Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Good Coffee!

Buying our FIRST HOME!

2009-03-23T06:24:00.003-05:00

It has all happened so fast! First we applied to get pre-approved and spent time looking at houses online and before we know it we are signing a contract to bid on a house! We heard back from our mortgage broker that we were approved and then called our real-estate agent to go see some houses on Saturday.

After seeing quite a few houses we came to our last stop and absolutely fell in love with the place! It's 3 bedroom/2 bath house on 2.5 acres with a nice fenced in yard and PLENTY of room to grow. The place needs a little work but we have been so blessed to find this place!

We submitted our bid on Saturday night and they accepted it on Sunday afternoon. We have to get the home inspected and surveyed before we confirm the deal but the rest of the paper work is already underway! I am really excited... honestly... Heather and I will finally have a home of our own!

Please pray the inspection goes well!

*Update* Pictures can be found at: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/16003-Cr-4197--Bailey-Rd_Lindale_TX_75771_1105052691

The Day of the Lord

2008-12-18T06:24:00.002-06:00

"Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
That day will be darkness, not light.
It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light - pitch dark,
without a ray of brightness?"

Amos 5:18-20

Wow! I hear so often "I can't wait to see Jesus!"... uhm... I'd like to see Him about 1000 years after He comes back. The Jesus who comes back isn't the meek and mild baby in a manger... this is a man with a SWORD COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH.

Honestly, yes, it will be a great day when He returns... we will at least know we are on the same side and where we will be if we get caught up in His judgment of this world but I can't say I am "looking forward" to that day with anything more than a holy fear. It is going to be intense.

How is your heart? I hope you aren't setting any false expectations about the last days being some cute and fluffy harp & cloud shindig. I can't say I have found enough scripture to back up this whole being taken up before the really hard times come... it seems more likely they we will be here along with everyone else while the Lord is pouring His judgment on the earth. Are we ready for that? Can we be ready for that?

The Lord, Slow to anger...

2008-11-22T08:54:00.002-06:00

I had a relevation this morning (i love you sweetheart). The Lord is so much slower to anger than I am. I know it sounds obvious but it just hit me funny this morning as I was reading the word.

His people are beaten, destroyed, raped, murdered... and he doesn't budge. Our first thought is "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" But he has something up his sleeves... which brings a different though... does God has sleeves? Does he wear clothes? I digress.

But He HASN'T forsaken us. He doesn't want us harmed or destroyed but through this He is going to do something great.

It is funny how we want him slow to anger with us but not our enemy's isn't it? "No Lord, I know that I turn my back on you every day and don't do what you say but those people don't even believe in you... be patient with me and if they do anything to me destroy them."

Anyway... it has been something I have been thinking about lately.

I won Olympic Gold in swimming?

2008-10-13T06:19:00.002-05:00

I had such a vivid dream last night. I was on a diving board next to Michael Phelps and some other swimmer named Paul. I had just gone into this big building to get something while Heather stayed in the car. The gun went off and the three of us dove and the race began; I think it was only the 100 meter freestyle. Oddly enough I was keeping up with the two of them and by the time we hit the finish line we were all tied... or so I though. I had actually beaten the two of them by less than a second. I thought I had lost but the other two kept lifting my hands up and telling me it was a good race.

I ended up getting the Gold medal... I had beaten Michael Phelps and won an Olympic Gold medal in swimming. No one would believe me. I wandered around the building (which was looking more and more like a wal-mart) for a while in a daze that I had ACTUALLY won a gold medal when I finally ran into my wife. I wanted to act like nothing had happened but she heard it all on the radio. She was so excited for me and gave me a big hug.

The weird thing about this dream was that it was so vivid - so detailed. I started to wake up and forced myself back into the dream because I wanted so badly for it to be true. As I finally began to wake up it started to hit me that it was all just a dream but that feeling of winning gold has stuck all morning... like there is something different about me.

I can't say I have found a gold medal lying around the house but I will check with my wife when she gets up :)

I wasn't prepared for this!!

2008-09-27T11:16:00.002-05:00

One thing I learned about TM after leaving the HA is that it really isn't their job to prepare us for these kind of things. They are there to help you draw closer to God and break through the things that hinder you from that intimacy.

Though they have different programs that can help prepare you it is not really their job to prepare you for everything in life.

