Where have I been?

As evidenced from the lack of new posts, it’s quite apparent that I have taken a hiatus from this blog. However, I see value in resuming the disciplines I had several years ago when blogging about the books I was reading led me to put my thoughts into words on a regular basis.

The past two summers have proven very memorable with international travels to six countries in Europe and a touch of Asia (several ports of call in Turkey were on the Asian part of the country). I explored medieval walled cities on islands in the Aegean Sea, sailed into a volcanic caldera with picturesque whitewashed stone villas with blue-domed roofs clinging to the cliffs, toured the ancient ruins of Ephesus and Corinth, climbed the Acropolis in Athens, walked the streets of Rome, stood in the shadow of St. Peter and St. Paul at the Vatican, rekindled relationships with second- and third-cousins living abroad, swam in pristine lakes in Scandinavia, had train mishaps and adventures across the midsection of Sweden, got myself lost on a 3-turned-10-mile run in Amsterdam at midnight, nearly was left behind in Norway because I again ran a large loop away from the ship right before “All aboard” was called, stood head-in-the-clouds in the midst of a downpour on top of Pulpit Rock which juts out two thousand feet above one of the world’s deepest fjords,  and witnessed the majesty of God’s creation in the Flåm valley amidst towering snowmelt waterfalls and lush greenery and quaint villages.

Recently I came across a book online at work that caught my eye: The Story of Rich: A Financial Fable of Wealth and Reason During Uncertain Times. In this book, author J.D. Joyce has created a story that creates analogies from many of the different activities that have kept me busy since I moved away from the blog—including topics such as traveling, cultivating natural beauty, serving the church and community, seeking counsel, estate planning, watching professional sports, and training for a marathon. However, as I made my way through the chapters and made connections to my own life, I realized that perhaps I haven’t seen the forest for the trees because I’ve allowed my focus to shift on what’s right in front of me instead of thinking about the bigger picture.

In this story, which is a fictional account of a business owner named Rich fresh off of selling his company and entering retirement, the main character has encounters with people who offer him advice through their own experiences and how their choices affected their bottom line in the retirement years. While retirement for me is a long ways off, there are still valuable lessons to be learned by avoiding the mistakes other people have made and by making wise choices for the long-term that will put me on the right path. I was able to put to good use right away one of those lessons that came from the marathon chapter as I ran the Chicago Marathon last week. The point was that just as successful runners spend much time in preparation and know how to establish a consistent pacing strategy so they have enough energy to complete the race, so too planning and pacing come into play in investments. It’s true—in my first marathon I started out much too fast to maintain that pace for 26.2 miles and by mile 14 I had to take walking breaks, but last week when I ran the Chicago Marathon I set out on a manageable pace and was able to shave over a minute per mile off my previous time when I ran without a good strategy! I can only imagine that the same is true for the world of finances.

I found this book easy to read and relate to, given the wide variety of life situations Rich and his family encountered. There were also good explanations on stock market trends and the various types of investment mechanisms available today. After reading this book, I feel more prepared to go out and make wise decisions how I approach the use of money in these uncertain times.

The Founders' Key

In the span of time since I last posted on this blog, I have hiked the mountains of Colorado, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in California, traveled through the Indiana farmlands, enjoyed the serenity of Michigan lakes, and returned to the hustle and bustle of the Washington, D.C. metro area — my birthplace. Through the array of places I was able to visit, I can see why Katharine Lee Bates penned the poem “America, the Beautiful.” Reflecting on the lyrics of our national hymn, I am reminded that America is not just beautiful for her mountains, waters, and countrysides, but for the heroes who gave their lives to their country for the cause of liberty and justice. As such, it is of essence that we not neglect our foundings but consider the elements involved in the establishment of the United States of America. It is in returning to our nation’s birthing that we can discover how truly blessed is our nation to have the beginnings we had and how far we’ve come since then (not necessarily all in a good way).

With 2012 being a critical election year in the direction our country will be heading, my interest in our country’s founding documents has piqued. In the book, “The Founders’ Key,” author Dr. Larry Arnn (president of Hillsdale College) explains that the connection between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is both relevant and as necessary for proper government today as it was when the founding fathers instituted the democracy. Between the two documents, we have inspired beauty in the freedom-heralding Declaration of Independence and commanding guidelines in the regulation-setting Constitution. Modern policies have made efforts to divorce the one from the other, upholding the Declaration but ignoring the Constitution. Through real-life examples, the author expressed the ongoing shift towards liberalism as legislators have redefined key elements in the Constitution.

