Weekend Kindness
Reaching Others Through Kindness

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I don’t know when it happened, but sometime between the first time I realized I liked coffee and the time when Starbucks appeared on every street corner in America, coffee changed from just something that I drink to an event to be savored and enjoyed.

Oh, I still drink coffee every morning just as part of the routine (a readily available brand that won’t break the budget), but when I go out for coffee, it’s not just to get coffee, but to enjoy the aroma of the coffee shop, the small tables set up for intimate conversation, and the handful of other folks who are enjoying the experience as much as I.

While the coffee is often too strong at the local coffee shop, I’ve learned that two packs of Sugar in the Raw and a pretty decent serving of half and half will do the trick and gives me a treat that I don’t indulge in at home, where my coffee of choice is generally just black.

For my husband, however, going out for coffee does not have the same appeal. Although he is learning to appreciate the difference between store brands and freshly roasted coffee, he is just as happy most of the time with staying home and brewing Seattle’s Best in our coffee maker and sitting on the front porch as we drink every lost drop.

I know it seems like a very silly thing to get exicted about and to feel loved because of, but on those rare occasions when my husband wakes up on Friday or Saturday morning and says “Let’s go out for coffee and read the newspaper there,” I think that he truly, truly loves me. There is more to this gesture than just saying, “Let’s go somewhere,” because if he just wanted to go somewhere with me it would be hiking or fishing or golfing or some other activity that he really enjoys.

But when he says, “Let’s go out for coffee,” I know that he’s suggesting it because he loves me and because he knows how much I enjoy the experience and how good it makes me feel to savor a cup of coffee that’s a little too strong unless it has just the right amount of cream and sugar.

It was late when the phone rang. I was already in bed, but I knew it was my best friend, J.

Claudia, this is J. I’m getting married!

J, I am so excited for you! How did he ask?

The conversation was short. It was late and we would talk tomorrow when I went to meet with J for our weekly Bible study.

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The quest for purity is making a comeback in America. Since 1993, nearly 2.5 million “True Love Waits” pledge cards have been signed by young men and young women who have made a commitment to remain pure and save sex for marriage. The “True Love Waits” commitment reads:

Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship.

Passion and purity may seem mutually exclusive. They are not. It is possible to feel passionately toward someone without following through physically. No one said it was easy, but it is possible.

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If you have been around blogs and blogging for any length of time, you are probably familiar with Blogthings. In poking around some blogs the other day, I ran across the intriguing question, What’s Your Name’s Hidden Meaning? Because it is nearly impossible to find the name Claudia in any of those personalized trinkets or souvenirs you see at nearly any checkout counter, I decided to give it a try just to see what would happen.

Lo and behold, Claudia was in the database and here are a few of the results:

• You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. (actually, I’m a good listener)
• You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. (got me confused with someone else here)
• A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. (aren’t we all?)
• You are very adaptable (most of the time)
• You are light hearted and accepting. You don’t get worked up easily. (true, no extremes here)
• Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. (The joy of the Lord is my strength, that’s my “secret”.)
• You don’t really have a lot of worries. (see above)
• You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. (what’s the point of having ducks if they’re not in a row?)
• People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. (who? me?)

It also said I was tightly wound and a type-A personality, but those don’t fit me at all.

Here a few other things you should probably know: (more…