A Middle-Earth Traveller (John Howe)

A Middle-Earth Traveller is predominantly a sketchbook, presenting selections from John Howe's work during his time on the sets of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies—though Howe includes sketches of events and places covered in other Tolkien works, too (from the First and Second Age).

One of two principle artists on set*, I love Howe's art. He does a good job of immersing the viewer in an enchanted tale. This is a nice collection of his work, though it felt too short (I would have loved more). There are colored prints sprinkled throughout, but the vast majority are sketches (makes sense given the frantic pace at which artists work on set). The accompanying text didn't explain the art (or movie-making details) so much as provide select snippets of Middle-Earth lore. If you like Middle-Earth and John Howe, you'll like this.

Rating: A

*the other, Alan Lee, has also produced sketchbooks for LOTR and The Hobbit, respectively

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

Today's review is of the 2012 release, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth. For 2-4 players, it takes 20 minutes.

Overview

You and your friends  are competing to create fellowships and send them to battle against the forces of Sauron. Accumulate the most victory points (gained through defeating enemies) and you win!

This simple game has two common decks: the enemy deck (with enemies of Middle-Earth) and the ring deck (which contains fellowship and Mordor cards). To set up, each player draws three cards from the ring deck [before the Mordor cards are shuffled in], displays the top three enemies, and play begins. 

On your turn, you either:

- draw a card from the ring deck (if a Mordor card, place in the Mordor row and draw again), or

- play a card from your hand to the table to an existing (or new) fellowship and (if desired) attack one or more creatures in the enemy row. 

Once all the enemies are defeated, players tally their respective victory points and highest wins.

game in progress

Four key concepts:

 - A fellowship is a grouping of one or more cards that will attack as one unit; you can have as many fellowships as you wish, but you cannot rearrange the groups once chosen.

- Each fellowship (and enemy) character has one or more colored symbols on it. For a given fellowship to attack an enemy, it must have all the matching colored symbols. You can attack multiple enemies simultaneously if you have enough symbols for them all. Once you make an attack, collect the enemy card(s) into your victory pile and put the fellowship cards involved in the ring discard pile. Replenish the enemy row.

- Once the Mordor row is full, it triggers a counterattack; do the effect listed on the right-most Mordor card (generally causing players to lose cards in hand, on the table, or enemies in the enemy row). Then place the right-most Mordor card in the enemy discard pile [important nuance], place the other two Mordor cards in the ring discard pile, place the right-most enemy in the enemy discard pile, replenish the enemy row, and play continues.

- Some fellowship characters have special abilities (explained in more detail in the rulebook). These can be critical to success, to pay attention!

Review

This is a simple, light, and fast game with some fun twists suitable for the family. The theme is pasted on (but the artwork is nice nonetheless). There aren't a lot of meaningful decisions, but the board state can alter unexpectedly and leave the outcome unpredictable. The fellowship character abilities can shake things up, too. Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected.

Rating: B-

The Art of Disagreeing (Gavin Ortlund)

It is no secret that Americans today are terrible at disagreeing. In this short book, Pastor Gavin Ortlund provides principles on how to navigate this touchy topic. Select points follow.

We must remember "that disagreement itself is not the problem," for it "is where we discover opportunities for learning, freshness, new beginnings." It can be "both enjoyable and productive" when done well. But in today's world . . . that seldom happens.

Disagreement can be hard. We may view them "as a kind of threat to our broader identity." There are two basic ways people handle such tense situations—some are "rhinos" (prone to being aggressive) and others "hedgehogs" (prone to being defensive or silent). Both postures have their challenges and temptations to sin in one way or another. But how we treat each other matters greatly, so there is opportunity here to show the world how following Jesus can result in healthy and productive disagreement.

Ortlund's basic outline covers two virtues (kindness and courage), two tools (listening and persuasion), and a final exhortation.

Kindness is powerful; "it helps us not only to like each other more but to understand each other better." So pray for them and their blessedness, show them respect, don't speak ill of them, and strive to encourage and genuinely like them. Bible verses on kindness include Galatians 5:22, Titus 3:2, Colossians 4:6, and 1 Peter 3:15. We are to be kind even to those who revile us (James 2:23). But note: kindness doesn't mean rolling over; there can be times when difficult steps are needed to protect you and yours (see Titus 3:10-11 and Matthew 5:11-12). Helpful questions to determine when you may  need to withdraw:

• "Does this person's behavior suggest that engaging with them has a realistic chance of being productive?
• Is addressing a disagreement likely to create further harm?
• Do I have any formal obligations that require me to resolve this difference, or can it be left unresolved without negligence?
• Could a season of waiting or reflection be beneficial before working through a particular disagreement?"

Courage is also needed. "We need to balance kindness (commitment to the person) with courage (commitment to the truth)." We must be willing to stand firm and say difficult words when called for. Though "not every issue is a hill to die on" (we should seek to live "peacably amid our differences on smaller matters"), there are times that "God has battles for you to fight." 

• Courage is vulnerable, potentially leading "you to decisions and actions that don't merit any applause." You may be called to enter a fight knowing "you will probably lose." But, where it makes sense, we must stand for truth regardless of outcome or consequence. 
• Courage is also beautiful. "There is also a kind of freedom and joy in it . . . because it lifts us away from self-concern."

