I Heart Coffee

I love coffee. I really do.

This wasn't always the case

I used to sneak a swig of my Dad's coffee as a child because it smelled so good. This secret act was always met with disgust as I discovered the taste and the smell were not equal.

In college I tried coffee a few times during late night study sessions at Denny's.
Again, no love loss.

As a intern at Calvary Church , Jeff Biddle introduced me to Dietrich's Coffee.
At first it was a small cup with tons of cream and sugar. I held it mostly to look wise and youth pastorish like my hero Jeff. But as time went on the cream to coffee ratio grew less.

My Coffee godfather is Tim Nellis

Tim and I worked for 5 glorious years together as high school group leaders at Calvary. Tim taught me the art of coffee. He introduced me to the press and to the differences between dark and light roasts. He taught me how to use a stir stick like a man and how to make sure I kept the coffee lid away from the cup seam to avoid spills. I am truly indebted to him.

Today, most of my coffee experiences are from home (Cuisinart Stainless Steel Coffeemaker with auto brew feature) or from the Cafe at Calvary Church or from one of the 17 Starbucks I pass on my 5 minute commute from home to work.

The bottom line is, I love coffee.

Mark Batterson on Coffee and Church History
According to coffee lore, the church may be responsible for the popularity of coffee. Way back in the 16th century, advisors to Pope Clement VIII wanted him to declare coffee a drink of the devil because of its popularity amongst Muslims. Pope Clement must have liked his double shot of espresso because he said, “This devil’s drink is so good we should cheat the devil by baptizing it.”


A friend of mine is fasting from alcohol for the month.

Another is doing the same with Coke.

I believe it may be time for me to do the same with Coffee
Why?
The Bible states in 1st Corinthians Chapter 6,
" 12"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything."

I have to admit, coffee has a pretty good mastery over me.
I believe it is time to let God take over this area of my life
and restore me to dependence on Him, over caffeine.
So, starting tonight, I embrace a month, 30 days without Coffee.

Pray for me, it might not be easy.

Meetings Are For Tuesdays

According to a recent survey by Lifehacker.com, Tuesdays at 3pm are the most common and available time in the average work week to hold a meeting.

Other Work Day Facts from Their Research

-Event invitations are most likely to be accepted for a Tuesday at 3pm.
-On average only 3 or 4 people out of 10 will be available at any given time.
-People are happier than you might think to work through lunch.
-Flexibility jumps up at 10 and 11 in the morning, but peaks at 3PM

Speaking of Meetings...

Scott Belsky (who spoke at Catalyst West last Friday) has several effective meeting tips including the suggestion that some meetings should be "standing only" meetings so that the meeting will naturally go shorter as people get tired of standing!

How do you keep sane through all of your work or ministry related meetings?

My Love of Baseball Has Reached the Next Generation

Some people say baseball is a dying sport with the next generation.

My son Samuel is evidence to the contrary. His baseball bat travels with him even at naptime:

Here is his naptime

What to Wear to Catalyst West

Catalyst West Coast is the destination point this week for many of the most influential and creative thinkers in the modern Church. This is not an exaggeration, it is really a dynamic event and place. I am excited about how God will use this conference to shape me to look more like Jesus, humble me to remind me that I have a lot of room to grow/learn and confirm in me why I am called to be a Pastor.

Urban Outfitters
It is also the conference each year where I am reminded that most evangelical Pastors of my generation shop at Urban Outfitters.

(from realfakeads.com via Kem Meyer)

Why Coffee Meetings Work in Resolving Conflict

“If men could only know each other, they would neither idolize nor hate.”

Elbert Hubbard

(From Kem Meyer presentation at Exponential)

Why Go to Church?

My family spent the last 2 days in Palm Springs. No, we weren't at the Coachella Music Festival taking in Jay-Z and Thom Yorke (way too hip for me), we were simply out there to enjoy a few days by the pool as a family, at Marie's Uncle and Aunt's house who live in the desert. We came home late Saturday night in order to be back for Church on Sunday morning.

Pastor Confession
As I was driving out our street this morning at 7:30am to go to Church, I drove past a neighbor who was walking out in his robe to grab the Sunday newspaper. As I continued to Church I began thinking about what my neighbor's morning would most likely look like. Sunday paper, warm cup of brewed coffee, a leisurely walk with the dog, maybe a few innings of the Angel game on TV. It all sounded rather glorious to be honest. I found myself harboring some neighborly envy as I neared our Church campus.

Why I Love Going to Church
When I arrived at Church this morning and began to interact with people, my envy quickly faded as I was reminded of why I Love being a part of Church on Sunday mornings. (I am not just saying this because I am a "Pastor" and that is what I am supposed to say, I really mean it!). Here are some reasons I love being a part of a Church and why I love going to Church on Sunday mornings:
#1 - I love sharing in people's joy and celebrating the amazing things God is doing in their lives
-Today a women told me about the impact the previous day's women's retreat had on her
-Today, a High Schooler shared with me the exciting news that she had been accepted into her dream college
-Today, a new believer told me about the amazing platform he got the day before to share his new faith in Jesus
-Today, a man in our Connect Lifelab wept openly as he read John 14 out loud, it was amazingly wonderful and refreshing.

