A Fresh Cup of Coffee

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Five Minute Friday (on Sunday) - Worship

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

worship service

time of worship

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Although we know better, sometimes the way we talk about our weekly church gathering makes it sound like that's the one setting in which we worship. And refer to the songs we sing while in church as the time of worship, which can make it seem like the preaching and praying and listening and fellowship are something separate. I've been a part of the "worship team" or played a role in planning and leading the music at church for almost my entire adult life and talk about it this way! It's not that I think we're using the word incorrectly! What else would we call it but a worship service or time of worship? But I do ask myself if I'm intentionally engaging in worship every day and in more than just singing.

Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is, and what He has done; expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live. ~Louie Giglio

It's not just the singing of songs in church that is worship. It's every part of our church service. It's not only in the church setting that we worship. We worship when we engage with God's Word, pray, make music, and serve others every day. We worship whenever we give glory to God, whether in awestruck and breathless silence at the beauty of what he has done or in giving voice to our prayers, praise, and testimony.

I've tried to be mindful that leading worship - singing or playing on the platform at church - isn't a performance. While we want talented people with musical gifts to lead, they should also be people who want to use those gifts in service to the Lord rather than use the platform selfishly. I like to think of the worship team's role as guides or mentors. We see God's holiness and we invite the congregation to come with us and experience him too.

In the end, worship can never be a performance, something you're pretending or putting on. It's got to be an overflow of your heart . . . Worship is about getting personal with God, drawing close to God. ~Matt Redman

I will declare your name to my people;

in the assembly I will praise you.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

~Psalm 22:22, 25~

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Worship".

This post will also be linked at Scripture And A Snapshot hosted here.

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Scripture and a Snapshot - Confirming Testimony

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way―with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge―God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

~I Corinthians 1:4-9~

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Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Presidents, Puzzles, and Pansies

A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!

Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. Many of our earliest presidents created words or expressions widely used today. Teddy Roosevelt is credited with mollycoddle, pack rat, frazzle, and loose cannon . . . which of those words/phrases currently relates to your life in some way?

I did not know Teddy Roosevelt invented those words! I think pack rat is the most relatable right now. We recently pulled a lot of things out of the spare room closet so we could organize and put Christmas back into the closet, and although we've cleared out most of the resulting clutter, I still have a bunch of stuff to get rid of. Especially on and around my desk. And it needs to get done this week. Seriously.

2. Have you visited many (or any) of the US Presidents homes, monuments, libraries or related sites? If so what's been your favorite? Are there any you particularly want to see? Here's a link to presidential sites listed by state which is kind of fun to read - Presidential Places by State. And since several bloggers who participate in the HP each week live outside the US, here's a link to Presidential Places Outside the US. Have you seen any of those?

The only Presidents home I've visited is Mount Vernon (George Washington), and it was so interesting! We went to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson) once, but only visited the grounds, since we'd arrived too late in the day to make it worthwhile to pay admission to go inside. I've been to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, though I don't remember it clearly. I do remember visiting Mount Rushmore several times and it might be my favorite of the sites I've been to. We lived very close to Gettysburg and a bit more than an hour from Washington DC so I've been the Eisenhower National Historic Site and to quite a few sites in the DC area. Washington Monument, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the National Museum of American History . . . Oh, and I've been to Independence Hall in Philadelphia so I've seen the George Washington Statue there. And many of the statues in various places. There are some Presidents homes in Ohio that I'd like to visit when we get the chance, and I'd be interested to visit some of the Presidential libraries.

This statue of shirtless George is in the National Museum of American History, and I've always thought that George and Martha would probably not have approved. George would likely have thought it too "kingly" which he was very careful to avoid, and Martha would have been scandalized by her husband flaunting a bare chest. Clearly the statue made an impression though, since I still remember it so clearly from about fifteen years ago!

3. February 20th is National Cherry Pie Day . . . will you celebrate? Given your choice of cherry pie, cherry cobbler, cheesecake with cherry topping, or black forest cake which would you choose?

I don't have any plans to celebrate but I do love cherry desserts! I'd happily eat any of those, but cherry cobbler would be my top choice.

4. Last time you worked a puzzle of some kind? Something that had you puzzled recently?

I don't do jigsaw puzzles, but I do word puzzles almost every day. I'm often puzzled by people's reactions that don't seem to make sense, like what their logic might be or if they are just reacting emotionally.

