Monthly Love: January

Here’s what I loved in January:

1. Addiction and Virtue by Kent Dunnington

I was super impressed by this book. Written by a philosopher about the nature of addiction, I found it uniquely insightful and fresh. Dunnington uses his skills as a philosopher to present a new angle on the subject of addictions and to apply theological categories to it in ways that were fresh and helpful to me as a counselor. This was one of the best books I’ve read as part of my research so far.

2. Mudgies

This was a fantastic artesian sandwich shop in downtown Detroit. Ingredients are all local, the sandwiches are big, selections diverse, and food is fantastic. Add this to my growing list of what’s cool in Corktown.

3. Nerf Wars with the Kids

The little dude got some cool Nerf guns for Christmas and while cleaning up the basement one day early in January we decided to all pick a gun and have a war. I remember doing this as a little kid in my parent’s basement, but it was so much fun to do with our family.

4. Legos

I got on a kick to rebuild all of the little dude’s Lego sets. As it turned out this was much harder when they were all in pieces in his giant Lego box. Finding tiny pieces was particularly difficult. I did get a lot of them done and it was strangely therapeutic. In addition I gained a real sense of accomplishment with each finished project and got to enjoy my son’s joy in playing with them again.

5. Parks and Recreations

I totally discounted this show when it was on originally. I thought I just an Office copycat. When Krista and I ran out of shows to watch, however, we decided to start working through this show, or give it another shot, and we are loving it.

6. Recovery @ Cornerstone

This month we had our annual Recovery Celebration Event. It’s always an exciting event for me as we get to promote our Recovery program to the church and community, hear testimonies from folks who have seen some level of victory in their life struggles, and worship together as a group. This year was no different and I am always grateful for the support our church gives. Next year is our five-year anniversary and we’ve got some big plans in the works.

7. Biblical Counseling Equipping Seminar

This month we also had our first every Regional Equipping Conference: Soul Care with Confidence. It was exceedingly well attended (70 participants) and we’ve received lots of requests, friendships, and encouragement from the conference. I was super blessed by it and am already thinking about what we will do for next year’s conference.

8. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

This has been a surprisingly fascinating work. After reading Dunnington’s book on addictions and his emphasis on addiction as habit, I thought I’d check out this book to better think through the nature of habits. Duhigg writes very compellingly and offers some real insight into how habits form, and how they can change. It’s a good resource in my own research.

9. “Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)” by Hillsong Worship

This song has been on repeat all month. Beautiful, compelling, and inviting, it has oriented my heart often as of late.

10. Panel Discussion by Jeremy Writebol

Jeremy’s weekly column at Christ and Pop Culture looks at comic books from an intelligent and insightful perspective. Often using storylines and characters to explore ethics, metaphysics, theology, and life. I love this series and am so glad that Jeremy is writing it.