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Coffee Break – 04.11.2016

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1876, the stenotype was patented by John C. Zachos. In 1901, construction on the Empire State Building was completed. The building was dedicated and opened on May 1, 1931. And in 1970, Apollo 13 blasted off on a mission to the moon that was disrupted when an explosion crippled the spacecraft. The astronauts did return safely.

Coffee Break

Lightness and Darkness in Roasting – Here is an in depth look at the light/dark roasting debate from someone inside the roasting community. Very interesting.

18 Magnificent Lighthouses – When we went to Maine a few years ago, I was fascinated by the few lighthouses we managed to see. I would like to go visit several of the ones on this list as well.

Your Last Pencil Roll – A couple of weeks ago, I linked to Joe Thorn’s article that detailed several different pencil rolls. It seems he has found one he like more than any other. And it looks incredible!

The (Unfortunate) Tale Of The 1850 Double Eagle – As one who collects coins, this made my stomach turn. What a shame. What a loss.

A New Memorization Project

For the past year, I have been studying and memorizing Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This has been an in-depth challenge on both fronts. First, undertaking the memorization of the entire letter was a big deal all in itself. I have tackled this before, with some other letters by Paul: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, as well as the Sermon on the Mount.

Second, in examining each passage, verse by verse, I have effectively created my own commentary of these letters. One day, I hope to condense these posts all into one document, and see if it is something that can be published as a Bible study tool or commentary.

I plan on continuing that discipline. The next book I want to tackle is the letter of 1 Peter. This small book is packed with a tremendous amount of practical application. Peter wrote to the early church in general, making this easily applicable to us today as well.

For the next couple of weeks, the usual Sunday morning memorization post will be absent. Beginning with the first Sunday in May, I will start the letter of 1 Peter with an overview of the book, and begin the memorization after that.

I hope you’ll join me in examining this incredible piece of Scripture!

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Book Review – The Travelers by Chris Pavone

The Travelers by Chris PavoneI hate it when I don’t learn my lesson.

A year ago, I read a novel by Chris Pavone. I was disappointed and unimpressed. But apparently, a year is enough time for me to forget that.

I picked up a new novel by Pavone, The Travelers, and was equally unimpressed. In fact, I was even more disturbed than I was after the first book, and decided not to even finish reading this one.

By the time I was just a few chapters into the novel, there were three different, explicitly described, sexual encounters. At that point, I decided that if it happened again, I was finished with the book. Just a few pages further, there was another one.

Plus, the obscenities and foul language occurrences were too numerous to count. I am more than unimpressed. I am disgusted. And that is unfortunate, because from the snippet on the dust jacket, this could have been an incredible story. The plot idea captured my imagination right away, and would have, could have, been incredible.

It’s too bad that Pavone felt the need to include so much unnecessary and disgusting material.

As a result, I will not recommend this book. And it will not remain in my home. The dumpster out back seems like a great place to pitch it.

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The Secret To Finding Contentment

All too often, we look at what the other guy has, and compare that to what we have. And we find ourselves longing for something more.

The Secret To Finding Contentment

It’s tough to be content. We do not live in a world where this comes naturally. Rather, it seems like it is normal to want more, to desire something beyond whatever we have, to long for something new.

And sometimes, that isn’t necessarily wrong. It isn’t necessarily wrong to desire to better ourselves. It isn’t necessarily wrong to seek out more and better things and experiences.

But sometimes it is wrong.

Paul, in Philippians 4:11, states:

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

And again, in 1 Timothy 6, he says:

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

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Making The Perfect Cup Of Coffee

A Brief History Of Coffee's Impact On The World

Coffee is the drink of choice for millions of people. Some love to drink specialty coffees or third wave coffee. Others prefer cheaper brands, such as you might find on the shelf of any grocery store. But few know where this wonderful beverage comes from.

A Brief History Of Coffee

When it comes to coffee, the legends of its origin are numerous. The most often attributed origin of the drink comes from the country of Ethiopia, and many coffees around the world can trace their origins to this region.

Ethiopian Origins Of Coffee

Ethiopian coffee has long been a great source of quality beans, and has been grown there for centuries. The legend says that a young goat herder named Kaldi first discovered the benefits of the fruit of these trees. While watching his flock of goats, Kaldi noticed that, after eating the berries off of a certain tree, his goats became very energetic, and wouldn’t sleep well.

As tradition holds, Kaldi shared this information with the abbot of a local monastery. The abbot made a drink with the berries and discovered that it helped him stay more alert during evening prayers. As he shared his discovery with the other monks, knowledge of the energizing drink made from the berries slowly began to spread.

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Coffee Break – 04.04.2016

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1818, a plan was passed by the U.S. Congress that the U.S. flag would have 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars and that a new star would be added for the each new state. In 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is fatally shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room in Memphis, Tennessee. And in 1974, Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth’s major league baseball home-run record with 714.

Coffee Break

The Rafino – Coffee grinders have largely stayed the same over the years. There have been a few innovations, and they are great additions that help you keep your coffee grind consistent. The Rafino is a coffee refining system that delivers the most consistent grind with micron level precision. I’m seriously considering backing this on Kickstarter.

Government Reverses Its Course on Highway Fonts – Most people probably would never notice this change, but I found it fascinating.

A Quiz : The Letter G – The Good Book Company has been releasing a few quizzes such as this. These are fun and show that you probably know more about the Bible than you think you do.

How We Got To Third Wave Coffee – The term “third wave coffee” may be something you are unfamiliar with, but should be something you know. This is currently the best coffee available. And before you start thinking it’s to “pricey,” look into it. It’s not as expensive as many assume it to be.