.09 What I'm Reading

Well, we are fighting the flu over at the Heideman household, which means that I have had little time to work, little sleep, and lots of time to read or listen to books as I snuggle my kids.

This week I read two easy reads and listened to one book on productivity. Productivity books are a little ironic to me because often, the best thing we can do to finish projects is to JUST DO IT (to liberally borrow Nike’s tag line).

That said, I am finishing up my 2020 goals, and there is something about reading or listening to books on productivity that motivate me to either get started on a project or finish one up. I do have a 2020 goals post coming later in the week, so if you are into that sort of thing, keep a lookout for it.

Now for what you came here for.

Books for this week:

Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions, Timothy Keller (old fashion book)

I am a big fan of Timothy Keller. I enjoy his sermons and have read a couple of his other books. His book, Generous Justice, was particularly helpful to me when the family was living with us.

I enjoyed Encounters with Jesus, but don’t feel like the book addressed the subtitle, so that was a little misleading. However, there were several parts of the book that made me stop and think, or enlightened me on an issue that I had always found confusing in the bible.

My favorite part of the book was Keller’s discussion on Jesus’ first miracle (turning water into wine). In this section, Keller writes that part of that miracle was that Jesus used jars that were typically used for purification in Jewish ceremonies to signify that He was going to do a new thing.

Keller goes on to propose to his readers that “One of the reasons you have all these dreams of working hard to look good and do well and achieve is because you are trying to prove to yourself and everyone else, even people who may not be around anymore, that you are not a bum.” Man, that was a gut-check.

I definitely work hard to prove that I can do more than the average Joe (and I know that I am not alone in this struggle). A lot of this is connected with my pride, but a lot more of it is because I want to earn my keep. I want to show that I am worth having around. I don’t want to be a bum.

In a week where I could do little, my house remained especially messy, and my January goals were swept away in the ocean of time, I was reminded that I don’t have to “earn my keep.” It is such a humbling, needed lesson. And for that alone, I am glad I read this book.

Overall, I would recommend this read to people who are not super familiar with the bible or are skeptics of the Christian faith. This isn’t a groundbreaking book if you have studied the bible for years and years. However, if you feel like you have lost your way a bit and need a book to point toward home, this is a great starting point.

The Orphan’s Tale: A Novel, Pam Jenoff (old-fashion book)

I had never heard of The Orphan’s Tale or Pam Jenoff, but I was gifted this book for Christmas. And on a day where it was snowing incessantly, and a small five-year-old didn’t want me further than a few feet from him, this served as the perfect book.

The Orphan’s Tale is a historical novel that takes place in France, in a circus, during World War II. The writing was decent, the romantic scenes not too cheesy, and you can read it in a day.

Overall, I recommend it.

Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done, Charlie Gilkey (audio)

As I mentioned above, I like to read or listen to books about productivity, not necessarily because I learn something new from them, but because they motivate me to get started on a big project or complete something that I have already started.

This book was no different. If you are someone that reads a lot of productivity books, Gilkey doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table. However, he does introduce a couple of helpful new ideas. And if you are new to the world to the books on productivity, his book is certainly a great introduction.

I think that one thing that does set Gilkey’s book apart is that it doesn’t over-complicate project management. A lot of productivity books suggest complicated charts or project write-ups that don’t work for most in the long-run. Gilkey’s approach is relatively simple, which makes it more manageable long-term.

Have you read any of the books mentioned above? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!