Books I read in 2024 ~

 As a manager I got feedback on my performance daily. It was always exciting to hear everyone else's opinion on how I handled something, expcially when they disagreed with me :-) Each year the person I reported to was required to give me a performance review, which early in my career tended to be "sign this, I have to turn it in today" but got better as I progressed. Toward the end of my career the annual performace review was drifting in to the new-and-improved "hey, did you click the link to acknowledge the performance review email the machine sent you?"

I was always given an opportunity to provide a self-assessment, and for a long time I had no idea what to put in it except that I thought I did great job! Over the years I would add the online courses I took and would list the books that I read through the year, and that seemed to satisfy whoever had the position above me at the time. So it became a habit to share things about what I've been reading at the end of the year.

For now I am continuing that habit in my "retirement". I'm including the fiction books that I read because my mother recently asked me "Do you even read fiction books anymore?" and I didn't have the heart to tell her that I read a little from them almost every night before I go to sleep.

So here's my list of the 19 or so books I've read in 2024:

- The Secret - A Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child
Jack Reacher is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. This book was a fun ride!
https://a.co/d/hYfCBMy

- Safe Enough by Lee Child
Fun set of short stories. All were good!
https://a.co/d/01mjyTK

- The Ruthless Elimination Of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Good read on ways to slow down and develop my relationship with Jesus.
https://a.co/d/c8Ddc7l

- 1434 by Gavin Menzies
Interesting premise that the Chinese actually gave Europe everything it needed to make the Renaissance happen as they taught the western barbarians the proper way to pay tribute to the Chinese emperer of the world. The author makes a lot of good points and is pretty convincing.
https://a.co/d/diIgxnM

- Doing Life With Your Adult Children by Jim Burns
Now that all four of my children are adults I wanted to check to see if there was something I needed to do differently. I think I'm right on track :-)
https://a.co/d/2sXvxCz

- Dopamine Nation by Anne Lembke
This one was a stretch for me. It talked about addictions and how different people get the dopamine hit that we've been trained to want/need/desire. While I didn't enjoy some of the things talked about I got a lot out of the book and it helped clarify a lot of what is driving people's behavior when it comes to their mobile devices. Good book!
https://a.co/d/f0Arp1D

- Star Trek - Lost To Eternity by Greg Cox
Hadn't read a Star Trek book in quite a while so I thought I'd give this one a try. Good book set in the original series timeframe. I enjoyed it!
https://a.co/d/aU8LClb

- Happier At Home by Gretchen Rubin
I've enjoyed watching Gretchen Rubin develop her media empire with one good book after another. This one had several ideas that I've tried. I love all the background info that she pulls in to explain her points.
https://a.co/d/dKkzmsq

- Death in the Sunshine by Steph Broadribb
Good mystery but tough read due to the shifting perspective from character to character. I got used to the shifting about halfway through the book then really enjoyed it.
https://a.co/d/6FySrxo

- Dream Town by David Baldacci
Another mystery set in the 1950s, this time in Hollywood. I love how Baldacci makes you feel like you're there, though it's weird to think that they smoked as much as he makes it seem.
https://a.co/d/6ubjH0L

- Gambling Man by David Baldacci
Fun mystery set in the 1950s. Good PI character. 2nd book in the series.
https://a.co/d/dbXakZZ

- The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt
I've never had a vehicle with a diesel engine and have always wondered what the big deal about them was. This book was an eye-opener! I learned a lot and enjoyed the book even though I'm not a car guy. Good history!
https://a.co/d/ijoKkSY

- A Killer's Game by Isabella Maldonado
Fun ride through an interesting mystery.
https://a.co/d/d7CHqvF

- The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis
Another book I read to get a feel for Italy and Roma specifically in preparation for travel there. I enjoyed the book AND it helped me get a feel for the city of Rome.
https://a.co/d/9VXQnDj

- Hit Man by Lawrence Block
I was looking for a fun light read. I've read this before and enjoyed again!
https://a.co/d/guQAkOj

- Cold Tuscan Stone by David Wagner
I wanted to read a mystery set in Tuscany to get a feel for the area before travelling there. This book was a great way to get that experience. Good mystery, too.
https://a.co/d/98qcE82

- India Unbound by Das Gurcharon
I've been trying to learn more about India. This book shed a lot of light on things that I had no idea about. Long but good read!
https://a.co/d/gYYxnma

- The Burglar Who Met Frederick Brown by Lawrence Block
I wanted a mystery and have never gone wrong by reaching for a Lawrence Block book. Bernie Rhodenbar is a great character!
https://a.co/d/6DeE2C8

- Front Porch Tales by Philip Gulley
Good stories about different people and things in the author's life. Very heart-warming stuff!
https://a.co/d/130iPPV

And my list wouldn't be complete without recommending my own book:
- Things I've Never Done by David Holly
Something I put together to share myself with the world. Come in and know me better!
https://a.co/d/cnKfVJg

Enjoy!