When considering if we should engage (vs. keeping silent), consider if the disagreement is 1) "important to the cause of the gospel" and 2) "likely to be productive?" It is about what is right, edifying, and useful.

Listening is the receptive part of dialogue and "is one of the indelible marks of wisdom." (Consider Proverbs 12:15, 13:1, and 15:32.) It "takes energy. It's an active, responsive discipline" and "requires a posture of openness: a willingness to be maneuvered by the information we are receiving." (See James 3:17) Feeling heard is critical in effective disagreement; one way to work on this "is to cultivate a sincer curiosity about other perspectives."

Some listening strategies: take your time and be patient (James 1:19), ask clarifying questions, pay attention to details (like nonverbal cues), give them the benefit of the doubt, and consider the possibility that the other is speaking out of trauma (deep pain or suffering).

If things broil over into conflict, pray for a heart of mercy (Ephesians 4:32), keep watch on yourself (Galatians 6:1), don't take it personally (be secure in Christ's love for you), hope for the other's renewal (and pray for their progress in the faith), and pray the Lord would show you your sin in the conflict.

Persuasion is the proactive part of dialogue. It seeks to move and influence others. This can be viewed as a negative trait in today's society, yet where "the truth is done rightly, persuasion is an act of love," remembering that "God has given you unique insights and experiences, and if you don't share them, you may be depriving others around you of what God wants to teach them through you." It is biblical (Proverbs 16:23).

Ortlund provides eight strategies to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15): build trust, use tactful speech, help them save face, balance criticism with praise, calmly identify disagreements, use arguments, reiterate your goals, and appeal to sympathies already held. But remember: "we must be willing to consider that at times we might need to be persuaded to change ourselves!"

In the final exhortation, remember Jesus' words in John 13:34-35: all people will know we are His disciples if we have love for one another. "The world's perception of Jesus is affected by how Christians treat one another." So in our disagreements, we must lay down desires ("to come out on top, to win, to look good") and agendas (for "our own reputation or ego or selfish desires"). Instead, we are to honor truth, please Christ, and build up each other.

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This book is concise and basic yet profound and helpful, well worth an afternoon read. 

Rating: A

Daredevil Visionaries: (Kevin Smith)

A teenager shows up with a child, claiming immaculate conception and the second coming of Christ. Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) assumes she is crazy—until she is chased by a mysterious and sinister group claiming the child heralds the end of days. The ensuing chaos finds Matt questioning his faith and the way forward. Who is this child . . . and who is he? 

Written in the late '90s by Kevin Smith, I enjoyed this tale of the man without fear. The art was done well, the story was okay (if unsatisfying in places, it made up for it with shocking developments in others), and the messages were mixed but largely good. I think this helped the Daredevil character gain in popularity . . . for that, I am grateful.

Rating: B

How Should We Then Live? (Francis A. Schaeffer)

In the classic How Should We Then Live?, Francis Schaeffer studies the rise and fall of Western thought. Seeking to understand today’s world, he traces three lines in history: the philosophic, the scientific, and the religious. Highlights follow.
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“People have presuppositions, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than they themselves may realize.” “Presuppositions rest upon that which a person considers to be the truth of what exists. People’s presuppositions lay a grid for all they bring forth into the external world. Their presuppositions also provide the basis for their values and therefore the basis for their decisions.”

What are the presuppositions, broadly, throughout history?

“The Greeks and later the Romans also tried to build society upon their gods. But these gods were not big enough because they were finite, limited.” “The gods were amplified humanity, not divinity.” Later they looked to the emperors as divine. But this failed and Christianity (which became the state religion in 381 AD) rose.

A Christian’s “strength rested on God’s being an infinite-personal God and his speaking in . . ." the Bible. “Thus the Christians not only had knowledge about the universe and mankind that people cannot find out by themselves, but they had absolute, universal values by which to live and by which to judge the society and the political state in which they lived. And they had grounds for the basic dignity and value of the individual as unique in being made in the image of God.”

In the Middle Ages, the church drifted from Biblical foundations and introduced humanistic concepts, with “man taking to himself that which belonged to God.” “Soon European thought would be divided into two lines, both of which have come down and influence our own day: first, the humanistic elements of the Renaissance, and second, the Bible-based teaching of the Reformation.”

In the Renaissance, “Philosophy was gradually separated from revelation—from the Bible—and philosophers began to act in an increasingly independent, autonomous manner.” “Renaissance humanism steadily evolved toward modern humanism—a value system rooted in the belief that man is his own measure, that man is autonomous, totally independent.” And “with this came an increasing loss of anything which gave meaning, either to the individual things in the world or to man.”

Counter this to the Reformation, who believed that man was fallen and thus “people could not begin only from themselves . .” We need God. And the Reformation was “centered in the infinite-personal God who had spoken in the Bible.” “The Bible gives a unity to the universal and the particulars.”

In the Enlightenment, humanism came to the fore (though some Reformation-based worldviews undergirded society). In this age, the focus was on “reason, nature, happiness, progress, and liberty.” And everything started breaking down; the drive to find a way to meaning and values through pure reason ended in despair. A split started emerging between meaning/values and measurable things. Man alone cannot bring the two together, so modern man is a dichotomy:
- Reason: man is a machine and meaningless.
- Non-reason: optimism about meaning and values (totally separate from reason). This is existential methodology.

