My 2010 Readings and Books for 2011

Since today is the last day of 2010, and I just finished reading another book, I decided to make a list of all the books I read throughout this year. Some of them were a complete waste of time but many of them were spectacular reads and challenged me in many different ways. This is nothing more than a list for you to look over and perhaps find some books to read in 2011. This is not a promotion of any particular books or authors. If you're like me, you're always looking for more suggestions of books to read so here you go:

1. Second Guessing God - Brian Jones

2. The Screwtape Letters - CS Lewis

3. Primal - Mark Batterson

4. Thou Fool - DL Moody

5. The Gospel According to LOST - Chris Seay

6. The Blue Parakeet - Scot McKnight

7. From Eternity to Here - Frank Viola

8. Respectable Sins - Jerry Bridges

*9. Pagan Christianity - Viola/Barna

10. Dear Pastor - John Cionca

11. The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley

12. IT - Craig Groeschel

13. A Gospel Primer - Milton Vincent

14. Stuff Christians Like - Jonathan Acuff

15. What is God Really Like? - Craig Groeschel and Various Authors

16. Why We Love the Church - Kevin DeYoung/Ted Kluck

17. The Radical Disciple - John Stott

18. The Cure for the Common Life - Max Lucado

19. Radical Reformission - Mark Driscoll

20. Outlive Your Life - Max Lucado

21. Gripped by the Greatness of God - John MacDonald

*I did not finish this book because I found many of the views expressed very upsetting. I may eventually keep reading just to see what the authors have to say but I must state that I do not recommend this book*

How about you? What books did you read in 2010?

Looking ahead, here are the books I'm looking forward to reading in 2011:

1. Imaginary Jesus - Matt Mikalatos

2. Radical - David Platt

3. Sun Stand Still - Steven Furtick

4. How The Mighty Fall - Jim Collins

5. Linchpin - Seth Godin

6. Everyone Communicates, Few Connect - John Maxwell

7. Eats With Sinners - Aaron Chambers

8. Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters - Meg Meeker

9. Transformational Church - Ed Stetzer

10. The Christian Atheist - Craig Groeschel

11. The Reason for Sports - Ted Kluck

12. Switch - Chip & Dan Heath

13. Hurt Healer - Tony Nolan

14. The Grace of God - Andy Stanley

I'm still looking for more. Any suggestions?

Happy New Year!

A Controversial Post On US Politics

Recently, I read Isaiah 45 and couldn't get this thought out of my head. I'm not much for politics and I'm definitely not the type that likes to discuss, er, argue over the goods or bads of our current president. I can understand some of the arguments but I just feel like we as Christians should do a little less criticizing and a lot more praying. Then I ran across this passage in Isaiah.

Just a quick history: This passage makes reference to Cyrus. Cyrus was the king of Babylon that allowed the nation of Israel to go home. Though we all may view him highly because of that move, the truth is he was still a pagan king and he did not believe in or love God. With that in mind, the verses in chapter 45 of Isaiah are a little....let's say, shocking.

Alright, now I am going to write it the way I kept reading it:

"(1) Thus saith the Lord to his anointed , to [Obama], whose right hand I have held... (2) I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight... (3) And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord which call thee by thy name , am the God of Israel. (4) For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. (5) I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. (6) That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else."

Just a couple things we may need to remember from this passage:

1. Obama is God's anointed (after all, nothing happens without God's ok)

2. God calls Obama by name the same way he calls me and you by name

3. Even if Obama doesn't know God, God can use him

4. God may choose to "gird" Obama even though he doesn't know Him

(he could be president for 20 years if God wants him to be)

5. God is "the Lord, and there is none else"

I'm definitely not trying to stir the political pot. If someone tries to debate me on the current government of the US, I most likely will just smile and nod. I'm not trying to say your view is right or wrong and I most definitely am not taking sides.

I'm just hoping this passage can encourage you to pray more and criticize less, whatever your position is on our current government in the US. After all, the King of kings is still in control.

On the 5th Day of Christmas, 5 golden words:

GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL

Running In Hallways

"With parenthood comes great responsibility."

I heard someone say that once. I don't remember who but I've found the statement to be true. In fact, the older my kids get the more responsibility it seems I have.

When they were babies, I didn't have to grab their shoulders to keep them from running out in front of a car. When they were babies I didn't have to referee the "She hit me." "He hit me first!" When they were babies I didn't have to say, "No you can't have that 165th piece of candy."

I have to admit, sometimes it feels like I am overwhelmed with no's, don't do that's and don't say that's (which in my case is usually followed by a "Daddy shouldn't have said that either."). Parenthood truly does come with great responsibility. We have to teach our children to act right, to behave right, to talk right and to treat others right and that's just the beginning of the list.

This past weekend, we went to Veracruz for a couple nights to celebrate my daughter Julianna's 7th birthday and I learned a valuable lesson.

The hotel elevator reached the 5th floor and the door opened. As if it was instinct, both my kids darted out of the elevator and began running toward our room. A perfect opportunity to use one of those "no's" I mentioned earlier. Just as Sheri was about to say it, I broke into a full out sprint! As I raced past my kids (because, at least for now, I am much faster than they are) I could hear them both giggling without control. When I arrived at the room, I turned around to see the hallway lit up with the smiles of two young children still sprinting toward the room.

That's when it hit me.

Every once in a while you just need to run in the hallways! Parenthood does bring great responsibility, but we can't forget that we need to teach our kids to enjoy life too. This weekend served as a great reminder to me: my kids are just that. Kids. It's okay to allow them to just let loose now and then.

What are some of your "running in the hallways" experiences?