Psalm 9:1

What. A. Day. Do you ever have one of those days when nothing really bad happens, but you still feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and ready to take an eleven hour nap? Yeah, that was me today. Tuesdays are normally my good days because it's the only day of the week that I don't have an 8 AM class, but this Tuesday still left me feeling like I got hit by a truck.

Luckily, I'm used to this feeling, and I know exactly what helps me feel a little more flowers and sunshine and a little less thunderstorms and doom. Whenever I end up feeling like this, I know where to turn first; God. I find a quiet place, sit down, and take five minutes to send up a prayer. I usually end up feeling refreshed and re-centered; it works like a charm every time.

Many people lean on their families and friends for support, but from personal experience, even those who I'm closest with aren't always there for me. Everyone has their own life and is fighting their own battles and I've come to accept that. However, even though there's the famous quote: "At the end of the day, you only have yourself to rely on," I really don't believe that. For me, at the end of the, I only  have myself and my God to rely on.

I grew up within my church. I attended preschool in the same hallway that I attended Sunday school, and I spent a majority of my Sundays as a kid running around the sanctuary. My experiences with my church and with God have grown and changed over the years, and now I find my relationship with Him a bit more personal that political, but I still require the support of my church family to function.

When I moved to State College, I hadn't considered that I would also be moving away from my home church. It took some time for me to adjust my first semester, and I think I lost focus with my faith. However, I realized that something was missing, and that's when I decided I needed to find an additional church family to love. I found that love three minutes from my dorm room at St. Paul's United Methodist Church.

St. Paul's UMC on College Ave

I regularly attend the traditional service at St. Paul's on Sunday mornings, and my roommate, her boyfriend, and I have branched out to regularly attending the coffee and donut social that happens afterwards. However, nine out of ten times that I've attended a service, one of the members of the congregation has reached out to me and asked if I've been to Abba Java. Now, I've heard of Abba Java, and I know they serve free coffee and donuts to the community, but I hadn't made a visit; not yet at least. 

Well, as I said, I was really struggling today, and I needed a new place to center myself and refocus so that I could get through the day. That's when I decided to check out Abba Java for myself (I know the sweet old ladies will love to hear that I made the excursion). 

Public Service Announcement for those missing something in life

I met my roommate in the basement of the church where Abba Java is located, and wow. I did not expect the place to be so nice (no offense to my wonderful church family). In my experience, most church basements are either so dingy or so sterile that they feel uncomfortable and uninviting. Not Abba Java. This place is like the cutest corner coffee shop that I've been too (my opinion doesn't count for much because I don't even like coffee, but still). They have tables and chairs, a bar with barstools, and couches and cushions for any kind of human interaction (or lack thereof). Abba Java is full of faith inspired artwork and bubbling people. I got a really good vibe from the place (which in my book means a lot). 

BUT, then I found the SNACKS. I knew Abba Java had free coffee and stuff, but boy.. I did not realize. I got one of those nice fruity muffins with the course grain sugar on top. Yum. Plus, they even had my favorite tea. I couldn't have been more happy. Abba Java has all kinds of tea and coffee, juice, milk, pastries, cereal, and more. I was truly impressed. 

If the food took a picture of me instead, I would have been drooling

After I finished my delectable little snack, I decided I still wasn't focused enough to start doing homework, so I decided to explore. I originally thought that Abba Java was just one big room with a kitchen attached, but I dug a little deeper. If you go back the hallway, there's a quiet study room with more couches, a ping-pong table, and a TV (doesn't sound like "quiet study" to me). There's also a bunch of offices and of course the bathrooms. Now this doesn't sound like much, but hear me out. Back that hallway is decorated, and when I say decorated, I don't mean with fine art and expensive sculptures. This is what I mean. 

How can you not smile?

Upon entering Abba Java, I felt like I was home. I felt like this was a place I could relax, say my prayer, and refocus for the day ahead, and that's exactly what I did. 

St. Paul's UMC has been a part of my life for only a few months, but I have received so much kindness, comfort, and love from their community. I think a lot of people think that they can't come to church because they're not religious or because they're not sure what they believe in, but trust me when I say that when St. Paul's says "Welcome home," they mean it. In my personal experience, my relationships with my church families and more importantly my relationship with God has keep me on my feet all these years. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has their own set of struggles, but God is here to show us the way. St. Paul's kindness, compassion, and love isn't just for the "most elite" and "most dedicated" Christians, but for those who believe they've hit rock bottom and everyone in between. 

St. Paul's kindness got me through today, and I know that was an act of God. So, I'll pray for all of you. I pray that you seek the kindness of other Christians and that you seek the kindness of God. I hope to see more of you at Abba Java and maybe even at church on Sunday. See you then!