How To Read Less More

Here’s a helpful article by apologist, Greg Koukl, www.str.org. Speaking from personal experience, the idea of a book club he references at the end of the article is tremendous! Here’s a format a friend and I use:

1. Select a book that expands your worldview
So far, we have chosen books on varied topics, with both Christian and non-Christian authors, fiction and non-fiction, etc.

2. Construct a reading schedule
Depending on the length of the book and subsequent chapters, this may consist of reading a chapter a week, a section a week, or a book a week.

3. Write a report for the section you cover each week
The length of this may vary. For us, each report may be anywhere from one page to seven pages long. We have occasionally chosen smaller works for variety, such as Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and have opted to employ verbal vs. written discussion for the sake of time.

4. Go into further discussion based off of what your partner wrote
This often stretches your own thinking, especially when you come to sections of the book you don’t agree with or don’t understand.

Since having launched this tool for growth, I have greatly enjoyed the safety of being able to express mental hang-ups, spiritual problems, or personal challenges I have encountered in the reading without having the fear of being misunderstood. I have also received significant benefit through hearing someone else’s perspective on a subject in which we are both engaged. Added to this, you gain incredible insights into how your partner thinks, making for a meaningful and vibrant friendship!


How to Read Less More

Greg Koukl

Overview
Get a sense of the book in 10-20 minutes.
Read jacket copy, contents, skim preface & introduction, read conclusion (last 3 pages) and skim the index. Note publisher and date of publication.
Quickly page through the entire book at the rate of 2-3 seconds per page.
Determine if you want to read the book more thoroughly, give it away, or file it for future reference.

Preview
Skim entire book at a slower rate (4-10 seconds per page), breaking the book in as you go.
Look for structure, outline, key facts and concepts.
Write a quick summary for the book in pencil on title page.

Read
Preview each chapter again before you read it to get the structure (4-10 seconds per page).
Read every word at the fastest comfortable speed using a pointer so you don’t wander, hesitate, regress, or lose your place. Mark the margin, but don’t underline the text.
Write a 1-4 sentence summary in pencil at the beginning of the chapter. This serves as a quick overview of the content of the chapter.
Sketch a quick outline or recall pattern.

Post-View Immediately
Re-read the chapter quickly, focusing on marked sections, interacting with the text.
Refine your 1-4 sentence summary at the beginning of the chapter, if necessary.
Review at regular intervals, looking over recall patterns and summary material.
Read my entire article in the January 2008 Solid Ground.

Just Do It
Now it’s time for action. You have the plan. Here are six books I recommend you read this year and master using this simple plan to read less more.

And here's a suggestion an emailer passed on to us. Challenge yourself and have a salutory effect on others by finding like-minded people and start a book club. Choose a book the group agrees on or take turns picking a book. You might being with one of my recommendations. Use the guidelines for effective reading, and discuss the book with a group. This is a great way to exercise your mind. And you'll master each book you read this way.

Here are my suggestions for the six books you master this year. I've chosen them because they cover a variety of topics to build your knowledge, wisdom, and character. And I consider each a quintessential source of its kind.

Thinking about God--Greg Ganssle
Mere Christianity--C.S. Lewis
Serious Times--James Emory White
In But Not Of--Hugh Hewitt
The Lost Virtue of Happiness--J.P Moreland & Klaus Issler
He Is There and He Is Not Silent--Francis Schaeffer (available as an individual work, or as part of the trilogy)

The Faith

Chuck Colson teams up with Harold Fickett to deliver a provocative and much-needed message at the start of 2008 through his newly released book, The Faith. The book will answer three essential questions every Christian must understand and live, namely: what do we believe, why do we believe it, and why does it matter. I’m looking forward to reading all of it soon. Here’s a link to give you a taste: http://www.pfm.org/media/The_Faith_BookSample.pdf

Two Quotes:
“We don't need a new vision of things; rather, we need an eternal vision---to raise our eyes once again to the light that has always guided Christians during times of distress. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that is life affirming and culture building.

“The challenges of anti-theism and Islam could not come at a worse time for the Church, because most Christians do not understand what they believe, why they believe it, and why it matters. How can a Christianity that is not understood be practiced? And how can it be presented in its true character as peace, freedom, and joy? How are skeptics to understand Christianity’s positive aspects?”

A view of and for the world

New Eyes

Author: John Piper

Taken from the daily Desiring God blog; www.desiringgod.org

On October 22, 1976, Clyde Kilby, who is now with Christ in Heaven, gave an unforgettable lecture. I went to hear him that night because I loved him. He had been one of my professors in English Literature at Wheaton College. He opened my eyes to more of life than I knew could be seen. O, what eyes he had! He was like his hero, C. S. Lewis, in this regard. When he spoke of the tree he saw on the way to class this morning, you wondered why you had been so blind all your life. Since those days in classes with Clyde Kilby, Psalm 19:1 has been central to my life: “The sky is telling the glory of God.”

