"The Nook"

The Ladies Of The Lord (or L.O.L. as we affectionately call it) at my church are doing a book study on Good to Great in God's Eyes by Chip Ingram. I'm not sure I even heard of this man before reading his book, but he's so wise and insightful. It's hard not to pick up the book and devour every  ounce of wisdom he offers in it. The book is about 10 things great Christians do in their lives that help them achieve greatness and righteousness in God's eyes. The title pretty much speaks for itself, but the 10 things in this book are invaluable things that are so logical, yet so full of wisdom when you put think on them and then put them into action.

Each chapter has a theme like "Pursue Great People" or "Think Great Thoughts". What struck me is that even though I'm on chapter four, these themes meld together as you start applying them to your daily life. The chapter, "Read Great Books" went right along with the last chapter I read "Dream Great Dreams". God doesn't just give us desires and dreams to say "Well, you screwed that one up so better luck with the next dream!" He wants us to cultivate these dreams and seek them in His power and might. Not our own. That's one of the key parts of having a dream. Knowing it's in His hands. I'm getting a little carried away... 

Back to my point... These two chapters went together because I just started reading Onward by Howard Schultz, the chairman, president, and ceo of Starbucks. (Fun fact: they don't use upper case letters to distinguish the higher ups from the other employees within their company). At the end of "Dream Great Dreams" I was challenged to write down my own dreams. One I dreamed up not too long ago came to mind and clicks completely with Onward. I have this idea of a coffee house. Now it's not an ordinary one, but a place of solitude, peace, and serenity. A place to order a latte then curl up with a good book, write that letter you've always wanted to, or just sit still and be.

This place would be called "The Nook". There would be no electronics allowed in the doors - except cellphones on vibrate. I want an environment that allows total freedom from the things of the world. A place for people to escape the chaotic schedule of daily life and to slip into a place all their own. I wouldn't sell anything besides a few books, coffee, tea, and some snacks. Just a simple place for a simple purpose. That is my dream. It sounds somewhat impossible to have such a place of tranquility in today's society, but I believe it can be done. This is my dream.

What's yours? What are you desiring and have a passion for? Are you taking steps towards it? What's holding you back? Often times it's ourselves. Take a step in faith. You never know what you'll find along the way.