Booklist 2008

After hitting 60 books last year, my goal this year was 6 per month, for a total of 72. Unfortunately, unless I develop speed-reading capabilities between now and 2009, I’m going to finish at half that with a disappointing 36 for 2008. Nuts.
The year for me has seemed an “off” one in terms of reading. Granted, [...]

On Raising Kids Gracefully, part 2

As I have four young daughters – each of whom I dread possibly dealing with the rebellion struggles Jack Miller did with his – I chose to read his book, Come Back, Barbara. The book is not particularly well-written, but in terms of new insight, Miller’s reflection on his relationship in Barbara’s youth sums it [...]

On Raising Kids Gracefully

Though I’m not one for parenting books in general, Tim Kimmel’s Grace Based Parenting is a helpful take on what parenting by principle looks like. I liked his approach, perspective, and evaluation of what’s behind so much bad parenting advice today, namely fear. He writes:

“Parents armed with little more than a vibrant relationship with God [...]

Black Friday on the Farm

I’m doubtful many folks are checking blogs today, but if you are:

We had a great Thanksgiving here on the farm – fun with family, amazing food, some basketball, a star-filled evening hayride, a couple of naps
No one has so much as even mentioned doing a little Black Friday shopping
Megan and the girls are going to [...]

Review: The Prodigal God by Tim Keller

A couple weeks ago I read Tim Keller’s new book, The Prodigal God, a short – only 140 reduced-size pages – study on Jesus’ familiar story in Luke 15. Often called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son,” the parable, says Keller, is misnamed, as both sons are “prodigal” (or lost). Keller, however, goes on to argue [...]

Harry Potter for Presbyterians

The Reformed folk of the world (among others) are gearing up for the release of the new ESV Study Bible on Wednesday. Around these parts (especially if you’re a seminary student), it’s going to be insane. I think of it as Harry Potter for Presbyterians.
This past Thursday, when I arrived at Covenant’s bookstore to work my afternoon [...]

How We Know What We Know

I’ve been reading some really good stuff of late on epistemology (that is, “how we know what we know”). With regard to truth, most people feel the pull of the Enlightenment’s demand for proof, as well as postmodernism’s questioning that truth can even exist. Many people (kids especially) feel caught in the middle between what [...]

So Maybe I Reacted a Bit

I came across this post from Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt twice this morning, so I thought I’d see why people were linking to it. The post (on modesty) is fine, but I may have let my better judgment slip in leaving my comment (normally I would just roll my eyes and move on). What do [...]

Don and the Dems

Author Donald Miller has a new website and blog. Miller gave the benediction on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver and, though I’m always a little leery when evangelicals cozy up to the Left (for the same reasons I get leery when evangelicals cozy up to the Right), I liked [...]

The Reverse

As mortgage payments tend to be more than the rent kind, I started a second job this week working part-time in Covenant Seminary’s bookstore. It’s a good schedule for me that works with my teaching: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m., and about every other Saturday from 9:30-2:30. In addition, Megan will cover the [...]

The Facts of Truth

One of the first things I tell my New Testament students is that, while I can’t prove God exists, I can prove the accuracy of the biblical record that claims he does. The kids are usually pretty interested by both statements, and we had some really good discussions last week on topics like general and [...]

Some Thoughts on the Holy Spirit

When I was on staff with The Navigators, I used to joke that we in the organization thought of the Holy Spirit as being the member of the Trinity dressed in a three-piece suit sitting quietly in the corner of the boardroom. As a member of the PCA, I sometimes make the same joke (except [...]

Letters to Malcolm by C.S. Lewis

Despite his stated belief in purgatory (albeit somewhat qualified) and some interesting linguistic gymnastics on the topic of bodily resurrection, C.S. Lewis’s last book (published post-humously), Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, offers insight and comfort regarding the duty (and sometimes drudgery) of prayer. Some favorite quotes:
“We have long since agreed that if our prayers are [...]

Thank You, Sir, May I Have Another?

Here’s a look at the reading list for the Spirit, Church, and Last Things class with Dr. Robert Peterson I’m taking online this summer:

Berkhof, Louis - Systematic Theology
Clowney, Edmund - The Church
Ferguson, Sinclair - The Holy Spirit
Fudge, Edward & Peterson, Robert - Two Views of Hell: A Biblical & Theological Dialogue
Hoekema, Anthony - The Bible and the Future
Letham, Robert - The Lord’s Supper
Peterson, Robert [...]

Linky, Linky

It’s usually feast or famine for me with links; today, I happen to be eating well. Here are some particularly inspiring links that I hope fill your creative cup and stick to your spiritual ribs:

If you’re not doing anything this weekend, think about checking out the Unversity of St. Louis’ StoryTelling Festival (we’re taking the [...]

Five Things of Late

1. I can’t remember where I read it, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea that, with the proliferation of so many news/infotainment sites, headlines tend to be more and more alarmist in nature so as to capture (and re-capture) readership. No wonder the world feels like it’s falling apart at such a [...]

Never Settle

Early last month, I got interviewed by one Julia Furlan from New York University for a story she was doing on twenty-somethings. The story was for NYU’s LiveWire service:
“Livewire offers newspapers, magazines and digital publishers original feature stories meant to help capture a coveted audience: the under-30 reader. Our stories, written by New York [...]

Listening to Lamott

Last night my nine-year-old and I went to hear author Anne Lamott read from her new book, Grace (Eventually). The setting for the evening was the “sanctuary” of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, and the place was packed with at least 500-600 folks eager to hear Lamott’s random but winsome thoughts about writing, politics, [...]

The Ideology of Rationality

Susan Jacoby’s name has been floating around several sites I frequent and enjoy, so I thought I’d read up a little on why. Jacoby is a former education reporter for The Washington Post, now an author whose new book, The Age of American Unreason, comes out in a couple of weeks (she wrote Freethinkers: A [...]

Things That Made Me Smile Today

Rumor has it that I’m hard to please, but it really doesn’t take all that much to make me smile. To prove my point, here’s what did it today (and I’m not making these up):

My new office in the Pit of Despair (our unfinished basement) after a weekend of swapping workspaces with Megan’s crafts
Homemade whole [...]