The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Today's review is of the 2025 release, The Hobbit: There and Back Again. For 1-4 players, it takes 30 minutes (per chapter).

Overview

Relive The Hobbit in this dice-drafting/roll & write game! The story is broken into eight chapters (or adventures). In each, you will compete to collect resources, create paths (with a dry erase marker), and perform actions to ultimately complete the chapter goal. Do so with the most points and you win!

On a turn, the first player rolls the five dice, choosing one and executing its action (creating a pathway of certain geometry, collecting resources, or performing an action). The next player clockwise chooses one of the four remaining dice and does the same. Play continues clockwise until the dice are all claimed. Then the next player in clockwise order rolls the five dice again and the cycle repeats.

Chapter One in progress; image from here

Each chapter has a stated objective (condition which ends the game) and rules on how points are earned. For example, the first chapter's objective is to connect 12 dwarves to Bag End (when the first player does so, the game immediately ends). You get points for each dwarf you connect, but you get more points if you have bread on-hand when a given dwarf arrives. And you get more points still if you collect swords (to arm them) or can get Gandalf and Thorin to visit, too. 

Review

My boys and I played only the first chapter so far, but this is fun! It is easy to learn with lots of meaningful choices (both in the dice you choose and the paths you draw). They do a good job of giving multiple options for the dice, so if your preferred option is unavailable, you may be able to get something else through crafty choices stated on the board for a given chapter. The chapter approach is appropriate for The Lord of the Rings tales (another publisher took the same approach to The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game to good effect). I look forward to the other chapters.

Rating: A-

C.S. Lewis's Oxford (Simon Horobin)

C.S. Lewis, famed author of the Chronicles of Narnia and Christian apologist, spent most of his adult life at Oxford. C.S. Lewis's Oxford "examines the role Oxford—its colleges, libraries, chapels, clubs, common room and pubs—played in fostering the work of one of the twentieth century's most influential writers and thinkers." 

This book is a curiosity. It started slowly but got more interesting. It is kind of a biography, but not in any traditional sense. Focusing on Oxford, it is a bit like a tourist guide, moving back and forth chronologically at different locations in the town important to Lewis. Along the way, it shares insights into Lewis's daily life (mostly his duties as a tutor/lecturer, his involvement in clubs/societies, and his friendships).

In dividing the focus between Lewis and Oxford, you get a full picture of neither. This book was a meandering (if enjoyable) hodge-podge of anecdotes and does not achieve its stated purpose. Instead, it is more about sharing stories (likely previously unpublished) about Lewis's life. It is best enjoyed by a fan of Lewis on holiday in Oxford who can wander the streets and soak in the locations mentioned.

Rating: B-

Remembering the 2025 Eagles

The 2025 Eagles Depth Chart

Welp. The Eagles just lost their playoff game to the 49ers, 23-19, ending their 2025 season. It didn't end the way I wanted, but I still enjoyed the year. Here I reminisce on this past season.

The Eagles started the season strong, defending their Super Bowl win from the year prior. At 8-2 after ten games, things looked bright. Then they started melting down, losing the next three games. They rebounded to win three, dropped the meaningless finale, and then blew the game today through shaky offense, tough penalties, and dropped passes.

Though their record was 11-6, this year didn't look magical like last—offensively. The run game was often paltry. The entire offense would disappear for halves at a time, going 3-and-out way too often. And it looked stale, predictable, and weirdly lame. Their stars still got their yards, with 1K seasons for Brown, Smith, and Barkley, but it just wasn't the same. People blamed everything from new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo to a banged-up offensive line to . . . whatever. The kicker wasn't as good as normal either. Today, it was a sadly representative showing: the kicker missed an XP, the offense dropped several balls, committed key penalties, and ultimately lost them the game.

At least their defense was amazing. I love a good defense, and Vic Fangio's unit continued their dominant play most of the year, looking overmatched or overwhelmed only a handful of times. Draft picks Jihaad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba shined in spots; the others played consistently well outside of CB2. That unit was the highlight of my year.

