A brief summary of what I’m currently reading or have recently finished, why I read it, and whether I’d recommend it. Although really, it’d have to be truly terrible for me to bother writing about a book I wouldn’t recommend…… Phantastes (George MacDonald) – Disclaimer: This might be the worst book I recommend. It may…
Complaining
I hadn’t been at my new job very long, maybe a couple of weeks and certainly less than a month, when I noticed a disturbing and unhelpful pattern of behavior occurring in my office on an almost daily basis. It would start with a round of heavy sighs and a disgusted shaking of the head…
A Plot Reserved for Weeds
“He who wants to keep his garden tidy does not reserve a plot for weeds.” – Dag Hammarskjold (as quoted by Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). I read that quote at some point in the last couple days, and it came to mind again as I was pulling weeds from…
Self-Help Limitations
Self-help books aren’t really my preferred choice of reading material, but a colleague gave me a copy of Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People a few years ago. In an effort to actually read the books I own rather than letting them sit on my shelf, I took it to work with…
Recent Reads, Volume XIV
A brief summary of what I’m currently reading or have recently finished, why I read it, and whether I’d recommend it. Although really, it’d have to be truly terrible for me to bother writing about a book I wouldn’t recommend…… The Lincoln Conspiracy (Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch) – For obvious reasons, I was originally…
A Push-Back Against Victim-Blaming
Last week I devoted some space here to address the way the church in particular has responded in the face of brutality and death over the last several months, and to plead for compassion and gentleness in the questions that we ask and the comments that we make. I also expressed my intention to cover…
A Plea for Compassion
I rarely touch anything that could be construed as a controversial topic, political debate, or current event in general, not just here, but in all my interactions. Most of the arguments I’ve come across are just that – arguments, especially on the internet. There’s no real effort to convince or persuade, and most are not…
Moses’ Shining Face
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ve been reading through Exodus in my daily Bible reading for several weeks. I’ve been mulling over chapter 34 for several days, particularly the last several verses. If you’re not familiar, Exodus 34 covers the second time Moses was on Mount Sinai, and verses 29-35 deal with when…
New Beginnings
A blank notebook. January 1. Moving to a new town, or beginning classes at a new school. There’s something alluring – albeit still terrifying sometimes – to most of us about fresh starts. Call it a blank canvas, a new beginning, a rebirth, whatever you prefer; we like the idea of starting again without the…
The Fickleness of Humanity
How fickle we humans are, how quick to doubt when it seems that the Lord is slow to act or has delayed in fulfilling his promises. I was reminded of this as I was reading in Exodus recently. When Moses was sent back from Midian to Egypt and he and Aaron first told the Israelites…