Lately my five year old son has been interested in learning how to play chess. I do not remember where he first saw chess being played or how he decided he wanted to learn how to play, but I have been happy to teach him. It is an exercise in patience, of course, because at five he does not necessarily understand all of the intricacies of the game, but he has come close to mastering the names of the various pieces and how they can move. Turns out, he even “taught” my wife how to play one day!

Chess is a fantastic game. It requires real concentration, attention and planning. It requires thinking ahead and planning for the future, asking questions and anticipating their answers. What will this move enable me to do next time? What am I trying to accomplish by trying to move this piece? But a good chess player must also be able to adjust his plans in response to his opponent’s moves. Before any of this is even possible, though, you have to know how to play the game! It would make no sense for me to try to teach my son about strategy without first telling him the names of the pieces and what they can and cannot do. Then he can learn how to use the pieces wisely to accomplish his goals while protecting his king. A wise chess player knows how to use each of the pieces together in order to win; it would be difficult if not impossible to win a chess game using only one piece. Chess is also very unique in that any player can always improve. It is not simply a matter of learning how to play, and that’s it. Each time the game is played, the players are confronted with different scenarios, depending on the opponent and his strategy.

In many ways, life is like chess. Life is always changing. We can never know for sure what lies ahead or what obstacles may be in our way. Even our best-laid plans may be impacted by the unexpected circumstances of life. But we can learn the basics of responsibility, honesty, courage, determination and dedication. We can learn how to respond appropriately when we come upon something unexpected. A wise chess player does not overreact or give up when his opponent makes an unexpected move that derails his plans. Likewise, a responsible adult does not overreact or give up when things do not go his way or when life just doesn’t seem fair.

A wise chess player also looks to see what the consequences of a certain move would be before he makes the move. If he just moves pieces here and there without looking to see what the moves might allow his opponent to do, he will be defeated easily. In life, we have to look to see how our actions will impact others, as well as what the consequences of our actions will be. Responsible adults think before they act.

The fact that we never know what life will send our way does not mean, of course, that we do not make plans. It means that we make plans and learn to be flexible when things do not go as planned. We pray, seek the Lord’s guidance and direction, and plan accordingly, but we adapt when things do not adhere to our plan. Furthermore, just like a good chess player would never use only one piece, we learn that it is almost impossible to make it through life “on our own,” never asking for or accepting help from others. Finally, mature adults don’t settle for mediocre, average or “okay.” All of us have room for improvement. We may know how to play the game, and we may even do it well, but there is always room for improvement.

Here we are, finally…a look at the books I read in 2011. Then I can get back to blogging about other things, most of which will probably prove more interesting than a reflection on my reading habits over the past five years!

The first book I read in 2011 was Sarah Palin’s second offering, America By Heart. Combining accounts of her travels around the country to visit with voters and deeper examinations of her convictions and policy commitments, I found it a good book. It would be particularly helpful if Palin ever decides to run for public office again, but even if she does not it will be appreciated by any who want to know more about Palin in her own words, as well as anyone who enjoys the political scene. I also read George W. Bush’s memoir, Decision Points. In fact, I read several memoirs of Bush Administration officials during 2011, as I will highlight shortly, which proved to be particularly interesting since not having long gaps between reading them makes it easier to identify slight discrepancies or matters of opinion in recollections of certain events, and helps put various pieces together into full pictures. I enjoyed Bush’s book. It provides a nice survey of his years before the White House, and is honest about his academic struggles, struggles with alcohol, and other things that he would not necessarily have had to address. Later in the year I read Tim Pawlenty’s Courage to Stand. At the time, Pawlenty was a likely candidate for the GOP nomination in the 2012 presidential race–a position he later formally announced–but he did not last long in the race, choosing to drop out after the Iowa Straw Poll. I won’t use this space to discuss that in much detail other than to say that to drop out after the Iowa Straw Poll is a clear indication to me of someone who is not really committed to running for President or ready for what the race will entail. (And as a side note, his hasty departure was disappointing to me, but I would prefer someone who is not committed to what it will take to drop out sooner than later, so in that sense it was good). I later read Herman Cain’s This is Herman Cain!, a short book that did not really do much to increase my interest in Cain as a serious candidate for the nomination, but a helpful read for anyone interested in knowing more about his background and policy ideas. It was ambitiously subtitled “My Journey to the White House,” a journey that has since, of course, come to a premature end. Dick Cheney’s In My Time is a thorough look at Cheney’s entire career in Washington, which is much more extensive than his eight years as Vice President. Reading it will likely dispel any suggestions made by many that Cheney was not qualified to be VP, but will not likely change any opinions about his churlishness. Meghan McCain’s Dirty Sexy Politics is a very unique look at the 2008 presidential race from the perspective of the adult daughter of John McCain who was on the campaign trail, but marginalized by the campaign. She is not shy about the fact that she does not fit many of the stereotypes of a Republican, and she unashamedly embraces positions that many, including her father, do not. Parts of the book are unnecessary and immature, but for political junkies it is an interesting read. Finally, Condoleezza Rice’s No Higher Honor rounds out my Bush-era memoir selections. It is a good book, extremely literate and detailed, and is the longest of the three by a substantial margin. As I mentioned, it is very interesting to see some of the differences between Bush, Cheney and Rice. Rice has high regard and respect for George Bush; she often clashed, however, with Donald Rumsfeld and not infrequently with Dick Cheney.

