Be careful little eyes what you see, It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings, Be careful little feet where you go, For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow. It’s a slow fade, when you give yourself away, It’s a slow fade, when black and white have turned to gray. Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, When you give yourself away, People never crumble in a day, It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade.
Be careful little ears what you hear, When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near, Be careful little lips what you say, For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray. It’s a slow fade, when you give yourself away, It’s a slow fade, when black and white have turned to gray, Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, When you give yourself away, People never crumble in a day.
The journey from your mind to your hands, Is shorter than you’re thinking, Be careful if you think you stand, You just might be sinking. It’s a slow fade, when you give yourself away, It’s a slow fade, when black and white have turned to gray, Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, When you give yourself away, People never crumble in a day, Daddies never crumble in a day, Families never crumble in a day.
Oh be careful little eyes what see, Oh be careful little eyes what you see, For the Father up above is looking down in love, Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

1. Lukewarm People attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go.
“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” – Isa. 29:13

2. Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church… as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?
“King David replied to Araunah, ‘No! I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.’” – 1 Chronicles 21:24
“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the other. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on’” – Luke 21:1-4

3. Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.
“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” – Luke 6:26
“I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” – Rev. 3:1

4. Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.
“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the service in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:57-62

5. Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn’t really possible for the average person; it’s only for pastors and missionaries and radicals.
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” – Matt. 22:37-38

6. Lukewarm people think about earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation. Regarding this, C. S. Lewis writes, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”
“For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Phil. 3:18-20
“Set your mind on the things above, not on earthly things.” – Col. 3:2

7. Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough without it requiring too much of them. They ask, “how far can I go before it’s considered a sin” Instead of “How can I keep myself pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit?” They ask, “How much do I have to give?” Instead of “How much can I give?” They ask, “How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible?” Instead of “I wish I didn’t have to go to work, so I could sit here and read longer!”
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” – Matthew 13:44-45

8. Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give.
“‘All these commandments I have kept since I was a boy,’ he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’” (Luke 18:21-25).

9. Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out, “Jesus never said money is the root of evil, only that the love of money is.” Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel “called” to minister to the rich; very few feel “called” to minister to the poor.
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:34, 40).
“Is not this kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Isa. 58:6-7)

10. Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God.
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” (1 Tim. 6:17-18)
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both the soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)

11. Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a “Christian nation.”
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21)
“Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation.” (Amos 6:1)

12. Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens – they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them – they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live – they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis – their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.”

“And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said,’This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him,’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

-from Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love”

Its been 3 months since I felt the sunny skies of Florida and yet the grief from saying goodbye hasn’t hit until today when I finally unpacked all that I stuffed into a POD in the blazing heat of a late July afternoon. My eyes grazed over the blanket of white sand still glimmering over the boxes and bags. Each grainial reminds me of each friend I made in the sunshine state. The soft, white dusting is remnents of a life of ‘luxury’ I once lived… A dream. The scatteredness of its dusting tells me that life is no longer and simulates the confusion, questions and randomness my life has taken on. And yet as a small army of trailers and hands helped me unpack the mound that was stacked by three bodies, i’m overwhelmed by the love and support I have here. While i’m mourning the closure of a chapter, i’m learning to trust in the love of friendships and my heavenly father-that they each have my back during a time i’m so unsure of my tomorrow.

Yesterday I spent the day driving across the great state of Iowa. I was blown away by the majestic colors spread across the countryside. The reds and oranges fading amongst the yellows was absolutely the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time. It was hard to catch my breath at it’s brilliance! I’ve been used to greens and blues for the last six years, it was pleasant to see another sign of life and a time change occuring before my eyes.

I spent the weekend with family, celebrating my dad’s 50th birthday. It’s a reality show-must see when we gather under the same roof; unintentionally of course. Even with the drama, I feel whenever a person peels away layers of opinion, entitlement, pride, and inflated self-description, others instantly feel the connection. Beneath it all is the remarkable generative, prolific, and creative nature of ourselves and the world. That’s the true beauty of it all.

