Books I read in 2023 ~

When I was a manager it helped my bosses understand what I had done to improve myself over the year when I would share the business books I had read during that cycle. So I thought I'd share with you my accomplishment:

I read 24 books in 2023!

I wasn't as focused on learning about "self-improvement" this year so there was quite a bit of fiction involved. I varied some of it so I could learn about different parts of the world, which was fun.

I've gotten to where I try to only read ebooks now. This makes it easier for me to read wherever I go since I have them on my phone as well as the iPad and Kindles.

My Kindle app likes to give awards for my reading accomplishments. I'm over 280 weeks in a row of reading as well as over 300 days straight reading in the Kindle app. And at this point I've had over 13 weeks of "perfect weeks" by reading each day of the week. Woohoo!

So here is a list of the books I read in 2023:

- 21 Prayers of Thanksgiving by Rachel Larkin
Fun to do leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076W2S9L3/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
I've wanted to learn more about India for several years, so I dove into this book. Interesting story of privelege and corruption across the country.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WZSLSX6/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Avenue of the Dead by Brian L Porter
Fun to learn more about Mexico City and the ancient civilizations in Mexico!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PE2XHBS/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott is an amazingly honest voice and I enjoy reading her open letters to the world about her life.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEGI8Q/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Confess, Fletch by Gregory McDonald
Fletch is a fun charachter. This book was just as much fun!
https://www.amazon.com/Confess-Fletch-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0C4C4HFHS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=confess%2C+fletch&qid=1704044358&sr=8-3

- Controversial Essays by Thomas Sowell
One of my favorite thinkers. I actually bought this book for two of my sons and told them to put it in their bathroom as a reader for when they are sitting on the pot.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E52S96/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Forgiveness by Jeff Daws
Great book that we went through as a study of forgiveness.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CD2XDS9W/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- God, Improv, and the Art of Living by MaryAnn McKibben Dana
This was a very good book though it is funny to read about turning "living in the moment" into an approach to life. Fun!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091K7F21S/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Journey Back To Watooka by Steve Connolly
We are planning a mission trip to Guyana and I read this book to learn some history of the country. I learned a lot!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CCB5YJQ/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Letters of Advent by Klint Pleasant
A great way to work through the Advent season leading up to Christmas. I have enjoyed this book for the past two years.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09J1TZNVW/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Life In Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin
I've followed Gretchen Rubin's growth as an author for several years. This book expanded my thinking on how I experience life.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B6Z5LGYW/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Mexifornia by Victor Davis Hanson
A fascinating book about the impacts of illegal immigration in California and in the rest of the United States. I highly recommend it!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EB74DG4/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- No Plan B - A Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child and Andrew Child
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PMZ93DT/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Rising Tiger by Brad Thor
I wanted to learn more about India and China and the friction over there. This was a fun ride to learn stuff on!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JPJ4V8X/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Stop At Nothing by Michael Ledwidge
Good adventure-mystery. I enjoyed it!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RR9SXZV/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Swarm by Guy Morris
Fun continuation of an AI story I've been reading.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LCN41YV/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
Longevity stuff. I enjoyed the NetFlix show so I got the book.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BXBF7N4N/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Comfort Zone by Kristin Butler
Interesting take on how to accomplish things by staying in your comfort zone instead of becoming uncomfortable.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BCP2Y48Q/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike 1) by Robert Gailbraith
I bought this book in 2013 but finally read it. Great characters and story, though a bit tedious to work through.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AA20E5Y/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Drifter by Nick Petrie
Good mystery similar to the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SA5KHEG/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer
Fun ride!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VXWPQ1N/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- The Ultimate Bathroom Reader by Bill O'Neil
Fun book!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099ZL67WL/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Titanium Noir by Nick Harkawa
Good science fiction for near-future stuff. I enjoyed this book a lot!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9WPF9NQ/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- Wild About You by John Eldridge
Great devotional for couples that I've enjoyed all year!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L5WJK3H/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

- You Will Be Made To Care by Erick Erickson
I bought this back in 2016 but finally read it in 2023. Still relevant and so informative!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AR541A2/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

My 12 Days of Christmas gifts ~

 

For the past couple of years I've celebrated Christmas by giving gifts of apps and online things I've used throughout the year on my social media accounts. I usually do it on the 12 days leading up to Christmas.

