The Year in Review

As is my custom, I find it helpful to reflect upon the good and the bad of 2025.  I start the year with goals; this post looks back at some of them and considers other factors we experienced this year.

Spiritual

My goals here:

- Be disciplined in reading/prayer routines (and reduce putzing).
- Do devotionals with the family twice a week.
- Serve better, but in fewer roles.
- Focus more on others. Figure out balance with competing needs.

Some good things here. Prayer was better from mid-year on, when I started doing evening quiet times (in addition to morning) with better regularity. And I now do Sunday morning 'prayer walks' for about an hour, which has been transformative. Humbling but good and necessary.

I did not do devotionals with the family nearly enough.

I stepped down from two roles this year (one 'permanently' and the other temporarily), which was needed to better focus on the family and my own spiritual disciplines. That has been helpful, yet life remains overwhelming at times due to the busyness of the season (lots of activities and obligations for all five of us). Overall, though, this was a positive year spiritually.

Nutritional/Fitness

My goals here:

- Get (and keep) weight under 185 lbs.
- Eat more fruit/vegetables. Eat out less.
- Improve gut health.
- Complete 270 workouts; bike 1200 miles.

Weight loss achieved! For the first time since college, I dropped my weight under 180 lbs (my low was 175). I am just over 180 today, as the holiday eating has taken its tool, but am confident I can stay at/under 180 moving forward. What a blessing. The keys for me have been eating less (and better) and walking more (doing an evening mile walk plus other things). 

I completed 272 workouts, which is satisfactory. I had shoulder surgery in April that knocked out a month, but I was able to hit 1000 miles on the bike, making it the first time I've done 1K in consecutive years.

Most workouts were gym, bike rides, and yardwork. Including the past few years' totals for reference:

2023: 22 runs for 54 miles, 182 gym workouts, 58 bike rides for 623 miles, 15 hikes/walks for 55 miles, 21 mow/yardwork, 113 hours spent working on the basement.

2024: 12 runs for 25 miles, 169 gym workouts, 82 bike rides for 1119 miles, 9 mow/yardwork, 13 'other' (hikes, etc.)

2025: 9 runs for 14 miles, 127 gym workouts, 92 bike rides for 1015 miles, 34 hikes for ~95 miles, 10 yard work (mowing/shoveling)

Reading
My goals here:

- Read 50 books.
- Read 15 works at my American Reading List.
- Minimize my owned-but-unread pile

I read 55 books, and kept my 'owned but unread' pile at an okay number. My post here caps this year's book recommendations. I read only 5 works on my ARL. Overall, though, I'm satisfied.

Household Management

My goal here:

- Minimize stuff in the home.
- Figure out ideal home organization.
- Buy less/budget better.

Buying less went pretty well until November, where the sales got me. I need to be better about ending the year well. Our home still has too many things. We made some home organization strides, but not enough. This one needs improvement.

_____________

Conclusion
Looking across the categories above, it was a pretty good year. Here's to a better 2026. "Never stop starting."

Thus Concludes 2025

Another reading year "in the books." This post recaps the year and presents what I consider the best of the bunch.

I read 55 books this year, totaling 14,487 pages—about 40 pages a day. My average rating was 89.6/100.

Of the 55 books, 0 were audiobooks, 2 were eBooks, and 16 were borrowed from the library or friends. By genre, I read 6 fantasy books, 16 religion, 19 graphic novels, 6 literature, and a smattering of others.

I chipped away at my 240-book American Reading List (presented in four parts: here, here, here, here) and read four titles on those lists. I re-read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I studied theology books to prepare for a Sunday school class I am developing. And I kept my 'owned but unread' pile to a reasonable size.

Here are my top ten reads from this year:

The ESV Chronological Bible
Andrew Peterson: North! Or Be Eaten

- Also check out the others in that series!

Marilynne Robinson: Home

Tim Keller: Every Good Endeavor

Kevin DeYoung: Daily Doctrine

Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club

James K.A. Smith: On the Road with Saint Augustine

Herman Bavinck: The Certainty of Faith

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings

Various: Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls

Happy reading!

Looking Back

Remember the days of old;
consider the years of many generations;
ask your father, and he will show you,
your elders, and they will tell you.

- Deuteronomy 32:7

2025 is soon over. The turning of the year is typically a time of reflection and anticipation; today, I focus on the former.

The Bible calls us to remember. The word shows up 234 times in the ESV. Some of those are featured in specific stories (e.g. Genesis 30:22), some are God remembering His covenant and people (e.g. Leviticus 26:40-45, Jeremiah 31:20), and some are a broadly-applicable call to all of God's people to remember three things:

- they were slaves and rebellious (e.g. Deuteronomy 5:15, Deuteronomy 9:7, Isaiah 17:10, Isaiah 46:8-13, Ezekiel 36:31)

- they were freed by God; He has done marvelous things (e.g. Deuteronomy 5:15, Deuteronomy 15:15, 1 Chronicles 16:8-18, Psalm 77:11, Psalm 105:5, Ephesians 2:11-13)

- they owe the Lord their obedience (e.g. Numbers 15:39-41, Psalm 103:15-18, Revelation 3:3, 2 Peter 3:1-2)

We were slaves to sin. God freed us. We owe Him our lives. As you think back on 2025, keep these three things in mind. Our reflections tend to focus on our specific achievements or trials, and yet a year is not defined by our victories (or failures). We are called to focus on and remember the Lord, who while we were sinners died to set us free (Romans 5:8). May we reflect on the ways (large and small) the Lord has shown us mercies this past year; they were new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), whether we recognized them or not.

