I got the coolest jacket the other day, for the small clothing bank we have at the cafe. It was black leather with red trim and had a really neat AND1 basketball logo on the back with yellow and orange flames shooting out of the hoop. Truely a coat of many colors. I had somebody in mind immediately to give it to.

There is this young man who has been coming to the cafe since I have been there. I think he is 12 or 13. At first he hardly spoke and very rarely did he ask for anything to eat or drink. He just kind of sat there for awhile and then left. After a few weeks, we began to joke around and eventually became "cafe buds." So when I got this coat I thought of him.

I gave him the coat and said, "If it doesn't fit, you don't have to take it."

And he said, "I know it fits."

I said, "You want to go look in the mirror to see if it looks good?"

He said, "I know it looks good."

I had to laugh out loud as he slung the jacket over his shoulder and struted into the cafe. He was smiling from ear to ear and so was I.

This little episode made me think of the story of Joseph and the coat his father, who loved him very much, had made for him. Joseph had alot of bad things happen to him but through it all he remained close to God. He made "good of the evil done to him" (Gen. 50:20) and God richly blessed his life.

Just as Joseph's father loved his son, so too our heavenly Father loves us and through that love we love others. I pray that if and when bad things happen to this young man he remembers his coat of many colors, given to him with love, and he too make good of the evil. May God bless his life.

I Love This Place,

See you Tuesday's 3-6

Paula Browand

(The Medina cafe is becoming CUPS CAFE. This story is also posted at www.cupscafe.org If you're subscribed to our feed here you may want to check out our new website and subscribe there because we will no longer be Medina Cafe 41:11. Thank you for following and praying for our ministry.)

Kids swarm the cafe. They line the coffee bar sweating all over the counter and panting for something cold to drink. Library bags relax comfortably on the cafe's cozy red chairs. A teenage boy and girl sit face to face at a chess table in a furious battle of wit. And a group of middle school youth pile on the wooden bench near our over-sized table. The cafe is packed. It's packed with kids. Some new kids. And some regulars. And it is fun!

I blame the free kool-aid, ice cream, popsicles, and air conditioning. The cafe volunteers fault the friendly and welcoming hospitality we offer. Maybe it's a bit of both.

"What'dve Y'all been up to?" I ask. (Y'all spits from my lips now and again. It comes naturally from being born in San Antonio.)

"We're headed out to play basketball?" replies one young man.

The kids carry on. Tease one another. And argue over whether they have enough people to play. They chug kool-aid and sweet tea and beg for more Ramen noodle soup.

Then, as fast as they came, they're gone. But they'll be back.

So I sit down to read, leaving the work to my community service helpers. A woman I've never met walks through the door carrying a Bundt Cake. It was a delicious surprise!

"Is that for us?" I say excitedly.

"Yes!" she replies setting it gently on the bar.

After a quick exchange of thank you's and you're welcomes, she leaves. I sit up, place my book on the shelf, and walk over to smell her donation. I lift the cake to inspect it and hiding beneath it is a $20 bill.

I think to myself as I drop the donation in the box: WOW, What a sweet surprise! Thank you Father for this woman and her provision.

Please know that all the volunteers are doing what they can to serve and reach the young people of Medina. We may not always see them experience the life-changing power of knowing Jesus. But we are serving. We are sharing. We are praying. We're giving away bibles, and feeding the hungry, and quenching the thirst of those thirsty, and doing all of this in His name and for His glory.

Thank you for giving. You are just as much a part of our work as those on the front lines. And you get to share in the reward awaiting those who remain faithful until the end.

Someone once wrote, "Whatever you do (WHATEVER), work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (NIV, Colossians 3:23-24).

I instruct a community service helper to brew a pot of Dunkin' Donuts House Blend donated to the cafe. (They say: America runs on Dunkin'. I don't. I think it's kinda' hard to run on a cup of coffee. A person could roll their ankle attempting that. It's dangerous. I run on a track or away from an attacker. But I drink a cup of coffee.)

