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Wow, these are pretty deep things for a soon-to-be father to think about, but in all honesty, it was pretty fun. What are some pieces of literature that have affected not only my intellect, but stirred my soul? What are some places I’ve been to (or just even seen) that have made me praise God for His work in Creation? Who are some people who have had a role in the process of teaching me (even if only secondhand)? These are all such great things, that really do make me all the more excited to be the provider, teacher, and father to my daughter! Top Ten Books:
- “The Bible” - I think this is a no-brainer. No, I’m not trying to be uber-spiritual, but this is the Book that our lives, as Believers, revolve around. God’s Truth, spoken to His creation. Our lives are based on this Book, so of course it’s going to be #1.
- “To Kill a Mockingbird” - This classic by Harper Lee first opened my eyes to injustice and how often we turn a blind eye to it. Plus, it really reminds me of growing up in Tahoka, TX, for whatever reason. It’s like you can actually feel the heat of the summer as Scout and Dill and Jem simply live life.
- “The Daring Book for Girls” - Don’t know if any of you have seen this book at your local Barnes & Noble, but it’s jam-packed with great things for girls, from brief history lessons to how to marble paper.
- “Bonhoeffer: Letters and Papers from Prison” - A wake up call to those of us who whine and moan about our lives right now; challenged me in huge ways, even from the time I was in high school.
- “A Separate Peace” - Pride, jealousy, and the lessons we all learn in dealing with them. I’ve enjoyed this book since first reading it in seventh grade.
- “The Screwtape Letters” - the first non-Narnian C.S. Lewis book I ever ventured to read. It is eye-opening and almost scary how Lewis writes from the vantage of the demonic.
- “Don’t Waste Your Life” - probably the best book to introduce anyone to the theological brilliance that God has given to Dr. John Piper.
- “All Things for Good” - from the Puritan theologian, Thomas Watson, a reminder that all things we go through in life, as Believers, are for two things: God’s glory and our good.
- “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” - although some things in this book are definitely for older readers, it reminds us of how much those who have gone before us have suffered for the glory of Christ, and how fortunate we are at this time in history
- “The Chronicles of Narnia” - C.S. Lewis’ incredible series; one read through and you know exactly why this is such an incredible work of literature and spirituality
Top Ten Movies:
- “Braveheart” - the things we value most in life are worth fighting for, plain and simple
- “The Passion of the Christ” - one of the most intense movies of our time
- “The Princess Diaries” - hey, she’s my princess; plus, I think her mom looks like Anne Hathaway
- “Schindler’s List”- intense and gripping, we all need to watch this movie every once in a while, since many of us tend to lose the importance and value of human life
- “A River Runs Through It” - the story of brotherly love, fly-fishing, and mountains… three things that are in her daddy’s life
- “To Kill a Mockingbird” - after reading the book, I want her to be able to see how Harper Lee imagined it, and why Gregory Peck is still such a great actor, even though he’s gone
- “A Charlie Brown Christmas” - why not? Traditional classic… she’ll probably watch this every Christmas
- “What about Bob?” - one movie that really touched her dad’s heart, in a special way
- “Napoleon Dynamite” - again, another one that touched her dad’s heart, and gave him new voices to mimick
- “The Goonies” - she’ll finally be able to see some of her relatives (namely, Chunk)
Top Ten Biblical Characters:
- Jesus Christ
- David
- Moses
- Ruth
- Paul
- Peter
- Mary
- Solomon
- John the Baptist
- Nehemiah
Top Ten People Outside the Bible:
- Winston Churchill
- John Calvin
- Laura Wiley
- Martin Luther
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Nelson Mandela
- Benjamin Franklin
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Sun Tzu
- C.H. Spurgeon
Top Ten Places:
- Switzerland - mountains, the Lord’s creativity, and where her parents honeymoon’d!
- The Farm, AL - one of the most peaceful places on earth, I’m pretty convinced
- Colorado - one of her daddy’s favorite playgrounds
- Capital Park, Sacramento, CA - the place where her daddy realized how in love he was with his future bride
- her grandmother’s grave - aside from her mother, the most important woman in her daddy’s life
- Khoa Kho Kao, Thailand - the place where Thailand was truly laid on her parents’ heart as a mission field, not to mention the friendships they made there
- Sydney - rugby… go Waratahs!!!
- Mt. Kilimanjaro - need explanation?
- Jackson Hole, WY - such a beautiful place for so many things
- Wellington, New Zealand - the capital of Kiwi land; and again, rugby… go All-Blacks!
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I’m with you on Schindler’s list; “A River Runs through it” put me to sleep. “What about Bob?” touched your HEART? Hmmm. Baby steps, I suppose.
Sarcasm… just another gift she’ll probably inherit from her daddy.
[…] (Click here to see Dad’s reading list for LK. And here to see my letter to her.) […]