What I’m Crunching — November 2, 2025
It’s amazing how often non-fiction books narrating the history of various significant periods inevitably confirm specific patterns.
For instance, human nature. Human nature doesn’t change and it won’t until Jesus returns and recreates humanity, the earth, and the heavens. The first generation of Pilgrims lived out certain qualities, many of which enabled them to establish a colony where no European had before. But subsequent generations gradually changed and fell away from these qualities.
Such is human nature. The environment/culture created by those living a certain way produces different qualities in those raised in that culture. These different qualities, when lived out, produce a different culture, and so on and so forth.
The more recent book The Fourth Turning unpacks this well.
What I’m Crunching — October 26, 2025
I’m about halfway through this book and I can’t believe the hardships the Pilgrims experienced.
To travel the treacherous Atlantic as late in the season as they did was only the beginning. The real difficulty came after they landed in New England. They battled internal and external opposition, surprisingly sometimes not so graciously, to simply survive.
We are so soft today.
What I’m Crunching — October 12, 2025
Books I’m Reading Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win This book was recommended to me by my coach and friend. One of my pastors also went through it and suggested I read it. I’ve followed Jocko Willink’s work for years now, listening to his podcast, Jocko Podcast, off and on. There’s no question […]
What I’m Crunching — October 5, 2025
Andrew Jackson (“Old Hickory”) was a tough cookie. Despite a busted shoulder that caused intense pain, nearly constant diarhea, and many disappointing logistics challenges around supplying his army, he remained optimistic and forged ahead.
I’ve tried to place myself in the shoes of the Tennesseans he led into battle against the Red Sticks in the Creek War. I can’t imagine the anger and rage a massacre like Fort Mims would’ve brought on me, especially if my family was directly impacted.
Then again, the Red Stick warriers were dealing with the constant encroachment of white settlers into lands their families had lived on and hunted for generations. Despite written agreements with the U.S. Federal Government, settlers continued moving in, displacing the Native Americans and, even worse, introducing whiskey into their trade lines. Many Indians become enslaved by the alcohol and it completely wrecked significant parts of their society. If I’d been in their shoes, I would’ve fought back too.
War is never simple.
What I’m Crunching — September 28, 2025
Experiencing God has been around since 1976 but this is my first time going through it. I’m joining a group of 20-30 people at my church and we meet weekly to discuss the unit for the week. I’m thoroughly enjoying the study!
For the last couple of years, God has been gradually removing the idol of productivity from my heart. I have tended to draw my worth and value from my activity, work, and output. Idols are always cruel taskmasters. This leads me to consistently take on too much, which distracts me from what are truly my top priorities.
It’s been refreshing to be reminded of two realities so far through this study:
God is always working around me.
He is pursuing an intimate love relationship with me.