Fresh Roasted Koffi House Coffee!

We need to raise about $100,000 for the next phase of our work here in the Location. I could ask you to pray that God provides the funds. All good things come from him! He has always surprised and amazed us in the past.

Or, I could just ask you to fork over your hard-earned cash and maybe even put a layer of guilt on you to help lubricate the process. (Just kidding!) BUT rather than just asking people for money (though we're not opposed to offerings) we have another way we can raise the funds.

We need to sell about 8,500 bags of fresh roasted Arabica coffee (organic and shade-grown) from The Location.

We can ship directly to you around the world, but the minimum order is 50 bags. Our goal is to make 170 shipments of 50 bags each. The great thing is that we will cover shipping costs (with a few exceptions) and it usually takes less than 2 weeks no matter where you are. The price of the coffee? $12 for a 12 oz. bag.

What would you do with 50 bags of coffee? Here are some ideas:

• Drink a couple cups every half-hour and get a lot of work done in those late hours when you can't sleep.
• Use them for your coffee bar at your church or workplace.
• Sign up 50 or more people from your church to each buy a bag.
• Sign up 50 or more people from your SCHOOL to each buy a bag!
• Have your kids raise $ for their camps and mission trips by selling them for $15-20 a bag (it is so worth it!)
• Sign up 50 or more people from your place of employment to each buy a bag.
• Convince about 5 grocery stores and coffee shops in your area to each take 10 bags to sell.
• Convince about 5 other churches in your area to each take 10 bags in support of BAM.
• Sneak it into your local Starbucks' coffee grinders to impress their customers with the improvement.
• Open and dump all 50 bags of coffee in your bathtub, jump in, and let the aroma of fresh roasted specialty coffee (and the caffiene) osmosis its way into your body. (Just kidding, and yes, I know that osmosis is not a verb. Besides, 50 bags of coffee wouldn't come close to filling your tub. You might have to start at about 300 bags for that.)

So, if you want a pack of 50 or 100, just leave a comment with your e-mail address (I won't post it unless you want me to) and I'll e-mail you directly with more info.

Mmmm... I can smell that fresh pot brewing already with all the essesence of this exotic and enchanted land coming together in your delicious cup of coffee!

Response to Anonymous

In a recent post I related a comment and series of questions an anonymous poster left on one of my blogs. I asked you how you might respond. (Thank you, all, for the hundreds of responses you gave me! :-) ) Well, I don't lift my words up as the perfect response by any means, but I thought I'd share what I wrote. Here it is:

Dear Anonymous,
 
It all depends on your worldview and whether or not you believe there is absolute truth. If religion is simply a product on the market like shampoo, then who's to say one brand is better than the other. Only a salesman who is trying to sell you his brand, but in reality, many are just as good as others. It appears that faith to you is this--it is something to make you happy.
 
My worldview is that there is only one Creator God--only one God who created the world, and only one way to know him--through Jesus Christ. If we don't put our faith in Jesus then our sins will eternally seperate us from God. If we accept the gift of Jesus, then we will know God and be safe forever. I want all people to know God and be safe forever. It is that simple.
 
It is also not correct to call these "my beliefs" as if they were my idea or originated with me. Everything I believe or teach comes from the Bible, which I believe comes from God. So, it is not me placing my personal thoughts or beliefs on them, but it is propogating the message of the truths that God gave to us.
 
You said that faith is the most important thing one can carry with them... faith in what? Faith is only as good as what it is attached to. If someone has faith in the Titanic to bring them safely across the Atlantic, their faith isn't going to help them when the ship hits the iceberg and sinks. What is important is the One to whom our faith is attached.
 
If we say that all religions are good, then we are basically heading towards atheism, because the teachings and claims of all religions are not compatible--it is impossible for them all to be true. I believe in Jesus Christ because I heard his message and I believe God revealed this to me.
 
The message of Christ is grace, not works. It is not us reaching up to God, but God reaching down to us. I believe this is unique to Christianity and demonstrates a God who truly loves and values us--despite our pride, selfishness and sin.