The HA didn't prepare me for the responsibilities of being a married man. Sure I learned what a Godly man is supposed to look like and act like but I had no idea my flesh would fight so much for the desire of "my own time" and "time alone". You know what? It's not TM's job to train me for that. I need Godly men in my life to help me with these. I need to learn by experiencing this change for myself.

The HA didn't prepare me for how hard it is to get a job. (Philip, your post inspired me to write this but this isn't a jab at you, it is something I have heard so often spoke by alumni. I love you bro). It is not their job. They can pull in Mr. Neil and teach you how to write a good resume and perform well in an interview but they CAN NOT CHANGE THE ECONOMY! If the economy is weak where you live no experience you can have can get you a job. This is why people with their masters degree's and 30 years exp are putting together a double quarter pounder at McDonalds and being paid min wage just to pay their bills.

Yes, this is a rant... kind of. Part of this is the same thing I have struggled with. We had this idea that when we left the Honor Academy we were supposed to be this "Elite Few"; I mean we survived ESOAL, countless LTE's, accountability, growth groups, dorm life and some of the most intensive spiritual/leadership training available to teenages/20 somethings... shouldn't we rise above the rest and be the first picks? No. Not nececarily. Our personal character is what will decide that.

Going to college and getting a degree does not guarentee you a job... it may only raise your chances of getting an interview; from there on out it is all you.

I am in charge of hiring for my department now and it is interesting to see those who have their college degrees and these impressivly wrote/twisted resumes. Having exp is a great quality in my work but do you know what is more important? The humility to put your pride to the side and place yourself under the leadership of someone willing to bring you on board and teach you the ropes. I want to hire someone who IS the best... or has HAD the best training... I want to hire someone who can be MADE the best with the BEST training for that specific job.

So if you find yourself with that thought in your head, "TM didn't prepare me for ______!" Ask yourself this... was it really their job in the first place?".

//End Rant.

Peaceful Mornings

2008-09-03T06:19:00.005-05:00

I love being married. Every morning I get up before my wife to come and spend some quality time with the Lord and a cup of fresh coffee. The peace of a quiet house with only the sound of cars driving in the rain outside brings me so much joy. I never had this much peace back home (or even the HA for that matter)... real time to get up and be still before the Lord before life grabs me by the throat and yanks me through another day.

Don't get me wrong; I love my job and really don't have much to do outside of work aside from spending time with my beautiful wife (isn't she beautiful?) but sometimes I feel like the "daily grind" can get monotonous.

All-in-all life is good, married life is good and the Lord is good.

I have been reading through Psalm 85 for a while now... Lord restore this nation. Our candidates don't encourage me... our economy doesn't strengthen me... all we have is You Lord.

P.S. The Lord protected us from Gustav... looks like it is running more North than West. We got rain all day yesterday and probably all day today and then it is supposed to clear up.

Blessings all!

TD Gustav Hits... how will our APT fair?

2008-09-02T06:31:00.003-05:00

Yep... I am looking out my window this morning at Tropical Depression Gustav. I am creating videos with my web cam in time lapse, if any of them turn out I will post them up here.

For those of you who don't know I am in the city of Tyler TX (circled in red on the map):

This storm is expected to hit hard even though it is no longer a hurricane (or even a tropical storm). The BIG problem here is that it is slowing down a LOT; that means it is expected to dump a ton of rain and wind on us for several days.

Be praying. We are prepared for the worst... ready for several days (or weeks if need-be) without water or electricity... but there is still danger in this storm.

Cell phones should work just fine through this... call me... I know I haven't talked to many of you in a while.

The Kitten of Judah?

2008-08-15T06:51:00.003-05:00

Dorothy Sayers writes,

"...the outline of the official story—the tale of the time when God was the underdog and got beaten, when he submitted to the conditions he had laid down and became a man like the men he had made, and the men he had made broke him and killed him. This is the dogma we find so dull—this terrifying drama of which God is the victim and the hero. If this is dull, then what, in Heaven's name, is worthy to be called exciting?The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore--on the contrary, they thought him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him 'meek and mild,' and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies."

Haven't we? Isn't that what this world says we can do? Put our Christianity in a box and carry it around in a bag only to bring it out when we "see fit"?

This isn't a game people. This isn't "religion". Religious people put Christ on that cross.