I sit anxiously waiting for the coffee to ripen and then pour myself a cup. Steam from the coffee tickles my nose as I take the first sip. Its aroma inviting. Its flavor invigorating. Kids pile in the cafe and plop down in our comfy chairs.

"This air-conditioning feels so good," says one teen wiping sweat from his forehead. "It's hot out there."

"I'm glad you like it," I reply. "Would you like something to drink?"

"A kool-aid," he answers.

A few adults pile in the cafe too. I open the Word and share words of encouragement with a dear friend. After that, a man asks me for food from our pantry. We walk downstairs, and he gathers cans of soup, peanut butter, and a can of beef stew. The beef stew was the only one we had. Not a big deal. I'm glad to give it away. It's better than watching it collect dust sitting on a shelf.

About fifteen minutes later, a women walks in with a box of canned goods for the cafe. Her present contains (get this): cans of soup, peanut butter, and four cans of the exact brand of beef stew I just gave away. No joke. I give away one can of beef stew and immediately receive four!

There is an interesting occurrence in Scripture. Paul shares something Jesus said that is not recorded in the Gospels. (All you bible scholars can correct me if I am wrong.) But Paul writes, "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'" (NIV, Acts 20:35). It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. This truth applies to many aspects of our lives.

It is more blessed to:

• give love than receive love.
• give money than receive money.
• serve than be served.
• give hope than receive hope.
• give mercy than receive mercy.
• give faith than receive faith.
• feed the hungry than receive food.
• shelter the homeless than receive shelter.
• clothe the naked than receive clothes.
• restore sight to the blind than receive sight.
• restore hearing to the deaf hear than receive hearing.
• heal the sick than receive healing.
• give freedom to captives than receive freedom.
• give life than receive life.
• give a job to the jobless than receive a job.
• give a car ride than receive a car ride.
• give fair fries to a missionary who shall remain nameless than receive fair fries (I had to throw that one in there).
• be a friend than receive a friend.
• be a listening ear than receive a listening ear.
• forgive someone of an offense than receive forgiveness.

Being a child of God is more than simply knowing and believing. He desires that we live what we know; that we act on our belief (1 John 3:18; James 1:22-25, 2:14-26). Dearest friend, step out in faith! Live what you know and what you believe and trust Him for the results.

The cafe rent is due tomorrow and we could use some beef stew. Our "beef stew" is the roughly $80 the cafe needs to pay the bills and stay open. The cafe will be open tonight from 6-9pm. I'll be there, and I'm dropping one can of beef stew ($8) in the donation box trusting my heavenly Father to provide a bunch more "beef stew." It is one way I can put my faith in action. And I believe He'll provide.

Riddle me this Batman:

1. Do you own a piece of clothing with a logo of your favorite sports team?

2. Do you secretly bounce your knee, stare at your watch, and fly the family home after church on Sunday?

3. Do you know what a 2 point conversion is?

4. Do things in your home get thrown or broken on Sunday?

5. Do you like motorcycles, cars, or have a hairy chest, arms, or back?

6. Do you know what Tailgate means?

7. Do you nonchalantly throw around words at the water cooler like: Ligament, Rotator Cuff, Tommy John, or Arthroscopic?

8. Has your personality on Monday been adversely affected from Sunday afternoon television?

9. Do you receive sporting texts, stats, highlights, or news on your cell phone?

10. Does your Sunday lunch consist of deep fried, non-organic, hydrogenated, high-fructose snacks?

11. Are you guilty of ever screaming, “OH, Did you see that hit?”

If you answered yes to all or any of these questions, then Café 41:11 needs you! You have gifts and talents that can be used to further the kingdom of God.

Café 41:11 wants to host a Fantasy Football fundraiser. It’s not like those other Fantasy leagues you may be used to. This is for a good cause. I want to put together a massive Fantasy league to raise money for the café.

We’ll use ESPN’s free online Fantasy Football to host this fundraiser. It is a pay to play, but with a catch. All the proceeds go to Café 41:11. Not me, not you. It will go to the café to help keep the doors open.

