of Eggs Benedict...

My beloved and I went out for brunch yesterday. Turned off one place by the numbers there, we tried a small cafe nearby. 

We did not have a meal.

We had a dining experience.

From the moment we walked toward the cafe, and were greeted by the friendliest of smiles, to the trip back to our car this was a time to savour: and savour, we did!

The cafe was clean, tidy and inviting.

The food was exquisite. I can still recall the taste of the Eggs Benedict – especially the Hollandaise Sauce. The coffee: hmmm... And the date scone... aahhh!

Then we chatted with the duty manager, who said she had looked for a job in hospitality by eating at different places until she found one she enjoyed, and put her resume in – even though they were not looking for anyone at that moment. She told them she wanted to work where she enjoyed dining: they found her a spot on their team pronto. It was a stimulating conversation.

Great food, great ambiance, great staff: that is a dining experience. I will go again and again; and I will recommend them to any and everyone. Well done Savoire Cafe and Bar, in Beckenham!

http://www.savoirecafe.co.nz/ 

Want to stand out in a crowded marketplace (because we sure do have a lot of cafes in Christchurch)? Then give more than just a product, or service: give an experience. People will come back. And you will get noticed.

...Of Loyalty and other Quaint Notions

There is a young golfer - Korean-born, New Zealand-based - who has stunned the world with her talent. Lydia Ko is still only 16, but already she has won a number of tournaments as an amateur, and recently received special dispensation to turn professional: two years younger than the normal age. She stands on the brink of an amazing career, no doubt filled with many accolades and a secure financial future. Lydia's skill is undoubted, as is her single-minded focus. One would normally wish her all the success due her skill and effort.

Yet there is a sour taste in my mouth. For as she stands on the brink of sporting greatness, Lydia has chosen to part with the coach who has worked with her since she was five years old; a coach who has sacrificed countless hours of his time; pouring all his own skill and knowledge to raise this young woman to this place where now she stands. He now also stands ready to reap the reward for his labours: at last she can really repay him for all he has done for her.

And what is his reward? Within weeks of turning professional, Lydia has now moved to the United States (perfectly understandable), signed a major management contract (again, perfectly understandable); and sacked him as her coach.  Apparently she feels the distance will mean he can be of no value for her. And it would now seem the relationship was one-sided: she only sought to take, never to give.

There are three components to greatness: gifting; focus; character. Lydia has the first two in spades. But for me on the first hurdle she has failed the third: her choice has shown she has much to learn before greatness can be trusted in her hands.

As for Guy Wilson, her coach; he has been loyal, gracious, and humble in his response to her decision.

Greatness: of the two, it is clear for me where it resides. In Guy Wilson, a man of honour and loyalty.

... Of passing Giants

Mandela has died.

Silence for a giant.

Not perfect. Flawed, as are we all. But he will cast his shadow over us for decades to come. Steadfast, certain of the justice of his cause. Able to reach beyond his own pain to forgive, and so to commence healing in a shattered nation.

What can one man do? He can shape a nation.

What can one woman do? She can raise our eyes from what is to what can be.

Mandela was a giant. Honour his legacy by becoming a giant too.

...of Red and Black

Red and Black.

If you live in New Zealand, you will know that these are the colours of the Canterbury Rugby team: easily one of the finest rugby teams ever. Their success has always been built on teamwork, hard work, loyalty, and sacrifice. I love being a Canterbury supporter!

Red and Black are also the two colours of money. 'Being in the black' means you have it; 'Being in the red' means you dont.

The bitter truth for too many people today is that they live in the red all the time. Easy credit, powerful marketing, unending peer pressure, the demand for instant gratification: these all add up to the situation where for many the cost of interest payments alone soak up most of their income.

Fact: three young people I know each have debts in excess of $30,000 with little or no assets to underpin that debt. And that excludes their student debts for University educations. The annual interest for their debts is over $7000 each. It's crushing each of them: soaking the joy out of every day, and limiting their future choices.

The best favour we can do society is to find a tool to help us get out of debt. And when we are out of debt, to help others do the same.

Here's one very useful tool: I'm Getting Out of Debt   Thanks Dan and Ness for your hard work and your example.

Sure, there's a cost: but its no more than one good meal out. And what we get for nothing we often value as the same.

There are other tools. No matter. Pick one. Then stick with it. Get debt free. Then help another.

Less red, more black.

...of fire

Despite the loud clamoring of the most hardened atheists, people have a sense that they were made for a purpose. I have yet to meet a person moving joyfully from place to place, reveling in life because it is meaningless.

It goes deeper. We aren't just on a quest to find the general purpose of humanity - though that has its place of course. Instead, we are looking for our unique place in the grand scheme of thing.
And when we find that God-given purpose, our souls are set on fire. We find the abundant life that Jesus spoke about.

Purpose: we hunger for one. When we have one we live. Without one we merely exist.

...of Persistance

There's an old proverb that says a thousand mile journey begins with the first step.  How true! We all need to make a decision at some point to move from thinking about a project, or a relationship, or a job; to actually starting. Nothing happens until we start.

But for most of us, the paths of our past are littered with projects we have started, but failed to finish. That's because there comes a point where the energy from the enthusiasm of something new wanes, and we have to fall back on plain old commitment.

Malcolm Gladwell(  +Malcolm Gladwell Official Website  ) coined the idea of '10,000 hours to mastery'. It's a simple notion - as the best ideas always are - that giftedness can never replace persistent effort.

Of course, we need to learn what we are to practice, so our efforts make a genuine improvement. We need guidance, and mentoring. But simply put, there is no substitute for persistent effort. Want to learn the piano? Practice often. Want to master a new language? Practice often. Want to run a Marathon? Practice often.

Simple. Unfashionable. Essential.

... Of whole-hearted people

"And Levi left everything and followed him". Luke 5:28

Levi was a follower of Jesus. He was a tax collector when he first met Jesus. The more he saw of Jesus, the more he wanted to be someone different. And when Jesus finally invited Levi to join his band of brothers, Levi jumped at the chance. But there was a cost: one that Levi had to pay. He had to give up everything he had been, done and known up to that point.

Not some things: not most things; everything. 

We in the West live in a fantasy world where everything comes to us. Levi understood that the real world is different. To attain what really matters costs us all we have.

No problem if you don't want to pay the cost: just don't demand the prize.