The Worth of a Book

"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." - James Bryce

Recently, a coworker informed me about a man who was wanting to assist applicants who have applied for homes through Habitat for Humanity. This man is seeking to serve others through his time, energy, and financial
support. While I have not had the chance to meet him yet, I was given a copy of his book, It's Your Decision: Parenting the Way God Intended.  

As a resident assistant, I also encountered an individual who had written and published a book.  Throughout the year, I got to know her, and I even had the chance to have her sign a copy of her book, Battle for the Stars, for me.  

Although neither of these books were written by professional writers (by many people's conceptions), they are a culmination of hard work and heart-felt ideas that are preserved on a few hundred pages.  These books may not be for everyone, but I think we can all benefit from considering the authors' passion and effort that was poured into their work.  We should all set goals, seek after them, and appreciate others' efforts to do the same.

The Grace Card

The Grace Card

An absolutely amazing movie!  I certainly enjoy the law enforcement aspect of it, but the best part is the lesson about love!

Red Letter Christians

Tony Campolo has put together a blog that includes entries from a wide array of authors.  I find the entries to be very thought-provoking and beneficial.  I would encourage you to subscribe.  (You don't have to worry; they do not send out too many emails.)

Here are three entries that I read recently:

• The Face of Privilege in Hard Times
• Coming Out of the Theological Closet
• Hell on Earth and the Kingdom of God

(I want to add in this article by Shane Claiborne because I especially like his list of things to try.)

We Need to Start Making Changes

Financial Matters

Flipping Burgers to Flipping Millions

Initially, this book did not sit well with me because of the way the author talked about money.  As I continued to read, I began to appreciate the lessons and principles more.  Although many of his figures do not seem practical (e.g., 10 percent returns), they provide useful illustrations that support his financial principles.

"Seven Unchanging Laws of Money" (p. 26)

1. Save ... and begin saving early.
2. Control your expenses.
3. Make your money multiply. ... Invest
4. Guard your money against loss.
5. Make your home an investment.
6. Ensure a future income for yourself and your family ... by developing a career, improving yourself, and investing.
7. Work and study to increase your ability to earn.

In order to compliment these ideas, I would suggest reading a book that we read at Grace, The Treasure Principle.  While saving is important, giving is often overlooked.  We need to recognize that we have a responsibility to help others.  If you do not think that you can have an impact, read this article.  Each person that answers the call to tithe will bring us closer to significantly reducing many of the problems in our world.

Alright - Darius Rucker

Another one of his many great songs...

Yes

"What if Jesus Meant All That Stuff?" by Shane Claiborne (courtesy of Red Letter Christians)

Read 

this

ARTICLE!

Word Made Flesh

Word Made Flesh

"Word Made Flesh is called and committed to serve Jesus among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. This calling is realized as a prophetic ministry for, and an incarnational, holistic mission among the poor. We focus our energy to make Jesus known among the poor while reconciling the church with the poor."

Simple Spirituality: Learning to See God in a Broken World

Simple Spirituality - Christopher L. Heuertz

"Chris Heuertz's ability to weave real-life stories with scriptural and theological reflection makes this a very engaging and refreshing book. At a time when the gap between the poor and rich continues to grow, Chris reminds us that what the gospel commands us to do is not so much to do things for the poor, but to become friends, indeed sit at the same table, with the poor. What makes such a duty possible, even delightful, are such gifts as humility, community, simplicity, submission and brokenness--simple spirituality, he calls it!" --Emmanuel Katongole, Associate Research Professor of Theology and World Christianity, and co-director of the Center for Reconciliation, Duke Divinity School

Community Action Free School

Community Action Free School

I was fortunate enough to have met one of the founders while participating on Alternative Spring Break this past March.  You can also check out this article on Pantagraph.com.  

TED Talks

TED Talks

Pastor Hempstead at Park United Methodist mentioned this site during her sermon today.  You can view various podcasts that deal with improving the world around us.  They post a new video every day so you can learn from experts about issues that affect the globe.

If I Die Young - The Band Perry

What Love Really Means - JJ Heller

Something Beautiful - NeedToBreathe

They rocked it out at the Taylor Swift concert last night!

This - Darius Rucker

I cannot get enough of this song right now.

For every stoplight I didn't make 
Every chance I did or I didn't take 
All the nights I went too far 
All the girls that broke my heart 
All the doors that I had to close 
All the things I knew but I didn't know 
Thank God for all I missed 
Cause it led me here to 
This 

David Crowder and Rob Bell

Tonight, I finished reading Praise Habit by David Crowder.  If you are familiar with him and/or his music, you will probably not be surprised that he has quite an interesting writing style.  I definitely think that it is worth a read.  On the last page (156), he writes:

"Sometimes life comes at us with the delicacy of a sunset, and other times it comes with the rawness of sushi and the bitter bite of wasabi.  Sometimes the tears will be because you cannot stand empty-eyed in the presence of such beauty and sometimes they will be full of fire, but notice/know this:  You are here.  You Are Here!  You are here and you are not alone."

I also highly recommend listening to David Crowder Band:

Upon finishing Praise Habit, I have decided to read Sex God by Rob Bell.  In part, I am selecting this book from my reading list because of Rob Bell's writing style (you can finish his books fairly quickly).  However, I am also curious as to what he has to say about sexuality and spirituality, especially because it is an incredibly relevant topic - from our men's bible study to a short sermon at a recent wedding.  Whether you agree with his writing or not, I suggest reading it to become more familiar with the ideas that he discusses rather than completely rejecting all of his ministry as "heresy."  (See Donald Miller's Blog Post)

Sex God

Velvet Elvis

Jesus Wants to Save Christians

Love Wins

Love Wins FAQ - from Mars Hill website

Short Daily Devotions

Short Daily Devotions

Each week at the Habitat for Humanity staff meeting, a staff member starts us off with a devotion.  As an unspoken rule, we cannot go too many weeks without one from Short Daily Devotions.  They are an excellent way to stay in the Word on a daily basis, especially when you are feeling overwhelmed or incredibly busy.

Radical

Radical

David Platt challenges Christians to do more than come to church on Sunday and have a basic understanding of the Bible.  He wants Christians in America to reexamine their lifestyle based on what scripture says.  Did Jesus really mean that we should give away all of our possessions?  Even if you do not agree with the book 100% of the time, it will certainly motivate you to think critically about what it means to be a Christian rather than an "American Christian."

For The Bible Tells Me So

For The Bible Tells Me So

After exchanging messages and having a thoughtful conversation with a pastor at my church, I decided to check out a movie that he mentioned he had started and wanted to finish.  While you may or may not agree with the main points of the movie, it will definitely cause you to think and lead to a productive discussion.  This film raises questions about what the Bible actually says about gays and lesbians.  I encourage you to take a look for yourself.

Kiva

Kiva

In an effort to alleviate poverty, Kiva allows individuals to apply for micro-loans to improve their business and/or personal lives.  By investing only $25 (or more), you can help someone turn their dreams into reality.  You should definitely browse the site and read people's stories.  You won't regret it!

Couch Surfing

Couch Surfing

The next time you go on vacation, you might want to consider staying with a local who knows the area and will welcome you with open arms.  You may also wish to return the favor and open up your couch to travelers who are interested in your area.

Check It Out

As the title implies, this blog is devoted to various websites, books, movies, music, and more that you might be interested in investigating further.  The entries on this blog will be kept short and sweet, so you can get to the information quickly and check it out for yourself.