It's fun! It makes me feel rich and let's me share tools that have my life easier and more enjoyable.

Here are the things I gave as gifts this year:

• The Kinnu app

In the Bible in Proverbs 23 it says to "buy wisdom, buy knowledge, buy insight" a couple of times. But so many times I find myself just scrolling through social media or websites without feeling like I am gaining knowledge.

Kinnu is an app that changes that for me! It has a map of subjects that are available, and as I am working my way through different subjects in a couple of minutes a day I am learning plenty! I highly recommend it. Check it out at:

Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.kinnu&hl=en_US&gl=US

Apple app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kinnu-superpower-learning/id1625333066

• Google Bard

With all the buzz about artificial intelligence taking over industries, writing books, and making some peoples' lives easier you can give AI a try for free with Google Bard. Early on I rolled some of those story dice and asked Google Bard to write a story based on the words for each picture on the dice; the story was actually pretty good!

Give Google Bard a try at
https://bard.google.com

• Notion

I've used several of the notebook/organizers/project managers out there like OneNote, Evernote, and Trello.. They all have their place and usefulness.

Notion is handy for me because it's easy, fast to start sharing links and ideas to, and free unless you want to pay. While I haven't gotten deep in customizing Notion I'm reading a lot of great reviews on how flexible it is.

If you're looking to try an online notebook I suggest you give Notion a try!

Site:
https://www.notion.so
(You can get the app link on their site)

• Duolingo

If you’ve wanted to learn a different language I highly recommend giving Duolingo a try! I’ve been using it for more than 5 years now and can finally understand Spanish. I can speak it a little but because I don’t practice with people enough I still feel like a child trying to speak but I’m coming along. I’m planning on using Duolingo to learn some Italian soon…

While Duolingo is free I pay for a subscription and think you’ll want to pay them, too. Enjoy!

https://www.duolingo.com/
(you can get the app on their site)

• Shazam

When I hear a song with a good beat but don’t who the artist I love to use Shazam. The app listens, searches, then tells me all about the song. And I learned recently that Shazam adds the song to a Spotify playlist automatically so I don’t have to fumble around to listen to it again. And even cooler is that it works on my watch!

You’ve probably used Shazam more than me, but if not I recommend you give it a try!

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shazam.android

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/shazam-music-discovery/id284993459

• SimpleMind

I am a nerd. When I really want to brainstorm and gather a whole lot of thoughts quickly so I can organize them into an outline, something I still do, I've found mindmapping to be useful. It's graphic, quick for me, and lets me wander around a bunch of ideas without getting stuck on one of them. SimpleMind is one of those mindmapping apps that helps me go that. If you've never tried mindmapping give it a try!

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.modelmakertools.simplemindfree

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplemind-mind-mapping/id305727658

• Wikipedia

Why in the world would I give you this? What I’ve found this year is that when I want to grab some info without having to wade through all the ads served up by almost every search engine Wikipedia has been very handy. I get information with links to other linked subjects. As with anything on the Internet I read more than just what I see on Wikipedia before I make a decision but it’s been a useful tool for me. If you haven’t tried it lately give it spin!

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.wikipedia

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wikipedia/id324715238

Site:
https://www.wikipedia.org/

• Google Tasks

I love to make lists of tasks and then cross them off, but I don’t enjoy doing it on paper. I love to use Google stuff and was using Google Reminders because I could tell Google Assistant “remind me” and then say the thing I want to be reminded about and a day and time and it would add my reminder to my list. This year they rolled Reminders into the Tasks app and it’s been great ever since. And Tasks doesn’t have a lot of the confusing flashy stuff that clutters so many of the other tasks “managers” out there. I use Google Tasks daily. Give it a try!

Site:
https://assistant.google.com/tasks

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.tasks

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-tasks-get-things-done/id1353634006

• The Abide meditation app

One of my hesitations about “meditation” has always been the New Age/ya ya woo woo aspect that seems to come when I try to learn about it. As a Christian I want to meditate on God and his word. The Abide app helps me do just that! The free side is good and they let you have the premium side for 7 days. If you want to learn to meditate on God and his word give this a try!

