dead apostle

I found this quiz over at Our Hearts are Restless and thought it would be fun, given that St. Drogos day is almost upon us; April 16.  As it turns out, St. Drogos day is the same day as my birthday, so on Monday, apart from serving up the St. Drogos blend of coffee we will also find something to give away.  In the meantime, drop by and figure out which church father you might be.

You’re Origen! You do nothing by half-measures. If you’re going to read the Bible, you want to read it in the original languages. If you’re going to teach, you’re going to reach as many souls as possible, through a proliferation of lectures and books. If you’re a guy and you’re going to fight for purity … well, you’d better hide the kitchen shears. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers!

Define Stubborn

I thought I would offer up a new definition for stubborness:

Taking Advil to manage the pain of a toothache to avoid the potential pain of the dentist.

The life and times of a slightly deranged coffee roaster.

What is it about funerals?

I don't know what it is about funerals, but the last 4 or 5 that I have attended have been amazing events. While I am sure many don't associate a funeral with an uplifting event, in fact, I have found that the last bunch of funerals that I have attended have in fact been uplifting. Normally we associate death with grief and sorrow, which are indeed appropriate and necessary emotions. Having said that, when you celebrate the death of a believer, the event becomes one of infinite hope and deep reflection. A tribute to a life well lived to be sure, but more than that, a promise of a much better life for all of us left behind.

Today was one of those funerals. We drove to Red Deer today, Mark, Michelle, John and myself, actually I was a passenger in the back seat for the first time probably in 15 years. My dear friend Don Aellen lost his father the other day and we thought it very appropriate that we make the short jaunt south to show our support. I am so glad we did. Not only was it a great trip, and not only did the family appreciate our support, but the service was simply "WORSHIP". Only at a funeral, it seems, can one merge the finality of life, the frailty of life with the infinite hope of a glorious future. You can preach on this, but it only seems to work, at least on me, when you are actually staring at a pine box. Well we are off to Disciple, so that is all for now.

Slaves to Stuff

Tonight we got into it about Kingdom living.  At Disciple we, or more accurately I got onto a rant about the lack of Kingdom living we do, and part of why I think we struggle with Kingdom is that we are too pre-occupied with our stuff.  I am one of the worst offenders, and I feel so hypocritical preaching about it, and yet, even the preacher needs to be convicted.  I drove into my garage tonight and knew instantly that the stuff needs to go.  What the heck am I teaching my son?  All he sees is lots of stuff all over the place, and he is learning already at his young age of 3 to model everything he sees.  God grant us mercy as we learn to live Kingdom lives in community free from the bondage of stuff.  Oh if we could just muster this bit, I bet some shiny faces might appear.

A new blog on the list

Thought I would post to the blog, to at least keep the lines of program from becoming completely brittle.  Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Jeremy and thought that his blog should be added to the list.  Meeting guys like Jeremy and having a good chin-wag are what makes running the shop totally cool.  Anyway, check out his site sift everything.

congrats to felix

Just a quick note of congratulations to Joe over at felix-hominum for taking 2nd place in the best of Canadian religious blogs.  I always knew that Joe would be famous some day.

Technivorm Coffee Brewers

BTW, transcend coffee now has the Technivorm drip coffee makers available on line.  These are the only coffee makers approved by the SCAA for making coffee at home as they are the only ones which get the water hot enough for proper extraction.  Check out www.transcendcoffee.com for more details.

Remembrance Day Rant

By the way, yesterday, being Remembrance Day, I was struck and disappointed with all of the radio stations in Edmonton except CKUA and CHED.  CKUA honoured the 11 day and 11th month and 11th hour with our National anthem and then the final post, and finally two minutes of silence.  The rest of the FM airwaves were filled with the usual drivel.  LEST WE FORGET!  Is it a wonder that our children don't respect the past when the corporate media world has no time to shut down their money machines for a couple of minutes once a year.  Another reason to support CKUA.

Why Not

I think I should just give up on the blogging thing for a while.  I look back over the last month and see two whopping posts.  In truth, most of my web time has been focused on the transcendcoffee website.  I have been busy trying to tweak it and get it running and as such, I don't much feel like sitting down and doing this.  So today it is Sunday and I am sitting in the kitchen watching a great game of football between Cincinnati and San Diego and thought that I might have some time to post to the blog.  Life has been crazy as most of you know.  Learning to be patient and trust in God as we conduct business is something  which does not come naturally.  My son as cute and delightful as he is at almost three, definitely knows how to push my buttons.  What is scary, is how much he is like his old man when I was little, a little sneak, always on the move and getting into things.  Winter has come too early, as I was hoping for a longer fall.  The shop continues to grow, and week by week the customer base deepens and we are starting to become known in the city.  We are meeting with the Strathcona farmers market on Tuesday, and are working with a number of potential wholesale clients.  In short, life is pretty singly focused and yet there is some comfort in that.  For far too long in my life I have been plagued by too many options; and while my mind sometimes wanders towards other things, my life is now firmly constrained by my choice made in March to venture into the specialty coffee industry.  Well I will sign off now, as we are all heading to the YMCA to take the boy swimming.

