THE ORIGINS OF COFFEE With over 400 billion cups of coffee consumed each year, coffee has become the most popular beverage in the world. (universe) Who gets the credit for discovering this amazingly popular beverage? There really isn’t any concrete evidence of the first discovery, but there are certain legends that have become commonly accepted as true throughout the world. Here is a look at these legends surrounding the discovery of coffee, and the ...

Have you ever been trapped in a cramped space with an unbearably annoying person for hours on end? I have, and her name was Beulah. As a child, my parents were involved with a religion that required each member of the congregation to take their entire family door-to-door every Saturday. In the event of bad weather the children were often left in the car to be supervised by the oldest member of the car group, and as we lived in the ‘almost always raining’ Pacific Northwest, my brother and I...

Mary Ann’s Hallway There was a little girl her name was Mary Ann she sat out in the hallway as holidays were banned no Christmas tree, or birthday cake no New Years resolution to her church and family these were evil mind pollution instead her mind was filled with their rules and with their laws she knew them all so well; don’t think ~ don’t ask ~ and don’t you ever tell. the silence was deafening as she bottled up her quest...

RURAL HOMELESSNESS AND FOSTER CARE: BUTTER ON THE BURN? Very little information has been given to the average American in regards to the rapid increase of homeless families in rural communities, and the leaning of the State to criminalize the parents for their plight by taking their children away and placing them in state appointed foster care homes. Although foster care can be a commendable solution in severe cases of child abuse and neglect, it is a poor solution to the...

Common Mistakes of the Coffee Drinking Novice What could be better than to start your day with a nice hot cup of freshly brewed coffee? For millions of people worldwide this thought is the only inspiration that motivates their legs to swing on out of their bed and shuffle to the kitchen to begin another daily routine. According to Coffee Universe at www.coffeeuniverse.com coffee is the most popular beverage after water with over 400 billion cups consumed annually. That is a lot of ...

Causal Analysis: Causes of Child Labor “Oh, No! Not the Chocolate, Too!”  Put down that chocolate! Do you know who picked those cocoa beans? It may have been a hungry little boy in Africa, according to a recent report released by the international human rights organization known as Global Exchange. The report details stories of young children escaping the Ivory Coast cocoa plantations, which grow 40 percent of the world’s cocoa, due to little food or pay and savage beatings. ...

January 11, 2004 1 John 1 and 2 This is the message that we heard from Christ, in a nutshell. God is pure light without a trace of darkness in Him. If we say that we know God but keep living the same old life, then we are lying. If we admit our sins he will forgive us and clean us up. If we do sin, we have a Priest in the presence of God, Jesus, He has taken care of our sin problem once and for all. This is how we can be sure that we really know God: We will o...

Hi. My name is Ann, and I am a 36 year old woman with 2 kids. When I was young I decided that I wanted to drive across the country in a van, and see the United States of America in a summer. Although I eventually did fulfill this dream, it didn't happen quite the way that I thought it would... I grew up in the very Northwest corner of the United States about 20 minutes by car to the Canadian border. The drive along the coast near my house was so breathtaking that it ma...

My God My Friend In the shadow of Your wing I will praise You as I sing Of The Beginning and The End You are my God and my Friend I first met You at the cross, as I lay broken from my loss I called upon Your name. I have never been the same. You filled me with Your power in my darkest hour. I fell asleep at Your feet. Shaken to awaken on Your mercy seat! Your precious blood touched my skin and washed away my sin. Your tears mixed with mine as You turned my ...

Hey, Jesus… My back’s against a wall Did You know that I would fall? Hey, Jesus… Did You know a friend would break me Deceive me, and forsake me Did you know that he would leave me And shove me to this crawl? Hey, Jesus… My back’s against a wall Did You know that I’d take this fall? Hey, Jesus… Can You see me? My back’s against this wall. My heart is broken Few words spoken To soothe my wounded soul. Hey, Jesus… Did You know I would deny You? Betray...

TO MY BRIDE To My Bride Love, Your Bridegroom, JESUS The Spirit of the Lord is speaking today: A price I did pay for you on that day. As I died on the cross for all of your sin. I kept My promise, and in three days, I rose again! For three days lay an empty, cold slab of rock. As I, the Word of God, took back the keys to the lock. Of death and hell and all Satan’s power. I, Your Redeemer, Jesus Christ, cry NOW is the hour! Children of God, I have ov...

A CHILD OF THE PROMISE A small broken child no older than four Lay in a heap on a cold dirty floor. Fragments of hope-like the glass and the dishes Broken and shattered like her heart full of wishes. “I wish I could fly.” Moaned the small broken child. “Then I could fly to this Voice deep inside. His voice is so tender. His words touch me so softly. His voice deep within is calling me…calling me.” “Come to Me, child. I will not hurt you. I love you my little o...