When people marry they have certain hopes and expectations. I had hoped for many years to have a family…Ric expected coffee!

When we married I did not drink coffee; so I had no way of knowing that one of Ric’s most anticipated blessings of marriage would be that his wife would make him coffee each morning. It wasn’t until eight years later (when we got our newborn Jewel) that coffee became an essential part of my morning. Therefore, hope sprang eternal in the heart of the man….until he realized that, after being up in the night with Jewel, I would be sleeping long after he left for work.

Now, finally, the tone of his day is set by one small thing: the Yeti cup from Jewel, full of hot coffee, sitting on the island topped with a “waving oven mitt.” (Thus proving, according to Ric, that an essential part of faith is patience.)

“Love in the Little Things” by Ric Hodges:

“In this hustle bustle world, it’s easy to forget: that the one He’s given us, is the one that we’re to bless. The urgent takes us over–the important goes undone; while we struggle for our fortune, love’s treasure is ignored. — (we’ve got to…

Chorus: “….love in the little things: say we care with the little things. Inch by inch and row be row: that’s the way love’s garden grows. Love in the little thing; show we care in the little things. In the end we’ll understand: [His] Love is bigger than us all.

“Tell her that you love her, reach out a helping hand; you know she’s worked so hard for you, to make your house a home. Gentle words of kindness, a soft touch now and then, Tell her that you’re proud of her and proud to be her man (Chorus)

“Sometimes your man is troubled by the pressures of his world; sometimes he is discouraged, and he thinks that he has failed. Let him know you believe in him, and will stand right by his side; and ’till the day the Lord returns, you’ll be proud to be his bride.” (Chorus)