Abide site:
https://abide.com

Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=is.abide

Apple app:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/abide-bible-meditation-prayer/id726031617

• Christmas song playlist
  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVqI204q3ewnmz6vOHeRNXGEU5ZLDUPXl
  As I've gotten older Christmas starting sounding the same, so I started searching for new styles and different types of music that could help me celebrate this wonder-filled season. But I didn't want boring stuff to listen to :-)
  These songs are some of my favorites that I've found over the years assembled into a YouTube playlist. Different styles, different takes, all focused on the reason for the season. I hope you enjoy these!

• Fireplace playlist
  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVqI204q3ewnyGzrtTqyAyod54AcEjTcc
  I love to have a fire going, either in the fireplace or out in the firepit my son Stephen built for us. But often we're in a rush and can't spend the time needed to have a proper fire.
  These videos let me have a fire on the TV screen. Yes, it's corny and cheesy, but it's relaxing and fun for me :-) My mother always reminds me of when I was a boy of 7 or so and we sat in front of a fire when we were on the Big Island in Hawaii. No radio, no TV, just a fire. And I commented on how boring it was and why they liked watching the fire. I understand why a lot better now!
  Enjoy!

• The Christmas Story

I've been watching Bible Project videos over the past couple of years and really enjoy the way they capture the essence of the Bible stories and explain their relevance to our lives today. The whole idea of a "savior" coming in the form of a baby just doesn't make sense, and they explain that well in this video. I hope you watch and then meditate quietly on this for a few minutes. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/_OLezoUvOEQ?si=Pffa0fmiA7SmwRLt

Advent 2023 - Christmas ~

Christmas has such a different feel for me this year. No children in the house except our youngest who is a senior in college. Relaxed schedule as we ease through the holiday season. Looming major life change right around the corner.

And yet the traditions and colors and smells of the season draw memories up that make it a warm and fuzzy holiday. Good vibes everywhere! And when I feel a bad vibe instead of chasing it to figure out the source and try to modify my behavior to meet someone's unexpressed expectations I lightly smile and turn back to the good. Fascinating.

I finished my "12 Days of Christmas" giveaways with the Bible Project's video about the Christmas story in Luke 1-2. One of the most successful invasions of another kingdom by a creator that turned the kingdom on its head. I hope you review the story!

Merry Christmas!

https://youtu.be/_OLezoUvOEQ?si=sPSBfuzXt5PcC0_f

Advent 2023 - Love ~

Love is such a complicated subject. We look around and see so many people expressing love in ways that don’t fit with what we were taught growing up and don’t know what to do. The default answer is go with what we think is expected and hope for the best.

But my understanding of love is different. It’s a verb. It’s something we choose to do separate from what the world around us wants done. The choice to “love” is outside of what is expected by anyone in our current American society.

What is love? Haddaway had a whole “hit” song about this that drove my generation to think about “love” in certain ways”. ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLA0XTO3Avw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLA0XTO3Avw "smartCard-inline") )

I prefer to think about love in the way that TobyMac and DC Talk presented it ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhzCrNd1zOA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhzCrNd1zOA "smartCard-inline") ).

Love at Christmas is a baby being injected into a world that belonged to another king, and this baby brought love and hope to a people surrounded by hoplessness and desire. I hope that you can look to the ceiling and believe that God is listening despite you being in a different kingdom and that he will answer your prayers in ways that don’t make sense right now but that work toward our good.

Bonus material:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slyevQ1LW7A

The Beatles - All You Need is Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVgKio0z1hY&list=PLOJgNPpZvsA2JGb8sOpujVMF3jSuMDOcA&index=26

Advent 2023 - Joy ~

I don’t seem to do “joy” very well. Most people seem to associate the feeling of “joy” with this definition I found: “Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness, or an instance of such feeling.”

I find that I experience joy more like this definition that I found: “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” The synonym they offer with this definition is “delight”.

