“…the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
Hi my friends. It was so good to hear from so many of you (especially through the email post) about #FirstDraftBlogging – thanks for that encouragement!! And I learned that at least one of you is working on starting a blog that I can’t wait to share with everyone! 🙂 Way to go!!!
In thinking about blogging, I realized that its been YEARS since I shared the story behind SmellingCoffee.com. So this is today’s #FirstDraftBlogging offering.
Have you ever wondered why this blog is named Smelling Coffee? And can I just confess that for years after its inception, I didn’t “love” the name, only because it had something to do with a bodily function {smelling}??? But I’m ok with it now, and in too deep to change it – haha!
Here’s the story of Smelling Coffee.
To me, the smell of coffee first thing in the morning signifies that it’s a new day, full of new possibilities, hopes, and joys… a reminder that God’s mercies are also new, fresh and awaiting us every morning (Lamentations 3:21-25).
No matter how difficult the day (or night) before, or what season of life we are in, or what storms are on the horizon, having coffee with Jesus and His Word each morning grounds me and fills me with joy!
It is Jesus who makes the difference in my every-day-living, and I want it to be Jesus’ presence… His sweet aroma… that spills out of my life onto others.
2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” (AMP)
So… the eye-opening smell of coffee & the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ go hand in hand to me.
Want to know a secret? (I can’t believe I’m actually typing this out loud!) A long time ago I dreamed of having a morning radio show and thought it would be fun to call it “Smelling Coffee”… and the bumper music could be Chris Rice’s song, Smelling Coffee. (Disclaimer: At the same time, I would wonder how in the world I’d ever make it to the studio on time that early in the morning, since I have a propensity for tardiness and had a hard time getting my kids to Mother’s Morning Out by 9:00 am! haha)
To this day, that Smelling Coffee song totally makes me smile! If you haven’t ever heard it, I encourage you to take a moment and watch this, or listen here.
(Veggie Tales has a version too, which is even more entertaining! You can hear it here.)
Though the radio program never materialized, the Lord pressed upon my heart to start a blog with that same name. So with prayer and trembling, that’s what I did.
Jesus and I started this blog as a space to encourage those He sends to it, and to share some of what He teaches me as He and I sip coffee together. It contains posts about faith, family, food, fun, life, love, and living it all through the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
Though Ann Landers is credited with the phrase, “Wake up and smell the coffee,” to me, Smelling Coffee is waking each morning to hope, new starts, the Lord’s mercy, His never failing compassion, and His abundant faithfulness for every moment of TODAY… which is the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ in every place.
And that’s it. That’s how the blog name, Smelling Coffee, came to be. Though sometimes I still wrinkle my nose (no pun intended) at having a blog name including a bodily function of a human orifice, my very next thought is that The Lord gave me this name, so if it’s good with Him, it’s good with me, orifice or not. 🙂
Thanks for reading SmellingCoffee.com. I often pray for you, and ask Jesus to fill you with the aroma of His faithfulness and love over your today every day…
