Homeward Bound

2021 was a heavy year, with plenty of good and bad. COVID restrictions had their effect on many. I had several friends and acquaintances pass away which added to the general heaviness of the year. Some were older some were young. I can't help but shake the feeling that I am on borrowed time. Life is so short, which brings to mind this Samuel Davies sermon you definitely should read. Elena at 7 months Apart from me continuing to work from home, my immediate family has been healthy and growing--largely unaffected by COVID. Praise God! Maybe we have been too healthy! Parenthood has been more difficult than I had anticipated, and these boys are making Montana and me work! My family has grown from 4 to 5 members, with the particular birthing event of Elena Rae being the highlight of my year. Having a daughter has been an overwhelming blessing. Hudson (age 4) and Brooks (age 2) are so full of masculine energy and violence it has been nice to meet someone who is pure sweetness and smile

Twitter is useful for many things. I love the resource sharing, seeing the books or the podcasts people are enjoying. I follow several brilliant people who have great ideas which in turn give me plenty of good things to think about. Twitter also gives me a pulse on the outside world. What is going on? What are the questions people are asking? But despite all that, like other technology, social media tends to break forth from the bounds we set for it. Instead of quickly scanning some books or ideas, I am left reading the comments of a real political slugfest, liking and cheering on my team. Instead of going in and getting out with what I came for, I find myself scrolling and scrolling, while my flesh and blood offspring are in front of me requiring my undivided attention.  In a COVID-19 world, Twitter offers the community and the human interaction we crave. There are people online who have the same interests and viewpoints as me! Imagine that! Who else do I know enjoys reading Napoleoni

Every year I try to read a healthy mixture of books: fiction, history, Christian living, and Christian Theology. While all of us should read books that are challenging and stretch our minds to new heights, I think it is almost equally important to read books for no other reason than they are very enjoyable.  Here are my top ten books I read in 2021: 10. Dune – Frank Herbert I hardly ever read sci-fi so this was largely out of my comfort zone. After reading some good reviews of the Dune film, I thought I would go all in and read the book before seeing the movie. Herbert creates a very detailed world rife with factions struggling to gain an edge in a touchy interplanetary political game of intrigue. From a world building perspective, the creative imagination is something to appreciate. The dialogue and general prose, however, left a lot to be desired, and I felt that the story revolved too much around the central pseudo-religious movement (the Bene Gesserit). Still, plenty of fun for th