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2011 Reading List

December 30, 2011 in Books, General, Personal with 7 Comments

I set a goal of reading 50 books in 2011 and am proud to say that I finished that goal. I am happy to say that I enjoyed all these books. There are a few that were a stretch for me (fiction) but I thoroughly enjoyed them all.

I will continue this goal into 2012 and hope to read another 50 this next year.

1. The Cross and the Switchblade
by David Wilkerson
2. The Complete Insider’s Guide to Romania: 2011
by Sam R
3. The Cause within You
by Matthew Barnett
4. Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul
by John Eldredge
5. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself
by Brian Fikkert, Steve Corbett
6. Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
by Ron Hall, Denver Moore
7. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
by David Platt
8. The Poor Will Be Glad: Joining the Revolution to Lift the World Out of Poverty
by Phil Smith, Peter Greer
9. Poke the Box
by Seth Godin
10. No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs
by Dan Kennedy
11. In God’s Underground
by Richard Wurmbrand
12. Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
by Francis Chan, Danae Yankoski
13. Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently
by John Maxwell
14. Down Where My Love Lives: The Dead Don’t Dance
by Charles Martin
15. The Release of the Spirit
by Watchman Nee
16. Transformational Discipleship
by Greg Ogden
17. Epic
by John Eldridge
18. Abbas Child
by Brennan Manning
19. Don’t waste your Life
by John Piper
20. The Irresistible Revolution
by Shane Claiborne
21. The Pig’s Slaughter
by Florin Grancea
22. Primal
by Mark Batterson
23. Family Wealth
by James Hughes
24. Tortured for Christ
by Richard Wurmbrand
25. The Seven Levels of Communication
by Michael Maher
26. Boundaries
by Henry Cloud & Townsend
27. Passport through darkness
By Kimberly Smith
28. Erasing Hell
by Francis Chan
29. Connecting Like Jesus
by Tony Campolo
30. Speaking of Jesus
by Carl Medearis
31. God’s Supernatural Powers
by Frank DeCenso
32. A Crime So Monstrous
by Benjamin Skinner
33. The Way In Is the Way On
by John Wimber
34. The Jesus I Never Knew
by Phillip Yancey
35. The Gift of Being Yourself
by David Benner
36. Alone with God
by Richard Wurmbrand
37. Untitled
by Blaine Hogan
38. Gracenomics
by Mike Foster
39. Weird
by Craig Groeschel
40. Ordering Your Private World
by Gordan MacDonald
41. Eat that Frog
by Brian Tracy
42. A Spirituality of Fundraising
by Henri Nouwen
43. The Travelers Gift
by Andy Andrews
44. Onward
by Howard Schulz
45. Celebration of Discipline
by Richard Foster
46. Human Trafficking
by Louise Shelley
47. Let Justice Roll Down
by John Perkins
48. Not For Sale
by David Batstone
49. God in a Brothel
by Daniel Walker
50. Steve Jobs
by Walter Isaacson

Forbidden Fruit: My Faith in Apple

September 26, 2011 in General, Personal, Tech with 3 Comments

I’ve spent some time this morning looking over my papers from bible college at North Central University.  Below is a piece from my creative writing class.  You’ll see it’s satire, so please don’t call me a heretic. Enjoy!

 

As I look down at my G4 PowerBook, I can’t help but want to spread the good news!  You don’t have to continue your life of errors and reboots… a man named Steve Jobs came to give you the Mac.  To obtain this Mac, you must go and use PCs no more.

It was February 22nd, 2005 that I gave my heart for technology to Steve Jobs.  I will remember always that day as my technical birthday.  I have not been the same since.  I am called to a higher purpose, that of sharing this newfound computer salvation.  When I see others, computing in a world of trouble and heartache, I cannot help but share my testimony and what I have come out of.  Some reject my offering while others see the “light” (of the apple logo) and know they must not resist any longer.  I feel right now that I am supposed to share my testimony with you, may it encourage you to take a closer look at your own computer life…