Their in-season pickups varied. They brought in RB Tank Bigsby and LB Jaelan Phillips, both of whom made an immediate impact. Their other trades weren't great and didn't solve the problems they had at CB2.

What makes these end-of-season games so hard is knowing who won't be back. With several key free agents, the Eagles cannot afford to keep them all. Here are the big names:

Offense: 

- Dallas Goedert, TE. He's had a great run in Philly but I don't see him staying.

- Lane Johnson, T. He's not a free agent but spent the last part of the season injured, and he is old. Will he retire?

- A.J. Brown, WR. He's not a free agent, either, but runs his mouth a lot and may be out the door.

Defense:

- Jaelan Phillips, LB. The in-season pickup would love to stay (I've read) but we'll see if they can afford him.

- Nakobe Dean, LB. Dean has gotten better over the years but is prone to injury. Love to see him stay, too, but we'll see. 

- Reed Blankenship, S. This undrafted find was great for the Birds for past four years. Don't know if he will re-sign.

Special Teams:

- Braden Mann, P. Punters matter, and hopefully he will be back.

There is a lot of talent in the list, but the Eagles should still have their core intact for another season at least (two if they manage it well). Looking ahead, I hope they:

- fire their OC (sorry, Kevin, but this unit needs a change)

- sign as many of the above free agents as they can

- rest/heal up. I wonder if the O-line looked off because of their extended run last year

Fittingly, today's message in church was on Luke 10:17-20, where Jesus shares with 72 of his disciples where they should find their joy. The answer? In neither success nor comfort, but that their names are written in heaven. That is our ultimate joy. 

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (J.R.R. Tolkien)

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, published in 1962, is a collection of sixteen poems supposedly from the Hobbits' Red Book, which Tolkien describes as containing "a large number of verses . . . [many of which] are found on loose leaves, while some are written carelessly in margins and blank spaces."  This "present selection is taken from the older pieces, mainly concerned with legends and jests of the Shire and the end of the Third Age, that appear to have been made by Hobbits, especially by Bilbo and his friends, or their immediate descendants. Their authorship is, however, seldom indicated . . . and were probably written down from oral tradition." 

Of the sixteen poems, the first two star the merry fellow himself. The others have a tenuous link to Middle Earth (often variants of poems Tolkien did years prior) and are more akin to folklore or nursery rhymes. Several are mentioned (or partly quoted) in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings.

The original publication occurs from pp. 33-118 (with the original illustrations by Pauline Baynes); a hearty introduction (pp. 7-30) precedes and lengthy commentary (pp. 119-274) follows. The commentary is a summarized history or analysis of each poem and often presents earlier versions of them.

------

I enjoyed this collection. I would have liked a more obvious focus on/tie to Middle Earth, but Tolkien is a talented poet. He is well-versed in various meters and styles, and some of his rhymes are impressively intricate. A fun read.

Rating: B+

Looking Ahead

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” -Revelation 21:5

The new year is upon us! It is our custom to treat this as a fresh start; this post muses on that.

Forget What is Behind . . .

In Philippians, Paul reminds his readers about the need to strive for improvement (knowing God better):

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Note that Paul says "forgetting what lies behind." My pastor points out that this is everything—the good and bad! It is easy to either focus on our past successes (and revel in them beyond their due) or failures (and wallow in worldly sorrow, which produces death). The Bible calls us to do neither, but to "press on toward the goal . . . of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Striving More and More . . .

We make resolutions, and should! This reflects the Biblical truths and calls to do so. In Thessalonians, Paul states: 

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. (1 Thessalonians 4:1)

Do so "more and more." The Thessalonians were doing a good job—Paul calls them to keep growing. It doesn't matter how good you are; you can always improve. As we increase in obedience and holiness, we will more vividly recognize how far we [still] are from the perfection God demands. There is always room for improvement.

Because of God's Strength . . .

Back in Philippians, Paul reminds us why we need to strive more and more. 