I feel delighted a lot more often now than I did in the past. I feel successful, and I’m on the cusp of achieving one of my lifelong objectives. It’s a weird feeling for me, but I like it.

In the past I tended to ruin the times I felt joy by actively looking for the other shoe I knew would be dropping. Something to mess up what I had achieved or what I was enjoying. I let that proactive seeking of disaster mess up a lot of good times.

In this season that is awash in so many emotions and so many entities trying to pluck our heartstrings I hope that you do your best to take delight in a smell, enjoy the warm wishes someone sends you, close your eyes to focus on a Christmas song, reach out and touch someone, and open your eyes to take in the colors around you as God’s creation celebrates the birth of his son!

Bonus material:
Bible Project word study: Joy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72YyijJQgoU

Joy to the World (Joyful, Joyful) by Phil Wichkham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLEfxk4gKz4

Ted Talk: Where Joy Hides And How To Find It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_u2WFTfbcg

Advent 2023 - Peace ~

My wife and I went to Israel a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful place, and we really enjoyed seeing where Jesus grew up, walked, lived, and taught. And died. It was an amazing!

I was a little scared to go because of all the bad things that have happened there. So much violence. The warring factions between Christians, Jews and Muslims. I just feel like because Jerusalem is right there it's a place where lots of battles happen in the spiritual realm as well as the physical realm.

But while we were there, nothing happened. We saw the Golan Heights and the trenches on the top of the mountain. We saw the barbed wire and the mine fields on the border between Israel and Jordan. We saw Israeli soldiers walking around, armed and ready at all times. They didn't seem to be at peace.

But what I found so fascinating when we were in Israel was how the newspapers and shows had tanks firing guns in their stories about Israel and talked about all the bad things happening there. We didn't see any of that! We saw a very calm place. Peaceful. With people conducting their lives without any issues. Ready. But completely at peace.

As a christian I try to live my life as if I am in a different kingdom. I feel like in this place on the earth we are in a kingdom that belongs to someone other than God

And while God created this kingdom, it was taken away by sin. But I live in peace because I trust Jesus to have taken care of my sin-debt. And I believe in God and look to him for guidance in my life. And enjoy the peace that my faith brings.

I hope you do, too.

Bonus material:

Bible Project video - Shalom “Peace”
https://youtu.be/oLYORLZOaZE?si=QBswOh3vu2SssUNi

Some peaceful Christmas piano music
https://youtu.be/wH-pdh7k9xk?si=pdxstTEDzz_PtEv6

Advent 2023 - Hope ~

I recently started transferring slides that my parents had into digital photos on my phone. In the slides that I've been taking pictures of there are several pictures of Christmas trees and decorations from the 1970s. When I was growing up we always put little icicles that make the tree shimmer. These were fun to see but they go everywhere and you see them around the house for the next six months. Seeing them always gave me hope for the next Christmas season.

Maintaining hope in a God that we cannot see is challenging. How much easier it would be if he was still a pillar of fire or a pillar of smoke and we could all go to one place and see it!

But how much better it is that he wants a relationship with us here in this fallen world that Jesus invaded and then punched a hole in for us to be able to get out. God's love for us, and the caring he has is just so amazing. Yet so many people don't ever experience God's love because they can't touch it or smell it or see it.

Looking back at the slides again and the pictures of Christmas, I'm reminded of decorations, of gifts, and trying to capture that feeling that we just can't capture anymore. We just don't get up to that level of dopamine now.

How burned out our dopamine channels must be from all the stimulation that we give them now. How hard it is to get that feeling of being close to God or even of feeling His presence. And the upside down nature of God's kingdom, like the Israelites, we expect some presence that will dominate and command and take over, but because this is not his kingdom, it's different here.

The last will be first. Believe like a child.  Jesus told his disciples that he was going to go and give himself away for them and us but then got down on his knees and made sure they were clean before he left.

A seed falling to the ground the seed seems useless and worthless but becomes so much more than a seed when it sprouts and grows.

My prayer for you this week is that you find hope in the Christmas story.


Bonus material:
This is the hope for the evil that affects your life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dEh25pduQ8

Phil Wickham - Living Hope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI06nLHVzDw