Someone asked me the other day about good fantasy books.  Prior to taking MBA classes when I read for fun, I loved reading fantasy.  Here are my top authors that I’ve read.  Please post yours so if I ever get around to reading for fun again I’ll have some new ones to try.  One disclaimer about this list: I really stand behind the first three, the others could be mediocre.  I read many of these long ago and was not all that critical.  Ultimately they stuck in my mind and I remember them being interesting and fun to read.  Therefore, they are recommended.
 

1. R.A. Salvatore.  Great writing, especially genius at writing swordplay and fight scenes, Salvatore spends a page here and there examining morality and the inner conflicts in his main characters.  Great reading and loads of plot.  My recommending reading order follows the listing of Salvatore’s bibliography on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.A._Salvatore), starting with The Crystal Shard.
2. J.R.R. Tolkien.  I don’t need to say much here since you should all know the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy.  While Tolkien was a genius and basically invented the current fantasy genre, complete with backstory and full languages, the only reason he doesn’t get the #1 spot is that he’s not a great writer. Tolkien often writes himself into a hole and invents something (like giant eagles) to get him out of it.  He also drags in various places, which can cause people to put the books down.  My favorite is The Hobbit, since it’s a great full story and moves along fairly quickly.
3. Terry Brooks.  I read Brooks a long time ago (high school I think) and I really enjoyed the fast pace and edge-of-your-seat feel of the stories.  I remember being huddled under my blankets reading each suspenseful chapter and terrified of the Reaper chasing the heroes down (yes, just like the boy in The Neverending Story).  I may go back and read these again but I recommend starting with The Elfstones of Shannara since the first book is very similar to The Fellowship of the Ring.  Besides, I started with the Elfstones and loved it.
4. Piers Anthony. I read these long ago as well but really enjoyed them.  In fact, I think they were some of my first fantasy books and just like movies you watch when you are young, this recommendation might be invalid now.  However, I remember really enjoying his The Adventures of Kelvin of Rud series, where a prophesied round-ear is born in a world of pointed-ear people but he doesn’t quite turn out to be a shoe-in for the hero.  I started with Dragon’s Gold and read the whole series.  I really liked how the whole series built on each book with a big twist at the end.
5. Stephen Lawhead. A great writer that makes everything feel so real as you read it.  I loved how he blended reality and fantasy together to make something you felt you could step into if you found the right door.  He is a Christian author and spirituality is woven throughout his story (as it is in many fantasy books).  I really enjoyed the Song of Albion series, starting with The Paradise War.
6. Terry Goodkind. Writes large book that are quite addictive.  I loved the story and writing style but my biggest complaint was that most of the books end as cliffhangers and there is no real resolution until you get into the next book and then it all starts over. Very interesting use of magic and plot in these books and I’m glad I read them.  I started with Wizard’s First Rule and really enjoyed it.

 
Here is a list of some of the best fantasy authors if you don’t like my choices:
http://www.mania.com/top-20-greatest-fantasy-writers-alltime_article_114266.html
 

I just have to go on record that this is, i believe, the busiest I have ever been.  i'm documenting this so i can look back and remember.

• Working 80+ hours a week with 1/2 the staff we had a year ago on multiple projects that were steaming piles of s*@$! when they were handed to me (not much better now of course.  ;-)
• Our company of 24,000 people is cutting about 1,300 people and R&D is looking to trim about 1/4 (which is where I work).
• I'm taking accounting and marketing for my MBA and have no experience in either field really so barely keeping afloat.
• We are trying to buy a new house and had everything lined up until the funding feel through b/c of the "very unique" property.  Now scrambling all resources to find funding.  Icing on the trust cake is that the layoff notifications are the day after we are supposed to close on our new home.
• Trying to clean up and rent our current home and do all the important home repair tasks before we move
• Trying to get 4 new daycare kids signed up before we move
• On the church board and trying to be responsible and engaged
• On the worship team (which i love) and playing music there
• On the church interviewing team finding our new kids ministry director / pastor
• Somehow trying to be a dad
• Somehow trying to be a husband

And I find myself praying for people on Sunday morning that are just "tired and need refreshed".  Kinda funny in a way but no matter what, their feelings are legitimate and God wants to make their lives better.