My first book in 2011 in the area of spiritual development and Christian living was Brother Andrew’s The Practice of the Presence of God. It is an excellent look at what it means to take joy in serving God regardless of how insignificant the service may seem from a human standpoint. J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom’s Lead Us, Guide Us is an excellent book on seeking, identifying and following the will of God. Phillip Keller’s Lessons From a Sheep Dog is a short and easy to read book that provides some insights into the Christian life through lessons Keller learned from his sheep dog. Andy Stanley’s The Best Question Ever is another good book about following the Lord. John Piper’s The Passion of Jesus Christ is an excellent look at that subject, and Erwin Lutzer’s One Minute After You Die is an informative examination of what we can know about Heaven…and Hell. John MacArthur’s Slave examines the usage of that word in Scripture and its implications for what it means to completely follow Christ. Rocking the Roles is Robert Lewis and William Hendricks’ look at the roles in a marriage relationship. Robert Morgan’s The Red Sea Rules is a short book that examines lessons that can be learned from the Israelites encounter at the Red Sea and applied to the Christian life today. Kyle Idleman’s Not a Fan is a good book that examines how many Christians behave toward God like fans rather than committed followers. R.C. Sproul’s commentary John, on that gospel, is a thorough examination of the book that reads more like messages from the text than a verse by verse commentary–which is appropriate, since that is what it is. And Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts is a thought-provoking book written in a unique style (sometimes like a stream of consciousness) that reminds the reader of the importance of giving thanks to God, and looking for reasons to give thanks–and the impact that living that way will have on one’s attitude and interaction with others as well as with the Lord.

I also read a considerable amount about education in general and Christian in particular during 2011. Neila Connors’ If You Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students is an easy to read book that reminds education leaders about the importance of providing encouragement, feedback and social interaction opportunities for teachers. James Deuink edited A Fresh Look at Christian Education, which provides essays on a variety of school-related topics from faculty members of Bob Jones University, and he also edited Preparing the Christian School for the 21st Century. Ardell Jacquot’s Guide to Successful Christian Teaching is full of practical advice for the Christian school teacher. Howard Hendricks’ Teaching to Change Lives is beneficial reading for any person who teaches, at any level or in any setting. Charles Walker and his son Brian provided an updated look at John Milton Gregory in their book A 21st Century Perspective of the Seven Laws of Teaching. E.D. Hirsch, Jr.’s Cultural Literacy is a further examination of that subject, including curriculum suggestions. Douglas Wilson’s The Case for Classical Christian Education does a good job of laying out exactly that, and his Repairing the Ruins provides further examination of the subject. Richard Whitmire’s The Bee Eater examines Michelle Rhee’s efforts as chancellor at reforming the public school system in the District of Columbia. Dayton Hobbs’ Classroom Discipline From A to Z is a practical guide for classroom teachers. Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise provide an outstanding examination of the benefits of classical education in The Well-Trained Mind and explain how parents can provide a classical homeschool education. Leigh Bortins, founder of Classical Conversations, also expounds on the benefits of the classical model in The Core. Glen Schultz provides a strong case for the need for Christian education in Kingdom Education and outlines what it should look like. Frankly, I found it much more informative and worthwhile than ACSI President Brian Simmons’ Worth It, which is supposed to justify the cost of Christian education. Gordon Brown’s Guiding Faculty to Excellence is a good book and a valuable resource for Christian education leaders, and Kenneth Gangel’s Team Leadership in Christian Ministry will be valuable reading for leaders in any Christian ministry. D. Bruce Lockerbie’s A Christian Paideia is a collection of speeches and articles Lockerbie has presented, but it provides one of the strongest cases of the need for Christian education and what it should, and should not, include that I have seen.

In the area of history… James Swanson’s Bloody Crimes continues his examination of events following the Lincoln assassination, and in this case looks specifically at the retreat of Jefferson Davis through the South. An excellent book. Nicholas Best wrote an interesting look at the final days of World War I in The Greatest Day in History, and understanding the events covered in this book goes a long way to understanding how not too long thereafter the world found itself in the midst of World War II. Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken is an amazing story of the life of Louis Zamperini. Parts of the book, quite honestly, are hard to read, and if it were a fictional story there are times when one would easily accuse the author of piling on unnecessarily, stretching the string of things one person must endure to unbelievable extremes. The fact that it is a true story makes it absolutely incredible, and the power of the Gospel that is seen throughout the story is also terrific. Eric Metaxas’ Bonhoeffer is a very thorough examination of the life of the German theologian and his efforts to defeat (even to kill) Adolph Hitler. Basil Miller’s George Muller: Man of Faith and Miracles is a short and easy to read look at the incredible life and ministry of Muller. Walter Borneman’s 1812 is an interesting look at the War of 1812, and Joseph Ellis’s First Family is a very readable and fascinating look at the Adams Family, but John and Abigail in particular. Ron Chernow’s Washington is a massive biography of our first president, but very well done and incredibly interesting. It draws substantially on Washington’s own letters and journals. David Hackett Fischer wrote a wonderful biography of the explorer Samuel de Champlain in Champlain’s Dream, a book that, because of Champlain’s involvement of so much of French history in the new world for so long, also provides an insightful look at that subject. Candice Millard wrote a fascinating book in The Destiny of the Republic, one that’s primary focus is the assassination of James Garfield, but that examines the life of the assassin and the scientific developments of the era in general and the work of Alexander Graham Bell in particular, in the process.

