Book # 26:  A Tale of Two Youth Workers: A Youth Ministry Fable - by Eric Venable

This “youth ministry fable” runs the scenario of two youth workers, “Wes” and “Britt,  who approach their ministries differently.  It takes “losing a kid” to shake Wes’ confidence in his ministry skills.  I would recommend this book to anyone who works with students, especially Jr. & Sr. High students.  It points youth workers away from programs and events, and toward creating a certain kind of culture.  I believe in this culture, and I believe it is the key to reaching the same goal I have in my ministry:  to get students to own their faith.  This kind of culture is centered around creating opportunities for students to ask questions, share their doubts, and encounter the story of God.  When this kind of culture is created, it won’t matter what the programs or events look like, because students will be truly encountering God.  If you work in youth ministry, paid or volunteer, do yourself a favor & read this book.

Book # 27:  Surprised By Hope:  Rethinking Heaven, Resurrection, & the Mission of the Church - by N.T. Wright

This review may the hardest to write, because it truly is hard to put into words how much I loved this book.  It challenged me and stretched me in many ways.  In this book, Wright critiques the views of heaven that have become commonplace in our Western church culture, especially the idea that after we die, our “soul” leaves our body and we live forever in a non-bodied utopian heaven.  Wright insists that this is simply not a Christian teaching.  He argues that the New Testament is clear that the resurrection to come when Jesus returns is a bodily resurrection.   But mostly he emphasizes that Christian teaching of life after death should really be an emphasis on “life after life after death”-the resurrection of the body, which is also the basis for all faithful action.  What I really love about the book is how Wright connects his understanding of life after death, through resurrection to the mission of the church.  In this book Wright presents the purpose of the church more simply and beautifully than I have ever seen before.  I think EVERY believer should read this book.

Book # 28:  Bossypants – by Tina Fey

What can I say about Tina Fey?  First thing I can tell you about this book, is that if you didn’t like her on SNL or if you don’t like her on her hit show 30 Rock, then you will probably hate this book.  The book is part autobiography part stand up comedy.  And the platform of a book has given Fey and opportunity to use material that wouldn’t pass the censors on network television.  But beyond that “Bossypants” gives readers the opportunity to connect with a more personal Tina Fey, not the celebrity comedian, but the mother, co-worker, and surveyor of life.  Sometimes the best medicine for our star-struck society is to move away from the ridiculous and realize that even celebrities are real people with real challenges, and I think Tina does just that with this book.

Book # 29:  Economy of Love  – by Relational Tithe with Shane Claiborne

This book was a short but challenge read, and is actually designed as a small group study.  Basically, the discussion revolves around going against consumer culture which feeds on people and starting a relational tithe that not only gives money but gives of ourselves.  The book is split into the following 5 sections:

• Week 1: Tension – Being the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world
• Week 2: Enough – Christ’s demand to love our neighbor through redistribution
• Week 3: Vulnerable – Living lives that collide with those of the marginalized
• Week 4: Filled – Is the gospel we preach good news for the rich and poor alike?
• Week 5: Practice – Following Jesus with our hands, our feet, and our resources

My only major drawback from the book, was that I wasn’t using it properly.  It truly is designed to be used in a group.  So if you already are aware of the information about consumerism in our culture, then this book isn’t for you.  Bur if you are looking for a way to bring about a discussion in a small group about these issues, I encourage you to give “Economy of Love” a shot. 

Book # 30:  Weird: Because Normal Isn’t Working - by Craig Groeschel

“Weird” is the newest release by Pastor Craig Groschel from Lifechurch.TV and the 3rd book of his that I have read during this project.  Groeschel’s underlying principle of this book is captured in the conclusion, “My concern with our culture and primary motivation for writing this book is that we’ve made lukewarm synonymous with normal.”  In his book he takes a deeper look at 5 key areas where Christians are called to be “weird”.  These major areas are: time, money, relationships, sex, and values.  These ares cover a broad scope of people and life situations and there is something for every believer in this book.  If you like Groeschel’s style you will be challenged to take a good look at your life and truly evaluate where you are settling for being normal, and you will be challenged to God’s standard of “weird”.

Book # 31:  The Art of Storytelling – by John Walsh

If you haven’t caught on yet, I’m really into “story”.  I love the narrative teaching approach, and in my life of “work” I have realized that everyone connects to a story in some way.  So I picked up this book to help me develop my story telling skills.  This book is a great resource for anyone who does any amount of public speaking or teaching.  Through this book, John Walsh, gives his readers a step by step walk through of how to create a remarkable and memorable story.  This book will truly change the way you tell stories!

Book # 32: Gracenomics:  Unleashing the Power of 2nd Chance Living – by Mike Foster

Let me first say that I have always been a huge fan of Mike Foster, from his work with XXX Church, to his book Deadly Viper Character Assassins, and now to his work with People of the 2nd Chance.  I have always been impressed with Mike’s desire to get to the core, never to sugarcoat the truth, and to talk about thinks that most people, and most Christians are unwilling to address.  In his new book, Mike begins a discussion that is at the core of his new movement with “People of the 2nd Chance”.  In this book, which is an introduction to what POTSC is all about, he describes our society as a vulture culture, where grace is scarce and in high demand. Broken relationships, personal emptiness and increasing disappointments in work and life prompt us to search out a new way of living. “Gracenomics” pushes us in a direction that is more in line with scripture, living as people who accept and offer 2nd chances – living out a radical grace in our everyday lives.

