Joseph F. Radosevich

Preheat the cup. I did a test this year with a thermometer and noticed that the water dropped 30° when I poured it into a room temperature cup. Unless I want the temperature of the coffee to drop, I realized I needed to preheat the cup with hot water from the kettle. Preheat the French press. This is related to the previous insight. I was never happy brewing in my insulated French press. I realized that if the temperature drops 30°, then it is not brewing at the right temperature in my French press. Preheating the French press made a huge difference. Press the French press slowly. I learned from James Hoffman--and someone else I don't remember--that the grit on a french press largely comes from stirring up the grounds by pressing quickly. By pressing slowly or not pressing at all and pouring it through the mesh, you get a much cleaner cup. It does make a big difference and you end up with a lot less of the solids in the bottom which can make the coffee become more bitter the longer...

  I recently bought a new kettlebell. It was my first new kettlebell in 10 years. I read lots of reviews, but few of them included details about how the kettlebell worked with certain styles of training. I am very happy with the REP Fitness Kettlebell and thought it would be good to review it along with details about how I use it. My style of training is similar to what you see in RKC or Strongfirst. I do kettlebell swings to shoulder height. I like kettlebell snatches and cleans, but I don't do long cycle. I didn't want a competition bell. I wanted a kettlebell with a slightly matte finish.  I already own kettlebells from Lifeline, Muscle Driver, and Fringesport. My Lifeline kettlebell is my favorite. It has an amazing matte finish that doesn't rip my hands. The Fringesport One Fit Wonder kettlebells have narrow handles and are rough and slick at the same time (they no longer sell that line).  When I first got into kettlebell training, the reviews I read said that Dragon...

 Lord-willing, I'll be praying through the world map in 2024. In past years, I've read through the Bible. This year, my goal is praying. I plan on praying through the world map using the plan in Operation World and Pray for the World . I'll lean on Pray for the World  more because it is the abridged edition. You can also use their app or website to find their list of places to pray for.  Larger countries and regions get a few days dedicated to praying for them. Smaller countries just get one day. The books have both reasons to thank God and things to ask God for. I won't be reading everything. I'll be looking for something that catches my eye and use that as the inspiration for my prayers. I love the books and thought it would go well with my regular devotions. I didn't want to change my current Bible reading plans, but this gives me a little change without being overwhelming.

  Here are my results from my 2023 goals. I actually like not completing everything. I like stretching and missing a few. If I missed a lot, that would be a problem. Here are my goals for 2023:  Health Workout 200 Times (This is 16x a month) COMPLETED 280 Do 5 pull-ups FINISHED 3 Power Wheel roll-outs (I've been working on roll-outs for 2 years. They are hard.) I'm not there yet, but I've made good progress. Learn Learn to make Chicken Biryani (Last year was Tikka Masala.) FINISHED Read 36 books (6 audiobooks) Finished 6 Personal Finish edits on my Family Dictionary of Theology (This is the 3rd round of edits.) FINISHED Draft 2 other book ideas DID NOT COMPLETE Write 26 times on blog FINISHED Have 20 fires in firepit with my family (This is so that I slow down and enjoy time at home without a to-do list.) COMPLETED 5 OF 20 (but we had a lot of quality time with things like visiting parks and playing board games) Visit 5 historic sites with my family in our area Visited 5

My first list of my favorite books of the year was mostly fiction. I also read theology, biblical studies, leadership, etc. I thought I would list some of those. What is interesting is that most of them are books I read for the second or third time. I decided to reread some books from seminary this year. I got so much from them. With a few years of pastoring and almost forty years of life behind me, I understand better why my professors assigned these books. Christ-Centered Preaching , Bryan Chapell. This is a great book on all of the different aspects of preaching. This is the third time I read it. I think I got far more from it than ever before.  Baptists in America , Thomas Kidd and Barry Hankins. This is readable history. Kidd and Hankins make each paragraph and chapter move quickly. The story is great. The subject is something I wanted to know. They make it a work of art by their amazing writing. Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture , Graeme Goldsworthy. This is th...

Here are my favorite books that I read in 2023: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. I read this on vacation and absolutely loved it. It's the best book by Lowry that I've read. It is a story about a girl during World War II in Denmark. It is based on true stories about the Danish resistance against Nazi occupation. *I highly recommend reading juvenile and young adult fiction on vacation. Plant Science for Gardeners and Soil Science for Gardeners by Robert Pavlich. I read two of these books over the winter and loved them. He explains the ins and outs of how plants grow, what they do, what defense mechanisms are, etc. He also explains what soil is and how soil works. It helped me a lot in the garden. It also made me wonder and marvel at the world. Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. I read this in kind of a book club with two of my kids-they read the abridged young adult version. We really loved it The story was excellent. It was the story of the rowing team that formed at th...

I discovered this year that I have an imaginary social media profile. I think that's healthier for me. I found though that using the Google photos app as social media is emotionally better for me. I can enjoy the pictures that I take without needing other people's approval. Google brings up memories from the past or ties them together in a theme. I often think of posts or captions for the pictures that I take. I've heard of other people creating fake social media profiles or fake blogs that nobody knows exists because it's kept private. Google photos has been that for me. I didn't post anything on social media for the first 6 months of the year. I was wrestling with the question, can I use social media without serving people's opinion of me? In truth, I don't think I can. I post something now once a month or two. When I do, I still find myself craving every like. Every time someone approves of it or leaves a comment it feels better for me than it ought to. I...