Early Mornings

It is still dark out.  It has also been too long since my last post.  To be honest, I don't feel as though I have a lot to write about lately.  My life is comprised of much of the same thing day after day, roasting, serving, engaging, eating, getting some rest; the things that make up most of our days.  We had an awesome evening at Transcend Coffee on Friday night with Cara Luft and Hugh McMillan.  They were both a delight to watch and listen too.  Live music at the shop is something we will do more of.  Things slowly are coming together, day by day the numbers of people walking through the door increases and we are roasting more coffee each month.  It is slow, as we always expected and the challenge for us is the day to day cash flow and trusting God in his promise to provide for us as the flow out is a torrent compared to the trickle in.  As always the challenge is balance, wherein I still have time for my wife and son and friends along with the demands of the business.  Early mornings are a blessing to me as I have time for scripture and prayer, a thing which has too easily slipped away in other times in my life.  Well it is time to get the shop ready for business so I will sign off.

Back at It

Well the holiday is over and I am back at the shop.  Actually I am glad to be back at work and enjoy the challenge of moving this venture forward.  We had a great time away, relaxed and read and just hung out, as much as you can do that with a 2 1/2 year-old romping around all the time.  I read a great book on my holiday which has re-inspired me in relation to wine.  Natalie MacLean's book Red, White and Drunk All Over is just an amazing read which is absolutely entertaining and informative at the same time.  I have listed it on my book list.  We are gearing up for Christmas at the shop already, which sounds absolutely ludicrous but in reality people are already buying Christmas baskets.  Today has been a pretty busy day so far, which is a nice change of pace as yesterday was a dead crawl.  Ah well the joys of being a God-directed entrepreneur; no worry, no pressure, just trust and see what God will do.

A quick post from Gabriola

We are on the isle of Gabriola enjoying the tranquil calm which is a stark contrast to the normality of our everyday lives. This is not to condemn life back in Edmonton in any way, but simply underscores the need every once and a while to stop and enjoy the view for more than a minute; to have time to actually read a book that you normally wouldn't read. To be honest it has not been a natural transition for us as we are more used to the fast paced lifestyle. Nonetheless we are truly enjoying the break and the gift this time has been. The only thing that could make it better would to have an inflateble babysitter along. Today I am going to get a bit of golf in and Mich has been getting 10 kms in every couple of days. I haven't called back to the shop yet and I have to assume that all is well at Transcend as I haven't heard from Andrew. Well enough of typing on my pda. More later.

Discovery Coffee

Today I popped by Discovery Coffee early, and had a chance to hang and chat with Logan.  It was great to talk to someone who is on the journey as we are, and 5 months ahead of where we want to be.  They are roasting about 100 lbs a day and have 25 wholesale customers.  The espresso was fantastic, aromatic, with a nice bite without being bitter or astringent; great crema too.  The Clover is a great piece of equipment and we will definitely have to work towards being the first place in Alberta with one.  It was encouraging to talk to someone who is doing what we are doing and having success at it.  In short it accentuates the need to stay the course and continue celebrating our high quality, including charging a premium for the superior product.  Well enough from me, we are heading to Gabriola today, so it is unlikely that I will have any computer contact for a good week.  Cheers.

Victoria

Well, it has been a day and a bit since we arrived in Victoria.  Thanks to Grant & Gill for their generous gift of an apartment right near the ocean and Beacon Hill Park.  What a gem of a place.  Yesterday we spent the day doing a bit of shopping, a bit of eating, and just exploring a bit.  We were down by the wharf and plan on heading to Oak Bay this morning.  While Mich slept in, Andrew and I hit 4 coffee shops this morning, so IF I AM TYPING A BIT FAST AND LOUD, you will know why; I have been sufficiently stimulated.  We hit Caffe Fantastico (both locations) one on Cook Street right by the apartment and on on Quadra and Kings.  Then we hit Discovery and 2% Jazz and had some more coffee.  Oh and we also did breakfast at Rosie's Diner in the middle of all of that.  Tomorrow we will make our way to Gabriola Island, although I am also toying with the idea of hitting Vancouver to hit the Coffee Fest, we will have to see.  I will post some pics later today.