Winter Fire: Christmas with G.K. Chesterton (Ryan Whitaker Smith)

Winter Fire collects writings from famed wit G.K. Chesterton related to Christmas. The book has:

- 30 daily readings (a snippet from Chesterton plus commentary from Smith)

- 11 poems

- 5 essays

- 2 short stories

- 10 recipes [not sure if these were from Chesterton]

- 8 games and traditions [ditto]

- a smattering of old-fashioned paintings related to the holiday season

The book was . . . okay. I love Chesterton's wit and wordplay. It was nice to read some of his article snippets (many are from G.K.'s Weekly or other sources I didn't know). It was interesting to see how the struggles with Christmas in his day mirror our own (commercialism, etc.). Smith's commentary was mixed: occasionally helpful and complementary, but more often simple regurgitation of the Chesterton writing for the day. The poems, essays, and short stories were fine. The recipes, games, and paintings felt like filler. Overall, I would have preferred more Chesterton content and less of the other stuff.

Rating: C+

LOTR: Book vs. Films

Last month, I finished re-reading The Lord of the Rings. This post reflects on the book vs. the films. I've done this before; this post will complement my original.

The Differences

1) So many things are condensed (or omitted) in the films. In my original post, I mentioned a few, but there are others. What I noted this time around:

- Frodo and Sam (and others, as they join) take much longer to get to Rivendell. Many days and adventures, including an encounter with elves (led by Gildor), a supper with Farmer Maggot, a stay in Frodo's new house (he sold Bag End), a journey in the Old Forest (with Old Man Willow, Tom Bombadil, and Goldberry), the Barrow Wights, the long walk from Bree to Rivendell (with Glorfindel's aid towards the end).

- The Council of Elrond (and the fellowship's overall stay there) is much longer.

- Their time in the Mines of Moria is longer, and events rearranged [but largely retained] between book and film.

- Their time in the Forests of Lothlorien is much longer, and we get to see the Elvish city Caras Galadhon [which we see in passing in the extended edition of the film].

- Merry and Pippin's time with the Ents is drawn out over days, and includes a stay in Treebeard's house.

- Frodo and Sam's time in Emyn Muil navigating the rocks.

- Gamling's role in Rohan. (He is in the films, but Eomer takes the dominant role)

- Theoden/Rohan's journey to Isengard after the Battle of Helm's Deep.

- Aragorn's journey to summon the Army of the Dead (and their subsequent actions before, but not during, the Battle of Pelennor Fields).

- Theoden's/Rohan's journey to Pelennor Fields and his encounters with (and assistance from) the wild men of the mountains.

- Prince Imrahil and his army's role at Pelennor Fields.

- The Healing House in Minas Tirith and people therein (Ioreth and others).

- The entire story after the destruction of the One Ring. This includes Aragorn's assumption as king and his activities there, the Scouring of the Shire (and Battle of Bywater), and other elements.

2) A few things were extended in the films compared to the books. Off the top of my head:

- The humor of Merry and Pippin. They provided very occasional and mild comedy in the books (about the same as Frodo and Sam); that was drawn out heavily in the films as they were made the comic relief.

- The Righting of Theoden's mind.

- Aragorn's interactions with Arwen and Eowyn. Those relationships were the romantic interests in the films and played up to maximum effect.

- Aragorn and claiming (or fearing) his kingship.

- The Battles of Helm's Deep and Pelennor Fields. Pinnacles of the second two films were raced through in the books.

3) Characters that got more (or less) screen time than page time.

- Who got more screen time: Arwen, Eowyn, Theoden, Legolas, and Aragorn stood out to me

- Who got less: Radagast, Glorfindel, Tom Bombadil/Goldberry, Gamling stood out 

- The below graphic is helpful and has more comparisons. (copied from Facebook)

The Similarities (in Spirit)

I'll keep this short, but what I mention below is huge.

1) The overall story.

2) The main characters.

3) The iconic quotes. Though who said them and when may differ, I was impressed with just how much dialogue from the books made it into the movies.

4) The 'tone' of the world. You know you're in an ancient story with much impression of depth. 

Overall

I think they did an amazing job capturing the spirit of the books in the films. Yes, many things had to be condensed. (I found this mildly ironic, as people complain the films are so long.) As always, the books pack in so much more. But what works on the page doesn't always work on the screen—the medium is the message, as Neil Postman would say. And the changes they made for a visual representation in large part made sense to me.

Many people have a favorite book that was ruined by a movie adaptation. I'm thrilled that LOTR managed to be a hit in both worlds. These artifacts should be (and probably are) used in a storytelling class, looking at the art of conveying the same story in different media.

The Bad Beginning (Lemony Snicket)

The Baudelaire orphans—Violet, Klaus, and Sunny—are in dire straits. Their parents are dead, and the villainous Count Olaf takes them in to try and get their enormous fortune. Can this story have a happy ending? Or is this the first in "a series of unfortunate events"?

