An Abundant Life - Love Never Fails

When I started to write this blog post, the title "Love Never Fails" came to mind. It's from the famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13 that so many people know because it is often used at weddings and other celebrations of love, and at first I thought that it might seem silly to use it when I was talking about a coffee company, but in these very difficult times we're living in now, somehow the simplest things are taking on great meaning. I've been wanting to write about Empire Coffee & Tea Co. for a while now, and specifically the one in Hoboken because that is where I buy my coffee most regularly. There is also a location in Manhattan on 9th Avenue, but though friends of mine have gone there for years I had only walked by it many times and had never gone in. It was only when I moved across the River and saw that there was one in Hoboken that I decided to try it. It looked so inviting, and reminded me of one of the first stores where I bought coffee and a coffee maker and cups when I was in college in Pittsburgh, a sweet place in an area called Shadyside which is where the real Mr. Rogers lived. His neighborhood was actually based on Shadyside, and in a lovely way Hoboken is like that. The store that I went to in Shadyside had all kinds of coffee and lovely coffee makers and all kinds of things to help you enjoy a coffee experience. The cups and maker I bought there I still have, and one of my friends from that time says that I make the best coffee and at one time I thought that maybe it's those cups. I still do in a way, but I also know that there's something else that goes into a great cup of coffee, or a great anything that anyone makes, and that's love. Empire Coffee & Tea Co. has a wonderful variety of coffees and teas and some things to snack on and coffee makers too, but the thing that I think made me think of this title is that the thing that makes this very sweet and beautiful store so special is that there is love there.

I have had their coffee which they make there which is delicious, but my favorite way to have coffee is at home. I used to drink coffee all day long, but a number of years ago I realized it really was keeping me awake at night so I've limited myself to the morning hours, not usually having it after 2pm at the absolute latest. But in the morning I make a nice big pot of it and through the early afternoon I allow myself to finish it, so I may after all be getting the same amount that I was once upon a time when I wasn't counting cups or hours. Long ago I decided that I enjoyed coffee so much and it was one of my few extravagances that I didn't mind paying extra for it to make sure that I had a delicious cup. But Empire Coffee & Tea Co. is reasonable in price too. For the quality there are other companies out there that charge almost double per pound. And their variety is so much fun to explore, with different roasts and blends and even a few flavors to make for a lively experience when visiting the store, which always smells divine if like me you think that coffee is a sweet perfume.

Empire Coffee & Tea Co. is one of those places you can enjoy walking into, and the service is not only with a smile it's even more than that. There's a feeling of comfort and warmth and welcome that makes it a place that feels like a destination even if you're just stopping by for a pound of coffee to bring home. There are lots of places that try to make you feel like you're at home, but somehow Empire Coffee & Tea Co. does it with what seems like a very natural gift. It's this feeling that brings comfort and helps you feel comfortable, even during days like these when life has become not very comforting or comfortable at all. But there it is, suddenly, in a feeling of warmth, of welcome and light, in the coziness on a cold day and a breezy airiness on a warm one, that feeling like love that can remind us that love never fails.

Empire Coffee & Tea Co.

338 Bloomfield Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

https://www.empirecoffeetea.com/

Making Mornings Special At Home

Blessings,

Jannie Susan