Coffee Shop Journal

I have no time to write this afternoon! Or read! Argh! I was up all night with a sick dog (yeah, not fun) and very happy teenage girls who were creating a new video (watch the lieslandhollyshow.com or on YouTube!), so I slept late and headed to the gym. But my mind is still thinking about yesterday’s post,so I am going to give you one more quote from the book to ponder on this beautiful Saturday.

Dr. Jo Blessing tells the story of a chance meeting between two strangers. An older woman had been sitting on a park bench, despondent and lonely, thinking of suicide when a young man sat down next to her. The two of them fed the pigeons together for a few minutes. Finally the young man got up, turned to the woman and thanked her for such a nice time. This seemingly small kindness restored the woman’s faith in life. The young man never knew that he had been the answer to her prayers.

On any given day, without really realizing it, you may be the answer to someone’s prayers. If you’re too busy to reach out to people in your neighborhood or community, you’re too busy. Never forget that your touch, your thoughtfulness and your love really can work wonders in the lives of others.

Amen. I would add to that, the power of God’s love working through you even in the small moments when we barely realized we’re being used at all.

I’m off to church…have a great weekend!

“Where will you be five years from today?”

So begins an creative book and journal on sale now at Starbucks. I couldn’t resist!

“Five Years…260 weeks…1,825 days…2,333,000 minutes. What will you do with it? What could you do with it?”

The book uses typography, inspirational quotes and worksheet style pages to get us to take a moment to step out of time. Do you know what I mean? Some days the time just flows by, and we scarcely notice its passing except to gape in horror at the calendar counting down the days before Christmas. This little journal reminds us of what we never should have fogotten: you must live your life on purpose. And while it doesn’t bring faith into the equation other than as a category to consider, I will. God has a purpose for your life:not just the big overall purpose, but the daily one-miniscule-step-at-a-time portion. Choose wisely.

So why am I talking about this book now, which is so suited to a New Year’s post?

David and I took the journal to dinner with us the other night and just flipped through its pages. We looked at the pages on mission statements (got that), dreams, travel, thinking big, thinking specific, volunteering, changing the world. The pages acted as a springboard to our discussions, prompting us to re-evaluate how we approach Christmas and even our Christmas gifts to each other and our family.

That’s why I’m writing this today.

Using this book or some other springboard, stop and THINK about your Christmas this year. There are NO perfect gifts, but there are a few perfect opportunities in life. The little Starbucks journal helped me slow down long enough to make sure I don’t miss a few of them.

Just a few lines to give you a hint of what’s inside:

• Choose your mission
• If you don’t have a dream, how can you have a dream come true?
• What will you do with your talents? Talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back.
• Have adventures
• Think Big
• Who are you grateful for? Tell them
• When was the last time you did something for the first time?
• How will you change the world?

Do you remember my Mark Batterson quote for the year?

Change of Place + Change of Pace = Change of Perspective

That happened — again — to me today sitting in Starbucks. I have recently been reading Richard Foster’s “Freedom of Simplicity,” an old book, but a deep and good one. Call me crazy, but reading about the spiritual discipline of simplicity has really helped me keep Christmas in perspective! This morning I was waiting for a friend, and arrived about thirty minutes early, so I sat and read my book at the Starbucks counter. It’s the same Starbucks counter that taught me so much about leadership in this post.

Today I learned about servanthood, and giving out of a desire to love. “Freedom of Simplicity” was busy telling me that when we leave our expectations and greed behind, we are free to serve and love with singleminded devotion. Our hearts are clear. In the midst of that, I watched the baristas serving drink after drink. Now usually — being on the other side of the counter — I think about asking for a drink, ordering food. And rude customers, of course, are intensely irritating if you care about people. Today, however, I focused on the simple act of service…of a barista happily making a drink to please the customer, and feeling like they have done a good job when they deliver their coffee. Do these baristas - all of whom I know by name and yet have scant details about their lives - do they know they are participating in the act of creation and service and giving? Does it make them happy to do for the customers what God does for us? “Look, I created this for you.” In that moment, being a barista seemed a holy occupation.

Another book I am reading, “Cloister Walk” by Kathleen Norris, tells about life in a Benedictine Monastery. During one national convention some of the monks petitioned to serve food family style, at a table, again, as opposed to the new buffet lines they were currently using to serve food. Why? Because the act of serving each other food, one to the other, put a different perspective on the meal. Each monk was served by the one to his side, and did not take the food for himself. Something was lost, they said, when monks began to go through line and just take whatever they wanted, however much they wanted. There was a spiritual application of sitting and serving one another a simple meal.

