CONFESSIONS OF A STARBUCKS PASTOR

Recently I watched the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.  A chronological account of the book written by some of the soldiers who defended a terrorist attack against Americans working in Libya on September 11, 2012. Despite repeated requests for help, our government did not provide it. Drones in the area showed the rain of bombs and bullets in real time, our citizens were outnumbered and under armed.  Four were killed. The White House issued a statement saying that the attackers were an angry mob reacting to an Internet movie about Muslims and arrested a filmmaker.  Our soldiers were able to hear the news and at least one was able to call home during the attack and tell his wife that what was going on had nothing to do with a movie. In the four years since this horrific incident, much has been published and debated about what did or did not happen that horrible day. This has become a polarizing topic depending on your political affiliation. You will eit...

It's a new year. Everywhere we look or listen, a message about some form of "new you" confronts us. I don't make Resolutions anymore. I used to. One of the dumbest ones was in college when I vowed to only drink water for the rest of my life so my skin would be as lovely as a friend's grandma one day far, far away. After working with people for so many years, it occurs to me that there is one resolution we could all subscribe to every day. Chill out . Most of our stress resides in some barn corner of our minds where it replays itself until we are either in a tizzy or apologizing for our actions or words. I work on helping people get in their heads and tackle those nasty thoughts and step out of the stress cycle. Here are some of the tips I share that really work. You just have to remember them when life is blowing up or threatening to swallow you: Go Outside and Change Your View . Focus on nature. The clouds, the sound of a bird in a tree. The leaves blow...