My fiction reading again included works by John Grisham, David Baldacci, James Patterson and Jeffrey Archer. It also included The Sonderberg Case by Elie Wiesel, and the classics Mutiny on the Bounty by Nordhall and Hall; Pygmalion and Candida by George Bernard Shaw; To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf; The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky; and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I will not go into any detail other than to say that I am completely at a loss as to why Woolf’s book is considered one of the greatest of the 20th century and Dostoevsky’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, novel ever written. They certainly did not have that impact on me.

One interesting autobiography that doesn’t really fit into any of the categories above is Dick Van Dyke’s My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business. It is interesting for its content about his personal life and his involvement in show biz, but there is a part of the book that has really stuck with me that concerned his experience in church. van Dyke discusses attending church growing up, reading the Bible and even many deep-thinking theologians, serving as a Sunday school teacher and an elder in the Presbyterian church. However, when Van Dyke and another elder suggested during the Civil Rights movement that their church partner with an African American church in town to facilitate better understanding and relationship building, and to include each attending a service at the other church, other elders said in no uncertain terms that blacks had never been in their church and never would be in their church. When this attitude was not confronted and defeated, Van Dyke left the church and has never been back. A convicting reminder that it can take the stupidity and bigotry of only one person to destroy the testimony of Christ.

So, there we are…a look back at five years of reading. It seems pretty clear to me that my reading is defintiely confined, for the most part, to history and politics, Christian living and spiritual development, leadership and education, baseball and fiction that usually is along the lines of mystery, intrigue and crime. I don’t really foresee that pattern changing anytime soon, but who knows…. I always have a long list of books waiting to be read, and I often have two or three going at a time. But I am also always looking for good books…so if you have a suggestion, let me know!

And now it is time to look back at 2010…

My reading included a variety, as usual. With 2010 being an election year I was–as I always am during election years–thinking a lot about politics, so my reading at the beginning of the year included a couple of books about politics and, specifically, campaigning: The Political Campaign Desk Reference by Michael McNamara and Campaign Bootcamp by Christine Pelosi, daughter of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. I found both very interesting reading, but I would not recommend them for anyone not considering running for office him- or herself or seriously interested in the cost (financial and otherwise) of running for office in the United States.

A variety of spiritual development and Christian living book populate my 2010 reading list, including Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders, a classic on the subject; Being Christian by Stephen Arterburn and John Shore, a good book for new Christians especially; Crazy Love by Francis Chan; Fearless and Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado; Experiencing the Resurrection by Henry and Mel Blackaby; A Tale of Two Sons by John MacArthur; Kevin Lehman and Bill Pentak’s short book The Way of the Shepherd; How Should I Live in This World? by R.C. Sproul; Dual Citizens by Jason Stellman; and Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. I also read Alex and Brett Harris’s book targeted at young people, Do Hard Things.

In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen is a short but powerful book about what it means to be a leader in accordance with biblical principles, drawing on both Satan’s tempting of Jesus in the wilderness and Nouwen’s own experiences at L’Arche. C.J. Mahaney’s short book Humility: True Greatness is also powerful, and convicting. Joe Stowell’s Jesus Nation is an excellent book highlighting how believers’ lives should be impacted by, and evidently show, their relationship with Christ. John Ortberg’s The Me I Want to Be is perhaps the best book in this category that I read in 2010, though, and is probably the book that I have given to more people than any other book I have read in recent years. In his trademark style Ortberg articulates what living the Christian life should look like…and why it is harder than it “looks.” One friend to whom I gave the book commented later that it might have been more accurately titled “The Me I Should Want to Be.” It goes very well with the aforementioned Stowell book, too, and perhaps even better with another Stowell book I read in 2010, Why It’s Hard to Love Jesus. And Chip Ingram’s Holy Ambition is an excellent examination of what it means to seek and follow God’s plan for your life regardless of cost or other human obstacle.