Book # 17 :  The Gospel According to Lost  -  by Chris Seay

Being a huge fan of the TV series LOST, and a person of faith meant that this book was directly targeted and likely marketed to me.  I really enjoyed this book.  First off I loved the format of how the book is divided.  Seay takes the time to analyze each character, their strengths, weaknesses, and their connections to history, literature, and many times the Bible.  On top of this he does this under the framework of each character being a “saint”, again communicating that there is so much we can learn about faith from this TV show and it’s characters.  Here are some examples:  “Hurley: Patron Saint of Blessed Losers”, “Kate Austen: Patron Saint of Beautiful Killers”, “James ‘Sawyer’ Ford: Patron Saint of Kindhearted Con Men”, &  “Benjamin Linus: Patron Saint of Dutiful Tyrants“  just to name a few.  One other hidden gem in the book is the artwork done by Scott Erickson, who is a truly gifted artist.  My only knock on the book is that it was written between the 5th & 6th seasons of the show.  This leaves a lot left unsaid and ultimately neglects maybe the most controversial season.  Lastly, my only other hope for the book would have been some more depth.  But it was an easy read and I really enjoyed it.  If you like LOST & you are a believer, I think you will enjoy it!

Book # 18 :  Crazy Love – by Francis Chan

Chan pens that the purpose of writing “Crazy Love” was “because much of our (Christians) talk doesn’t match up with our lives.”  The central question he tackles is, “what does it mean to truly love God.”  And as you can guess, Chan’s assessment is that if you really dig into the scriptures and do what they say, this world (our American culture especially) with label you crazy.    This book is extremely challenging.  It brought up many questions that I have always wondered about, the one of the greatest being: Can I be an “American” and still be a Christian?  One of the struggles I had while reading this was wondering how much of Chan’s understanding of God is rooted in following the Bible as closely as possible and how much of his thought would fall under a “poverty gospel” mentality.  But that’s another conversation entirely.  Either way Chan brings up some great points, really dives deeply into scripture (which I value a whole lot), and challenges us all to “learn to listen and to obey God, especially in a society where it’s easy and expected to do what is most comfortable.”   It was an easy yet challenging read and I would recommend this book to anyone!

Book 19:  Engaging Parent’s as Allies – Wayne Rice  (Youth Ministry in the Trenches series)

I wish I had read this book before a started my first youth ministry.  I have been doing youth ministry for 8 years now and it took me a while to learn many of the important lessons that this book captures.   Much of what is in this book I would say I understand and have a good grasp on, but the reminders are priceless.   The author states in the first chapter: “As a youth worker you will contribute significantly to the spiritual, moral, and social lives of the teens you work with, but parent’s contribute much more … Parents play a role second only to that of the Holy Spirit in building the spiritual foundation of their children’s lives”  This is a core truth of youth ministry and it took me years to truly learn.  I would highly recommend this book for anyone in youth ministry.  It doesn’t matter if you are a rookie, a seasoned veteran, paid staff, or unpaid this is a great resource.  I look forward to reading the other books in this series, as I anticipate they will still challenge me, and give me good reminders and ideas on how to put together a better youth ministry.

Book #20 : A Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two) - Patrick Rothfuss

In his debut novel, “The Name of the Wind“, Rothfuss began to weave a tale of a young boy named Kvothe.  The story is told by Kvothe himself as he is revealing the truth behind the mythology that has surrounded his life.  There are hints that while Kvothe is a renowed figure, that many of his deeds may have led not only to his notoriety but also his infamy.  In the first installment, the reader discovers some of the greatest tragedies of Kvothe’s young life, while at the same time realizing his potential for greatness.  “A Wise Man’s Fear” is the second installment of Kvothe’s epic story.  In it Rothfuss continues to unfold this riveting tale about a boy who becomes a man.  And as Kvothe unveils the truth we shee his path from beggar, to student, to hero, to killer, and even a legend.  This book was phenomenal, and I can’t wait for the final chapter of the saga.  Kvothe is truly an epic character who delves deep into the human condition, wrestling with his reputation, his desires, and ultimately his fate.   If you love epic stories, you will not find anything better.  I highly recommend “The Kingkiller Chronicle” series!

Book #21: Experiential Storytelling: (Re)Discovering Narrative to Communicate God’s Message - Mark Miller

A couple of years ago, I started working with my students through a new teaching method called Storying.  The basic premise is that we approach the narratives of the Bible without any conceived ideas of what we will take away from it.  We dig in deep and we see what God shows us.  I have been so thrilled with it, that I have begun to do my own work involving Storying.  In my research to get better at this I discovered this book.  The reason I love narrative teaching is because storytelling has the powerful ability to touch humans at the deepest level.  “Stories are viewed from the lens of the soul.  Stories address us on every level.”  If you are any kind of teacher this is a great short read to get you thinking outside the box.  If you work somewhere in the church its a good challenge for us because as Miller states, “A sermon tells people what to think.  A story forces people to do the thinking for themselves.”  And I guess that’s what I am after in my ministry.  I desire for my students to think for themselves, to go deep into God’s word and come out with a knowledge and belief that is their own, whatever that may be.