So much of this is difficult but so much of this is also because of God's blessing and he has done so much good for us.  Just focusing on continuing to praise him at all times and is AMAZING how important and valuable Gospel music is to me right now.  See my previous post about which songs you should be listening to.  They will change your life, your perspective, and how you relate to God and difficulties. 

I will bless the lord at all times.

Track-Artist (Album) [Rating]

Not About Us-Bishop Noel Jones (WOW Gospel 2009) [Good]
I Will Bless the Lord-Byron Cage (An Invitation to Worship) [Great]
Sing-Houghton Ratcliff (Cover the Earth: Lakewood Live) [Great]
You Are My Daily Bread-Fred Hammond (The Essential Fred Hammond) [Good]
Show Yourself Strong-Fred Hammond (Nothing But the Hits) [Good]
Lord of the Harvest-Fred Hammond (Speak Those Things) [Great]
Victory-G.A. & Tye Tribbett (Victory Live!) [Great]
Turn It Around-Israel & New Breed (Alive In South Africa) [Great]
Still Standing-Israel & New Breed (Alive In South Africa) [Great]
Again I Say Rejoice-Israel & New Breed (Live from Another Level) [Great]
You Are Good-Israel & New Breed (New Season) [Great]
Trading My Sorrows-Israel & New Breed (New Season) [Good]
Everywhere That I Go-Israel Houghton (The Power of One) [Great]
Just Wanna Say-Israel Houghton (The Power of One) [Great]
Surely Goodness-Israel Houghton (The Power of One) [Great]
Moving Forward-Israel Houghton (The Power of One) [Great]
Sing Redemption's Song-Israel Houghton (The Power of One) [Good]
We Love You-J. Moss (V2 (Deluxe Version)) [Good]
Hosanna-Kirk Franklin (Men of Gospo, Vol. 1) [Great]
Set Me Free-Myron Butler & Levi (Set Me Free) [Great]
Giants-The Try-City Singers (WOW Gospel 2009) [Good]
God Is Good-Various Artists (Wow Gospel 2005 Disc 1) [Great]
Can't Nobody (Live)-Various Artists (Wow Gospel 2005 Disc 2) [Good]
The Presence Of The Lord-Various Artists (Wow Gospel 2005 Disc 2) [Good]
Glorious-Various Artists (Wow Gospel 2005 Disc 2) [Great]
Tye Tribbett - No Way-Various Artists (WOW Gospel 2006) [Good]
Myron Butler Levi - Set Me Free-Various Artists (WOW Gospel 2006) [Great]
Micah Stampley - War Cry-Various Artists (WOW Gospel 2006) [Great]
Celebrate-Smokie Norful-Various Artists (Wow Gospel 2007) [Good]

i'm not as proactive as i like to think.  i'm actually far more reactive.  in my mind this makes me feel like i'm lazy or avoiding work, which if you know me is kind of rediculous but still - i'm lazy.  grr.  i've needed to put new tires on my galant for the last 3 or so months easily and have just been putting it off.  I did some shopping one day and they were out of my tires so i stopped.  yesterday after work my front tire was completely flat.  i had put the air compressor in my trunk, thinking that was a possibility but at some point between the garage floor and getting it in my trunk the attachment to blow up the tire popped off the hose.  yeah - i was not happy.  so here i am after work with a useless air compressor and a totally flat tire.  i have to use the jack as a hammer to try and brake the nuts free and i jack up the car 3 times and it just rolls backwards before i put on the emergency brake.  eventually get the nuts off and car jacked up and stable (meanwhile all my coworkers are just trying to avoid eye contact as they leave work) but now the tire won't come off the hub.  i don't know if it's frozen or rusted on or what but it will not budge, no matter how hard i kick it or beat it.  it's been 45 minutes in 5 degree weather and i'm extremely cold and then my coworker Ed comes out and then Charles my boss come out.  They beat on the tire for a bit and can't get it off either.  Ed has a car-powered compressor/inflator so we hook that up and fill the tire enough so i can get to the gas station.  by this time it was over an hour in the cold - i was miserable.