“Many types of things can be put in the area of non-reason. And it really does not matter what one chooses to put there, because reason gives no basis for a choice.” Thus, it's all about feelings, experiences, and everything is relative. Hence our postmodern society today.

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This was a good book, in a similar vein to Glenn Sunshine's Why You Think The Way You Do. Here the focus was not only on the strands of thought but also art and how worldview permeats through it (with lots of examples). The book's final chapters sounded a little alarmist (and dated; this was written before communism fell), but overall, this is a worthy read.

Rating: A-

The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Karen Wynn Fonstad)

The Atlas of Middle Earth is a semi-official reference for J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. In it, Karen Wynn Fonstad provides a plethora of meticulously-researched and carefully-drawn maps in broad categories:

- The First Age

- The Second Age

- The Third Age

- Regional Maps

- The Hobbit (maps focused on the routes/journeys mentioned in that book)

- The Lord of the Rings (ditto, though here we also get maps of five key battles)

- Thematic Maps (looking at landforms, climate, vegetation, population, and languages of Middle-Earth)

The maps are in varying levels of detail and accompanied by explanatory text. Two examples follow.

Though intended more as a reference, I really enjoyed this work and read most of it. As a visual learner, I appreciated the maps of the pre-LOTR Ages (covered in The Silmarillion or other works). The author did her homework and has considerable artistic talent. She is honest about all the uncertainties—Tolkien's voluminous writings in this world occasionally clashed or omitted details—and does a good job handling those. I view this as 'semi-official' because it holds as true as possible to the Tolkien canon shares a publisher with him, yet I don't think this is officially blessed by the Tolkien estate. Whatever the case, this is a good volume for those who love both maps and Middle-Earth.

Rating: A

What does the Bible Teach About Transgenderism? (Strachan & Peacock)

In this short book, Professor Owen Strachan and Pastor Gavin Peacock walk through a hot-button topic: transgenderism. They cover Biblical passages related to gender and identity, Biblical manhood and womanhood, and the new identity and life Christians have in Christ.

This book is straightforward and a helpful starting point on the topic for those interested in what the Bible says. The introduction itself is especially helpful, looking at modern philosophy/worldview with its emphasis on feelings and assumption that the human heart is good. As the Bible teaches otherwise, they start there before moving on to the title topic. There, the Biblical passages analyzed are primarily Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 3, Deuteronomy 22:5, Matthew 19:3-6, and 1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-15. Stepping back from that, they then turn their attention to passages on Biblical manhoon and womanhood, concluding with a new identity we have.

While it make lots of good points, I felt the book strayed a bit from the original purpose in covering other (though related) areas. And the concluding FAQ was a bit hollow and didn't cover some of the more common questions Christians have.

Rating: B

Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For 1-4 players, it takes 20-40 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your friends are each a TMNT character with respective sidekicks, battling against the evil Shredder or Krang. Do you collectively have what it takes to prevail?

To setup the game, choose your hero. Choose a bad guy. Choose bad guy sidekicks equal to the number of players. Take all corresponding tokens, life counters, and decks (shuffling appropriately). Place all on the map of your choosing. Draw five cards and play begins.

This game is in the Unmatched line, and follows much of the same rules; I covered those in the previous post. Simplistically, on your turn, you will perform two actions as discussed last time: maneuver (draw a card and move), scheme, or attack. Turns continue until the good guys win . . . or bad guys prevail.

What is unique about this version:

1) Turn order. This is randomly chosen each round by shuffling the initiative cards (two for the main bad guy, one for each bad guy sidekick, and one for each player hero). Each player is given a marker denoting "player 1" or "player 2," etc. So a round could look something like this (in a three-player game against Shredder and three sidekicks: Bebop/Rocksteady, Leatherhead, and Rat King): Leatherhead, Shredder ability, player 2, Bebop/Rocksteady, player 1, player 3, Shredder, Rat King.

2) The enemies. Since this is cooperative, the game has a system to simulate the enemies. Each has a custom deck; each card in that has both an attack and defense value (and may have special abilities). The value you use depends on whether the character is attacking or defending. After use, each card is placed in its respective discard pile and (eventually) shuffled back into the main enemy deck (once the card stating that is played).

my two-player game in progress

Review
As with the competitive Unmatched line, this game is easy to learn and hard to master. You must manage your turn actions, character placement/movement, and hand of cards, with meaningful decisions in each sphere. The decks of cards are asymmetric, leading to a new experience with each hero you try (and each unique matchup). The turn order system is well done (if occasionally maddening when it doesn't go your way). The challenge level is high; we have yet to win. But the game moves swiftly either way.

Being fully compatible with other Unmatched releases, you could use other characters to play in this adventure. (I'm tempted to see how Dracula fares against Shredder). 

Overall, I enjoyed the game, think it is well done, and recommend it.

Rating: A

Unmatched: Cobble & Fog

Today's review is of the 2020 release, Unmatched: Cobble & Fog. For 2-4 players, it takes 20-40 minutes.

Overview

You are a character of legend taking on another.* Reduce their health to zero first and you win!

Unmatched is a series of games with the same mechanics. In each, you set up the game by choosing a map. Then choose a hero, taking their corresponding minifigure, tokens (if any), health dial(s), and unique deck of 30 cards, shuffling them and drawing five. Your opponent does the same. You place your minifigures and token(s) on the map in the stated areas and play begins, with the youngest player starting. In Cobble & Fog, your hero choices are Invisible Man, Jekyl & Hyde, Dracula, or Sherlock Holmes.

