Not Just Any Coffee Mug

There's a lot of talk right now about "things" that bring you joy. Thanks to Ms. Kondo, people everywhere are soul-searching and coming to the realization that less is more. While I seriously need to declutter, my coffee mug collection won't be going anywhere. Because, silly as it may sound, they make me happy.

As a disclaimer, this isn't a devotional post. It's a just-for-fun post. But I can't pass up the opportunity to say that material things may make me happy, but Jesus is the true giver of joy. "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalms 16:11 (Now back to our regularly scheduled blog post.)

I currently have nine mugs in my collection. I don't seek out new ones, but I'm sure more will eventually be added. There are some mugs in my house that aren't part of the collection, because they aren't special. They're just mugs. 

Because these are special to me, I'd like to share them with you. Aside from the fact that I really, really love coffee, and I'm grateful for any vehicle that brings it to my mouth, I love each of these for different reasons.

Let me tell you about them, in no particular order:

These are my writing conference mugs. The green one is from my first ever conference, Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, in May 2018. The white one is from the North Carolina Christian Writers Conference in September 2018. They are fun reminders of the friends and connections I've made, and of the writing goals I have.

This is a Mary & Martha mug I bought from a friend. During my writing journey, this has been an important message for me: Live Courageously, Adventure On

I love these mugs by Big Sky Carvers. The artist is Dean Crouser, and I love his work. I bought the bluebird in summer of 2017 at the Greensboro Science Center on a special visit with my kids. The chickadee was a present from Alex (I think Mother's Day 2018), and the cardinal was a Christmas present from my in-laws last month. The hummingbird might join them someday. These three are extra special to me.

It's pretty obvious why this one is special. I made it through Shutterfly, and it has some of my favorite pictures of our family and a favorite verse of Scripture.

This was a funny and thoughtful Christmas present from my husband. (I'd guess 2013.) It's from a very funny, yet slightly off-color British sitcom I enjoyed back then called "The IT Crowd." The tag line is "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" And as anyone else who's worked in IT can tell you, that's the solution to most computer issues.

This one is definitely the oldest in my collection. I got it on our honeymoon thirteen years ago. It had been a dream for many years to visit the museum that was once the home of Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone With the Wind. So, we honeymooned in Atlanta, GA. I had no idea then how poignant the quote on the cup was. "In a weak moment I have written a book."

There you have it. My nine special mugs. I decide which one to use each day based on my mood (and which ones are clean.) I probably reach for my bird mugs the most.

Much of myself comes out in my book characters. So it's no surprise that many of them drink coffee. I'll leave you with this excerpt from 'Grace & Lavender'. Thanks for reading!
 
"Colleen took another long sip from a coffee mug she had used for over twenty years. It was white with World’s Best Mom on it in large, black letters. Coffee was another of the many things for which she was truly and sincerely grateful. Coffee, a good book, perfect four-part harmony, the sight of the first crocuses in spring- Colleen had an aptitude for recognizing simple joys. And despite her longings, it could never be said that she wasn’t satisfied with what she’d been given or wasn’t grateful for everything she had."