There was a large number of fiction books again, including titles by James Patterson, David Baldacci and John Grisham, including his first offering in the genre of youth fiction. I also read Michael Crichton’s last book Pirate Latitudes, an interesting entry into what was at the time a very popular subject area, and one that, to me, is far more enjoyable than the various Disney movies that seem to have sparked the recent increase in books and movies around that time period. I decided to branch out and read several new or new-to-me authors in the field of contemporary fiction. Mark Mills’ The Information Officer, a fictional look at a very specific niche of World War II, with a British officer attempting to influence the news on Malta, was an interesting read. Another new author for me was Elizabeth Lowell, and her Blue Smoke and Murder weaves a tale that includes the art world and ruthless intrigue, putting together (of course) a male and female team that eventually overcomes all of the obstacles to their success. In some ways it reminded me of some of Baldacci’s work. Eric Van Lustbader’s First Daughter is about an ATF agent who lost his own daughter, and must now lead the search for the kidnapped daughter of the President-elect, who was his own daughter’s best friend. Elizabeth George’s Careless in Red was my first exposure to her famed Inspector Linley. Joseph Finder’s Vanished is another in the sometimes-predictable field of individual agents overcoming insane odds to defeat vast conspiracies in the defense of a loved one (akin to the Jason Bourne movies). Jeffrey Archer’s And Thereby Hangs a Tale is a nice collection of short stories that I found very enjoyable. And my classic fiction reading for 2010 included Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, George Orwell’s 1984 and Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. The first two were interesting enough, but I highly recommend the third.

History selections included Thomas Fleming’s Washington’s Secret War, a very interesting look at how Washington dealt with behind-the-scenes efforts by some in the Army to remove him as commander of the Continental forces. Nathaniel Philbrick’s Mayflower is a fantastic look at the settling of the colony at Plymouth Rock, the relationship between the Pilgrims and Strangers and the Native Americans in the area in the years shortly after the Europeans’ arrival, but also the relationship between the groups for decades after. James Horn’s A Kingdom Strange is a look at the “Lost Colony” that Sir Walter Raleigh planted on the Outer Banks of North Carolina; Steven Waldman’s Founding Faith is a thorough and careful examination of the religious convictions of the Founding Fathers; and Harlow Giles Unger’s Lion of Liberty is a well done biography of Patrick Henry.

In the area of autobiographies, R. B. Mitchell’s book Castaway Kid is moving account of Mitchell’s years growing up in a children’s home, occasionally visited by his mother, who was not emotionally able to care for him; secretly rejected by his father’s family, though they allowed some visits; an never quite able to understand why he could not live permanently with his grandmother. In college Mitchell would accept Christ and meet his future bride; after graduation he became a very successful businessman. Still Standing is Carrie Prejean’s look at what it was like to be ridiculed for opposing same sex marriage in answering a question in the Miss USA pageant. No Apology is Mitt Romney’s look back at his life and his 2008 presidential bid, and mostly a defense of his positions on various issues. Spoken From the Heart is Laura Bush’s autobiography, a well-written and interesting book.

Dawn Jewell Herzog’s Escaping the Devil’s Bedroom is another book about global sex trafficking and the power of the Gospel, a hard-to-read but still-necessary book along the lines of those by Haugen and Batstone addressed in my reflections on 2009.

Other books included The Only Game in Town, Fay Vincent’s fascinating oral history of baseball stars from the 1930s and 1940s; Jason Turbow and Michael Duca’s The Baseball Codes, a fascinating look at some of the unwritten rules of Major League baseball; Mona Charen’s Do-Gooders, an examination of how many of the programs and policy initiatives of the political left may in fact hurt those they purportedly are designed to help; E.D. Hirsch, Jr’s The Schools We Need is a sharp reproach of the inferior level of education provided in public schools and the importance of cultural literacy; and Lee Cockerell’s Creating Magic examines the “Disney Way,” the secrets of the incredibly strong culture among Disney employees and the high level of customer service and corporate pride at all Disney properties.

One more year to go…then I’ll get back to blogging about things other than my reading habits.

In 2009 I was still working on UNTO THE LORD, as is reflected in my reading of the following titles: Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, and Death by Meeting, John Maxwell’s The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player, Jon Gordon’s The No Complaining Rule and Training Camp, Matt Williams’ How to Be a Team Player…and Enjoy It!, and Quint Studer’s Hardwiring Excellence. There are valuable insights in each of these books. I took much from Studer’s, proving, among other things, that leadership principles are transcendent, since Studer is a hospital executive. But if I had to recommend just one of these books it would definitely be Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Lencioni does not write from a biblical perspective, and I do not know that he is a believer, but the key points of this book are biblical, and the principles of the book are essential understanding for any effective team.

By way of spiritual growth and Christian living, Chuck Swindoll’s Improving Your Serve is a good book for an attitude check and the reminder that Christians are to lead by serving; Jack Eggar’s The Return of a Mighty Church provides a succinct examination of some of the things the modern church needs to remember in order to effectively reach the lost; Janet Paschal’s Treasures of the Snow is a personal and poignant look at the strength and comfort that God can provide during a time of very personal struggle–in this case breast cancer; Ravi Zacharias edited an excellent book of thought-provoking essays entitled Beyond Opinion; Jonathan Falwell’s One Great Truth is a satisfactory examination of the practical implications of Paul’s statement “Not I, but Christ;” Joe Stowell’s Perilous Pursuits is a good reminder to pursue those things that really matter…not the temporary things that the world says are important; Erwin Lutzer’s The Vanishing Power of Death is a short but powerful examination of why death is not scary for the Christian (my grandmother gave me this book, and it had special meaning to me when she went home to be with the Lord the following year); and Max Lucado’s Just Like Jesus is a poignant but easy-to-read in Lucado style tome. The most convicting book I read though, and one I highly recommend, was Jerry Bridges’ Respectable Sins.

