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As an avid backpacker and coffee connoisseur I continue to find a better method for preparing coffee on the trail.  My current preferred method is with my GSI lexan french press, this provides me with the best tasting cups that I have had on the trail to date.  The only issue that I have is that I purchased a larger press that is a bit bulky for when I am going solo or when I am the only one on the hike drinking coffee… I digress.

For some time now I have seen and heard about Java Juice Extract as an option for coffee on the trial.  With a recent purchase on Amazon I picked up a ten pack to give it a try.  This morning with my man Sean Bartley from journeys coffee we gave it a tasting.  First impression of the packaging, it would dramatically reduce pack weight and bulk.  Upon tearing open the pouch I found the pre-defined opening to be nice and small, great for helping to reduce possible spillage.  I grab a set of scissors to open it up more to be able to smell the extract before adding it to the waiting water.  Well that was a mistake, the smell of the extract was that of worcestershire sauce or if you have ever had Samuel Adam’s Triple Bock, either way the potent aroma that hits your nose almost made me not want to pour it into the water… so if you are going to give this a taste test, I suggest you skip the sniffy sniff of the extract itself.  Move on then to adding the extract to 11 oz of water at 190 degrees.  After a little stir to ensure consistency in the mix I have it a sniff.  Okay, the extract smell is still there in the final cup all be it a little mellowed down and I was able to also pull out some slight nutty aromas and sadly that was about it.  Moving on to the taste testing with a quick sip, I found there to be almost zero flavor with a slight hint of “brown water”, really to me this had an extreme lack of flavor and no finish.  I have to say I was pleased that there was no finish, I don’t know if I could have handled having it on my palette.  I gave it a few more sips to see if I was missing something then dumped it, sorry Java Juice this is a major pass for me.

I shall continue to search out some other options.  I believe my next trial will be to see how the AeroPress can preform on the trail.

So what is up on this end… I use to be a power blogger and now it seems as though I have dropped of the face of the blogsphere?  I am here but my public writing has fallen off a bit so here is a slight catch up on some happenings.

I had the wonderful pleasure of joining with Third Place Consulting in helping to open up a cafe.  It was an amazing time of ministry, leadership and training.  As a side note… remember “ceramic works far better than paper when drinking coffee in the shower”.

From a local ministry perspective, this past Easter was the first since I have been full time at Messiah, that is a learning experience of really understanding what work / life balance is.  For those that have never been in employed full time ministry with at church, there as you would guess are two times that the work load goes up: Christmas and Easter.  This does not discount any and all of the other worship services that happen throughout the year, but those are two key opportunities to reach out and there is extra effort placed in those times.  If for some in America that are CEO Christitan (Christmas and Easter Only) than that is a key and curcial time to pour the love and salvation message into everyone that enters in either physically or virtually.

Virtually, what the heck do I mean by that?  One of the first items that we took on at Messiah was to launch a live streaming worship experience.  Messiah currently offers a live streaming worship service every Sunday at 9:30 eastern time.  We have blown the doors of the church and said that no matter where you are in the world, if you would like to worship with this faith family, then join us in worship online and give glory and honor to Jesus just like if you were sitting in the physical worship center.  Some time has passed now and we have most of the bgs worked out, a few more to go.  I am so honored to be a part of getting it off the ground and seeing it start to take a footing.  I was amazing the first time that we were able to witness someone through this streaming service give their life to Christ, that makes all the hours worth it.  All honor to Jesus for a transformed life and I am humbled to be a part in it.  If you would care to join it you can find it at Messiah On Demand.

journeys is still rockin’ away and I continue to see it as a valuable ministry tool to connect people, develop leaders and fund causes.  They just posted a brief on the latest cause the help to fund… nothing but life transformation and life saving.

Right now I am jacked to see spring is here and to enjoy being outside with my family.  Our oldest is starting soccer this year and she could not be happier.  Our youngest is still pushing in teeth, so that is a bit rough, but is all over the place and is bundle of joy and love.  My lovely wife is doing well, she is an amazing woman of God, awesome wife and unbelievable mother.  She is getting close to finishing up a large project at work and balances it all so well.  I can’t wait for the backpacking trips this season… I totally missed out last year with the bad knee.

God Bless,
dl

I am not one that believes in resolutions so I will state goal for this upcoming year (2009).

• Read from the Bible every day.  Unless I am unconscious there is no reason that I should not be able to attain this goal but yet it is a struggle for me at this point.  I will need prayerful support on this as well as all of the goals.  Here is the plan that I am following.
• Deepen my family and personal relationships.  In this overly connected, always on… world it is time to make relationships mean something again instead of surface level “connections”.
• Re-attain goal weight and maintain it.  Last year was such a great feeling to loose 30 lbs. and I have let a little of it come back on, so this year I desire to re-reach the goal weight and maintain it for the year.
• Get my self on the trail for at least two backpacking trips this season.  Last year I was off trail while I had the knee fixed up but I am back in the game this year.
• Finish up the basement project… come on man there is only some trim work left to do.
• Build up the technical and journeys servant teams @ Messiah.  The teams are running slim and I don’t desire to see them get burnt out, the Lord has a place for His people to serve.

There we have them, now to prayerfully work at attaining them.