Now let me reverse the order and begin with “prattle.” Since this word means: to talk or chatter idly, it might not be the perfect word for what I’m going to share. Today’s “prattle” is all about my little boy, Josiah. He is just over 7 months old now and bringing even more joy to our lives than we might have expected (if that is possible). Here’s a little video of a recent feeding.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Josiah squeals from Chris Bean on Vimeo.

On to Praise. God is good, right?! Generally speaking, I would say that I’m coming out of a season of life (the past 2 to 5 years) in which ‘praise’ has not been my default setting. Cynicism, critique, questioning, complaining, etc  These have been words that come to mind more naturally than praise. But over the past year, I sense that God has been rewiring my brain a bit…and giving me a new appreciation for Who, How, Why, and Where HE is. Psalm 103 is coming to mind as my default setting: Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

Provision may have something to do with my increased tendencies towards praise. As we continue to live out our new faith-stretching call to campus ministry…and daily depend on God’s provision, we are increasingly amazed at how God meets our needs. Just this morning, I made the painful and scary decision to approve $600 in repairs to my Ford Focus. Having just had a baby (in the past 7 months) and bought a house in the past month, our financial margin has all but disappeared. Within minutes of telling the mechanic to move forward with the repairs, we heard from one of our monthly ministry supporters who wanted to cover that expense for us. God’s ability to PROVIDE far exceeds my ability to gather resources. So we continue to trust and live in this exciting space of gratitude.

Unlike many in the food service industry, baristas are paid at least minimum wage. So there’s usually not an “expectation” to tip. However, having worked at a few coffee shops (Starbucks and otherwise), I know that baristas count on and hope for an additional $1 or $2 per hour in tips.

I usually try to tip baristas around 10% personally. On my $2 coffee though, that only amounts to 20 cents, so I usually throw in anywhere from a quarter to .50.

If I get exceptional service and customer interaction from the barista (and the register employee) I’ll tip up to $1 per beverage.

There’s my $.02 worth on the subject. Anyone else have any tips on the subject?

Here’s a helpful article I found on the subject if you want a more thorough guide to coffee shop tipping etiquett.

This little old Presbyterian Chapel had been built by the bride’s great grandfather back in the 1800′s. The outdoor wedding was staged on the front steps of the church.

Justin Chappelear has been one of those kids that goes from youth groupie to friend to soul-friend over the course of about a dozen years. Of course, his whole family has been incredibly special to us since we first met them back in 1997 when we accepted a call to youth ministry at the church there in Westerville. Steve quickly became a good friend, accountability partner, youth leader, etc. Joy watched Jessica when she was a baby and has always been a good friend to Deb over the years. So it was a great honor when Justin asked me to perform the wedding ceremony.

For several months, we only knew Aubree through Facebook, but several weeks ago we were able to get together with her, her parents, and her sister and realized that Justin was marrying into a terrific family. Often I’m a little nervous for young couples as they begin a life together, knowing how many challenges await. But Justin & Aubree have a solid foundation in their faith. They both have super strong and healthy family relationships. And I’m quite certain they’re way ahead of the game compared to many couples in several respects. It was a great privilege to be part of their wedding celebration and I can’t wait to see how God continues to bless their lives and use them to impact many others.

In addition to sharing this special weekend with Justin & Aubree and their families, it was a special treat to catch up with another guy who shared some youth group history with us. Preston (on the left) and his wife Whitney were in town from Arizona. Preston was Justin’s best man and as we spent a little time together, I was blessed to hear and see how he has become a solid dude not just because he’s been hitting the gym so much). Both of these guys have put a high priority on their faith over the years and have decided to give their lives in service to others. I’m really proud to have been a part of both of their stories and thank God for them and their beautiful wives who we can proudly count as friends.

This post will border on the mundane and have a journal-ish feel to it. Since that type of daily documentation is not a discipline I’m able to maintain, I’ve decided to occasionally throw a dose of it into the mix here. Chances are good that I’ll inadvertently touch on those themes of campus, coffee, and faith as well.

Running:

Many have commented on my apparent passion and devotion to physical activity. Of late, running is my thing. Though I often throw in a bike ride or a P90X workout, lacing up and conquering about 5 or 8 miles of pavement/trail is what pushes me these days. I ran my first marathon in Columbus, OH back in the Fall of 2008. Over the past few months, I’ve run marathons in Atlanta, Louisville, Green Bay, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This coming November I’ll run my 10th marathon in 7 different states. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is the current dream-accomplishment which motivates me to keep carving out space and time in my schedule. Originally, I had hoped to qualify for the 2011 running of the famous Boston event, but that dream is drifting away from me at this point. Staying motivated is going to be a real test of will over the next few weeks. Will I push to keep that dream alive or just settle for a decent finishing time in Indianapolis on November 6th? Whether or not I’m able to qualify for Boston this time around, I do hope to set a new PR of 3:45 or better.