Wilderness

2008-08-04T07:03:00.003-05:00

I yearn for the wilderness. For the mountains. For the rivers and lakes and the adventure that lies within them.

I want to hunt. I want to fish. I want to scale a mountain. I want to track a high mountain elk for days... following only a glimpse of him every few hours. I want to have him in my sights and find that satisfaction enough to depart and hope to find him again the next season.

It is interesting how quickly the corporate world and public image can castrate a man. How quickly he can find himself in that constant motion. How quickly each day goes by... how quickly each week goes by...

I have been married for over 2 months now to the best woman any man could ever hope to
find. She has been my high mountain elk for this season. She is a mystery to me but yet I still pursue her. Sometime the terrain makes me weary. Sometime my own ghosts come to haunt me and deter me from my goal... yet still I pursue. The more I follow her the more I learn about her; her traits, desires, paths... she is the beauty I desire to spend my life pursuing.

At the same time I also need men. A band of brothers. Men to fight a long side each other for their wives as well. To encourage each other. To build each other up. Shane is that man for me. He is a soldier. He is a fighter. In his heart lies a man who yearns for adventure and excitement. Part of me comes alive inside when I am around him. He is my brother. He understands. He needs all of this as much as I do.

Even though I have Shane... we need more. We need more men to come along side of us and truly grasp this masculine journey by the throat embracing it for all that it's worth. We need men to awaken. Men need to feel alive. Men need the wilderness. We were created to yearn for the wilderness.

John Eldredge writes in his book, Wild at Heart;

"Eve was created within the lush beauty of Eden's garden. But Adam, if you'll remember, was created outside the Garden, in the wilderness. In the record of our beginnings, the second chapter of Genesis makes it clear: Man was born in the outback, from the untamed part of creation. Only afterwards is he brought to Eden. And ever since then bots have never been at home indoors, and men have had an insatiable longing to explore."

This is true men. It is part of our design, being made in His image. God is wild and untamed and so are we!

Dinner Conversation

2008-07-08T19:19:00.001-05:00

Heather: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Sean: A Fireman.
Heather: A Fireman? Like a Fireworks man?
Sean: No. An Arsonist.

Great quote

2008-07-05T10:07:00.001-05:00

On my quote of the day I saw the following this morning:

"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose."
- Evan Esar

Great huh? It sounds like something Ron or Dave would say to the interns.

Life's little updates

2008-06-20T06:35:00.002-05:00

Well, life is running full swing at this point. I am transitioning to a new position at work calling to set our product up at hardware stores around the nation. I can't say I am too happy about the change but it is what the company needs right now so I will do it. It will be good to have a lot on my plate at work again and not just one or two things that take a LOT more time.

Winchester Coffee Co. is up and running with an Online Store now. You can now purchase any of our coffee's through our website and secure paypal payment system (any major credit card as well as paypal payments). Prices right now do NOT include shipping as I don't have the shipping calculator set up yet. Until that is done please just check out as normal and I will send you an invoice for payment of shipping & handling.

http://www.winchestercoffeeco.com

Heather and I are doing great. It has been a hard week for the two of us physically as we have both been in a lot of pain (my back, knee's and ankles and her back and wrist). Please pray for us as it has been a long road with chronic pain for me and pain/sickness with her. Married life is amazing though. I am updating this in our living room with my beautiful wife laying on the floor in front of me journaling during her time with the Lord.

We are going ball room dancing this weekend... pretty excited... I'd rather be learning some Latin dance but this will be a LOT of fun! We get to dress up and prance around all cool and everything ;)

I'm out... need more Jesus and more coffee!

Naruto-Arena

2008-06-13T09:39:00.003-05:00

So I have been having fun playing this online rpg based off the Naruto anime/manga/games. It is pretty basic with a lot of strategy invovled. It's free, no download required... pretty good deal.

If you enjoy Naruto (as I do) and like RPG's that aren't super addictive I would check it out! My account name is burdenforasia... hit me up if you start to play.

Naruto Arena

Sharing the love

2008-06-13T08:09:00.003-05:00

I am excited... I get to teach Shane and Sarah how to roast coffee this weekend! I have taught Heather as I learned how but I haven't really taken anyone from square one. It is going to be a lot of fun!

This will also be the first time we have had anyone over for dinner! We have been having a lot of fun being married. We went out to dinner last night at Cheddar's, got some grocery's and went to bed... FUN! lol. The simple things in life seem to be the most fun now that I have my best friend there with me the whole time!