I didn't like this. At all. I put it on my American Reading List due to critical acclaim and cultural influence (this book series spawned a movie and television series). It's one of the few books I couldn't wait to end—not due to its quality but its story and some other factors. Here are things I did not care for:

- the overall message seemed to be that not all stories have good endings. True! But this is a story without hope; not just hope that bad circumstances can end or justice can be done in this world, but a deeper hope that life has purpose and meaning even in terrible circumstances.

- the author defined words as part of the telling. Not terrible, but I've seen other children's books explain vocabulary in better ways.

- the villain did some ridiculous things, including announcing his evil plot to an audience.

- the children are portrayed as the intelligent ones; the adults were mostly morons.

- the ending was unsatisfying; more like the chapter of a larger arc vs. a self-contained story.

There was some humor . . . but this didn't do it for me. Perhaps the main value was pointing to the greater truth that we tell stories for a reason (and it is not to discourage).

Rating: D

ESV Chronological Bible

The ESV Chronological Bible presents the Scriptures in the order in which events occurred. Entire books can be preserved or broken up based on their nature. That means (for example) that some Psalms will be interwoven with the historical accounts, some of Paul's letters will be interwoven with events in Acts, the Gospel accounts of the same event are presented sequentially, and so on.

In addition to the chronology, the book is broken down into 365 readings for those who wish to go through it in one year. Each day's reading has a short introduction (including estimated year of writing), and each historical era has its own section introduction. The eras:

• Primeval History
• Patriarchal History
• From Deliverance to Inheritance
• The Last Judge and the United Monarchy
• The Divided Monarchy
• Exile and Restoration
• The Kingdom Comes
• The Early Church

----------

As I hold the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant word of God, this is an obvious A+. But I want to focus on the presentation/approach here. I have never before read the Bible chronologically like this. Some observations:

• It was helpful to have the approximate year for each reading, though there are a lot of unknowns
• It was insightful to group things like the Old Testament prophets chronologically and presenting them during the events in the historical books. 
• I loved having the Psalms inserted immediately after events that inspired David (or others) to write them
• Arranging the material this way helped me make some connections I never did before, including (for example) Esther and her reign during the Exile
• Having the parallel Gospel accounts presented together was a good way to study them
• Being familiar with the Bible is helpful; I think a person new to the faith might get confused with some parts, especially where books are broken up

Overall, I'm glad I read this arrangement and will use it again (perhaps every ten years). I will stick with the 'traditional' treatment most of the time, but this approach is a useful learning aid.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Judy Blume)

Peter Hatcher, fourth grader, lives a quiet life in New York City with his mom, dad, and brother 'Fudge.' And Fudge is quite the problem. He destroys things, throws tantrums, and in general makes life difficult. And he gets away with everything! Why should Peter have to stand for that? Why don't his parents pay attention to him?

This humorous children's book was a great snaphot of the chaos and insanity of a typical childhood, as told from the older brother's eyes. I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially as a parent now. Judy Blume does a good job capturing the humor and emotions of that stage of life. 

Rating: A

TMNT: Mutant Mayhem

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have lived their lives in hiding and fear. Longing for acceptance, the boys will do anything—good or bad—to get it from humans. But when efforts fail, and Superfly terrorizes the city, the turtles must be heroes whether or not they're accepted by those they save. 

I give this 2023 movie high marks for its stylized (if sometimes frenetic and overwhelming) animation, humor, and general message. I like how it portrays characters doing both good and bad to be accepted—and how both fail when that is the sole goal. It has a gritty, urban feel. There is more cursing then I'd like from the villain. Splinter's character is intriguing. This is a re-imagining of the TMNT franchise, and it mostly works. In general, recommended.

Rating: B+

American Reading List: Children's Literature

image from here

A few years ago, I presented an American Reading List (ARL) in several parts (due to its size). I realized today that I did not adequately cover children's literature. I amend that error here, and moved titles from those earlier lists (literature, history and everything else) as needed.

Most of the ~60 titles below were taken from the 2012 "Top 100 chapter books" poll frequently cited as representative of the opinions of educators. Expect this list to evolve.

Louisa May Alcott         Little Women

Lloyd Alexander             The Book of Three

Tom Angleberger           The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Avi                                  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Natalie Babbitt                Tuck Everlasting

Lynne Reid Banks         The Indian in the Cupboard

L. Frank Baum                The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Jeanne Birdsall                The Penderwicks

Judy Blume                     Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Meg Cabot                 The Princess Diaries

Beverly Cleary                Ramona and her Father

Andrew Clements           Frindle

Sharon Creech                Walk Two Moons

Christopher Paul Curtis  Bud, Not Buddy

Kate DiCamillo             Because of Winn-Dixie

Edward Eager                 Half Magic

Elizabeth Enright           Gone-Away Lake

Louise Fitzhugh             Harriet the Spy

Esther Forbes                 Johnny Tremain

Sid Fleischman         The Whipping Boy

Ruth Stiles Gannett        My Father's Dragon

Jean Craighead George    My Side of the Mountain

Fred Gipson                 Old Yeller

Norton Juster                 The Phantom Tollbooth

Jeff Kinney                 Diary of a Wimpy Kid

E. L. Konigsburg            From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Jane Langton                 The Diamond in the Window

