Category: Uncategorized

In my free time, I have been reading two non-theological books.  Both are thought-provoking. 

The first, The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, encourages you to focus on doing less and eliminate distractions.  Tim Ferriss says you should just check email at noon and 4:00 pm.  You should do the one thing you need to do that day before 11:00 am. 

I was inspired to try to get my wife Amy and I to "batch" all of our household chores (like laundry, cleaning and finances) until Saturday except for daily tasks like washing dishes and making meals as opposed to always looking for things to do whenever I have a down minute.  I have changed my home page of my internet browser to google.com because it is not distracting rather than gmail.com  with tabs for igoogle.com and Twitter and Facebook. 

Disclaimer: I need to add that the advice of the author (Timothy Ferriss) should be received with lots of skepticism.  This is self-help literature of the most dubious kind.  See the scathing New York Times review of his newest book: New! Improved! Shape Up Your Life! By DWIGHT GARNER Published: January 6, 2011     

The second book, Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, stresses the importance of relationships and teaches you how to relate well.   It is a generally reputable book that gives an overview of psychiatry literature. 

Both would be worth reading with your spouse.  

Neither encourage blogging.  But I will still see you here from time to time. 

Ryan is five, Jacob is three, and Allie is 7 months.

Gildor the Elf says the following to Frodo.

"Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill. But what would you? You have not told me all concerning yourself; and how then shall I choose better than you? But if you demand advice, I will for friendship's sake give it." 

 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings; Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter III (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991), p. 97.

I often myself feel like saying something like this. I put it this way, "Not that I think it will be of much help–I don't know you very well and you have surely thought about this far more than I–but I will give you my two cents."