So there was my change of perspective: serving one another as an act of spiritual  discipline and gratitude. I know..I’ve heard it before, too. It’s not profound, or deep or revolutionary. But it did cast the Christmas hurry and scurry in a different light. What an amazing gift: to be able to give.

It’s all about people.

I think that might be my mission statement in life. I am passionate about connecting with people, whether in the community, the church, or online! One person I have connected with — and adore — is Jenni Catron. As brand new bloggers last year, we managed to find each other as we both began talking about an upcoming conference we were both going to attend. Then, at Q (some of the most transformational days I’ve ever experienced), we met face to face. Jenni and I have slowly been building a cyber friendship that once in awhile spills over into the real world, like at Catalyst 08 or when David and I stopped in to visit her church in Nashville. Yesterday Jenni wrote this post on being a “regular,” and I immediately asked to reprint it here. It captures a lot of my heart…and hers.

“I Love Being a Regular”

by Jenni Catron

Every Tuesday morning Pete and I have our weekly meeting at the same restaurant.  This has been our routine for well over 2 years, so it’s safe to say we’ve become “regulars”.

Here’s why I like being “a regular”:

• Everybody knows my name…  I know you’re singing the song from Cheers right about now, but it’s really true.
• I’m comfortable.  I can relax because I know what to expect.
• I order “the usual” and the wait staff know what “the usual” is for me.  (In case you are curious, it’s a bowl of oatmeal with fresh strawberries and brown sugar and of course a cup of English Breakfast tea.)
• I know the other regulars and they know me.  There is a fun cast of characters that share our usual Tuesday morning routine… we’ve developed our own little community.

Why does this matter so much to me?

Belonging.  I feel like I belong.  I have a place. There are people who know me and miss me when I’m not there.

It’s amazing how such a core need can manifest itself in something as simple as where I eat breakfast.

It makes me wonder what I can do to help the people around me become “regulars”?  What can I do to help my staff feel that they belong?  That they contribute?  That they are needed?  That they are valued?

Being “a regular” gives me a glimpse of the power of community.  It’s the unique connection that we share as humans to love, appreciate and encourage one another.

So, who in your life do you need to make feel like “a regular”?

Today it is time for a little lighthearted return to the coffee bean. First up? Tights impregnated with coffee molecules to promote “slimming.” Not kidding! Go check them out and let me know if they work.

Next, and I realize full well that this flies in the face of my post yesterday, I found two interesting coffee-themed gifting sites for your Christmas pleasure! (And no…I don’t need any of these items, family. This is not a secret wish list!) Trade Winds Coffee does some nice gift baskets with slightly different contents than you might find elsewhere. And Neighbors Coffee has a great “Story of Coffee” gift that includes some samples and coffee history.

KoffeeKorner.com has some fun coffee facts, including this piece of trivia about espresso drinking habits.

The Italians drink their espresso with sugar, the Germans and Swiss - with equal parts of hot chocolate, the Mexicans - with cinnamon, the Belgians - with chocolate. Moroccans drink their coffee with peppercorns, the Ethiopians - with a pinch of salt. Coffee drinkers in the Middle East usually add cardamom and spices. Whipped cream is the favourite amongst Austrians.

Cafe Britt is a large coffee plantation in Costa Rica. They offer a fun selection of coffees from all over Costa Rica, so if you can’t jet down there for your after-Christmas vacation, consider this little box!

Finally — and keeping with the Costa Rica theme — visit the Doka Estate website just for fun. They offer lots of coffee for sale, as well. David, the girls and I visited Doka Estate when we went to Costa Rica several years ago. We had the privilege of taking the tour of their wet-processing plantation. Normally this tour is taken by cruise ship tour groups, a hundred people or so at a time. The day we arrived it was just the four of us. So essentially we got to have a private tour of Doka, met most of the staff, and had a great time. So for sentimental reasons, Doka Estate has my heart. In a related side note, they also sell 75% of their beans to Starbucks (or at least they did at that time.)