I read a variety of history in 2009, too, including Gordon Wood’s Revolutionary Characters, which looks at some of the more influential characters of the American Revolutionary War era; Freeman Cleeves’ biography of our ninth president, Old Tippecanoe; Joseph Ellis’ American Creation and Bernard Bailyn’s To Begin the World Anew, both about the founding era; Buddy Levy’s biography of Davy Crockett, American Legend; and, fast forwarding to World War II, Jennet Connant’s The Irregulars, a look at the British spy ring in Washington, D.C. that included Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming.

For more contemporary political history I also read Valerie Plame’s autobiographical Fair Game; Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope; Mike Huckabee’s Do the Right Thing; Lorenzo Benet’s biography of Sarah Palin, Trailblazer; and Palin’s autobiography, Going Rogue.

Fiction selections included these contemporary offerings: Jeffrey Archer’s False Impression; David Baldacci’s Divine Justice, Simple Genius, The Collectors and First Family; John Grisham’s The Associate and Ford County; James Patterson’s Cross, Double Cross, Run For Your Life and Step on a Crack; Brad Meltzer’s The Tenth Justice; and Alison Hoover Bartlett’s The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. Classic fiction included Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories; William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury; Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Return of Sherlock Holmes; and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. I also read William Young’s The Shack in 2009, and I have to say I am still undecided as to whether I liked it or not. I agree with some of the points Young made, consider others with skepticism at best or disagreement at worst. However, a comprehensive review of the book is not called for here.

Two books that I read in 2009 that were hard to read because of their subject matter were Gary Haugen’s Just Courage and David Batstone’s Not for Sale. Batstone’s is particularly hard to read. The subject matter of these books is the slavery of people around the world, often overlooked or ignored, that is in reality still incredibly–and disturbingly–prevalent. The content of the books is disturbing but necessary, and I am thrilled that the books have prompted some individuals and groups to take definite action in combating forced labor and sexual slavery.

Elizabeth Edwards’ Resilience is a short but profound and thought-provoking book. I did not agree with Edwards on many political issues, but the way in which she handled herself in light of her own breast cancer and her husband’s infidelity is admirable. Marlee Matlin’s I’ll Scream Later is at times disturbing, at times disappointing, but overall a unique look at the life of America’s most successful deaf actress. And Jodee Blanco’s Please Stop Laughing at Me is a book far too many young people today could identify with, and provides excellent evidence of the kind of bullying that until recently received far too little attention.

And, lest you think I skipped any sports books in 2009, I did read Dave Winfield’s Dropping the Ball.

I hope I’m not boring you, but like I said, this is more personal reflection than anything else, and I am enjoying this look back at my reading habits. It is fun to see what I was reading and when, and to remember the details of the various books. Sometimes I can even remember where I was or specific things that were going on when I read some of them, or conversations that I had with certain people about some of the books while I was reading them. Fortunately, I have not yet come across a title and found myself thinking, “I don’t remember that book at all… Did I really read that?”

Two more years to go….

Moving on to 2008… In July of 2008 I experienced an issue with my health that would put my mostly out of commission for several weeks, and resulted in me going for nearly a month without completing a book as I literally did very little of anything. (Thank goodness the first season of Matlock had just come out on DVD; I watched lots of Matlock during those weeks!) Still, I managed to finish the year having completed exactly 50 books.

There are, again, a number of books that reflect my work with young people, including Kevin Lehman’s Have a New Kid by Friday, and two that reflect my interest at the time in exploring the messages our culture sends to young people through media: Alissa Quart’s Branded and S. Lamb and L.M. Brown’s Packaging Girlhood.

A large number of the books I read in 2008 though were related to my study of what it means to be a Christian in the workplace–to reflect Christ in day to day activities at work regardless of position. This study ultimately led to the development of UNTO THE LORD: The Roles and Responsibilities of the Christian Worker. Thus far it is only a multi-session training curriculum that has received very positive reviews from those who have participated, but I hope it will someday be a book, too. But the books I read in my study included John Marchica’s The Accountable Organization, Bruce Katcher’s 30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers, R.T. Kendall’s Controlling the Tongue, John Trent’s The 2 Degree Difference, Chip Ingram’s Good to Great in God’s Eyes, Beth Moore’s When Godly People Do Ungodly Things, John Townsend’s Whose Pushing Your Buttons?, John Maxwell’s The 360° Leader, Dan Allender’s Leading With a Limp, Ken Sande’s The Peace Maker, Lou Priolo’s Pleasing People, and John Ortberg’s Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them. There are valuable lessons and insights in each of these books and I would likely recommend any one of them at one time or another to different people and in different situations. If I had to select just one to recommend from this list, though, Allender’s book is a great exploration of what true leadership is…and isn’t, and that would be the standout of the bunch.

