In The Word

As you may or may not have noticed I’ve been taking a bit of a hiatus from posting to my blog. I’m trying to focus in on my family life and personal devotion time and have a hard time justifying time spent blogging. This isn’t to say I’m giving up, just working on getting my life balance into check. In the mean time, I’m going to post a “resolution a day” from The Resolutions Jonathan Edwards.  

_____________________________

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

Well this is pretty cool: Each month Christianaudio.com gives away a free audio book. This month’s book is: Best of Jonathan Edwards Sermons. Use the coupon code JUN2007 during checkout for immediate download. Free Jonathan Edwards…what a deal! And if you just can’t get enough Edwards check out the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University.

I’m currently reading “How to Read a Book” By Mortimer J. Alder and so far it’s awesome. I started it with the goal of improving my Bible reading skills, which I’m confident it will, but consequently I think it will impact all of the reading I do. I’m going to try and blog the main ideas as I go so that it may be of use to someone. So here it is:

1. Reading for information vs. Reading for understanding
1. Reading for Information - you understand everything the author is saying and are gaining information from it. E.g. a newspaper
2. Reading for Understanding - you are learning from the text itself. E.g. the Bible
2. The Four Types of Reading
1. Elementary - Focuses on word and sentence structure, the type of reading you learn in elementary school
2. Inspectional - Skimming, Accesssing the main point of the book, getting an overview of the storyline.
1. Skimming
1. Look at the title page or preface
2. Study the Table of Contents
3. Review the index and look at the topics covered
4. Read the publisher’s blurb
5. Look at the pivotal chapters, seek the summary statements of each
6. turn the pages, read a bit and skip a bit, trying to focus in on the important sections
2. Superficial Reading
1. Read the work without seeking to understand everything. When you encounter something you don’t understand just keep reading and focus on getting the main idea of the work. Remember that you will pick up more on the next reading if you are doing one.
3. Anylitical - Thurough reading, the most comprehensive reading you can do given unlimited time.
4. Synoptic - Reading multiple works in comparison

Next Time:  How to Be a Demanding Reader & How to Make a Book your own.