Lattes, Life, and the Crossroads

One of my favorite pasttimes is searching for and enjoying the perfect cup of coffee. Freshly ground, French-pressed, deep-roasted Peet's Coffee from the Bay Area is pretty hard to beat. I've been drinking it since college days at Berkeley and it's literally followed me around the world. But as good as Peet's is, there's this little spot in Boulder, CO that may have the best cappucino on the planet. It's called Joe's Espresso and they pull the finest espresso shots I've ever tasted. Their baristas consistently create latte art (like the rosetta on this blog). It may be a hole in the wall, but Joe's on 30th is the place. For my birthday recently, my wife surprised me with a visit from Joe himself, who taught me to improve my cappucinos at home. But I digress...

Coffee, for me, fine coffee, that is, creates an ambience that blends friends and good conversation. Coffee is not so much a beverage as it is an invitation: an open door for others to come in to a peaceful place where life's better things can be savored, even if only for a little while. Coffee is also one of the ways I like to show my love for people. Making coffee for my wife, cappucinos for friends, decaf for dessert. I'm no Mistress of Spices, but I aspire to be a Master of Beans.

I want this blog to be a crossroads of coffee, conversation, culture, and contemplation. I find I am wired to be at the crossroads, at the juxtaposition of extroversion and introversion, of reflection and practical action, of academia and the pastorate, of the serious and the silly, of people and projects, of John Calvin and carbon-fiber racing bikes. I do my best work when I live life seamlessly, when the personal flows into the professional, when there's no demarcation between the church and the world. I'm just me, you're just you, and somehow, in the midst of it, God is present and at work.

This is where I want to be and I invite you to join me. Decaf or regular?

3 comments:

mbpbooks said...

Wonderful for our family to be on the receiving end of your espresso love language this week, as well as to catch a glimpse of the abundant life you are experiencing at the crossroads ... can't wait to read more of these posts.

Anonymous said...

This is so you!
I am looking forward to reading your musings ~ especially those that come from the "ordinariness" of the seamless living you do in your life at the crossroads.
:)

Anonymous said...

Your invitation to and comfort with the seamless life sounds so fun and beautiful. I want Jesus to be the Lord of all of my being and your words help me picture that.

Thanks!