Exploring Local Coffee Shops: The Coffee Exchange

Exploring the Local Coffee Shops of the Colorado Front Range.

We are on a quest find the local cafes and coffee shops, tea rooms and diners, in search of delicious coffee, tea and local flare.

As I partner with my daughter, Maizy, we’ll each share our experiences and individual thoughts.  This week, we’re talking about The Coffee Exchange, located at 526 S Tejon, in downtown Colorado Springs.

Overview:
The Coffee Exchange is located downtown at Cimarron and Tejon. There are a variety of tables and plenty of space for a energetic downtown atmosphere, while still being cozy. The walls were covered in local art, and there was good reading material on the coffee tables near the back of the shop.  That is where we settled in for about an hour, on the sofas at the back of the cafe.  That gave us a wonderful view of the entire shop.  The Coffee Exchange hosts several types of community get together including open mic, game nights and Cuban night.  If you are in the Colorado Springs area, CHECK them Out!  The shop hours are:

Monday-Friday: 7am-7pm

Saturday: 7am-5pm

Sunday: 8am-7pm

The baristas are very friendly and helpful. During our first visit, Amy’s order was wrong and the barista was actually the first one to notice, as she passed our table.  She took it, and quickly fixed a new drink.  The coffee is Fair Trade certified.  And, while you can get disposable cups if you aren’t planning to stay in the shop they serve drinks in reusable mugs if you want to stay and hang out or work while you enjoy your drink.

Coffee, Mom:
The White Zombie is delicious. I did change up the drink just a bit, as I truly dislike white chocolate.  Milk chocolate was added instead.  The drink was smooth and delicious.  The white coffee has a full body, yet mild taste. The atmosphere of this shop is the best we’ve visited so far. While there is plenty of space for people to gather, it is easy to have a conversation and enjoy savoring a quiet cup of something delicious.  Or grab a book and start reading!

Tea, Maizy:
During my two visits I tried the White Zombie (with white chocolate) and an English breakfast latte with a pump of lavender. White espresso might just be my new favorite thing because it doesn’t taste like coffee and has a ton of caffeine. I don’t depend on caffeine usually to help me stay awake but there are times when I appreciate the boost. While there is a good selection of teas, tea lattes (not including chai lattes) are not technically on the menu. They were happy to make the English breakfast latte for me though and it was delicious. When the drink originally came out it was just the tea without any milk but the barista who originally took my order noticed the mistake and fixed it right away. The lavender was faint but added a nice element to the overall flavor without being overpowering.

My favorite part of this coffee shop was the art.  The walls are covered in local art, and it is fantastic, and some of it was simply sweet.

 

 

Reading in February, 2017

February passed so quickly, it always does.   Two of my daughters have birthdays in this month, one at the beginning and another at the end.  I think that is a fantastic was for months to begin and end.  Some of our kids are prolific readers, and others not so much.  That is the case in the February birthdays.  So for one of these celebrations, enough books to nearly fill a shelf were gifted.  Her to be read pile is very tall right now.

One to what I read this month.  Again, audiobooks were how I took in the most “pages.

Daring Greatly:  How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown.  This book is in my top 5 most influencial books list.  As a woman who grew up with shame and then passed shame onto my own children, I am excited to have more information and encouragement to continue to learn to live differently.  This was an audiobook narrated by Karen White.

Project Mnemosyne (When No One was Looking Book 1) by Kim Frauli. (Book dying to read, MMD Read for Fun)   This is a book I was sent for review.  Can I say, I loved this book for the masterful use of suspense while remaining family friendly.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by the author. (Newbery Award winner MMD Read for Growth)Another audiobook.  This one, I feel priviledged to have had the opportunity to read this book.   During this time of so much unrest, and division in our country, cities and communities, it is very important to seek to understand others.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, read by Rachel McAdams.  An old favorite. (Set somewhere I’ve never been, but would love to MMD Read for Fun)

The Essence of Courage by Lynn U Watson.  (A genre I typically avoid, MMD Read for Growth) An interesting journey with women of the Bible, essential oils and a community of women who are learning through them.

Birthbond:  Reunions Between Birthparents and Adoptees– by Judith S Gedimen.  For anyone involved in post adoption reunions, this book offers a wealth of information.  Just remember that each journey is unique and cant be defined by anyone else’s journey.

Forgotten God by Francis Chan, read by the author. (3 books by same author, MMD Read for Growth) I am reading and re reading the books by Francis Chan this winter, finding them once again full of Biblical encouragement.

The Gentle Art of Discipling Women:  Nurturing Authentic Faith in Ourselves and Others by Dana Yeakley.  This book helped me fill in blanks in my spiritual journey, and gave me the push I needed to get into a mentoring relationship with another woman in our congregation.  Game changing.