+++

#books #2024

Christmas day during the Christmas season 2024 ~

 This marks my 60th Christmas - woohoo! I've enjoyed soooo many different things on Christmas days in the past - opening presents with my family, enjoying good food with laughter and joking, movies both at home and in the theater, sleeping, working, all sorts of things. Through it all I've quietly concluded that the presence of those that I love and trust in my life is the most precious gift that others have given me. 

God gave us a gift when his son was born to a virgin in Bethlehem. The birth had been predicted and proclaimed as a hoped-for event for centuries, but it was missed by so many that were looking for it. They were too busy living and commiserating about their circumstances that they didn't see the star, didn't notice the wise men, and didn't realize that the new star in the sky signified something important happening in the kingdom they were being held in (not the Roman empire). 

I hope that you take some time to reflect on what Jesus and his birth means in your life this Christmas. And that God blesses you greatly as you get more understanding of him in the coming year. 

Merry Christmas! 

Bonus material: 

What the Bible is all about by the Bible Project - https://youtu.be/7_CGP-12AE0?si=pPWV9eSyHhhUTSsu

What Christmas means to me - CS Lewis - https://youtu.be/zdnJQnnZtIQ?si=2ojrQ6Pi5wFJQ8Wa

#advent #christmas 

Peace during the Christmas season ~

Peace is another of those words associated with Christmas that means something different to almost everyone. Here are some things I think of when I hear or read the word "peace":

I long for peace on cold mornings when I hear the neighbor's dog bark rings clearly through the bare trees and crisp cold air during winter (stupid beagle). 

I long for peace as a turn something over and over in my mind every day until I'm just tired of thinking about it and wish it would stop haunting me. 

I feel peace as I enjoy the freedom that I've been experiencing lately. 

I wish peace for people that work in jobs with the public that seem to have little to no interest in helping people like me. 

I think of the song "Peace of Mind" by Boston. I've listened to that song since the 1980s and love to crank it up while I'm driving. I usually sing the lyrics to the song and thought I knew them, but I learned today that the words are a little different that what I've always thought they were. I've always thought the second line in chorus was something like "but I don't care whatever gets you high", but the actual line is "but I don't care if I get behind." Weird how that happens. 

And even though I feel kind of silly admitting that about the lyrics I still have my peace of mind :-) 

The Bible teaches that as an adult Jesus told his disciples "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." (John 14:27 https://shorturl.at/chUQl) As a disciple this verse comforts me and helps me feel peace. Though I'm not very good at it I try to focus on this as some of the things in my life disturb my peace. His peace is so much better than mine!

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the modern Christmas experience I hope you take some time to enjoy some good music, spend some time with friends and family, and contemplate what the birth of a baby they named Yeshua (or Jesus) over 2000 years ago means to you today. 

Bonus material: 

 Prince of Peace - Celtic Worship 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr2RG-xR2lA

Peace of Mind by Boston:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edwk-8KJ1Js

 

#advent #christmas

 

 

 

Faith thoughts ~

One of the interesting things that I hear some Christians say is that somebody didn't have enough faith to be healed, to get that job, to get something accomplished, not enough faith. But when I read the Bible and when I listen to the Bible I hear some interesting things about faith.



Jesus told his disciples that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can tell this mountain go and be thrown into the ocean and it will be done. A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds.



So this isn't very much faith, but it packs a punch. Faith packs a punch. Faith is something that is small but grows into great big plants and other things. When Jesus would do a miracle more often than not, Jesus would do a miracle.



The stories say that he asked the person that he was healing. Do you want to be healed? Do you believe that I can do this? Do you believe this is possible? He didn't say you have to believe with your entire fiber of being.



He didn't say you have to be completely sold on this idea. Do you want to be healed? Do you believe this can happen? Even when you look at the story about the woman with the issue of bleeding, her faith was such that she Just wanted to touch the fringe of his outer cloak If I can just touch his cloak, I'll be healed. Not "if I can just get an hour of his time I'll be healed". Or "if I could just speak to him face to face I'll be healed". Just to touch the fringe of the outer garment.



One of the things that I learned in The Chosen, the series based on the gospel, is that Jewish people wear four tasseled fringes on their outer garment as prayer reminders. I'd kind of like to learn more about that, but I don't want to get bound up and all of a sudden have to wear tassels on my jackets and shirts.



But the way The Chosen depicted it they weren't very big. But they did add a splash of color to an otherwise boring coat.



Sometimes I think of faith like that. Faith adds a splash of color to an otherwise not real great situation and that color if you focus on it grows and dominates the entire thing.



You've got to have faith. To believe in God, you've got to have faith. Because we can't see him, smell him, touch him, or any of those physical things that we tend to want in order to prove something. In this day of spammers, scammers, and artificial intelligence beginning to be used for marketing, you've got to have a lot of faith in what you read and what you see in videos and pictures, because so much of it is fake and not real.



Even Peter, when he was confronted by Jesus on it, said, "I believe, help my unbelief!" That tells me that he didn't believe with his entire fiber, or he thought he did, but he still had doubts.