I recognize the futility of certain resolutions, but post-Thanksgiving I have made one. And no… I’m not referring to my newest diet plan. Instead I have been inspired by the Advent Conspiracy. I’m sure you have seen the videos for the Advent Conspiracy, which advocates spending less on gifts, giving more of ourselves, giving more of our time, and donating the money we did not spent to the charity of our choice. If you haven’t seen the video, you can check it out below.

So my resolution? Focus on simplicity for just a little while. As a first step, I picked up a copy of the book Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster. It has been out for a long while, and I read it while I was still in college and considered my life then too complex. I decided to read it again. To start us off, here is a quote written 27 years ago and still as pertinent as ever.

The complexity of rushing to achieve and accumulate more and more threatens frequently to overwhelm us; It seems there is no escape from the rat race.

Christian simplicity frees us from this modern mania. It brings sanity to our compulsive extravagance, and peace to our frantic spirit. It liberates us from what William Penn called “”cumber.” It allows us to see material things for what they are — goods to enhance life, not to oppress life. Peple once again become more important than possessions. Simplicity enables us to live lives of integrity in the face of the terrible realities of our global village.

So as I pick out our gifts this year — and I’m pretty sure there will still be too many — I’m going to think about goods to enhance our life, not to oppress us. And as always, people are more important than things.

Dr. John Maxwell spoke at my church, Christ Fellowship in West Palm Beach, tonight. He is a teaching pastor on staff, and often offers to preach the weekend after Thanksgiving in order to give our pastors a much-needed break! Tonight he spoke about developing a grateful heart. Here are some highlights.

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Parable of the ten lepers: Jesus healed ten lepers while they were on the way to see the priest. Some observations:

1. 10 Lepers asked for help.

2. 10 Lepers received help.

3. Only one expressed gratitude. By the way, gratitude is not based on the blessings we have received, otherwise the other nine would have returned, too.

4. Jesus was amazed. The other nine did not return.

How to Grow your Gratitude

1. Express gratitude as a discipline, independent of feelings.

True gratitude involves the heart as well as the lips. But sometimes when our hearts are cold, our words can be sparks that kindle us again.

“Let every detail in your lives, words, actions, whatever, be done in
the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the
way.” Col. 3:17

Other people may attend your pity party, but they leave quickly. Whiners want to feel good before they do the right thing. Winners do the right thing, and then they feel good.

2. Express gratitude for the small and ordinary things.

“If you learn to appreciate more f what you already have, you will find yourself having more to appreciate.” Michael Angier

In other words, hat you appreciate, appreciates. What you depreciate, depreciates. As you begin expressing gratitude, you will see more things that you have to appreciate. On the other hand, the more you complain, the less you’ll obtain.

“Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.” Col 4:2

Lucado wrote, “The devil doesn’t have to steal anything from you, all he
has to do is make you take it for granted.”

3. Express gratitude especially in the midst of adversity.

God doesn’t ask us to be thankful for the sorrows that come our way, but he does want us to demonstrate trust in His care by thanking Him in spite of them. Paul told us to be thankful IN all circumstances, not FOR all circumstances. Our trust in God is greater than the circumstance that we are going through. Allow him to bring you through the valley, WHILE YOU ARE IN IT.

When we are grateful, fear disappears and faith appears.

John told the story of Charlton Heston. In 2002 he had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. A friend of his was visibly glum over this, when Heston told him not to feel bad for him. “I got to be Charlton Heston for more than 80 years. That’s more than fair.”

Turn our attention from your problems to God’s priorities in your life. How?
Go from what’s happening to me, to what is God doing in me. God does his greatest work during times of adversity.

A. Look beyond yourself and see the big picture.

B. Surrender yourself and acknowledge your dependence on God.

C. Forget yourself and care for others. There is always someone near by who is in a worse place than you are. Reach out to them, minister to them, and be grateful.

4. Express graitude toward others in tangible ways.

Creativity is a slippery creature. If you look too hard at it, the creativity skitters around the corner out of sight. And just at the moment you despair of ever thinking another creative thought, your mind floods with new ideas. It’s a perverse master, creativity.

A good friend of mine is in graphic design school for her frst semester this year. A whiz with computerized graphic design, she’s finding this first semester involves a lot of hand drawing, pen and ink, pencils, markers. In addition, the assignments come fast and furious, requiring at least 40 hours a week of homework time in addition to her classroom time. And those assignments astound us: 300 thumbnails exhibiting elements of both an Indian tribe and a Baltimore Oriole. Create gift packaging that can also be used as a toy…and incorporate your Native American theme. Pick a design and develop an entire alphabet around it, while not repeating the exact design anywhere. She has learned to work within amazing constraints during this first semester, which we hae nicknamed her “analog phase” due to the low tech nature of her materials so far.

