CoffeeBreak With The Word

Early in the Second World War, May 1940, the British Expeditionary Forces in France were surrounded by German Panzer divisions and forced to retreat to Dunkirk. It looked like a terrible defeat was imminent, but then Churchill called for an attempt to rescue the army, using both military and civilian boats and ships.  In just […]

The old carol “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”  dates back to the early 17th century!  The lines invite us to let the story of the Baby’s birth that we anticipate through Advent to become a source of rest and comfort – “God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was […]

Our Christmas story is one everybody loves. What’s not to love about in the drama of a baby born in a stable, about Whom angels sang, and shepherds adored? Our nativity scenes clean up the barn and make the scene much sweeter than it probably was in reality. Our children reenact the story a million […]

The noisy declarations of pending disasters- political, natural, societal – can make tomorrow appear very dark, can’t it? That is why HOPE is so critically important. When a person gives up on life, concluding that there is no tomorrow, they ‘die’ even though their heart is stilling beating. Hopeful people live better lives. They are […]

Thanksgiving! About 55 million of us will travel more than 50 miles to spend time with our families. Tomorrow millions of Americans will pull up to a table with friends and family for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. My house will be full and for that I am thankful! When we sit down to feast there […]

At the beginning of Thanksgiving week my thoughts turned to gratitude. The first words of thanksgiving were the usual ones:  for family and friends, for love and relationships. The blessings of a comfortable home, abundant food, the material goods that I enjoy, and the privilege of living in a safe and secure place in this […]

Little Micah is a sweet little guy about 9 months old. He smiles when I see him, making sounds of contentment … until I pick him up and carry him where his Mom is out of sight. He doesn’t cry but the wordless sounds reveal that his heart is anxious. He wants his Mom. When […]

“I am so thankful that you are steady and grounded.”  She is dependable, self-aware, and faithful to the calling God gave. The wild swings of emotion that make life stormy for some do not rule her life. She is capable of being warm, loving, joyful, sorrowful, but her emotions enrich her life, not govern it. […]

As the sun slipped down over the horizon to the west a big, beautiful orb of light appeared in the east.  The moon was glowing, shedding soft light where I stood in the gathering night.  That nightlight is not nearly as bright as the sun, but it a reassuring presence in the night sky, something […]

Social media is a mixed blessing.  It is a great way to communicate, share ideas, and connect.  It is also unbelievably ‘fake.’ A ‘selfie’ (pictures of one’s self in case you didn’t know) can be taken over and over until just right tilt of the head, sweep of the hair, and smile is in place. […]