Grand Opening

Well we had quite the day yesterday.  It started off like any other day, a few of the regulars, but from there it took a pleasant departure.  Dropping coffee off at Magic 99 and having Rob Christie plug me all morning was nice.  The steady stream of new faces was a good thing throughout the day too, and while it was never as crazy as last Saturday with the Kiwi crew, it was a good constant flow.  Then the evening ended off with an absolutely enjoyable and memorable concert with Steve Abma.  The house was absolutely packed and the evening turned into morning by the time we got packed up around 1:30 am.  Steve was fabulous, we had a whole crop of new faces and a whole crop of friends who have been totally awesome in support.  Even my aunt Margit and uncle Richard showed up unexpectedly, flowers in hand just for the day.  Given the success of last night, I think we may have to hold a few more live music sessions over the next few months.  It was a great day, and truth be told, I am dragging my butt a bit today.  OK, enough rambling, I need to get down and do some roasting.

What A Day

Well the day started slow, and then it picked up.  Diane visited for about an hour while she waited for Gerome to finish her car and then Mark and Ronnene dropped by for a couple of hours.  Norman stopped by along with Adit and Steve.  The most unusual visitorthought today was the National Women's Rugby Team from New Zealand.  The Black Frens stopped by as a result of a web search and they came looking for great coffee.  I think we met the bill and they and we both had a great time.  It was a busy afternoon and our first Saturday was a bit of a success.  In truth we would love to double what we did today, but having said that, it was a blast to serve all who dropped by.  We now deem ourselves to be the official coffee suppier of the New Zealand's National Women's Rugby Team.

Long Suffering

Eugene Peterson always talks about the work place as the single most important venue for spiritual formation.  In the past I have often wondered about this, that is until now.  Having opened our own business and spent the many long hours getting it to the place where we are now operational, it is now time to learn patience.  I find it interesting as we read scripture to see the many promises of God and prophecies which come into fruition only after many years of patiently waiting.  Quick fix and immediate delivery does nothing towards cultivating faith or maturity.  We see that in our young, they want what they want and when they want it.  Our job as parents is to teach our young that you can't always have everything you want when you want it.  The truth is that I have not had much experience in my life in waiting.  I usually buy what I want when I want to and have had a pretty easy life up until now.  Now I can reluctantly announce that I am learning the truth of what Peterson talks so much about.  So if you are like me, in a place where you seem to be waiting for something to develop, and it seems like it is taking too long, know you are in good company: Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, Ruth, Rahab, David, Jonah, Jesus, Paul and dare I put myself on this list, me too.  If you need some company as you patiently endure, you know where to find me.

Palestine

Now that I am awake at 5:00 am every day, I hear this voice talking to me on CHED and almost daily it is about the issues in Palestine.  Today I decided to figure out who I have been listening to and it turns out to be George Noory and his radio show Coast to Coast.  Who knew that I was now one of those listeners who believe in Aliens and grand conspiracy theories?  What has been interesting is to listen to another perspective on the whole middle east crisis or perhaps lack there of.  Not to dismiss in any way the suffering which has and is taking place in Lebanon, but it is interesting to find out that most of the country is in normal operation mode, as it is only the boarder country closest to Israel that has faced any conflict.  What is clearly absent even from the discussions that I am hearing early in the mornings is a spiritual dynamic and understanding of the conflict. 

Lets be honest, the middle east conflict between Jews and Muslims is thousands of years old.  That little piece of "promised land" has been fought over since God first promised it to Abraham.  This is in no way to condone the fighting, but I think international involvement at any level without a proper understanding of the long historical roots attached to the land is imprudent.  The Jewish perspective on the land is directly linked to the Messiah returning and restoring Israel to her former glory of Solomon's days, where the world visited Jerusalem to see her splendor.  So it is no wonder that Israel is absolutely committed to defending its borders.  Unfortunately, the promise remains tied to the land without an understanding that Christ is the Messiah and became the promise in substitution for the land originally laid out before Abraham.

George also asked a question this morning though which was tied to a recent poll of Canadians who were asked whether the Canadian policy should be one of support for either side in the conflict.  He was interested that so many Canadians took a position of neutrality towards the middle-eastern conflict.  In fact, the poll found that 13% of Canadians adopted a neutral position while another 52% were undecided; how decidedly Canadian.  He was wondering why we as a nation are so in the middle of such an important issue.  I personally think that Canadians have become largely like their American cousins of years past, and more specifically in the times preceding WWII.  The Americans were indifferent to the global struggle in those days because it didn't directly involve them, and only after Pearl Harbor did the Americans enter the frey and then with a frenzy.  In the same way, I think Canadians have become indifferent to many of the global issues facing us today, as these issues, regardless of there severity, seemingly have no direct impact on our all too busy lives.  I think that most Canadians believe that it is good that we are peacekeepers, so long as it doesn't effect me or my family members directly.  I wonder where Canadians would fall if there was another Hitler on the prowl, actually gobbling up other countries in Western Europe?  Would we care?  In the past our link to the UK and our historical roots made us care deeply about what happened across the big pond, now I wonder if we would respond as we did in the face of a global tyrant so many years ago.  Don't get me wrong, I don't support running around the dessert chasing the taliban either - you would think we would have learned from the fate of the Russians in the 80's - but at some point the world does need to wake up and pay attention to what is going on around it, doesn't it?  Ah well, more ramblings of an exhausted coffee guy.

