Who

K.J. Schiffman is a Christ loving coffee drinker who adores a good scarf. She writes curriculum full time for various church organizations, owns a design business, loves to organize things and drives her husband wild with activity on the weekends.



K.J. is also a contributor to the The Internet Cafe and writes near-daily devotionals at Exemplify.

You can hit her up here, see her other site here, see a favorite scarf of hers here or follow her on Twitter here.

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A Simple Why

The idea for this site, Christianity and Caffeine, was birthed after this Summer, which was a rough season on my heart. A season of unquenchable boredom. A season leaving me so desperate for challenge, it was only met at the feet of Christ.

It was then I began to feel the constant stirring in my heart that our Lord has so much more in store for us than we realize. We seem to settle so easily for the temporal things of this world forgetting the eternal glory promised to us.

C.S. Lewis sums my whole cry up as he wrote,

"Indeed, if we consider the
unblushing promises of reward and the

staggering nature of the rewards promised
in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord

finds our desires, not too strong,
but too weak.

We are half-hearted creatures,

fooling about with drinkand sex and
ambition when infinite joy is offered us,

like an ignorant child who wants to go
on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot

imagine what is

meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

We are far too easily pleased."

The mission behind Christianity and Caffeine is to explore more deeply our call to grow and to joy. It is to ask the questions I come across in this pursuit of holiness. It is to my desire, written, to start looking up when all else is looking down.

And it is my hope, we do this thing together, all while drinking copious amounts of coffee.

How

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

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Read more here...

When

Due to the fact I am quite the little night owl, most of my hard hitting questions will come way into the late p.m./ early a.m. hours.

Of course, in the morning, my thoughts and questions will be here awaiting all you lovely worm-getting, early birds.

(An example of one of my "hard hitting" questions: What awesome new music is there to be found on iTunes?)

What

It is the aim of Christianity and Caffeine to...

1. Encourage the study and daily application of God’s Word.

Anyone who knows me well knows I cannot stress enough how vital I believe God’s Word is. I’m not concerned with stuffing my head with knowledge, I’m into getting to know Christ more. And He continually meets me within the pages of His Word. Most of my writing at Exemplify is scripture focused and it is my hope others are encouraged to get to know Christ through His Word.

Here at Christianity and Caffeine, my purpose is to ask the questions we are all thinking and invite others to join the conversation. While Scripture is ALWAYS a main focal point, it may not always seem as obvious here.

2. Start an open dialogue on how daily life can and does invite us to get to know Christ more intimately.

It is my belief Christ is not sitting at church waiting around all week for us to come and talk to Him! The number one response I get to my blog Exemplify is that “it is about everyday stuff and about Christ – wow!” That statement always brings me joy because well, that is the point.

I actively look for Christ in the day-to-day and it is so awesome when I get to read what others are finding Him doing in their own lives. Next to the study of Scripture, this is the main purpose for me.

3. Express my thoughts on faith and life in an open creative format.

I like to do stuff. I enjoy activity. I’m going to write these thoughts whether or not I have a place to share them so if I can post them in an open creative format and point to Christ with even one word then I consider it a privilege to write here.

4. Have some fun.

I’m big on fun. I like to loosen up a little bit, share some of my “Lucy” moments and invite others in. I don’t know if I succeed at that always, but I do try. If you're familiar with my writing you know my favorite topics include: cooking disasters, coffee, coffee, coffee and of course, lattes.

Where

Great Websites

100 Days Until Christmas - Countdown to Christmas with daily tips to help keep the holidays organized and running smoothly! Awesome!

All Access - Ministry and women focused, which is cool. And of course, Big & Boo Mama post over there.

Christian Women Online - If you're a blogger, this is THE resource for you.

Finding Balance - This is an unbelievable resource for women who may struggle with eating or self esteem issues of any kind. I highly recommend it.


Internet Cafe - An excellent devotional source for women.


 

Awesome Blogs

Bring The Rain - The story behind this blog will break your heart and yet somehow lift your eyes to heaven in awe. Angie, the blog author, is amazing.

Under Grace & Over Coffee - Andrea is my BFF in the blog world. She writes from her heart, exuding Christ. Just read this snippet from her blog mission and you'll get it: "I don't pretend to be a theological expert, a motivational speaker, or even someone you should try to model. I am none of those. I am just one woman who loves Jesus so much that I can't help but share Him with you. You."

The LPM Blog and Website - These two resources for women are beyond awesome. The blog and website of Beth Moore (her daughters contribute too!).

Fun Blogs

Big Mama - The Big Mama Blog. For her fashion tips alone, this blog rocks.

Boo Mama - Boo Mama. Oh, how she makes me laugh.

Ministry So Fabulous - Never in all my life have I read the words of someone so hilarious and cute all at the same time! 
 

Lulaville - Genius.

The Life and Times of Eric's Wife - Hilarious blog and thought provoking, too. I love that mixture!

Writers Who Blog

An Open Book - Joanne's testimony alone warrants a blog visit! Not to mention her humor, biblical wisdom and love for the Lord.

Patterings - Patty writes about the day-to-day; not only capturing real life but also real faith.

LauraLee's Lifesong - LauraLee writes and lives the melody of her praise. 

In My Daddy's Arms - Laury writes straight from the heart. Her blog posts allow the reader to see perseverance hit the pavement.

Keep checking back here, I am adding every day.