Madeliene L'Engle         A Wrinkle in Time

Gail Carson Levine        Ella Enchanted

Grace Lin                        Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Maud Hart Lovelace       Betsy-Tacy

Lois Lowry                 The Giver

Lois Lowry                 Number the Stars  

Robert C. O'Brien          Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Scott O'Dell                 The Island of the Blue Dolphin

R.J. Palacio                    Wonder

Katherine Paterson         Bridge to Terabithia

Gary Paulsen                  Hatchet

Richard Peck                  A Long Way from Chicago

William Pene du Bois    The Twenty-One Balloons

Sara Pennypacker         Clementine

Dav Pilkey                 The Adventures of Captain Underpants

Ellen Raskin                 The Westing Game      

Wilson Rawls                 Where the Red Fern Grows

Barbara Robinson           The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Louis Sachar                 Holes

Gary D. Schmidt            The Wednesday Wars

George Selden                The Cricket in Times Square

Brian Selznick                The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Lemony Snicket             The Bad Beginning

Zilpha Keatley Snyder    The Egypt Game

Elizabeth George Speare    The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Jerry Spinelli                   Maniac Magee

Rebecca Stead                When You Reach Me

R. L. Stine                 Goosebumps

Mildred Taylor                Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Sydney Taylor                All-of-a-Kind Family

Megan Whalen Turner    The Thief

Wendelin Van Draanen    Flipped

Gertrude Chandler Warner    The Boxcar Children

E. B. White                 Charlotte's Web

Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie

Deborah Wiles                Each Little Bird That Sings

Selected Poems of Robert Frost

In reading poems by Robert Frost

I plowed on through despite the cost

His rhyming stuff? It was okay

(Though I seldom got what he tried to say)

His blank verse though, I just don't know

Why that genre is allowed to grow

Poetry should always rhyme

Other verse? Name it a crime

I didn't like this as much as some do

America's poet, they say. Me? Ewww.

I'm sorry; I should probably stop the jeering

(this is why I studied engineering)

Rating: C

The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

The Lord of the Rings is a classic tale. I have previously reviewed and summarized its constituent parts (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King); today, I finished reading this one-volume edition illustrated by the author. I even read Appendices A and B ("Annals of the Kings and Rulers" of the Third Age and "The Tale of Years," respectively) and skimmed C through E (Family Trees, Calendars, and Writing and Spelling).

Of the tale itself, little need be said. It is full of wisdom and wonder. It has impression of depth. I enjoyed it perhaps more now than I have in the past, despite this being my third or fourth re-reading. 

Of the version: I liked it. This version of the book is as the author intended, meaning presented in one volume. (I have read it could not be so produced in his era, due to paper shortages from World War II.) Having his illustrations in it is a bonus (this is a 'companion' volume to The Hobbit version I read earlier this year). Having this in one volume improved the flow (or seemed to), though it can still jar the reader by not interleaving various threads of the story (when the fellowship parts, Tolkien will follow one thread, then rewind and do the other).

Observation: for as much as I love the story, Tolkien most certainly does not invest in suspense. I believe his son claimed that he wrote with "no sense of narrative urgency," and that shines forth in places here. Things I believed to be the most suspenseful, even climactic, were handled abruptly with little fanfare. It almost seemed as though Tolkien wanted more focus on the wonder of the world, the history, and the languages than the suspense of the story itself. The story was excellent, but it was not delivered in modern fashion.

Finally, I read two appendices this time because of subsequent big-screen adaptations: The Rings of Power (seasons one and two) and The War of the Rohirrim. Both feature events mentioned in Appendices A and B. 

Rating: A

Wonka

As a child, Willy Wonka dreamed of making the world's best chocolate with his mom. And she promised she would share the secret. But when she passed away, Willy is forced to find his own way in the world. 

Years later, Willy makes his way to the city, where his creations dazzle the population . . . and draw the attention of three evil chocolate makers. They are determined to take him down . . . can Wonka and his friends follow his dreams, or will the greedy always beat the needy?

----

Delightfully absurd, this musical/comedy (a prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) is a treat. It celebrates dreams, imagination, and the importance of sharing life selflessly with others. Recommended.

Rating: A-

The Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game

Today's review is of the 2013 release, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game (hereafter, Fellowship DBG). For 2-5 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

In the Fellowship DBG, your goal is to have the most victory points. To do so, you must plan wisely, buying powerful cards and ridding your deck of weak and worthless ones. This will enable you to gain enough strength to take down archenemies (the standard game has eight in succession). 

This deck-building game works like most in this genre. You start with a deck of 10 cards, drawing 5 to form your hand. The cards grant power (and sometimes other abilities), enabling you to buy cards from the central row ("the path"): allies, artifacts, locations, maneuvers, even enemies. You will buy one or more cards, then replenish the path from the main deck each turn. Cards you buy, plus any in your hand or played to the table that turn, go into your discard pile. Then draw 5 cards to prepare for your next turn, shuffling your discard pile to form a new deck as needed. Play passes clockwise.

You can also use power to fight archenemies. (The game comes with 12 but recommends you play with 8, placed in a stack next to the lineup.) If your power on a given turn equals or exceeds the super-villain on the top of the stack, you defeat them, putting them in your discard pile (yes, this means you can use them on a later turn). Once all super-villains have been defeated, each player tallies their victory points (printed on each card) to determine the victor.

