Stir Up

2013 is shaping up to be one of the busier years I have had as of late. Because of this, I have been taking some time over the past few weeks to set some goals (spiritually, personal growth, financially, etc..). I am always thankful for bloggers like Timmy Brister or Lore Ferguson who share their planning processes, resources, and so forth on their blogs. Below, you will find a few of my goals for 2013 as well as my reading list. My hope, is to blog more on these experiences and books as the year progresses.

Some general Goals for 2013:

1. 2013 will be the year of Isaiah for me. This is a book of the Bible that has always been close to my heart, but I have never taken the time to read it in depth. Lord willing, this study will serve as a sermon series for the future.
2. Shelby and I have committed to participating in several months we are deeming “No Spending Months”. We will be only be spending money on the necessities (rent, bills, groceries), while doing our best to minimize as many of the “extras” as possible. Shelby and I have both found, that in the past, it is good for our souls to do without some of the creature comforts from time to time to remind us of all we have to be thankful for.
3. Memorize scripture. This seems simple, but is a discipline I have neglected for some time. (I have not yet decided if this will be a book, a chapter, certain topics, etc.)

Finally, part of this process was selecting 50 books I wanted to read during this upcoming year. I tend to be ADD when it comes to books. It is easy for me to start and never finish, buy a new book and never touch it, etc. So, in an effort to be a better steward of both my time, resources and money, I have created a list to stick to in the new year. (In the next few days, I will be adding all of these books to my Goodreads profile. This will make it easier to stay updated and provide quick/simple book reviews.)

So here are the 50 books I have committed to reading in 2013 (some are new, some are old, some I have read before).

1. God in Our Midst, Hyde
2. Gospel Coach, Thomas
3. Center Church, Keller
4. The Shepherd Leader, Witmer
5. The Shepherd Leader at Home, Witmer
6. Father Hunger, Wilson
7. Gospel Deeps, Wilson
8. Multiply, Chan
9. The Gospel at the Center, Chapell
10.  Wordsmithy, Wilson
11.  The Creedal Imperative, Trueman
12.  Everyday Church, Chester
13.  Dangerous Calling, Tripp
14.  Gospel Centered Discipleship, Dodson
15.  Institutes of Christian Religion, Calvin
16.  Creature of the Word, Chandler
17.  The Binding of God, Lillback
18.  A Praying Life, Miller
19.  Gods Love, Sproul
20.  Instructing a Childs Heart, Tripp
21.  Shepherding a Childs Heart, Tripp
22.  For the City, Patrick
23.  The Cross of Christ, Stott
24.  The Meaning of Marriage, Keller
25.  The Gospel and the Mind, Green
26.  The Reasons for God, Keller
27.  The Deep Things of God, Sanders
28.  Whats So Great About the Doctrines of Grace, Phillips
29.  Creation Regained, Wolters
30.  The Great Gain of Godliness, Watson
31.  Our Triune God, Ryken
32.  Preaching for Gods Glory, Begg
33.  The Humble Leader, Stott
34.  The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor, Stott
35.  Are We Together, Sproul
36.  J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend, Duriez
37.  A Hobbit Journey, Dickerson
38.  Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, Piper
39.  Lit, Reinke
40.  Black and Tan, Wilson
41.  Jesus Son of God, Carson
42. Meditation and Communion with God, Davis
43. Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Perspective, Turnau
44.  Paul and Union with Christ, Campbell
45. Gods Good Design, Smith
46.  Evangellyfish, Wilson
47.  Union with Christ, Billings
48.  Canon Revisited, Kruger
49.  Conviction to Lead, Mohler
50.  But God, Lute

Disclaimer: 2013 is also set to be the year of Baby in the Spillar home. My hope is to get through as many of these books before the last week in June. I can only go on what I have heard, but supposedly I wont be sleeping much after Baby Spillar arrives