Book #22:  Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived – Rob Bell

The Publishers must have been thrilled, with all of “Christendom” in an agitated frenzy over Bell’s highly anticipated and widely criticized new book.  I will admit, I pre-ordered the book, and based on discussions I have been having couldn’t wait for the hard copy and downloaded the digital version to read.  Let me first say this book did not disappoint.  I couldn’t put it down.  In typical Bell fashion, he managed to approach one of the most complicated subjects in faith and approach it with the wide-eyed wonder of a child.  I don’t want to reveal too much about the book, because I would prefer you read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions.  But what I will say is that I am throughly impressed with Bell’s willingness to start a conversation that is long over due.  And as Rob states “Jesus’ story has been hijacked by a number of other stories, stories Jesus isn’t interested in telling, because they have nothing to do with what he came to do. The plot has been lost, and it’s time to reclaim it.”   You may or may not agree with his interpretation of “Heaven & Hell”, but the real question to be asked should be “Is the Christian faith big enough, wide enough, and generous enough to handle the vast range of perspectives?”.   Where ever you are on the spectrum, the least you can do is join the conversation.  You may find yourself asking new questions, or better yet, better questions.  I highly recommend!

Book #23: The Happiness Project – by Gretchen Rubin

What drew me to this book was that it was about someone else’s year-long project.  I have really become attached to this idea of having a personal project each year (obviously this year’s project for me is reading 100 books).  So I thought I would give them one a read because it might have some good ideas about other projects I might like to tackle.  The basic context of the book is that the author wondered if their were things she could do to make her happier.  It’s not that she wasn’t happy, it’s just that she wondered if there were steps she could take, behaviors she could implement, or discoveries to be made in her life that would make her life better.  So she set goals for each month that she would focus on, and this became her “Happiness Project“.  Along her journey, Rubin consulted 2 lists that she came up with to help her, “The 12 Commandments” & “The Secrets of Adulthood“.  I enjoyed this book because it really showed that any project can be accomplished over a year.  One thing that I became a little bored with was Rubin’s constant quotation of  “studies” about happiness.  There is definitely part of me that felt like the “pursuit of happiness” seemed like a self-centered objective.  But Rubin did a nice job getting to the core of happiness, and really branching out to discover what types of things really bring a better kind of life.  I think if you took the time to read this you would be inspired to do your own project, and might find some things that help you get to the core of what it means to live a truly happy life.

Book # 24: Lucky: How the Kingdom of God Comes to Unlikely People - by Glenn Packiam

I was initially drawn to this book because it appeared to deal with, what I believe to be one of the foundational truths of the kingdom, that God’s kingdom is upside down and backwards to the way in which we would do things.  What I didn’t realize is that the book would focus the expression of this thought through focusing on “The Beatitudes“.  In actuality the book doesn’t cover “The Beatitudes in their entirety, rather Packiam focuses on a shorter list that are recorded in Luke’s Gospel.  There are many books that are written about the beatitudes, but I think what stands out differently from this book, is how the opening phrase to each thought is translated.  Traditionally the word is translated “Blessed”, but Packiam bases his book on the interpretation on the work done by Eugene Peterson, author of “The Message”.  The way Peterson translates the word is “Lucky”.  This translation is not used in the “I just got a lucky hand in the poker game” sense, rather it is used in the sense of “Good for you” or “Lucky for you”.  This leads to seeing the Beatitudes as Jesus teaching “Lucky are the unlucky”, which totally falls in line with my understanding of Jesus and his teachings.  I enjoyed the book, it definitely challenged me to look at this teaching more closely and go into more depth.  My only complain, or question rather, is why does Packiam tackle the larger text of Beatitude in Matthew chapter 5.  Other than that a good and spiritually fulfilling read.

Book # 25: Invisible Lines of Connection – by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

To finish off the month, I decided to read what amounts to a series of essays on finding the spiritual connections in everyday life.  While on the surface the wide array of topics from trout fishing to stamp collecting may seem to have little connection, Kushner would push the reader to assume they have a deeper connection. Which leads us to the “thesis” for a lack of a better term for this book:  ”If everything is connected to everything else, then everyone is ultimately responsible for everything.  We can blame nothing on anyone else.  The more we comprehend out mutual interdependence, the more we fathom the implications of our most trivial acts.”   Which is another way of making the argument that “everything is spiritual“.  Easy to read, connect with, and explore – the invisible lines of connection will leave you looking around your normal life to find the threads of the divine.

___

I’m still on pace to hit the 100 book mark.  If you have read any of these books please comment and let me know what you think!  I will keep you updated on my quest.

So this feeling of being full, was starting to feel foreign to be about mid-week.  You see Devin and I took on a new adventure this week, a detox diet. As much as we hated the excuse; marriage, full-time jobs, and church commitments have resulted in bad eating habits. We don’t get a lot of time together so who wants to spend that time preparing clean and healthy meals? Not me. The result has been us indulging in too much pizza, macaroni, pasta, and other foods that just aren’t best for us. When Devin (who could live on carbs and cheese) said to me, “I feel like I have pizza and cheese running through my veins” we knew we had to do something. We found a program we thought might work for us, and dove in head first. We were to have the same foods each day, allow me to walk you through a day’s menu.

Breakfast: Warm water with lemon juice, orange, nonfat yogurt. Snack: Banana. Lunch: Veggie Burger (no bun), cucumbers, carrots, veggie juice, apple. Snack: Salad with no dressing. Dinner: Veggie soup, strawberries/blueberries. Snack: Green peppers. We were allowed only water to drink, with some herbal tea thrown in there if we could stand the flavors.

