New Year's Resolution

I'm trying to keep things simple this year, with just one resolution: to read through the Bible in a year. I've only done it once--the year before I started my freshman year at Emmaus.

Here's the plan I've settled on (click link to view as PDF). Here's what I like about it:

1. Simplicity. You're reading in just one book at a time, along with a chapter from Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, or Isaiah.

2. Variety. It alternates between the Old and New testaments, so you don't get bogged down.

3. Days off. There are only 24 readings per month, which gives you days for the inevitable catch-up when you fall behind.

4. Printable. It is nicely formatted (with check-boxes) to fit on just one sheet of paper (both sides). Plus, if you lose it you can just print off another one.

Anyone else want to share their resolutions for the new year?

Three Albums

I was tagged to post three albums that I recommend you buy if you don’t already have them. Two disclaimers though. First, I don't buy music very often. Maybe two albums a year. My audio listening is much more geared towards podcasts/preaching. Secondly, this is just stuff that I have enjoyed lately. All-time favorites is a completely different list.

(1) What You Don't Know, by Don Chaffer.

Don Chaffer (and Waterdeep by association) is one of my very favorite artists. Don is a good musician, but an even better storyteller and wordsmith. He excels at using common stories to convey more universal truths. He also doesn't shy away from pointing out the brokenness of this life, but then points back to redemption and the hope found in the cross.

The first half of this is electric, but I usually skip these tracks because to me, Don's lyrics shine brightest with just an acoustic guitar as their companion. This is also true of earlier albums like "You Were At the Time for Love" and "To Chase Away the Birds". The sweet spot on "What You Don't Know" comes right in the middle, with:

People go by Like a Flame
John Henry, Where'd You Go
Against the Window Pane
What You Don't Know

Here's a lyric from "Against the Window Pane" that is a good example of the kind of writing I enjoy from Don:

Jesus was a lover. He had a fire in His eyes
That could burn away excuses, cremate your alibis.
He had a gaze that would expose to you all the subtle lies
That your soul permits your heart to tell concerning all that it denies.

(2) Brushfire Fairytales, by Jack Johnson.

Just a great folk-guitar album. Jack's laid-back acoustic riffs are catchy, and he does a terrific job combining them with memorable melodies. This isn't a recent album (2002), so maybe it shouldn't qualify for this list. But I still think it is Jack's best work. And like a comfortable pair of sneakers, it gets more comfortable with time.


(3) Mars Hill Music, assorted artists.

This isn't really an album. It is the widely-eclectic music found on the Mars Hill podcast and website. The quality of the recordings isn't great. The musicians aren't polished. And the style ranges from weird to traditional. Yet there are some hidden gems to be found, particularly in some of their updated renditions of old favorites. Here are a few I've enjoyed (free downloads if you want to listen):

I'll Fly Away
Nothing But the Blood
Beatitudes

If you want to blog your own three recommendations of albums-to-buy, then consider yourself tagged.