Look…you know you’re already going to play Fantasy Football. (Maybe you’ve even already signed up to play with some friends.) This will be for a good cause and you get to have fun at the same time.

Still not sure? Tell your wife that you’re doing this for the Lord. Tell her, "Honey, it's 4 Jesus and Da Kids."

She’ll support you.

It’s time the men step up to show the women what service and giving really looks like!

I’m not looking for 8 or 10 guys here. I’m looking to put together a league with lots of divisions made up of lots of guys (say 32 guys) from lots of churches. We could even maybe have church divisions. So that chuches go against other churches like in a church softball league.

Some basics: Live fun Auction draft at a TBA location in Medina, keeper league, $20 to play (32 guys at $20 raises $640 for the cafe), more details to come if we get a positive response.

Call me 330.304.5449 or email me vanarsdale@zoominternet.net with your name and phone number and simply reply, "I'm in!"

Please pass this along to those guys you know can answer "yes" to the questions above. Let me say...I am hip to today's culture. I know there are some killer fantasy football lady players out there. If you can run with the big dogs, you're invited too. But...only serious women need apply. You can answer "no" to question #5.

You in?

Conan O'Brien, host of the Tonight Show, says, "Twitter is all the rage." This e-news update is a twitter update on some of the past "goings-on" at the cafe. Thank you for your support and prayers. Keep more of both coming our way. Enjoy!

1. Gave a new Bible away to a guest last week.

2. One type A organizer helped one non-type A person (me) organize and clean our pantry.

3. More people helped organize our pantry.

4. Prayed for a freezer and fridge for the cafe. Received two freezers and a fridge in less than 48 hours.

5. Medina city historical board voted unanimously to approve our new CUPS CAFE outdoor sign.

6. New CUPS CAFE business cards printed and donated to the cafe.

7. Shepherds Grace Church hosting a community VBS program at the cafe this week for young people in Medina.

8. Beat my wife in a quick game of corn hole.

9. Medina Presbyterian Church VBS collecting and donating canned goods and supplies for the cafe this week. I'm speaking there Sunday and they're coming to the cafe to refurbish our outdoor tables...YEAH!

10. Training two new volunteers. One next week. The other in a couple weeks.

11. Cafe blessed again this year with a contract from the fair to raise money for the cafe. Will need workers. More to come on that.

12. Ran out of paper towels. My wife donated some today.

13. Mollie spending a few days this week with grandparents in Pennsylvania.

14. A community service person asked me to help keep them accountable with an addiction.

15. A woman will donate cans of whipped cream on a weekly basis through the rest of the summer.

16. A volunteer asked if it was okay to continue playing a game with a teen. OF COURSE!! I reply.

17. Two volunteers helped out a guest. Took this person to a church outing.

18. Free spa night Monday July 20 for young teens and women. Already have some sign-ups!!!

19. Donuts run plentiful at the cafe.

20. My wife got a raise. She made more than me last quarter.

21. Met new cafe neighbors renting the location next to us. Cool.

22. Umbrellas look sweet outside in the nice weather.

23. A man just released from jail stopped in asking for a cup of cold water. Our new vision statement at work. I think we touched his heart.

24. A special donation of $500 made to the cafe last week will help us pay the rent for August. Any matchers for September?

25. Stopped everything, all the noise, for a moment late one night when I couldn't sleep to listen for God's voice. Found it to be a good exercise (u should try it). Heard Him say, "I love you." And, "Live Life." Yeah...um...still processing that last one.

26. A friend came over and got on my roof to help me work through a roof problem.

27. A friend bought me a brand new hammer drill. Undeserved...but thankful.

28. Cafe hosted a live teen band last Friday night. 70 guests came through the doors.

29. Gave canned goods from our pantry to a woman and her shut-in grandmother. Told her it was from God and that God is real and He loves her. She wept.