Game board showing Dracula vs. Sherlock Holmes at start

On your turn, you take two actions (you  may choose the same more than once) of the three available:

Three additions to the turn explanation in the above image:

- your "fighters" are your hero and their sidekick(s), if any.

- all cards have a hero, sidekick, or "ANY" printed on them; they must be used in accordance with the printed options

- maneuver action: most cards have a BOOST value encircled on the right-hand side of the card; it is that number you can add to your fighter(s) move.

- attack action: if you choose to attack, your opponent can play a defense card (a purple versatile card or blue defense card) face down in response. Cards are turned face up simultaneously, with the higher value winning (defense wins ties), and damage done to the defender if the attack value > defense value. 

Turns continue until one player's hero is reduced to zero health.

Review

This game is easy to learn and hard to master. You must manage your turn actions, character placement/movement, and hand of cards, with meaningful decisions in each sphere. The decks of cards are asymmetric, leading to a new experience with each hero you try (and each unique matchup). The Unmatched series has seen many releases, and all are fully compatible with the others, expanding the possibilities. Overall, recommended.

Rating: A

*the game has a multiplayer mode, but I will describe the two-player version.

Created to Play (Brianna Lambert)

"What if your hobbies weren't arbitrary passions at all but the purposeful design of the God who formed every part of you?" So posits Brianna Lambert in the introduction to Created to Play. If the Lord is God over every sphere of our lives, and we are created to glorify and enjoy Him forever, then our hobbies are one means through which we can grow, enjoy, and worship. 

This book explores "ten different titles we take on in our play," each of which "take their place within a larger picture of what it means to be an image-bearer of God." They are, separated into four overarching categories:

• Fill the earth:
• Makers (artists, crafters, writers, musicians, etc.)
• Heralds (musicians, photographers, storytellers, reviewers, etc.)
• Nourishers (cooks, bakers, brewers, etc.)
• Tend what's been given:
• Movers (athletes)
• Keepers (gardeners, farmers, pet lovers, etc.)
• Gather and renew:
• Curators (collectors)
• Restorers (renovators, mechanics, cleaners, organizers)
• Connectors (game players, sports fans, etc.)
• Receive:
• Historians (history buffs, reenactors, scrapbookers, etc.)
• Beholders (tourists, foodies, bookworms, film buffs, bird watchers, etc.)

For each of these ten, she presents examples, a deep joy, and a key temptation. She also discusses the benefit (need?) for each to be done in community.

I enjoyed this book; the author makes great points about the benefits hobbies can have without them needing to have some obvious utility (becoming a side hustle, yet another goal, etc.); it is okay to enjoy the good gifts God gives us (and in that enjoyment, we can worship and grow).

I'll mention two reservations:

- each chapter was replete with examples—too many of them, in my opinion. I think she did this so  people could see their own hobbies in the pages, but it made the book a third longer than it needed to be. 

- she presents each category in its noblest form, with too little discussion of the potential pitfalls in each. It was wonderful to see how a given hobby could be used for good, but more warnings may be warranted.

Overall, the book is valuable and recommended. It is okay to play and delight in a hobby.

Rating: B

DC Super Heroes United: Batman Hush

Today's review is of the 2025 release, DC Super Heroes United: Batman Hush. For 1-5 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your friends each take a role of a hero and work together to defeat a villain. You'll have to act fast, though . . . once the master plan deck runs out, you lose! Do you have what it takes?

This game is in the Marvel United line and follows identical rules. Setup is simple: 

- lay out six locations in a circle and put the thugs/civilian tokens on each as indicated

- choose a villain and put their corresponding cards at each location and shuffle/ready their master plan deck

- each player chooses a hero and takes their figure and corresponding deck of 12 cards, shuffling and drawing three.

- the villain and hero figures are place on locations opposite each other and play begins

game in progress; image from here

Gameplay is also straightforward.

- The villain always goes first: draw the top card of their master plan deck and place it face up in the story line (a circle that goes around the outside of the play area; it is omitted from the image above). Do what it states (generally moving the villain, potentially activating its special ability, and placing thugs or civilians on the spots indicated). Then each hero goes in clockwise order. 

- On each hero turn, the player draws a card, plays one in the story line, then uses the abilities on it and the immediately-preceding hero card (from the hero played the turn prior). Abilities are move, star, punch, and wild, and enable the players to complete missions (by rescuing civilians, beating thugs, or completing the stated goal of the villain card at their location). 

- After 2-3 hero turns (depending on if the villain is 'under pressure' or not), the villain goes again. Play continues in this fashion until the game end.

- Once enough missions have been completed, the villain can be damaged (through punches). Drop their health to zero before the master plan deck is empty and you win! Otherwise . . . game over.

Review

Five years ago, my family was introduced to Marvel United. We greatly enjoy that (and its many expansions), and were delighted to hear that they released a DC equivalent. Playing this new version was as good as expected—the same great mechanics, flavor, and tension (it seems games always come down to the very last card, or near enough, of the master plan deck). Another winner in this line.

