How Reading Books Changed My Life (and Can Change Yours Too!)
There are many things I like in life: I like the shows Parenthood and Friday Night Lights. I like playing basketball and working out. I like going on vacation. I really like college football and coffee. But, there are even fewer things that I love. The Lord and my family are two things I undeniably love, but I also love to read: blogs, books, college football previews, you name it.
Books have changed my life. In 2001, when making the decision on what to do with the rest of my life, Andy Stanley’s Visioneeringchallenged me and provided me with the kick in the pants I needed to move towards a job in full-time vocational ministry. In the summer of 2004, right after Kristen gave birth to our twins, John Piper’s Desiring God and Phillip Yancey’s Disappointment with God pulled me out of the pit of selfishness and self-pity. C.S. Lewis’ series, The Chronicles of Narnia, has provided hours of fun and great memories for me and my boys. Walter Isaacson's book, Steve Jobs, gave me rich insight into the brain of a creative genius. Recently, Tim Keller’s Meaning of Marriage and John Piper’s This Momentary Marriagehave enriched my view of God’s perfect design for marriage. Someday (soon) I hope to write my own books on marriage and relationships.
One of the ways I hope to provide value through this blog is to share what I’m reading and learning through books and provide some recommendations and even summaries of books I have recently read. I know reading or even finding the time to read is a challenge for many; therefore, I hope to help provide recommendations and learnings from what the Lord is teaching me through books.
The site is organized very simply with regard to books. I have already provided a few tabs of my favorite books from 2012 and 2013, a list of some of my favorite marriage and relationship books, and a list of what I am currently reading/plan on reading next. Occasionally I will share some book notes, summaries or reviews. This is in no way intended to replace your reading of a book, but rather I hope will entice you to read it on your own.
Last and Most Important....
In the past I have been a book CONSUMER. Potentially even to the point of sin. Reading can be like anything else in life - it can be an idol, an accomplishment, and a source of pride and superiority. For me, reading books became an idol that kept me from writing, from sleeping, from reading the Bible, from working out and from loving my family and friends. I placed an inappropriate value and sinful pride in the number of books I read/consumed, without learning from them along the way or sharing with others what I did learn. In 2014, I radically down-graded my “number of books read” goal by 50%. In 2014, my desire is to read less, apply more and share more of what I learn.
Time for a Give-away:
What are you currently reading? Anything you hope to read this year? One random winner out of the comments below will win a copy of my favorite book of all-time, Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage. Go!