Review

This game is almost exactly like the DC Deck-building Game (not surprising, as it is by the same company). My comments for this are the same as that offering: it is a fun game, easy to learn, with some aspects that were counter-intuitive (like buying enemies to incorporate into your deck). There are mild differences:

- the hero you choose does not have a special ability, but instead a unique card you start with in your deck

- there are 'fortune' cards that are free and can be played immediately

- there is the 'ambush' keyword that is similar to attacks, but affects only the player whose turn it is

Overall, this one seems a touch simpler than its DC counterpart, and that is okay.

Rating: A-

The Gang

Today's review is of the 2024 release, The Gang. For 3-6 players, it takes 20 minutes.

Overview

The Gang is cooperative Texas Hold-em Poker, where your goal is not to get the best hand but to correctly and cooperatively order your hands (from strongest to weakest) without revealing your cards. The game is played over rounds, each with four steps [my terms]. A round:

- First step: each player is dealt two cards (known only to them) and chooses a white chip (ranked one to six) corresponding to their hand's perceived strength. If two players want the same rank, they debate without revealing their cards.

- Second step: the dealer reveals the flop (the first three community cards). Players take a yellow chip (ranked one to six) corresponding to their hand's perceived strength based on this new information. Players debate as before if there are conflicts.

- Third step: the dealer reveals the turn (the fourth community card). Players take an orange chip for ranking and debate as before.

- Fourth step: the dealer reveals the river (the fifth community card). Players take a red chip for ranking and debate as before.

game in progress; image from here

And the end of these steps, players must agree on their ranking. Once agreed, cards are revealed from weakest to strongest hands. If the players get the order correct, they win that round. If they do not, they get one strike. Then cards are returned, shuffled, and a new round begins. The players collectively win if they win three rounds before losing three.

Review

Cooperative Poker?! Definitely a new concept for me. This is a fun party game. The different ranking chips taken at each step help players speculate on others' hands ["hey, he thinks his hand strengthened considerably with the 10 just played. Maybe he has a 10."]. Of course, those familiar with Texas Hold'em and strength of hands will do much better at judging their own hand's value (the game comes with reference cards to help novices). And games like this are best enjoyed with close friends in my opinion. Still, it is a winner.

Rating: A

The Wishes of the Fish King (Douglas McKelvey)

The Wishes of the Fish King is a children's picture book celebrating the wonder of the world. The goal is conveyed through a quote on the inside cover: 

"Fairy tales say that apples were golden only to refresh the forgotten moment when we found that they were green. They make rivers run with wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water." --G.K. Chesteron, Orthodoxy

The verse is okay; the art is outstanding. It reminded me of the 'magic in the mundane'; how the world around us is beautiful, amazing, and astounding, but we often lose sight of it. I've heard that reading it out loud to children makes it better.

Rating: B+

TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze

Shortly after last time . . . New York is safe and enjoying it pizza, for the turtles defeated Shredder and his Foot Clan. Or did they? Both are back, and worse, they have a vial of the same ooze that created the turtles. What dastardly creatures will they create with it . . . and have the turtles met their match? And what will they learn of their own origins?

I was disappointed in this 1991 sequel. The tone is sillier and clearly geared towards kids (not inherently bad, but a departure from the original, which the entire family could enjoy). The messages were sparse and undeveloped, relegated to a line here or there that hinted at something greater but never delivered. The best quote brimmed with potential but was left hanging:

Do not confuse the specter of your origin with your present worth.

The movie was rife with nineties pop culture (including Vanilla Ice), which I got but would be lost on today's audience. It was funny in places (though often juvenile humor). Ultimately, this was an action spectacle for kids that did more to revisit the past movie than develop the story or characters.

Rating: C-

A friend in need

"A friend in need is a friend indeed." Most of us know this saying; I never really thought about it until now. A curious expression, when you think about it, because often the opposite happens: we hide our needs from friends (and everyone), or we run from those who are needy. This has me thinking: what does it mean to be a friend? What does friendship look like?

The Bible talks a lot about friendship, looking at both the blessing it can be and also the reality of how our fallen state can affect such relationships. I'll start with the latter.

How Sin Affects Friendship

Job talks a lot about how his friends deserted him during this trials, and Proverbs talks about how people can be drawn to the rich as friends and ignore the poor. These are both pictures of what can happen because of our sinfulness, but are not upheld as being right. 

Job (and Psalms) talk about how people can react when we fall on hard times:

My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me. (Job 19:14)
All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me. (Job 19:19)

My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. (Psalm 38:11)

Proverbs talks about wealth and friendship:

Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. (Proverbs 19:4)

The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. (Proverbs 14:20)

All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them. (Proverbs 19:7)

In both cases, the selfishness of man is revealed. We tend to be drawn to the successful and prosperous, and want to hang out with people from whom we can get something: some social or material benefit through our association. And yet, this is not how it should be, and such things do not profit or satisfy. Look at celebrities, who can be flush with cash and surrounded by 'friends' yet miserable—such people must wonder "are these people here because they love me, or because they love my wealth and status?" 

Things are not the way they are supposed to be, and the Bible recognizes this. It also shows the right way; true friendship is a great blessing.

True Friendship and its Blessings

Looking across the Scriptures, I would characterize friends as those who do three things: bear burdens, rejoice together, and challenge each other.