But we have noticed something over time.

Creativity seems to blossom within those constraints laid on the assignments. When her back is up against a wall, creativity breaks through and results in a project she could never have imagined when she sat down to draw. As much as she rails against the strict guidelines for each assignment, in the end her work has taken leaps forward because of the direction and inspiration the guidelines provide.

This got me wondering, this week. Will we all be the same as we walk through the tightened economic environment that is surely coming? Will strict guidelines (ie: a budget) force us to greater creativity, and result in an end product we might not have thought of before? I believe it will. I believe we are coming into a creative renaissance, both in our personal lives and in our communities. Churches are going to be creative; non-profits are going to get creative; even retailers will get creative. Could it be that “cookie cutter solutions” are going to fade out of style? Here’s hoping!

“When up on the roof there arose such a clatter…”

It’s a line from one of my favorite stories of all time, the poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore. As a little girl I would reach for my picture book copy of this poem over and over, and not just at Christmas. Several years ago I was thrilled to find a reprint of my original book, and it now sits on my coffee table at this time of year.

I’m thinking about this story because of a line I read a quote in the book Community by Peter Block.

We need to distinguish between stories that give meaning to our lives and help us find our voice, and those that limit our possibility.

The stories that are useful and fulfilling are the ones that are metaphors, signposts, parables, and inspiration for the fullest expression of our humanity. … Theater, movies, song, literature and art are storytelling of the highest order. These are the mediums for building an individual sense of what it means to be a human being and a community.

The stories that we tell ourselves and others matter. They matter more than we might imagine! I learned today, for example, that Clement C. Moore’s little poem is actually responsible for shaping the way our nation views Santa Clause and Christmas. Before this poem Santa never traveled with a pack of reindeer. Imagine a world without Dasher and Dancer! (I’m sure you realize that Rudolph was an add on…a delightful one, however).In addition, Moore was so shy and unassuming that a family friend actually sent the poem into the newspaper in 1823 in order to get it published. Moore didn’t think his little poem was a story worth telling, but it has put sugarplum sparkles in children’s eyes for 175 years.

What about your story?

This time of year we tell ourselves our personal stories over and over, even when we don’t realize it. We build expectations built on our childhood Christmases. We bake Grandma’s special recipe; we put the same kinds of items in our Christmas stockings; we avoid the same fruitcakes, and we bake the same dishes for our Christmas table.

Some of us don’t like the story of Christmas in our lives. I’m not speaking about THE Christmas story, of course, but the story we have written about our own Christmas holiday. Or any holidays. We have accumulated the pain of past tragedies and circumstances and attached them to our present holidays. Ouch.

The beauty is that we can send the book back to the Author and request a new book, a new story, at any time. That’s what faith can do for us if we allow it. We can turn a fresh page and begin again. New books are written one experience, one holiday, one Christmas candle at a time.

This Christmas I am going to thank God for the beautiful memories he has allowed me to write in my book of history. But I am also going to work hard at providing and creating some transformational memories for people I care about, people who are bound by limiting stories. This is a simple gift that we can give the people around us. Here are some of the possibilities I have thought about this year.

• A carol sing and cookie party for some of the older folks I know who miss those old songs of their past.
• A commitment to watch out for people whose current holidays are not playing out the way they would dream.
• I’d love to pull off some inexpensive random acts of kindness this season. Last year I tipped the woman cleaning the tables in the mall food court — a thankless job if there ever was one. I got a hug in return. Not a bad return on investment.
• At least one portion of my day on Christmas is going to be open to any and all to come and fellowship. There are so many friends who are adrift on this family holiday. I want to make sure we are family for them.

Not life changing, these ideas, and not extensive. They are just a start at helping a friend write a new story.

I should be writing a Thanksgiving post. I should tell you how wonderful our family and friends are, how the meal was amazing and how thankful I am for each of them. And then I should tell you, my readers and facebook friends and cyber friends, how thankful I am for you. I know that is what I should do.

But instead, I think I’ll grab a nice cup of the last of the Aged Sumatra, put my feet up and sit on the porch enjoying the cool South Florida evening with the remaining friends lounging about.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I am thankful for you, even if I’m not writing a post about it tonight!