Great Gadgets!

I recently found a neat little gadget that makes days like today great! It is a one cup coffee masterpiece.

Step 1. Grind enough coffee for one cup and place it in the filter.
Step 2. Grind more coffee and place it in the filter.

Step 3. Place gadget on top of a mug.

Step 4. Pour hot water over the mound of ground coffee.

Step 5. Remove gadget and prepare yourself for yummy goodness.

Step 6. Stare lovingly at the product of the gadget - the yummy goodness that is coffee.

Black Gold

I received my Starbucks Gold Card in the mail today.  I was excited...why?  I'm not sure.  The Gold Card gives me

• 10% off of every purchase
• A complimentary birthday beverage
• Exclusive offers and discounts
• Free Wi-Fi access for 2 hours each day
• Access to a members-only web site

I don't go to Starbucks often enough to make up the $25 annual fee for the Gold Card...BUT...I received one year free because I have the Starbucks Visa card that gives me back 1% in Starbucks cash.  I only drink black coffee from Starbucks.  When I spend $1.61 on coffee I get a return of $.016.  After I purchase 100 cups of coffee I will have enough on my Visa to pay for one cup of coffee.  Now that I have the Gold Card I get 10% off of every transaction - which makes my total for a cup of coffee about $1.45.  My dilemma is this - now that I get 10% off of every transaction with my Gold Card I actually get less money back on my Visa.  What will I do??!!  These are the struggles I face.

Spoken for me

I really appreciate when people write the things I am thinking. Jim Elliff writes about The Value of Hanging Out. Here are a few tips from the article that I found very helpful. I have seen great value in many of these practices.

1. Find a hanging out place, or several, in your area. This will be easier for some than others. I've even spent some time in the local hamburger place. For most this will have to be early in the morning before work, but others may be able to invest a bit more. The morning usually attracts the "regulars" that you will be best able to connect with.

2. Learn the names of the people you meet. It is good to jot their names down somewhere for reference.

3. Take your Bible and spend time reading it, writing notes in your notebook, or reading a good Christian book while out.

4. Keep a friendly, approachable look about you. Speak to people. Introduce yourself and find out about them. Focus much of your talk on them. They'll also be curious about you.

5. Seek to get to the layer of philosophical talk. What do these new friends believe about important issues of life and death? This makes for deeper and more significant relationships.

6. You will find that they will be curious about you and your beliefs also. Talk freely about what you believe and how you approach life.

7. Make friends, real friends, who will be important to you no matter what their spiritual preferences are. Love them for who they are.

8. If you have read something interesting that you can pass on, by all means do so, especially if it has something to do with the true love of your life, Jesus Christ.

9. Expect God to do something. Christians make a difference! You might help a fellow believer or a person who does not have a spiritual bone in his body. You never know what God may be doing. The world reacts and responds to "lighted" Christians.

Read the entire article here.

...and they did think of everything!

This weekend has been a weekend of bodily fluids and little sleep. Our eldest son has been projecting from both ends (we thank God for hardwood floors). Our youngest son has the gift of missing his diaper. My wife has had little sleep due to never-ending feedings. Our middle son runs around like a crazy man in his diaper yelling "ne-nee" (naked). I have been wiping up floors (and other things), fetching clean clothes, and trying to make sure that we stay clear of stitches and knocked out teeth.



All of that to say - we are thankful for the newly-introduced Starbucks IV. Just when you thought they had thought of everything...ahhh.