Like most people in the late twenties I carry with me a few extra pounds. In high school I could eat whatever I wanted because I played sports year around. Now the most activity I get is chasing my kids around the room when they don’t want to get in bed! With 3 kids it is just hard to find the time (notice I didn’t say too hard).
For a long time I have known that I needed to lose weght, but it wasn’t until I discovered my BMI (Body Mass Index) that I knew I need to get things under control. Your BMI is a measurement of your body fat based on your weight nad your height. A normal range is 18.5-24.9. Needless to say, my currently does not fall in that range (If you are curious about your BMI go here).
So when I had the chance to review Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs I was quite excited. I was getting a diet book without the embrassment of going to the store and buying it! The heart of the book is the very personal story of how Chantel manage her own weight loss program-losing over 200 pounds! I believe that her appraoch is quite balanced, making recommendations regarding exerciese and eating habits, but also realizing that there are issues at the core of why you became overweight in the first place that must be addressed.
Chantel is very open about the steps she took, including plastic surgery to remove excess skin, but recognizes that this step may not be an option for everyone. There were many parts of the book that more focused to a female audience that I simply skipped over. Overall the results don’t lie, so far this year I have lost 6 pounds (which includes a couple of weeks when I didn’t stick to my workout routine).
As Americans, most of us could do a better job of regulating the food we put into our bodies and maintaining a better activity level (besides the activities of TV, video games, and blogging). As a Christian one must also remember that the only way for me to continue to carry out God’s mission on this earth is for Him to have a body to use.
The Greatest Words Ever Spoken may be one the greatest resources a Christian ever owns. Author Steven Scott has taken all of the words from Jesus and organized them into approximately 200 categories. These categories are organized into 9 major headings:
- What Jesus says about Himself
- What He Says about the Father
- What He Says about the Holy Spirit
- Words about Eternity
- Words about His Followers
- Words about Humanity
- Words about God Reaching Out to Us
- Words about How to Know God
- Words about Personal Relationships
While there certainly is some overlap with the categories, the breakdown makes it quite easy to find what you are looking for in the index. I say that this is a great resource because it is certainly not the type the book that one reads from cover to cover. The introduction to the book provides some suggestions about how to make the best use of this resource: a quick reference guide or for topical Bible studies.
Personally, I have been using it during my morning Bible to simply take a quick look at the words of Jesus on the topics of Spiritual Maturity and Spiritual Priorities. Particularly on the topic of Spiritual Maturity I have wondered why certain passages were selected, however the questioning, I believe has led to the desired result. I also appreciated the fact that in the section on the promises of Jesus that Scott includes any necessary condition to be met in order for the promise to be fulfilled.
This is certainly a valuable resource that I will be keeping in my library, and I would encourage you to add it to yours as well!
This weekend I finished Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future
by Andy Stanley. This is one of those books that I should have read a long time but just kept putting off. Andy is a wonderful communicator. I have been blessed to listen to many of sermon series from Northpoint Community Church.
In this book Andy outlines the five characteristics that he feels are vital to being a successful leader for future generations. These 5 characteristics are:
- Courage
- Competence
- Clarity
- Coachability
- Character
Unlike many books on leadership, I feel that Andy strikes a nice balance with the time that spends on each component. Many books I have read on leadership are simply too long. Andy covers some high quality information in a mere 160 pages. The questions at the end of each section also helps readers delve deeper into the concepts that he discusses.
When I first read the book I wondered why I left character for last. Had I been writing the book I would have put it first because it of its importance. But in the opening paragraph to this section Andy explains:
“Character is not essential to leadership.”
“We all know leaders who have led large organizations and garnered the loyalty of many followers, and yet lacked character. They demonstrated courage and competency. They were clear in their directives. They may have even sought the advice of others. But they were not men and women who were known for doing what was right.”
Reflecting on this, I know that he is right. I don’t like it, but he is right.
I know there are lots of books on leadership out there. I know many of them say essentially the same thing. I think the difference comes from the ability of the author to communicate clearly with his readers. I believe that Andy’s style makes it easy for anyone to understand and apply it to your life.
Might be to check this out from the library or borrow it from a friend. While Living Rich for Less by Ellie Kay is a helpful book, I don’t that it falls into the category of books that you must own.
First, let me say that this is a very timely book in light of the financial difficulty that has beset much of America. There is also a chapter about living green; another important consideration for us at this time.
What I really liked about this book was the order in which it addressed the issues tied to financial management. First, the author addresses giving, then savings, then spending. Too often these approaches to money management are in the reverse order when it comes how we live our lives. There are also some great tips throughout the book on various topics, from debt management, stocks, health insurance and more.
I have had to come to terms with the fact that I cannot buy every book I want to buy. Some books can be read once and then returned to shelf. Such books are can be left in the public library and not your personal one. There are a myriad of resources out there on this topic. In fact you can check out Ellie Kay’s website for some of the best (check the Tool Center). But I would serious take her advice that comes even before the introduction to look for the things that you can cut out so you can save some money.
Last month Logos released a new resource to aid for Bible Study. It’s not an additional to your digital library, its Bible Study Magazine. This first issue features Josh McDowell on “Defending the Bible.” This was not the article that really grabbed my attention however.
There are several articles throughout the magazine that seek to improve the average person’s Bible study skills. In fact, one article outlines an 8 week study of Hebrews 1:1-14 (although there is a consistent typo in the references).
There is also a great interview with Dr. Goodacre about how he reads the Gospels. This article has inspired to spend next year working through the Gospels. Another highlight was an article examining Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah. It is refreshing to see that the article does not simply provide pat answers when examining the Sennacherib’s Prism, which, at first glance, appears to conflict with biblical narrative. It will be interesting to see where parts 2 and 3 of this series take us (which of course means I will need to get a subscription before the January/February issue comes out).
I would highly recommend this magazine for anyone interested in improving thier Bible studies.
A friend, Adam Faughn, recently asked for a lists of the top ten books on his blog, so here is the list that I submitted:
1.The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell- this is a must read for ministers
2.The Pig that wants to be Eaten by Julian Baggini- for the thinker in all of us
3.Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan- simply a classic
4.When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Dave Burchett- just the title gets you!
5. Justice in the Burbs by Will Samson- a great call to action
6.Raising a Modern-day Knight by Robert Lewis- great for me since I have 3 girls
7. Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson
8. Radical Restoration by F. LaGard Smith
9. Who is My Brother- also by F. LaGard Smith
10. Anything by CS Lewis
Any list like this is bound to leave out some great books. As I look over the list I noticed that almost all of books were 6 months to year ago, only 2 were read in the last 3 months, and only one (with the exception of anything by CS Lewis) was read over a year ago. Two of the books on the list (#4 and #8 I books that have read more than once). So if I were to ask the same question of you, which books would you put on your top ten list?
Secondly, I would like to share more with you about my top 10, therefore here is my first poll:
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