Joseph F. Radosevich

Summary It is a short summary of the non-communicable attributes of God like eternity and self-existence, an explanation of our limits in the face of God’s limitlessness, and applications of that gap between God and us. I appreciate how she applies doctrine and doesn’t just describe it. It is aimed at women, but I think it is a book everyone should read Why I read it I finished reading John Frame's The Doctrine of God and wanted something shorter than 500 pages to read in my mornings. I've been reading systematics, historical theology, and N.T. Wright for the last 4 years. This also came highly recommended by my wife. Quotes Just as my assurance of salvation rests in the fact that God cannot change, my hope of sanctification rests in the fact that I can.  87      The raging of the nations can be navigated only by keeping a fixed point in view: the Lord God , seated on his throne. 91     We eagerly await Unbound 2.0 and 3.0, wondering what new advance will ...

   Summary This is about the largest volcano eruption in recorded history. Winchester explores the causes, effects, and results of the explosion from many angles: history, culture, science, technology, religion, etc. Winchester's writing style is stiff and difficult (I've read two books by him this year), but if you are interested in Krakatoa or Indonesia, then it is readable. Why I read it I have heard interesting stories about Krakatoa, so I wanted to learn more. I also love Indonesia after spending two weeks there when I was in seminary. Quotes 13 percent of the earth's surface vibrated audibly, and millions who lived there heard it, and when told what it was were amazed. 264   To the outside world the eruption of 1883 may have spelled death and devastation. To the world of biology and botany, however, the subsequent energetic happenings on islands in the Sunda Strait represent nothing more nor less than a freeze-frame picture of the future of life itself--a demonstrat...

   Summary Gregor falls through a vent in his apartment building and is transported to a new world where he goes on a journey, fights battles, and learns about himself. It is kind of Alice in Wonderland meets The Odyssey . Why I read it I wanted a fun book to read on vacation that wasn't a slog. I enjoyed Collins' Hunger Games trilogy (as much as one can enjoy such a brutal series). I've been meaning to read this for years and finally picked up. I'm so glad that I did. Quotes "Fly you high!" (spoken throughout)    "Hope," said Vikus. "There are times it will be very hard to find. Times when it will be much easier to choose hate instead. But if you want to find peace, you must first be able to hope it is possible." 301   Key Takeaways This is super fun epic fantasy story for kids and young adults. I really enjoy Collins’ writing because everything works so well. I said years ago that Hunger Games is the most perfectly written series--also...

Summary This book is tremendous! It is an explanation of the Christian faith for today. Part one describes why common criticisms of Christianity undercut themselves. Keller makes the point that skeptics should doubt their doubts. Part two is an explanation of reasons to believe in Christ--Keller calls some of them clues that lead to God rather than proofs for God. Keller’s point is that Christianity is not simply an argument or a series of rational beliefs but a system that makes sense of the world and an invitation to a relationship of joy with the God of the universe. Why I read it I reread this after reading Andy Stanley’s Irresistible because I wanted to read a different way to engage skepticism than Stanley’s. This is much more satisfying to me. Stanley’s apologetic seems to be a combination of good hermeneutics with bold marketing as his apologetics. I think that leads to more confusion and skepticism rather than less. I prefer a careful and compelling invitation like The Reason ...

I surprised myself last Thursday when I finished the first draft of a book that I've worked on for over a year. I thought I had two days left, and then I realized I had just a bit more to go to finish that draft.  I started it over a year ago. I didn't have a job, so I thought I'd be able to finish it in 3 months. Life happens, but I kept plugging away at it. That is something I learned from Thomas Kidd--he writes a great newsletter on writing and publishing. His goal is 1000 words per day. I kept at it with a specific amount I had to do each day.  The moral of they story is to keep writing and you'll get finished.  I'll post later on the topic and when I think I may be finished later. 

Here are my entries from my reading in the first quarter of the year. One of my goals this year is to read 36 books. I'm well on my way because I have been reading 50-55 pages per day.       862. Smart Baseball, Keith Law. 1/1/22 * * * * (A book about baseball and analytics. He explains how old stats like RBI are unhelpful or wrong, He describes what new statistics are and how they work. This is awesome. He's a good writer. The emphasis on data and programming makes this a book about the modern world and how statistics and analysis are changing everything.)       863. Comfort the Grieving, Paul Tautges. 1/5/22 * * (I love this series, but this book was not very good. The book Visit the Sick was much more helpful on the grieving process and Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals was much better. This was lot of tone-deaf pastoring advice along with a long checklist of work to do with those who grieve.)       864. The Disappea...

Social media has been a part of my life since my senior year of college in 2005. I was introduced to my wife on Facebook before a friend introduced us in-person.   Social media is normal now. It was in a state of flux for a long time as we all figured it out. Now it seems to have solidified.  I don't like where it has landed.  The worst part of social media is that it is now about hype or unwelcome opinions . I feel the temptation towards both of these, and I don't like them. Hype is the way everything we post is about how we and our lives are so great. It's not true, but it sure seems true.  Unwelcome opinions  are the way everyone constantly posts their own thoughts as commands or opinions that everyone else needs to know and agree with.  Neither of these things are the way that we talk with people in real life. I try not to boast of everything that I do in my conversations with friends or acquaintances, but I feel the temptation online to do that. I...

