Why I Read Book Every Day (and 10 Ways to Increasing your Reading Efficiency) #1Book1Week August 2021

 

Before the pandemic, when I'm busy doing fieldwork, I listen to audiobooks or sermons in the car. I also love to watch educational videos on YouTube at home and listen to podcasts while walking, cycling, or jogging. But with all the technological advancements available today, I still prefer reading books as my primary mode of learning. I guess you can call me 'old fashioned.' Besides my natural thirst for knowledge, I need to read books to be effective in the ministry (as the saying goes, "You can't give what you don't have") and keep me sane in today's world of shallow information. So I read at least 30 minutes to 1 hour every day on various subjects, especially on the Scripture and Christian living.

In his book Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, Brian Tracy shares this excellent calculated insight: "If you read just one hour per day, that will amount to about one book per week. One book per week will amount to about 50 books per year. So 50 books per year will total about 500 books over the next ten years. At the very least, you will need a bigger house just to hold your books". Oh yeah, the power of consistency and small incremental changes! Sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit!

If you are persuaded to read every day too, I recommend you to follow these 10 Ways to Increasing your Reading Efficiency:

1) SELECT YOUR READING MATERIAL CAREFULLY. Don't waste your time on books of little value. Instead, preview what you are considering reading before you start a book. For Christians, your primary and most important book to read and study is the Scripture.

2)  ELIMINATE POOR HABITS. Find a place where you're free from distractions. Get rid of junk foods and avoid contact with electronic gadgets and television if possible. As you try different positions and ways to cultivate your reading habit, identify what works for you and avoid what doesn't.

3)  MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO BROADEN YOUR READING. Don't confine your reading to only one narrow area. I tend to choose Christian literature, but I will vary my reading occasionally to a novel, leadership, motivational, business, science, other religions, etc. My rough ratio is 3-4 Christian books to 1 other title. You don't have to follow my pattern. The point is – broaden your reading.

4) TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE. Read for main ideas. Don't get caught up or spend too much time with insignificant problematic details.

5) ASK THE AUTHOR(s) QUESTIONS AS YOU READ. Be an investigator. Ask: Why? What? When? Where? Who? How? And try to find the author's answers in the pages of the book.

6) Also, ASK YOURSELF QUESTIONS AS YOU READ. Test your understanding of the author's points, arguments, and ideas.

7) DON'T READ TOO FAST FOR THE SAKE OF FINISHING THE BOOK. Make sure you really (or try to) understand what you are reading before you go further. Or mark the sentences first and come back to them later. If you still don't understand, then don't finish the book. Time is precious.

8) CONCENTRATE ON WHAT YOU ARE READING. Don't entertain unnecessary distractions; focus on the author's message. Off your smartphone, if you must!

9)  TAP INTO YOUR IMAGINATION. Try to imagine the concepts of ideas described by the author(s). Turn texts into mental images. When the author(s) gives illustrations or parables to amplify their points, 'see' them with your mind's eye. If you can't do it at the beginning, it's okay. This ability requires practice.

10) TAKE NOTES WHILE READING (in my case, I write reviews) or underlines important gems that you get from your reading in the book itself or both. This habit is essential if you want to review them from time to time, and it helps to retain what you read.

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #CultivateReadingHabit #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #ReadingEfficiency

To read my #1Book1Week book reviews, click the RED LETTERS:

1.  The Heavenly Man (2008) by Brother Yun, CLICK HERE
   
   
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (1950) by Clive Staples Lewis, CLICK HERE
   
   
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (1955) by Clive Staples Lewis, CLICK HERE
   
   
4. Beyond AD 2000: A Call to Evangelical Faithfulness (1999) by Bishop Hwa Yung, CLICK HERE
   
   
5. What Is Reformed Theology? Understanding The Basics (2016 Edition) by R.C. Sproul, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                        
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify          
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/      

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy (1954) by Clive Staples Lewis, Book Review

 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy (1954) by Clive Staples Lewis

 This story is not as familiar as the famous ones made into movies like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe or Prince Caspian or The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (by the way, in 2018, Netflix already purchased the rights and will reboot the series. I have high expectations about the production quality. Still, I hope that they will not distort the character of Aslan and kept the stories as original as possible) and that's what makes it an exciting read. The Horse and His Boy is the third book in chronological order but the fifth book in the publication order. There are four main characters in this story. First, a boy named Shasta, who lived in Calormen, discovered that the man he stayed with was not his birth father and would be sold into slavery. It makes sense since Shasta felt that he had "little love" for his guardian. While thinking about what to do, Shasta was surprised to know that the would-be master's horse was a Talking Horse from Narnia. So, the second character is the horse named Bree. Together they planned an escape and heading "For Narnia and the North!" Then early on their journey, they meet another pair of runaways, the third character, a girl named Aravis, and a mare, the fourth character, a Talking Horse too, named Hwin.

Bree and Hwin know for sure where they are going, namely, the land of Narnia, their birthplace, before being captured as dumb animals by the Calormenes. Meanwhile, Aravis, a girl from a noble Calormene family, just wanted to run away as far as possible to avoid being forced into marriage. So she followed wherever Hwin went. Shasta (funny name), on the other hand, is very clueless. He still needs to know his identity. Before the journey, he always "look eagerly to the North" but doesn't know why and he felt very out of place as the 'son' of fisherman in the far south of Calormen. So like any other adventure story, the journey of these four characters is about self-discovery, friendship, conflicts, and especially for Shasta, an exploration of his true identity. Interestingly, the story takes place when Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were kings and queens of Narnia (although Peter the High King was absent from this story because he was fighting against the giants elsewhere). The four characters encountered with the mysterious Aslan always fascinate me. He was 'there' even before they began the journey and every step of the way. When Shasta first met with Aslan (as "The Voice," then as "The Thing," and as himself), he asked, "Who are you?"

