WordHurdle: Television

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Ted Dekker: The Slumber of Christianity: Awakening a Passion for Heaven on Earth
Wow - I really enjoyed this book. I read Dekker's "Tea with Hezbollah" and was drawn to his writing style, but in the mood for non-fiction, I found this to be his only other non-fiction book and bought it. I'm glad I did. Ted challenges us to open the eyes of our hearts to the hope of glory and makes a strong case that heaven is the call and desire of every follower of Christ. Great stuff and a good read! (****)
Andre Agassi: Open: An Autobiography
Jay Mohr: No Wonder My Parents Drank: Tales from a Stand-Up Dad
Jay Mohr can be hilarious, and this book was no disappointment. It is NOT for you if you have problems with cussing and crude language -- Jay drops it in left and right. But it's an entertaining read if you can get past that part.
Ted Dekker & Carl Medearis: Tea with Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies Table Our Journey Through the Middle East
More a travelogue than a political or religious book, this book is an engaging story that follows the travels of a writer and a Middle East adventurer through personal conversations with some of the people of influence in the Middle Eastern Muslim culture. Lots of history to provide context, and it leaves you with some challenging questions. (****)
David Platt: Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
This was a challenging read, making a call to look at your life in light of Scripture and try to measure whether you're really following Christ's call to serve him or simply following the idol of the American dream. Definitely worth a read! (****)
Mark Batterson: Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity
Goes back to the basics, pursuing an understanding of what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Batterson correlates the "primal" concepts of compassion, wonder, curiosity and energy and studies, in a practical way, what it means to pursue God at your most basic level. (****)
David Allen: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
I find it humorous how hard a time I've had finishing this book. It's a serious chore, but it's got great information. I'm finally about 3/4 of the way through and I just need to finish it.
Larry Osborne: Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe
I got this book from the publisher, and its title and table of contents intrigue me. I haven't gotten around to it yet.
Tim Keel: Intuitive Leadership: Embracing a Paradigm of Narrative, Metaphor, and Chaos (emersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)
I like Tim Keel. He's a good guy, and if God hadn't sent us on a detour, Tim would have likely ended up my pastor. But God had other plans. I want to read this book simply because it's so Tim, and I feel I have much I could learn from him.
Neil Strauss: Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life
I really enjoyed this book. I heard Neil Strauss on the radio talking about this book, and I decided I had to find a copy. It's a short course on everything you should consider if you want to be prepared for the apocalypse, the world as we know it to end, or the zombies to attack. It's great stuff with short, readable chapters that you give resources to go dig deeper if you want. High on my list of books for guys to read. (****)
Robert Jeffress: Clutter-Free Christianity: What God Really Desires for You
I read this after receiving it from the publisher. It's not bad. It's a challenge to get beyond legalism and into the character of God. It challenges you to move beyond to-do lists for God and realize He just wants you. (***)
Chantel Hobbs: Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good
This book challenged me and inspired me to finally get serious about losing my gut. It's very practical, and I'm glad I read it. (***)
Marshall Goldsmith: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
It's in my pile, thanks to @darrenpatrick
Mark Driscoll: Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods (Re:Lit: Vintage Jesus)
Haven't read this yet but have a copy on my pile
Gary L. Thomas: The Beautiful Fight: Surrendering to the Transforming Presence of God Every Day of Your Life
WOW! I would recommend this book for a small group, Sunday School class, or even an entire church. It it as core study of what the God-empowered life is really all about, calling Christians to not be the people who are against things in a moralistic way but more the people who are about things in a Spirit-led life. Great stuff with some solid source materials. (*****)
Dave Tomlinson: The Post-Evangelical
I've never made it through this book, and I must. The concepts its lays out are challenging and very true to life, even in my own life. It captures a demographic shift in the evangelical church that must be acknowledged and dealt with openly.
Joseph R. Myers: The Search to Belong: Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups
This book espouses a view of church, community, and intimacy that many are missing. When I'm in conversations about small groups and community and the struggles many churches have, this book keeps popping up in the conversation. It has some rough spots that you have to get through because it can be slightly tedious in analysis and modeling, but it's a solid read. (*****)
Brennan Manning: The Ragamuffin Gospel
A MUST READ. No, seriously, I truly believe every follower of Jesus should read this book. No other book captures it like Brennan Manning does in this book. If you haven't read it, buy it now. (*****)
Donald Miller: Blue Like Jazz
I haven't read this in a few years, but it captures the challenges of the modern evangelical. It's honest, authentic and worth the time. (****)

September 2011

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I have found my nirvana. Ever found yourself so addicted to a show that it creates an unnatural drive to watch every episode in order to feel fulfilled in life? I did this season, to not one, but 4 or 5 different shows. Sundays were Extreme Makeover-Home Edition, Desperate Housewive, and (until the powers that be decided it wasn't worth their time) Boston Legal. Then, on Monday night, it was over to FOX for 24, and then on Wednesday night, we were attached at the hip to Lost and Alias. Now I've realized I could have saved myself lots of TV time, and you don't need to waste your time either!

Television Without Pity is an amazing site that tracks all of the good shows on TV and recaps each episode in full. And not only does it recap the show, but it makes fun of the show and its characters at the same time. Great writing on this site with the proper amount of sarcasm thrown in. For example, the character of Habib Marwan, the evil Muslim terrorist on 24, who also played Imhotep in "The Mummy" is known as "ImhoTerror" through the 24 recaps. The site provides episode by epside recaps with each episode given a letter grade (A-F) for by the recapper and by the site users who watch the show. The site also has discussion forums for each show, so you can discuss your addiction to your heart's content. Great stuff -- check it out. And thanks to Relevant magazine for the link!

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