 I have a new podcast called " TL;DR: Preaching Edition ." This is a podcast with a pastor friend, Jeremy Byrd, where we explain our sermons that week in 5 minutes or less and have a discussion behind-the-scenes about preaching.  Jeremy is pastor of Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, IL. He's a really good preacher and studies and teaches preaching. It is a fun conversation for me. I learn a lot from our discussions. It was inspired because I struggle to listen to a recorded sermon. It can be hard to find 30-50 minutes to listen to a sermon during the week, but I love to hear a relaxed description of Jeremy's sermons and what his thinking on it was. We include details that we can't include in a normal sermon, so there is value to people listening to it even if they attended.  It is the conversation that I wish more pastors would have. I would love to learn both the text and what pastors are thinking as they prepare to preach.  We are halfway through Se...

I grew up in the 90's, but there is a lot that I didn't know was happening in the 90's. So lately, I've been keeping a list of groundbreaking changes, history-making moments, and world-changing inventions of the 1990's. I plan to update the list as I find things. Roundup Ready seeds are invented. 1996. If you don't live in corn country, you likely don't realize how big of a deal Roundup Ready seeds are. They are seeds that are/were resisteant to Roundup, so farmers could spray Roundup and keep their fields weed free. I didn't realize that it was introduced when I was in elementary school. The Balkan War. Read Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic The end of The Troubles in Ireland Fall of the Soviet Union

 I see lists all the time about plants to grow, but they usually don't talk about flavor. That is the number one thing I grow tomatoes for. So when I go to learn about new varieties, I want to know how they taste.  Brad Gates says that 80-90% of heirloom tomatoes don't taste good. When I told her that, Emma commented recently that all the tomatoes we grow taste great. That is because now I look hard before buying new varieties. We've grown bad varieites before. Here are my favorite tomatoes (any of them could be a favorite if grown all by themselves). Cherry tomatoes are small and perfectly round. Grape tomatoes are smaller but not perfectly round. Slicing and beefsteak are bigger. Sungold (cherry)--The best there is. Green Zebra (medium sized)--Very Tangy. German Pink (huge)--Emma loves these. Chocolate Cherry (cherry)--These might be my favorite from this year. Sunrise Bumblebee (cherry)--An interesting surprise, these are fruity. Pink Bumblebee (cherry)--These taste like...

 I realized a few things about my reading in the last year. One is to stop be pretentious about my reading. I like what I like. I should stop faking liking high-brow things. What I want to mention today, though, is that I prefer to read books a few years old. I can only read 25-35 books a year. I can't keep up with the deluge of books around me. When I realized how little time I had to read, I realized that I wanted to read quality.  Some people take that to mean reading only really old books. I can't and won't do that only (I did just read Sense and Sensibility, though). I like what I like, remember? When I read only the latest books, I realized that I often read books that weren't that great and wouldn't stand the test of time. The author would be on a podcast, and the book sounded great and timely. I would read the book and find that it wasn't a book that I would recommend to others. Books that are a few years old have the benefit of other people reading and ...

 My wife, Emma, had an article published this week at Story Warren. I'm really proud of her article. We both wrote articles the same day without telling each other. I knew instantly that her's was far better than mine. We both got our article published on sites that we love. I'm proud of her. Check it out here:  https://storywarren.com/mending-the-wood-in-small-spaces/

 Even after gardening for years, I am pretty intimidated by all the things I don't know. Some of that is flower and landscape gardening. Where do you start? There are so many types of plants, uses for them, and things that can go wrong. I'm starting with what I do know. Tyler Cowen says that a good way to learn something is to just start with one tiny part and go from there. He says you don't start learning about a country with an overview, you start by looking at the history of sculptures in that country.  I've found that is true for gardening. Every year, our vegetable garden gets bigger, I learn something new, and I find some problems.  That is how I've approached landscape gardening. I started by listening closely as an experienced gardener and landscape designer worked on the garden beds at my previous job. I memorized the names of the plants and paid attention to how and why he planted them. I started learning about the most interesting parts of it (ornamental...

 I published an article at The Gospel Coalition recently. Here it is:  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/boring-testimony/

This is my reading so far this year. These are the entries in my reading list. I published 20 years of my reading list here . 830. The Silkworm , Robert Galbraith. 1/25/21 * * * (This is J.K. Rowling’s mystery series under a penname. I listened to this when I had 4 hours of driving and no podcasts to listen to. It was brutal and violent. The tradeoff was my temptation to brood for four hours or listen to a violent and grotesque book. I thought that brooding and depression were a worse option. I told myself that if I had nightmares, I would stop. The mystery was great. I love the characters, and I couldn’t figure out what happened or who did it. Audiobook.) 831. Who Moved My Pulpit? , Thom Rainer. 1/29/21 * * * * (This is a book about change theory in leadership. It is like a Cliff’s Notes for John Kotter’s book Leading Change , but this is focused on leading change in the church. I found some application in this to helping anyone change. I plan on picking up Kotter’s book next because ...