Besides writing a commentary on the Declaration and Constitution and where our country could be headed should we continue to separate ourselves from the original purposes our founding fathers had when creating the governmental system, the author of this book includes a section for further reading at the back highlighting five of the Federalist Papers written by James Madison as well as the complete texts of the Declaration and Constitution. I found this section very helpful for easy cross-referencing the source document to compare phraseology on a particular subject. Overall, I am quite impressed with this book. It was a bit heavy reading to get through at times and took me longer than I would have liked to complete. However, the content is vital to getting our country back on track. Get out there on election day and do your civil duty and VOTE for the candidates who will best uphold the principles this country was founded on!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of “The Founders’ Key” through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Babylon's Falling

Several months ago I had the opportunity to take a trip to Israel with a group of my friends and coworkers. It was relatively easy—hop on a plane to fly across the ocean, go through customs, and start touring the sites in the comfort of a brand-new Mercedes bus (also known as “chariot” in those parts). Excellent food was prepared for us at every stop, and our lodging was in the nicest area hotels. Communication with folks back home was possible through free wifi access or even the occasional cell phone call, thanks to international roaming. But that’s not how traveling to Jerusalem has always been. Jerusalem is situated in a mountainous region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, meaning travel in the old days before the modern inventions of planes, trains, and automobiles, was a long and arduous undertaking. Extra measures would have to be taken to ensure all needed supplies were brought along, because there were no Wal-Marts back then. Travel would take days, weeks, or even months depending on how far one was going on foot. A book I just finished reading brings to light what life might have been like in that part of the world at the time of the Babylonian conquest during the time of Daniel and his three friends.

In the beginning pages of Babylon's Falling, we are introduced to four Israelite young men as they are beginning the exile out of Jerusalem after being captured by the Babylonian army. The historical novel continues through Daniel’s and his three friends’ ascent into places of prominence in the Chaldean court of wise men as they honor God in their daily living even though they have been placed in a heathen king’s palace. The author uses the first six chapters of the Book of Daniel as inspiration for the events that take place in these men’s lives, but also takes some liberties to suggest why Daniel was not present when Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) were thrown into the fiery furnace.

I’ve discovered that historical fiction is a great way to stir up interest in past cultures, geography, and events that shaped the history of the world. I found myself riveted to the plot of this fictional work even though I knew the Bible-inspired stories. The dialogue and conversation between the characters brings out the fact that these Bible heroes were in fact human and had important choices to make how they lived their lives given their circumstances. Throughout his service in the foreign land, Daniel regularly sought the Lord his God in prayer three times a day. Because of his willingness to be used of God—whether in the countryside or in the courts of kings—he was able to provide service as a provincial governor and a counselor to at least four kings. May we be like Daniel who said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to Whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:20-21).

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Babylon's Falling through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Surviving Your Serengeti

This summer has been unmatched in terms of personal traveling and places visited than any other short period of time I can remember. Let's see, I swam in the Atlantic Ocean, drove all over the Eastern-Midwestern states, scaled one of the Rocky Mountains, cruised up and down the Pacific Coast, biked around some northern lakes, and saw the great city of New York from the sky. I saw firsthand such a variety of beauty and majesty! If I could specify one thing that I learned through my peripatetic prowess, it would be that all creation sings its Creator's song.

Now that I've returned from my travels, it's been time to settle back into life at home and line up work. One of the books I just completed reading was written with those goals in mind: to help the individual master seven skills for business and life. Enter "Surviving Your Serengeti" by Stefan Swanepoel.

This book is a fictional story about a few folks who travel to Africa for a vacation but through their encounters in the Serengeti return ready to reshape their business and lives back home. On their African adventure, they encounter seven different animals—all who exhibit a unique survival trait. Wildebeests must endure as they make the annual journey of 1000+ miles around the Serengeti in search of good food and water. Lions must be strategic in working together in order to eat. Crocodiles must be enterprising when opportunity comes their way. Cheetahs have to be efficient in knowing what to pursue in order to get the best results. Giraffes are graceful and are respected out there in the savannah (this correlates to professionalism). The Mongooses take risks and reap the rewards of wise maneuvers. Elephants communicate and pass on important information to the others in their herd, especially the young ones.

For anyone who likes a simple storyline with a little science lesson thrown in, this is great. It's a quick read and a fun one too. I enjoyed the author's ability to correlate the animals' strengths into easy-to-grasp self-help statements. Perhaps this book should come along with you on your next adventure!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Surviving Your Serengeti through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.