I also read Marcus Buckingham’s trilogy of books on identifying and implementing strengths in the workplace, First, Break All the Rules (with C. Coffman), Now, Discover Your Strengths (with D. Clifton) and Go Put Your Strengths to Work. All three were valuable, and include lessons applicable outside of the workplace, as well–to Christian ministry, for example, even volunteer ministry positions within the church.

Spiritual development and Christian living books in 2008 included Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn’s For Men Only (an excellent book for men wanting a better understanding of their wives in general and how a woman’s mind works differently than a man’s in particular), Surrender by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (a small but powerful book), The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan (who has become a favorite contemporary Christian writer and an excellent expositor of thought-provoking reflections on applying Scripture), Desiring God by John Piper (if you are familiar with John Piper at all you have likely at least heard of this book; and if you want to understand the concept of “Christian hedonism” on which the majority of Piper’s ministry has been based this is a must-read), God is Good by Tony Beckett (another easy to read book with very relevant insights) and The Grand Weaver by Ravi Zacharias (in my mind, you cannot go wrong with anything written by Zacharias). I also read Buchanan’s Hidden in Plain Sight, a powerful examination of 2 Peter 2:1-9 in which Buchanan identifies and explores the virtues that should be evident in the Christian life. I end with this book for this section because it is the one I would recommend, if I had to pick just one, from the books mentioned in this paragraph.

There was some fiction in 2008, too, including the classic children’s favorite Stuart Little by E.B. White, the Christian classic Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, and Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, the 1921 Pulitzer Prize winner for Literature. More contemporary fiction offerings included David Baldacci’s The Camel Club, the introduction to his recurring set of characters by the same name, and John Grisham’s The Appeal. In fact, I read a good bit of both Baldacci and Grisham in 2008, with Baldacci’s Stone Cold and The Whole Truth and Grisham’s Bleachers and Playing for Pizza rounding out the list. Baldacci’s books would be great for anyone who enjoys conspiracy theories, in particular. Bleachers is Grisham’s short book about adult males returning to their hometown after the death of their high school football coach, and Playing for Pizza is a look at an NFL quarterback whose career is in the dumps who decides to head for Italy to play in a new Italian football league. Were this book made into a movie, and the pre-marital sexual activity left out (though it is not portrayed graphically in the book) it would be an almost-perfect combination of sports movie and chick-flick. I also read Randy Alcorn’s Safely Home. While this is a work of fiction, it is a powerful book examining the persecution of Christians in China.

As for 2008’s non-fiction selections, I read James Swanson’s Manhunt, an outstanding book on the weeks following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the escape route of John Wilkes Booth, and the ensuing hunt to find Booth and his accomplices. The book was particularly meaningful for me since I grew up in Southern Maryland right where many of the events take place, but I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in that era of American history. Angus Konstam’s Blackbeard is an admirable biography of that most-famous of American pirates for anyone interested in that sliver of history. Kenneth Walsh’s Feeding the Beast is a decent look at the way media, particularly in this age of 24/7 news, relates to politics, and Donald Cole’s Martin Van Buren and the American Political System is a good biography of the Little Magician from Kinderhook. Bernard Ruffin’s Fanny Crosby is an excellent biography of the prolific hymn writer, and Tony Dungy’s Quiet Strength is a good book for anyone, whether football fan or not.

Tomorrow I’ll provide an overview of the 64 books I read in 2009….

As one year ends and another is about to begin it is a time that naturally lends itself to looking back…reflecting on the past. Usually that reflection involves looking back at the previous year, and I could certainly go on for quite some time in reflecting on the past twelve months because it has been a 12 months unlike any other 12 month period in my life. And I just may do that over the next few days. Today, though, I want to reflect back over the past five years, because the end of 2011 marks the end of five years since I decided to start keeping a record of the books I read.

I have enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember, and I have always read a lot. In January 2007, though, I decided to start recording the titles of each book I read and the date on which I finished the book. I think partly it was out of curiosity. Partly it was a challenge to myself–I wanted to see how many books I read, since I really had no idea, and I arbitrarily picked a goal of 50 books for the year. It may have had something to do with the fact that I turned 30 in 2007, too, though I cannot now think of any specific correlation between turning 30 and wanting to record my reading habits. Whatever the reason(s), I did begin such a record, and I have been keeping track ever since. And now, five years into it, it seems like a good time to look back at what I have read…to see what it tells me about me, if nothing else.

First of all, I did meet my goal of 50 books in 2007. Exceeded it, in fact. And I have met or exceeded that goal in each of the five years, reading a total of 311 books over that span. (Not counting all the books I have read to my children during that time!) The smallest figure over those five years was 50, in 2008…and I finished the 50th book on December 31! The largest number was 78 (this year). This may impress some of you, especially if you don’t read much. To average more than one completed book per week over five years probably seems remarkable. To others, it may seem but a modest accomplishment, as you may read far more than that. It seemed rather insignificant when I read in George W. Bush’s book Decision Points (finished that one in January 2011) that he read more than 100 books per year. After all, I’d like to think I have more time to read than the President of the United States does!