Bear burdens (help each other): 

Friends help each other, in good times and bad. "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) There is a self-sacrificial component to this: "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) And it is regardless of circumstances: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17)

Helping each other entails meeting both physical and spiritual needs. In Acts, we read that Paul was reliant upon friends for his physical needs: "The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for." (Acts 27:3)

Friends can help us when we fall (either physically or spiritually). "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) This includes confessing sin to each other (see James 5:16).

Rejoice together:

Friends share joys, too. See Luke 15:3-10; friends celebrate good things that happen to each other:

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Challenge each other:

This is where modern friendships (in America, anyway) can be glaringly deficient. Too often, we want to support our friends by agreeing with them, even when they may be on a dangerous path. We all need to be rebuked sometimes, and a true friend is one who does that. Consider these verses:

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. (Proverbs 27:6)

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. (Proverbs 27:9)

We should not (necessarily) go to friends for affirmation of all we are feeling, but for honest counsel and rebuke where needed. 

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How do your friendships rank on these matters? It is interesting to me that most of our friendships are those who are in the same life stage and have similar hobbies or interests: we are going through the same things and like the same things. These are not bad things, but the Bible doesn't speak to those. It discusses the above three categories, all of which imply 1) physical proximity and 2) spending time together. So you can be friends with someone who is much older or younger, and you may or may not have the same interests. 

Take stock of your life. Do you have people in it that bear your burdens, share your joys, and counsel you? Do you do these things for others? What can you do to be a true friend?

UNO Elite NFL Edition

Today's review is of the 2024 release, UNO Elite: NFL 2024 Edition. For 2-7 players, it takes 20 minutes.

Overview

UNO Elite takes the classic game UNO and mixes it with draftable cards featuring your favorite NFL players. Like regular UNO, you have a common draw pile, turn over the top card, and take turns playing cards from your hand that match the topmost card in any way (number, color, etc.). The first player to empty their regular hand wins! But here, you also have a separate UNO Elite pile unique to you, and the top four cards of that are turned over in front of you. These cards feature NFL players and have an UNO game ability. On your turn, whenever you play a card with a star from your regular hand, you can then also play an UNO Elite card of matching color from these four cards. That card is put in your specific discard pile, replaced, and not used again unless you can use an ability to get it back in that UNO Elite pile.

Example of game cards; image from here

Game modes exist where you can draft these UNO Elite cards, and you can even buy randomized 'booster packs' to expand your collection and possibilities.

Review

"Good grief, they've gentrified UNO." That was my first reaction to this game. The collectible aspect to this means you can 'pay to win' by purchasing more packs. That really irritated me, probably because UNO is a game I don't view as fitting well into the collectible model. It's just UNO . . . but I digress. The "Elite" pile aspect to this is fine; I don't feel it adds anything to the experience, but it's not terrible. The NFL players are completely unrelated to the game mechanics; this theme is just pasted on to encourage children (and/or football fans) to spend their money. I would avoid this if I were you, but my son enjoys it.

Rating: C

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)

New York City is in the throes of a crime wave; a mysterious organization known as the Foot Clan is rumored to be behind it all. But hope is not lost . . . for a radioactive ooze twenty years earlier gifted a rat and four turtles with considerable growth and intellect. Combined with ninja skills gained from the rat's teachings, these heroes in a half shell will fight for justice as . . . the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Will they be enough to find and take down the Foot?

This 1990 film, based on the 1987 TV cartoon series (which was itself based on the 1984 comic series) was a huge hit in its day. And watching it again today with my kids . . . I still loved it. Yes, it is cheesy and dated. But it is light-hearted, the action holds up surprisingly well, the comedy is good, and the messages are mostly solid, looking at the importance of true family/community, right thinking, and repentance.

"TMNT" was a cultural force in the eighties and nineties—the original cartoon ran until 1996 (there have since been several others), the 1989 video game is a classic, the movie franchise got two more sequels and then a reboot in 2014. It is still in enough demand to warrant an upcoming Magic: the Gathering release. I'm not as familiar with the later offerings, but the original stuff is still just great by me.

Rating: A-

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

Blinded as a boy and orphaned shortly thereafter, Matt Murdock has had more than his share of tragedy. But all is not lost . . .for the accident that wounded him granted him nigh-supernatural powers. His father's life taught him much about tenacity and sacrifice despite repeated failures. And the bullying he received daily awakened a sense for law and order. 

Matt is also not alone; the mysterious Stick will take Matt under his wing to sharpen and hone his abilities. His college friend, Foggy Nelson, will prove a good friend. And the charming Elektra will intrigue him in many ways . . .

Time goes on. Matt is a lawyer now, in Boston. Called back to New York, he makes a new friend and finds a decayed city run by criminals. When his friend is kidnapped, he can bear it no longer—he will become Daredevil, the man without fear, and seek to right what he can. 

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This classic origin story is a solid introduction (and good starting point) to the Daredevil character. The only thing that surprised me was the relative absence of the faith component; it is foreshadowed but not explored here, and is (to me) an important part of this hero that later titles will flesh out. Still, this is a good read.

Rating: A

Twenty Years Hitched

Last week, my wife and I celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. This posts reflects on marriage and some things I've learned along the way.

1) You'll learn more about yourself . . . and it ain't pretty.

