A Higher "Ground"

If you know Jesse & I at all, you know that we love coffee.

Well, sadly, our coffee maker of 3 years died this week. It served us well for our first years together as a married couple... especially the past 8 months as sleep-deprived, new parents.

However, God works together everything for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and this hardship has resulted in great joy. Please welcome the newest addition to the Griffin household...



... our new coffee siphon!

After researching our options (i.e. another coffee maker that would probably only last a few years, a French press, or yes... a coffee siphon), we decided to go with the option of sweet, durable physics. See, this device is awesomeness embodied... it uses steam to create a vacuum that pushes the fresh water up into the coffee grounds and then, after removing the heat source, the vacuum created sucks the coffee back through the filter! Mmm mmm, good. And the glass is easily cleaned to provide, day after day, a pure cup of coffee.

Let me just say, Jesse & I were like two kids at Christmas, waiting for the Fed-ex truck to pull up with our new siphon. And when we heard the brakes of that Fed-ex truck outside, we joyfully ran to the window as if we heard the prancing reindeer themselves. As coffee connoisseurs, we feel that we have moved up to a higher "ground" (pun intended, bahaha). And if you come over to our house sometime, we will most excitedly brew you a cup of coffee... and probably provide you with an enthusiastic physics lesson, whether requested or not.

This Week's Deals & Steals

I think this is my best buy yet... the total for all this came to $.26!

4 Oat Revolution Oatmeals: moneymaker with coupons, Shaws paid me $.25 for each.

Butternut Squash: $.91

2 Nivea Cremes: After sale price and UP rewards, moneymaker, Rite Aid paid me $.52.

6 Whole Grain Barilla Pastas: After coupons, $.38 each.

2 Chips a Hoy Single Serving Packets: After coupon at Rite Aid, free.

2 Dulcolax: After coupons, free (~ a $16+ savings).

8 Honest Teas: moneymaker with coupons, Shaws paid me $.25 for each.

2 boxes of Cheerios: After coupons, $.29 each.

Before sale price and coupons, I should have paid $54.35 for the above items. That's a savings of $54.09!


Definitely my most favorite hobby.

I love cheap baby gates!

The past few weeks have been very busy around here! I have taken on the position of Infant Ministry Coordinator at our church, which has required a bit of work at the onslaught. We have also been very busy with traveling, hosting friends and family(including an unexpected stranger), and just living life in general.

I will post more later on the wonderful time we had in Myrtle Beach, as well as visiting with my parents this past weekend.

But first off, Anna is officially crawling! Her biggest motivation is the laptop when it is on the living room floor.

And I just ordered a baby gate off of diapers.com (plus baby sunscreen, a Bumkins bib, & foundation/ eye liner for me) and guess how much the total came to with two day shipping...

$1.34! Plus 1% cash back through shopathome.com.

Woohoo for crawling babies and cheap baby gates!

Will not this suffice?

“Oh, trust Christ with your whole heart, for ‘He is faithful who has promised.’ The love He has already manifested and proved—yes, sealed with His precious blood—is a pledge that He will still be your friend and intercessor with the Father.

His grace is yours to strengthen and sustain you. His Spirit is yours to guide, enlighten, and comfort you. His intercession is yours to secure for you all needed blessing. His promises are yours to cling to in your saddest and darkest hours. His power is yours to defend you from injury, to secure you against defeat. His heart is yours into which you may pour all your sorrows, and feel sure of true sympathy. His home is yours to be your everlasting abode, that where He is, there you may be also. Will not this suffice?”

—John MacDuff, The Throne of Grace