Rating: A

AI Simplified

AI Simplified (previously published as Simply AI, shown above), is a primer on Artificial Intelligence. It covers:

- History of AI

- Classical AI

- Statistical AI

- Using AI

- Philosophy of AI

- Living with AI

As a primer, it skims the surface of many topics within this arena. It is short (155 pages with large text), and highly visual (there is a graphic on each page).

AI is obviously a hot topic, and I wanted to learn more. Two key takeaways for me:

• "Machine-learning networks are only as good as the data on which they are trained." That means that incorrect, incomplete, or biased data will create predictable problematic outputs. And "hidden behind many of today's most powerful AIs is a vast amount of human labor. Millions of workers are used to train AIs"—workers that are faulty (and may be poorly compensated). And generative AI "relies on data scraped from the internet," which creates a few problems (including consent from and compensation for the creators).
• As AI is increasingly incorporated into many functions and can be 'agentic' (acting on behalf of a human or institution), lots of questions arise, including responsibility (who is responsible if AI does something that harms?) and ethics ("the only way to ensure that AIs think ethically is to program them with ethical principles, although then the question becomes whose ethics?").

DK Publishing does a good job with overviews, and this is no exception. This book provides helpful definitions, history, basic concepts, and more related to AI. Recommended for those who want to understand the radical transformation going on in the world around us (with much more to come).

Rating: A

The Spiritually Healthy Leader (Dave Wiedis)

"Ministry leaders don't usually implode from outside pressure but rather . . . they are incapacitated from within." 

The premise of The Spiritually Healthy Leader is "that we are designed by God to be driven by a 'ruling passion' to live wholeheartedly coram Deo, before the face of God." And when our ruling passions are wrong, things go bad. So "this book offers powerful strategies to help identify and understand how, when left unexamined, our ruling passions can serve as functional idols, permeate every aspect of our being, and have the potential to sabotage our relationships, ministry, and life." And it shows how to bring those passions "under Christ's lordship to experience a radical, grace-filled transformation of our lives." Select thoughts follow.

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"Our spiritual health is measured by the object of our love which, in turn, is revealed by our ruling passions." "A ruling passion is an extraordinarily strong desire that rules or controls us such that our energy is given over to pursuing and achieving this goal." Such "passions are core motivations of the heart that have their genesis in experiences and take the form of vows" (which are "decisions to live a certain way") and are revealed by our behavior. 

Passions are not inherently bad. Many passions are good things (peace, happiness, pleasure, success, etc.), but when we make them the ultimate thing (placing them above loving and obeying God), they become a ruling passion and are wrong. 

Jesus tells us that nobody can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). "Either God is the center of your life, with your ultimate commitment to experience the satisfying supremacy of Christ and walk under his lordship, or something or someone else will be at the center." And "unless we are fully submitted to and under the control of God, we will be under the control of something else."

We often don't know our ruling passions. To discover them, we must determine our motivations and longings. And don't be surprised that we may not know those either—"many of us functionally live according to our ultimate commitments without having verbalized them." But "unless we understand and change our vows, we will be ruled by them." We must identify, confess, and ask God to redeem our ruling passions.

We need our ruling passion to be "the supremacy of Christ and intimacy with Jesus." What about our other passions? We should recognize that our longings for other things are (or can be) legitimate, but they must "be subordinated to the ultimate goal of loving and obeying God—in whatever circumstances he allows and calls us to live." When our desires are not rightly ordered, our obedience to Christ is conditional upon having our main longing fulfilled, and that ends in disaster (for yourself and those around you).

How can we make Christ our ruling passion? We need transformation. "Transformation involves renewing our minds, and an essential element of this renewal is knowing and walking in the truth." When our ruling passion is something other than Christ, we need to "(1) identify our false beliefs and comprehend why they are false, and (2) replace false beliefs with the truth."

Transformation is hard; we need to be fully aware of our own weakness. Indeed, "we are often interested in transformation, but sometimes ironically find ourselves resisting the very change we long for or the ways God uses to change us." There is not one righteous (see Romans 3:9-18). So to prepare our heart for transformation, we need to pray, pursue the truth, reflect on the motives of our heart, observe and ask about our impact, resist our resistance, and be prepared for spiritual warfare. 

As we pursue transformation, we will be sanctified, where through obedience we slowly grow and become more like Christ. "The process of sanctification is a deep work of God in our hearts that takes time, honesty, a commitment to change, deep reflection, patience, and prayer. It does involve suffering, but it is suffering that leads to maturity (James 2:1-5)." It is hard—but worth it, for nothing is better than having Christ as your ruling passion.

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This fantastic book was humbling, convicting, and encouraging. In addition to the main concepts above, the author provides plenty of questions and some worksheets to help diagnose your own ruling passions. I learned a lot about myself and my core longings. Addressing my problems at the root—and learning to tell myself the truth and subordinate legitimate desires under the ultimate ruling passion of Christ—has been extremely helpful to me. (Note that I'm a work in progress . . . I'm not there yet. My ruling passions oscillate . . . the work is hard. As my pastor says, we can't model righteousness, but we can model repentance. May we not forsake the happy road that leads to His right hand.*) 

Don't be fooled by the title; this book would be more appropriately named The Spiritually Healthy Christian. This is a must-read for all.

Rating: A

*a lyric from Laden with Guilt by Caedmon's Call. Beautiful song. Check it out.

Words of Radiance (Brandon Sanderson)

Continuing from last time . . .

