CARROT, EGG OR COFFEE??? HUH ???

The carrot, the egg, and the coffee bean

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened! The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong but, with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit but, after a death, a breakup, or a financial hardship, does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

=================================
Right around noon today, I had to run my grandson home.. he was planning on one of his long time, and very special friends coming over for the rest of the day.. (*.*) Ah, he's really growing up sooo fast, and we still think just how special it is that he still "wants" and enjoys coming up and spending (usually) the whole weekend with us.

So then, Abigail and I went on and got some groceries while we were down there... enough for a couple of days.. and she helped plan lunch for tomorrow.. She chose a spiral cut ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked beans, and a veggie dish consisting of raw cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and dip. I decided to add deviled eggs, and a pineapple upside down cake.. We also ran to a few stores to pick a few more things to decorate at school with.. seems that I ran rather short.. I think last year I just used scarecrows from early fall until I decorated for Christmas for the kids... They love it! Makes it worth while (*.*) Hope they like the few extras that we picked. God bless each of them! Once we got home, we had a picnic today for lunch.. just the three of us and Homerjoe. It ended up being a very pretty day with a cool evening, just like autumn? Right?? Well, then we had to do something that we really didn't want to do.. We decided to go ahead and let one of our hens sit.. (a black one) She just will NOT allow the others to lay eggs, so we put her into the "sitting pen" we built in back when we built the chicken coop and pen.. (actually we made two individual 'sitting pens' right under the laying nest) and they have plenty of room.. We'll see just how much she really wants to sit.. (but we only gave her 5 eggs!) Boy they do keep ya busy in the evenings, and it's something you've got to enjoy, and that we do.. And at least two of our grandchildren really enjoy it too.. And, we are "MAKING MORE MEMORIES" , hopefully some of them will be "special" and long lasting.. God bless! We also put up just a couple more decorations around here.. they love it and think it's special!

Then I fixed us some 'leftover KFC' from lunch.. with potato salad and rolls, and a piece of cherry pie for supper tonight.. AND, IT'S TIME TO KICK BACK FOR A LITTLE WHILE! MONDAY COMES JUST SOOOOO FAST! SEEMS USUALLY THAT WE GET OFF ON FRIDAY.. AND WHEN WE WAKE UP, IT'S MONDAY!

                             ===========================================

Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal, and not wound. ~

             ==========================================================
Who Am I Casting Crowns - YouTube
PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOURS TONIGHT AND NIGHTLY.. GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU AND HOLD YOU GENTLY IN HIS LOVING HANDS...
PRAYING TO FOR JAKE AND FRANCES (hope things are going better and those treatments have worked and it's over with)... PRAYING FOR MRS TERRY (Norman's mother) she celebrates her 86th year of life)... PRAYING ALWAYS FOR LITTLE EVAN, AND ALL THE CHILDREN WITH EB OR ANY OTHER DREADFUL DISEASES, AND THEIR FAMILIES... PRAYING FOR EVERYONE WITH CANCER AND THEIR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS.. SPECIAL PRAYER TONIGHT FOR DICKIE.. BARBARA'S HUSBAND, AND HIS CO-WORKERS.. THAT THEIR JOB WILL CONTINUE.. THINGS WILL WORK OUT AND IT WILL BE BETTER THAN THEY HOPE FOR.. PRAYING FOR OUR COUNTRY THAT GOD WILL BLESS AND GUIDE OUR LEADERS TO DO WHAT HE KNOWS IS BEST AND RIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY.. PRAYING FOR OUR SOLDIERS, THAT THEY WILL ALL SOON BE BACK HOME SAFELY WITH JOBS TO COME HOME TO AND FOR COMFORT AND INNER PEACE FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES... PRAYING FOR NORMAN, THAT HE WILL SOON GET FEELING BETTER AND THINGS WILL WORK OUT FOR HIM EVEN BETTER THAN HE'S HOPING FOR.. PRAYING FOR ALL THE "UNSPOKEN PRAYERS" FOR EACH OF YOU AND ASKING THAT YOU'LL PRAY FOR OURS TOO.. SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR EACH OF MY CO-WORKERS AS WE START ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR , HELP US LORD TO ALL BE CLOSE, CARING AND HELPFUL TO EACH OTHER.. PRAYING FOR EVERYONE LOOKING FOR JOBS, PLEASE LORD HELP THEM ALL TO FIND A DECENT JOB, SUITABLE FOR THEM... PRAYING FOR BETTY JO, TIMMY, AND KRISTIN, PRAYING THAT THEY WILL FIND AWESOME INNER PEACE AND HAPPINESS!... PRAYING FOR SHARON MAE AND SPECIAL HEALING FROM HER RECENT 2nd  KNEE SURGERY!... PRAYING FOR HAPPINESS, REST, LOVE, AND GOOD HEALTH (and wealth, lol) FOR JENNA AND THE SELL OF HER HOUSE..PRAYING FOR CHRIS, AND ALL THE TRAVELING HE DOES FOR WORK, AND HIS TOTAL SAFETY.. PRAYING FOR JEFF THAT HE WILL HAVE HAPPINESS AT WORK, AND A GREAT BIG RAISE, AND FIND TRUE HAPPINESS IN HIS LIFE... UNSPOKEN PRAYERS FOR NORMAN J. AND HIS FAMILY... PRAYING FOR SPECIAL GUIDANCE IN MANY THINGS "UNSPOKEN" AND INNER PEACE ... AND AS USUAL AND ALWAYS, GIVING GOD THE THANKS, PRAISE, HONOR, AND GLORY IN ALL THINGS IN JESUS HOLY NAME, AMEN! That's My King! Igniter Media