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-14)

Many modern stories focus on "inner strength" and "believing in yourself." This distorts the truth and puts the focus on us. The Bible is clear that our strength comes from God. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), and He supports us (Romans 11:18). We can (and must) strive more and more because God is our strength.

Knowing the End . . .

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

This is one of the most encouraging verses in Scripture. God promises to complete what He starts. As I look at my life, I see lots of folly, flaws, and failures. Lessons I (apparently) haven't mastered even after years of walking with Christ. Deep-rooted selfishness and rebellion. That is demoralizing. But I see something else, too—I see progress. Even if it is small, even if it is incomplete, even if it is slow . . . I see maturity. And that is due to God (see previous point), which means He has started something. And that means He will complete it. God keeps His promises. We thus run the race with anticipation and even joy (see next point). We know how this story ends.

And Living in Joy.

For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. (Ecclesiastes 5:20)

Ecclesiastes talks a lot about vanity. The vanity of striving after possessions, pleasures, and so on. The general message (summarized in this excellent commentary) is "life is gift, not gain." We strive not for gain itself but to better and more joyfully know, rest in, and reflect Christ.

-----

Looking ahead to 2026, may this year see great growth. But remember that "spiritual disciplines are not about making you more precious to God. They're about making God more precious to you." - Matt Smethurst

Clementine (Sara Pennypacker)

Clementine is an eight-year-old who definitely pays attention. Just not to whatever her teacher or parents want, apparently. And it's not fair that she is named for a fruit but her brother isn't (so she calls him Turnip or whatever pops into her head). Her best friend is Margaret, who lives in a room that looks like a magazine picture (Clementine's room does not). One day, Margaret accidentally cut part of her hair, so Clementine helps her but cutting off the rest. This does not go over well. Clementine understands that she is the hard child. Will her parents keep her? Or is she too much to handle?

This children's book is a delightful look at life through a what I assume is an ADHD child's eyes. It's funny, it's zany, it's scatter-brained. It was intriguing to see that Clementine was always paying attention to something—just not what others told her to. Overall, I quite enjoyed this quick read, though I didn't like how sometimes Clementine gets words wrong (example: "historical" instead of "hysterical") and she isn't corrected. That's fine for adults reading but not for kids learning words.

Rating: A-

So Begins 2026

image from here

Happy New Year! As is my custom, this post lays out goals for the year. The goals themselves are in italics, with explanation following in regular font.

If I could pick an overarching theme for the year, it would be a quote from The Lord of the Rings: "do not spoil the wonder with haste." I try to pack too much into my life, and my days are a dizzying blur devoid of wonder or gratitude. I hope to change that this year, and part of that . . . is having fewer goals.

Spiritual
- Meditate more. 

- Love self-forgetfully. 

- Be thankful.

The Biblical call to meditation is not what some envision (emptying the mind). Rather, it is a charge to ruminate on God's Word. To that end, I actually want to read less this year but think on it more. To swap quantity for quality.

Loving others is easy to make transactional (I muse on that here). To love self-forgetfully is to do so regardless how I am treated in return. 

Loving God means (among other things) being grateful to Him in any circumstance, and showing thankfulness daily. I started doing that more last year, and it was transformative. I need to keep going.

Nutritional/Fitness
- Keep weight under 180 lbs.

- Develop underused muscles.

I'm pretty happy where I am right now fitness-wise, but it is always good to improve. To lose a few more pounds, fully heal from shoulder surgery, and to address chronic (though mild) soreness or pains by working muscles I typically don't.

Reading
- Read 40 books.

I've done 50+ books the last few years, and this should be easily reached. I knocked the goal down to 40 to focus on enjoying more and consuming less.

Household Management
- Minimize/declutter the home.

I get stressed with all the clutter around the house. If I could convince the family to reduce . . . I think we'd all enjoy having less.
---
Goals are good, but God is better.  

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9 

I hope to hit on the above this year, but the ultimate goal is to better know, obey, enjoy, and rest in Christ. More on that in a day or two. 

To 2026!