The war rages between the Alethi and Parshendi on the Shattered Plains. A seemingly endless war—yet something worse looms. Mysterious writings appear counting down days. A dreaded assassin has been spotted. The Parshendi are behaving oddly. Powerful individuals calling themselves the Ghostbloods plot their own schemes. Tensions are high; something is coming. Amidst it all . . .

- Kaladin Stormblessed now serves a guard for the unpopular king. Still learning to harness his abilities, he relies heavily on his spren, Syl, as a confidant and guide. But when old enemies arrive, he will soon be forced to choose between vengeance and honor . . . 

- Dalinar continues his fight against the Parshendi. His visions no longer secret, he realizes he must rally the kingdom for a final stand. He and his son, Adolin, attempt to do so. But Sadeas and others have their own machinations . . .

- Shallan grapples with her painful past as she learns at Jasnah's side. Can she help her mentor find Urithiru, the fabled lost city? The Shattered Plains may hold the key . . . 

- Szeth-son-son-Vallano continues carrying out his master's edicts, unable to disobey as he kills across the world. But a reckoning is coming . . . and all is about to change.

- Eshonai of the Parshendi sees a way for her people to prevail, drawing on a new yet dangerous power. But it may cost them everything . . .

Storms approach. The world shakes. Secrets are revealed. The Voidbringers are coming . . . will the Knights Radiant will rise again?

The Stormlight Archive continues with a massive book two (over 1300 pages). As with the first, I enjoyed the story, though this one felt unevenly paced. The characters remained excellent and the world  intriguing. The story progressed decently and there were unexpected twists (and much remains veiled). There were bursts of excellent messages. Some side stories seemed random, introducing new characters in new locales; I assume they will tie in at some point? Overall, I enjoyed it, though a touch less than the first.

Rating: A-

Rightly Ordered Affections

In recent weeks, I've tried to keep a phrase in my mind: "rightly ordered affections." It has been to my benefit to do so; today I share what it means and why it has helped me.

In the early fifth century, St. Augustine of Hippo wrote The City of God. In it he discusses (among many other things) the order of love:

It seems to me that it is a brief but true definition of virtue to say, it is the order of love

This idea has been called ordo amoris, or rightly ordered affections. Love in its proper hierarchy or sequence. And he argues (rightly) that getting our loves disordered is sinful. Why?

The Bible lays it out in Matthew 22:35-40:.

35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Here Jesus presents the two great commandments. Summarizing, 1) Love the Lord with all you have, and  2) Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Loving God comes first, before all else. Jesus demonstrated this throughout His life; the man with power to heal the world focused first on loving the Father. He routinely withdrew alone to pray (Mark 1:35 and elsewhere), He was tempted by the devil but focused on and worshipped the Lord (Matthew 4:1-10), and He had his own desires—and made them plain to the Father!—but always bowed to the Father's will (Matthew 26:36-46). 

Loving your neighbor as yourself comes second. 

Both loving God and neighbor doesn't come easily or naturally to us. In the Fall, we put ourselves above God and worshipped the creation over the Creator (Romans 1:18-32). That can include loving people or other good things over God; to Augustine's point, it is loving out of order. Tim Keller makes the same point said another way: 

Idolatry happens when we take good things and make them ultimate things

Sometimes we think our desires are wrong (and to be clear, some desires are wrong). But some desires are good—if in their proper place. And it is helpful to remember both that 1) they are good but 2) ONLY if they are subordinate to God.

Our desires can be good, and God wants to hear about them because He cares for us. He wants us to pray for things (Philippians 4:6-7). When we cast our needs and cares on Him, we are showing him that we believe He cares and can do something about it. He might give us what we wish; he might not (there are plenty of examples of both in the Bible). Either way, we come to Him with our requests, confident in His goodness but subordinate to His will, knowing if He withholds something we request—even something good!—it is for a good reason (whether or not that is ever clear to us in this world).

Here's an example. One of my 'ruling passions'* is peace. Peace is good! The Bible says that blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). But is also says that Jesus has come not to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34-39). That's no contradiction; it is the reality of truth (the Son of God) coming into a world of darkness. There will be clashes. And in that same passage, Jesus says "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. " Here we see this concept of ordering: "more than me" is, in this passage, putting love of family ahead of love of God. It is doing anything to keep the peace when a conflict is (regrettably) needed. So while we strive for peace, we strive more for God. We seek and pray for peace, but must be willing to enter into conflict when necessary. Whenever I avoid needed conflict, I am putting my love for peace (a good thing!) above God. And that is wrong.

So, "rightly ordered affections." It is a phrase I've tried to keep in my mind at work, home, church, or wherever I need it. When I see conflict coming and I want to run? "Rightly ordered affections." When I'm tired and need sleep (another good thing) but my wife needs help? "Rightly ordered affections." Or when I want to finish this post but my son comes in saying he lost his earbud in the lawn and needs help finding it?** Ugh . . . "rightly ordered affections." 

For me, repeating this phrase has been helpful; it has reminded me to seek God first while validating the other desires I have are okay—in their proper order. 

*a term I read recently from a great book on spiritual health—review coming soon

**yes, this literally just happened

Hercules and the 12 Labors

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Hercules and the 12 Labors. For one player, it takes 30-60 minutes.