During the couple of months I have ‘barista-ed’ at Starbucks, I have met many people. And it’s amazing what 30-seconds (the length of time it takes me to whip up a steamy cup while carrying a converstation with a customer) can tell you about a person. From just a few seconds I can tell you where they work, how their weekend was spent and what kind of a day they are having. Whats most important though is what kind of drink a person orders; this says it all! But I have come to form a person’s profile is constructed in those first few moments of the order. For instance, “tall in a venti cup” says ‘I’m cheap’, “sugar-free, nonfat with whipped cream” says ‘I’m trying to tell myself I’m losing weight’ and my personal favorite “venti, quad, 3 pump mocha, 3 pump caramel, extra hot, breve with light ice and a dome lid”… give me a break. You can only imagine what this says about the customer… but one word comes to mind ‘complicated’. And seriously there are those whose one-drink rap sheet is even longer than this! I can tell you people who order mocha’s and frappachinos have a sweet tooth and are not watching their weight. People who order ‘light’ drinks with whipped cream probably struggle with self esteem. Those who stick to straight black brews are very simple, don’t like change and know exactly what they want. And as time goes by, what I continue to learn about each customer proves my profiling conclusions that you are what you drink.

I’ve been taking some time to reevaluate my career, my aspirations and life; prodding every action with sensitive questions—does that complete me? In my quest, I cannot ignore that life is still developing around me, hence, my decision to jump into a buzzing industry that continues to brew at an alarming rate; coffee. It was seven years ago when I was first introduced to the gourmet coffee business through the alluring addition of mocha sauce and chocolate chips rolled into what’s called a ‘Starbucks Java Chip Frappachino’. Four years ago, my acquired taste for espresso dived into lattes. Long hours, round-the-clock stress and social gatherings catapulted this sweet treat into a lighthearted addiction. Today, it seems there’s no stopping the legal, addictive stimulant. This cycle I began at the age of 23, our children are getting a head start on at 11.

It started out with one, but today, I am the proud owner of four coffee/espresso machines that clutter my countertop. Can you believe that with Starbucks-certified machines, their packaged coffee and espresso and branded syrups, I still can’t make my lattes like the baristas?! To tell you the truth, it bothers me when I can’t master a fetish! With determination, I decided this time of soul searching wouldn’t be just about finding answers to life, but the key to great coffee, a great conversation piece and what’s become a great cultural icon. Plus, I know there’s more behind this once European delicacy and I’m a woman of interest in many subjects. I love research, especially hands-on digging! With two weeks on the job, I’ve learned that coffee isn’t just about the blend written on the bag- medium, bold, extra bold- but about the geographic region, and specifically, what hillside the beans were sprout from. After mandatory hundreds of cups of coffee and days of taste testing, I can give you a pretty accurate description of coffee comparisons based on global soils and even pair it with a pastry compliment a coffee’s acidity. One specific blend of bean Starbucks sells is stored for a year fermenting; every day the beans are stirred by hand while in storage. Chalk it up to the equivalent of a fine wine if you will. The bean itself is blacker than black and the taste is very bitter, highly acidic, our boldest of bolds and coffee connoisseurs ask for it by name. I’m now learning about the types of drips, a French press versus a drip; basically those with beans immersed in hot water and those with hot water trickling through the grounds.

On the making of specialty drinks, oh mama, is this the technique and order of mixing ingredients important, like baking a cake really. Shots die after ten seconds and if you watch the shot after its pulled you can literally see what’s known as the body, separate from what’s known as the heart, and lastly the crème’ pulls away. So if I don’t have that pulled espresso in my cup and mixed in a handful of seconds, the drink is ruined. Couple this with the revolving coffee menu that trips up every drink with a new method of mixing to suit its customers. For instance, lattes get espresso first, milk last, but make it fast! Mochas get espresso first, but take your time because the shot has to melt the sauce before the milk is added. And macciatos are upside down-milk first, espresso last; super important to get this order right, I’ve tasted it when the order is wrong, ew! Americanos get no milk, chai teas get no coffee and every drink has a customized staple- whip, sprinkles, drizzle, foam or lack thereof. And that’s just the hot bar; we have an array of cold drinks that have their own rules. Mix any of this up and there will surely be a ‘regular’ down your throat. Even after menu items are retired, regulars still order these drinks, which requires newbe baristas, like myself, to dig through the coffee industry’s 20-year history for the preferred concoction. And that’s my brewed awakening.

