espresso-induced wanderings

I spent the morning (actually late morning/early afternoon) at Kopplin's in St. Paul. So far they've won my "Best Coffee Shop" award with stellar brewing methods, done by the cup, direct relationship with farmers, a fantastic vibe inside, and they even dodged the ever tragic pitfall of flaky wifi at too many urban cafes. It's a gem of a place my friend, Reed Carlson (student/barista/campus minister/aspiring OT theologian/co-conspirator) introduced me to.
Reed brought me this shot of espresso just as I was letting my mind wander through this past week...
+ I played catch up most of the week. I'm beginning to appreciate just how hard, and at time unexciting, it is to live life holistically. It was a bit more romantic of notion before I tried actually doing it. But I trust it is worth it.
+ Over the past few months I've been discovering more refined sense of vocation as I live more fully into leaving ordination behind and as I concentrate more than even on the now. I had a fantastic conversation though about my academic future with the dean here at Luther Seminary who oversees graduate research degrees. lt was encouraging in many ways...but particularly in his encouragement to trust myself and my own judgement of options down the road. I'll be applying in the fall to a few Master of Theology programs, but most likely pursuing that option here at Luther.
+ Ministry at Hope Lutheran is just beginning to take shape as the summer rolls into season. There's much work to do there and we have an active summer filled with deep listening and discernment. The people there are really quite beautiful.
+ My family (which I don't blog about much...not sure why) is in the midst of some transitions. It seems as if my parents will be relocating soon, though we are still not sure where. Two very different options are materializing and it has made me reflect on what those moves were like growing up. Reflecting on those crossroads and how they can forever shape your future is a bit daunting. I'm thankful for the choices they made — they do this pretty well by now — and how it shaped me into who I am.
+ I'm excited to have two of my brothers coming ot visit me in July. It'll be fun to welcome them to the Twin Cities. I really do like this place and it'll feel all the more like home having family visit.
+ I'm settling into my bandwidth and realizing that I have a few side projects too many. This happens often but I'm thinking I'll have to eliminate something come the fall. Why can't I be three of me?
+ Last night I took a friend to The Dakota...the weather was horrendous and yet the place was packed. It was fun to be there again and to laugh, smile and enjoy the whole experience: the music, the musicians, the good company, the wine. It's remarkably easy for me to be present when listening to live jazz. I think it probably makes me a better person.
It's too beautiful a day to spend the whole day inside on a computer (blah!)...off to mow the grass at Hope. That wasn't in my job description but who cares.