Wow, I tell you what, WOW! (Bartok anyone?) Talk about a shock to the 21^st Century 20-somethings married couple! From day 1 Devin was on fire! I on the other hand, was struggling. I felt exhausted, weak, and empty.  By Wednesday, Devin was in the same place as I was. It wasn’t getting any better! Yes, we were eating good foods but we were also depriving our body of very important and vital nutrients, protein for instance. Needless to say when I came home from work on Wednesday with my pouty lip I said to Devin, “Please oh please can we quit?” I’m not sure if it was the pouty lip, or the far off look of complete and utter deprivation and exhaustion behind my eyes, but he agreed. And off to Bob Evans we went!

Over a meal packed with goodness, we talked about our week and how this detox diet had affected us. It got me thinking about our humanity, and our direct relationship with God. As Christians it is very easy to feel “full”. Things like a great sermon, the latest jam on Christian radio, or a conference that fans the flame in our souls fill us up and renew us. But what about the daily grind? What about those of us who in the midst of living life, between work and play and raising children and cooking and cleaning and serving others and volunteering and being downright busy, deprive ourselves of our Father and begin to feel…empty?

Depriving ourselves of relationship with Jesus, the very God who gave His life to save ours, makes us feel the same way depriving our bodies of basic nutrients it needs to survive; empty…weak…exhausted.

Living in this country gives us free access to all the foods and nutrients we could ever imagine! Why deprive ourselves? And being a forgiven child of Christ, post curtain tearing (At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart. Matthew 27:51), gives us unlimited access to Yahweh God. Why, especially of His love and grace, would we deprive ourselves?

Anyone who knows me knows I thoroughly enjoy food. I savor it, I love it. So it’s only appropriate that God used food to speak to my heart. He showed me I was depriving myself of His goodness, and reminded me of His constant pursuit of my heart. My prayer is that you feel full. Feel full of drink, of good food, and of the undying love of our great God.

Ever since Leah and I have been together, she has always mentioned from time to time the concept of a detox.  When she mentioned it, the idea was always something for her to do.  You see there’s this thing about Leah which I love and yet at the same time don’t understand.  It’s best described as her hippy-tree-hugger-persona.  She loves everything that has to do with nature, world peace, health food, and tie-dye (ok maybe the tie-dye is a reach).  And while this is something I love about her, these things never touch my heart like they do hers.

So fast forward our relationship to about a month ago, and out of the blue I said to my wife, “If you would like to do a detox program, I would do it with you.”  I’m not sure if she thought I was joking or was just shocked, but when she asked me why I was interested, I told her that I wanted to do it (and I quote) ”Because my veins feel like they are filled with bread and cheese”.  So this how we embarked on researching a program, settling on one, and picking dates that would work for our schedule.  Which brings us up to this morning.

This morning I woke up, came into the living room half asleep and sat down.  Then Leah, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, asked me if I was ready for this … I think my response was something in the “uhhhghhh” category!  But because she loves me she brought out the first piece of our detox diet.  It was a simple glass of warm water and lemon.  I must have let it sit there for 30 minutes – to be honest, I was dreading detox.

It wasn’t so much what I was supposed to drink to start this detox.  It was the idea of starting it.  It was the realization that for the next 7 days there will not be any pizza, pasta, ice cream, or cookies in my reach.  It was knowing that for the next 168 hours I would be eating rabbit food; no sugar, no caffeine nothing to give me that extra burst that I need when my tank feels low.  It was the idea that I was committing to this – and I am accountable.  Bottom line it was my idea, I brought it up, I would have to follow through.  It was almost as if my mind was trying convince me that I could get out of it, if I just didn’t start.

My struggle this morning got me thinking.  It made me think about how I handle the sin in my life.  How I rationalize my behavior, my thoughts, and my attitudes.  I know what’s right.  I know what’s best for me.  But somehow I manage to convince myself that if I just ignore it, it will go away.  I won’t have to deal with it and better yet I won’t have to change.

This detox program isn’t must different than getting rid of the sin in our lives.  When you think about it there are two key components to a detox program.   1.  Stop doing things that are bad for you (i.e. having pizza for 2 out of 3 meals a day)  2.  Start eating /doing things that are healthy for you (like eating veggies and exercising).  It’s not just enough to stop doing something unhealthy  in order to truly detox, it has to be replaced with something good for you.  It’s the same in our spiritual lives.  You don’t just turn off the sin switch.   If you try to do that you will easily slide back into evil behaviors, poor thoughts, and harmful attitudes.  You have to fill you time, your mind, your hands with the good things of God.

I think part of being human is dreading detox.  I mean seriously we struggle to be obedient to get rid of our sin.  And why is that.  I’ll tell you why.  It’s because sin is fun.  Sin feels good.  Sin gives us instant gratification.  But what we don’t realize is what sin does to our veins, our arteries, and our hearts.  It slows them down, it clogs them up, so that we can’t truly process the nourishment that God gives.  We dread detox, because we don’t truly want to be rid of the “fun” or the “thrill”, and we don’t truly grasp what it is doing to our hearts.

But the truth is we all need detox.  We all need to take extra time and focus on what God would have us change.  And we need the commitment to do it.  If you’re like me then you’re dreading detox – but you know it’s what needs to be done.  And like I have done today – all you need to do is take the first step.  You need to commit.  You need to be honest with yourself and say, “I need to make a change.”

