If you follow any modern day prophets, you've probably heard that many believe there's a third great awakening coming to America that will surpass all other revivals in scope and reach. 

Whether you believe that or not, let me tell you some things we've seen and experienced. Let me start with a story. Many people remember the Folgers commercial jingles (that never leave your head) singing, "The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup." Or, Juan Valdez confidently stating that his coffee is "Good to the last drop".

These companies and many more brought coffee to the masses in airtight, pre-ground cans of coffee roasted in huge facilities. In the coffee industry, this is commonly referred to the "first wave" of coffee.

If there's a first, there has to be a second, right?! The "second wave" consisted of artisan coffee and roasts being brought to every street corner in America. Although not all encompassing, Starbucks is the best picture of the second wave of coffee. There is much more to this history, but I'm quickly describing it all for a parallel, an illustration if you will, of what's happening in America now.

Next, came the "third wave" of coffee. The third wave was far more encompassing then either of the previous waves. People got extremely 'nerdy' about coffee, all the way down to the chemical reactions that take place. They decided, coffee in its purest form was best. They created different ways of making coffee to give a person the best experience possible. Independent coffee shops popped up everywhere breaking all the rules of what had been known before. They didn't do the status quo. They changed it!

These creative unknowns turned the world upside down to the point that my 4 yr old girl asks for coffee on a regular basis. If this doesn't resonate with you, bear with me!

Some believe the third great awakening in America has already happened... including Wikipedia. I won't go all into that, but FINALLY, let me tell you the illustration if you haven't caught it yet.

God is telling some regular people some crazy things; people that aren't full-time ministers, pastors or evangelists. They aren't on their church board but they are listening to what the Holy Spirit is doing in America. They are having dreams about things that sound, well, crazy.

I have met several of these people, and after this last one, I have to write about it! We know one pilot organizing other pilots to intercede over whole cities regularly on their routes. We just met one businessman who is building RV spots on 30 acres next to his house because our Lord has given him dreams about it, and we've met multiple people with the same experience!

I had pretty much given up on meeting my future wife. I had heard so many stories, including how my parents met, and how people found their significant others in college. I unknowingly grew up believing I would meet my wife in college. 

Well, college came and went and no wife… not even a girlfriend. However, God was calling me, and I was trying to answer. I threw myself into serving the Lord at my local church. It was 2001, and although I had been raised going to church, I had no idea what serving at a local church meant. I made $14,400/year and I was happy!

I loved college and worship ministry. My dream was to get paid to lead worship. In fact, if any church would have paid me to lead worship, I would have jumped at the chance (an interesting side note is that over 10 years later a church did offer and I turned it down… I had learned the gospel is never about money, among other things. That’s a story for another time!).

In the fall of 2002, everything changed. The first week in October, I took a dozen or so students to a college ministry retreat. It’s funny, well… not at the time, how God show’s up when you’ve given up. I had really given up on meeting a woman to share my life with. I didn’t think about it that much anymore and I didn’t date.

On October 4, 2002, I walked in a room filled with college students. I saw Mary for the first time from across the room and literally said, “Wow!”, out loud. I was awestruck. She was beautiful… and I was too shy to even approach her.

I remember that first night. She was worshiping the Lord with passion, and I it was all over for me!

Let me tell you all something really important. You want to be "ready" when you meet your future spouse. I don't mean you have to be perfect, but if you have a glaring sin issue like pornography or masturbation in your life, get help. You never know when it'll happen, and looking back, I wish I had been more ready. 

There are significant things that need to be worked through when you are newlyweds or even engaged. Pornography shouldn't be one of them. It was in my life, and now I was dragging someone else into it.

This journey of ours brings us into places where we are in constant reliance of God. We never know what we are going to do or who we are going to meet. We simply move forward in continual communion with God and He faithfully directs our path. We are amazed how He always puts is right where we need to be…

with love,
Mary

ps: the power steering is completely fixed and the bus is running smoothly once again...

So, now as we walk (or drive 😏) off into the sunset, we feel ready. All of us feel that the timing of our departure is just perfect. We arrived at our first Walmart to shop and sleep last night. When we were walking around by the milk and eggs and day old bread stand, Judah exclaimed, "oh! I remember this!" We feel as though we have finally returned to our normal.

It's funny, but it's true. This nomadic life we live with Holy Spirit leading us is our normal. This traveling life is when we feel at home. Home has become a feeling in our spirits and not actually a physical place. Home is when we are walking in step with our Father God. In fact, home is, simply put, being with Him.

"From Peter, an apostle of Jesus the Anointed One, to the chosen ones who have been scattered abroad like “seed” into the nations living as refugees,... You are not forgotten , for you have been chosen and destined by Father God. The Holy Spirit has set you apart to be God’s holy ones, obedient followers of Jesus Christ who have been gloriously sprinkled with his blood. May God’s delightful grace and peace cascade over you many times over! Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
1 Peter 1:1‭-‬3 TPT

with love,
​Mary

Well, that's not totally true... and we actually aren't sad about it :-)We are officially done roasting coffee as a part-time business! It has helped support us on the road, but God has given us peace about laying it down and trusting Him to provide in all things.