Overview

You are the legendary Hercules of Greek mythology, charged to overcome the twelve labors, gain enough glory to ascend to dwell with the gods, and not die (don't let your spirit drop to zero). Do you have what it takes?

In this solo dice manipulation game, each labor is encountered sequentially. For a given labor,

• read (if you wish) and set aside the story cards
• lay out the labor card(s), including the starting strength of the labor (a die value from 3-12) and the die value(s) you need to obtain to deal damage to it. Place the yellow labor die in the slot(s) with the starting value(s) face-up.
• labor cards have 'tracks' that the die follow, each of which has some benefit (to the labor, like healing damage) or drawback (to you, like losing spirit or losing die)
• set the mood (draw a mood card at random to be in effect for that labor; moods can help or hurt you)

Once done with setup, the labor begins. For a given labor:

• roll your blue dice (you start with 5 in 'human' mode and can gain more as the game progresses)
• manipulate your dice using abilities in blue boxes
• you start with one option and can gain more as you defeat labors
• options include (but are not limited to) setting a die to a given value, rerolling a die, adjusting a die value up or down by one, and more
• assign your dice to abilities in gold boxes or to deal damage to the monster
• decrement the labor die according to damage dealt
• if the labor die is greater than zero, advance it to the next slot on the track and activate its ability
• if the labor die is zero, it is defeated. If all labor die on a labor are gone, you defeat that labor and advance!
• when you defeat a labor, flip the card(s) to choose one reward printed on the back. This could gain spirit, add die to your pool, grant a new blue or gold box ability, and more.
• set up the next labor and go back to the start of the process above

Play continues until you 1) have zero spirit or 2) have been defeated by a labor. If you have beaten all twelve labors *and* have sufficient glory, you win! Otherwise . . . oh well.

Below are three pictures from my own experience, playing against labors IV, VIII, and XII, respectively. Note that as the game progresses, you gain different dice manipulation abilities; these are key to have any chance.

Review

My second "solo-only" game, there is a lot to like about Hercules and the 12 Labors. 

- The art is evocative, the different labors are interesting, and it does a good job of giving you increased abilities to match harder challenges. 

- The mood cards are a real wild card, giving key abilities or making your life harder for a given turn. 

- The decisions are largely meaningful, especially as you gain dice manipulation abilities. 

- The difficulty level seems pretty easy on 'human' mode (as it should); I suspect 'hero' mode (starting with one fewer die) would be much more challenging. 

It wasn't all gold.

- The rulebook could have been better. The graphics pages (explaining the dice manipulation abilities) were good, but otherwise, the rulebook left a lot of gaps or explained things in confusing ways; I had to consult AI several times. 

- At the end of the day, this is a dice chucker. You could be completely decimated through no fault of your own. Or sail through without any real decision-making.

Overall, I liked it, but prefer Adamastor for solo gaming.

Rating: B

Art and the Bible (Francis A. Schaeffer)

Art and the Bible is a 1973 short work (94 pages) by the renowned Francis Schaeffer that consists of two essays. In the first, he looks at the place of art in the Christian's life. In the second, he develops a Christian perspective on art, consisting of eleven principles. A summary follows.

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Essay One: Art and the Bible

Jesus is Lord of all, and everything is under His lordship—including culture and art. Christians sometimes struggle with art given the Bible's prohibition against making graven images (Exodus 20:4-5). But this is not a blanket statement against art in general but rather condemns the worship of it. After all, God commissioned art for the tabernacle and temple, respectively, and different art forms are found all throughout the Bible. Part of being made in God's image includes creativity—and art. Examples:

Representational Art 

- Sculptures in the tabernacle and temple, respectively (Exodus 25:18, 31-33; 2 Chronicles 3:10, 4:3-4)

- A bronze serpent (Numbers 21:8), that Jesus used as an example (John 3:14-15)

- Clothing (Exodus 28:33)

- Other things in the temple, including bas relief (1 Chronicles 28:11-12, 19; 2 Chronicles 3:6-7)

- Solomon's throne (1 Kings 10:18-20)

- Note that "representational art of non-religious subjects" was found in "the central place of worship."

Poetry

Poetry is scattered throughout the Bible. Poems are in many books or entire books.

- 2 Samuel 1:19-27 (a secular ode!)

- 2 Samuel 23:1-2

- The Psalms and Song of Solomon

Music

- Celebrating the escape from Egypt (Exodus 15)

- In the temple (1 Chronicles 23:5)

Drama

- Ezekiel's prophecy, which he was to enact twice a year (Ezekiel 4:1-3)

Dance

- Psalm 149:3, Psalm 150:4-5

- Miriam dancing after the escape from Egypt (Exodus 15:20)

- David dancing (2 Samuel 6:14-16)

Art is not just pragmatic and truthful but also beautiful (for its own sake). See places like 2 Chronicles 3:6, 16-17, and elsewhere. It can represent both the seen and unseen world (see 1 Kings 6:29). It is for both religious and secular reasons.

Essay Two: Some Perspectives on Art

"How should we as creators and enjoyers of beauty comprehend and evaluate it?" He provides eleven principles.