Life is good... fun, complicated at times and difficult as well... but life is good!

Winchester Coffee Co. dot com launched!

2008-06-09T14:19:00.003-05:00

Thats right!

We finally have a decent website and .com for Winchester Coffee Co.!

http://www.winchestercoffeeco.com

Let me know what you think. It has out current inventory and such as well a means for you to receive updates via e-mail!

I'm excited as it seems we are finally making a mark for ourselves!

BLESSINGS!

Back from the honeymoon

2008-06-05T13:22:00.003-05:00

Wow.

We are back from the honeymoon and into the swing of things now. It has been weird being married... AMAZING... but weird. I go to bed and she walks in... it still feels like she is supposed to go home sometimes. I wake up... and she is there. It has been a new life getting adjusted to this whole "having a wife" thing but I woudln't trade it for the world! The Lord has given us so much grace to start this thing off. Who would have thought that He would trust me with the life of someone else?

We have really begun to enjoy what it is like to have no plans after work. We get home... make some food or ice cream (it has been really hot lately!) and then hang out... watch a move... go shopping... clean the house... dance around like crazy-in-love people... whatever we want. Life is good.

We are back in the swing of things with the Coffee Co. as well. I made a new order back on Monday and hope to get the package tomorrow. 12 coffee's to try... 4 - 2# bags of coffee and a 4# sampler package again with 8 different 8oz. bags of green coffee. I am excited to get them in and see what comes. It is kind of like the old baseball card packs... or any of the card based games we played as a kid. Will I get a "rare" coffee? lol.

Life is good... starting slow... but good. I will have pictures of the wedding and honeymoon up soon.

Blessings!

Tension

2008-05-13T21:39:00.002-05:00

Tension is to be loved when it is like a passing note to a beautiful, beautiful chord.

-Sixpence None The Richer

Stimulus Check

2008-05-08T09:30:00.002-05:00

The big question lately has been "what are you going to do with your stimulus check"!

I have seen a lot of articles pushing the point that this government program will not do what they want it to do. Most people I have talked to are paying off debt... saving it... investing it... paying off more debt... not spending it. Next year many people will have a good sum of money taken out of their refund checks... not for Heather and I.

Because of my two years at the internship I didn't have any taxable income. I filed still because I did collect $96 for 2 days work but that fell below the bottom line for tax returns. I kind of like it though...

Heather and I get married in 9 days. One year from now we will be getting our refund checks and about $500 in deposits that we had to put down this year on housing... sounds like the makings for a nice anniversary!

So what are you doing with your stimulus check?

Interesting customer

2008-05-07T15:16:00.004-05:00

For those who don't know... I work as the customer service manager for a heater company... we get some interesting customer from time to time but this one was blog-worthy.

The customer called in letting me know that "Carols heater wasn't working right. She then began to talk about her problems and how her husband (ed or earl or something old america) was always cold so he loved the heater as it kept him warm... she kept talking about how "Carol" was always warm but still really loved the heater and how the two of them are saving so much money on their gas bill because of our heater.

Come to find that the nice elderly woman I was speaking with was Carol... she had been talking about herself in the third-person the whole time... not as a joke...

So this post is dedicated to our special customer "Carol"... may you not scare small children or be called the old "crazy lady".

Coffee is IN! or... Finally, a NAME!

2008-04-18T13:41:00.005-05:00

Praise the Lord!

My order from SM's finally came in! I have been going through "good coffee" withdrawals lol. 5# Guatemala Antigua and 5# Brazilian Coromandel. I have already sold half of it! I think I need to make sure some goes off to the side so I can have some for myself lol!

Shane and I are hanging out for the first time in a while... I miss that kid a lot! I am not really sure what we will do... maybe roast some coffee? I have 5 or 6#'s to roast this weekend anyway lol.. I might as well :)

29 days until the wedding... It is all going by so fast now. I like that... I really want to be married to Heather right now but we need to be patient in this season. We are still looking for a place to live... no luck yet =\ We are totally okay with an apartment but it seems that there aren't any in a good area of town... meh.

We have selected a name for our coffee company... Winchester Coffee Co.!!! My mother's maiden name is Winchester and I have always had a fascination with name and heritage behind the Winchester's. Heather woke up this morning with the name on her heart and sent me a text (5:30am mind you) asking me what I thought. I loved it!

