Anything that combines writing, coffee, and conversation is a good thing in my mind. Today my writing time included getting together with my dad. These monthly get-togethers have a dual purpose.

One is that we are continuing a tradition started when I was in high school. At that time, it was Saturday breakfast once a month, but we have adapted to always coffee and sometimes lunch. We talk about many topics ranging from religion to politics, to family news to friend updates, to books to business projects. We can easily talk for two hours. (Today we had a hard time pulling ourselves away after three-and-half. I think we were making up for not meeting in December because of the holidays.)

The second reason is a collaborative project we have been working on for a year. We are hoping to complete it by the end of this year. It is a devotional based on Sunday School classes my dad taught using my Advent poetry book, While Bethlehem Sleeps. We are giving ourselves grace through the process. Collaborative writing takes more time because we need to consult with each other. Also, life happens. But, we are the goal planners, so it will get done.

What could be better than a year of coffee dates, especially with one of the greatest men that I know!