Campus Ministry:

This is my second year at the University of Cincinnati. Working cooperatively with the CCO and the Church of the Nazarene has provided a tremendous opportunity for me to invest in the lives of college students in and around Cincinnati. The Edge House has provided a unique context for me to engage students and share some serious hospitality. We are three days into “Welcome Week” and what some campus ministers have said is that if you’re not totally exhausted by the end of this week, then you’re not doing it right!  Ha, ha…I’m exhausted and the week is only half over. We’ll see if I can translate some of that marathon endurance into ministry and relational endurance.

Parenthood:

Honestly, my greatest challenge at the moment has to do with my two beautiful girls…Jess & Jaquey. As Jessica begins 6th grade and transitions towards those teen years and junior, I am noticing the need to shift into some new parenting gears. More than ever, she needs a dad loves and listens well. My first reaction, when it comes to conflict, is to flex those paternal muscle fibers and “fix” the problems. Something tells me that’s not the best approach any more (perhaps it never was). For some reason, my relationship with Jaquey seems to come a bit easier. She’s definitely daddy’s little girl and for the moment (at age 7) seems content with our relational patterns. And with a baby boy on the way, things probably won’t get much easier for awhile. 

Spiritually Speaking:

First of all, I’ll point out (in case you haven’t already noticed this from previous posts) that I agree with the statement “Everything is spiritual.” So this last paragraph is not ‘spiritual’ and the rest of the post is ‘non-spiritual.’ But I’ll wrap up by just saying a few things about my journey in the faith (spiritual formation) and towards becoming more like Christ (sanctification). Being formed and shaped by God’s Word within the context of community takes some serious intentionality. The summer has really been tough in terms of “religious” routine. I’m looking forward to the daily discipline and practices, which much like a marathon training plan, will lead to a healthier soul.

Even as I finished reading just a few days before my September marathon, I knew that some of the energy he translated into written form would be absorbed into my system and help me push a little more in my training than I might have otherwise.

As one who believes strongly in the connection between body-mind-soul…reading this book adds to the physical motivation I need to stay on top of my own health & fitness. When I’m healthy and fit, I’m a better person emotionally/mentally. And I learned many years ago that being disciplined physically often translates into my ability to commit to the kind of daily practices spiritually which position me to be transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ. It’s certainly something that only God can do but that tension of cooperation with God’s sovereignty is something I make every “effort” to live into every day.

Coffee Shop #4: Coffee Emporium–Downtown Cincinnati Location

I really had not planned on visiting this location so early in the process since I reviewed their Hyde Park location as my first stop. But I recently found myself downtown with a friend looking for a good cup of coffee so we stopped here.

As I walked into the cafe, the first thing that caught my attention was the roasterie to the left. It’s always good to find locally roasted coffee. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was tainted with too many flavored coffees on display as you make your way to the bar area. I’m NOT a fan of flavoring the bean. Feel free to add something to your coffee after you brew it…but flavoring coffee is like painting a bright gaudy color over the top of some beautiful piece of hand-made natural wood furniture. Now you know how I really feel! 

Having said that, C.E. does a nice job of roasting their coffee and offering a variety of options. I could choose from Ravens Blend (a dark roast), Guatemalan, Solstice, & a Vanilla flavored decaf some’in-some’in.

Drip Coffee score: 4 out of 5 stars

The cafe itself is spacious and decked out with a nice assortment of tables, couches, soft chairs, etc. Musical ambience is very appropriate but not overpowering. The girl at the register was quite personable while the barista was that perfect combination of intense, aloof, and confident.

There’s a great “third place” vibe and I hear there are some terrific musical events which occasionally provide an even greater allure. And although I usually don’t pay much attention to the food/menu…I will be back to try the Reuben…one of my favorite sandwiches ever. And the chocolate chip cookie is well worth the buck-fifty too.

Hospitality Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

On to the espresso! I could tell by the equipment (a 3-group La Marzoco and a pair of Mazzer grinders) and by watching the barista dose into the portafilter that this would be a quality experience of espresso. Sure enough, it was perfectly extracted shot of espresso with a beautiful crema. I was so excited to taste it that I forgot to take a picture to share with you. My ONLY complaint with this espresso is that it was a little dark and smoky for my taste. I like a little better balance of sweetness and acidity than this particular roast offered.

Espresso Score:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Where most cafes fail, this one excelled. The cappuccino was a perfect 8oz blend of espresso and beautifully steamed/aerated milk. Using my favorite bovine lactation…Snowville Creamery…certainly added to the richness and sweetness of the capp. And not only were all the components there, the drink was aesthetically perfect with a nice heart-shaped foam cap spanning the entire surface of the porcelain cup with a dark outline of the crema surrounding it. Although the “perfect cappuccino” is a very elusive find, I have no choice but to score this beverage as pretty much there.

