On my bookstand

Yesterday I shared my top seven books of 2014.  Today, I want to let you know what I'm currently reading and what's sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.

For my devotional reading right now I am reading Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters by N. T. Wright.  The back cover explains that this book "breaks down the barriers that prevent us from fully engaging with the story of Jesus in the Bible.  By appreciating the historical complexity of reading a two-thousand-year-old story and the distorting effect of two millennia of debate over these stories, Wright reveals a breathtaking vision of Jesus that more than matches the needs and complexities of our time."  I'm about half done with the book and appreciate the insights Wright shares.

Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics is written by Charles Krauthammer, one of the best political commentators of our time.  He is a Pulitzer Price winning syndicated columnist, political commentator and physician.  He left psychiatric medicine to work in the Carter administration and was a speech writer for Walter Mondale before becoming a conservative.  I always enjoy hearing his perspective on the events of the day and believe that he is one of the leading conservative thinkers in our day.  However, he is also a very independent thinker and conservatives will not always agree with some of his views especially around feminism, evolution, and the death penalty.  This book is a collection of some of his written columns from the past thirty years.  I find it to be quite enjoyable reading.

Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament by David Murray is on the Kindle app on my I-Pad.  I always keep at least one book on the Kindle to have available to read when I'm at the doctor's office or sitting in a restaurant or have some time before a meeting.  In this book Murray presents a way to find Jesus throughout the Old Testament.  It is an interesting study.

On the shelf are several books just waiting for me.

• You Can Make a Difference: 14 Principles for Influencing Lives by Gary Collins.
• Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath.
• Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller.
• What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done by Matthew Perman.

I'm looking forward to reading these and many others throughout 2015.

Have a very Merry Christmas!