Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman (audio) ♥♥♥♥

Listened to this in January, but still wanted to include it here. I love how thorough Friedman is in his writing (perhaps too thorough given the weight of his books!) and appreciate his passion.

While I remain skeptical of human-caused global warming, there is no doubt in my mind that actions that we take are harmful to the earth that God has given us stewardship over. Friedman spends a good bit of time painting a picture of a day he hopes to be not too far in the future where we’re much more earth-conscious in our decision making and the idea excites me. Still working out what all that means for me.

Unlike Friedman, however, I don’t find the answer in more government regulation, or at least not federal government regulation. I think there are more steps that we can do as responsible consumers and local citizens that can collectively make a larger impact.

Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo ♥

Yeah, I only read this because a couple of my Sunday school girls have read it and I wanted to talk more specifically about it. I had already read Tim Challies’s review, so I knew what to expect.

Still, I was surprised at how poorly written it was. If someone is going to read this book and suddenly believe in heaven, I just don’t get it. As Tim said, “If you struggle believing what the Bible says, but learn to find security in the testimony of a toddler, well, I feel sorry for you.”

All I found in this book was a child who was describing a very pop-culture version of heaven (people with wings, rainbow colors, Jesus as a white dude, stunning to behold) and a father trying to ascribe Bible verses to the statements of his child.

Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow ♥♥♥

I don’t usually read books written by sports figures. Actually, this very well might be the first. But given all the talk about Tebow, I thought it would be a good idea to get his take on everything.

One thing that particularly struck me about Tebow is just how hard he’s had to work to get where he is. That’s what he offers any team that he plays for. He’s the real deal, truly seeking to live out his faith in Christ in his day to day.

I must admit that I skimmed page after page of commentary on his various games. I respect Tebow as a person, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoy reading about his football exploits as a Gator.