That night Dr. Kilby had a pastoral heart and a poet's eye. He pled with us to stop seeking mental health in the mirror of self-analysis, but instead to drink in the remedies of God in nature. He was not naïve. He knew of sin. He knew of the necessity of redemption in Christ. But he would have said that Christ purchased new eyes for us as well as new hearts. His plea was that we stop being unamazed by the strange glory of ordinary things. He ended that lecture in 1976 with a list of resolutions. As a tribute to my teacher and a blessing to your soul, I offer them for your joy.

1. At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky and remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me.

2. Instead of the accustomed idea of a mindless and endless evolutionary change to which we can neither add nor subtract, I shall suppose the universe guided by an Intelligence which, as Aristotle said of Greek drama, requires a beginning, a middle, and an end. I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death when he said: "There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing."

3. I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding twenty-four hours, but rather a unique event, filled, if I so wish, with worthy potentialities. I shall not be fool enough to suppose that trouble and pain are wholly evil parentheses in my existence, but just as likely ladders to be climbed toward moral and spiritual manhood.

4. I shall not turn my life into a thin, straight line which prefers abstractions to reality. I shall know what I am doing when I abstract, which of course I shall often have to do.

5. I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall simply forget about myself and do my work.

6. I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their "divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic" existence.

7. I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the "child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder."

8. I shall follow Darwin's advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music, preferably, as Lewis suggests, an old book and timeless music.

9. I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles Williams suggested, "fulfill the moment as the moment." I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is now.

10. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.

The Fight

I've been intrigued by the concept of warfare in life these past few days, but rather than not posting anything about it for lack of time and a persistent sense of perfectionism, I thought I’d share this little piece of British literature that I love because it speaks of courage, passion, allegiance, valor. War for the Christian is an incredible concept—especially when you consider that the ultimate battle is already won and that victory is His! So, fellow Christian, fight for the King of Bethlehem and Calvary this Christmas!

This day is call’d the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors,
And say, “Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.”
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.”
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names,
Familiar in their mouths as household words . . .
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. (Act IV, Scene III)

'Tis the Season

The real meaning of Christmas is severely lost in most malls, stores, and homes today, but ironically enough, the rough and nondescript Charlie Brown Christmas Story still plays on major networks across America today—no small thing.

Don’t be afraid to be a little platoon of hope this Christmas, whether it’s caroling to your neighbors, visiting widows and orphans, baking Christmas cookies to share with friends, or writing Christmas cards to people within your sphere of influence.

For Those Who Remain

As a follow up to my last post, here is a link to an incredible testimony from Ann Conway: http://samconway.org/archives/43.

What an amzing God of grace and glory we know and love!

Safely Home

One of my biggest heroes of the faith, Sam Conway, laid his armor down and heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant, welcome into the joy of your Lord” last week. The moment of his dreams is now reality: he has seen his Saviour face to face. By now, he’s probably been reunited with hundreds of the friends he knew, his daughter, his heroes of the faith. Imagine the thrill of meeting new saints, the angels who kept him from harm while in the shadowlands, people who are in Heaven because of him, and who knows how many people whose lives were silently and drastically changed because of the grace of God being lived out in his life.

Mr. Conway personally impacted my life through encouraging and provoking me to be who God made me to be. Some of my best memories from my time at IBLP HQs include time spent with he and his wife, Ann.

Two weeks ago I had the incredible opportunity to spend four hours with Sam and Ann, along with my sisters, Alicia and Abby Carman, and Beth Pleckham. They took us to Joe Gibb’s HQs, out to dinner, and to their home in Cornelius, where they welcomed us, not just as friends---but as members of Christ’s body. While visiting with them, Mr. Conway confidently and unashamedly repeated these words: “All of life is about a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus, I know that He is TRUSTWORTHY, He is FAITHFUL, I don’t know what he has for me tomorrow, but I know that He is GOOD.” I left their home encouraged, provoked, even rebuked for my own lack of faith and trust, and amazed at their unrelenting hope in Christ.

And now, he’s in Heaven: our real home! I was thinking today about Randy Alcorn, who is an author of numerous subjects, his most prevalent being eternity. I was thinking of his book Heaven and couldn't help but imagine where Mr. Conway is right now, and all the wonders that are before his eyes.

In a childlike hope and faith, I like to imagine what Heaven is like, and I think Lewis described it well when he wrote:

"And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before." ----The Last Battle

Can’t wait to see you again, Mr. Conway!

A Week with the Speeds!

Last week was a tremendous expedition of physical excursion, heart deepening, soul searching, quiet reflection, crazy hours, memorable conversations, first-time experiences, and a whole lot of fun. Mrs. Speed has been scheming about having this weeklong retreat for over a year, and it was definitely done in SPEED style! As our little red van pulled into the Speed’s gated driveway, we were greeted by a hand painted sign across the red gate with the words WELCOME WILD WOMEN OF GOD!

The week included living life to the full while enjoying their beautiful home in North Carolina, complete with a Jacuzzi, 3 acre lake, horses, goats, running trails, forest, Andy Griffith shows, and of course---playing with the Speed kids!

Special features and events during this week were extravagant and unforgettable: devotionals from Jenny on walking in faith rather than fear, visiting Mount Airy, the hometown of Andy Griffith, dining with Sam and Ann Conway (more on that in a later post!), white water rafting, kayaking, swimming, and just being.

