55 Degrees

When I opened my restaurant in 2007, there were very few farmers who understood what we were trying to do to provide as much locally sourced food on our menu as possible. By the end of our 10 year run, I was turning farmers away. I had too much supply.

The demand changed when a new sports and entertainment arena opened just two blocks from our front door. Demand for our style of food decreased, which led to our eventual closing in 2017.

But circumstances change. Who would have predicted COVID-19? I can't blame circumstances for my demise. I must always be ready to rethink, reimagine and risk again.

Make today count.

Three years after our restaurant opened, my wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In this episode I tell about the support we received from our community as people came around us during the difficult time.

It makes me proud of what we built and the role it played in our community. We created more than a restaurant. We fashioned a place of connection, of conversation and celebration. The memories will carry on for a lifetime.

Here is a link to a YouTube video of the Breaking Bread event that was held in benefit of Karen's treatment.

Watch Breaking Bread - The Karen Shinn Benefithttps://youtu.be/8WlZivxqw8U

I self-published a memoir/cookbook in January 2020 about the 10 year life span of my little restaurant, bread&cup, in Lincoln NE. The COVID disruption slowed down my plans to promote the book, so I am picking those plans once again by sharing about how I chose to write it.

In this episode, I tell the story of how the idea for the restaurant began in December of 1994 and some of the thought process that led to my decision to leave my collegiate ministry career to follow my dream of owning a restaurant that had a primary focus on creating an environment for conversation and reflection

I explain some of the dynamics and risks associate with working with a spouse. I share about the demands on my body that I eventually had to reckon with. I try to give a clear picture of the rigorous, yet rewarding work of starting a restaurant.

If you are in Lincoln, you can pick up a copy of my book, bread&cup: Beyond Simple Food and Drink, at Francie & Finch Bookshop at 130 S 13th in downtown Lincoln, NE. or on my website at www.55degrees.us/shop

This is Part III of a 3-part series.

One of the most helpful discoveries for me in the last two months in dealing with grief has been the Enneagram. Unlike a personality test or profile, I found this tool to be particularly helpful in helping me bring closure to the unresolved conflict between my late wife and me. The finality of death ensures that conflict will never get talked through. But through the Enneagram, I've been able to find some missing pieces that helped me complete the picture that was my marriage of nearly 30 years.

This is Part II of a 3-part series.

One of the most helpful discoveries for me in the last two months in dealing with grief has been the Enneagram. Unlike a personality test or profile, I found this tool to be particularly helpful in helping me bring closure to the unresolved conflict between my late wife and me. The finality of death ensures that conflict will never get talked through. But through the Enneagram, I've been able to find some missing pieces that helped me complete the picture that was my marriage of nearly 30 years.

One of the most helpful discoveries for me in the last two months in dealing with grief has been the Enneagram. Unlike a personality test or profile, I found this tool to be particularly helpful in helping me bring closure to the unresolved conflict between my late wife and me. The finality of death ensures that conflict will never get talked through. But through the Enneagram, I've been able to find some missing pieces that helped me complete the picture that was my marriage of nearly 30 years.

For more information about the Enneagram, here are a few resources.

Discovering the Ancient Enneagram by Richard Rohr

Thanks for listening.

This is my inaugural episode on my personal podcast side of 55 Degrees. I've been writing a blog for years and have decided to expand my work into publishing spoken word as well as in written form.

It's my desire to use my voice to help you hear yours.

A paradox is the existence of two contradictory statements within the same situation. The global pandemic has caused severe loss, while at the same time, offers new opportunities for improvements, changes and discoveries to be found in the midst of it.

Much like my writing, future episodes will address personal discoveries, especially things I am learning about grief, recovery and hopefulness. It's my desire to use my voice to help you hear yours.

Thanks for listening

ks

Thank you for taking time to pay attention to this introduction to my new podcast, 55 Degrees.  I have been writing a blog for about 15 years, mostly about food through the lens of my work as a chef. But what many people don’t know about me is that I was a pastor for 18 years before I made the jump into my professional pursuit of cooking and owning a restaurant.

Towards the end of my ministry career in 2005, I realized I was telling students 15 old stories. I was relying on the past to reinforce my current faith. There was nothing new, nothing fresh flowing out of my heart. And thus my reason for leaving ministry was this; I had to leave the ministry to find my faith again.

And, wow, did I ever find it.

This podcast is the way for me to tell some of these new stories.

On Tuesday, November 22, 2016, I had an epiphany that set in motion a brand new era of my faith.  And wherever faith is, there is life, and wherever life is, it’s compelled to be shared.  So this podcast is simply a guy telling new stories in hope that though my voice, you might in turn, hear your own.

In future episodes, I’ll talk about how faith is producing a new sense of rest in my body and the role that sleep has taken in bringing my body toward wholeness.  I’ll share some of the new dreams I am having, and visions that are pictures of a better future I am pressing toward. I’ll share about what I mean when I say I am hearing God’s voice and what it looks like to have a conversation with God. I’ll tell you how I read the Bible differently now and how I embrace the promises within that are intended directly for me.

There are two major pet peeves of mine pertaining to podcasts.  I hate it when the host gets on and the listener has to wade through several minutes of drivel and chit chat before any content is started. The other is when the host says, “I don’t really have anything planned today, we’re just going to see where this goes.

I promise I will not do that to you.

If you're going to trust me with your time to listen, I will honor it by presenting stories that matter to me. I will not be winging it. I’ll be very intentional.

And since I’m just an average dude telling stories, I don’t have sponsors to satisfy and therefore you won’t have an ad to fast forward through.

So here we go. Thanks for listening.