This third volume of Faith Breaks contains 150 more insightful reflections from the beloved Dr. J. Howard Olds, heard over the radio in Lexington, Louisville, and Nashville for over two decades prior to his death in 2008. Faith Breaks, Volume 3: Even More Thoughts on Making It a Good Day reminds us to pause, take a break, and focus on what really matters: faith, hope, love, God, and family Includes a special foreword by Bishop Joe E. Pennel.

"Near the end of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, there is a word that has continued to stay with me. He said, 'The world breaks everyone. Then some become strong at the broken places.' As a pastor, I have seen people become strong at the broken places, and I have seenpeople become broken up at the broken places of life. I hope that the reader will learn how to assist those who are suffering, and will, at the same time, learn something of great value for living in these days." - Author Joe Pennel Unfortunately, suffering is a part of living. None of us have escaped this fact. Even so, it's difficult to know how to console someone going through a broken place. In The Gift of Presence, Bishop Joe Pennel offers practical help to give confidence and skill to clergy and laity serving the broken hearted. With a central message on the importance of simply being there, Pennelcombinespractical "how-to's" with prayers, readings, and services. This small, caseboundbook outlines real ways to help through planning visits, writing notes, finding scriptures and prayers to read, avoiding cliches, and thinking through the theology of God, humans, and suffering. The Gift of Presence includes pertinent topics such as: the ministry of presence, quietness, sincerity, and the art of helping. "I found Bishop Pennel's book to be concisely written, compassionately expressed, extremely helpful tool for anyone in relationship with someone suffering. Because all of us will be in such a relationship at some time in our life, [The Gift of Presence]would be a great read in preparation for life's difficult events." - Rev. Lori Lampert, Lead Associate Pastor, SchweitzerUMC, Springfield, Missouri " [The Gift of Presence]is both practical and contemplative encouraging the reader to remember why we are in ministry but also to pay attention to how we engage in ministry. I would definitely recommend this to any Stephen Minister program. We also have a Lay Counseling program where it would be very helpful. Frankly it would have been a wonderful book to receive before I started making hospital visits as a new pastor. Bishop Pennel has given us his gift of presence in the writing of this book. I appreciated his willingness to share his own stories of ministry and life as well as the knowledge he has gathered from several years of practical experience." - Rev. Barbara Miner, Assoc. Pastor, Floris UMC, Herndon, Virginia "I appreciated the sample letters and prayers found in The Gift of Presence. The chapters on 'Seven Simple Do's and Don'ts' and 'Common Responses to Suffering' will be helpful to Stephen Ministers." - Rev. Rick Plain, Minister of Pastoral Care, Los Altos UMC, Los Altos, California"

The Advent season is one of expenctancy and anticipation. But it is not fulfilled completely in the Nativity. For it is not until the Transfiguration that God's people can even begin to really understand what the fulfillment of God's promise might mean.
Joe E. Pennel Jr. takes his reader on that journey "From Anticipation to Transfiguration" with the sensitive insight that Christmas is not the end but the beginning of God's promise to his people.
Messages include:
- Shaped by the Future
- Away with the Stable
- The Called Ones
- Fog-Cleared Moments
and thirteen more
For use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries.
Joe E. Pennel Jr. is an ordained pastor in The United Methodist Church. He is currently serving as Senior Pastor of Brentwood United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. The sermons in this volume were prepared in the service of Belmont United Methodist Church, also in Nashville, Tennessee.