A little Slow

Well this week has been a bit slow, to say the least, which figures as last week was not too bad.  I am holding on to the notion that it is the last week before school and everyone is geared up for that, and running ragged... thats my story and I am sticking to it.  Although I had a guy pop in today from Vancouver that actually found our shop via the internet, who knew!  Another gal today dropped in for a coffee simply because she saw our sign, and only once too.  So there is hope at the end of the day, it just comes in DRIPS.  We got some new coffee in too, which needs to be profiled and added to the list.  Watch for our new e-newsletter coming out soon.  OK that is it for now, I just have too much time on my hands these days :) NOT!

Coffee Quote Poll

Ok, I need a quote for the backs of the Transcend Coffee T-Shirts, please comment on your favorite.

1. "I would rather suffer with coffee than be senseless." Napoleon         Bonaparte
2. "Coffee, according to the women of Denmark, is to the body what the         Word of the Lord is to the soul." - Isak Dinesen
3. "No one can understand truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness." - Sheik Abd-al-Kadir
4. "Coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as           love." - Turkish Proverb

By the Way

Two noteworthy birthdays to acknowledge today.  My dear friend Candie Peake is celebrating a birthday, so if you know her give her a call and wish her a happy one.  Our cousin Darcy Braun is also celebrating a birthday today.

WDJS not WWJD

Lately I have been in conversations which in one way or another center around the issues of evangelism and how we are best to effect this oft talked about but seldom acted upon notion.  St. John's has just finished a great week of community mission and part of the equipping that took place before the mission started had to do with teaching peope how to engage people in conversation as to one's personal experience of God.  While I won't dismiss this approach, as it works as a good starting place, I think that in our pluralistic culture, it is far too easy to dismiss another's experience.  You might tell me that you see blue monsters in your backyard.  And while you earnestly believe it, I can acknowledge your experience while all the time never believing you for a second.  The same is true for our own experience of God.  The other popular notion is to think of What would Jesus do WWJD in times when we are uncertain.  I would like to propose that we move on to What did Jesus Say WDJS instead, which requires that we actually know scripture well enough to recall what Jesus did in fact say.  Scripture says of itself that it is powerful, alive and active.  It does not make the same promise of our personal words which recount experiences.  Don't get me wrong, I think that the Holy Spirit can use whatever means he might choose to, but I also think that as Christians we are called to know His word so that when asked we can respond with scripture rather than our own thoughts or opinions.  For example, rather than trying to argue or cajole someone into the kingdom, why don't we just direct people to the words of Jesus; something like "you know that is a great question, and this fellow I know named Jesus said this about that..."  Anyway, enough of my rambling thoughts, obviously you can tell that it is a slow morning at Transcend Coffee, feel free to post a comment or better yet pop down for a cup of the Sumatra that is brewing and we can continue the conversation in person.

Fearless

Thought this pic would be a good post, as it says something about my son.  As you can see, he already is into living life in a way that defies the traditional.  Oh to be young again :)

Community Barbe-que

Well tonight we kicked off our Lendrum Summer Mission and had a great evening for it.  We served up some Transcend coffee too, and actually got rid of over 150 cups of coffee!  Now if I could only sell that many in a day at the shop and I would be overjoyed!  It was a crazy slow week last week, and while I know things are going to take time, it sometimes is quite frustrating, alas, the joy of it all.  My co-pilot to be Andrew was in an accident today, and thankfully he is OK.  The car is a write-off but he is fine, although I am sure he will be sore in the morning.  Mich's folks are up visiting and my son is in glory land as his mamma and poppa are up, which he loves.  Well, apart from that, I have nothing profound to say, well that is not true, but I don't have the energy to type anymore.  Making coffee for 2 1/2 hours strait kind of wears you out.  Cheers.

Out of Cream!

Well we hit a new marker yesterday at Transcend Coffee; we acutally ran out of cream in the cream jug, oh what glorious little steps we are taking.  Seriously, it meant that we actually had a fairly steady flow of coffee sales in the morning, which slowed down to a drip in the afternoon.  Thanks to all who have popped by and supported us in this time, thanks to Ian McKenzie who came by for a coffee and visit based on Joe's recommendation.  It is great to meet some of the bloggers out there.  In fact, I would be willing to host an edmonton blogger's gathering at Transcend, if that is something folks would appreciate.  I know that Joe has been talking about it for a while, and mentioned it again just recently.  So if people are up for it, we could gather at the shop one evening after we close.