And there you have it friends! The beginnings of a new venture in the life of Sean Leacy! If anyone is interested in checking out some of the coffee that is coming from this you won't be disappointed! Simply head over to our order form and let me know what you want and how you want it!

Many blessings all!
Sean Leacy

Dreams

2008-04-15T09:19:00.004-05:00

I don't normally dream vivid dreams but last night was the exception. I was spending time with the Lord this morning and he brought it all back in a flash so I thought it may be important enough to write down and save... here is my attempt at that.

I had just climbed to the summit of Mt. Rainier after spending time with a large group of children; I was exhausted from the climb but they were all milling about as they had not made the climb but had found some other means of arriving there. As I walked around I saw one child by a triangle shaped log formation (being used as a bench) who was looking at a pile of fur (dark gray at the back and black up front) clumped up on the log opposite of him. The child asked me what it was... I walked around to it and let him know it looked like a muskrat... but as I touched it it began to come to life and took the shape of a wolf.

I began to wrestle with the wolf as it was trying to attack the children... I don't remember it being much of a violent battle... mainly mussel vs. mussel as we were locking arms. I eventually overpowered the wolf and threw it off the mountain side. For some reason a small chubby child went of the edge as well at that time but bounded back up to the summit as a much older chubby man.

After that I woke up...

A little weird but vivid none the less.

Coffee: New Arrivals 4/13

2008-04-14T11:54:00.002-05:00

As mentioned before I have started roasting my own coffee and wanted to post on here what has been happening and what is available:

[order]

Guatemala - Antigua Finca Retana Yellow Bourbon:
Bright, crisp, classic Central cup profile with white grape juice, peach, pear, melon, honey.
8oz. = $5 ---- 16oz = $10

Brazil – Coromandel Fazenda Sao Joao:
Floral aromas, nut-to-chocolate roast tone with honey, armoatic wood, root beer.
8oz. = $5 ---- 16oz = $10

At this point I only have 3lb's of Brazilian Coromandel and 4lb's of Guatemala Antigua left... if you want to order please fill out an order form; if the coffee needs to be shipped let me know and I will give you a quote for shipping.

We are also looking for a name for this coffee venture :) If you have any ideas left me know, Heather and I are very open to suggestions.

-Sean

New Blog... New Season

2008-04-14T11:08:00.001-05:00

I was getting tired of Xanga and thought it time for a change. I tend to get tired of things always being the same... I like change.

So a few updates?

I am getting married to the love of my life in 33 days (May 17th). I am very excited about this new season! Our hearts are really beginning to heart every time we part ways... out souls long to be joined. It has been hard keeping to the standards we have set but we have to do it... we have no choice. I have been blessed having Shane in my life... though we don't talk as often as I would like (just as much my fault) I know that he is there.

We have a few things left to plan for the wedding now... I pay for the honeymoon "housing" this weekend... I am really excited about getting to go on a vacation with Heather... no one else around to put us under a microscope... no one to tell us how we are supposed to be living out lives... no one who knows us at all! I still need to buy a suit for the wedding... that and our wedding bands. Other than those we are down to the details for the wedding... I am trying to find old stale coffee beans for decoration. Any ideas?

Speaking of coffee... I have started home roasting my own coffee. I ordered my first shipment of green coffee from Sweet Maria's a few weeks ago and just roasted the last of it :( I did, however order another batch this morning and have decided to start selling the freshly roasted coffee. I am buying 5 pounds of Guatemala Antigua and 5 pounds of Brazilian Coramandel and selling them for $5 - 8oz. (1/2 lb) and $10 - 1lb. packed in an airtight bag with a one-way valve. It is kind of fun roasting coffee as a pseudo-business... I think I might really pursue this. I am currently roasting with an old air-popcorn maker that I got on eBay for $25 w/ shipping... it actually works really well!

If you want to order some freshly roasted coffee head over to the order form and let me know. I have been so impressed at the difference between fresh roasted coffee vs. month or more old coffee from the store. I can either spend $5-7 lb on green coffee and drink it 25 hours after it was roasted or $12/lb. from Starbucks and have no idea when it was roasted and how long it has been in that bag. It has been really neat learning so much about coffee... looks like I finally found a hobby that I enjoy :)