With my 70th year quickly approaching, I’m surprised that I work much less than I used to and yet I get more done. Why? It could be that I start my day with my coffee and my Bible. I contend that iyou too can be more productive by starting your day with your coffee and your Bible.
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Coffee’s Critical Ingredient to Success
My theory is that our success and how much we enjoy life depends largely on our attitude and response toward adversity, negativity, interruptions, and hardest of all success. God created us needing down time; time to think, time to study, time communicating face-to-face with real live people, time to love, and time to relax. Unfortunately, our culture, like a drug dealer, pushes us to forgo these valuable pursuits and instead lures us to waste our time.
Prior to the 20th century, families sat together over dinner. They discussed what happened that day, where they went, what they did, who they talked to, what they read, issues and challenges they were having, and a myriad of things that they felt, thought, and did. Additionally, they prayed together, read poetry together, read novels together, discussed scripture together, played games together, and made music together.
How To Chill-out
Today, as you are aware, not only do we work and entertain ourselves alone, but we also don’t create time to quietly relax and meditate. Here’s where coffee and the Bible come in.
In my humble opinion, if you want to accomplish more of the important things in your life, if you want to be happier, and if you want to live longer, here is my advice. Start each day with a cup of divinely smooth coffee and your Bible.
Why the coffee?
Coffee, good coffee, dramatically helps you to relax. Most things that help you to avoid stress, also help you to be considerably healthier, happier, and live longer. For a short discussion on the health benefits of coffee, read or watch the video in my article “The Health Benefits of Coffee”.
Have you noticed that your best ideas come to you just after waking up? Why? This is because your mind is uncluttered with the onslaught of demands from the world. That’s why I suggest my coffee and your Bible before you start your day.
Why the Bible?
In a word, “truth”. Truth as defined by Webster’s 1828 dictionary is “Conformity to fact or reality”. Scientists tell us that a majority of what we believe to be true is in fact not true. As Mark Twain said, “It isn’t the things I don’t know that get me into trouble. It’s the things that I know that ain’t so.” Obviously, we all need a good healthy dose of truth.
To put the importance of truth in perspective, would you hire a contractor to build your children’s school who adamantly believed that 2+2=5? Certainly not. That’s why truth is critical to our success in life. And, nowhere will you find more Truth than the Bible. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no one comes to the Father except through me.” Jn 14:6
Truth In The Bible
The birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most documented event in history. Not only is the gospel’s truth documented from multiple sources within the Bible, but they’re also document in reputable non-Christian and anti-Christian writings penned during and shortly after these events.
Some of the extra-Biblical sources of these events are the Jewish Talmud and Mishna. Even the Romans documented these events including Flavius Josephus, who extensively documented Jesus’ sojourn.
Your Coffee and Your Bible
We all like our routine. The problem is when our routine is destructive. Jumping out of bed, quickly showering, grabbing a pop-tart, pouring a quick cup of industrial coffee, and running out the door just to fight traffic isn’t conducive to effective living.
I highly suggest tweaking your routine to include the delightful and rewarding ritual of making your coffee by hand, one cup at a time. Just stay away from anything automated. Do it by hand. Trust me, with that kind of investment of your time and effort, you’ll want to experiment until you develop your perfect cup of divinely relaxing coffee.
Russell’s Go-To Coffee Ritual
I start out by drawing a full 16 ounces of filtered water from my refrigerator, then pour the water into my stovetop gooseneck kettle, and set the timer for 11 minutes.
While the water is heating, I put a tad bit more than ¼ cup of Majestic Medium fresh roasted beans into my Red Rooster Trading Company hand grinder, which has the grind setting perfected from years of experimenting.
After 90 seconds of hand grinding, with a slightly elevated heartrate, I dump the grounds into my Allesi French Press. When the water starts boiling, I pour the boiling water into the French Press, give it a quick stir with a rubber spatula, put the plunger on top of the French Press, and set my timer for 2 minutes. On occasion when I’m in the mood for a stronger kick, I set the timer for 3 minutes.
Now I spend the next 2-3 minutes in prayer.
When the timer goes off, I press the plunger down on the French Press and pour the coffee into my trusty, Made In USA, Burnout Mug. Then it’s time for reading my Bible.
Russell’s Go-To Book of The Bible
With my coffee in one hand and my Bible in the other, I’m looking forward to 10 minutes of physical, mental, and spiritual awakening. My go-to book is Proverbs. After a few sips of coffee and few verses read, I’m wondering who made my coffee and opened my Bible?
I like Proverbs. Why? Because it’s easy and fast reading. I don’t have to think too hard. Besides, God’s wisdom is exactly what I need to arm myself for a day of battle.
Spear Throwers and Coffee
The world will always need good spear-throwers, i.e., women and children will always need providing and protecting. That doesn’t mean women can’t provide and protect themselves, it just means that they shouldn’t “have” to. As men that’s our job. And let’s face it, anything that helps us to throw our spears better, faster, and more accurately, is a good thing, a very good thing.
Men listen up. This is for the ears that are ready to hear. Most women want their man to read and study the Bible. They want spiritual leaders strong enough to spiritually protect them. And if it takes awesome coffee to get you to read your Bible, then I’m certain, they’ll support that addiction.
Lake City Coffee
That’s why Alisha and I started Lake City Coffee. She needed a better spear thrower. This business was her idea. Ask her. Really! Go ahead and ask Alisha if her spear-thrower is better with or without his coffee and his Bible. You’ll enjoy her answer.
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