It has been said that you can identify a person’s priorities by looking at two things: their checkbook and their calendar. I agree. I would also suggest, however, that you can learn a lot about someone by looking at the books they read. So, I’m about to do some self-examination…and I guess you get to look on while I do.

Let’s start with 2007. I was still the Executive Director of a children’s home then, and that is reflected somewhat by my reading for the year in books like David Popenoe’s Life Without Father, and Lawrence Diller’s The Last Normal Child, John Townsend’s Boundaries with Teens, and Koren Zailckas’s Smashed. Popenoe leaves the reader with no doubt that children are adversely impacted by a life without a father, despite the argument many have tried to make to the contrary. Diller talks about the dangerous overuse of prescription drugs on children in America in a book of essays that continue where his previous book, Running on Ritalin, left off. Townsend, of the well-known pair of John Townsend and Henry Cloud, takes a look at the application of the “Boundaries” philosophy for which the pair is so well known as it applies to teenagers. And Zailckas provides a disturbingly graphic and simultaneously heart wrenching account of being a teenage alcoholic…and her parents never having a clue.

2007 also includes a good number of books on personal spiritual growth and Christian living, including Henry & David Blackaby’s Called to Be God’s Leader, Max Lucado’s Facing Your Giants, John MacArthur’s Lord, Teach Me to Pray, Adrian Rogers’ The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority, David Jeremiah’s Captured by Grace, John Ortberg’s When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box, Chip Ingram’s God As He Longs for You to See Him, Mark Buchanan’s Your God is Too Safe and James MacDonald’s Lord Change My Attitude. I think most folks would benefit from reading any of these books, but if you have to pick just one, MacDonald’s book is convicting, relevant, and applicable to any person, anywhere, in any stage of life. I strongly recommend it.

My interest in politics and baseball is also reflected in 2007’s reading. Sean Hannity’s Deliver Us From Evil, Newt Gingrich’s To Renew America, J.C. Watts’ What Color is a Conservative, Major Garrett and Tim Penny’s The Fifteen Biggest Lies in Politics, David Frum’s Dead Right, Tommy Thompson’s Power to the People, and Katherine Harris’s Center of the Storm are all there. I don’t recollect any of these being bad books, but Hannity’s is what you would expect from a right wing radio/TV host. If you like Hannity, Limbaugh, Colter, etc. you’ll enjoy it. If not, don’t bother. Gingrich’s book should be read by anyone considering voting for him in the current election. Watts’ book was very well written, and Thompson’s provides a nice overview of his tenure as governor of Wisconsin. Garrett and Penny have a nice and relevant book, but it was not as good as their first book, Common Cents. For baseball, Joe Morgan’s Long Balls, No Strikes is a good book for any baseball fan. Cal Ripken, Jr.’s Get in the Game is an application of principles he has learned to the game of life, and Ricky Henderson’s Off Base is what you would expect from a very talented, but also very arrogant, baseball star.

There was a smattering of fiction in 2007, as in later years, both contemporary and “classic.” Michael Crichton’s State of Fear was a very interesting read, and would undoubtedly tick off any die hard environmentalists or climate change supporters, too. I read Beowulf, and didn’t like it. I know many do, and I am sure it has literary value, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is much more my style, and I enjoyed the first volume of Holmes and Watson very much. Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is also excellent, and absolutely should be on any list of best books.

Other nonfiction… John Grisham’s one and, thus far, only non-fiction contribution, Innocent Man, is well written and an incredible story. David Halberstam’s The Education of a Coach is a good and even interesting book…but I still can’t stand Bill Belichick! Many Ways to Say I Love You is a nice compilation of some of the songs and thoughts of Fred Rogers. Mrs. J.H. Worchester’s brief biography, David Livingstone and Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor’s The Spiritual Secret of Hudson Taylor are both good books about those incredible men. John Gray’s Custer’s Last Campaign is a thorough examination of it’s title subject. A good book for those interested in Custer or The Battle of the Little Bighorn, but it would likely exhaust or put to sleep those who are at best mildly interested. Robert Remini’s The Life of Andrew Jackson, though, is a relatively easy read and I would recommend it for anyone wanting to know more about the life of our seventh president.

Well…when I started this I actually intended to look back over the last five years in one entry, but it seems that would be a bit much. Just a brief overview of 2007 has resulted in one of my longest entries yet, and I did not even mention twenty-one of the books I read that year. I’ll knock that down to twenty though by stating that Phil Vischer’s Me, Myself and Bob is a fantastic book. I am not a huge fan of VeggieTales, but this book is an excellent look at the cost of pursuing a dream, the cost of turning too much of your dream over to others once success is achieved, and, ultimately, the cost of seeing that dream ended when your dream and God’s plan are no longer in sync. I recommend it highly to anyone.

Anyway, I guess I’ll have to reflect on 2008-2011 over the next few days…so stay tuned.

Today, in just a couple of hours, there will be a service to celebrate the life of my maternal grandfather, who went home to be with the Lord early Monday morning. Anytime a loved one passes away it is normal to reflect on favorite memories.

