Yearly Reading Lists Posts

The 100 Books I Read in 2021

The 100 Books I Read in 2021

01 Jan , 2022 No Comments

I’ve met my yearly reading goals the last few years and I’ve challenged myself with bigger goals each year. My previous record for a year was 71 books. This year I decided to aim for 100. It got a bit tight toward the end (hence needing every single day of the year before posting this), but I was able to do it. I love learning new ideas and I’m grateful for the chance to read all of these books. It takes a lot of work to put a book together and it’s a huge win to be able to benefit from that work by spending a few hours reading it.

Below are the books I read since January of 2021 with my rating for them (5 being the best) along with a brief review. Any book without a number rating has been given to me by the author or publisher. Click on any of the titles below to get to a link to buy it. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com).

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Christmas is More

23 Dec , 2021 No Comments

Merry Christmas friends. I’m not sure where your mind is at as you’ve been preparing and enjoying Christmas week this year. My head hasn’t really been dwelling on Hallmark plots that make you feel good. I read a tweet a while back and now I find myself thinking about it again as Christmas draws near.

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Holding Something While it Rots

16 Dec , 2021 No Comments

I once heard the marketing guru Seth Godin say that “Too many people are holding onto something while it rots.” If you think of this idea in physical terms—say of holding onto a rotting piece of fruit—it seems absurd. We wouldn’t do that. Yet when it comes to the intangibles we often don’t realize the absurdity of our actions.

I think this tendency to cling to what is rotting is why we are slow to embrace new things.

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Why I’m a Fan of Deconstruction

09 Dec , 2021 No Comments

There’s quite a bit of discussion right now about the idea of ‘deconstruction’ when it comes to your faith. In case you’re unfamiliar with that term, here’s a definition I find helpful: “Faith deconstruction is the systematic pulling apart of one’s belief system for examination. For Christians, that can mean a wide array of questions ranging from the theological to the practical” (source: Backyard Theology).

Much of what is being said is about deconstruction (notably from those in formal positions in the church) is bold and harsh.

  • Exhibit A: Recently an article went viral for giving four reasons why people deconstruct. Two of the reasons were a “desire to sin” and people looking to get “street cred” (source: The Gospel Coalition).
  • Exhibit B: The popular megachurch pastor Matt Chandler recently went viral for referring to deconstruction as the “sexy thing to do.” You can hear him say this in the 30 second clip below.
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The Holiday Playlists

24 Nov , 2021 No Comments

Back for its second year… my Thanksgiving playlist! Yes, you read that right. You didn’t know such a thing existed? It doesn’t really, so last year I made my own. Admittedly, there isn’t as much to choose from here which is why I hope you’ll enjoy the efforts I made.

I used a few criteria in making this list:

  1. Music that is obviously about Thanksgiving. There isn’t much of this, but I found a few gems.
  2. Music about things that happen at Thanksgiving. Here I included songs about food, friends, family, home, etc.
  3. Music that captures the right vibe of Thanksgiving. This one is by far the most subjective, but there’s some good stuff here.

It’s now more than a hundred songs so it should last you long enough for your get-togethers. Once in Spotify hit the heart icon to add this to your music. Without further ado, here is my free playlist for you to enjoy:

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Bullies and Saints

Bullies and Saints

18 Nov , 2021 No Comments

I recently finished a terrific book by John Dickson called Bullies and Saints. He presents the topic as “An honest look at the good and evil of Christian history.” Anyone who’s studied this subject knows there’s plenty of both. As an Anglican from Australia, Dickson has a good perspective in which to present the material.

Dickson talks about the early church (before Constantine) introducing a melody that is often obscured throughout the later history of the Church. This is a valuable metaphor, as indeed we can acknowledge when the song has changed but also acknowledge when it starts to sound familiar again. He refers to the first three centuries sounding like “One long harmonious performance of Christ’s original melody.”

Dickson presents the ‘melody’ as a love for enemies and the belief that all people are made in the image of God. I heartily agree the best versions of the Church have these characteristics and the worst do not. As Dickson argues, “Christ’s melody remains beautiful—dare I say unique. And when Christians perform it, they leave an indelible mark on the world.”

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