I was just like you.  I visited the Mac periodically while in school.  I was not impressed.  It was all so confusing and boring.  I was used to two buttons on my mouse… they only had one.  I was used to the Start button… nowhere to be seen.  I was used to a grey box… now they were green or other strange colors.  They were different and I didn’t like it one bit.  I promised myself that I would never use one again, never say never.  It wasn’t but one year later and Steve Jobs had gotten a hold of me.  My roommate was a convert with a mission, a mission to convert others.  He didn’t come right out and inform me of my inferiority, but instead built a friendship with me.  He would make subtle comments about the dead-end road I was on.  Looking back, I realize that he was quite methodical about his mission with me.  His first attempts to convert me were through his offer to help me select an MP3 player.  “Nothing’s better than an ipod”, he would say.  Blinded by my Windows experience, I no idea where he was leading me.  Once I had tasted of the Apple experience, with that white box of joy, I was consumed.  I knew that I needed more.  My computer started to bug me more than ever before.  With every error or failed disc, the realization of my desperate situation came to life.  I would sit frustrated with my computer, while my roommate would be basking in the “light” (of the Apple logo).  I saw my need for a change and couldn’t take it any longer… I ended the internal battle for the higher road.  I asked Him for help… “I no longer want to live this life of errors and reboots, but I want to give my computer life to Mac.”  I’m not saying that this was easy.  All my friends and family were still on the other side, using Windows.  It was difficult to share my newfound decision to change my ways.  I didn’t want to make them feel as though I was now better, but at the same time I wanted them to realize the impact that it’s had on my life.  When I look back on what I used to deal with, I can’t help but say, “Thank you Steve Jobs!  Thank you for giving me the Mac!”

 

I am only one year into my walk with the Mac, but I have already changed my life so much.  I look at all the mundane tasks differently.  I now love to check my email and I even love to empty my trash; please excuse my Macintoshese… I believe that you call it the recycling bin.

Even though I am a baby Mac user, I feel that it’s my duty to do coffee shop evangelism.  I just take my new laptop and sit in coffee shops and surf the Internet.  Just the presence of this machine draws people to look deep into their computing experience and find that they are not living up their potential.  It’s fun for a while… when it first comes out of the box it’s great, but only a year later the errors begin and the plethora of shortcuts on the bottom right begin to take their toll on the machine.  When people come to see the Mac, they are taken back by how clean and smooth the overall operation is.  I simply sit back and tell them, “It’s not me, it’s Steve Jobs.”  I always give Him the credit.

I also try to reach out to those closest to me.  I have routinely commented to my friends and family that I no longer struggle with my computer, but my computer actually works for me.  This idea almost seems too good to be true to many of them.  Thankfully, my efforts have not been fruitless… I have seen numerous of my friends convert and buy a Mac.  Although I still have many friends using Windows, I have seen many of them buy ipods and I can’t help but think what’s next.  I know that overtime Steve Jobs will work in their lives and drastically change their computing experience, just as He did for me.

I also have other evangelism efforts that I use to help people come know what Steve Jobs has to offer, but none are better than changing the homepage on their web browser to www.apple.com.  I find that this forces them to face the reality of their situation everyday.  Many of them have no idea how to change it back, which feeds their human desire for simplicity; something only Macs offer.

Mac is continuously trying to make itself more appealing to the average Windows user, without sacrificing its values.  This is a task that only Steve Jobs could handle.  The most recent news is that they are switching from PowerPC chips to Intel, a transition that will make their services a little more contemporary.  I wonder how the longtime Mac users and younger generation of ipod converts (like myself) will get along.  I trust that Steve Jobs will guide us on our track of computing in the next decade.  This is going to a very difficult transition, but I put my trust in Him… won’t you?

Global Leadership Summit 2011

August 12, 2011 in Personal, Religion, Romania with 0 Comments

It’s almost midnight on Friday night after attending the 2-day conference called The Global Leadership Summit.  I’ve attended the simulcast of the summit a number of years now and it’s never disappointed me.  There was something special about this year.  It’s stands out among the rest.  It’s not just because of the amazing speakers in attendance this year. But, look at this line-up….

(there were a few small changes as Howard Schultz was replaced by Patrick Lencioni)

The recurring theme throughout the summit was a simple calling of to be people of action.  To BE & DO.  I was forever impacted and will never forget the privilege of hearing Mama Maggie Gobran speak this morning.  I strongly desire to model my life after her.

I am on a mission to make lesser of myself and more of God.  It will not be easy, but I’m in for the hard work.  Slowly, God has been changing my desires and making less of me.  My desires of the flesh (i.e. entertainment, consumer goods, safety, comfort, wealth, status) are slowly diminishing.   I desire to see them dead, but I know that will be a war and not a battle.  However, I can begin now by humbling myself and beginning to lay my life down for His glory.

