a gift. God is the Giver.
My husband bought new headlights for his old pickup truck. The casing on the original ones was so cloudy that it obscured the light. It wasn’t just accumulated grime. That could have been wiped away easily enough. These required replacement.
“I will give you new hearts.
I will give you a new spirit that is faithful to me.
I will remove your stubborn hearts from you.
I will give you hearts that obey me.
I will put my Spirit in you.
I will make you want to obey my rules.
I want you to be careful to keep my laws.”
Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/ezk.36.26-27.NIRV
Jesus came to live among us to fulfill God‘s promise. We need this heart transplant. We need renewed minds to live into the purposes of God for us. (Romans 12:2)
“God said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” (Genesis 1:3)
He made his light shine in our hearts.
His light gives us the light to know God’s glory.
His glory is shown in the face of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 4:6 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/2co.4.6.NIRV
The One who spoke light into darkness entered our world so that we could see and know the Father. His plans for us are good and perfect. So are all His gifts. (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10, James 1:17) When we have eyes to see spiritual reality, we must necessarily see ourselves as conduits.
“Behave yourselves wisely [living prudently and with discretion] in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity.
Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you].”
Colossians 4:5-6 AMPC
https://bible.com/bible/8/col.4.5-6.AMPC
“But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord.
Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have.
Be ready to give the reason for it.
But do it gently and with respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/1pe.3.15.NIRV
Last time I picked Ezra and Amelia up, she spied my nearly empty coffee tumbler in the cup holder. “Can I have the rest of your coffee, Yolly?” Amelia asked. “Or is it too spicy?” I passed it to her as we pulled out of the drive. “It’s not too spicy, baby girl.” I answered. And in my heart, I prayed, “Lord Jesus, steal Amelia’s heart and make this spicy girl more and more into Your image. Leave Your mark on this world through her life and get her ready for eternity with You!”
Amen.
A Fitting Reply 