My Official Review of Amazon's Kindle

I was given a Kindle this past Christmas (thanks mom and dad). I like it. I didn't know if I would jump on the e-reader bandwagon or not. Quite honestly, I love looking at my shelves of books. I love the fact that I have more books than clothes. I guess I like paper...I dunno.

So, at first I was a bit skeptical, because if I indeed enjoyed the e-reading experience a lot that could bring jeopardy to my shelves (and my interior design idea for the coolest office ever, which I will never have 'cause I hate being confined to an office).

The day after I received my Kindle, I purchased and downloaded my first book, The Starfish and the Spider. I got about halfway through, and purchased another book for download. Last week, I downloaded my fifth. Long story short, my fears have been realized: I ENJOY EREADING. In fact, I have started drafting a plan to get rid of several volumes of books (if you want some just message me, I will probably be doing an ebay kind of thing with most of them). There are books I intend to keep. However, I have a new vision for my love of books: it is a clean look that is portable...welcome to my like Kindle.

On to my review of the Kindle. The first step was to find out if I am the ereader type: check.
Here's my pros and cons. I am happy with it overall and there is not another solution I would trade for, so, it has my endorsement (Amazon, you can relax now).

Pros:

• Readability: the screen is awesome. At first, I balked at no color, until I got lost in the device. Brilliant job, Amazon. I literally get lost in the reading.
  
• Interface: while not everything is intuitive, the learning curve is small. It is easy to maneuver and I love the size of it.
  
• Connectivity: both 3G and wireless are great. I'm not ever gonna use the browser feature, although knowing I have it at my disposal is comforting.
  
• USB charging: while this is a minor praise, I am a fan of USB charging and connectivity. This also allows me to share more things from device to device.
• Interaction: highlighting and note taking are easy. I (think I can) can export notes and highlights if I want to use in teaching and study.
• Sharing: When I like something I read, sharing on twitter or facebook is simple and quick. That is cool.
• Power: The battery lasts a crazy long time (like 2-3 weeks for me).
  

Cons:

• Power: Wait, didn't I list that as a pro? Well, the power switch on this device is a bit annoying. You put it to sleep. It doesn't always wake up when I try and switch it on and appears to do a hard restart. I searched this issue and a lot of people have it. Sometimes, when I go to read, it can take 3-4 minutes just to get started, and sometimes, the device will power down and restart after I have begun. ANNOYING.
  
• Back light: As in there is none. The last thing I want to do is have screen fatigue, so I understand and value the design. But for real, I don't want to have to use a bulky and nerdy book light for reading in poorly lit places. With the technology out there, Amazon should come up with a fix for this.
  
• Interface: Wait, another pro? Listen up. The keyboard and buttons look cool, but I don't want to type with them or use the DPAD as a mouse anytime soon. Some touch screen features for navigation would be nice, and worth the cost increase. Plus, the keyboard is awkward. I hate it. When I write notes, it is annoying. The buttons are small, and I have big fingers. There's a better solution and Amazon should implement it.
  

So there ya go. Anyone want to chime in? I almost requested a NOOK, and I am glad I didn't.
Again, thanks mom and dad : )

How to burn out

This past weekend, I gave a teaching on balance and burn out. This teaching came in the middle of a series called, Life: Where's It Taking You? The whole big idea is that God values balance, and not burn out when it comes to our lives.

Me teaching was pretty simple. I gave two big ideas on ways to burn out and ways to create balance. I referenced stuff from Jesus to Ecclesiastes. If you want to watch it, the teaching video is located here.

If you want the bottom line on it, here ya go:

Ways to burn out:

1. Try to be Superman.
   
   • Superman reacts all the time. Superman never has a plan to help the world, he just reacts to all the bad things around him. A lot of times, we just react to our day, to our family, to the loudest voices in our head.
   • "The person who is available to people all the time isn’t worth much when he is there." (Rick Warren)
   • The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
2. Refuse to rest.
   
   • There's a story about when Jesus made the disciples rest in Mark 6: 30-31 (MSG) 30-31: The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.
   • John and Doreen came and told their story. They actually took a sabbatical and time off from ministry and have re-engaged recently: watch their story here.

Ways to create balance:

1. Have a plan.
   
   • Make time for rest, re-creation, renewal: Take a day off each week.
     
   • Jesus said, “the Sabbath was made for man!” Jesus said, “I made this for your benefit.”
     
   • Exodus 20: 8-11 (NLT) “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
   • If you’re not taking a day off you’re breaking one of the Ten Commandments.
Do not call it your “Day Off.” Instead, call it your “Sabbath.”
     
   • Rick Warren: "Divert daily. Withdraw Weekly. Abandon Annually."
2. Have a partner.
   
   • None of us are very good at balancing ourselves.
     
   • The heart is deceitful; we have the amazing ability to lie to ourselves. We are horrible self assessment takers...our resumes always look better than we really are.
     
   • Ecclesiastes 4:12 “…a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
     
   • Who holds you accountable? Spouse, friend, boss?
     
   • Superman is always alone.
     

So, where do you fall? Are you like the majority of us and struggle with burn out and balance? What would you add or take away here?

My 2010 Must Read List

There's a shelf on my desk that holds several books; many of them I make a habit of reading at least once each year. These books are sacred to me, and this year, I read 4 out of 8. Rarely do I add to this shelf. I didn't add to it in 2010.

I've always wanted to be able to read a book a week. Unfortunately, I am not that much of a genius (geniuses read about 2-3 books a week, some of them read more). I like my book load right now; I enjoy it. I read quite a bit of books in 2010 (about 30), and out of that 30, I will probably end up keeping 5-6. Here's my short list (4) of the books that influenced me the most and why:

4. Made to Stick by the Heath Bros.
I must say this book was pure intelligence. I think every public speaker should read this book. It was engaging and smart. Every time I read from it (be it 5 mins or 2 hrs.), I learned something and could apply it.

3. Winning by Jack Welch.
I could listen to Jack talk all day. I had the privilege to listen to him a few times in 2010, and after the 3rd time, I decided to buy his book (which has been out a few years already). He is a leadership guru, whether he likes that word or not. I learn a lot from his philosophy.

2. Narcissistic Leaders by Michael Maccoby.
I learned about this book in a network led by Tim Stevens. In fact, we were able to Skype with Michael (the author) and talk about the book in detail. This book almost made my sacred shelf, and it just may reach it in the next year. Basically, this book is about managing yourself among different leadership styles. It really helped me with a 360 evaluation of my challenges and hopes with leadership. I can't recommend this book enough for pastors.

1. Love Is An Orientation by Andrew Marin. This book made the #1 spot simply because of its challenges and thought provoking manner. I loved the book. I want to work with Andrew Marin now...lol. Basically, this book will challenge any presupposition (and you have many) about the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Trans-Gender) community and your walk with Jesus. Don't read this book unless you want to be challenged.

So, there's my list. Do you have any recommendations for me in 2011?