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Coffee Break – 09.17.2018

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention. In 1872, Phillip W. Pratt patented a version of the sprinkler system. In 1937, Abraham Lincoln’s face at Mount Rushmore was dedicated. And in 1976, NASA publicly unveils its first space shuttle, the Enterprise.

Coffee Break

Today Is National Apple Dumpling Day!
Maybe you could watch The Apple Dumpling Gang!

Celebrity Coffee Commercials – Many famous people have advertised coffee over the years. Here are a few commercials for your viewing pleasure.

How To Layer With Style: 10 Rules For Layering Men’s Clothes – With colder weather approaching, additional layers will be helpful. Here are some rules to help you pull this off successfully, and not look out of place.

The Most Mysterious Thing About Edgar Allan Poe Might Be How He Died – I’m a big fan of Poe’s works. But did you know that the mystery of his death has never been adequately explained?

Extraordinary Octopus Takes To Land – The wonders of God’s creation continually amaze me. This video shows an octopus that can leave the water for a time, traveling across dry land from tidal pool to tidal pool in search of food.

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Measuring Life By The Homes We Have Loved

How A House Becomes A Home

Every now and then. I think about how life can be measured by different things, and recently, I have been measuring my life by the homes I have lived in.

Home

We are just a few weeks away from saying goodbye to a house that has been a good home for our family, and moving into a new building that I hope will quickly take on the characteristics of home.

Over the years, we have had several homes. Some have been houses that we simply lived in for a time. Others have developed that special quality that makes the building into something special. Some have become home.

I suspect that there is a lot more to this than just the physical buildings that we live in, those special qualities that make it meaningful. I suspect that it has to do as much with the community, and the friendships that we have developed, and the relationships between our own family members as we have lived, laughed and loved together inside these walls. Those are the things that make a building something special in our lives.

For instance, this is the building where my youngest daughter took her first steps, where my boys lost their teeth, where my daughters introduced their first boyfriends to their mother and me. This is a place where I can see the ghostly memories of small children digging holes in the back yard, of older children riding bikes, of sitting around a campfire or swinging on the playset.

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Coffee Break – 09.03.2018

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1189, England’s King Richard I was crowned in Westminster. In 1783, the Revolutionary War between the U.S. and Great Britain ended with the Treaty of Paris. And in 1954, The Lone Ranger was heard on radio for the final time after 2,956 episodes over a period of 21 years.

Coffee Break

Today Is Labor Day in the US!
Enjoy a day free from labor!

How To Brew Espresso In A Moka Pot – Moka pots are one of the most underrated items in most coffee brewing arsenals. I have one, and didn’t use it much, but once I learned how to use it properly, it can make some amazing coffee. You can get one at Amazon.

10 Questions To Test Your Style Knowledge – Just how stylish do you think you are? There are a lot of men who need to pay more attention to this area of their lives.

The Top Ten Most Important Ancient Documents Lost To History – I found this to be completely fascinating, but I wonder just how some of these qualify as “most important.” That seems pretty subjective. Nevertheless, it’s very interesting.

Pursuit – This summer has been pretty dry where I live, but the past week has brought in a few scattered showers. This storm footage, while violent, is strangely appealing right now.

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Threats And Gifts

Matthew 2:7-12

The second chapter of Matthew chapter two began by introducing the magi into the storyline. As they journey toward the Messiah, they seek help from Herod, who would rather eliminate any opposition to his power.

Threats And Gifts

The visit of the magi gave Herod the information he needed. He now knew where the Messiah was to be born, confirmed by the chief priests and scribes. Now, he decides to interrogate the magi further, to determine just when the star appeared. The purpose of this question was to find the age of Jesus, to narrow down his search. He was clever and crafty, but he sought Christ with wrong motives. His ingenuity was impressive, using the resources at his disposal, both the magi and the religious leaders, to discover the exact timing of the birth of Jesus.

From here, his deceit only gets worse. Herod sent them to Bethlehem. His goal was to use the magi to even further narrow his search for the child. His purpose was to find and kill the baby King, not worship Him! According to Jewish history, Herod had Aristobulus, the high priest, drowned by his companions while bathing. His political aspirations knew no bounds, using even religion to gain his own desires.

The magi continued on, probably suspecting the true nature of Herod. This would be confirmed to them by God later. For now, they continued to follow the star. In verse 9, Matthew states that it “stood over the place where the Child was.” For a star or planet to stand over any place or person, it must be in the zenith and have an altitude of ninety degrees. Even then, the distance is so great that it would be difficult to see it point to one specific location, even if it were a bright conjunction of planets. God can, and has, used naturally occurring events to make himself known, but this is probably a completely supernatural event, for the sole purpose of special revelation. Guided by such a star, the magi found Bethlehem by night and rejoiced.