I walk away from this conference with a renewed passion and motivation for our work in Romania.  I desire to see God work and I am just thankful to be a part of it.  May His Glory be shown through my life.  Less of me & More of Him!

I sold my iPad.

July 31, 2011 in Personal, Tech with 0 Comments

I never thought I’d be typing the words “I sold my iPad.”  But, a few weeks ago I did the unthinkable.  I handed my iPad over to the good people at UPS.  It gives me comfort that it’s going to my good buddy… Josh Carter.

Honestly, it hasn’t been that big of a deal for me.  Since getting a Kindle a few months ago I haven’t been using the iPad nearly as much.  Our free time has consisted primarily of reading books & working on our organization CrozierLife, Inc. to get over to Romania.

Getting rid of our electronics has been a bit of a trend in our house.  (See blog post on what we did with our t.v.)  I am so free without the burden of all the electronics.  There is no more pressure to buy all the accessories or new cases.  It’s quite nice.

It’s a little odd for an Apple freak like me to NOT have an iPad, but I’m ok with it.  I do believe that I will probably have one again in the future, but for this season of my life It’s just not necessary.

Annual Cabin Trip

July 4, 2011 in Personal, Travel with 0 Comments

Andrea & I are on our annual trip to the family cabin near Alexandria, Minnesota. It’s always nice & relaxing to simply come up and lounge by the lake. Our days consist of eating, fishing, reading, laughing, & more eating. It’s a rough life!

This vacation has become a tradition of sorts. I made my 1st trip to the cabin while Andrea & I were just dating. (You can’t go wrong dating a girl that has a family cabin) I’ve always enjoyed the beauty of nature and specifically the water. Spending the weekend sitting back with a good book & an even better view of the lake is about as good as it gets for me.

This year has been a bit different. There are a mix of emotions as this will likely be our last visit to the cabin for a good number of years. As we prepare to move to Romania by March 2012. We won’t be making the long trip back to Lake Miltona anytime soon.

I’ve been trying to just take it all in this year. I know Romania has A LOT to offer in the nature department, but it’s more than that. We won’t be able to take part in the late night games, funny stories, fishing adventures, birthday celebrations, & trips to Caribou for the vacation refreshments.

Still, we KNOW without a doubt that God is calling us to move to Romania, so it’s exciting to think about living there this time next year. I’m sure we will be creating new traditions & memories with friends in Romania.

 

We’ve been robbed.

May 31, 2011 in Personal with 3 Comments

Last week Andrea & I discovered that we had been robbed.

Being robbed is not a good feeling.
Being robbed makes you feel vulnerable & helpless.
Being robbed makes you thankful for the important things in life.

Luckily, I knew the robber.  Every time I saw the robber I just become more and more frustrated.   I found myself devising a plan to get even.  A plan that would make me feel better.  Next thing I knew, I had the robber in the back of my Ford Expedition and I was driving down the street.  I pulled into our church parking lot and decided this was where I would dump the robber.  (So, maybe my plan wasn’t the best)  I decided that the church was the best place for my robber.  Maybe they could make something good out of it.  I believe they will.

 

The robber… was our TV.  We were robbed out of countless hours of our lives.

 

We easily watched TV for an average of 3 hours per day.  (some nights was as little as an hour, but some weekends would literally be all day) This would put us at around 90 hours per month.  Neilsen says the average family watches over 151 hours of television per month.

At just 3 hours per day this totals to 45 DAYS of TV watching per year! 1080 hours!  This just infuriates me.  I had been gladly giving almost 20% of my waking hours to my television yet I was quick to feel bad for myself because I was so “busy”.

Like I stated in a previous post, God has really been working in our lives and is giving us a new perspective on our “things”.  I don’t want to be a person that is controlled by their belongings (or need to acquire more belongings).  Instead, I want to be driven towards God’s purpose for my life.  I could no longer look at that TV without thinking how much of my life was stolen from me.

The results were immediate.  This last week was so peaceful in our home.  We rearranged our living room to include a recliner we recently found at Goodwill and our TV stand has become a nice table showcasing some pictures & photobooks from Romania.

We’ve got big plans for our reclaimed time.  We will be reading a lot more, fundraising for Romania and preparing for the big move.

By no means, do I think this step is for everyone.  I don’t want to come off as the “holier than thou” type of person.  However, I do want to challenge you to step back and analyze just how much time your TV is robbing from you and your family.  It might be worth unplugging it for a week just to see how big of an impact it makes.  If just the thought of unplugging it makes you hyperventilate… you might have a problem.