Just like us. And so for a fellow Christian to say that another Christian didn't have enough faith kind of makes me sad.





#faith #christian #jesus #church

Joy during the Christmas season ~

 Joy is a tough one for me. I feel joyful but don’t seem to be perceived as joyful.

I laugh heartily in private and with loved ones but tend to be reserved around others. But I don’t think laughter is a good measure of joy.

I smile plenty, but it tends to be a wry smile while going through something that requires patience on my part. The smile helps me feel better and hopefully puts others at ease. (Though I tend to feel like a shark or lately an orca when I smile :-)

Most of the Jewish people I’ve known have been sarcastic questioners of everything, including gifts from others. That’s just my experience, which is limited to a tight circle of space and time around my life. It’s almost as if their search for a Savior has become background noise and their focus is on the nation of Israel and on improving the lives of their families and children.

As I learn more and more about Christianity I am becoming more and more convinced that we have a wrong take on things. We live in time in a kingdom ruled by created beings that fell from the good graces of the Creator. That means that the birth of Jesus was a huge undercover operation that inserted him into this kingdom under cover of night. There were signs that it was happening - the prophecies, the stories, the star, the angels talking to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph. But after the covert insertion of Jesus into this world the angels burst forth in enemy territory to proclaim the arrival of their invading King.

It must have been amazing to the shepherds to have seen angels flying and singing! They had to look strange and different because they are not of this kingdom we live in. And we’ve always been told the angels sang their songs of joy to shepherds because Jesus came for everyone, but what if the angels sang their songs of joy heralding the arrival of their king out there because the rulers and princes of this world would have killed them if they did it in more populated areas? Hmmm

I feel joy when I think about the other kingdom that I am a part of. God’s kingdom. It’s hard to express it but it is a warm glow inside of me. Sure, this kingdom we are in now gets me down and drives a lot of my reactions but I feel joy knowing that I have a Savior that came and redeemed me so that I can be with him now and in his kingdom. And that I will be there after I leave this kingdom.

I hope that you feel that joy this Christmas season.

 

Bonus material:

Joy (What The World Calls Foolish)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9aJOCpRuxk

C S Lewis on Joy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7JAVvioOUU

Article: The Difference Between Joy and Happiness

https://www.verywellmind.com/joy-vs-happiness-8724682

 

#advent #christmas

Whose fault is that ~

One of the hardest phrases that I've had to deal with in seeking communication is, "And whose fault is that?" My mother always wanted to know who was at fault and always placed blame somewhere else.



There was always some outside influence or somebody that was out to get you. I grew up scared and fearful and careful to the point that I carry my wallet in my front pocket to this day. I've had that within my larger family.



I have a relative that when somebody would say they didn't know something their response when I was around was almost always "And whose fault is that?" Then they would explain that it was the fault of the person that didn't know the item.



This usually placed the person asking about something on the defensive because they didn't ask questions sooner or they didn't seek out the information. I got asked that, too, and I've been made to feel guilty because I didn't know something that nobody shared with me.



That's happened multiple times throughout my life, like changes of address, phone numbers, surgeries. names given to babies, all sorts of things. And it's always my fault that I didn't know because I didn't ask or I didn't stay close enough to pick it up in passing because nobody made the effort to let me know.



And that's the thing, as I hope to be included, I'm not. And I end up having to chase people for the information that I wish that I had. I've reached a point to where I don't chase people now. If you don't share it with me, I don't know it.



And then when you act like I should know it, I'm probably just going to look at you. Or you may have the "volatile when shaken" reaction because I'm surprised and hurt again to not have been included in something.



I don't know, I'm becoming more and more at peace with things and I like that. I just...hoped for something different.



But I accept the way things are. And whose fault is that? Mine.

Faith during the Christmas season ~

Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the substance of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

For me faith can be a lot like trust. When I go to sit in a chair I trust that the chair will support me and that I will not fall in the floor when I put my full weight on it.

If a certain type of chair caves when I sit on it in the future I will probably not sit on that type of chair without hesitating. That doesn't mean I don't believe the chair exists or is really a chair, I just hesitate and shy away from it. But almost always I will try again.

God is like that for me. Over and over I've put my full trust in him and found that he supported me through everything. Not always in obvious ways. not always in the way that I wanted, but I always realize at some point that he did.

An example: I currently have a situation where I feel betrayed and I keep asking God why it happened. As I continue to react to my pain with sadness and anger I have starting shifting from asking "why" to thanking God for my freedom from the betrayer. And as I do this I have a sense that God is right there with me in the sadness and anger. I keep going back and then working through the process again, over and over, and with each iteration the cycle time gets shorter and shorter. That feeling comes from a place of faith.

I have faith that you will see things happening around you this Christmas season that will point you toward a renewed faith in God.

Bonus material:

Passion - O Come All Ye Faithful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wW4R4lfUQI

CS Lewis on faith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nh-_PEH25o#ddg-play

#advent #christmas