I’ve been working a parttime job at Starbucks; I’m a little infatuated with their coffee drinks and couldn’t really think of another way I could still drink them without income coming in… so it made sense to just work there, get free coffee all day, learn their tricks behind a perfect espresso AND get some spending cash 🙂 Believe it or not its taken about a month to get setup in my new place in life. I only plan to be here temporarily so I can get some of those small personal projects done I’ve been wanting to do, get God’s guidance on the future of my career and set myself up for a great beginning in one of the most beautiful places around. I love the Fall weather in the Midwest, it’s already getting cool outside, low 70’s… I love it! I get to wear a jacket and not feel sweaty all day!! The breezes are beautiful and being around my family is fantastic! Something really neat: I’m a huge fan of Craig Groschel (if you’ve never read Chazown, you’ve got to read it! I bought the book two years ago and have read it several times since). When I got here, I asked a friend what church he’d recommend for the area of town I’m living in. He gave me a recommendation of where a friend of his goes, which is maybe a mile at most from where I live. So I tried it. It’s a starter church, something I’m really used to; the last six years I’ve spent my Sundays in two starter churches. This particular church happens to simulcast Craig Groschel every Sunday for the teaching. They have a very intimate setting in a strip mall with couches in the sanctuary, cafe tables and candles on every table for lighting. It’s beautiful, the messages are meaningful and I enjoy the people! It’s already been an absolute knowing from God that this is where I’m supposed to be! I love confirmation… so affirming and makes me just feel God’s embrace! I know I won’t be here long in this place, but it’s been such a lesson to me. We’re never anywhere in life that we can be sure of that tomorrow will come. Knowing that my time here is short, I’m making the most out of every single moment of my day. From the smiles I give to every customer that strolls through my till, to the love I pour out in every drink I make; even to those just driving by as I go for my walks. I want every person that I come in contact with to know they are getting the best of me– a bright smile, a kindness in my eyes and bounce in my step. And the greatest part is that I really feel it all from the bottom of my heart. I have such an outpouring in my soul for people and what better place to be than in the hub of it all, Starbucks.

For the longest time I’ve desired the pursuit of a rich happiness in my heart; I’m now taking the time to fulfill it. In the last month, I’ve dedicated time to go after life and not let anything stop me. Maybe its all the caffeine talking, but I feel confident and bold about the opportunities out there. Giving is never option for me. Many hard choices lie ahead, but I hope it all leads to a more blissful life. Everyday we make the choice on how to live our life; you can change your fate. There are many ways I have been ‘dumped in the dirt’ during the last several months, years, but I’ve opted to use those experiences has insight for the future; I want to maintain my integrity for a deeper relationship with God. So during this time, I’ve intended to lose myself in a myriad of books, movies, exercise and writing… and loving on people. I’m also using this time to broaden my world on the joys of coffee and dancing. These are all things that make me smile at the end of the day.

Something I’ve been thinking about lately: are there people who come into your life for a certain time, and then you are supposed to go your separate ways? A part of me thinks that could be true; friendships that we grow out of. But I believe in the long haul. Striving is a basic quality for me.

It’s my final day of employment, for awhile, and the end couldn’t be any more bittersweet. I’ve been bullied out of a job but had the strength to know when enough was enough. Just when I thought it wouldn’t get any worse, the two weeks following my resignation welcomed increased turmoil from human resources. I caught our chief operations officer commenting to co-workers ‘He is really giving her a hard time. It’s not right what he’s doing to her.’ Other employees even thanked me for taking the burden of this leadership’s frustration from them. Not the way I would have planned it, but it was what it was. I did my best to hang in there until the very end.

A few coworkers stopped to give their final farewell in my last days; a confirmation my work was done. They said “I brought the spirit of prayer alive in the office, left an unforgettable impression and filled the place with love, joy and laughter”. Those are some powerful words, ones I could only inspire to be and yet, that was the legacy I left. I’m saving these cards to remind myself of the possibilities that happen when I step aside and let God take control. His work through me here has been done. Now we’re heading off to ‘the land of many cornfields’, where I can only imagine the beautiful things we’ll do together!

I moved into a condo community where the average age is 60+, on purpose. I enjoy listening to stories and gathering wisdom of the ages that hasn’t failed me yet. In fact, several times over the last three years this hand-me-down perspective has saved me many tribulations. Just yesterday my friend Charlie sat me down by the pool with elation, he has lost 60lbs so far! Seven months ago it was a community staple to have a beer bellied Charlie guzzling a case by the pool, baking past the point of a well worn wallet. After a heart attack in December, the realization of missing out on his 1-month old granddaughter’s wedding kicked his habits. Today, I leave for work and catch Charlie making his rounds to reach 7 miles a day on foot. I come home to an empty poolside; Charlie’s slightly tanned hands are grilling fish for dinner as he sips an iced tea to stay cool.