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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Achievement (03/08/12)
Since they returned from their honeymoon, Monica was trying to make coffee to the satisfaction of her husband, Mark. She tried various blends and flavors, different brands and names of coffee, but nothing met the approval of Mark. One day in desperation she asked Mark where he had found this ‘perfect coffee’.

“Oh,” said Mark, “my mother brewed it from scratch. You see, she roasted the beans in a pan over the stove in her kitchen and ground it and brewed it. It was delicious. I have never tasted coffee like that since she passed away.”

“Well,” thought Monica,” I am a pretty good cook and this seems easy enough, I can surely do it.” She decided that she would achieve her goal to make that ‘perfect coffee,’ no matter what. She started by researching into the varieties of coffee and chose the beans grown on the blue mountains of Jamaica. Then she looked into the recipes for brewing coffee and bought the most recommended percolator. She made the coffee exactly as the book said. It smelled heavenly. When Mark came home from work she offered him the coffee and waited for hid surprise, only it didn’t happen.
Mark took one sip and said, “This is good, Monica, but Mom’s coffee was better.”

Early one morning as Monica read her daily devotions she decided to pray about the coffee situation. It did seem a rather petty thing to bother Almighty God about. But she was desperate and needed help. So she prayed and asked God to teach her to make this ‘perfect coffee’. Confident of her success, Monica went to the kitchen, lit the stove measured the beans into the pan and started to roast them on a slow fire.

“Maybe I am not roasting them long enough. Today I will roast them a little more,” Monica decided. She kept stirring the beans in the pan until they turned a rich chocolate brown and gave out a delightful fragrance. Monica kept stirring until suddenly a black smoke rose from the pan and the dreadful odor of burnt coffee beans filled the air.

Monica hurriedly dumped the beans on a plate and rinsed the pan under cold water. She glanced at the clock. It was only six o’clock and Mark usually came down at seven. She had enough time to make fresh coffee.
Monica put the pan on the stove and started to roast the beans. By this time she was very disappointed and frustrated that she needed some coffee to perk up. She ground the burnt beans and made herself a cup of coffee. Just then, Mark came bounding down the stairs exclaiming, “I smell coffee, perfect coffee.”

Mark went straight to the table and before Monica could warn him, took the burnt cup of coffee and gulped it down. “Finally, finally my Monica has learnt to make coffee the way Mom made it.” He grabbed Monica and waltzed around the kitchen.

An awestruck Monica thought, “Sometimes your achievements do not depend on your hard work or your capabilities. Sometimes God lends a hand and turns your stupid failures into remarkable achievements. Nothing is too hard for Him. He can turn water to wine and burnt coffee into ‘perfect coffee’. Thank you God for not only the big things but also the little things you do for me.”
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Verna Mull
03/15/12
This was a perfect entry also! I had to chuckle, as there were a few things which my mother made which became a favorite of mine, and one of those was "burned toast" We had an old cookstove, no such thing as a toaster, and so after starting a roaring fire to cook breakfast, the stove was probably a little hot and often the toast burned and I loved it, and still long for a piece of "burned toast." Great ending, also.
marcella franseen
03/16/12
Great job with this story. I had to chuckle as my sister is Monica and she is married to a Mark who loves Starbucks coffee, which I always think tastes a little burnt. The story flowed well and you wrapped it up nicely.:)
C D Swanson 
03/21/12
This was an altogether adorable read. It held my attention and it also provided a "real reminder" of what is important.

Good job. God Bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
03/22/12
This is a sweet story. It made me smile. I can't make any kind of coffee even with all the gadgets out there today. The ending didn't quite feel natural. It was more like you were summarizing the story, which you didn't need to because you already did a beautiful job of getting your message across with the pictures you painted. Congratulations for placing 9th in level 2!