As unto a coffee bean

Last night we were treated to a session of prayer and encouragement by our good friends Don and Carolyn.  To be honest, the excitement and adventure of starting the business has been eclipsed somewhat by the pressure and overall exhaustion of the whole thing.  It is so easy to find oneself in the place of discouragement and frustration when we pull ourselves out of God's grace.  I know that I am pretty much at the end of my rope when it comes to my own ability and resources.  Last night was a good opportunity to not only be encouraged but reminded that this whole venture is God's thing and I simply need to live in that truth.  The other thing that became obvious was that this time really is one of testing, like a coffee bean which starts out green and raw, heat must be applied for a duration for it to become transformed into the dark, sweet, flavorful thing which so many of us enjoy quaffing down.  Our lives need that same process from time to time and scripture promises that God tests and puts the heat to those whom he loves.  Personally, I think I am about at 1st crack on the roasting profile, the grassy sweetness of the initial development has now passed and the bean is going through a significant internal chemical reaction, things are changing and the old shell is incapable of remaining in tact.  It must crack to allow for the proper development of the bean to occur.  Thanks to Carolyn for the apt analogy by the way.  Amazing how when you look at things from God's perspective even isolation, pressure, and being at the end of your rope can all be good things.

By the way

By the way, an old friend, Dave King stopped in on Friday with his buddy Kevin Saff.  They enjoyed some coffee and I enjoyed a catch-up.  Stop by Dave's blog and check out some cool pics that Kevin took on the weekend.  He has a great eye and took some amazing pictures of the Northern lights and even a couple of Transcend's roaster.  Glad to have made the not so short a list.

A favour if you please

Just before I head to bed, I would ask a couple of favours of those of you who dawn this humble blog.  Transcend's web site is now up, and while far from complete, it is now at least a presence on the web.  The commercial aspect of the site hopefully will be up in the next couple of weeks.  One thing that those of you with blogs can do is link our web site to your blog, as this helps with Google's ranking of our site and will assist us in moving up on the web's hierarchy.  Currently if you search for www.transcendcoffee.com you won't even get a direct link to our site.  So if you would be so kind and help a tired soul to get the word out, just link your blog or web site to ours and help grow our business in one way which only you can help.  Secondly, if you would continue to pray for our need for cash-flow and related needs.  We need to get rid of the CRV for a very good price, and we need to find some alternative cheap but reliable transportation.  We need some positive cash-flow as Andrew is joining us in September and we need to be able to pay him, let alone pay ourselves.  Ah the joy of being your own businessman.  You get to be poor, tired, stressed, dependent, all the things this world condemns and yet all the things which scripture seems to encourage.  You see, I am indeed blessed among my fellow businessmen.  Thanks be to God.

Too Busy.

Man, I stopped by Joe's blog and realized how behind the times I am.  It is amazing how all consuming starting your own business is.  If I am not at the shop, I am thinking about the shop and if I am not thinking about the shop then I am talking about it and the rest of the time I try to get some sleep.  It is 11:20 and I already know that I should be in bed.  My son is crying upstairs about something and probably getting too much attention from his mom.  My stomach is too full with good Thai food from Bill and 5:15am comes way too early.  Having the long weekend was a treat although I was at the shop every day nonetheless.  I apologize for my one dimensional post, but the truth is my life is pretty one dimensional right now.  Well actually it remains 3 dimensional, shop, family, God, but I can honestly admit that there is not much room for anything else.  I miss my friends and the time we used to spend together, but the truth is, I just don't have time.  SO for all of you out there who are my friends, know that I miss getting together, and know that I am always at the same place every day, I am easy to locate.  Drop by, the coffee is always on, I have been told it is the best in the city and I will gladly pour you a cup or make you a latte.  By the way, the web site is up, although it is far from perfect yet.  www.transcendcoffee.com

Almost Two Weeks

Well it has almost been two weeks since we opened up the doors for business.  It has been a slowish start, which we knew would happen.  Nonetheless, the review on the coffee has been great and day by day new folk are dropping in to sample our wares.  We are still needing a bit more work done on the place, and the coffee is far from perfect.  Roasting is slow as I can't do it and manage the front at the same time.  Andrew dropped in for the weekend and it was great having him here as it gave us chance to dream, and plan for the fall.  It will be great to have him here come September as he is such an avid coffee fan and all-around great guy.  I actually have some pics of the place which I am including in this post.  Better yet, if you haven't been by, drop over and I will make you a coffee.
The front of our place, sun slowly going down.

The shop prior to opening last week.

More pictures later.

Two days and a trickle

Well we have officially been open for two days, and as my friend Brian says, at least we have some cash flow; which is true, up until now the cash has all been flowing out and now, finally there is a drip in the opposite direction; no pun intended.  Long days... up at 5 AM to get to the shop and do some roasting before 7:30.  Thankfully, it has been quiet in the mornings so I have gotten some roasting done until around 9.  After that, I sit and wait, while doing this little odd job, etc.  When folk actually drop in it is quiet enjoyable and the reviews on the coffee are quite good.  I was cupping a bit today and was unimpressed with the Sumatra that I tasted, but then I have come to discover that my standards are quite a bit higher than the average coffee drinker.  I will appreciate it more, when the cash flow is more of a stream than a drip, but we have to start somewhere.  I had great intentions of heading back to the shop to do some accounting, but in truth, I am bagged.  The cushy life of mr. consultant is now over and now I am mr. coffee and self-impoverished entrepreneur.  Lord grant us peace.

