My mind would race, wander, and I would lose concentration when I would try to be still and pray. Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God…” but sometimes that being still part can be a problem. We all lead busy lives full of To-Do lists, places to go, children to pick up and drop off, laundry, dishes, etc. Bill Tenny-Brittian’s book, Prayer for People Who Can’t Sit Still, was the answer to my prayers. Bill, an adult who suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), showed me tips and techniques to keep my mind focused on God and let my prayers reach out to Him. A prayer journal, for example, was one of the techniques I walked away with. Don’t know what a prayer journal is, what to use for one, or even what to write? Have no fear; Bill will go over that too. I loved his conversational style and insightfulness. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve his or her prayer life.

When I heard the title of Ellie Roscher’s book about the year she spent as a mission volunteer in Uruguay, I thought of times spent in conversation with Uruguayans over cups of coffee that led to wonderful insights and great, mutual cross-cultural awakenings. Boy was I wrong!

I am no stranger to cross-cultural experiences, having been a Peace Corps volunteer for two years when that was still a relatively new thing to do, and later having spent a 6 month internship overseas during graduate school. So I can relate to much of what the author experienced. But Ellie’s experiences were also remarkably different from mine. Her struggles were more intense. Her accomplishments were more meaningful. Her insights gained were more profound.

Whether you have had an extended cross-cultural experience of your own or not, when you read How Coffee Saved My Life you will laugh, you will cry, you will see God at work in some of the most unique ways. If you have lived overseas you will reminisce over the good times you had and reflect back on the challenges you encountered. If you haven’t lived overseas but are thinking about it you will be both intimidated and inspired by what the experience might do to you and what you might be able to do with the experience.

This series of brief stories, quotes from spiritual thinkers both well-known and obscure, and diary entries can be read all at once, or used to fill those moments you set aside for reading in the midst of your busy life. I hope you will choose to read How Coffee Saved My Life. Figuring out what the title means is just one of the ways you will be amazed at the author’s remarkable experiences.