I've had multiple people ask recently. But choosing my favorite books read this year has proven to be much more difficult than I anticipated. While indecisiveness likely plays a role, the most significant factor is simply the fact that I've read a lot of really great books. As a result, I am resorting to a separate top nine for fiction and nonfiction (in alphabetical order). Is that allowed? Hope so.
1. Persuasion (Jane Austen)
2. America, America (Ethan Canin)
3. Emperor of the Air (Ethan Canin)
4. Silence (Shusaku Endo)
5. Peace Like a River (Leif Enger)
6. So Brave, Young, and Handsome (Leif Enger)
7. The Great Divorce (C.S. Lewis)
8. Gilead (Marilynne Robinson)
9. Home (Marilynne Robinson)
1. Life Together (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
2. Why We're Not Emergent (Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck)
3. Flickering Pixels (Shane Hipps)
4. The Prodigal God (Tim Keller)
5. Why Sin Matters (Mark McMinn)
6. Desiring God (John Piper)
7. Peace Child (Don Richardson)
8. The Great Emergence (Phyllis Tickle)
9. Knowledge of the Holy (A.W. Tozer)
What would be on your list?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Yankee Guide to the South
My previous guide generated quite a bit of interest. Being that I spent a significant portion of the past week in my wonderful home state, I thought a similar guide might be beneficial for my Yankee readers. Consequently, the following is for those that have not had the privilege of experiencing all things southern...
1. Do not be alarmed when complete strangers address you as Sugar, Honey, or any other word that could be used to describe a baked good.
2. Dress nicely, no matter what your destination might be. I cannot enforce this enough. Dresses are acceptable attire for just about any occasion. If you really must wear a t-shirt out in public, make sure it prominently displays Greek letters and is accessorized with pearls, and make sure your hair and makeup are flawless. And guys, wear a polo shirt with khaki shorts and deck shoes or Wallabees. If it is cold, the shorts can be substituted for khaki pants.
3. If you order greens, don't expect a salad.
4. In the North, people die. In the South, they pass. In the North, the appropriate token of respect is a donation to a charitable cause. In the South, it is a homemade cake.
5. In introductory conversations, "Where do you go to church?" is second only to "What is your name?". Please note that the names of these establishments are typically abbreviated. For example, refer to First Evangelical Free Church as simply "First Evan," and Second Presbyterian Church as "Second Pres."
6. Greet with a hug.
7. If someone invites you to go rolling, you will be TP-ing someone's house. And if they invite you to go mudding, you will be off-roading in their truck or SUV purely with the intention of getting it as dirty as possible.
8. The self-checkout lanes are typically empty. If you decide to forgo the lines and check yourself out, your status as a Yankee will forever be established. And if you do get in line, make sure to speak with the people both in front of and behind you, as well as the cashier.
9. There will be times when you have absolutely no idea what someone is saying, no matter how hard you try. Just accept it and move on.
1. Do not be alarmed when complete strangers address you as Sugar, Honey, or any other word that could be used to describe a baked good.
2. Dress nicely, no matter what your destination might be. I cannot enforce this enough. Dresses are acceptable attire for just about any occasion. If you really must wear a t-shirt out in public, make sure it prominently displays Greek letters and is accessorized with pearls, and make sure your hair and makeup are flawless. And guys, wear a polo shirt with khaki shorts and deck shoes or Wallabees. If it is cold, the shorts can be substituted for khaki pants.
3. If you order greens, don't expect a salad.
4. In the North, people die. In the South, they pass. In the North, the appropriate token of respect is a donation to a charitable cause. In the South, it is a homemade cake.
5. In introductory conversations, "Where do you go to church?" is second only to "What is your name?". Please note that the names of these establishments are typically abbreviated. For example, refer to First Evangelical Free Church as simply "First Evan," and Second Presbyterian Church as "Second Pres."
6. Greet with a hug.
7. If someone invites you to go rolling, you will be TP-ing someone's house. And if they invite you to go mudding, you will be off-roading in their truck or SUV purely with the intention of getting it as dirty as possible.
8. The self-checkout lanes are typically empty. If you decide to forgo the lines and check yourself out, your status as a Yankee will forever be established. And if you do get in line, make sure to speak with the people both in front of and behind you, as well as the cashier.
9. There will be times when you have absolutely no idea what someone is saying, no matter how hard you try. Just accept it and move on.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Fully His
“He cannot bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There’s no bargaining with Him.” -C.S. Lewis
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