Overall I completed 4 audiobooks, 2 paper and ink books and 2 books on my Kindle.

As March begins I am reading The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, What Really Happened in the Garden?: The Reality and Ramifications of the Creation and Fall of Man, His Word in my Heart by Janet Pope, and Full:  Food, Jesus, and the Battle for Satisfaction by Asheritah Ciuciu.

What are you reading these days?  Do you have any book suggestions for me?

February Fringe Hours

February fringe hours have been spent mostly in the laundry/sewing room this month.  After all the Christmas quilt creating in the fall, I set aside the red and green for awhile.  There are more Christmas quilts to be made, but that will likely start back up in the summer.  I might run out of daughters and grandchildren to give these too, before the fabric is all sewn up!

For now beautiful sunshine yellows are making their way into a quilt for my youngest.  My youngest daughter says she will decorate her entire home in yellow when she is grown.  Now I cannot picture that, but making her bedroom a warm sunny yellow retreat is in progress.  Cutting this quilt is taking more time than any of my other endeavors, this will be my most complicated quilt so far.   I am pretty excited about it, but  when Valentine’s was approaching I got an idea for some quick projects that would give some instant gratification.

First I made these darling Valentine pockets.  I filled each of them with a couple of gift cards and a little candy, then hung them on the bedroom doors of each of the kids.   The live action Beauty and the Beast is coming out in March so we gave each of the kids theater gift cards and a gift card for lunch or dinner.

While making those pretty little pockets, I started a Valentine’s table runner.  It wasn’t finished in time for this year, but it will be a lot of fun to pull it out of the tub next January!  Kind of like the placemats I made last winter, and got to enjoy all Christmas season in December.

Now I am a little ahead of myself, with this St Patrick’s table runner that is nearly completed.  I should have it on the table by March 1, to enjoy all month long.  This is a French braid pattern, that instead of making blocks, I just made into a long braid.  It will be backed with the green cross fabric, and the binding will be the black with shamrocks.

Having these little and big projects to work on has helped this month just fly by.  Spring is just around the corner, right?

What have you been enjoying in the fringe hours?

Your Magnificent Chooser

Your Magnificent Chooser, by John Ortberg, a Tyndale Kids Title.

This book is a precious, delightful story introducing children to the concept of choosing, and also to feeling and thinking.  The concept of choosing is linked directly to the WILL, which even the smallest child has!

“God gave you two eyes, two ears, and one nose, ten wiggly fingers and ten useful toes.  But of all of those parts, the big and the small, your chooser just might be the best part of all.”  And so the story begins.  It is a tremendous job, to share the will of a child and train them to choose, and to choose wisely, of all the abundant relational, material, temporal opportunities in life.  The choices we make in life are limitless!

 

“Will you wake with a smile or start with a frown?”    The Chooser, the will, wields a lot of power, yet each one of us must train ourselves, and practice choosing right.  This wonderful story, with cheerful and gentle illustrations is a fantastic and enjoyable book to have on the shelf, for the choosing.  And I am choosing to do just that!

I received this complimentary book from the Tyndale Blog Network, in exchange for the thoughts and opinions shared here.

Go and Make Disciples

Tags

Reading in 2017

Most Christians have heard those last few verses of Matthew,

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

But I have been wondering, how many of us know how to make disciples.  Over the years I have seen and heard many demonstrations on sharing the Gospel, but the idea of making disciples has been a vague one.  Jesus spent three years with His disciples, teaching them in their small group, and also while teaching the masses.  But I’ve often wondered what did He specifically teach them and how were they prepared to go out and do all that they did, taking the Gospel throughout Israel and the world.

It’s been a roadblock to me, until now.  The Gentle Art of Discipling Women by Dana Yeakley is the first book I finished reading this month (February 2017).  I’ve been working through the book for a couple of months, as I found that I wanted to dig deep with this one.  The subtitle summed up what I’ve been missing in my own life…nurturing authentic faith in myself and others.

Recently I was with a small group, and we were asked if any of us have ever been “discipled,” taken systematically through Scripture in a small group or one to one.    It was a thought provoking question and most of us answered NO!  Besides solid Biblical teaching from the pulpit most of us have not been taught the systematic basics of new life in Christ, and further, in a one to one or small group.  And most of us were unsure on just how to “make disciples.”  Yet discipleship is a responsibility of every Christ follower.

This book, The Gentle Art of Discipling Women is a strong introduction to what discipleship looks like, and how to do it.  As is the case so often, I found in the first half of the book, Be a Disciple, that I needed to grow and find the bridge between discipled and ready to disciple.  According to the book, there are four key building blocks to being well grounded and ready to minister to other women.  It was good to take the time to go through each, to look for gaps in my understanding and to also formulate questions for further study.

