Tools and Toys

Nick Minerva • Jan 23, 2023

This has the potential to be one of the more nerdy blog posts that I write. But I thought it would be fun to give you a walk through of our home office. Or as it is called in Alexa, the study. Also the echo in the home office is called "computer." I can walk into this room and say "Computer, music." and feel like Captain Picard. I told you, nerdy.

TOOLS

My workflow is currently pretty light so there will definitely be more toys than tools, but here is my current set up for reading, writing, and personal study. Most of my work I am able to do on my iPad and I absolutely love working on it. I do my writing in Apple's built in note app and then copy and paste into a blog post. I had been a big fan of Evernote since it came out, but about a year ago I moved away because Notes could do nearly everything I was doing in Evernote and it was free. Anything that get's converted to a PDF or printed get's pasted into Apple's Pages app. In fact my picture book, Photos From Exile, was completely done in Pages, on my iPad. I love being able to plug it into the TV and use it as a secondary screen.

Apps

To-Do List: Things. I have used several different apps over the years, but I always come back to Things. It's structured off of David Allen's book Getting Things Done. It's amazing.


Book Listening: Audible. In the last few years I have become a huge fan of audio books. Yes, they count as reading.


Book Tracking: Goodreads. I usually just keep a note on my phone, but this year I am fully committing to Goodreads. I also am using a Moleskine Book Journal.


Photo Editing: Pixelmator. If you have Apple products this is a great tool that is comparable to Photoshop for people like me who don't know how to use Photoshop. If your'e not a Mac person, Canva is also a great tool.


Bible: Olive Tree. I have only really scratched the surface of using Olive Tree. They have a huge library available inside their app and I just mostly use it to copy and paste verses, because lately I have been using physical Bibles. But when ever I read the Bible digitally, it's in this app. I have well over a decade of verses highlighted in it as well as notes attached to verses.


Website/Blog: Spirelight. I LOVE Spirelight web. It makes editing this website and blog so simple. It's my good friend Jeremy's company and he does a great with it. If you need a website, check him out.

Physical Productivity Tools

I am a total sucker for nice leather products and I love the experience of actually writing things out. I am also a big fan Moleskine Notebooks and currently have 2 other ones that I am using.


For work related notetaking I use an XL Moleskine notebook in a Saddleback Leather portfolio. I can also fit my iPad and keyboard inside the front pocket, so it makes a great grab and go productivity tool.


I also use a regular sized Moleskine notebook to journal in. I usually bring it with me to church to jot down thoughts and verses I want to revisit. I have a leather cover for it that I have used for nearly ten years. That's thing about leather, it gets better with age.

Reading

My reading set up is pretty simple. We have two matching chairs in the office and you can usually find me in one of them. This is where I do all my reading, praying, brooding, etc. For my regular devotions I am currently going through Living The Christian Year and using my CSB Notetaking Bible along with the He Reads Truth Bible.


When I read at my desk I use a Readaeer Book Stand.

TOYS

This is where the fun begins. Currently most of the books and decor in the home office are the fun ones. We have several shelves in other parts of our home that have quite a few other books, commentary sets, Bibles, etc. I may do another post sometime walking through all those, but in the home office, it's the fun stuff.


Over the last few years I have been trying to read all of the "canon" Star Wars books and each new release becomes a fine addition to my collection. Being the cash cow Disney is, they are also re-releasing what is now considered the "Legends" books in a matching paperback set and of course I am working my way through those as well. I have several Lord of the Rings sets and I have my eyes on a few more. They are precious to me. As you scroll through these photos you will also see several lego sets, helmets, all nine Star Wars movies written as Shakespeare plays (yes, they are hilarious and awesome,) swords, laser swords, the Enterprise, and a few other fun items. Enjoy!

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It has been a blast collecting this stuff over the years and I really love this space. It will probably always be a "work in progress" and that is part of the fun. In all seriousness, this has proven to be a great space to read, pray, and ultimately heal in. Thanks for taking the tour with me!

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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