Tag: coffee

Starbucks

It’s half priced cold brew at Starbucks today. Hate or love Starbucks I wasn’t going to miss out on a cheap brew! 

I ordered at the screen and reminded them it’s half priced Tuesday. ”Great! Yes we know! Pull ahead.” “Do I have to remind you at the window?” “Nope, come on up.”

So of course you know what happens. I drive back thru and ask them to credit me back on my app. I was super nice about it because my days of drive thru iced coffee blunder meltdowns are long gone.

A manager helped the young employee to credit me back as I smiled and patiently waited. This girl just stood back from the window and looked terrified. I think she was expecting me to turn into a Karen, start screaming and toss my drink at her. Too many Karen videos circulating lately of food fights at fast food pick up windows.

I’m too old to throw stuff or start screaming at strangers. Especially before my morning coffee kicks in 🙂

Be kind at the drive-thru!

Remember To Ripple

A friend “Rita” once read a story on my blog about me giving a stranger a word from God in public. “What do you think they said later?”

“To God? Themselves? Or…”

“No, to like a friend or family member. Hell, I get excited when the person in front of me at Caribou buys my coffee. I tell everyone! I mean, don’t you ever wonder?”

“Hmmm, sometimes I wish I could be a fly on the wall. Not to pat me on the back, because I nailed it, but wondering if it affected their belief in God’s goodness. That He really understands them. Or that He sees better plans for them than they do for themselves. Most of the time, I don’t ever run into them again.”

I recently recalled that conversation after I ran into a server, “Peg,” that I had given a word to last month. I was at lunch with a large group when I looked up to see Peg helping our server bring our meals to the table. Peg gave me a huge smile, said hello, and then squeezed my shoulder and whispered, “Thank you!.” A friend who had been with me when I gave Peg a word remarked, “Oh! She remembered you. Well, you are kind of a hard person to forget.” I laughed “She didn’t really remember me; she remembered God’s word for her.”

That made my day. I want people to remember God and how it made them feel. We all travel an unsteady and unpredictable road at times. It makes it easier when we don’t feel invisible to God. That the God of this universe cares about us as individuals.

Never doubt that your stepping out to give a word, laying hands for healing, or just being kind doesn’t make an impact. It causes a ripple effect, just like a free coffee at Caribou.

This week, make it a point to be God’s boots on the ground.

Don’t think you make a difference? We all heal this world, one person at a time.

Have a great week, Beloveds!

Smarter Than The Average Bear

A friend “Susan” and I met up for coffee. As we got up to leave, she said to me, “You’re really smart. You know that. Right? “

I laughed. “We think other people are smart when they know something we don’t. That’s all.” Susan has an MBA and is no dummy.

The truth is, If we can keep our big burrito hole closed more often, we’ll learn a lot from other “smarties.”

One night, at a party, I was mesmerized by a stranger’s conversation. He was a manager at a fast-food place, and I had a ton of questions. How do they know how many McMuffins to make during the breakfast rush? How long do the fries sit there? Do employees ever spit in the food? You know, real-world-changing questions that I’ve had rolling around in my head for a while.

Later someone remarked, “I can’t believe you sat there and talked to that guy for half an hour about McDonald’s.” I said it was interesting. I find many things interesting that’s why I’m a great trivial pursuit partner. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone plays trivial pursuit anymore ha ha Ha

Next time you think somebody’s more intelligent than you are ….. stop! 🙂 I bet there are plenty of things you know that they haven’t a clue on.

Then share them with me. I’ll meet you at Chipotle.

Say It With Me….

Warning old Starbucks drive thru rant……

” I’d like an extra large iced coffee with cream please.””

“Oh you mean our Trenta! Trenn- Taahhh! That size is called a Trent-TAH”

“Ok. Whatever your largest size is called”

“That would be a Trenta! Trenn-Tahhh!!”

“Ok” ( I’m thinking tick-tock lady, tick tock)

“Hold on a moment please…..

Sorry, I’m back…..could you please repeat your order? You want a Venti Iced coffee with cream?”

“No, I want an extra large iced coffee with cream.”

“That would be our Tren-Tah!!”

I shake my head and pull forward. Nope lady, too early for a sing along. Besides, I am not going to say it. You are not going to force me to use your coffee jargon to get my coffee. You know what an extra large drink size is 🙂 AND if I ever have to say TREN-TAH to get one, you are taking a dollar off, your high priced coffee, for making me sound really stupid. Like going to the Renaissance Fair and being heckled because you won’t shout Huzzah! Never going to do it. Beat me with a turkey leg, but I will never say it.

