"Celebrating the moments of the day"

I recently went to check-in at a hotel for a conference I was attending. I was a little early, but I decided to go ahead and stop by the hotel and see if my room was available. The clerk indicated that the rooms were being cleaned and it would be just a few minutes. I decided to sit down for a minutes in the lobby and wait. It felt so good just to sit down for a few moments and just enjoy the moment.

Have you paused in your day just to enjoy this moment in time? For many of us, our schedules are busy and we have so many things to do. We rush from one detail to another. There are times when I enjoy a good cup of coffee when I am all alone and I can pause for a few minutes just to enjoy the moments of the day. Quiet moments can be special and offer new energy for the day.

Perhaps coffee is best shared with friends. I enjoy the opportunity to gather around the table in festive conversation as the day is enjoyed with other people. It is in such gatherings that we realize that we are not alone. There are others around us who share our joys, our sorrows, and our challenges. They help us to make the day special.

I hope your day will be special. Enjoy the day with others and celebrate the gift of life our God gives to us.

"What does it take to be the best?"

How do you really judge a good cup of coffee? What do you like a cup of coffee to be like? Do you enjoy a cup of flavored coffee or you would you prefer to stick with a more traditional coffee? There are so many different ideas and different ways of achieving the taste we like. I enjoy drinking coffee on many occasions, but there is nothing like the first cup of coffee in the morning. For me, the first cup is the best.

It's January and the race for the Super bowl is on. Who is the best football team? Who will win the Super bowl this year? Will it be the Pittsburg Steelers or will it be the Seattle Seahawks? It's exciting to see the teams trying so hard to be the very best they can be.

There are days when we are just not at our best. It might be that we are tired and we have lost our energy. It could be that we are sick and battling cold and flu symptoms. Perhaps there are other times when we simply get distracted by other things and the focus of our life might be shifted if only for a season.

There is good news that our God can come into our lives and bring us renewed hope, passion, and life. God can come to us in the seasons of doubt and distraction and give us a new hope for future days. As we strive to be our best, let us remember that we are not alone.

"So many choices"

Wilda and I really enjoy our freshly ground Columbian Supreme coffee by Millstone every morning. We have tried instant coffee and we have tried ground coffee, but nothing compares to freshly ground coffee in the morning.

We also enjoy the opportunity to stop in at Starbucks or Barnies Coffee Shop. I'm always amazed at how many different varieties of coffee they offer. There are so many choices. They have light roast, dark roast, latte, espresso, cappuccino, and everything in between. Sometimes it might seem easier if they served my everyday coffee without so many choices. But choices make the experience special and expose me to new possibilities.

There may be days when we would hope that other people would think like we do and react to life in the same way that we would. Plurality can bring tension, but it can also expand our understanding of life and new ideas. We learn from each other and life can be enriched because of these experiences.

Thank goodness for choices and the many special people that I learn from everyday!

Ed Galbreath

Ed Galbreath 

"Breakfast with Burl"

I can remember growing up in and around Savannah, Georgia during the early days of my life. One of the radio stations in Savannah had a very popular personality by the name of Burl Womack. His early morning show went by the name, "Breakfast with Burl." He would have his coffee cup in hand and you could almost smell the aroma. Burl had the unique gift and incredible challenge of making "morning special."

I saw a t-shirt one day that had these words on it, "I'm allergic to mornings." During my early days, I could clearly understand the meaning of those words. Some (like me) might chose to get up very early in the morning. Others, enjoy the late night and they are most productive when the sun goes down. In either case, there is something beautiful and positive about life. We live and breath in a world created so wonderfully by our God.

Feel free to join me when you have a chance for "A Coffee Break." Take a moment in the day and enjoy the aroma of life. Celebrate the giver of life as we share it with others.