Isn't It Time for a Coffee Break?: Doing Life Together in an All-About-Me Kind of World

by Amelia Rhodes

Filled with humor and Bible-based encouragement, Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break? offers a fresh perspective on relationships.

- Find practical ideas for reaching out to your neighbors and community.
- Discover the joy of living generously.
- Learn the keys to strong friendships.
- Overcome hesitations about inviting people into your home.
- Experience the freedom of forgiveness.
- Grasp your identity as God’s beloved child

With six short, easy-to-read chapters, this book is perfect for small group or personal use.

Drawing from her own life experiences and the stories of others, Amelia takes a closer look at doing life together according to God’s plan. Discover the joy of doing life together with God, friends, and the community around you.
- See more at: http://www.ameliarhodes.com/books/isn...

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Amelia communicates with the heart of a friend who is walking on a journey with you.

She is the author of "Pray A to Z: A Practical Guide to Pray for Your Community" and "Isn't it Time for a Coffee Break? Doing life together in an all-about-me kind of world." Her writing has also been featured in 4 Chicken Soup for the Soul titles and in the international devotional "The Upper Room."

- See more at: http://www.ameliarhodes.com/about/#st...

Reviews

[Jennifer Lay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally don't like reading, but with this book I just couldn't wait to read the next chapter. I was reading this with a group of friends and I had to keep telling myself not to read ahead. This is one book that I read all the way through and wouldn't mind to read over and over. What an awsome book!

[Jocelyn Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long believed that while social media can draw certain friends closer, it can also fool us into believing we have "enough" virtual connections online, so we don't seek out real friendships and community as much as we would otherwise. This is a mistake.

In her book Isn't It Time for a Coffee Break?, Amelia Rhodes jolts us awake to the fact that there is simply no substitute for flesh-and-blood relationships. Not only is life-together better for us as individuals, it's how God designed us to function--in community.

Amelia packs a one-two punch mixing down-to-earth examples from real life with the wisdom of the Scriptures. Thanks, Amelia, for urging me to get out there and do life together. This is a book to underline, dog-ear, and put into practice before you even reach the final page.

[Patty Hannahs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful, fresh perspective on the importance of taking time out of your busy schedule for friendships - something easy to skip during the busy "mommy years".

[Ibelisse Sánchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break? Author Amelia Rhodes undeniably thinks so. Her debut book by the same title challenges women to seriously consider making time for friendships with other Godly women as part and parcel of living life.

Rhodes offers a smooth and aromatic read you can visually gobble up in a few hours. This pop art-esque designed book offers a handful of spiritual seeds you can sow in order to reap a rich and overflowing brew of friendship.

Using a coffee metaphor skillfully woven throughout, Rhodes expands on the essentials of love, honesty, encouragement, prayer, generosity, hospitality, forgiveness, and unity. The author also graces the pages of her book with personal anecdotes harvested from her journey through friendship.

With discussion questions at the end of each chapter, this book is perfectly suited for a women’s Bible study or book club. It’s a wise handbook for women who desire to be more intentional in their relationships with other women.

As I read the book, I instantly thought of a particular friend God has blessed me with this past year. She’s a kindred spirit. It’s hard to imagine life without those types of friendships.

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has meaningful examples from the author’s life that will help you in your day to day struggles. It is mostly about how to get and keep friendships with other women. I gave this book 4/5 stars. I thought the idea of the book was great. I did at times, however, feel like the author was over explaining some of her points. Sometimes it felt like she was writing to a teenager instead of an adult. Overall it was a helpful book with practical advice. I would recommend the book to anyone wanting to grow their friendships with other Christian women. I would also recommend this book for a Bible Study or Sunday School Class to use.

I would like to thank the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

[Susie Finkbeiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this author used a blend of Scripture, personal stories, and creative ideas to craft a book about relationships and community. She writes with humor, vulnerability, and sensitivity. I appreciate the way that she looked to her friends and family for illustrations of how to build relationships. This book is fantastic for groups, a few friends, or to be read over a cup of coffee in your living room. It also makes a great gift.

A few extras that I really appreciate about this book...

~Practical, real life ideas for building relationships and community
~Clear, easy to follow links to Scripture
~LOTS of extra pages for taking notes
~Discussion questions after each chapter

Amelia Rhodes did a fantastic job on this book. I highly recommend it!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two paragraphs in to the introduction and I was hooked. I was reading a story I had lived. The rest of the book is a pleasant read as the author weaves personal stories in with biblical truth. This is a book women can enjoy, laugh with, and learn from. The discussion questions and pages for notes make it a good choice for a group study. The chapters would be easy and enjoyable homework ending with a fun discussion and a cup of coffee together as a group. I think it would be especially good for a brand new group just starting but any group would benefit learning to better live life together.

[Peter DeHaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia Rhodes shares her journey of forging friendships to build community in order to provide mutual support and encouragement. Each of her six chapters in "Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break?" cleverly builds on coffee metaphors – the aroma of relationships, brew a strong cup, the variety of blends, and so forth. In doing so, she uses personal narrative to show the value of pursuing deeper friendships.

Enjoy this book while savoring your favorite coffee concoction – and then share it with a friend.

[I requested an advanced copy of this book and offered to write a review.]

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Such simple & profound truths about why it's so important that we as Christian women live in community. Friendships with other women can be some of the hardest things in life, but so rewarding, as the author continually points out. I loved the discussion questions at the end of each chapter that really had you think through and apply the key points from each chapter. Great read!

[Sharon Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming bible-study guide that would be perfect for women's groups and small groups. Rhodes adds in stories of her life with great advice on how to become more involved in your community, be it spiritual or everyday life.

I appreciated the thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter and the generous amount of blank pages for notes. I look forward to reading more in the "Circle of Friends" series of studies.

[Amelia Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Full review can be read here.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia Rhodes is a local author so some of the people and locations she mentioned were familiar. We weren't put on this earth alone, and Amelia shows how God wants us to be in relationships with others.