I want to share today's Zits comic strip if you haven't already seen it. It tickled me. The cafe ministry couldn't exist without your financial support. The missionaries and volunteers could not be witnesses and servants without your generosity. God has blessed us with so many faithful donors, and we appreciate you. Thank you for donating!

With Gratefulness,

Tim & Mindee Van Arsdale

Janis Nazarian

The Volunteers

Zits

by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman

Make Checks Payable: Cafe 41:11

Designate Your Gift: Cafe 41:11 or Missionary (i.e. Tim & Mindee, or Janis).

Mail to: Cafe 41:11   P.O. Box 83 Medina, Ohio 44258

Drop Your Gift In The Donation Box: Cafe 41:11   126 N. Court St. Medina, Ohio 44256

by Davie Maybe, Associating Press Writer - 55 minutes ago

MEDINA, Ohio - A crock pot of chili, a dozen chicken salad sandwiches, and two gallons of grape kool-aid were reported stolen Tuesday April 14 from a free, non-profit cafe.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Tim Van Arsdale director of the cafe said, "Mike Arnold and I were busy. I think like 44 guests came through the doors? Mike was talking with some teens, and I was helping two families gather food from our pantry. Then all of the sudden, the chili was gone!"

Mr. Van Arsdale believes the culprits to be a band of renegade Somali pirates or dozens of insatiable Medina teens. An investigation of the heist is ongoing.

No formal charges have been filed at this time.

Investigators took pictures of a shoe print. They dusted a deck of UNO cards for fingerprints and acquired a half-eaten bowl of chili and a spoon for DNA testing.

A ransom text message was sent to Mr. Van Arsdale's cell phone. It read:

If u want two c you're chilli alive, give us ice creem every day!

Investigators are not sure if the horrific misspelling and use of the English language was intentional or accidental given the unusual circumstances.

Mr. Van Arsdale told A.P.ING NEWS, "I don't understand it. Why would someone steal something that is free? It seems crazy to me."

The two cafe workers handled the situation just fine.

Mr. Van Arsdale did strain his back taking the massive amounts of trash out to the dumpster. Other than that, no one was seriously injured during the attack.

"I rubbed my back real hard afterwards and then threw on a pot of mac-n-cheese and made more kool-aid," said Mr. Van Arsdale. "Mike Arnold slapped together more sandwiches, and I went back to loading dirty dishes in the dishwasher."

A.P.ING NEWS reports that Cafe 41:11 needs more donations of money and food. They seem to be doing a good work in the community but maybe your church can add the cafe to its list of supported mission organizations?

Or maybe you can help with a monthly donation? Please contact Mr. Tim Van Arsdale at 330-304-5449 or by email: tim@cafe4111.org.

I reach in my pocket grasping for my keys to unlock the cafe. Cafe 41:11 is still asleep; enjoying a few more hours of frosty darkness until the warmth of the sun touches the west side of the building. I pass through the early morning shadows entering the train car in a personal morning fog...but on a mission. (BTW - I'm NOT a morning person!)

My mission?

The rent is due Wednesday, April 1st and every dollar counts. I need to check the donation box.

Once inside, the donuts and the sugar cookies greet me as I stumble through the dimly lit cafe toward the donation box. I fumble my keys searching for the small brass key to the box. It's quiet inside except for the jingling and clanging of my keys echoing off the curved stainless steel ceiling.

Slipping the key into the key hole, I turn my wrist and pull open the donation box door. Envelopes and loose change pour out. My personal morning fog lifts in excitement of what might be inside! I forage through the donations seeing roughly two handfuls of loose change, lots of crinkled one dollar bills, a few five dollar bills, one twenty, and a folded piece of colored paper. Intrigued...I grab the creased piece of paper. At first, I think it might be a handwritten note from a grateful guest. (It's happened before.) But it wasn't a note.

It was a coupon.