Something to think about

As I am listening to The Vinyl Cafe this morning, I was scoping out Stewart's website and came across this story about the Tall Grass Bakery in Winnepeg.  Take some time to read it and remind yourself that we can make a difference.  This is kind of what we are about at Transcend Coffee.

Health Inspection a Success

Well, the Capital Health inspector, Richard, came by yesterday and gave us a thumbs up, so we can open the doors for business on Monday.  I am sure it will be a shaky start, but that is OK, as I am not ready for a crazy line up yet.  Still lots to do to finish up, but we are definitely good to go.  Drop by for a chat and a coffee.

I Need A Holiday!

Per usual, it is 12:15 and I am still at the computer.  Actually this occurrence is less frequent lately as I am just too tired for this late night frolicking anymore.  Up early to roast, and late to bed, I am in dire need of a holiday.  Alas, it is not to be as we strive to get the shop open ASAP.  I am hoping to be open on Monday, barring a health inspection delay, partly my own doing.  Today we had customers, although we had no cash register to receive their payments.  Roasted a swack of coffee today, and will continue tomorrow.  I find myself quaking in my boots as I contemplate my developing life.  Everyone is so excited when they see the shop and rightly so, we have done a splendid job, but the thought of it earning us a living is still a bit of a stretch for me.  In God we trust!  I am finally caught up on 3 months of stale visa bills, which is why the hour is so wee.  Tomorrow is Friday and I am looking forward to the weekend.

By the by, my apologies, public and up front, to Brian and Chris today, for my poor excuse for a lunch date.  Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come, although it might be.  My inattentiveness was inexcusable.  Next time my attention will be more squarely fixed on my friends.  OK it is time for me to hit the hey.

No Seriously...

I have been saying we are nearly there for over a month now.  Lesson number one when going into business for yourself; always double the time you think it will take to get going.  Ah well, what do you do, but trudge onwards.  Still no roasting today, actually turned on the roaster, and then turned it off as I knew I wasn't going to get there.  Today was a product of too many guests, believe it or not, starting with my sign guy, Nick, who visited for an hour.  Ah the promise of things to come, visiting and chatting, and hopefully making a little money too.  On the opening date thing, we are hopefully going to be ready to go no later than Friday this week, and I will be calling the health inspectors tomorrow for my inspection.  Hopefully it goes as easy as my final electrical inspection.  Today we finished the tiles, got a bit of touch up stuff done, etc., and served a fair bit of coffee.  My latte art is still non-existent.  I am shooting for the grand opening after labor day, so we can be fully rolling with everything in place, including latte art.  Ah, I need a holiday, but no rest for the budding entrepreneur.  You can tell I am tired, as it is only 11:36 and I am heading off to bed.  Gotta be up early, and back to the shop.  Drop in for a visit, the coffee is always on!  Our sign should be up by Friday, if all goes well, then we will be easier to find.

Nearly There

Well, we are nearly finished the long journey.  The front of the space is almost finished, but for vinyl baseboards and some touch up painting, we are done.  My espresso machine should be running today, and I am roasting like a pyro.  Still a lot of painting to do in the hallway and the back, but we should be ready for a health inspection next week.  So within the next 10 days or so we should be ready for a private commissioning evening with wine, friends and a little prayer from the collared ones.  It has been a much longer and expensive haul than I planned on, but we are nearly completed the first part of the journey.  Actually I akin my present situation much to the plight of the astronauts in the space shuttle right now.  They are in space and excited, but are nervously waiting for the Canadarm to confirm that they will actually be able to get back home.

New Pics

Is there any better way to grow spiritually than to enjoy one another's fellowship, especially around a camp fire.  Clive Lewis would be proud.  Check out the new pics.  Yes I know, I will get Transcend pics loaded soon.

Longing for Home

What a day.  Thanks to all who offered prayers up for the sermonizing this week.  I believe it went well by the response from this morning.  If you have any interest check out www.sjechurch.ca and you can have a listen.  We capped off the gorgeous weekend with a guys only fire night fully accompanied with Cohibas and all the trimmings.  It was a great evening of fellowship which covered the vast expanse of life, from education to giving to the role of the church and everything in between.  As the evening wore on, and it is as usual, now 1:30 am. I became more and more aware of the lack of community in my own life lately.  The work at the shop has been so consuming and as a result, I have had little opportunity to connect as we are instructed to do.  I actually found myself quiet saddened by the end of the evening, and longing for a time in the future where we will be in perfect communion with not only the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but will also be in perfect communion with our brothers and sisters.  It is evenings like this which serve for me in part as a painful reminder of what life could be, what life should be, and how we so easily allow it to slip into something so much less because of all of the other stuff.  Only God knows how we are to balance this life we live pre - resurrection.  Come Lord Jesus come!