When I got engaged, my friend congratulated me but added an intriguing message: "you're about to find out how selfish you are." He was right. Marriage shows you how selfish you are. Why?

The Bible makes it clear that no one is righteous; nobody seeks God (Romans 3:9-18). God ordained marriage and states that the two become one (Genesis 2:18-24); you will know (and be known by) your spouse better than anyone else on this Earth. Part of that is knowing their sin (and learning your own). Your true self comes to bear; any masks you might wear (consciously or otherwise) in front of others will come off over time. You will see deep ugliness in yourself and your spouse. You will see each other at your worst. 

2) Both spouses need forgiveness and grace.

You will fail in many ways (see point 1). Your spouse will, too. Thankfully, there is forgiveness and grace. We need to bear with and forgive each other (Colossians 3:12-14) early and often (Matthew 18:21-22), remembering we have been forgiven a much greater debt in Christ (Matthew 18:23-35). Similarly, we are to treat each other with grace (unmerited favor), as the Lord treats us (John 1:14-17).

3) Love is self-sacrificial, not transactional.

There are many passages on love in the Bible. I've looked at what it means to love others in recent posts (here, here, and here). From various Bible passages, I summarized love with this definition: "Love is the self-sacrificial and self-forgetful care for and building up of others demonstrated by action, affection, attitude, endurance, and optimism." One key aspect is the self-sacrificial/forgetful nature of love.

It is easy (for me) to be transactional. It can be especially so in marriage. "You do this for me, and I'll do that for you." There can be a time and a place for such things—like divvying up chores—but true love does not take into account their actions for you when choosing your actions for them. Loving my wife means doing the right thing for her even if/when she doesn't return the favor. That is tremendously hard, but it is ultimately freeing to care for others without thought of their care for you. 

As a counselor once told me, our job is to "trust and obey." For things in my control, obey (do the right thing). For things outside of my control, trust (that God will work). Ephesians shows how Christ's self-sacrificial love affects us, and relates it to marriage:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:25-28) 

There are no guarantees, but it is what we are called to do. 

4) Love is a choice. It takes work.

There are many emotions in love; not all are romantic or pleasant. In twenty years of marriage, there have been plenty of cases where good feelings weren't there. But going back to the definition of love, the main point is to care for and build up your spouse. That manifests itself in dozens of choices each day regardless of feeling. You can be mad at your spouse and love them. You can disagree and still care. You can be hurt and still choose to love. It's hard work. But worth it.

5) It is easy (but wrong) to put the kids first.

This is a common problem, in the church and culture. Once kids come along, they tend to take center stage, and life revolves around them and their activities. Years later, they move out, and the spouses can realize they don't even know each other anymore. This is not the way it should be. Take time to connect with your spouse—daily. They are your most important earthly relationship, bar none.

6) Marriage is sanctifying; one of the hardest (and best) things you will ever do.

It's been said that there is nothing better than a good marriage, and nothing worse than a bad one. It is constantly sanctifying; we die to self as we grow, forgive each other, and strive to put away our selfishness, looking to love the other before ourselves.

Most marriages I've witnessed have had elements of good and bad. If you strive to bear each other's burdens, share each other's joys, and walk in the same direction [living life in the Gospel and learning what God has for the two of you each step of the way], things will be good. If you don't (and there will be plenty of times when that happens), things will be rough. See point 2. 

7) Focus on God is key.

It is impossible to have a good marriage without God's strength. Your relationship with God precedes everything, and from that flows strength to love your spouse. Only through Jesus can you do so, for 'with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible' (Matthew 19:26). In Jesus we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), and without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). 

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The above is not exhaustive, but it is a start. I'm glad I married my wife (I still question her decision). It's not always easy, but I'd rather walk a hard road with her than an easy road without. It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18); thank you, Lord, for marriage. And for forgiveness.

The Certainty of Faith (Herman Bavinck)

"A lust for doubt became the soul-sickness of our age, dragging a string of moral woes and miseries along with it." So says the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck, writing in 1903, in the introduction of his short work The Certainty of Faith. And this quote points at why he produced this volume: we all want certainty. "To live in comfort and to die in beatitude, we need certainty about the things that are above, the things that are invisible and eternal. We must know who and what we are, and where we are going." He walks through a few concepts in this vein here. Select thoughts follow.

"Certainty is the complete rest of the mind in an object of knowledge." And faith is, in one sense, "confidence in the testimony of another." And for everyone, "by far the greatest part of their knowledge they owe to the investigations of others, whose testimony they accept in trust as truth." 

How does science relate to religious faith? Science is fine with human certainty, but religion "requires nothing less than divine certainty." Which relies on divine testimony. "We never obtain or maintain our deepest convictions and world-and-life-views by way of scientific demonstration." There is "no such things as science without personal trust, without faith in the testimony of another. The fact that religion and theology do not rest on our own observation but on a divine testimony, which cannot be established for us except through faith, does not in itself take anything away from the truth of their content." "Everything depends on whether the people to whose testimony we abandon ourselves are credible and deserving of trust." Thus, "by its very nature, [religious] faith . . . can only rest upon a word or promise of God, on something that proceeds from his mouth and is revealed to man in a natural or supernatural way."

