The Richest Man Who ever Lived

Steven K. Scott didn't have a good track his first four years out of college (He had lost 6 jobs already). His marriage wasn't much either. That was over 30 years ago that Gary Smalley (the relationship guru of books) gave Steven an assignment of reading one chapter a day from the book of Psalms. Worth millions today, very strong in his marriage, and able to finance a number of projects for Gary Smalley, Scott's new books is worth every dollar (and penny).

Try reading Proverbs for 31 days, send me your top 5. I'm working on a book idea and would love see how this practice impacts your relationships and builds wisdom. Check out the book!

Pirates of the Caribbean:Dead Man's Chest

Our family loved Pirates of the Caribbean; we LIKED and enjoyed Dead Man's Chest.

We weren't disappointed at all, but when has the second movie in a series been better? The God's must be angry II (Ok), Aliens (for sure) . . . anyway, most of the time . . . ANYWAY IT'S A FUN MOVIE - the reasons why it doesn't measure up were interesting to me (you?).

• Some action scenes would have been more fun if a "bit" shorter -- sometimes "less is more!"
• For me the ending is the most important part of the movie -- not bad, but not great (felt like another movie being set up).
• THE BIGGEST REASON is there was not the development of dialogue that made Pirates I such a great movie -- to have an adventurous, fun, action comedy with wonderful dialogue is unusual -- the first movie did (it was great), but this one was lacking - too much reliance on the great graphics and action.

For our family, it was the memory & discussions that followed that made it worth the $! Enjoy.

Just Out on Video - Good movies

This movie has a lot about our relationship to our fathers; kids who never come out of their teen age years, disfunctional families, and love (some funny parts - liked this movie)! RATING: B

READ MORE (click)

Rent Kong if you missed it in the theaters (IT'S LONG . . . if you hate bugs, skip this movie). I gave it a B-

IN HER SHOES (RATING: B++)

This movie, about two sisters made me cry. It deals with the unforgiven parts of our past; the pain that gets stuffed (three classic ways we do it)! The movie has a powerful ending and the part with the dying professor in the Nursing Home is very powerful. I found this to be a great relationship movie.

The Wounded Woman - A Great Book

Practical, very spiritual, insights into:

What to do in your dark days, how to face Grief, guilt, and anger. The stories are inspiring, and the Bible verses are amazing. The questions at the end of each chapter are some of the best I've ever read. The same book, tweaked for men, will be coming out in the future.

Buy this book (Male or Female):

One promotion says: Hope and Healing Are at Hand Extraordinary emotional pain cries out for something more than a Band-Aid, a pat on the shoulder, or a greeting card clichee. When the wounds go deep, real help, honest encouragement, and tangible healing may be hard to locate. But it is there to find, and the search is worth the effort. Compassionate and experienced counselors Dr. Steve Stephens and Pam Vredevelt, LPC, have walked alongside women in pain for years - they've heard the stories, seen the tears, felt the pain, and entered into the devastation. They've also seen how wounded women can step out of darkness into hope, regain their feet, restart their lives, recover their energy, and even reclaim their joy. Real-life stories and proven, practical counsel serve as powerful tools to help you recover from past and present wounds, moving you into a new season of productive living.

20 Rules & Tools - great marriage

My one son read this book when he was 20, he's giving it to his best friend who just got married. I read it about two years ago. Laura and I have given over 25 copies away as gifts. Several of the ideas and practices in this book have been used by Laura and I for the last 30+ years. My dad and mom (most amazing marriage I've ever seen) practices several of these habits too.

If your single, you will still find so much in this book to benefit your life. Small, simple, fun to read: one of the most practical books in print. I buy some of my books at www.bamm.com (http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?id=3388974441064&isbn=0842362037)

Also try this book ladies (I've not read it yet) - http://www.thewornoutwoman.com/index.html

Have fun!

Want to read more this year?

# 1 tip - Have a book in every bathroom, by your favorite chair, and in each car. I find certain books are written in such a way that you can read a few paragraphs each day or so and not get lost. You will have to experiment, but I know three people who have doubled their reading just by having a book in the bathroom (it helped fuel their interest in reading and they found a way to read more. One such person was a student recently married who is working, in school full time and believed he couldn't find time to read any more - the bathroom helped him find that "lost time." I've done the "bathroom read for two years and this year finished three books this way. I read additional three books on my bedstand (I read very little before falling asleep - 5 min. or less). Try it, 100% of those I know trying it say it really works! The more books you can have around you the more you will read - it really does rub off (I keep one book on my PDA/phone at all times). I've read a bunch of pages just waiting for construction work on the highway this year.

# 2 tip - Read very early in your day. This practice could start with as little as 8 minutes a day for 28 days straight. Try NOT reading the paper early in the morning. Focus on building a pattern of reading. If your too tired to concentrate then try changing what and how much you read. History gives overwhelming evidence that "early morning readers" do more of almost everything, almost all the time (Do you believe this?). I've always thought I was a night person, and couldn't read in the morning. I found the news paper easy and fun - but when I gave it up, and went through the hard work of reading early I found in less than six months, I was transformed into an early morning reader. The rewards in my spiritual life are huge. I read a lot early a.m. I do keep about four or five different books that I sometimes switch out depending on my energy and concentration. I ready Oswald Chambers everyday (about 6-12 min.) I also journal the day before as a time of review and thankfulness. If you build a habit of reading early morning you will see a big payoff.

# 3 tip - Read books with friends. This can be done by reading out loud together(riding in the car is a great time), taking turns as a family, out loud (smaller books work better when this is done), or with in the same month. Laura and I have seen so much growth in our intimacy because we have increased the number of books we both read and discuss. We read one little book (A Testament of Devotion) together every summer, while on vacation. We read it out loud, and then separately. We then discuss, pray, and even take notes. It's a fun practice to start. Read books that a close friend found meaningful or fun. Then meet and discuss. Read, and then buy copies of books to share with others (Laura and I gave away 38 books this year - it was so worth the investment!). The number of books I read increased so much by reading the same book as others. My boss, and the lead pastor of Living Hope is an amazing reader. Never have I had co-worker or boss read and share are encourage me so much. He loans, gives away, and shares books all the time. Read, share, and grow - this is the number one way increase your reading. Reading is ONLY a tool! Tools can be used to enhance relationships.

TRISTAN & ISOLDE (Have you seen it?) B++

Our 17 yr. old has so wanted to see this movie: coming soon the review! I'll share what raised the grade on this movie and the discussion that followed (The Movie Critics hated this movie.).




Also: The final review on Kong!