Many Christians make it their goal to read through the Bible in a year. They start with a plan or a new bible and they jump in. I regularly hear pastors say that everyone should read through the Bible in a year. I think Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that pastors should do this every year.  I wonder if there is a risk of legalism whether you fail or succeed. Those who  can't keep it up feel guilty they didn't get it done. I don't believe that shame and guilt should be the motivator in the Christian life. Feeling guilty that you failed at a goal the Bible didn't command is legalism. Those who succeed might have just checked something off their box. We aren't made righteous by what we do so reading through the Bible doesn't add to righteousness.  I do think that every Christian should read through the Bible at least once and probably many times in his or her life. I just don't think it has to be done in one calendar year. More ideas on that at the end. Who shouldn...

Someone recently told me that he struggles to move forward reading a book if he can't remember what he's already read. He didn't ask my advice, but his situation made me think about the value of reading if you don't remember everything? Should you remember everything you read? First, if you really can't remember anything, then you should reevaluate reading the book at all. If you don't like the book enough to engage your brain with the book, then maybe this isn't the time. Don't read a book just because everyone says you should. It could be that the problem is with the book and not with you. Second, part of the value of reading a book is that it forms your brain. They way a good author thinks, sees, and argues gives you a new way to think. That is part of the value of reading. Not just learning what the author thinks, but why and how. For example, part of the value of reading John Piper is that you can learn how he thinks about the Bible, theology, and t...

“I’m concerned about her faith!” I said. “What if she walks away from the Lord because of what she has heard about me. I have to correct this!” I burned with anger, sitting in the parking lot outside my office. I told my mentor I was concerned because people from my church were leaving after being told lies about what I had said and done. One woman who had heard the lies had left and was sharing them with others. I’d just been told about it. My mentor said, “I think you should not say anything right now. I don’t think you can do anything about it. Her learning in ten years about how you handled this will have more effect on her faith than anything you can say right now.” I fought it in my heart but followed his advice. He was right. I saw no result from it. I left and the stories remained. Wisdom from Peter for Pastors Facing Slander My experience wasn't unique. Pastors face slander. People face slander. Something we said is taken the wrong way. Something we did is lied about. We n...

We just had our first frost, so I was cleaning up my tomato plants this weekend. We grew four varieties of Artisan Seeds tomatoes, and I wanted to let Fred Hempel, the breeder, know how the two new varieties did. When I got online, I saw a post that he had died. I'm so sad. He was the tomato breeder that I trusted above all others. He did excellent work and told the truth about his tomatoes without hype. When I ordered, Pink Cherrywine for this year, Fred included an extra package of Golden Cherrywine as a surprise. We planted those Golden Cherrywine at the local library garden club. They were incredibly productive, tasty, and stored well. I love his Sunrise and Pink Bumblebee and have grown them for several years now. They are like old friends we see and enjoy every summer. Lord-willing I live to be 80, I'll probably still be growing his OP varieties and telling my grandkids stories of the breeder who created these. Regular gardeners like me can carry on the OP varieties, bu...

As a pastor, I use Greek and Hebrew every week for sermon preparation. I also use it for my own personal devotions. I want to get better so that I can read the Bible better and better in the original languages if the Lord gives me 40 more years of life. Practicing 5 minutes each day (4 days per week) is part of the way that I took my skills from college and seminary and got better. My vocabulary is the best it has ever been, and Memrise is the reason. I've been using the Memrise app for practicing and building my vocabulary in Greek and Hebrew. I've used it for around 5 or 6 years. I got an annual subscription this year for the first time. The free version is worth it, but the subscription is even better. Here is what I love about it:  The app tests your language knowledge from Greek-to-English and English-to-Greek, and the same goes for Hebrew. It tests multiple choice. This is much more than a flashcard app. It will give you an english word and then give you 6 Hebrew words t...

https://www.mmbb.org/resources/videos/2023/october/clergy-taxes Above is a link to the best tax and investment presentation I've seen online. If you are a pastor or handle church finances and pay packages, then this is a good 48 minute presentation that gives a good overview. I try to stay up tax and investment info for clergy because it is pretty complex. I've been to good in-person seminars and seen a few online that are okay, but this one is really good. 

I'm starting a series called "How Pastors Workout." My hope is to feature a range of pastors who describe their workouts. I want it to be reality, not hype like most online fitness content is. I hope it can be an encouragement to pastors to be active so they can love their families and fulfill their ministries. I hope to feature runners, martial artists, climbers, weightlifters, etc. If you are a pastor or ministry leader, leave a comment and let me know you want to be part. My Goals Be able to fulfill my roles as husband, dad, and pastor. This is what fitness is to me: being able to live the life in front of me. That includes strength, strength endurance, cardio, and flexibility. Stay injury-free. No fitness goal is worth anything if my elbow, shoulder, or back hurts and keeps me from training or living. Get my waist to 1/2 my height. This is for long-term heart health. I'm close but not quite there. My Workouts I follow Mark Sisson's suggested weekly schedule:  ...

It happens regularly. I meet pastor. As soon as he friends or follows me on social media, I hide his posts. I don't think I'm a snob, but I don't care for bragging, rants, or pretending. I thought I would post some questions I think we should answer before pastors post on social media. Is it hype or reality? Is the post boasting or presenting life better than it really is? You can post a picture of your kids playing in a leaf pile, but is it real or staged? Does this show the real life that you live or the one you want people to think you live? Does it make me stand out or more accessible? Does this bring the people in your church closer to your life or make you stand out as more special? This one is hard because the big name pastors that you follow likely show their travels, conferences, dinners, etc. For the regular pastor, that is not the life of the people in your church and showing off separates you from people.  Is it helpful right now? What you write might be true, b...