 Take that first step towards cleaning your heart, ask God what you need to get rid of and start replacing thought things with the things of God.  I encourage you, read scripture, pray, journal and write, cry out to God and allow him to help you with your detox.   I promise you it will be worth the work, and you won’t regret it.  because detox isn’t just something you do with your body, you do it with your heart.

***oh yeah,another great first step is to find someone who can keep you accountable.  I know I couldn’t do this without my Leah.  I hope I make her proud, and I am excited to share being a little more healthy with her after this detox process is through.

I just threw away 40 empty pop cans.  I know you think I am exaggerating.  But I’m not really.  They were mostly empty Mountain Dew cans.  It’s at this moment in the night that I feel most fulfilled.  Most people would think that I am crazy for doing lock-in’s and overnighters.  Most parents are grateful that I am the one offering.  And the funny thing is each year it gets harder and harder for me to pull it all off and truly recover at a reasonable rate.  But one thing stays the same, I really feel the value in nights like these.

Sometimes it feels like it’s hard to put into words what playing card games, eating pizza, playing ridiculous hours of video games while drinking ridiculous amounts of soda can be to a group of young people, especially young men.   (By the way the girls are at another house, I’m pretty certain they are already asleep, but last time I checked they were doing crafts and talking about all kinds of odd things)  But the truth is there is something spiritual happening here, something deeper than what you would see when you look around the house in a few hours, and see the “fallen” soldiers captive to their dreams.  Snuggled up between pop cans, Xbox controllers, and pillows that aren’t quite big enough for them.

I will attempt to share with you what I see happening on a deeper level:

1)  They are Safe -  It’s a friday night and there are no doubt many classmates of these students who are not in the best of circumstances.  Some by their own choices, others because of peer pressure or poor parenting, but these students have a safe place to be tonight.  A place where they can be themselves, feel accepted and interact with others responsibly.  Pslams 25:20 says “Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame; for I take refuge in you”. 

2)  They are Together -  They are spending time together, getting to know one another better, getting to trust one another more.  They are building relationship bonds that will stand up under pressure.  It is in these “mundane” moments that we learn the skills to open up to the same people and trust them with much more important things in our lives.  We journey together through the silly & the serious because we have built a trust together.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

3)  God is with Them -  No only are the building relationships with each other, but they are together because of their common faith.  We have some students who are visiting, and just hanging out, but the other students haven’t shied away from their faith.  Already tonight I have heard some of the guys talk about our youth group last week, what they want to do as a devotion for the summer, willingly offered up prayers for dinner, and talked with one of our own about going into ministry some day.  This is not just some “goof off” event, God is here.  Matthew 18:20 says “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them.”

4)  They are Learning About  & Living Out the Body of Christ - It would be a lie to say that each of these students are the same.  Of course there are similarities, but they are all very different.  If we went by standard high school labels, some would be “jocks” others would be “geeks” or “nerds”, some are considered “plain” or “normal” (whatever that means), and there might even be a couple of ”emo kids”.  But the beautiful part of this is that they are all here together.  There is no division among them.  They are not only here, but they are happy to be here, they chose to be here.  This is what they want to be doing, spending time with the rest of the body.  And while I know they probably wouldn’t articulate it this way, but they honor God by desiring to be together, to share with one another.  1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says, “ The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit”

So for the reasons listed above I am so honored to be here, to stay up all night, to play games with them, to get picked on by them.  I feel honored to clean up after them, to serve them, and to love them, because they impress me so much!  They make me so proud; they are responding to what God is doing in their lives, and they are doing it together, and honestly that is worth spending my time, my energy and my heart on.  I am so blessed to serve these students!

Book # 7 :  Beatrice and Virgil - by Yann Martel

This book was a follow up novel to another book by Yann Martel that I read years ago and loved.   His previous work is called Life of Pi and it was a story that just blew me away.  A common thread in Martel’s novels is that he uses animals as some of the main characters.  It is no different in this book.  The main character is a successful author who is struggling to write another book.  He clashes with his publishers and eventually puts his book on the back burner.  While this is happening he moves to a new city and meets an aspiring writer who happens to be a taxidermist.  The taxidermist/author is writing a play using two of his “subjects”, a donkey and a monkey, the namesakes of the book.  While on the surface this might seem lighthearted, this book caries so much depth and deals with some of the greatest atrocities in our human history using the characters of Beatrice and Virgil as guides.  I recommend this read, but you may want to read Life of Pi first in order to get a feel for how Martel’s writing works.

Book # 8 : Chazown - by Craig Groeschel

I can’t say enough about Groeschel, when it comes to getting to the core of issues and dealing with it directly he is a stud!  Chazown is a great book because it is more than a book.  Let me explain – The focus of the book is finding your God given vision – I believe that Groeschel is on the money when he says that God has created us from something specific, there is a purpose for each of us.  The Creator makes his creation with a purpose.  With that being said this book walks you though how to focus in on what your God given vision is.   Groeschel helps the reader focus on their sweet spot, by leading them through where their core values, spiritual gifts, and past experiences overlap in a sort of divine venn diagram.  Then he breaks things down into 5 areas or spokes (of a wheel) where you can work on living out this vision in your life.  I loved this book, and I would encourage everyone to check it out.  It even has sections that encourage you to write, and do specific things to help you in your journey.

