Starbucks Will Be Closed Today...Yeah!

I just read today that Starbucks will be closing for three hours today. (Click Here for the story) to retrain their employees, oh wait "baristas" how to make coffee. Starbucks needs more than three hours to learn how to make good coffee! Maybe they should roast their own beans in their shop so it is as fresh as it can be! My favorite coffee shop of all time in Dothan, Al. did this and they (Dakota's) kept me going through my college years. JavaMoon Coffee here in Bradenton,Fl. does this as well and as their slogan says..."There are many stars but only one moon...may JavaMoon buck the stars out of the sky"

Support your local Coffee Shop!

I Couldn't Help But Listen #3

I was getting coffee this morning before filling in for the Highscool Choir teacher and there was a gentleman on the phone talking to his wife. After hanging up...he yelled "woohoo! I have the best wife ever!" I was shocked at the outburst of excitement and wish I knew why she was amazing but that doesn't necessarilly matter. What I learned was that we should publicly praise our spouses no matter how crazy it may sound or what others may think! My wife is amazing too!

I Couldn't Help But Listen # 2

Yesterday I was enjoying another tea from Starbucks. Although the conversations were not as shocking as before, here's what I observed. I play guitar...I have been playing for about 8 years now. I say that to say this...don't bring your guitar to Starbucks and serenade people trying to enjoy life sans off tune singing of Metallica and Collective Soul classics. The instance of this particular socially ignorant group of guys brought back annoying memories of college. It seemed everywhere you went on campus there was someone, or group of people strumming away...the cafeteria while I was cramming for Dr. Lee tests, the gym, the dorm lobbies during football games, etc. My issue is not that I hate guitars, but please don't subject everyone to it in a public place!

Another interesting observation I had was from a Starbucks employee on her cigarette break. It kills me that Starbucks would allow their employees to go outside, sit next to customers and smoke. The image of sophistication goes down the drain when the first thing a patron sees is the employees wafting smoke in their faces. employees should have a designated place out back to do this. I also don't like hearing about their urine test results from last week! no...I'm not kidding! This employee said something else that related to the "Name Brand Association" of Starbucks. While she was on the phone with her friends, she never mentioned she was "at work" when people asked her location...she said "I'm at Starbucks" Starbucks has become a lifestyle, a household name, etc. that even the employee didn't refer to it as work! I thought that was interesting.

A follow up on my Young Life Rant

Every now and then I am humbled. Looking back on my previous bash on Young Life probably was a little pre-mature and nicer words could have been used. For that I apologize to Young Life as a whole. After speaking with an anonymous YL leader from another part of the country he assured me that their ministry is Christ honoring and evangelistic. No ministry organization is perfect, mine is definitely not either...I guess I just got a little heated about this conversation I heard. From now on I will confront the brother\sister first before lashing out on my blog.

I Couldn't Help But Listen # 1

Every now and then I sit outside Starbucks (for tea only...there coffee sucks) or I'm at the finest coffee establishment in the world, JavaMoon Coffee just enjoying myself when it happens....There is always some person who is oblivious to their surroundings and blares out a conversation for the whole place to listen in on. Most of these conversations aren't worth listening to but a few can be quite interesting. I do not make a habit of eavesdropping, but we all have been in situations where we couldn't help but listen. Thus this post series I will start today and continue till eternity upon hearing something enlightening by someone who thinks their conversation was private and meaningless. I now take you back to Saturday night Nov. 24th, 2007. I was sipping on hot tea at Starbucks outside and a couple of friends who hadn't seen each other in a while sat in the next table. My ear tuned in when they started talking about going to Bible School and becoming a Young Life Director. If you don't know what Young Life is consider yourself blessed because it has always reeked havoc on youth ministries here in my county. Young Life is a "Youth Group" that travels from church to church in a region. Having attended them and talked with leaders, I can say that my opinion of them is nothing more of a glorified popular, rich-kid social hangout that focuses on events and having fun instead of getting in the word of God and worshipping him. Listening to this wannabee leader I heard him say that while he was in training, he went on "mission" to this one high scool, he then said that he played basketball with some of the kids later and then bought them beer and drank that night at his house!!!!! Wow!!! I wanted ever so badly to throw my boiling hot English brew in his face for doing that. My views on drinking are not that it is necessarily wrong or unbiblical, but to give it to minors while trying to be their spiritual mentor is absolutely appalling to me.