all because i'm reactive instead of proactive and did not get new tires when i should have.

funny thing is that this morning, the car tire was perfectly fine but i still took the van instead.  for icing on the cake, last night i broke a nice wine glass and this morning my garage door opener didn't work and the power in my garage failed.  awesome.

but i'm going to post about hard things so i can look back and see what God has done because He is alwasy good and works everything for the good of those that love Him.

remembering our great day on the beach at Naples. a hot couple I must say.

So you google "(your first name) needs" and share first 10 search results...

1. Caleb needs to get to oral feedings and reduced oxygen. (google knows best i guess...)
2. Caleb NEEDS OUR PRAYERS. (absolutely, all of them help)
3. Caleb needs a forever guardian. (?)
4. Caleb needs HW treatment donations! (yes - give me money)
5. Caleb Needs a Forever HOME!
6. CALEB NEEDS A KIDNEY. (because 2 is just not enough.)
7. Caleb needs a wife.  (don't want another one)
8. caleb needs another marshmallow. (could always use another one)
9. Caleb needs your help, he has blown out his knee and needs surgery. (i hope this is not predicting my future)
10. Caleb needs a new mummy for Christmas for sale. (obviously).

so annabelle still likes me - it's great.  she's the cutest.  this morning as i was getting ready for work, i got dressed and hadn't put on my belt yet and was doing my hair and stuff.  so Anna picks up my belt and says, "I help dad!" and starts trying to thread my belt through my belt loops.  at first i just thought it was funny and she would give up but she stood on her tiptoes and struggled and finally got it through one of the loops.  she was like "I did it!  i do more." and started trying to do the rest.  eventally she got it through all of them.  i was impressed - she had to stand on her tiptoes with her arms completely extended the whole time.  it was so cute.  so after she got it through all of them she was very happy with herself and my belt was super twisted.  so i just untwisted it and buckled it.  she was pretty proud.

later today i noticed that she put it on the opposite way than I normally do since i could barely figure out how to get my pants down to go to the bathroom.  :-)  silly cutie.

25 Random Things

I got tagged for random facts....So will you!
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you can choose to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
(To do this, go to the Notes tab on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app), and then click Publish.)

1.       I learned how to ride a bike without using training wheels.
 
2.       Yes, I really do use spreadsheets for nearly everything and anything.  They are very powerful tools and help me think, plan, and analyze information effectively.
 
3.       If I am about anything, I am about efficiency.  Probably to my detriment, since I have a hard time understanding why people do something when it is inefficient.
 
4.       I used to sleep in a basement room with no windows and would occasionally find that a salamander had wandered in from the laundry room – and I loved it.  My favorite bedroom ever.
 
5.       I love bugs and nature and hope very much to pass that on to my kids.  We already enjoy going on bug hunts.
 
6.       I grew up on a country farm in the nowheres of Iowa and miss it dearly.  I can’t wait to get back to someplace like that.
 
7.       I really really enjoy playing tennis and Ultimate Frisbee.  I played varsity tennis as a freshman in High School, and went to the state tournament in IL for doubles.  I also organized an ultimate frisbee group at college and could have a 7 on 7 game going within 30 minutes.  I now organize a ultimate frisbee club at work and we play Tues & Thurs over lunch during the brief thaw between winters.
 
8.       I lost 30 pounds 2 years ago and realized how good staying active makes me feel.
 
9.       I’m a do-it-yourselfer to the core.  Mostly it’s a mental thing and I don’t want to avoid something because it sounds too hard (especially if I can save money).
 
10.   I do need my alone time sometimes.  Working on my house, yard work / shoveling the walk, and fishing are ways that I love to recharge.
 