To the Faithful

Again it is late, this time I must blame the world cup as I was watching England beat Ecuador to advance against Portugal in the next round.  To you faithful who tune in only to see a week old posting yet at again at the top of the blog, this one is for you.  We have been roasting for the last week, and the coffee is slowly coming along.  We poured concrete counter-tops on Friday and will hopefully have them done by weeks end.  I had a momentary or a bit longer actually, time of panic and fear as I have come to realize that the costs have escalated higher than expected.  I came home Thursday night at midnight from the shop in a frenzy, thinking for sure that I was the dumbest man on the planet and that I was going to bankrupt our family before even opening the doors, which may yet happen.  Thankfully for me I am married to a women of prayer, who by the way would make a great godparent according to Joe's criteria, and she and the Lord were able to impart some of the promised peace which enabled my mind to stop spinning and I could get some sleep.

I will take Jeff's rebuke to heart, if only to prove that I am no Luddite and post some pics of our progress tomorrow.  I am off to Vancouver for the day on Tuesday to do some refresher training on the espresso machine and then to spend the rest of the day with David my roaster friend, just to reassure myself that I am not going insane.  Nonetheless, we now have plenty of coffee at the shop, a couple of mugs and if you are so inclined, pop by and I will brew you a cup as we work at fine tuning the roasts.  Prayer would be greatly appreciated this week as I am still too far off from full operation, we need some income and I am preaching on Sunday.  Alas another crazy week.  Goodnight.

Finally

Tomorrow is the day that it begins in earnest.  The roaster is installed, and with a little wiring, the gas should flow and the coffee should begin to roast.  The day will be spent seasoning the roaster and getting it ready for some serious roasting.  So as I have said before, come on by, and have a cup of Java on me as we start to fine tune some roasts to get our profiles down.  If you are so inclined to bring along a paint brush, that is accepted as well.  Go Oilers Go!  Can they actually do it?  Well we will know by the end of the day, but if they play like they did last night, the Hurricanes will be swept away.  Happy Fathers day, and Happy Birthday to my little sister Lisa.

Brief Update

Well, as usual it is late and I am still up, the twist is that it is 11:40 pm and I am still at the shop.  I have been roasting some coffee and getting some little things done, as we have our final electrical inspection tomorrow.  We now have our full array of coffee, as that arrived on Monday.  Tonight I was roasting some organic fair trade Colombian.  The front of the shop is pretty much wrapped up with the exception of the counter tops and the floor.  Things are finally starting to take shape.  We hope to have the chimney installed by week's end and then we can start roasting next week.  I think I need a vacation though, I am sore and tired, so I will sign off and head home to get some sleep.  Hope all is well with those out in blog land.

Eulogy

My grandmother finally passed away, she had been on death's door for too many months now.  Death should have came more quickly for her as she suffered greatly.  She was a strong woman, and I, having been asked to give her eulogy on Wednesday, have been struck by what a great woman she truly was.  Its funny how in life we have so little time to spend with each other, and then when they are gone, we think, we should have spent more time.  Thankfully, we will have eternity to make up for our harried lives here amongst the living.  But nonetheless, it is always at these times when we are reminded of what is most important, what is central to our lives, or at least what should be central to our lives.  On that note, drop by and I will make you a coffee and we will chat, as this is one of the central things that should occupy our lives.

PS. Happy birthday Norman.  Great hamburgers and great fellowship.

Fellowship

Once again, this evening has reinforced the importance of food and fellowship.  We were hosted by our dear friends Don and Carolyn for a delightful dinner and evening, where we were treated not only to great food but awesome conversation and encouragement.  This is truly the heart of Christianity, wherein you are nourished both in body and spirit.  Not to mention how well they fussed over Andrew.  And to cap off the evening Don demonstrated tremendous grace by opening his bottle of Ardbeg 17, another proof in the Kingdom demonstrating the existence of a good God.

Finally!

I have been locked out of my blog for the last week, and finally can post again.  Talk about frustration, wanting to log on and not being able to.

I think I will look back on these past two months and remember little else than a blur of activity, wires, pipes, drywall, being tired, etc.  What grieves me the most lately is the all consuming aspect of my new life as entrepreneur, and how it has dominated so many aspects of my life.  My reading has almost withered completely, and I am physically exhausted at the end of the day, so that dealing with Andrew and the garbage is about all I can handle.  To be honest it is making me think twice about my former notion of what a healthy spiritual life looks like.  I think it must only be in the last couple of centuries with the advance of time saving devices that life has become leisurely enough to enjoy time to think and read.  I know the slaves of Philippi didn't have time to read and ponder, even if they could have read, and I am sure most average folk over the centuries have had their hands full just with keeping bread on the table.  So what does that make us, and what was I in my previous existence?  Was I part of the elite, privileged class on par with Earls, Dukes, Lords, etc. of days gone past?  I am not sure if my life is simply out of balance, or perhaps I was living the life of Reilly before and just didn't know it?

