Morning brew & bunnies

I'm not sure how or why, but I never developed a taste for coffee. Even the heavily sugared and milky sort. The advent of the coffee culture didn't move my needle on morning brew. The husband finally caved and became a fan in the last decade or so. And of course our girls drink coffee since their generation grew up with it on every corner thanks to that green-and-white siren logo caffeine pushing company with their own lingo for small, medium and large... that I can never remember correctly. Thus it was a no-brainer to add a dedicated coffee station in our new house, mainly so I didn't have to lose any counter space in the kitchen proper to their machines and trappings. We're just waiting for the two floating shelves to be installed so I can pretty it up and call it done.

This weekend I'm doing my annual volunteering - cue the bunny theme - at a local residential facility for children who have been removed from abusive homes, many who are diagnosed with emotional/behavioral issues. I've developed a connection as well as affection for the girls living there, having sponsored them through our Sunday school class every Christmas as well as having taught them as a public school teacher and then while serving as a child advocate. It's difficult to comprehend, adults who mistreat the innocent, and yet it's much more common than most of us care to imagine. The system struggles to provide what these kids need, and so we should all be doing more to help the least of us as God tells us many times in the Bible. What a remarkable gift, that as God blesses us we can bless others through our prayers, presence and gifts.

The sweet lady who heads up these efforts for girls in the facility told me they were in need of things like shampoo, hairbrushes, and toothpaste. Yep, things most of us take for granted. So I decided to make personal hygiene Easter goody baskets for each of the girls, in addition to the craft activities I've planned. I'll also be whipping up six dozen homemade sugar cookies and decorator icing on Friday so the girls can make some edible bunny treats to round out the fun. It's crucial to let these precious girls know someBUNNY is thinking about them and cares, rather than ignoring this great need in our communities. This Easter season I pray the Lord leads you to a volunteer opportunity where you can be the hands and feet of Jesus to make a difference in the life of a child.