Book # 9 :  Slam – by Nick Hornby

I have always been a Nick Hornby fan, his novels have always challenged me.  I think the thing I like about them the most has always been that he never avoids the grittier side of being human.  His novels have a lot of internal dialogue, so you get to hear what the character is feeling, knowing that even though you might never say it to anyone, you would feel exactly the same thing.  Many of you may have heard of some of his novels even though you have never read his books (High Fidelity, About A Boy, & Fever Pitch).  This book is about what happens to a teenage couple who finds out that they are pregnant.  Hence the title “Slam” because that is exactly what happens to these “kids” as the slam into the reality of how their lives are going to change.  It was a good read, and again I enjoyed another one of Hornby’s works.  On a side note I decided to read it this month because we found out that my Brother & Sister-in-law are pregnant, congrats to them.

Book # 10 : Getting Fired for the Glory of God - by Mike Yaconelli

The late Mike Yaconelli is a youth ministry legend, and this book is a compilation of many of his articles that he had written over the years.  It truly was a gift that his children put together to share with so many of those youth ministry workers and volunteers who desperately miss his passionate and challenging voice in our world.  Youth Ministry can be very challenging!  One of the greatest challenges is getting caught up or lulled into doing things that don’t really matter.  Mike’s voice was always one of challenging the status quo, and it was always out of the desire to draw us back to God.  If you work (paid or volunteer) with students or in the church this book is a great that you HAVE TO read!

Book # 11 : On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness - by Andrew Peterson

My first encounter with Andrew Peterson was years ago when I discovered him as an energetic folk Christian musician.  I loved his music from the beginning.  His lyrics have always touched my heart, and so when I heard he was writing a series of novels ala “The Chronicles of Narnia”, I couldn’t resist buying a copy.   The series is called the Wingfeather Saga, and reportedly will contain 5 volumes.  When I first started reading it was hard to get into it.  It felt as if I might be betraying my love for Narnia that I had built over the years by enjoying another world to dive into.  The story follows the Igiby Children and their adventures while under the oppression of the disgusting Fangs of Dang.  I don’t want to give away much of the plot, because at this point there are only 2 volumes available.  So if you love Narnia, I encourage you to give the Wingfeather Saga a try.  At this point I’m holding off book #2 in the series, but I am sure you will see it in upcoming months.

Book # 12 : Primal - by Mark Batterson

The following is the advertisement for the book Primal:  “Our generation needs a new reformation but it won’t be born of a new discovery. It will be the rediscovery of something old, something ancient, something primal. The next reformation won’t be led by a single person or defined by a single event. It will be led by millions of reformers who are simply great at the Great Commandment.”  This summarizes pretty well the focus of the book.  Batterson takes his readers through the Great Commandment digging deeper and challenging his readers to get back to the heart of what it means to follow Christ.  I found this book to be a great read, and pretty challenging.  I would recommend it.

Book # 13 : Decoded – by Jay-Z

I have always been a huge music fan, and my tastes are wide and vary from time to time.  When it comes to rap and hip-hop there is none greater than Jay-Z. In his book “Decoded” he takes a close look at his lyrics over the years.  He explains them line by line, and then through the chapters unpacks the major themes.  Many people might think (for many reasons) that Jay-Z’ s work might lack depth or value.  But your preconceived notions will be shattered if you read this book.  True lyricists and poets can appreciate every line of Jay Z’s lyrics as he peals back layer by layer.   A larger focus of the book is how Jay-Z evolved from a street hustler to a legitimate business man, comparing and contrasting the different life styles and skills that were necessary for him to navigate each path. If you are looking for a Jay Z biography, this isn’t it. Instead, you will find the artist’s thoughts about the world around him from his perspective (right or wrong).

Book # 14 : Pujols: More Than a Game – by Lamb & Ellsworth

This book is a new release and for obvious reasons I was interested in reading it.  The timing couldn’t be more interesting considering the fact that Pujols is under contract negotiations (which are on hold) with the Cardinals.  The focus of this book is 2 fold, first it is to give a history of Pujols’ journey to the majors and how he became arguably the best player in the game.  The other focus is to explore Pujols’ faith and his humanitarian efforts.  I was actually pretty disappointed in this book.  The parts that I really enjoyed talked about Albert as a teen and his experience getting to” The Big Show“.  With that being said one of the most interesting things for me, was to realize that he truly has been under paid his entire career, and there have always been doubters (he was the 402 pick in the draft) but he has always been consistent (30+ Home Runs & 100+ RBI’s each year since his rookie year)(10 years total).  My greatest hope as a Cardinals fan is that they sign him no matter the cost. You may or may not like Pujols,  but either way don’t feel bad if you pass on the book.

Book # 15 : Storylines - by Croft & Pilavachi

Continuing with one of my huge themes this year, reading books that take a look at the Bible as one narrative: this book takes a look at the overarching themes that the authors see in the Bible.  The “Storylines” that are identified are “Jesus, Covenant, Presence, Kingdom, Salvation, and Worship”.  I was a little let down by this book, I don’t think it was the authors’ fault, I just had higher expectations for it.   To me the book lacked depth, it’s not that the topics weren’t good or weren’t covered, it’s just that they seemed to be given only a surface level investigation.  There are still more books on my list that deal with narrative theology, so I’m looking forward to digging deeper in the future.  If you haven’t done a ton of reading on the topic, this is a good entry level point.