I so enjoyed the opportunity to spend more concentrated time with God and people of all ages. Because God is intrinsically good, He can’t help but give good things to His children, and this weeklong trip will definitely be remembered as one of His perfect gifts.

Thanks Paul and Jenny, for making this trip happen, for listening to our hearts, and for encouraging each of us to live the dreams He planted in us. I love you guys!

The Person of the Holy Spirit

Dependence on the Triune God is a strange and stunning mystery that is mine to hold and possess. Father God wants me to see Him as my Daddy, my Abba. The soul can and should rejoice in Jesus, the one who has made adoption possible, and the one who will fulfill His pleasure and purpose in me. Christ alone is fit to take the title of Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher of my faith. Intertwined in all of this is the Holy Dove. H ehas been teaching me more about the Holy Spirit. He is a person, not merely a power to be obtained. He is fully God, not just part of God. He enables me to have intimate fellowship all day, every day—unlike the disciples who had to be in the literal presence of Jesus while He was on this earth.

When I see the Triune God for who He really is, the new desire is to depend and rely on Him in childlike—and even radical—faith. “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” It is mine to surrender, desire, and believe. It is His to work, satisfy and glorify.

Fullness of Christ

O God,
Thou has taught me
That Christ has all fullness and so all plenitude of the Spirit,
That all fullness I lack in myself is in him,
For his people, not for himself alone,
He having perfect knowledge, grace, righteousness,
To make me see,
To make me righteous,
To give me fullness;
That is my duty, out of a sense of emptiness,
To go to Christ, possess, enjoy his fullness as mine,
As if I had it in myself, because it is for me in him;
That when I do this I am full of the Spirit,
As a fish that has got from the shore to the sea
And has all fullness of waters to move in,
For when faith fills me, then I am full;
That is the way to be filled with the Spirit,
Like Stephen, first faith, then fullness,
For this way makes me most empty,
And so most fit for the Spirit to fill.
Thou hast taught me that
The finding of this treasure of all grace in the field of Christ
Begets strength, joy, glory,
And renders all graces alive.
Help me to delight more in what I receive from Christ,
More in that fullness which is in him,
The fountain of all his glory.
Let me not think to receive the Spirit from him as a ‘thing’
Apart from finding, drinking, being filled with him.
To this end, O God,
Do thou establish me in Christ,
Settle me, give me a being there,
Assure me with certainty that all this is mine,
For this only will fill my heart with joy and peace.
—Taken from The Valley of Vision

The Art of Engaging

He seemed the unlikely sort to enter into and absorb conversation. Slightly past middle age, rounded in build, with what appeared to have been russet hair—but was now gray and thin—crooked teeth, and a crushed look in his eyes that men seem to acquire after being detached from their spouse.

He’d seen the world, raised a family, and should have been enjoying the benefits of labor that had been put into his business and children. Instead he was, in his own words, a nomad, with nothing left from his livelihood and family but bitter memories. Still, he seemed grateful for the temporary home that had been offered to him by his Christian neighbors, who doubled as my mum’s childhood friends and schoolmates.

The discussion was launched when I asked about his experience in the commonwealth countries of Australia and New Zealand. His advice for me before heading out on my month long ministry trip down under was precise and simple: let the Kiwis know that I was Canadian (not American), ask questions, eat their food, and get into one on one conversation rather than staying in the crowd. This, he said, would bring the most benefit of a “cultural experience.”

From there, the conversation spilled into a myriad of topics ranging from the source of truth, the person of Jesus Christ, the meaning of life, communism, the hot button topic heterosexual vs. homosexual marriage, and the normalities of life. As we continued to talk, it grew clear that he had no sense of ultimate truth, no compass to set the course of his spirit. His open admittance of not knowing how to discern true good from shadowed evil seems to be the growing norm of my own generation—leaving us without conviction, faith, and deep-seeded hope. Many know about Jesus, or see him as a distant figure head in the cold and aging churches, but fall drastically short of seeing him as the Source of truth, Creator of the universe, and Sustainer of each breath.

What do you do if you have no signal post, no starting point, or final goal to set the course of your life? “Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the law.” Hope becomes no more than a tarnished thought, a reality that seems out of reach, maybe even beyond comprehension. Faith is dwindled to a theory of believing in your agnostic worldview, without having reason for existence, or convictions that are worth dying for.

All of this challenged my own acuity of the world, making me question if my faith is based on rock-solid truth that can be known through history, science, logic, experience, and heart intuition; or if it is a weak faith, resting only on feelings and the backbone of my father’s religious convictions. Am I so devoted to the person of Jesus Christ that I am willing, and even compelled, to defend and proclaim him both in the public square and in quiet dining room conversation? “The eyes of the Lord to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” These words should fill my soul with an ardor and desire to plunge into intimacy with Christ—pushing me beyond my comfort zone and making me care enough about the souls of other people to the point of being willing to engage with them in conversation that can make a difference for a time and for eternity.

“The sin of our time is the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, fins purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.”
—Dorothy Sayers