I’ll keep you posted on our journey!

 

Vision for Romania

May 23, 2011 in Personal, Romania with 0 Comments

I wanted to quickly share the symbolic picture that God has given Andrea & I for the Teen Challenge outreach program…

There is a tree in the center of the city. There are 4 streams going out in different directions offering people life & healing. People will be drawn to the tree to rest, but they will stay because they find new life in Christ. We will then help prepare people for that new life in Christ.

I’m excited to see what God has for us in Romania!

 

Personal Retreat

May 21, 2011 in Personal with 0 Comments

This week was very special for me. For at least 4 years now, I’ve wanted to take a personal retreat and simply seek God. I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t as I’ve had the time to do it. I guess, I simply didn’t make it happen.

Well, the desire had been getting much stronger over the last few months. At church this past Sunday, I felt like God was telling me that if I go… He’ll meet me there. With an offer like that – I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. I booked a room at a small catholic retreat center on the east side of Indianapolis. I am so thankful for such a supportive wife, Andrea knew it was going to be a great experience for me.

So, on Tuesday morning (after a free breakfast at our local Chik-fil-a) I headed to the other side of town. I checked into my small but cozy room and simply opened my Bible and asked God to speak to me. The next 48 hours were filled with reading God’s word, a few chosen books, prayer, worship, rest, starbucks coffee, walking a prayer labyrinth, praying the stations of the cross, & some amazing chinese food.

I had a lot of personal revelations and truly felt like I had been in the presence of God. I have never felt such a close & personal connection with God. I was able to get specific directions on what exactly our ministry in Romania would look like. God put a few people on my heart and gave me words to share with them. I read a life-changing book that will drastically alter the course of my marriage. To summarize the trip… I left that Indianapolis retreat center a changed man!

I’m excited to share more of this journey with you all. Amen.

I just can’t get enough

May 15, 2011 in Personal with 2 Comments

I’ve just been in a reading mood lately.  I have purposely spent at least a few hours each day this past week reading.  I guessing it’s the fact that I’ve been fortunate enough to borrow my mom’s new kindle! (all under the guise of “setting it up”)

In the short week that I’ve had it in my possession… I’ve fallen in love with the device.  It is honestly a much better reading experience that my iPad.  I like the fact that it’s quite a bit lighter, it feels like I’m actually reading a book, & there are no distractions like email.  I’m not going to be getting rid of my iPad anytime soon, but I definitely understand the draw to a Kindle.

I wanted to share the books that I’ve read recently…


I’ve just read the 1st of the 2 books included in this one. It’s a fictional book that was very touching. It’s totally not my normal reading material. It’s actually one of the first fiction books I’ve read in YEARS! It definitely kept me engaged.


I’d like to thank Maria Larison (sheltering wings blog) for sharing this book with me. I just finished it yesterday and it was honestly life changing. This is one of the must read books!


I finished this book on Friday and it will forever shape the way in which I do ministry. As Andrea & I begin fundraising to move to Romania… this book will be a guide for any ministry we do. I desire to being restoration to people’s lives… not just meet physical needs.


This is a classic Seth Godin book. It was a quick & easy read. The message of the book is to GET UP and DO SOMETHING. It’s my type of book.


This one I finished reading on our trip to Romania, but I haven’t got around to sharing it on the blog. This was one of only 2 John Maxwell books that I’ve read in their entirety. Let’s just say, I’m not a lifelong fan. I’ve already bought a few more and will be reading them soon. He’s the MAN!

I would recommend any of these books. They were all very enjoyable. If you’re going to read just one of these… It’s got to be

Garage Door Accident!

April 28, 2011 in Indianapolis, Personal with 0 Comments

Today was not one of the best days of my life…

I put up the garage door and hopped in my car.  Put the car in reverse and BAM!  Apparently my lovely garage door opener decided not to put the garage door all the way up.  So, I had a huge warp in the garage door and the door was entirely off the track.

Luckily google hooked me with the best garage door repair in Indianapolis!  1st Choice Doors is a great local Indianapolis garage door company.  I was thinking that I would need a whole new door or at least a new track for the door.  I didn’t need either… Marc had it back up and running in less than 10 minutes flat!

So, that mistake cost me $50…. WAY better than the $500+ I was estimating for a new door.  Thank God! (+ Marc!)
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