11.   I’m terrible at small talk.  I have stock of 5 questions to use and then after that I just want to escape.  I’d much rather just jump in and talk about things like “what’s your biggest fear” or “how do you want your life to be different in 5 years” or “what is the favorite thing about your family”.
 
12.   When I was little, my friend and I thought it was our job to break up the ice on the creek every spring so the water could flow again.  We lost numerous tools, fell in often, and had a great time.
 
13.   Used to have pet pigs named Bacon and Pork Chop – my family eventually ate them.
 
14.   Broke my wrist getting a pulley out of a tree so we could build a tree house.  My parents didn’t take me to the doctor for like 2 days.  Maybe that’s why I never want to take my kids to the doctor…
 
15.   I got a BB gun when I was young (10?) and used to go hunt almost every day in the summer.  The 13 cats that lived on our farm would follow me around in a long precession just waiting for their morning snacks to fall out of the trees.
 
16.   Walked from the public pool to my friend’s house without telling our mothers.  Our moms called the cops and had the whole town looking for us.  That’s the only time I’ve ever been grounded.
 
17.   I’m a saver.  I used paper route money to buy my own computer and drum set when I was in Jr High.
 
18.   I really enjoy wine and try and maintain something of a wine cellar.  Mostly, it’s cheap wine with a few nice bottles but it’s nice and makes me happy.
 
19.   I used to dip papered airplanes in motor oil, light them on fire, and then throw them so they could go down in a fiery blaze.
 
20.   I thrive on feedback. Positive, constructive, negative, I crave it all.
 
21.   I love my kids with all of my heart.  I love how they make me laugh, how they run to me shouting “DADDY!” and want me to hold them.  I love love love them.
 
22.   I hope to be able to support my family and our lifestyle without an 8-5 job by the age of 50.
 
23.   I really do love to read and used read through basically every class throughout school until college.  I read Watership Down in 4th grade.  great book.  now i struggle to find time to ready anything but the bible.
 
24.   I am eternally devoted to Jesus and continuing his work on earth.
 
25.   I can’t imagine being married to a more perfect mate.  Our love continues to surprise me as it has become a permanent part of me now – all the way to the deepest places and I can no longer separate myself from it.  I will love her forever.

My management is encouraging me to move jobs in the company to something that challenges me more.  The other day, such a position opened up under a manager named Randy, for a Senior Project Lead. It would be a lateral move (no pay or grade level change) but the work would be different and more challenging than what I'm currently doing.  So I met with Randy yesterday to talk with him about the position and was having a good talk when he mentions that I may want to wait to apply because he is posting an opening for a Manager I position under him next week.  And then he starts to "sell" me this manager role.  My brain starts to turn inside out a little - I was just promoted in September last year and my current boss told me that it takes about 3 years to move up to Manager I. But when I told this Randy, he explained that there are not rules regarding that and it is up to the hiring manager and the current manager.

So, today I am meeting with Randy's boss to talk with him about the group and the type of culture they have and what he sees Randy's group being responsible for - I set this up to discuss the Sr. Project Lead but I will also discuss the Manager I position with him.  I called Charles (my original boss here and overall mentor) and he was super excited for me.  He said that sometimes it takes people 5 years to move from my position to manager but he has seen cases when people have completely skipped over grade levels so it's completely feasible for me to apply for that job - despite my recent promotion.  In his words, "It looks like Randy is giving you a shot on goal - and you'd better take it!"

Here's specifically what I would like prayer for:

1. I would get the Manager I position.  This is a very exciting idea for me and I really do want to be a manager here.
2. My 2pm meeting today with Randy's boss, Mark, would go extremely well.
3. God would allow my boss to endorse that move for me.
4. Randy would want me as the manager and go to bat for it.

Thanks for listening and hopefully praying.  I feel like I have a pretty outside chance but it's still a chance.  I'm really hopeful and excited and if I don't get the Manager I position, it's likely that I would be offered the Sr. Project Lead position so it's good either way.  I'll be applying to both after my talk with Mark today and interviews would be set up soon.  I'll keep you all informed of course.

THANKS!