5. Of the early blooming flowers (January-early March depending on your zone) which one's your favorite? snowdrops, lenten roses, pansies, violets, snapdragons, reticulated iris, crocus, winter jasmine Do you have any of these in your own yard/garden?

Pansies are my favorite from this list. I don't have a yard or garden so I don't have any of them. At our house in Maryland, we had irises and some crocuses.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Arthritis has been kicking my butt lately. Probably the very cold weather is a contributing factor!

The current Wednesday Quotes theme is Staying Balanced. Join us at WQ - In Balance.

What has you puzzled lately? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm sharing in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

WQ - In Balance

Life is a balance of holding on and letting go. ~Rumi

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. ~Robert Fulghum

This is wise advice, and even though I don't draw or paint, I try to do all of the other things (I'm not a dancer, but I try!) but keeping it all in balance can be tricky. After all, I'd like to spend far more time singing and dreaming and reading and sleeping . . . and much less time commuting and working and cleaning. But life is indeed about striking a balance between "want to" and "need to" and having a good attitude about the things we need to do.

Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony. ~Thomas Merton

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. ~William Arthur Ward

The amazing activity of the cat is delicately balanced by his capacity for relaxation. Every household should contain a cat, not only for decorative and domestic values, but because the cat in quiescence is medicinal to irritable, tense, tortured men and women. ~William Lyon Phelps

There is something very restful and calming about having a cat . . . except when the cat races randomly through the house and up and down the stairs . . .

Your heart grows by giving out, but your mind grows by taking in; and both are necessary to a happy and balanced life of service. ~Warren W. Wiersbe

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

. . . a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance . . .

~Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4~

Teach us to number our days carefully

so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.

~Psalm 90:12~

A balanced diet is a cookie in both hands. ~Paula Deen

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Wednesday Quotes is a bi-weekly opportunity for bloggers to share their writing, poetry, photos, or stories inspired by our theme. We've chosen the themes as a starting point for your creativity, and the only requirement is that your post include at least one related quote. Feel free to combine or "double-dip" with other writing or photo challenges as well. Of course, we'd appreciate a link back to us, if you'd be so kind. Add your link and please visit others and leave a comment! The link is open for two weeks.

Thanks to Marsha at Always Write for introducing us to the Wednesday Quotes challenge, and for passing the hosting duties along so we can continue sharing great quotes! Wednesday Quotes is co-hosted by Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and Sadje at Keep It Alive.

Quoting reminds me there are other people in the world besides only me.

And other thoughts besides mine, and other ways of thinking.

~Gregory Maguire~

Wednesday Quotes 2025 Themes

January 8 - Planning Ahead/Setting Goals

January 22 - Winter Sleep

February 5 - Love Inspires Us

February 19 - Staying Balanced

March 5 - First Impressions

March 19 - Looking After Yourself

April 2 - Competition

April 16 - Spring Colours

April 30 - Morning Routines

May 14 - Memorable Vacations

May 28 - Telling Your Stories

June 11 - Summer Fun

June 25 - Patriotism

July 9 - Hobbies

July 23 - Being Adventurous

August 6 - Spirituality

August 20 - Writing Letters

September 3 - Chocolate

September 17 - Making and Keeping Promises

October 1 - Autumn/Another Spring

October 15 - Daily Bread

October 29 - Night Skies/Stargazing

November 12 - Good Manners

November 26 - Celebrating Holidays

December 10 - Winter Wonderland

December 24 - Holiday Memories

This post will also be linked at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Grace-Filled Moments

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Sunday, February 16, 2025

Scripture and a Snapshot - A Heart To Know

I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

~Jeremiah 24:7~

Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

I also link up at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Grace-Filled Moments

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Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Lovin' the Hodgepodge

Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? What's your favorite game day snack for whatever sport is happening?

I did watch the Super Bowl! Or as I like to call it, The Superb Owl. It is the only NFL game I ever watch, and I pay almost no attention to the league the rest of the year, so I'm there for the game day dramas and controversies, and to critique the commercials, half-time show, and anthem. (Not a lot of standout commercials this year, but only a couple were total stinkers IMO. The national anthem by Jon Batiste was fantastic, one of the best, and I loved Lauren Daigle's performance of America the Beautiful. Kendrick Lamar's half-time show was boring, unintelligible, and pointless. I wanted to like Samuel L. Jackson's appearance, but his lines didn't make sense to anyone who was unfamiliar with Lamar's music, so the only thing that I actually enjoyed was the appearance of SZA.) Since I don't follow the NFL, I don't have a team I consider "mine" but yes, the team I was cheering for this year did win. My favorite snack . . . my ham and cheese bread bowl that I make for Superb Owl every year.

