Thursday, January 27, 2011

Anonymous

In this transition time in my life I started a new women's bible study at my church called Anonymous by Alicia Britt Chole. It is excellent and offers incredible insight into questions like....

Are we there yet?

On the inside of her book she says: Most of us struggle if our dreams are delayed one year, let alone twenty or thirty! We find God's pauses perplexing - a waste of our potential. and when those pauses extend beyond what we can explain, we often spiral into self-doubt or second-guessing that leads to hasty decisions and spiritual discouragement.

But God views them differently, assures author Alicia Britt Chole. Just look at Jesus. He grew up as a relatively uncelebrated boy from an unroyal family in the unrespected town of an unliked region - yet this is precisely where God hid his His Son for His first three decades of life! And during those hidden years in Nazareth, God granted Jesus protected, undisturbed room to be and become, to grow and learn.

That's how hidden years can be for every one of us - if we can recognize their potential and realize that anonymous seasons are sacred spaces to be rested in, not rushed through - and most definitely never to be regretted. In hidden years, Father God is our only consistent audience. Others come and others go, but only He always sees...When no one else is interested in (let alone impressed by) our capabilities and dreams. God is still wholeheartedly with fatherly pride shouting His love over us.

I've had many seasons of being anonymous....when my preacher dad moved us four times from seventh to tenth grade during really crucial teenage years when you are supposed to be bonding and making a place for yourself; during stay-at-home mom years when I had throw up on me and could barely make it to the shower and adult conversation was a rare commodity and all my friends had "real jobs"; and now...I can sense that God is pulling me yet again to an anonymous time. Away from the spotlight of "Tea Lady" and into a time of being incognito. Where it is just God's approval that I crave and long for. Where I have the opportunity to watch my three boys grow into young men. Where they take center stage and mom becomes their biggest fan!

Anonymous makes sense out of those times in life when we feel that God is violating our rights...our right to be well-known, our right to be important, our right to be fulfilled. In our culture, celebrity and busyness have become diseases that are killing us. God is developing in us an unshakable identity. One that is based on our identity in Christ alone. It is in the spiritual desert where true character is forged and revealed.

Friday, January 14, 2011

January Reading

I am reading this book Faith and Will - Weathering the Storms In Our Spiritual Lives by Julia Cameron.
"It is seeking to cooperate with God's agenda for our life that we come to some sense of peace. Is it too much to think that God has no agenda for each of us? I don't think so. Again, a look at the natural world tells us of the exquisite particularity of God's care. The Daffodil is given just what is needs to grow and we are asked only to cooperate. "

" We, too, are given precisely what we need to grow and we are asked only to cooperate. We must be willing to be either the Daffodil or the Violet, according to God's will for us. We so often do not see the lineaments of our own character as it is being formed. We have an idea of ourselves that may be counter to what God's idea for our self is. I am in the midst of discovering this for myself right now. "
I, too this January am seeking to cooperate with God.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Emily Miller and Wesley Lentz Weding 1-1-11

Emily Miller and Wesley Lentz's New Year's Day
Wedding and Reception at
January 1, 2011
1-1-11 at 1:00pm


Photo of the couple

Inside the Chapel

Special coffee mug used for coffee bar
provided by Cafe Evoke


Real limes and different shades of lavender hydrangeas provided by Flowers By Pat


Catering provided by A Spot For Tea
Heavy Hors Doeuvres Menu:
Assorted Croissant Sandwiches
Fresh fruit with dip and cheese and crackers
Fiesta Cheeseball
Barbecue Glazed Cocktail sausages
Stuffed Mushrooms
Boneless Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing
Sandwiches, Fiesta Cheeseball and crackers

Cascading fruit and vegetables.

Jennifer Edwards/Sammy Lee Wedding 12-17-10

Jennifer Lauren Edwards and Sammy Michael Lee
Wedding and Reception at
December 17, 2010

A photo of the couple
Candy Bar provided by the Mother of the Groom (Donella Lee)
Bride's Colors mauve, maroon and cream


Pink Christmas stocking to hold cards for bride and groom.

Beautiful bouquets of flowers for bride's maids.

Program table


Pink uplighting is spectacular from the reception room.

All flowers and greenery by Jan Edwards

My favorite shades of color

Candy bar and food table


Reception room


Reserved special bride and groom place settings.

Snow glistening the tables

Ice sculpture punch bowl

Cake Table


A Spot For Tea provided the catering:

Buffet Menu with Fruit w/dip and Fiesta Cheeseball with crackers
Vegetables with Ranch dip
Honey Glazed Ham
Golden Scalloped Potatoes
Green beans
Crisp Green Salad served with Ranch & Burgundy Poppyseed Dressing
Croissants with Butter
We've been honored to cater 783 weddings since 2003.
Thank you Walnut Creek Inc. for allowing us to be a part of all these special occasions.

Friday, January 7, 2011

A Customer Remembers

I remember the first time I walked into A Spot for Tea Room. The room had a Victorian look. The flowers on the table and the black tables adorned with red and pink flowers table cloth. I found the room very cozy and wonderfully elegant,I bought my first tea pot and matching cups from the Tea Room. I was introduced to several a authors and wonderful characters through the TALKING OVER TEA CUPS BOOK CLUB.The members were introduced to Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop and her staff Haley, the cook, Drayton. connoisseur of tea. We found them in Death by Darjeeling, Gun Powder Green, Shades of Earl Grey, The English Breakfast Murder, The Jasmine Moon Murder, Chamomile Mourning, Blood Orange Brewing, The Silver Needle Murder, and Oolong Dead written by Laura Child. We caught a glimpse of what it is like to run a tea room and fabulous recipes at the end of the story.We were introduced to The Mitford Series by Jan Karon. We lived Father Tim's life. We met his wife Cynthia, her cat Violet, his adopted son, Dooley, Other people we met was Lacy Turner, Aunt Sadie, and who could forget Uncle Billy. We learned how to share our faith and Father Tim's ultimate prayer, Thy will be done in making decissions for our lives.Sarah Addison Allen in Garden Spells taught us about edible flowers and their influences on people. We met in the lovely Red Room. We ate our favorite foods and drank our favorite tea from the menu.Special events for me. I had my birtmhday teas, retirement party tea and two mother day teas in the beautiful Queen's Room. My friends and I had fun wearing hats and fur stoles.I remember opening night of the new Spot for Tea. The beautifully painted walls, the wall paperon the walls with garden scenes (other scenes), and the beautiful water falls and the new rooms, Green and Red private rooms, Rose Cottage room for dress up parties and afternoon teas in the Queens Room.Yes, I remember that you gave so much and your rewards are great. Thanks for the memory.I know that God has special plans for your lives.Charlene Ward January 7th, 2011

Thursday, January 6, 2011

A Spot For Tea's Vanilla Muffins

A Spot For Tea's famous Vanilla Muffins

Large batch of Vanilla Muffins
4 sticks of margarine softened (2 cups) and whipped
Add 8 cups of sugar and beat well to margarine
Add 16 eggs; beat until creamy
Add 15 1/2 cups of flour and
8 cups of milk; beat until creamy and smooth
Add 1/3 cup of baking powder
Add 1/4 cup of vanilla


Pour into muffin pans and bake 275 in convection oven for 25 minutes. You may want to bake yours at home at 350 degrees and watch to make sure they don't overbrown.
Serve with apricot butter and of course, TEA.


Thank you to all of our wonderful customers who have enjoyed the muffins through the years.