Cup of Encouragement – Underdog & Apple Pie

Gluten Free Apple Pie – Recipe Links Below

This apple pie originated from a failed photo shoot. I was nervous to even attempt the photo shoot idea, but to have failure right out of the gate?! It was a kick in the gut. This next week I’ll be diving in to learn how to create some of the effects needed to make my photo series DREAM come true! I still have the desire to see the series completed, even though I am back at square one. I don’t have all the skills (yet) and I’ve already failed, but I’m not going to give up on the goal. I want to be the underdog in this story!

Have you ever been knocked down, verbally attacked, been made to feel unworthy, or felt abandoned? Your heart feels heavy and your soul feels weak after that defeat. Maybe this has happened to you in a relationship or a business situation? I keep envisioning being in the bottom of a well and looking up, somewhat hopeless, with no understanding on how to get out. You don’t feel like you have much fight left physically, mentally, emotionally, and in your soul too. There is an overarching grief about the situation as well.

I can tell you, firsthand, that all you’re feeling and experiencing is normal. When you thought a particular path was going to be your route and you get smacked towards another direction…it’s not a very comfortable experience. When you relied on an individual(s) and they don’t show up when you needed them the most, it is heartbreaking. You do need someone to be there for you, never leave you, and who always has your best interests at heart. A strong person in you life, who will cheer you on as you aim at your goals. It might not feel like it right now, but you CAN be the one who upsets the win at the podium and the one who claims the victory. You can become the underdog.

Gluten Free Apple Pie

This delicious apple pie has softened the blow just a little bit. It’s a pie born through struggle, but delicious nevertheless.
Namaste Gluten Free Flour Pie Crust Recipe
Homemade Apple Pie Filling Recipe
And I feel like apple pie for breakfast is totally acceptable. Especially, when you are trying to heal the wounds of disappointment. The Namaste GF flour made for an excellent crust. It was thick enough to hold all the juices from the apples and it was not dry or too crumbly after baking. The apple filling can be made ahead of time and stored in 32 oz. wide mouth mason jars. Coffee from Addison Coffee Roasters made an appearance too. I chose the Mexican Vanilla blend with its sweet flavors and it paired very well with the apple pie.

I’m pretty sure that the next people I mention did not have APPLE PIE as a part of their victory story. Moses, from the book of Exodus, he became the underdog in the fight against Pharoh. A huge load of drama encompasses that story and Moses was very scared of what God was asking him to do. Moses had made some big mistakes in his past. God wanted Moses to convince the most powerful man in the land, Pharoh, to let his entire work force (the Israelites) go. That was no small task, but with God’s mighty hand at work, Moses was able to free thousands of people from the hand of Pharoh. Underdog status acheived.

The next underdog from the Bible is David. Not only did this shepherd boy defeat one of the most formidable foes in the old testament, Goliath, David was on the run from king Saul for many years. For David, being on the run was exhausting, physically and emotionally. God brought Saul to David in a chance meeting and that’s when David won. I encourage you to read that passage in 1 Samuel 24. David…underdog status achieved, in a very unique way.

I feel like the best part about being the underdog is that no one will see you coming. You have the extra element of surprise on your side. You also have a strength behind you that no one else can take away. You’ve been to the bottom. You have had to dig deep to climb. You ARE going to rise up to meet the challenge and you WILL succeed. More importantly, you have had God on your side through the entirety of your challenge. Your success might not look like anything you had envisioned before you got knocked down, but that’s probably a good thing. You’ve gained knowledge and now you have grit.

Gluten Free Apple Pie

What I say next is just as much for me as it is for you:
Let’s take all this failure, the pain, the disappointment, and missed steps and use it for good. Battle scars, no matter how they come, can be your strength. God can use any past hurt, mistake, and failure, for His good. I have read way too many stories of people born from hardship that have partnered with God to do amazing things. We will have to dig deep to start that ball rolling toward our goals, but once we get it going…it is not going to stop. Especially, when we have God on our side and in our hearts.

Warmest wishes and coffee dreams,
Erin aka Coffee Mama Bear

Cup of Encouragement – Hustle, Party of One

Hustle:

Party of One


Hustling in business is an art form. It’s not sporadic or out of control. Each step, motion, or choice is calculated. Winging it can only get you so far. There has to be an end goal in mind. A central vision has to be declared and established. Otherwise, you’ll start spinning in too many directions. What you wanted to create will get messy.

I’ve spent the last week pondering. In between making meals, packing bags, making lists, washing clothes, and traveling…I have been in a serious conversation with myself. I entered the boardroom (of my mind) and attended MANY meetings. Some went well and many others ended without any resolution being produced. Lots of ideas were tossed about as I was aiming to create the foundation I wanted to build on.

The one thing that was established very early is that it takes HUSTLE to get this work produced. No one else is writing down the words I say on this blog, Facebook, or Instagram. It’s me. A party of one. It takes a major amount of hustle in order to get the work done. This last week I had to remain steadfast on forming my goals.

The most wonderful part of this whole thing that I’m building is that the work has been enjoyable. It is exciting, thrilling, and awesome that I get to create content through videos and images…AND I get to share it with friends. I love it. I’m going to keep at it, as the ideas keep coming forth. I also pray that God will use me for His purpose in all these things. I want to be a source of encouragement for you all, through the silly, the everyday, and tough stuff. It’s my goal.

Whatever it is that you are working on, I know that you realize that the hustle is going to have to come from YOU. Ideas are great, right? But YOU will have to do the work. YOU will have to push. YOU will have to keep on keep’n on. Just keep on brainstorming. Set up time for those inner meetings of your mind, your inner board room. Meet with people who have experience with what you want to accomplish. Gather information, read articles, and keep at the hustle.

God has a plan and you got the hustle.

-Erin AKA CoffeeMamaBear