2. What's your superpower?

It would be easier for me to name my toxic trait. Maybe my superpower is the positive view of my toxic trait? I can function on very little sleep for days at a stretch.

3. Will you do anything special on Valentine's Day? If so, do share. Any thoughts on/about this particular holiday? Share a favorite verse or quote relating to love.

It's on Friday, isn't it? We don't have any plans - at least none that I am aware of at this time. We might go to the Ohio State hockey game - isn't that romantic? We're going out for dinner with friends on Sunday, but that's not really for Valentine's Day.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

~I John 4:7-11~

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. ~Charles M. Schulz

The current Wednesday Quotes at WQ - Love Inspires has more quotes about love, and you're welcome to join the link-up!

4. Are you a fan of the rom-com genre? If so, what's one of your favorites? If you're not a movie-goer then what about a book you love that features a great love story? How about a favorite love song?

I don't watch movies often and rom-com isn't what I'd choose. I guess I prefer rom-com to serious romance movies, but I can't name one of the top of my head that I'm certain would be in that genre. I read a lot of mystery, but with main characters that have a romantic storyline. I tried to think of something that really stood out as a good love story, and remembered a Pepper Basham book I read a few years ago that I loved. Hope Between The Pages. It's a dual timeline story so there's a great romance in each time setting. I can't choose a favorite love song - there are too many! One that's kind of special is Somewhere Out There. It was very popular in the year before hubby and I got married, and for part of that year I was living back with my family in Calgary, and he was still in Ontario.

5. Let's get creative . . . write an acrostic using the word L-O-V-E.

I'm clearly not a poet:

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Are signs like this common at schools? I imagine everyone's engine running in the carpool line and I can see how that would make for some unpleasant air quality, but I thought the sign was kind of funny:

I've been having a tough time getting stuff done lately. Maybe it's the winter blahs, but I've had even less motivation than usual, and I really need to focus and get some of my projects finished. The spare room has to be ready for the kids in just a couple weeks! I'm late in getting the Hodgepodge posted and I guess I'll be late visiting everyone too, but I will get it done!

Are you doing anything special for Valentine's Day? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm sharing in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.

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Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Everyday Images #55

Welcome to another installment of my challenge and reminder to myself to take photos somewhat regularly. I'm not a photographer, but I enjoy taking everyday photos of things I find interesting or want to remember later, and I find that I notice interesting things when I'm intentionally watching for them. Having some prompts that are open to interpretation has helped me pay a little more attention to what's around me. Every two weeks I have a few words and phrases that I'm focusing on, and I try to find opportunities to take pictures of these things each week.

January/February Prompts - Everyday Images #55

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shadows

fortune

selfie (quarterly)

pink

sweet

hot and/or cold

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fortune - I was drawing a blank on this prompt until my husband asked me whether I'd noticed that my cough drops had inspirational messages on the wrapper. I hadn't, but when I took a look, it occurred to me that these were kind of like a fortune from a fortune cookie.

selfie (quarterly)

pink - a dominant color in the decor at Goody Boy Diner

sweet - this was the best I could come up with!

shadows - I thought it would be fun to get a picture of shadows in honor of Groundhog Day, but we had more overcast than sunny days, and I didn't find an opportunity. So, here's a photo of a strange looking double shadow in my living room.

hot and/or cold - hot bread bowl and cold grazing tray, ready to go to our SuperBowl party.

And a few bonus photos:

We went for a walk on a cloudy Sunday.

Our walk took us past this impressive middle school building, and I was interested in the architectural details.

I see what they're saying, but also this sign in the school parking lot was a bit odd.

Preview of what my "at home" picture next time around might feature:

I am sharing my photos every other Tuesday, along with my prompts for the next two weeks. You can use all or some of the prompts for your own photo posts, or none of the prompts and just link up a post featuring your photos. Simple rules: Your posts must be family-friendly; the photos must be your own; and the post must be mostly photos. If you do share I'd appreciate a mention and link to A Fresh Cup of Coffee on your post.

Everyday Images will continue in 2025, every other Tuesday, and the link-up is open for two weeks.

February Prompts - Everyday Images #56

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at home (monthly)

dessert

neighborhood spot (quarterly)

pieces

sunrise and/or sunset

hearts

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