Months of reading, Volunteer with With Hospice, Cars, Graduation & a Funeral

I've returned too many library books to recall what I've read. I'm almost embarrassed to try to briefly capture my list here . . . though I'll do so as the goal of this has always been for my own review in the future, more so than for any other person to read.

A fair amount of travel and time with my lovely bride this summer.

I really enjoyed reading this after classes got out with a few students I have mentored, who have worked with me:  Sacred Treasure The Cairo Genizah The Amazing Discoveries of Forgotten Jewish History in an Egyptian Synagogue Attic by Mark Glickman.  Much was review to me, though I still learned a lot of new data.

This was also a good read:  Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza by Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole

The Wright Brothers, by David McCollough was so good I decided to read several others by McCollough.  Also read: The Path Between the Seas about the Panama Canal and Mornings On Horseback about Teddy Roosevelt and The Great Bridge about the Brooklyn Bridge. I'll hope to get to more of his books though the best thus far was the Wright Brothers.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis proved intriguing and insightful.

Quiet Mind: One Minute Mindfulness by David Kundtz

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi and Abraham Verhese is moving. I've recommended it to others.

Taming the Drunken Monkey: The Path to Mindfulness, Meditation, and Increased Concentration by William L Mikulas

The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues by Patrick Lencioni.  I don't think I have read anything by Lencioni I don't like.

Finding the Quiet by Paul Wilson

The Zen Leader: 10 Ways to Go from Barely Managing to Leading Fearlessly by Ginny Whitelaw. 

Healing Walks for Hard Times by Carolyn Scott Kortge

I Hate You--don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality by Hal Straus and Jerold Kay Kreisman

LeaderShift by Oliver DeMille and Orrin Woodward

Leading Change by John P. Kotter.

Conflict Resolution by Daniel Dana.

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life by Jen Sincero has coarse language and portraits/portrayals of God outside of orthodoxy, and yet, offers keen insight in how to plan a good life consistent with much that is affirmed in current "coaching" and "popularly psychology" perspectives.

The Next Generation of Women Leaders: What You Need to Lead But Won't by Selena Rezvani  

While commuting this summer on bicycle, I enjoyed the largely believable characters in my audioreading of Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, Book 1) by Ken Follett.  Definitely "R" rated though, if anyone cares to read this and see my reviews, they should know this.

I spent a week with Walter Brueggemann so in preparation I re-read his Journey to the Common Good - and - added to my collection and read his 2nd volume of collected sermons! The Collected Sermons of Walter Brueggemann, Volume 2

You Are Not Your Pain: Using Mindfulness to Relieve Pain, Reduce Stress, and Restore Well-Being---An Eight-Week Program by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman. This book was particularly good for me to share with a few others in need.

Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the "Rules" by Jacqueline A. Bussie.

The Fate of Saul's Progeny in the Reign of David by Cephas Tushima.

The Biblical Saga of King David by Van Seters

A Son To Me by Peter Leithart

Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits by Joyce Meyer.

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Rick Hanson.

The Wily O'Reilly: Irish Country Stories by Patrick Taylor.  I loved these stories.

Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick.  So many missed opportunities. Too much imprisonment.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.  This was a re-read, but I love Bryson.

The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball. Loved this.

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman. 

Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty by Dan Jones. Great book!  Humanized history and democracy.

For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge Of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics by Walter Lewin and Warren Goldstein.  Loved this book. Saddened to study the author after reading the book. :( 

Yes, My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven't Told You by Kunal Nayyar.

Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation by Elaine Pagels

The Name of God Is Mercy by Pope Francis and Oonagh Stransky

I trained with Crossroads Hospice to become a Volunteer Chaplain with them. This engaged more than 30 hours of training and then the start of volunteer engagement with two chaplains currently working with this specific hospice. 

Specific courses included: 

Hospice101: Orienting to Hospice Care

I Don't Know What to Say: Compassionate Conversations About Crisis & Care

Is It Time? Symptoms of Dying

Pain Hurts Everyone: Managing and Understanding Pain

Cultural Competence

Everyday Ethics for Hospice and Palliative Professionals and Volunteers

HIPAA: The Basics

Patient's Rights

The Impact of Grief: Ours and Those We Serve

Workplace Safety: The Basics, Infection Control

Preventing, Recognizing, and Reporting Abuse

Personal notes for my memory:

I spent most everyday after school in the Spring of 2016 helping our youngest manage her H.S. homework, to catch up by a year, and graduate by a year early - with work accomplished from 2015 to 2016.

My 95 year old Granma Z (mother's mother) passed away in February. I officiated her funeral.

I've sold 3 cars in 2016, and replaced only one with the purchase of a used car for our daughter in 2016.   I've purchased bikes in 2016 as I am commuting by bike to work daily for the 2016-2017 school year.