I am annoyed , but I turn up the corners of my mouth to fake a smile and hand my card to the attendant. She smiles, swipes my card, and hands me my drink:

“Here is your extra large iced coffee with cream. Have a nice day.”

Me 1 Starbucks 0

Oh yeah. I’m keeping score 🙂

**** 2022 my coffee addiction has now forced me to say Tren-Tah several times a week.

Holy Grounds

It’s been a rough couple of days still waiting for a call back on my CT scan. Fighting fear. Up late and sleeping late. I drove to a Starbucks to get a Trenta Cold Brew. Love or hate Starbucks, their Cold Brew makes me extremely happy.

As I went through the very long drive-thru, I called my friend Jim to talk about being fearful and how I was tired of medical issues. That lately, regardless of speaking to my mountain, I can’t seem to hear God nor hold on to peace for very long. That this is all triggering trauma for me. Not only from memories of Dan’s health fight but also my own recent “adventures.”

I told Jim I was surprised I even had any fear. Looking back, God has been faithful and had my back even when I didn’t deserve it. Shouldn’t I be trusting and at peace 24/7? Terrible feeling like a hypocrite when you minister to others about God’s goodness.

As I rambled on about trust, no trust, and how I shouldn’t be spending retirement money on coffee, I suddenly became annoyed at the car in front of me. It was apparent they had forgotten they were in a “moving” line, and in my head, I was yelling, “Pull up! Pull up!”

I continued to complain to Jim as I watched this vehicle finally reach the takeout window. I saw the “bucker,” as I call their employees, start to hand them out my Cold Brew but then pull it back. “WTH? Don’t be handing out my drink to those slowpoke strangers!”

Now I am really annoyed. When I finally reached the window, the bucker said, “The car in front of you bought your drink.” WHAT? I’m still talking to Jim and can’t hear her. “They paid for your drink!” I tell Jim, and he laughs, “God’s trying to tell you everything will be okay .”I smiled. He’s got this! God knows His girl loves Starbucks and Tulips. Free Starbucks! Maybe when I get home, my Tulips will have opened. It had been over a week, and they were still hiding.

Later that night, I looked over at my tulips, and they had literally bloomed while I was out that day. Then the memory of the free drink hit me like a sack of Holy Spirit bricks. I broke down and just started sobbing because I could feel His heart for me. I couldn’t settle down to actually hear Him say “no worries,” so He had to find another way to get my attention.

Then today, He prompted me to turn to K-LOVE radio in my car instead of making calls like I usually do. I can’t even tell you the last time I listened to any music in my vehicle. God spoke directly to me thru every song. He sang sweet reminders to me of trust, provision, and His goodness. A perfect playlist He had created just for me.

Has He ever communicated to you in a fashion you didn’t expect? When you just couldn’t hear Him in a way you are familiar with? Comfortable with? Even when we aren’t seeking Him, He tries to get our attention. His words may just be delivered in a way you’d never expect.

I don’t have all the answers, but He does, and I feel at peace.

Encourage And Edify

Several years ago, I drove through my favorite place to get coffee. The young woman at the window greeted me “Hello, what do you think of my new shirt?” She kind of half twirled around so I could see it and then pointed to the company logo that was just beneath her left shoulder. ” Nice!” I guess I really didn’t know what to say, as to me, it was just another long sleeved t-shirt. She gave me a big smile ” Its a shift lead shirt! I am now a shift lead!” Oh! No wonder she was excited! She is someone who mans the window regularly and I had given her a word a month earlier that God saw her in management. That she led by a good example. She was mature, calm under pressure and would make a great leader. I smiled. “That’s great!

I paid for my coffee and then handed her a $20 bill and said Merry Christmas. “Oh I can’t take that!” “You can’t?” “Well I could, but I can’t. You don’t need to do that” “Please take it, I have an appointment over here and on my drive over God told me you would be working and to drive through and give you $20. He must want you to have it for some reason.” She thanked me and I drove off.

I thought I hope she doesn’t think I am strange. Or creepy! Stranger danger! Stranger danger! Ha! Then I thought who cares! I can be odd…..odd in the Lord! Ha! I just do what He tells me to do.

You may not remember when God gives you a WOK or prophecy for someone, but they will. Like Godfrey Birtill ‘s song “Just one touch from the King, changes everything!” It does!

This woman was later promoted to manager and eventually left for a better job at a larger establishment. Never under estimate what God can do through you if you let Him. That is why it is important to edify and encourage and not just read somebody’s mail. It might just change someone’s future.

Thanks Daddy God! That really blessed me. Who ever said life as a Christian was boring, must have never really had one.