When I reflect on my favorite memories of Grandpa there are quite a few. I can remember as a very young boy going with Grandma and Grandpa to the mountain property that they had, where the only housing was a tent. I remember the trips up and back more than the actual time there, playing in the back seat and on the floor of the blue truck–when the wearing of seat belts wasn’t enforced. Many of my fondest memories with Grandpa took place in West Virginia, at Holly River State Park. Our annual week-long trips to Holly River are among the highlights of my childhood, and Holly River remains one of my “happy places.” More than any specific thing Grandpa did on those trips, I remember the freedom my brother Phillip and I were given to explore on our own. Though probably not literally, it felt to young boys like we had free reign of the entire park! Playing in the creek, swimming in the always-too-cold pool and playing softball; feeding the trout, going on hayrides, and walking to the commissary. I do remember the hikes we would take with Grandma and Grandpa, and I remember Grandpa would always turn the flashlight off on the way back from late-night activities at the pavilion and it would be pitch black along the road. Before long, the flashlight would come on again, from under Grandpa’s face, shining up to illuminate his smile.

Grandpa’s long hours building the “cabin” in the backyard of the home we lived in from the time I was 5 until I was 13 cannot be forgotten. I think that will likely go down in history as the most soundly-built “playhouse” any children ever had! And who can forget Grandpa giving Dr. Pepper to our German shepherd, Sampson? By the way, every time I drink soda from a bottle—glass or plastic—I have to blow across the top of the bottle and get a few “toots” just for Grandpa. I suspect I will do that for the rest of my life.

I think more than anything else I loved to listen to Grandpa tell stories. It seemed this happened most often at the table, after a meal or during “treat,” (late-night dessert, which almost always included ice cream!) and I could listen to Grandpa’s stories as long as he wanted to tell them. Most of the stories were of his own escapades, but he seemed to tell stories of his friend Kramer with just as much enthusiasm. I think if I had one wish it would be that we had recorded Grandpa telling some of his best stories. He always got so tickled with the stories himself you couldn’t help but laugh along with him. I imagine none of us will ever forget many of his tales, and I suspect many of them will live on for at least another generation or two, as my generation recalls these stories with one another and with our children.

Interestingly, I still remember the time when we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa when I was in college, and realizing that Grandpa now talked to me like an adult. That was a special feeling. I was not blessed with Grandpa’s gifts of mathematical and scientific knowledge or hands-on talent; I think Phillip got those genes. But it always fascinated me that Grandpa had worked on the Pioneer Venus satellite, and it amazed me to watch how he would figure things out and design systems probably few other people would understand. I also remember sitting on the floor by the kitchen telephone in Minnesota when I was in high school, listening to Grandpa trying to explain my Algebra homework to me from half a country away.

I think there was only one time I had the opportunity to be in Grandpa’s Sunday school class, but it was a pleasure to see the painstaking detail that went into his many charts, and to hear the understanding that he had of Scripture. His example of consistently reading through the Bible each year is something for which I am also grateful.

As I write this, trying to think of what to share, I find my mind filled with lots of memories…far too many to share. I know all of Grandpa’s grandchildren loved him very much, and we all know he loved us, too. We are all blessed with many happy memories of Grandpa…memories we will never forget.

I do not recall having very many conversations with Grandpa on the telephone, but I do remember my last one, shortly after he returned home from the hospital this past fall. We talked briefly about him and how he was feeling, but then he wanted to know about our new home, my new job, and the terrain of South Dakota. It was clear that he was at peace with whatever the Lord’s will was for his health and life. I will miss Grandpa, and I wish I could have seen him again before he went home, but I am grateful for the knowledge that he is in heaven, completely healthy. I know I will see him again someday. I remember that every time Grandpa prayed, he would always say, “And thank you most of all for the Lord Jesus our Savior.” This Christmas, he is in the presence of our Savior, thanking Him face to face.

Greetings!

I am excited to welcome you to my blog!  This will be a place where you can engage with me in an ongoing discussion  about  Christian education, biblical worldview, contemporary events, and more.

This is not my first attempt at blogging, though blogging is something that I never thought I would do.  I first started blogging during my tenure as Executive Director of a children’s home in Virginia.  When we redesigned our web site, our Director of Communications, Krista Back–who is also my friend and an accomplished blogger herself–encouraged me to start blogging through our site.  She said it would increase traffic to the site and help to keep the content relevant.  Whether or not that happened I don’t know, but I found that I did enjoy blogging on occasion.

To be honest, the concept of blogging is a bit overwhelming.  Even though I am relatively young and generally knowledgeable about trends in technology, it still amazes me to think that I can sit at my computer and type out my thoughts on any subject and share them with the entire world.  I’m not sure if that is exhilarating or intimidating.  Probably a little bit of both….

I will not drone on right now and turn this into a lengthy introductory blog, but I will just say this in closing: I have no shortage of opinions and beliefs, and I will do my best to articulate them in clear and unoffensive language while providing the basis for my position.  I invite your interaction in this discussion through your comments and questions, but I ask that you adhere to those same general principles–be polite, and have a basis for what you’re saying.

Let the conversation begin…