What I've Been Reading/ Watching

Reading:

Lead, For God's Sake!: Todd attends NMC and has served as a Small Group Leader to Senior High guys. This modern day Fable is a fantastic read. I started it as our plane lifted off from Chicago heading to Amsterdam, and only put it down for food, bathroom and rest breaks on that flight. I was done with it halfway through my Amsterdam to Nairobi flight. I have a feeling this book is going to be fairly significant in leadership circles. It's engaging, entertaining, and full of insight and challenge on living life with purpose.

The leadership principles are valuable and applicable. It's well worth a read if you are in any area of leadership.



When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself : This was a timely book for me as I started it in the D.R.C. and inhaled the majority of it on my 44 hour journey home from Africa. The book is written by two Christian Economics and Community Development Professors who have had extensive experience in addressing poverty and short term missions. Traveling to multiple cultures as well as diving all in to our Kids In Need initiative has uncovered the complex world of world evangelism. I'm believing more than ever that the call of Matthew 25 (sheep and the goats) is just as significant and tied to the call of Matthew 28 (the Great Commission). Yet, how do you go about clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, etc. in a way that moves toward making "Fully Committed Disciples? This book has been a breath of fresh air and insight into my newfound angst and struggle over approaching missions with a healthy and holistic perspective.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who is consistently working with or leading teams on cross-cultural missions experiences, as well as any person who is wrestling how to best live out the Gospel.


Watching:

Date Night: Janelle and I went to this movie on our 10th anniversary. It made us laugh... a lot. After the movie, I commented to Janelle that you almost have to be married for a minimum of 5 years to really enjoy this movie. A little raunchy at points, but if you are a Steve Carrell and/ or Tina Fey fan, it delivers. I'd wait till it's on DVD to rent it, or hit the dollar theater as it's probably there at this point.




Iron Man 2: I'm one of those sensible people who believe that the original Ironman was actually the best superhero movie of the Summer 2008 (meaning it was better than The Dark Knight). Ironman 2 was fun, funny, action-packed, and worth the price of admission. A good start to the Summer. Probably not the best movie I will see this Summer, but I liked it. If you liked the first one, I can't see how you wouldn't like the second.