Capp Score: 5 out of 5 stars.

Overall Score: 18 out of a possible 20

So not only is this cafe worth a visit, it’s probably worth driving downtown from the surrounding villages and burbs of Cincinnati…which is exactly what I did.

So cafe #1 in this tour of 20+ shops is Coffee Emporium in Hyde Park. I recently met the owner/roaster of CE, Tony Tausch at a barista jam. I’m not sure how long he has been with the company, but CE has been in Cincinnati since 1973 and has 3 locations. You can find out more about Coffee Emporium here.

The baristas on duty were Micah (manning the La Marzoco) and Amy who were definitely welcoming and conversational. Amy was very patient with my questions about the company, coffee, and food. Micah seemed fairly enthusiastic about being reviewed by some no-name coffee geek like myself.

It was $1.60 for my for-here mug of coffee. I had the Sumatra Aceh first and then got a refill of the French Colombian for $.75. Unfortunately, they don’t have a “bottomless” option. Although food options and quality won’t figure in to my overall scoring of cafes (that tells you I don’t consider food a cafe necessity). The wi-fi was easy to access with my macbook pro and it appears they were using Pandora for the in-house tunes. When it came time for the “capp test” Micah asked a common question. Do I want it “wet” or “dry?” That in itself is a bit of an indication of their espresso quality and culture. At Micah’s suggestion I got a little cinnamon powder, which I don’t usually do but it sounded good at the time and really was a good addition. Although it was a larger cappuccino than I prefer (their smallest size was a 12oz and I prefer a 6 to 8 oz capp), the milk was aerated properly and the espresso flavor was decent…though quite muted by the abundance of milk. The milk/foam was not quite the velvety microfoam I desperately hope for in a capp, but it certainly was better than most other capps I’ve had in the city. I opted not to order a straight espresso for some reason. I should probably do that in the future to evaluate the flavor/balance/smoothness of the house espresso roast. Here are the scores I would give on this experience. I’m sure this system will evolve as I visit other cafes, but somebody had to be my first guinea pig, eh?

The Cappuccino:  3.5 stars (out of 5)

The Brewed Coffee: 4 stars

Food Selection & Quality:   4 stars  (this score won’t be relevant to the composite “grade”)

Customer Service: 4.5 stars

Third Place/Vibe: 4.5 stars

Total Score: 16.5 out of a possible 20 stars. Anything at or above 12 stars will be worth recommending and re-visiting. Under 12…sorry! It was nice knowing you.  

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this cafe visit and will put it on my list to recommend highly to others as well as to re-visit frequently for my own consuming and connecting pleasures.

Ha, ha…but seriously. We’re into the second week of February and I’m about 3 books behind in my reading goal for 2010. But that’s okay…I just came across this helpful post on book reading techniques from Tim Elmore.

If you’re trying to be more efficient with your reading goals, check out his article here.

On a positive note, I’m on track to finish two books this week, so I should only be one week behind after that.

And I’m still open to swapping out some titles on my list if someone has a great book you want to pitch to me!

I have always considered coffee as a great metophor for many things spiritual, social, etc…but over at Billy’s blog…that consideration is cemented into a beautiful liturgy. Great stuff.

The cappuccino as a representation for the trinity makes a lot of sense to me. The cappuccino is technically 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 silky microfoam…blended artfully into one textured and delicious sip.

Properly brewed espresso has triune qualities as well. The heart, body, and crema (crema is the lighter reddish foam that floats on the surface) make up the “pulled” shot and when a glass is brewed, all three parts should be seen as three different layers.

“While the making of a good espresso drink is a complicated process; enjoyment of a good espresso drink is one of life’s simple pleasures.”

And when the simple pleasure of artfully brewed coffee mixes with the sharing of conversation, story, and friendship…ahhh, an Edenic experience of hospitality ensues.

The book is basically more of Don’s story (can I call him “Don?” it’s not like we get together occasionally at the Ugly Mug.) But in the process of telling his own story, he enlightens us with inspiring notions about what it means to LIVE a good story and be engaged in the process of transformation.

Another book I’m in the process of reading is The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau. It is all about the process and purpose of pilgrimage, a concept which I have been sensitive to for years but very much awakened to more recently. As Miller shares stories about hiking in Peru, cycling across America, and kayaking into beautiful inlets my passion for incorporating travel, adventure, and ‘sacred’ geographical destinations into my own story has enlarged.

I would imagine that anyone could enjoy what Donald Miller is sharing in this book. But especially for those who find themselves bogged down by the mundaneness of their own stories…or searching for the “inciting incident” which might propel one into a better story or scene…A Million Miles is contemplatively energizing.