Joseph F. Radosevich

  You Probably Won't Get a Book Deal. . . This is on why people should write even if they don't get a book deal. I feel this, and that is why I've been writing on this for over 200 posts over 6+ years.   Why Hobbies are an Advantage This is on the power of hobbies. There is also something good inside about not getting our identity from our work. Better Ringtones I saw this in David Pierce's newsletter for The Verge. They are softer, less-obnoxious ringtones and notification sounds. I much prefer them. It is a download, and we should all be careful of the things that we download in case of malware. This seems legit, though. As a bonus, here is a photo of my onion seedlings from this morning.

I make a list of things I'm thankful to God for every morning. It's a practice that I learned from a counselor I saw years ago. Lately, I often thank God for teachers who teach me through their writing. I've been thinking about that aspect of writing lately--writing as a form of teaching. I don't sit under a lot of teaching except through the books and articles that I read. I don't know what I would do without the teaching that I get through reading. There are so many questions that would go unanswered, topics I couldn't understand, skills that I wouldn't learn if teachers did not take the time to write out what they have learned. I'm blessed with teacher in biblical studies, leadership, theology, pastoral skills, communication, history, science, parenting, gardening, etc. Writing is also for entertainment, enjoyment, and beauty. Most non-fiction, though fits in the category of teaching. So one reason to write, keep a blog, practice the craft of writing,...

I challenged myself to practice writing in cursive everyday in January. I found that I loved it so much and that it made writing with a fountain pen even more fun, so I've kept it up and write in cursive as much as I can. I'm reading Nuts and Bolts by Roma Agrawal. I would call it a popular history of common but extraordinary innovations like nails, wheels, string, and springs. It's really good. I first read a children's book to my kids by Agrawal on how buildings are built. I'm also reading A Good Old Age by Derek Prime. It's a book by an older pastor on following Jesus as we get older. It would be good for anybody to read, but those coming up on old age or caring for elderly people would be really helped by this book. Here is a link to my cooking playlist for this year. I add songs to the playlist to make it fun while I cook. I've been cooking more since we had our new baby, but I usually cook one to three times a week anyway. I include old songs that I ...

I've started reading abridged novels. Maybe that's a good idea for you too.  What do I mean by abridged? I mean a lightly-abridged version intended for adults. They are often done by scholars. The one's I've been reading tend to be from the mid-1900's. I'm not talking about the Great Illustrated Classics, but those are fun to read with kids. Many older novels have extra descriptions that don't move the story forward. Abridged novels remove the extra so that the plot shines through. Abridged novels are good for novels that you might reread. They give a quick(er) overview that lets you see if you enjoy the author, characters, and plot. Then you can reread the whole thing. I don't want an abridged novel that removes 3/4 of the book. I want one that goes from 1000 pages to 500-600 pages. A good book is worth rereading. You get more each time that you return to it. Abridged novels help with the rereading process. I read an abridged  War and Peace last year a...

I want to share another way that I use commentaries. When I say "another, " I mean in addition to the normal way. Normally, I refer to a specific passage if I have a question about it while I'm preparing a sermon or lesson. It is best to study the passage on your own (with biblical languages if you know them) first. A second way to use a commentary is to use it to be a Bible student ahead of when it is needed. For this purpose, I read a commentary front to back just like a book. I usually read 5-6 pages at a time over a period of months and just soak in the text. Part of my calling as a pastor is to be an expert in the Bible, and it is good for me to grow in my knowledge of the Bible outside of devotions and sermon preparation.  To read a commentary to learn, you need to select a good commentary that is reliable. You don't have to agree with everything, but it should be like learning from a teacher that you trust. If you cannot trust the author, then you probably shou...