Book # 16 : Christian Atheist - by Craig Groeschel

When you look at the title it might be confusing, how can someone be a Christian & an Atheist.  In this book Groeschel tackles one of the modern church’s greatest problems: people who call themselves Christians but live like Atheists.  I write this knowing that at many times I can fall into this category.  Groeschel, pastor of Life Church , writes openly and honestly about his own struggles with the issues which he covers in this book.  This book is a challenge and a great reminder for believers at any point in the journey.  The greatest message we share with others is our lives, so we should all be more willing to ask the question, “Do my choices and actions reflect those of a Christian or an atheist?”  I encourage you to give this one a shot.

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I managed to make a nice dent in my project, and I am currently on target to hit the 100 mark.  If you have read any of these books please comment and let me know what you think!  I will keep you updated on my quest.

Book #1 :  The Lost Symbol - by Dan Brown

Previously I had read both Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code.  I read these books initially because of some crazy backlash from the Christian community.  But I found them to be well written stories clearly written as fiction and was able to enjoy them as such.  So I was anxious to read another installment centered around the Professor Robert Langdon.  The book was somewhat predictable based on reading Brown’s early novels in the series.  But despite guessing many of the “twists” and “turns”, it was an enjoyable read.  If you like Brown you will like this book, my personal favorite of the series is still Angels & Demons.

Book # 2:  The Story of God, the Story of Us – by Sean Gladding

This book was a great read and I would highly recommend it to anyone.  In the past couple of years my faith journey has led me toward digging into the Bible as a whole narrative and not as individual pieces.  This book does a great job of telling the story of God and his people from the beginning until now.  The first half of the book is told from the perspective of an older member of the Jewish community in exile in the Old Testament.  With his people he reflects on what God intended for his people and how far they have fallen.  The second half of the book picks up with a female member of the New Testament church, sharing the story of Jesus with a non-believer.  Overall a fantastic read – wonderfully done!

Book # 3:  From Eternity to Here – by Frank Viola

I was first introduced to this book by a friend, Tony Carmony from a group that I am a part of called Practitioners.  When he showed it to me I was interested but it went to the back of my mind.  When I decided to tackle 100 books this year, it reminded me of this book so I picked up a copy and added it to the list.  Viola takes a similar approach as Gladding, in as much as looking at the Bible as a larger narrative.  What is different is that he tackles what he sees to be the 3 major threads or themes throughout the Bible.  The first thread he calles, “The Forgotten Woman: the Bride of Christ”.  The second is “An Eternal Quest: The House of God”.  And the final section is “A New Species:  The Body of Christ & the Family of God.”  I really enjoyed this book.  It gave me a fresh look at some things, and really challenged me a lot.  Thanks Tony!

Book # 4:  Looking for the King – by David Downing

After spending a good amount of time digging into some narrative theology I wanted to dive into another novel, my 2nd for the month.  So I started reading a book that Leah got me for Christmas. ”Looking for the King” started off a little slow but turned out to be a quick and enjoyable read.  The story focuses on two young americans overseas in Britain.  One student is in search of proof of a real “King Arthur” the other is trying to understand her strange dreams.  While they team up on their journey they spend time talking with some historically great authors like C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Book #5:  Freakonomics - by Steven Levitt  & Stephen Dubner

The subtitle of this book is “A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything” and it is a pretty good description of the content of the book.  In the past I have read some books by author Malcolm Gladwell, exploring how many things connect even when they don’t seem like they do.  This book reminded me of Gladwell’s book.  It was extremely interesting and even disturbing at times.  One topic discussed the role that legalized abortion played in crime reduction.  As a Christian it was disturbing to hear the argument of abortion being used in a positive context referring to its effect on our country.  While this is not the author’s intent.  The intent is to unbiasedly connect the things that need connected.  I couldn’t help but be stirred by this topic.  Overall this book was really interesting, and got me thinking more and more about how so many things are interconnected.

Book # 6:  One Thousand Gifts – by Ann Voskamp

My final book for the month was a recommendation I found off of Twitter.  And I am so grateful that I got it and read it.  It isn’t an easy read, but it is a great read.  Voskamp’s writing is full of images and pictures that can not be passed by, each one needs to be slowly read and understood.  Each is a gift to enjoy.  Which really gets to the topic of the book, where Ann who is a blogger (Here is her blog) was challenged by one of her readers to record 1000 gifts that God has given her.  So she started the tedious task of recording every gift that God had given her.  And what started as a chore ended up being something that changed her life entirely.  And I was challenged so much by this book, that I had to share it right away and bought a few more copies to share.

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Well January was a good month for my reading project.  But I am a little behind on meeting my goal.  One thing that I have really tried to focus on in these first couple months of 2011 is to make sure my reading project doesn’t take away from my devotional time.  So far so good with that.  I mention it just to hold myself accountable.

If you have read any of these and would like to comment on your thoughts or impressions, please let me know.  I would love to have some dialogue.

Somehow today has become a day of reminiscing. This is one of my favorite activities. Not because I live in the past, but because I cherish the past and the impact it has made on molding me into the woman I have become. We can learn a lot from our past, good things and bad things.

I feel pretty fortunate to have a past that I am proud of. I am proud of my small town childhood. I am proud of my friendships from grade school that I have maintained. I am proud of my Persian blood, and I am proud of that little brick house on Twilight Drive that I called home for 22 years.

