Here you will find books, CD's, moives, and web pages that Gene and Brad have found to be wonderful. We hope you like them too! (bf = recommendations by Brad; gm recommendations by Gene) Let us know what you recommend by e-mailing us at recommends@apexministries.com

Books:

  • Lesson's Learned from the School of Suffering By Jim Willig This book was written by a young priest in the Diocese of Cincinnati. It is the lessons he learned as his body gave way to a very rare from of cancer. It is a very timely book considering the events of the last few weeks. Published by St. Anthony Messenger Press gm
  • Dangerous Wonder By Mike Yaconelli If you have ever wondered what they is meant by "You must come to God as children" This is the book for you. Be careful, it will change your life. gm
  • Prayer: The Great Conversation By Peter Kreeft A very easy to follow book on prayer, and at the same time one of the deepest and most comprehensive written in recent times. If you liked The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson, which has recently made many people re-examine how they pray, maybe you should check out the rest of the story and go a little deeper with Peter Kreeft. bf
  • I am beside myself with anticipation for the upcoming movie of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring! Did you know that Tolkien was a very devout Catholic and that this book contains some intentional Christian imagery and themes? Check out the book Tolkien: A Celebration. Collected Writing on a Literary Legacy edited by Joseph Pearce and published by Ignatius Press. I absolutely loved what I learned from this book! bf
  • If you enjoy Tolkien's stories as much as I do, you should also check out Christian Mythmakers by Rolland Hein, published by Cornerstone Press. Here you can be introduced to several of my favorite authors and discover some incredible stories to add to your reading list. These authors include J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, Madeleine L'Engle and more. Long live the Inklings! bf
  • I've read a lot of books on prayer and spirituality, and usually gain a lot from them. Sometimes it's theology, or just intellectual knowledge I come away with. For some reason, though, the one I'm reading now is having an even more profound affect on how I approach my own spirituality. Check out New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton at your local library or bookstore to find our more. bf
  • Nickel and Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich This is the story of Americans who are trying to get by on minimum wage. I have spent so much time thinking about what my vocation is and what I want to be when I grow up. This book help me realize what a luxury it is to think about those questions. Many people don't have the time to think such big thoughts because they are to busy doing things like trying to make enough money to eat. gm

CDs:

  • Get Up! By Josh Dodes Band Yes, the very same Josh Dodes Band that was featured on VH1's "Bands on the Run". Right now it is about the only CD I am listening to. http://www.joshdodesband.com gm
  • Achtung Baby By U2 This album came out in 1991 and is still my favorite. It is filled with lots of "Christian Music" with out ever calling it that. gm
  • the anatomy of the tongue in cheek By Relient K This cd has quickly become one of my favorites. It has some fast-paced punk rock, some soulful praise and worship, and some silly, just for the fun of it songs. Here's a fun band that also has great lyrics and a prayerful side. bf

Movies:

  • Two movies about healing and sacrifice you must see are The Spitfire Grill and Iron Giant. (Iron Giant is the last movie to make Gene cry...) gm
  • Waking Life is one of the most compelling movies have seen in years. First the filming technique is breath taking. They filmed the movie with regular film. Then they replaced every face with an animated frame. It is beautiful. As impressive as the movie looks, the dialoge is what has blown me away. I have seen the movie three times already. If you have ever wonder what is the meaning of life, or why we dream, this is the movie for you. Playing at better theaters now! gm
  • Shanghai Ghetto. An awesome documentary about 10,000 Jews and their escape from Germany in 1939 and the 10 years that they lived in China. One of key figures in the story was an American named Laura Margoilis. She worked for the JDC (a Jewish service organization). She moved to Shanghai and organized soup kitchens, schools, places of worship, and house. gm

Web Pages: (also see our Links page)

  • http://supa-fly.com This web page is run by Life Teen national spokesman and MTV's Real World Cast member Matt Smith. It is a funky page, by a funky (and very faithful) guy. gm
  • http://urbanlegends.com/ Are you tired of getting all of those mass e-mails from your friends? Are you looking for a way to get them to stop? There is no better way than with knowledge. Most of those e-mails are hoaxes. "The malls are going to be attacked on Oct 31" (Not true!) "Microsoft is tracking your e-mail and will give you money" (Technically impossible!) "Touched by an Angel is going to be pulled from the air because they use the word God." (Lie!) gm
  • Locksoflove.org This is a wonderful organization which takes human hair and make it into wigs for children who can't grow hair. This is where Gene's lovely blond locks are heading in the fall. gm
  • Footbag.tv or www.revolutionfootbags.com Are you looking for some of the best footbag (such as hackey sack) and juggling equipment available? This is the place! One of Brad's friends founded the Revolution in 1996 to make high quality affordable products for freestyle footbaggers, and has now branched into juggling. Good quality, good price, good people! Also check out the videos of great 3-ball juggling and freestyle footbaggin'! (Click on the videos link in the upper right hand corner of their home page.) bf
  • www.diamante.com I was recently tired of much of my old music and wanted to find something new. I wanted something in a style of music I enjoyed that also expressed what's on my heart. This site was incredibly helpful in finding it. Check out the recommendations section and then listen to some of those bands in the jukebox section. Whatever your taste in music, this site could help you find something new. bf
  • Purgatory can be a very confusing doctrine to understand. Some people just don't think about it, while others wrestle for a lifetime to come to grips with what is really meant by the whole idea. Here is a website with lots of great links to explore this often misunderstood doctrine. http://www.catholicpages.com/dir/last_things.asp bf
  • Check out Pope John Paul II's new Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, declaring October 2002 to October 2003 The Year of the Rosary (section 3) and introducing five new mysteries to meditate on (the Luminous Mysteries, section 21).
    For more information on praying the Rosary http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html How to recite the Rosary: http://www.newadvent.org/faq/rosary.pdf The Luminous Mysteries for the Scriptural Rosary: http://www.newadvent.org/faq/scriptlum.htm The Apostolic Letter with links to better understand the Rosary: http://www.newadvent.org/docs/jp02rd.htm bf