A Model Prayer

Today, one of my friends was helping me at the shop.  As we worked he talked about his 2 1/2 year old daughter and her prayer last night befor she went to sleep.  She apparently had a rough day fighting with her little sister, causing mom all kinds of grief.  Needless to say, her prayer at the end of the day serves, I think, as a model prayer for us all.  It is simple and easy to remember... as she prayed "thank-you Jesus for this terrible day".  Seven simple and yet profound words which struck me as a wonderful prayer.  We are usually content to thank God when all is right in the world, but seldom do we offer up thanksgiving when the day has been terrible.  Out of the mouth of babes.  Thanks L.

Why you should go to school

As I was digging a five foot deep hole for a drainage line, I was struck with why school is a good idea, it prevents one from digging holes for a living.  For real, my roaster arrives today, and I think the chimney will arrive today as well, so technically we could have the roaster up and running next week, although that is pretty optimistic.  We continue to plug away at the shop, work, work, work, and lots more work.  My start date of the end of May will come and pass by, but what can we do?  The Transcend website should be up here soon, so when it is I will post a link.  Sorry about all the drivel, and the void of real thought.

Meanwhile at the Shop

The Roaster is in Edmonton, and should be delivered to the shop today.  Now we just need the chimney and we could actually start roasting some coffee which is what this is all about anyway.  Four weeks later, I am still plugging along, 75% done the electrical, 60% done the drywall, 5% done plumbing, lotsa work to do yet.  Drop by and say hi.

The Da Vinci Code

The new Tom Hanks movie coming out is raising quite a ruckus.  Even within my own household, we can't seem to agree on the significance of this movie.  Check out Joe's blog too, and follow the buzz of activity.  Too be honest, I haven't read the Da Vinci Code, so I am definitely in the dark about its content, and yet having said this, the book is pure fiction so who cares?  And yet the world seems captivated by this book which I believe purports to make Jesus less than he is by having him secretly married off to Mary Magdelene, which is pure nonsense.  Nonetheless, the crazy world of television is going mad with Da Vinci Code and one has to ask the question why?

Could it be that the Da Vinci Code is in the same genre of the movie the Last Temptation of Christ wherein Scorsese posited the same notion, although this temptation with Mary only played out in Jesus' mind while on the cross, which created a tempest of outrage by the Christian Church and launched the movie into a new stratosphere as a result.  I acutally remember the insanity in 1988 where Christians were setting off explosives in theatres!  Is this the interest in The Da Vinci Code too?  Perhaps it is the church's protest in and of itself which creates the huge buzz, which otherwise would just be the normal Hollywood hype over a new movie made on the premise of a good novel. 

Does the God of the Universe and the Savior of the world need our defense?  Is God on trial here, is truth in jeopardy, or is this more an issue of the church's lack of faith and internal resolve.  Like I said to begin, I haven't read the book so I am a bit in the dark over the hubbub, but I will see the movie... why you might ask... because I like Tom Hanks.

Yes I am Alive

Well, another week has almost passed since my last post.  Being my own contractor / labour force is pretty much all consuming, to say the least.  Nonetheless, we inch onwards.  I got my building permit on Friday, with some additional and seemingly meaningless fire separation add-ons, but at least I can now get inspections done.  The roaster should be here tomorrow or Tuesday, although it will stay in its crate at least until the chimney arrives.  We need to get the floor sealed and stuff cleared away before we move that into place.  So I will be busy this week finishing the wiring and starting to work on the plumbing, along with putting up as much drywall as we can.

On a more interesting note, we attended a great folk concert on Friday and heard Dale Nikkel and Steve Abma play (by the way, the painting on Dale's website is hanging in our dining room if you want a better look).  They were both great and it was nice just to sit, have a beer and listen to great music with good friends.  Afterward we got to celebrate Bill's birthday a bit by inaugurating the fire-pit this year, on a gorgeous night, and everyone even stayed into the wee hours.  A summer night in May, what more can you ask for.  Apart from that, we seem to be doing OK, as we continue with the transition into this new phase of life.  Our delightful son is definitely two and to be frank, I am tiring a bit of the terrible two's, but what is one to do.  I shouldn't complain, he is a great kid and uber talented, but I have to say that there is something about "mine, mine, mine, no, no, no, me, me, me" that gets tiring after a while. 

Actually it makes me think twice about how we tend to pray!

Why I go to St. Johns

Take a read of this article written about Jeff Shandro a young guy who goes to SJE.  This is why we attend SJE, as it works authentically to live out the gospel.