#2 - I love sharing in people's suffering and watching God shower them with grace in their time of need
-Today, a family I love at Church, lost their Grandmother this morning. It was an honor to mourn with them.
-Last night, one of my heroes in the Christian faith and a leader in our Church, Dan O' Brien went to be with Jesus. It was powerful to watch the body of Christ at our Church mourn together over his loss and celebrate the truth that he is with Jesus
-I got to simply place my arm around a friend and encourage and listen to him as he faces the threat of losing his business this month.

#3 - I love joining in with other Christians to sing songs about God and read the Bible together and give of our money through offering.
Honestly, I could give, sing and read all in the comfort of my home, thanks to on-line giving, i-tunes and my study Bible. But I would be missing something. There is something incredibly and mysteriously powerful about singing, reading and giving in a room full of other followers of Jesus. I can't quite justify that you HAVE to do these things within a community, but in my experience, they sure seem more significant within a community of Christians that call themselves a Church.

Driving Home Sunday Afternoon
As I drove home this afternoon, I passed the same neighbor from this morning. He was out doing yard work. I no longer was in envy of his Sunday schedule. In fact, I am going to invite him to Church next Sunday. No newspaper, cup of coffee, dog walk or baseball game can compare.

Free Things on Tax Day!

As a Pastor on a fixed income, I love free things.
April 15th is a day to relish in a plethora of freebies!

My recently engaged brother-in-law, Mark Mittmann (former esteemed blogger for Fed Filter.com) pointed me to a great article today from Yahoo Finance:
==================================================

Here are some of the freebies and discounts on offer for tax season 2010.

CINNABON: Get two free bite-sized cupcakes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at participating mall locations as part of "Tax Day Bites!" Flavors include Chocolate Passion, 24-Carrot Cake, Vanilla Bliss and Cinnacake Classic.

MAGGIEMOO'S: Get one free slice of ice cream pizza -- ice cream with red frosting to look like sauce and white chocolate to look like cheese -- at participating locations from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

STARBUCKS: Get free brewed coffee all day Thursday if you bring your own mug, a promotion the cafe chain says is friendly to the environment as well as taxpayers.

BOSTON MARKET: For a "last-minute tax break" -- one free meal for each one you buy Thursday through Sunday -- show this coupon: http://bit.ly/d1YlRO

IHOP: Expanding on the tax deduction parents get for kids, the restaurant chain is offering free dinner for one child age 12 or younger with each adult meal purchased 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. all month long.

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK'S: The seafood restaurant is offering $10.40 dinner and drink specials in the bar on Thursday -- a nod to the 1040 tax form. Bar guests who come in April 15 also receive a $10.40 gift certificate for a later visit. And professional tax preparers, who may have to work right until the midnight deadline Thursday, get their freebie Friday: dessert on the house plus a $10.40 certificate if they show a business card.

P.F. CHANG'S: Get 15 percent off food purchases for dine-in or take-out, excluding alcohol and happy hour food and beverages.

Chick-fil-A: Visit a participating restaurant April 15 and hang onto your receipt. The “Tax Relief Day Special” lets you return before April 30 to receive the same order for free.

T.G.I. Friday’s: On April 15, diners receive a $5 gift card when they spend $15 to $25. They earn a $10 card for a purchase of more than $25.

Baja Fresh: $2 Burrito on tax day!


Did you get anything for free on Tax Day?

Introverts in the Church

I am reading a great book by Adam McHugh called "Introverts in the Church."

Adam lays out the idea that the modern Church tends to overlook introverted personalites who have so much to offer, yet often get passed by.

He challenges the notion that Jesus was an extrovert by nature and questions the common idea that great leaders for God are always extroverted. I really have enjoyed and been challenged by the book.

Here is the table of contents:

1. The Extroverted Church

2. The Introverted Difference

3. Finding Healing

4. Introverted Spirituality

5. Introverted Community and Relationships

6. The Ability to Lead

7. Leading as Ourselves

8. Introverted Evangelism

9. Introverts in the Church

Epilogue: Finding our Place

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Here is a quote from Introverts in the Church that really has me thinking:

"The evangelical phenomenon of the megachurch both satifies our sense of duty to attend corporate worship and our ardent insistence to remain anonymous. We may be tempted to remain on the edge of community, or float from one community to the next, without making commitments or becoming known. If we stay on the outskirts we don't owe anyone anything and people don't expect anything. We avoid rejection but we deprive ourselves of intimacy and spiritual growth. It's in community that we learn how to love, how to serve, how to listen, how to forgive."

Are you a extrovert or a introvert in your personality?

I am kind of complicated! I believe I am a extroverted introvert, meaning I am energized by people and crowds for a short period of time (a Sunday morning, a dinner party, etc.) but I quickly grow tired and need down time/alone time. Basically I am an extrovert for about 2-3 hours at a time and then retreat!

How would you describe your self?

A Chinese Hero Of Mine

No it is not Yao Ming, the famous basketball player.

It is Li Yang. You Have to hear his story...

http://deidox.com/films/li-yang-new/

Earthquake in California

We experienced a pretty good shake this afternoon on Easter Sunday.
Go here for more info....


Where were you? Any Earthquake stories?

San Clement Sand Sculture Reminds Us of Jesus' Loving Sacrifice

Jay Bellamy of Talega Life Church created an incredible sand sculture at San Clemente State Beach yesterday in honor of Good Friday and the Church's Friday evening service.

Courtesy of Fred Swegles, Orange County Register