It was a coupon for one complimentary Clorox Bleach item. The picture above is the actual coupon. The cafe has been open for a year and a half and a coupon has never been dropped in our box. So I chuckle. It seems funny to me for some reason. (I wasn't making fun of the gift or the giver. It just made me laugh like some form of dry Monty-Python-type humor.) The coupon catches me off guard. It is a unique gift but also very endearing and thoughtful and so I smile and laugh.

Questions fire in my mind...

Was this coupon given to the cafe by a teenager as a joke?

Was it given by someone as a "thank you" for all they've received?

Was it a gift from one of our older guests who doesn't have much?

Maybe...just maybe...the person who gave it felt they needed to give something and this was all they could afford?

With elbows resting on the counter and staring at the coupon in my hands, my brain shoots into light speed accessing that famous passage of Scripture where the widow gives out of her poverty.

"But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on" (NIV, Mark 12:42-44).

Hmmm...(I think to myself)...somebody is giving the cafe coupons. Somebody is giving out of their poverty or it's just an attempt at humor. Either way...this gift kicks butt!

I begin to wonder, if Jesus' earthly ministry happened in 2009, would He have pointed out a widow giving a coupon donation to help His followers understand the heart of giving instead of two copper coins?

I pray you'll continue to give to your church, beloved organization, or missionary. Please do not ever believe that even the gift of a coupon is not appreciated. It is! The cafe doesn't have a bottle of bleach. We could use bleach. This coupon is a special gift even if it may have been a teenage prank. I guess we'll never know. But I do know this...

Whoever gave the cafe this coupon made our donation box more like a nourishing well; one we can go to for sustenance the way a desert well provides water for thirsty travelers. And, I have to say, whoever gave this coupon is always welcome at Cafe 41:11.

Because of this gift and a special check given today, along with so many other kind-hearted donations last week, the cafe has enough money to pay the rent needed April 1st.

Thank you...somebody...for giving.

Those who liked the "bike" e-mail I sent a couple months ago are gonna' love this one! A guest's bike at the cafe was taken last week by a group of kids. So, we cruised the streets of Medina in search of his stolen wheels. We couldn't find the bike. So, once again, I lent him a used bike hanging upside down from the hooks in my garage. It was a form of transportation until we found out what happened to his bike.

This past Sunday was Mollie's birthday. Mindee, Mollie, and I returned home from a relaxing evening out. Mindee pulled "black beauty" (our '96 chevy cavalier) into the driveway of our house. She pushed the button on the garage door opener. The garage door slowly squeaked open revealing the bike I lent our friend. My first thought, Tommy returned the bike. He must be finished using it. I got out of "black beauty" and walked over to the bike. A handwritten note was neatly wrapped around the frame. I pulled off the note and began to read,

"Dear Tim,

It wasn't my fault and I have a witness! Jesus, the Holy Savior, must not want me to have transportation. You have my permission to write an e-mail about this. I'm just lucky I wasn't riding it at the time!

Your brother who you must hate by now-

Tommy"

I put down the note and thought, what happened now? I meticulously examined the bike.

The front tire was flat.

You know the scene in The Money Pit with Tom Hanks where everything is going wrong? At one point, they just want to enjoy a hot bath. So, they begin pouring buckets of water into the tub when suddenly the tub falls through the floor and shatters into a billion pieces below them. Tom Hanks stands over the newly formed hole and begins laughing so hard he can hardly breathe. I nearly laughed that hard yesterday.

I don't hate Tommy. I love him. A flattened bike tire will not keep me from loving him. Nothing will keep me from loving him. The Apostle Paul reminds us, "It (love) is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs...It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (NIV, 1 Corinthians 13:5 & 7).

Paul's words are a common occurrence at wedding ceremonies or hung neatly in a frame at Grandma's house. But I wonder, do we really believe these words? Do we truly live these words?

Love is superlative. It surpasses and is excessive. True love fully embodies the "always" and "everythings" of life. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus...right? Then why do we allow disappointments and harmful actions and hurtful things to separate us from each another?

We hurt Jesus all the time and He still listens to us and welcomes us home. Is your love for someone a little flat?