Cup of Hope began as my personal online blog. In the beginning, my blog contained my thoughts and ramblings. Within a few months, though, I noticed something had changed.

As I focused more on developing my skills as a writer, I also spent more time in prayer. I yearned for direction from God. I knew I had talent to write things, but I felt I had no direction.

I watched my readership grow week by week. It began to feel like I had created my very own online community through my daily journaling. It was then I realized that perhaps this form of expression could hold much greater potential than I'd ever imagined.

I rose early each morning and greeted the day with prayer and the word of God. Then I'd turn on the computer and head for my blog, to write a few uplifting words of encouragement for my readers.

The beginning of 2004 brought many changes. I decided it was time to use my talent to do what God intended me to do. A dear friend took on the role of my mentor and decided it was time for me to have my own website to display some of my work and come out of my writing closet. Within the first few months of going live, I gained many new readers. Among those, a potter.

Gary emailed me one day to say that something I'd written in my blog touched him and his wife, Maude. He related to me that they had been dealing with a difficult situation and my entry on Cup of Hope that day had been just what they'd needed to hear. I was ecstatic! This felt like the confirmation I'd needed to let me know that I was on the right path.

A few weeks later, Gary emailed me again. This time he included a picture. Gary had created a "real" Cup of Hope! The picture displayed a beige and blue teacup and matching saucer. In the middle of the saucer were the words, "Cup of..." and inside the bottom of the teacup, "Hope." Gary said he created this cup so that every time it was used, you would see the word, "Hope" as you took your last sip of coffee or tea.

The day I received my Cup of Hope from Gary, I was thrilled. I couldn't bring myself to use it, though. It was too fragile, too symbolic for me to take the chance of accidentally breaking it. So I sat it on my desk as a reminder each day to continue in the work that God gave me to do.

One weekend, I'd been particularly low in spirits. So as a treat to myself, I gathered my precious teacup and saucer, and headed to the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. I needed the pick-me-up, and I knew my special teacup would do the trick.

The first sip of the tar liquid from the wide mouthed brim immediately conjured memories of my maternal grandmother. I recalled my "Maw" drinking from a coffee cup with a similarly wide mouthed brim many years ago. I stared into space as memories swirled alive in my mind of Maw, who is now in heaven.

I recalled hot Louisiana days. The weather was never too muggy, however, for a pot of coffee to sit steaming at any time of the day. The front porch swing and its two wooden chair companions were always filled with neighbors who would visit in the shade and drink coffee while they visited. Maw would bring her cup to her lips. Just before it touched her mouth, she'd blow into the coffee. Then the cup would rise to meet her mouth as she sipped the steaming liquid.

Such sweet serendipity I found that Sunday morning in my cup of Hope!

Memories faded, so I finished my coffee. I returned to the kitchen where I set to washing dishes. My cup survived its first use and washing, so a couple of days later I decided it would be okay to use it again. This time when I prepared to wash dishes, catastrophe struck.