1. "A work of art has a value in itself." It is to be enjoyed as well as evaluated.
2. "Art forms add strength to the world view which shows through, no matter what the world view is or whether the world view is true or false."
3. "In all forms of writing, both poetry and prose, it makes a tremendous difference whether there is a continuity or discontinuity with the normal definitions of words in normal syntax."
• "Totally abstract art stands in an undefined relationship with the viewer."
4. "The fact that something is a work of art does not make it sacred."
5.  There are four basic standards by which to judge art: technical excellence, validity, intellectual content, and the integration of content and vehicle. 
6. "Art can be used for any type of message from pure fantasy to detailed history."
7. "Styles of art form change and there is nothing wrong with this."
8. "There is no such thing as a godly style or an ungodly style."
9. "The Christian world view is divided into . . . a major and a minor theme."
• The major is the Gospel. The minor is the fall.
10. "Christian art is by no means always religious art, that is, art which deals with religious themes."
11. "Every artist has the problem of making an individual work of art and, as well, buidling up a total body of work."

Ultimately, "no work of art is more important than the Christian's own life . . . each  man has the gift of creativity in terms of the way he lifes his life. In this sense, the Christian's life is to be an art work. The Christian's life is to be a thing of truth and also a thing of beauty in the midst of a lost and despairing world."

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This was a great book; short and to the point. Schaeffer brought up a lot of good Scriptures and insights on this topic. Written at a time when some Christians had a dim view of art (or non-religious art) in general, this was a needed corrective then (and is likely still needed now).

Rating: A

Captain America: Brave New World

The MCU saga continues . . .

Sam is the new Captain America*. Thaddeus Ross** is president and wants to re-form the Avengers. And Celestial Island*** is the latest topic of concern; made of Adamantium, the world debates if it is better to share or fight over the wealth. Wanting the former, Ross attempts diplomacy at the Celestial Island World Summit. But Ross has a dark secret that may destroy the best-laid plans . . . and he may be his own worst enemy.

Captain America: Brave New World reminds us of the two most forgettable movies in the MCU (see below links) and then contributes to that by being itself largely irrelevant. There were good themes (of the need to reform, take responsibility for your own actions, never give up, and give each other grace), but these were minimally developed (and confusingly so). The confusion revolves around several bad guys, each with a blend of motives that leaves the audience wondering who we are supposed to root for (or against). The action was 'meh' and I was unclear if or how this drove the overall MCU storyline forward. As is increasingly common, you need to be familiar with several (many?) prior MCU releases in film and television. Ultimately, this felt more like a long television show. This came out 1.5 years ago . . . I don't normally wait so long to watch MCU movies, but I didn't miss anything by doing so here.

Rating: C

*See the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

**See The Incredible Hulk. Then a General (and played by another actor), Ross has risen to POTUS.

***See The Eternals.

Spider-man: Brand New Day

Continuing from last time . . . [no spoilers below save what was evident in trailers or in No Way Home]

Peter Parker lives in loneliness as he reels from the events of No Way Home. Aunt May is dead. The world doesn't know him; even his besties MJ and Ned have no memory of him. And things are about to get worse . . .  for powerful new threats appear on the horizon even as Peter wrestles with changes in himself. Can people with powers live a normal life, with friends and family to enjoy and help? Or does the great responsibility that comes with great power mean he is destined to do this alone?

It has been a long time (4.5 years) since the last Spidey movie, and it was nice to see the MCU progress this storyline. A few observations:

- This film strikes a markedly different tone from the others; it was 'heavier' and more poignant as various characters grapple with loneliness and pain. It felt less like a typical action-oriented Marvel film and more psychological.

- The characters were done well. It was fun seeing Punisher's incorporation into the movies (after several television series), though they made no attempt to explain why he was suddenly on the scene. Hulk was cool, too. Others were also great, but I won't share details to avoid spoilers.

- The story was alright. Some of the plot twists were obvious; others were unexpected. They do keep you guessing. It does not stand alone; you need to be familiar with prior films, though I guess that is expected at this point.

- The message was simple: we need others ("friendship is magical," I joked with my boys—My Little Pony's tagline is apt here). 

Is this the best Spider-man movie ever? Some so claim . . . I'm not convinced. It is a good film, but I'm not sure it is the best one.

Rating: A

Hillbilly Elegy (J.D. Vance)

J.D. Vance is a hillbilly. He grew up in Middletown, Ohio, and spent plenty of time in Jackson, Kentucky. From a blue-collar and broken home (poor, an addict mother rotating through husbands, an extended family with their own anger, money, or drug problems), he would beat the odds to graduate high school, serve as a Marine, go to college, go to Yale law school, and have a stable and happy home life. But even if you leave the 'holler' . . . does it ever really leave you? Hillbilly Elegy is his story, but not just his—it is "a memoir of a family and culture in crisis." 

Vance's stated goals here are to help people understand the white poor, the demons they face (and that follow them), what the American Dream looks like for people like him, and how upward mobility feels for a "cultural emigrant." Written when he was just thirty-one, within a decade this man would go on to be Senator (and now) Vice President. Incredible.

This is a sobering, haunting, and yet hopeful/inspiring read. It is mostly a memoir—a select autobiography—with some statistics and insights thrown in on the white poor as a whole. Ultimately, Vance shows that everyone needs help (it's about who you know, who knows you, and how they help you) and grace (we all have our demons and need others to heal). He also has keen insights on the realities of personal responsibility being in tension with the environment you are raised in and its impact on you. Regardless of how you feel about the man's politics, I recommend this book to help understand not just him, but the challenges that face a large percentage of America today.

Rating: A