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A Collection of Reading

July 14, 2025

This sampling of books from my library. I am an eclectic reader, infinitely curious about way too many things. My links are to Bookshop.org. Buying from this site supports your local independent bookstore. I do not have an affiliate link.

Influences

Simple Leader, Kevin Meyer

Bible, esp. Matt 5-7, James, Galatians, Romans as a spiritual formation guide

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance An Inquiry into Values, Robert Pirsig (it’s not about Zen or about motorcycle maintenance—the motorcycle you’re working on is you)

Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic—probably never heard of Jesus but his thinking is so close to Paul’s that some early Church leaders thought he was a Christian (There are other Stoics including Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus)

Bird by Bird Anne Lamott

Stephen King—On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Recent books

Breath, James Nestor (about breathing, and more)

The One, Heinrich Päs, not for everyone, latest thinking about quantum physics and philosophy

Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation, Dannagal Goldthwaite Young (one of several research studies about how we can be so easily sucked into a vortex of misinformation on social media and the web)

Misbelief:What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things—Dan Ariely

For the introverts: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking Susan Cain

Religion: Red Letter Christians—Tony Campolo

Spiritual writing

John O’Donohue, Anam Cara and To Bless The Space Between Us (Irish writer, brings Celtic sensibility to his thinking)

The Way of the Pilgrim—How to live praying without ceasing

The Cloud of Unknowing—on contemplation

Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times, Jonathan Sacks (former chief Rabbi of England)

Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude or New Seeds of Contemplation

Richard, J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Practical Advice

Adam Grant, Think Again

Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks

Cal Newport—World Without Email, Deep Work, Slow Productivity

You Can’t Screw This Up, Adam Bornstein (nutrition)

Food Rules, Michael Pollen

James Clear—Atomic Habits

Charles Duhigg—The Power of Habit

Gregg McKeown—Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less and Effortless

Psychology

The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt

The Narcissism Epidemic, Twenge and Campbell

Antonio Damasio, Decartes’ Error, The Feeling of What Happens, Feeling & Knowing

How to Know a Person, David Brooks

Facing the Fracture, Tania Israel, especially this flowchart about having conversations with those of different views. This is a very important book to digest.

For math Geeks, Eugenia Cheng, How to Bake π, The Joy of Abstraction

Creativity and Design

Design for a Better World, Don Norman

Creativity, Inc. By Ed Catmull (story of Pixar)

Fiction

Novels of Umberto Eco—The Name of the Rose, Foucault’s Pendulum, The Island of the Day Before, and others

The Chinese murder mystery novels of Robert van Gulik (brings 7th Century China to life…and death)

The Nero Wolfe novels by Rex Stout

Hermann Hesse novels

Colin Dexter—Inspector Morse series

Douglass Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series

JRR Tolkein, Lord of the Rings series

Earle Stanley Gardner, The Perry Mason series (contemporary with Rex Stout, interesting comparison of Southern California with Stout’s New York City)

And, if you want to tackle something really difficult, Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Four books of aphorisms, return to them often

Posted in Habits, Study | 1 Comment »

Religious Liberty

July 11, 2025

We were members of a congregation affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA, for about a dozen years. One of the classes I taught focused on Roger Williams, the 17th Century Baptist preacher who was so upset with the Puritans in Massachusetts combining their church and the government, that he founded a new colony (now state) Rhode Island. He wanted a place for religious liberty.

The founders of the USA were likewise suspicious of state-sanctioned churches. The English government levied taxes on everyone to support the Church of England. The founders didn’t like their tax dollars going there. Religious liberty with no state-sanctioned church was baked into the Constitution.

But back to religious liberty and Roger Williams. That man had a lot of courage. And he determined a direction.

I studied the political concept of liberty (freedom) in graduate school. As my focus turned increasingly spiritual, I appreciated Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. It’s all about how we, you and I, can be free. 

When we live in the spirit, we are free. Not of all constraints, of course. That’s nonsense. But free to live with the fruit of the spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Let us not take our eye off the goal. Don’t go down rabbit holes. Follow Jesus, live in the Spirit, enjoy the fruit.

Posted in Freedom | Leave a Comment »

Much Will Be Demanded

July 10, 2025

My “virtual” friend Jon Swanson introduced me to the life and ministry of Rich Dixon. His Freedom Tour bicycle trips every year raise thousands of dollars to support a ministry that rescues children from the brutal sex trade in southeast Asia.

Rich recently wrote on his blog this challenge:

For my generation, President Kennedy issued what became a seminal challenge during his inaugural address: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Many of us took him seriously. Public service, teaching… lots of us sincerely believed those were ways of answering Pres. Kennedy’s challenge. But, John Kennedy didn’t invent this notion. 2000 years earlier, Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

What have you received from God? What have you been given? What are you doing with it?

I was only 13 when President Kennedy issued his challenge. It influenced my future life.

Oh, and check out Rich’s blog and ministry. Perhaps you have a little something you can give.

Posted in Mission, Service | Leave a Comment »

How Do You Spend Your Time?

July 9, 2025

I’ve been in the personal development (non)business. Not something I’ve earned an income from. Just something I have done. Both for others and for myself.

A couple projects in my open queue include looking at the Letter to the Romans as a guide for spiritual development and a new look at a spiritual disciplines course I’ve led a couple of times.

