By Steve

I did it!

What, finally write another blog (it's my blog and I can break if I want to)? On one hand yes, write again, but something else too. It is now the final day of July and I have done it. I have lived up to my commitment that I made on July 1st (July 1st is the first day of the second half of the year; the day I renewed my failed new years resolution).

I have not entered a Starbucks for the entire month. I have been coffee free for 30 days. Most research shows that a habit can be broken in 21 days, but I did not want to declare victory until today, day 30...and now I proclaim it loudly, I am no longer addicted to coffee.

No I'm not caffeine free. No this was not just about money. No this was not just about diet. So what is the big deal about going to coffee.

Okay, to be honest, coffee really isn't the issue. Ali and I have had numerous conversations over the past several months (years really) about what it means to really live as Christian. We continually seek to live in a way that best follows the way of Jesus. We made a decision this year to apply this to our time and to our money. Our 2008 objective was to be good stewards of our time and our money from a kingdom perspective. This is a challenging exercise I want to encourage you to try. It requires first considering what a kingdom perspective, way of Jesus life regarding time and money even is, and then putting it into practice. A difficult, counter-cultural, sometimes what may seem to others, foolish approach.

Coffee for me was the easy starting point. $3 on coffee and $2 on the go with pastry, then sitting reading the paper, filling in a crossword or simply staring at the wall did not seem (to me, no judgement here towards others) good stewardship of time or money. Thing is, I have done far better in the past 6 months with things that should be much more difficult; coffee was not the easiest starting point.

What I'm finding is that to consider things (and live them out) in the way of Jesus takes considerable effort. I can give away money. That is easy. I can volunteer some time. No problem. But to re-shape my life and routine (of which include my time and money) around the way of Jesus (as opposed to going on in my own way and just being more generous) requires effort. It takes desire. Patience. Faith. And a get back up and keep following after you've slipped up or been knocked down.

So I'm not just declaring victory over coffee. I'm telling you that I continue to press on in pursuit of following Jesus in all that I am with all that I have. I hope you will too. And that's something worth writing about.