"I was the lion… I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to received you" (page 281). And as you read on - I hope you do - you will discover that Aslan was not 'safe' in a sense that he was the one who puts the children and horses amid danger, and yet he is 'good' because he would make sure that they will be victorious (although wounded along the way) to the end. Remember what Mr. Beaver said to little Lucy years ago about Aslan? "He isn't safe. But he's good." To enter Narnia, you have to be tested by fire! As I closed this book last week, I was inspired and shouted, "For Narnia and the North!" Of course, not too loud as to wake up my neighbors… ✅

 #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #TheChroniclesOfNarnia #CSLewis #RealmOfImagination #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

 To read my previous #1Book1Week book reviews, CLICK HERE  

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                        
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify          
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/      

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (1950) by Clive Staples Lewis, Book Review

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (1950)
by Clive Staples Lewis

In my opinion, I don't think we should take Clive Staples Lewis' theology seriously. There are flaws in everyone's theology, I'm especially included, but some are more serious than others. I'm not saying we couldn't or shouldn't learn any good theology and wonderful Christian gems from Lewis. He is a brilliant thinker, a superb scholar of medieval literature, and an imaginative writer, but he is not a theologian in the real sense. Lewis, if you search a little deeper, doesn't believe in the inerrancy of the Scripture, his doctrine of salvation is very inclusive (almost, but not, a universalist), and he has a problematic view on the atonement of Christ (or lack of it) among others.

So, when you read The Chronicle of Narnia series, don't read them as if you're reading theological books and try to decipher every line or scene to find Biblical meanings. Narnia series: 1) is, first and foremost, a children's fantasy literature that is cherished by adults too, 2) written by an author who is, by the way, a Christian (one of my favorite rappers is Nathan John Feuerstein, a.k.a. NF. He said, "I'm a Christian, but I don't make Christian music." Thus when I listened to NF, I don't derive my theology from his lyrics. In the same way, don't treat Narnia as such), and 3) is influenced not just by Biblical themes and allegories but also magic, myths, legends, and fairy tales. From a lighter perspective, Narnia is a place where we can spark our imagination and explore possibility narratives (what a great form of escapism!). From a darker perspective, however, it can be a dangerous place to condition the mind to wild speculations and possibly, witchcraft (this also applies to The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and most novels as a fact). Let the reader apply discernment!

Having said that, I enjoyed reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, the second book based on chronological order but the first book in publication order. The illustrations in the book are very helpful. Although I already know the basic storyline based on my previous reading and the movie, it is important to know that the original book edition is always superior to the cinematic experience. Always! This book is special because C.S. Lewis dedicated it to his goddaughter, Lucy Barfield (her name is the inspiration for Lucy Pevensie, the youngest heroine in the book). "My Dear Lucy," Lewis begins, "I wrote this story for you, but when I began it, I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result, you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound, you will be older still. But someday, you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again..."

My all-time favorite line is this: "Ooh!" said Susan... "Is he [Aslan] - quite safe? I shall feel nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly." "Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver, "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Cause he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King. I tell you" ❤

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #BeChildlike #CSLewis #Narnia #TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my #1Book1Week Book Reviews, ��� CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                            
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify             
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/         

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (1955) by Clive Staples Lewis, Book Review

 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (1955) by Clive Staples Lewis

Based on the chronological order, this is the first book in the series, but this is the sixth book based on the publication order. According to HarperCollins Publishers, C.S. Lewis wanted or preferred The Magician's Nephew to be read first (although C.S. Lewis later said it doesn't matter). There is too much fuss about which one is better, but chronological order is good for me because of the way my logical mind works. I bought the one-volume book at BookXcess, and it was too thick! So I cut and hard bind it into each separate book. I've read the whole series in 2013, but now I want to begin the journey again into the magical world of Narnia!

In my opinion, The Magician's Nephew is one of the series's best and most important books. It told us about who Professor Digory Kirke is in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, how humans can enter the other worlds (ah, the rings must be influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, but it's not the only way), what is the mysterious place called The Wood between Worlds (I imagined Marvel multiverse here), sort of the origin of Jadis the White Witch (Queen of Charm), how Aslan the Great Lion creates Narnia, why the other children later can enter Narnia through the wardrobe, etc. The storytelling, the adventure, and the themes like good versus evil, are beautifully woven by C.S. Lewis. One of my favorite parts is when Digory begged Aslan to cure his mother, and as he cried, he looked at Aslan, he saw "great shining tears stood in Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright eyes compared with Digory's own that for a moment, he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself. 'My son, my son,' said Aslan, 'I know. Only you and I in this land know that yet...'" While sorrow hasn't entered the newly created Narnia yet, how can Aslan know? Ah, the story within The Story.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #BeChildlike #CSLewis #Narnia #TheMagiciansNephew #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my #1Book1Week Book Reviews, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                            
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify             
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/         

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.