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Coffee Break – 03.16.2015

It is starting to look like spring around here. Flowers are starting to pop up, the weather is warmer, and the spring peepers are making noise in the woods behind our house. I’m ready for it! The only thing keeping me inside right now is all the mud. So, until it dries, here are a few links to check out.

Coffee Break

There Is Only Coffee – I have heard both positive things and negative things about the newly formed Ethiopian coffee cooperative. This video paints it in a pretty good light, from the perspective of the Ethiopian coffee growers. The insights into the culture are pretty interesting.

Beautiful Landscapes And Mountains Of Transylvania – Regardless of whether Dracula lives here or not, Transylvania is a beautiful place. It is one of the top ten places I want to visit one day, with a camera in hand. These images are pretty stunning. Check out more images by this photographer at his website.

Why Digital Natives Prefer Reading In Print – In the continuing debate of print versus digital, this article brings some interesting thoughts, and comes from an unexpected generation.

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Memorize Scripture: Introduction To Philippians

Perhaps one of the most encouraging letters in the entire New Testament is the letter to the Philippians. As short as it is, it ranges from practical advice to intense worship, all in four chapters. Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi is one of my favorites, and is full of incredible stuff.

You can read Paul’s letter to the Philippians here.

Ruins at Philippi

Several years ago, I decided to make a stronger effort in my life to memorize Scripture. I began with the Sermon on the Mount, moved to a series of several key and favorite passages, and over the past three years, have worked on memorizing the letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus.

Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it becomes a bit more challenging. Some passages are easier to grasp than others it seems. But the effort has been well worth it, because I have a much more solid grasp on these portions of the Bible than I ever have before.

My next challenge to myself is to memorize Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. This letter is probably one of my most favorite portions of the New Testament, simply because it is so encouraging and full of incredible insights. It’s difficult to imagine how so much can be packed into such a short amount of Scripture.

I plan to begin memorizing chapter one next week. This week, I want to give a brief overview of the letter and an introduction to Philippians.

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Coffee Break – 03.09.2015

We were hit with another blast of winter over the past week. Snow. Ice. No school. Slick roads. I hope spring arrives soon! But, with all that spare time on my hands while snowed in, I found several interesting articles. Enjoy!

Coffee Break

Preparing A Traditional Turkish Coffee – I love trying new coffee, and new methods of making coffee. Some of the best coffee I ever tasted was while in Central and South America. This Turkish coffee looks very intriguing. I may have to give this a try.

The One Ring Explained – One of my favorite authors is J. R. R. Tolkien. I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, both the books, and the movies. This brief video explains the concept behind the One Ring.

13 Ways You Waste Your Money – A lot of these hit close to home. Others, not so much. With a large family like ours, we always look for good ways to save money. There are some god ideas here.

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Top Posts For February 2015

February was a very busy month around our home. Our newest addition was due to be born sometime during February, but we had three different due dates. We were kind of unsure when she’d be here. And she arrived before any of them!

Top Posts: February 2015

I am pleased to state that my newest daughter, Mercy Dawn, was born healthy and strong on the twelfth of the month. She had a bit of a breathing issue right off the bat, but that has smoothed out and everything is good, for both baby and mom.

I’m not getting much sleep however.

Along with that, the past month has been pretty busy across the board. Several snow days kept the kids at home and the foyer wet. A special speaker and new series at church kept the research side of my ministry hopping.

And I tried, through it all, to maintain a steady schedule of writing. I did, though, skip the entire weekend that Mercy Dawn was born. And even though that drove me completely nuts, it is alright. I know that.

Looking forward into the coming weeks, the spring is shaping up to be pretty busy as well. We are interviewing for a new staff member, have a men’s retreat in a couple of weeks, and a major week-long event just after Easter. Things will be crazy for a while.

But when are they not?

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Coffee Break – 03.02.2015

Two months into the new year already! That hardly seems possible. Snow and cold temps here to boot. That means we are staying indoors as much as possible. If you’re snowbound too, here are some great links to peruse with a cup of hot coffee.

Coffee Break

Iced Mint Mocha Recipe – Since it is so cold outside, this may not be the best thing to try right now. But turn up the heat, pretend it’s summer, and enjoy one of these cool drinks.

Darth Vader Reimagined – Someone has a lot of creative talent. And a lot of these images are downright awesome!

Gigapixels Of Andromeda – The heavens declare the glory of God! This brief video shows some of the highest resolution photos of our closest galactic neighbor.