How do we know which revelation is divine? Which religion is true? It is impossible to determine based on feelings, as "every religion arouses religious emotions and experiences." It is also impossible to deduce empirically, as we all have presuppositions that govern the questions we ask and approach we take. And our human heart is finite and fallen. Thus "the guilt of unbelief lies not with God and his revelation, but with man." And "due to the subjective condition of the human heart, all proofs are insufficient to move people to faith." So what can we do? Where can we turn?

The Bible stakes its claim. "The gospel of Christ does not first address itself to human beings as rational, but as moral creatures." We do see evidence of God in the world—creation bears witness and the gospel "does not fail to leave an impression upon the hearts of all." And we recognize the world (and each of us) is a mess—things are not the way they are supposed to be. But rather than proving anything, the Bible explains the problem and solution. It is living and active; a light and guide. It claims divine revelation and authority, "standing above and over against the natural man; while it is indeed intended for him, it does not accord with this thoughts and inclinations." And the Spirit does His work: "in order to believe, freely and willingly, and with our whole intellect, we need a new heart and a changed will. And who could give such things to himself?" For all Christians, "they owe their faith and hope to his grace alone." 

Thus "faith can rest in nowhere other than a word of God, in a promise of the Lord." "Let the plant of faith therefore take root in the soil of the promises of God, and thus it will naturally bear the fruit of certainty."

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This was a great book, full of good insights and (ultimately) hope.

Rating: A

The Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman)

Four friends in a retirement village pass their days by investigating cold cases from decades past. This self-proclaimed "Thursday Murder Club" has a real (and current) adventure on their hands, though, when someone affiliated with their community is murdered. And then another. Determined to be helpful, the unorthodox gang sets out to investigate, and soon finds themselves uncovering a trail of secrets. Can no one be trusted? And can they find the killer?  

It took me a bit to get into it, but this book is gold. Written by known funny television personality Richard Osman, I thought this would be a second-rate mystery focused on comedy. I was wrong! It is funny, but it is also a good and suspenseful mystery. And has a dash of wisdom and surprisingly poignant moments to boot. I especially enjoyed the varied quirks of the four protagonists. This was a good time.

Rating: A

The White Mountains in Autumn

Last week, my wife and I got away for an early 20th anniversary celebration. We spent a few wonderful days in New Hampshire; this post shares highlights.

North Conway

After taking an early flight to Manchester, we drove north and stayed in a new hotel in North Conway, a lovely mountain resort town in east-central New Hampshire. We enjoyed an initial hike east of town before checking out the (surprising) number of outlets and having a nice dinner.

The Kancamagus Highway

The next day, we stopped at a covered bridge (there are many in the region) and then headed out for the main feature: the Kancamagus Highway, which runs west from Conway to Lincoln. This scenic road had plenty of stops for short (or long) hikes and beautiful vistas. Parking at some stops became an issue, but it all worked out. As you'd expect, cell service was not always available, so download local maps as needed before heading out.

Just before Lincoln, we stopped at Loon Mountain, headed up via cable car, and enjoyed the poorly-named (yet exciting) "glacial caves," which are a series of natural granite obstacles [not caves] that force you to contort yourself in fun [and nerve-wracking, for the older] postures to navigate them. 

The Loop Back

After a nice lunch in Lincoln, we stopped for ice cream (I had maple soft serve) and took the northern loop back, which runs through Franconia Notch, by Mount Washington, and had plenty of sights on its own. But we visited there last year, so we just enjoyed the views and meandered back to North Conway. The map below shows the Kancamagus (the southern road) and the northern loop back. The listed drive time of two hours is deceiving and easily exceeded; plan to stop often (and/or be held up by slow motorists).

Lake Winnipesaukee

The next day, it was time to head home. We had driven up from Manchester on the east side of Lake Winnipesaukee, and headed home on the west side. We intended to find a place to hike and enjoy a view of the lake; our first choice, Castle in the Clouds, was out due to a classic car show that day. We drove on through Meredith (it looked pretty; we should have stopped) and Interlaken (not to be confused with its Swiss counterpart) before finding what looked like a good spot. What we didn't know: the road up went from pleasingly paved to dauntingly dirt and rock, with difficult climbs and hairpin turns. We parked in a lot that had some other cars, saw no other hikers, and grew increasingly nervous. After briefly exploring the local trail options and enjoying the view, we decided to head back down. On the way, a passing motorist told us to watch for black bears he had just seen, reinforcing our decision to get out of there.

We drove back to Manchester, stopping at (another) L.L. Bean outlet on the way before catching our flight home.

Thoughts

It was a short but wonderful trip. The people in the White Mountains live life at a different pace. They are polite, kind, and much more relaxed than what we are used to. The area is beautiful, even though the leaves were not as vibrant as we had hoped (the locals told us a drought had affected the maples in particular). There is plenty to do for the outdoors enthusiast, and many options for all skill levels and desires (we focused on shorter hikes and loved it). The food options were excellent, with an array of both chains and local fare. The shopping was surprisingly fun. I wish we had more time to explore the Lake Winnipesaukee area (and foreknowledge of where best to do that), but ultimately, the trip was made not by what we did, but who we were with—each other.

It was the first time my wife and I had gotten away overnight without the children in seven years. It was a much-needed time to relax, enjoy each other's company, and connect without distraction or interruption. We need to make this a habit.