We are Forgiven – Christ died for sins, once and for all.  Once we have accepted this gift of grace, it is done.  We are forgiven.

We are Safe – Through faith you are kept safe by God’s power.  In Him our future is secure, and day to day we can trust Him.

We have Access – It is through Him that we both (whether far off or near) now have access by one Spirit to the Father so that we are able to approach Him.

We are Becoming – Christ has begun a good work in us, and will continue that work in us until we see Him in glory.

Each of these topics, or keys are explored deeply with characters in Scripture and thought provoking questions, while keeping things simple.

The second half of the book, Make a Disciple, covered everything from the how to the what in making disciples.  It is my plan to pair what I’ve learned with this book with meeting an older woman from our congregation to further prepare in this most important endeavor.

It’s pretty early in the year to say this, but this might have been the most important book I read this year.  It’s life changing for me.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Tyndale Blog Network, in exchange for my review.  All thoughts expressed in this post are mine.

 

Reading in January 2017

Well into February and I am just taking a look at what I read last month.   Both of the Modern Mrs Darcy 2017 Reading Challenges are taped into my bullet journal, but it’s the next page of that journal that I’m enjoying filling in.

 

First of all, audiobooks.  During busy seasons, it is the audiobooks that are getting completed becuase I can listen while driving and waiting for kids.  Just last night knitting was what I wanted to do, but I felt like I should be reading.  That is when I realized, an audibook and knitting would be fantastic!  Here are the audiobooks I completed in January:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – (a book published before you were born, MMD Reading for Growth challenge)this classic “coming of age” story is the best story I’ve read recently.  It may stay on top as my best read of this year, it is that good.   Originally published in 1943, it fits the “classic” category that I am wanting to read more of, but it is the story that makes it truly worth reading.  The audible narration was very well done by Kate Burton.  This is a story that my daughters need to read!

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne – (a book you’ve already read, MMD Reading for Fun challenge) another classic, a reread for me.   Builder and I took a short road trip at the beginning of January with a couple of our kids.  This was the book we choose to listen to.  He hadn’t ever read the, and the rest of us were happy to hear it again.

You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan – (Three books by the Same Author, MMD Reading for Fun) this is the first marriage book I’ve read in quite awhile.  This book is more about being a Christ-follower first, and letting that express itself within marriage.  Very encouraging, and it will be downloaded onto Builder’s phone the next time he travels!

Gifted Hands by Ben Carson – (book recommended by someone with great taste,MMD Reading for Fun) My youngest daughter has medical school dreams and reads many books that are beyond me.  But this one she asked me to read, is simply good.  Overdrive had it available quickly, and it is a short book, so I think I finished it in a week.

Using my Kindle and the Kindle app is another way I’m getting reading in.  Now that I’ve learned how to turn on the night time light filter, I read ebooks at night, so that I can turn out the light for my hubby, and still get in a little reading.  Lines at the grocery store don’t bother me any more, it’s a chance to get a few more paragraphs, or even pages read!  The is how I read Chasing Mona Lisa (a topic I already love MMD R4Fun) and Horse in the Wilderness in January.

While I am thankful for Kindle and Audiobooks, Paper and Ink books are still my favorite way to read.  It is so satisfying to hold the book in my hands, and to see the bookmark moving from day to day.  I read, or completed reading,  You Carried Me, (genre that addresses current events MMD Read for Growth) and The 30 Day Praise Challenge.

That is eight books this month, thanks to audible, Christian Audio and Kindle!  In February I am hoping balance out my reading a little more and tackle a couple more books in our family library bookshelves.

What did you read in January?  My stack is tall for February, but do you have any recommendations for reading in March?

Horse in the Wilderness

Tags

Reading in 2017

Horse in the Wilderness by Debbie Eckles was one of my January reads, on my kindle.  After a very slow start, the story picked up pace and I found myself pulling out my phone often just to read a bit more.  Horse in the Wilderness is the story of a lost horse, a boy who gets lost for a short time, and the people who find love as they search for both.

I give this story just 3 stars, but also tell you it was an enjoyable story.  The beginning didn’t draw me in, and I was disappointed in the ending.  I swiped my screen looking for the next page a couple of times before I realized the story was over.  Not the best way to end a story in my opinion.

Book Description

A missing horse. A missing boy. A vandal with an unexplained grievance against a local farmer. A young woman who drives as though pursued by demons. An impulsive offer to help locate the missing horse draws Brent Travis unwillingly into the affairs of the Parker family. Are they the gracious, God-fearing Christians they appear to be, or are they the hypocrites of Brent’s past experience?

Book Look Blogger network provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.

Embrace Grace

In January 1988, as a young single woman, I was very surprised to discover I was pregnant.

That January, during a visit to a clinic for birth control pills, a routine pregnancy test was run.   In the same breath that the clinic work told me that the test was positive, she asked me when I would like to be scheduled to “take care of it”.

