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Are you still struggling with procrastination?

Condemned. That’s how I feel when someone asks me that question. It’s like the question Are you still beating your wife?

Anyway, the answer is Yes. Yes, I’m still struggling with procrastination. Maybe you’ve read some of my self-rebuke on this issue. (more…)

I just got punched in the kidney by Richard Baxter. He did it from the grave. It was a verbal punch, delivered through his brilliant book: The Reformed Pastor.

If you’re a pastor, preacher, or in some kind of church leadership position, you should read this.
Read it, and leave yourself open to the punch.

If you’re not, you should still read this and pray for your pastors and leaders.

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The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great, written by Benjamin Merkle.

This book is an historical account of the life of Alfred the Great (849-899), born the fith son of King Aethelwulf and never expected to rule… Alfred becomes the only English king ever to be known as “the Great”.

The book chronicles one of the most tumultuous periods in English history: the era of the rapacious Vikings and their almost irresistible invasion and conquest of the British Isles. Reading like a mythical adventure story, Merkle guides us through historical scenes that would be almost unbelievable if they weren’t grounded in thorough historical investigation.

Merkle repeatedly references the puzzling lack of faith that modern scholars have in the historicity of the story of King Alfred, and manages to counter such unbelief with strong historical evidence while never descending into dull ‘fact-by-fact’ historical analysis.

Personally, I was absolutely enthralled by this book! Merkle’s way of weaving the story together was masterful and his ability to recount the Viking invasions in harrowing ‘full-colour’ was likewise impressive.

I also appreciated the author’s attention to Alfred’s Christian faith; the way that his faith shaped his politics and warfare, and Alfred’s subsequent desire to see Christianity influence the people of his realm.

I’ve given this book 5/5 stars because it managed to combine solid historical analysis with brilliant storytelling style.

Recommended for: Anyone interested in (English) history, leadership, war, politics, great men of history.

Update: Just for fun, a favourite quote:

“At that time, more than three centuries before the time of Robin Hood, the Anglo-Saxon name of Nottingham was Snotengaham, apparently named after an earlier chieftain named Snot. Luckily for the modern-day residents of the city, the “S” was eventually dropped from the name, and so, rather than Snottingham, the city is now called Nottingham.”