Lessons about Pain - Onward How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul

This week we studied "Pain" which can be a scary topic. I don't find many people who volunteer for a season of pain but "Pain" doesn't wait or expect volunteers. As we review this chapter in the book, we see pain shows itself when it becomes necessary for Schultz to close 600 Starbucks stores as a result of the decrease in sales and the economical downturn.

As Christians, we know that pain can come to us in the form of discipline by our Lord. Hebrews 12:5-13 tells us that God disciplines all of His children and He disciplines us because He loves us. It is important to remember that His discipline is painful for a while but in the end we share in His holiness. We can share in His righteousness if we are trained by the discipline.

During the class, we discussed how our motives, our attitude, and our actions can be renewed by our training. We shared how we had complained about having to go to work on Mondays. Some of us lost our job and experienced great difficulty in finding new work that would pay close to our previous salaries. Many have found new work and now we are thankful and our attitude is different and our words express "Thanksgiving" for His blessing. We now thank God for Mondays.

Let me share a word of caution. Please note that the enemy may attack you and try to counterfeit God's discipline. Please note that Satan's attack never yields sharing of God's holiness. Satan is only about condemnation. You must pray and ask for God's wisdom about what you may be going through.

How about you? If you are going through a painful time and you are Christian, God has “holy” results planned for you. We are told to be encouraged although it is painful. Your relationship with Him will be stronger.

Please feel free to share your experiences of how your relationship has been strengthened or how you have been trained as a result of God's discipline. Please add them to our comments section. You are an encouragement!

God's blessings to you,

Theresa

Business by the Book - Love 6/11/2011

It's hard to believe that it has been a couple of weeks since my last post but a number of things have occurred.  I have had a week long hospital stay which started as a result of unannounced "bell palsy" episode at church and a trip to the emergency room at St. Luke's Hospital in Houston, Texas.  I am very thankful for all my friends and support, the entire medical team and the wonderful care that they gave me.  I am recovering and getting back on track.

In spite of the hospital stay, we did start our first bible study class at Second Baptist Church and discussed Part 1 of the Book - Onward - How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon.

We followed the author's direction and called the first part of our study "LOVE". 

It is awesome to understand what your love or passion is.  Howard Schultz clearly defines his passion as "coffee" and his desire to create the "Starbucks experience".  

On the other end of the spectrum, it is very sad to not have experienced that passion or love.    As Christians, we know that God has given us a passion and the talents to fulfill and honor that passion.   Many times things in life will fight against the opportunity for you to experience that passion and you will lay it aside because you think it is impossible to attain.  I want to encourage you to visit that passion again.  I have found that if I allow myself a quick visit, the passion has this unbelievable attracting heat to it and it ignites my spirit anew. 

I was encouraged in this part of the book  because Howard Schultz gives a glimpse of how his passion plays out.  He writes that as the head of marketing for Starbucks, part of his job was to travel and  find incredible coffees for the company.  During one of his trips to Italy, he had this wonderful experience in a small coffee bar.  He was greeted by an older thin man which made Schultz feel as though he  was a regular customer.  Schultz states that it was as though everyone knew each other in the coffee bar and it appeared to be a "daily ritual."  Schultz watched the man as he made the espresso he had ordered and he realized that he was seeing this man's passion.  This scenario played out in many coffee bars as he walked the streets.   Schultz walks away feeling as though  that "the people were more like friends than customers".  

Sharing the vision
Mr. Schultz is very excited about recreating the experience in the Starbucks stores in America but his bosses did not share his dream of.   His idea was crushed but his belief was so strong that he left Starbucks. 

How about you?
Have you every had a great idea and you know that it has value or it can increase the value of the product or service that you are providing.  Perhaps it will decrease cost or improve employee morale but then you boss says "No".  What do you do?  This idea is your passion.

Not Now
This may have happened to you a long time ago and you have forgotten your passion.  You have tucked it away.  I encourage you to "Wake It Up."   Some of you have may have experienced that scenario very recently.  I say to you "Don't be discouraged".    I believe that God is simply saying  "Not Now".  Things are not right; conditions are going to change; your faith is being tested; stay steadfast.    If this is your God' given passion, opportunity will seek you out. 

Howard Schultz left Starbucks and started his own company.  Sixteen (16) months later, the owners of Starbucks had decided to sell their Seattle stores, roasting plant as well as the wonderful "Starbucks" name.  

God's "yes"  showed up 16 months later.  His "yes" for you  is on the way.   Hang in there with God; but as you wait, please make sure that  everything that you are doing now, do it as unto the Lord, do it with excellence and don't let anything steal your passion.

Talk to you next week,


In His Grace
Theresa