The news of the new life within me took me completely by surprise, and I couldn’t think to respond to the clinic worker.   Stunned but unwilling to schedule “the procedure”, I told her that I needed to talk with my boyfriend.

I walked out of the clinic that day and by God’s grace alone I didn’t return.

Even though the relationship ended with my baby’s father, and I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do, I made the decision to give the unborn child life.

Eight months later, I was living back home with my parents, and  a beautiful baby girl was born.  The young woman who had never wanted to marry nor have children became a mother.  Now that baby girl is grown, and is the mother of my granddaughter.

Life has brought forth life.  Those words give me so much joy.

As I look back on that January day I wonder how many young women like me are quickly presented with a solution to the “surprise” of an unplanned pregnancy, how many are ushered into ending the life of the baby?

What if we, the local church could step in, and with a tangible gift that can minister to the heart of a frightened young woman who has just learned that she is pregnant?  And with that initial gift, begin a relationship of support, ministry and mentor-ship so that the young woman can choose life, make a plan, and walk out that plan.

Embrace Grace

Embrace Grace has a mission to inspire and equip the church to love on single and pregnant young women and their families.  One of the ways they are connecting pregnant young women with the local church is through  Love in a Box.

This box is a tool used to reach, bless, and encourage young women with unplanned pregnancies. Embrace Grace provides pregnancy centers with these boxes to give to any single, young woman with a positive pregnancy test, inviting them to join an Embrace Grace group.  Within the box are several items to minister and encourage the young woman, items like this necklace,

and this journal

The hope is that through Love in a Box, babies will be saved as these young pregnant women CHOOSE LIFE and realize through Embrace Grace that they are BRAVE and not alone in this journey!

To help get the word out to more people, Embrace Grace is giving away 5 sets of this pretty necklace and Brave journal.  Enter here.  And if you find that this ministry is reaching a place in your heart that is longing for a way to reach out in your community, check out the Embrace Grace website for more information.  There are 3 different ways you can join in this outreach:

1. Start an Embrace Grace at their local church so young women with unplanned pregnancies have a support group.
2. Partner with the national organization through prayer and support at www.EmbraceGrace.com
3. Download and print our brave girl letter (http://egrace.co/brave) and mail to address below for us to place inside a Love in a Box.

You can mail your Brave Girl letter to:

 

Embrace Grace, Inc.

Attn: Love in a Box

700 W. Bedford Euless Rd., Ste. G

Hurst, TX 76053

Thank you for reading all the way to here.  It is my hope that just as I have spent some time to learn about Embrace Grace, that you might do the same.  Let me know if you think that an Embrace Grace ministry can start in your local church, or if you are interested in partnering in one of the other ways.

I received the  Pro-Love necklace and Brave journal from Embrace Grace in exchange for reviewing the items, this post is part of the FrontGate Blogger Network.

 

Groupon has Coupons!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

Like so many other moms, I find shopping online can save my family money, and my sanity.  I think each of those things, money and sanity, are equal!!  So here on the blog I have occasionally  mentioned money saving tips, and I am here to share a new-to-me way to save… through GROUPON! Groupon Coupons actually.

Groupon Coupons

I’ve bought plenty of Groupon deals over the past couple of years, but only recently learned about Groupon coupons.    Maybe you have noticed that I love to travel.  Looking over today’s coupons I’ve found deals for Priceline and Hilton to research for an upcoming trip to the Northwest US that my family is taking later this year.  We will be visiting some family and road tripping for a week and I can quickly see how Groupon coupons is going to be an easy way to save money on this trip.  One of the things that is so great about Groupon is that it is local, where ever you are.  All you have to do is type in the general area where you’ll be, and groupon finds the coupons!  Easy peasy!

One thing that I find terrific about the Groupon Coupons is that all the Groupon deals are right there on one site.  Before I start my online shopping, I can search the coupons.  And on the same site I can check the local deals for dinner out with my husband, or for that ski trip next month.  And as I already have mentioned, a person can use groupon anywhere in the US and many locations in Canada.

Here are a few of the other stores and businesses with coupons on the site today:

Target

AEO

Hertz

Nordstrom

Starbucks

and look at this one, Udemy, coupons for the Online Courses site!

and so many more.  If you haven’t heard of Groupon Coupons before, go ahead and check out the site.  Let me know of any great travel deals you find, okay?!

 

 

The Romans 8:28 Promise

For Christ followers, the Bible is a road map, it is a mirror that reveals to us what is inside us, Who God is, and it the resource that tells us the end of the story, and how to be ready for it.  In the Bible there are admonitions, blessings, general promises and specific promises.  In those specific promises one can find words written specifically to and for the believing Christian, the Christ follower.