Please don’t stop reading because you think I am going to babble on about how proud I am, because I can assure you I am finished with all that. So, moving on. Devin and I had date night tonight. We really haven’t had one in awhile. It was nice to be out, eating food cooked by somebody else, and engaging in deep and loving conversation.  On our drive home we started talking about our childhoods. We shared funny stories from growing up. Devin shared how his household was “all boy” when it came to play. He and Dustin played hours of Ninja Turtles, throwing kicks and punches and karate chops in the backyard. I shared how my brother and cousins and I used to write plays and skits and yes, commercials. Then we performed them for mom and her infamous video camera. If we weren’t making up plays, we were  catching crawdads in the creek of course.

So this got me thinking, reminiscing, if you will. I thought about my childhood. It was humble, but so very happy. Ian and I never wore brand name clothes. We never had video game systems or the latest electronic gadget. At 16 years old we were not given a car. We saved our allowances since childhood and bought out  own cars. The Christmas holiday was never about spending lots of money and getting the newest and best toys. It was about decorating the tree, and baking cookies, and reading The Polar Express right before bed on Christmas Eve. We were raised to be affectionate and creative; to be humble and thankful, and of course polite. We learned that a handmade gift, no matter how ugly it was, could be more valuable than anything. Now don’t get me wrong we were not poor, but we were not rich either. My parents chose to raise us the way they did. They chose to try and give us good character and integrity rather than Abercrombie and Fitch. However, the one thing my parents did give us was the world.

We had a family vacation every summer, most of the time we went to Florida or Texas to visit family. For a family with two young kids this makes total sense. It’s a cheap vacation, but with a little imagination it is the best vacation. But as we got older, more mature, my parents felt it very important to give us exposure, culture, and like I said before, the world. You see, growing up in a very small town with a high school of under 500 it is very easy to become small minded. I am in debt to my parents for not allowing this to happen to my brother and I. They felt it important to get us out of this bubble of American culture. They wanted to expose us to like on the outside. My parents gave us Greece, Japan, Malaysia, India, Russia, Italy, Austria, Ireland, and Scotland.

We’ve seen poverty, we’ve seen despair. We’ve seen unbelievably beautiful countryside, we’ve heard the remarkable sounds of different languages being spoken, and traveled on public transportation most would turn their nose up to. We’ve tasted things people can only dream about, smelled the indescribable (and I mean the good and the bad). We’ve been exposed to religion at its finest and religion at its worst. We’ve experienced culture shock, and have longed for home. And at the end of the day, that, is the greatest and most beautiful gift they could have ever given us.

So thanks, mom and dad, for giving us the world!

And as you probably know by now, that it’s not programs, activities, or events that make a youth ministry successful.  It is the relationships.  There is a moment for students when their motivation switches

The typical Jr. or Sr. high student is naturally turned-off by church.Church isn’t fun.  It’s boring, and worse yet their parents want them to do it so that creates a natural aversion to participating.  The thing that flips the switch for students is the relationships they form.  When they have friendships, when they are connected to other people who will be in the youth ministry then they want to participate as well.

So in the chapter 3 areas of relationships were discussed:

1)  Faithfulness – It is hard to form relationships with students when we aren’t physically present or when we go back on a committment that we have made.  Sometimes just showing up is the best thing you can do to form relationships.  Being present creates opportunities to develope those relationships deeper.

2)  Openness -  This can be a tough thing to figure out.  How open are you with students?  What do you share?  What don’t you share?  Many adults assume that students can’t handle some of the “bigger issues” that adults deal with.  The truth is students need to see adults process.  They need to know that the adults in their life DON’T have it all together and that everyone is on a journey growing closer to God.

3)  Kindness – This time in a student’s life (jr-sr high) is one of the most insecure times they will ever experience.  They are in the process of discovering who they are as individuals and they are very sensitive to any and all criticism.  The key here is to recognize that encouragement and support through kindness becomes a great foundation to build up relationships with students.

We all need to work on our relationships.  We need to work on them with other students, and other adults inside our youth ministry.  As these relationships deepen they will allow the trust, community, and content of our youth ministry program deepen.

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1)  Of these 3 areas which do you see the need for the most improvement?  And how might being better in that area help build better relationships?

There is no doubt that the social dynamics of being the “new guy” or “new girl” in a group are awkward enough.  But add to it the fact that here is an adult intentionally hanging out with a larger group of students.  And we all know that first impressions can be everything sometimes. 

I think there is a lot to take away from this chapter on the first day.  The author says there is something beautiful that God starts to do in that moment of YOUR first day.  He helps us get a glimpse of what it might be like for a visitor, or a new student to join the youth ministry.  It really helps us appreciate how awkward that can be, and it helps us focus on those new students in a better light.

Your first day also brings to the center a key point.  You don’t have to be there.  There is nothing that forces you to work in youth ministry.  Sure there my be some incentives.  You might even feel like it’s your turn to “take one for the team”.  But ultimately there is nothing making you volunteer with students.

Many students have no interaction with adults who don’t have a job to do.  Something to accomplish is what drives their relationships.  Youth Ministry is different in that our “job” if you want to call it that is to serve students.  To give them the best opportunity to explore and grow in their faith.  And as students begin to see that as adults we don’t have some other motive.  They start to open up to us.

When adolescents come to believe we’re interested in them as people … they’ll learn to trust us and, bit by bit, become interested in what we think and believe.

I think this is so true.  I have had so many students over the years tell me, thank you for caring about me.  And that I think becomes our true drive and motivator in youth ministry.  We care for our students.  We want them to have the best life they can have and for them to become everything that God created them to be.

Some Discussion Points
1.  What were some of the things you felt on your “first day” volunteering in youth ministry?
2.  What are some ways that you help students know that you care about them?