Another development is organizational. I’ve long believed that, especially for churches and other non-profits, leaders must analyze their budget in two buckets (from a financial standpoint, there are other things you need like P&L and capital)—how much is spent on maintaining the status quo (salaries, rent, maintenance) and how much is spent on ministry to others (missions, local and international ministries, supporting people in need). If it’s too much of the former, you need to consider if you are really doing your mission.

Then, let us look at time. Arnold Schwarzenneger suggests, “Instead of changing goals, look closely at how you spend your time. What habits are holding you back? And, maybe more importantly, what ‘good’ habits aren’t getting the job done? The more you assess how you spend your time, the better you can use that time to shape a more desirable future.”

For you, those you are mentoring, your organization—how do you spend your time?

  • Endless meetings?
  • Gathering with the same people?
  • Meeting new people?
  • Supporting those in need?
  • Sharing your story with someone new?
  • Bringing meals to homeless?
  • Sheltering refugees (instructions direct from the Bible)?

Take a look at your calendar (diary in English English). What does it say about you? What needs a refreshment?

Posted in Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

Small Acts of Discipline

July 8, 2025

From Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Pump newsletter. 

Small acts of discipline, from finishing a workout to choosing a healthy meal, become the bricks in the foundation of self-respect. Don’t chase motivation. Chase consistency. That’s how you earn the version of yourself you admire.

Posted in Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

Overestimate Good, Underestimate Bad

July 7, 2025

Research shows we consistently underestimate how much we eat and overestimate how much we move.

I once kept a food journal to record how much I ate. My Pedometer++ app lets me know how much I move. With accurate data, I can see where I’m lying to myself.

And, improve.

How about the consistencies in other parts of your life?

Social connection?

Service?

Study?

Think?

Without awareness, it feels like you’re doing everything right…and getting nowhere. With awareness, you start making decisions that actually move the needle.

Posted in Awareness | Leave a Comment »

Independence Day

July 4, 2025

Every year I suggest that all Americans take some time to read a few things to refresh our memories about the founding of our country. It’s probably not a bad practice for all of you who do not live here just for the ideals.

Read 

  • The Declaration of Independence
  • The Preamble to the Constitution
  • Actually the entire Constitution
  • If not all, at least the first 10 amendments—the Bill of Rights
  • Bonus points—read The Federalist Papers

These documents are full of compromises—something that has made it last so long. And something we seem unwilling to do this past decade or so.

Posted in Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Unless You Become Like Children

July 3, 2025

Learning is not compulsory…neither is survival—W. Edwards Deming, quality master

There are people who have a set of things they know and judge all events and actions against that set. There are people who have the continuous unease of not knowing. The former can be typed (perhaps too rigidly) as “FJ or Feeling Judgmental” on the Myers-Briggs Types Indicator. The latter as “TP or Thinking Perceptive.” Anyone who has read more than a few of my thoughts can easily figure out which type describes me.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.—Matthew 18

As with all spiritual texts, this can be open to numerous interpretations. I choose in this context to reflect on “beginner’s mind.” Wisdom about as ancient as humans in community recognizes that if our heads are full of knowledge or “stuff,” then there is no room for growth, for learning.

Unless we change and become as little children, that is, unless we are open and fascinated to learn more, we will be stuck where we are.

Seth Godin remarked, “Learning is the difficult work of experiencing incompetence on our way to mastery.”

Unless we become like children—stumbling until we suddenly walk; needing an adult to keep the bicycle up until suddenly we are riding; stumbling over pronouncing a new word until suddenly we are fluent.

Where do you feel the tension of unease of not knowing that will entice you into trying until you learn?

Posted in Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Freedom and Constraint

July 2, 2025

Freedom, liberty. Concepts I was studying in graduate school when the faculty closed the program. I continue to ponder the paradoxes of meanings.

Some people think freedom is means to live without constraint.

I pondered the paradox of people who live in wild-fire-prone locations. Many grasp the freedom to landscape as they wish. Yet, when the inevitable wildfire occurs, that landscaping feeds the fire destroying their home and belongings and memories.

Freedom and consequence.

Paul, the apostle, wrote in his letter to the Jesus-followers in the Galatia region about freedom. It’s a short read. This time of year, freedom is on the minds of people in the US. Bev and I attended the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo last week while vacationing out there. It was a celebration of freedom. A universal yearning.

Back to Paul. He explained that trying to follow all the laws promulgated both in the Torah and by generations of rabbis led to the opposite of freedom. Being so focused on not breaking any law bound you to the law.

In the paradox of freedom, he urged his readers to live in the Spirit since Jesus had died and been resurrected to fulfill the law. Now living in the Spirit paradoxically meant that you followed the important laws simply as a part of life. 

They (we) are free, yet we know where the constraints are, and that doesn’t bother us. We know that living outside the Spirit is deadening. But living in the Spirit brings true life. The fruit of living that way, 

Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

And, wow, don’t we need more kindness and self-control in this age?

Posted in Freedom | Leave a Comment »

Self-Help Industry in a Sentence

July 1, 2025

From Shane Parrish of Brain Food. The entire self-help industry in one sentence: Do what makes mornings exciting and nights peaceful. Will this make me excited to wake up? Will this let me sleep in peace? Everything that fails both tests is noise.

Health begins with good sleep.

Meaning comes from getting up excited to serve others according to your talents.

Posted in Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

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