We're definitely a little sentimental about roasting coffee and keeping bees, but God's path for our lives is always better than our own. When Jesus said, "I have come that they (we) may have life and have it to the full," He meant it. The fullest life imaginable on this earth is in relationship with our heavenly Father through Jesus. 

P.S. We're keeping our roaster in our bus and will continue to give coffee away to everyone we meet! If you can't stand to not have our coffee, you'll have to come and visit us on the road!

Thank you all for supporting us through purchasing our coffee and honey! For other ways to support us in the future, check out the Support Page.

The culmination of my high school years would end in the ‘96-’97 school year.  I was involved in everything I could be: basketball, track, band, choir, acting, etc. God was working through all of it, even in the area of women.

I had met a girl at Bible camp during the summer that really loved God. It was the first person in my life (my age) that really loved the Lord and I was attracted to that devotion. We only went on two dates, but from then on, I really knew I wanted to marry a woman that was sold out for Jesus.

High school ended, we broke up and I was off to UND, the biggest university in the state. I kind of always assumed I would find my future wife in college.  I heard my parents’ story so many times of how God brought them together. So, I expected my freshman year to be one of finding my soulmate.

I didn’t, in fact, I didn’t even go on one date. It may have had something to do with always wearing a $6 leather jacket from a thrift store (that I still have) and being attached to a guitar. Or, maybe it was that I had long hair and an ever changing beard and sideburn trim. Whatever the case, God kept me from any type of relationship that year.

I got involved running and setting up sound with a church plant that started at a bar. I loved it and felt a part of the band. I also got involved in Campus Crusade for Christ, and for the first time in my life, was living near and getting to know a hundred or more christians my age.

It was an amazing time, but something else was taking off… the internet.

Although the internet has changed the world in many ways for the better, it’s also brought pornography to us with the touch of a button.

The university had huge computer labs (because computers were expensive) where any student could use a computer, but that kind of stuff was pretty well blocked. Unfortunately, one of the four guys I shared a bathroom with in the dorms had a computer.

It was like a gateway into temptation.  We spent countless hours playing games like Quake and Warcraft. We chatted with people all over the world, and we had direct access to pornography.

It was way too easy. Before, it was a temptation, but for the most part you couldn’t act on that temptation. Now, it was a few keystrokes and you were there: Countless sites, countless women, and all being objectified and lusted after by countless men.

When I think about where I was at spiritually, it’s so sad.  I was really pressing into God, but my addiction was separate from that.  It’s like I was saying, “God you can have it all… except this part.” I knew it was wrong, but I was developing a cycle where I’d come back to it like a dog coming back to its vomit (Proverbs 26:11).  

I was a fool. I justified my addiction. I made excuses. I didn’t get help, and really didn’t see the need for it. In many respects, I was lost. I would not bring my sin into the light, and so it grew bigger, worse, closer to death. My heart was stone and yet, God was walking with me all the way.

He was pursuing me. He loved me, and deep down in my soul I knew that. Then came Sophomore year...

​

I know I know... I have missed WAYYYY too many posts. We bought a bus that needs A LOT of work-- we still don't have running water:-)-- however, no more excuses, Holy Spirit told me to write and I'll be catching up on many missed posts over the next week. Without further ado, here we go!
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Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 4:6 NASB).

So many, many times I tried in my own strength, in my own power; only to fail again and again.

Do you ever notice in Christian circles how we quote half of a verse? We also take verses out of context. But, many times the other half of the verse is pretty important!

I think I have heard, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” over 100 times. Do you think repeating that ½ verse is helpful to your walk with the Lord? I don’t. I think it’s pretty depressing. To me, it means your spirit wants communion with God, but alas, your flesh can’t make it happen.

Jesus is always more encouraging than that. Matthew 26: 41 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Watch and pray! Watch and pray! Jesus is inferring that if we watch and pray, He gives us the power to OVERCOME weak flesh. It’s only by us aligning ourselves with Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are able to withstand the temptations of our flesh.

I just met a 19 year old that is sold out for Jesus. He led us and some other families in worship and I couldn’t help but think, “Wow! I wish I was in this place at 19.” We have the saying, “The sky is the limit,” however, with our wondrous heavenly Father, the sky isn’t even the limit. This 19 year doesn’t have a limit! Oh, what God can do with a humble, willing heart!

When I was 19, I had gone down the road of satisfying my own sinful desires that had grown and grown. That’s what sin does. If you make those poor decisions, if you don’t watch and pray, it always leads to death… one step at a time. It’s like you’re slowly digging your own grave!

I’m getting ahead of the story, but next, I’ll be sharing about a glimmer of hope during the later part of high school. We’ll also be looking at a sovereign Father showing me what a Godly woman actually looked like. Stay tuned!