This is a list of recent blog posts which I found interesting. That I found them interesting doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with or endorse all of the ideas presented in the posts, but that I found them to be intriguing and thought-provoking. They may benefit you as you prayerfully consider your area of shepherding and stewardship, which has been given to you in trust by the Lord. (They are listed in no particular order of interest.) Please post your comments to discuss  any article that strikes your interest. If you have recent blog posts to nominate, please send the link and your reasons for nominating that post to

Top Book Lists of 2012

I have my own top book list that I intend to put together of things that I enjoyed reading during the course of 2012, but for now I thought it might be good to give you the top books that others have mentioned as you consider what you will read for 2013. For the record, both lists have some books in common and both lists have books on them that also make my top list. So there are some good books here for you to check out and think about reading as you plan for 2013!

Tim Challies' Top Books of 2012

Tim Challies includes a broad and diverse list, and this is for recreational readers as well as scholars and academic types. He even has some fiction on his list!

Andreas Köstenberger's Top Books for Biblical Studies from 2012

This is all Bible and all business. Kostenberger's list has an incredible line up of this year's top theology books, but I found some of his recommendations disagreeable. No doubt, every book on this list made an impact in Biblical studies, but some of them did so for the worse and not the better. Check this list out as you consider your Bible studies going into next year.

The world’s most emotional countries

According to an on-going Gallup study, Americans and Spanish-speakers are the world’s most emotional people.  Not only that, they are happy to the point of exuberance.  Not so with Middle Easterners and former Communists.

Do Arminians Believe in Total Depravity?

Yes, indeed they do. On the other hand, the stereotype foisted upon the Arminians by self-identifying "Calvinists" and "Reformed" thinkers also still stands. Both camps are using the words, "total" and "depraved," in slightly different senses. As a result, this article didn't do too much to shift entrenched perspectives, but I just enjoyed reading it through Arminian lenses, because it challenges the nomenclature being used.