Letters from Dad: #20

(Once a month, I invite Sean to take over the blog and write a little note to our kids. I love that he is willing to leave little nuggets of wisdom for them to look back on when they are older! While many of the posts on this blog are written to share our lives with you, the reader, Sean's "Letters from Dad" series is truly written to our kids. You are welcome to peek in and see what he wants them to know!)

Dear Children,

Daddy loves to read. At the beginning of the year, Daddy saw a challenge on the internet to keep a record of all of the books read in a year. It is called the Empty Shelf Challenge. If you want to see everything I have read this year, you can click here.

Of all of the books that I’ve read this year, I really enjoyed three books the most. Those three are:

                Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

                A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

                7: an Experimental Mutiny against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

I’m currently reading 7, so I’m not actually finished, but it’s pretty good so far. It a semi-autobiography that’s about giving up all the crap in our life and focusing on what matters. This is appropriate since Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. During the holidays, we get so wrapped up in what is happening on any given day, but the truth of the matter is, the only thing that truly matters in life are people. So please try to remember that.

Bonhoeffer is a biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is very interesting. I took a class on Nazi Germany as part of my graduate degree, but wow, the German people were nuts. I wish I could say I mean that in the best way possible, but I don’t. It really amazes me that Hitler was allowed to rise to power. I think it was mainly due to German pride and the belief that you needed to follow the leader even if you disagreed. I mention the Nazis and the German people because Bonhoeffer was a German pastor during Hitler’s rise to power and opposed him, including being part of the conspiracy to murder Hitler.

A Million Miles is another semi-autobiography. Donald Miller, the author, is most known for the book Blue like Jazz. This book is about an examination of his life. The book documents how a couple of guys decide to make Blue like Jazz into a movie, and the screenwriting that Miller goes through to make his story work on the big screen. Through this he figures out what he wants to do with his life. The thing he decides to do is help people tell their story and not just live a boring life. He and his friends now run the Storyline conference and blog. You can read more about it at www.storylineblog.com.

I’m not saying I expect you kids to read these books. I’m just letting you know the ones that tugged at my heart. Before the year is over, I am hoping to finish up two more Star Wars books and another Jen Hatmaker book. I have my books for next year mapped out also. However, Jen Hatmaker keeps referencing two books that I think I would like to read. One is The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. The other is Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole by Benjamin R. Barber. I’m thinking both of those books will have to be added to next year’s reading list.

I love reading, kids, and I hope one day you do too. Keep in mind that I’m also kind of a fickle person. If you were to ask me on another day which books I found most interesting this year, I might have given you different answers.

Have a great Thanksgiving kids. Maybe mommy’s readers can drop a note of what books they read this year that they really enjoyed. Daddy might just add them to his future reading list.

Love,

Daddy

(Once a month, I invite Sean to take over the blog and write a little note to our kids. I love that he is willing to leave little nuggets of wisdom for them to look back on when they are older! While many of the posts on this blog are written to share our lives with you, the reader, Sean's "Letters from Dad" series is truly written to our kids. You are welcome to peek in and see what he wants them to know!)

Dear Children,

Daddy loves to read. At the beginning of the year, Daddy saw a challenge on the internet to keep a record of all of the books read in a year. It is called the Empty Shelf Challenge. If you want to see everything I have read this year, you can click here.

Of all of the books that I’ve read this year, I really enjoyed three books the most. Those three are:

                Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

                A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

                7: an Experimental Mutiny against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

I’m currently reading 7, so I’m not actually finished, but it’s pretty good so far. It a semi-autobiography that’s about giving up all the crap in our life and focusing on what matters. This is appropriate since Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. During the holidays, we get so wrapped up in what is happening on any given day, but the truth of the matter is, the only thing that truly matters in life are people. So please try to remember that.

Bonhoeffer is a biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is very interesting. I took a class on Nazi Germany as part of my graduate degree, but wow, the German people were nuts. I wish I could say I mean that in the best way possible, but I don’t. It really amazes me that Hitler was allowed to rise to power. I think it was mainly due to German pride and the belief that you needed to follow the leader even if you disagreed. I mention the Nazis and the German people because Bonhoeffer was a German pastor during Hitler’s rise to power and opposed him, including being part of the conspiracy to murder Hitler.

A Million Miles is another semi-autobiography. Donald Miller, the author, is most known for the book Blue like Jazz. This book is about an examination of his life. The book documents how a couple of guys decide to make Blue like Jazz into a movie, and the screenwriting that Miller goes through to make his story work on the big screen. Through this he figures out what he wants to do with his life. The thing he decides to do is help people tell their story and not just live a boring life. He and his friends now run the Storyline conference and blog. You can read more about it at www.storylineblog.com.

I’m not saying I expect you kids to read these books. I’m just letting you know the ones that tugged at my heart. Before the year is over, I am hoping to finish up two more Star Wars books and another Jen Hatmaker book. I have my books for next year mapped out also. However, Jen Hatmaker keeps referencing two books that I think I would like to read. One is The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. The other is Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole by Benjamin R. Barber. I’m thinking both of those books will have to be added to next year’s reading list.

I love reading, kids, and I hope one day you do too. Keep in mind that I’m also kind of a fickle person. If you were to ask me on another day which books I found most interesting this year, I might have given you different answers.

Have a great Thanksgiving kids. Maybe mommy’s readers can drop a note of what books they read this year that they really enjoyed. Daddy might just add them to his future reading list.

Love,

Daddy