First, let me say that I love John Eldredge’s books. I read everything John writes and I’m always challenged by him. But Walking with God was special. Few books are written on how we as Christians can hear from God because it’s nearly impossible to articulate. But in this book, John gives us the next best thing: he shows us how God speaks to him. It may be the most vulnerable of all his books because he’s revealing his prayer life, frustrations, struggles, and insecurities. But I believe this is what makes the book so brilliant. You may disagree with … Read More

I needed to read this book! The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey is a short little book, but it hits hard! This is a great book for leaders who love to get involved in way more than they should. This book challenges managers to get out of the way and stop being the bottleneck so their staffs can do what they’re called to do. I am guilty of taking on many a monkey in my ministry (monkeys being projects or tasks that really belong to someone else). I was really challenged by this book to keep my nose out … Read More

Absolutely fantastic! That’s my review of Robert Morris’ book, “The Blessed Life”. I couldn’t put it down. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read on the subject of stewardship. I was totally challenged in reading it. I was inspired to trust God more. I was grateful for how God has blessed my life. There are so many quotes that rocked my world. Here’s a few: “No one is a natural born giver. We are all born takers.” “The days of the blessed person are filled with divine “coincidences” and heavenly meaning.” “God doesn’t need you to give … Read More

I try to read just about everything John Maxwell writes. His books have helped me so much in my development as a leader. I’ve had my staff reads many of his books as well as I have sought to develop them to their fullest potential as leaders. Leadership Gold is the best book John has written since The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It was packed with great quotes, insights, and wisdom that had me thinking long after the chapter was done. I also liked the format: 26 pieces of wisdom in short, 5-7 page chapters. I highly recommend this … Read More

I read 20 books in the 1st quarter. Some of it was great, and some of it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. But I thought I’d give what I felt were the highlights: 1. Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach 2. Writing Tools by Roy Clark 3. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield 4. Hire and Keep the Best People by Brian Tracy 5. The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen Happy Reading!

I like to read. I believe leaders should be readers and that reading is one of the main vehicles to our development. My goal this year is to read 80 books. But since there’s so much more to read that I may never get to, I like to read book summaries also. What I love about summaries is they will give you a 200-page book in 8 pages. They eliminate most of the stories and just give you the big ideas. I like to read summaries of books I’ve already read as a refresher of the big ideas. Anyway, here’s … Read More

I Watched Rob Bell’s Everything is Spiritual the other night. Absolutely phenomenal! Rob spoke for over an hour with no notes, recited Genesis 1 from memory. and recited a lot of technical info without so much as a reference sheet. Rob is a master communicator that we could learn a lot from. Rob walked us through the creation story, gave us a great science lesson, and then brought it back to what the meaning of all it was. I was challenged, encouraged, moved, educated, and entertained (I appreciate not being bored) by his presentation. I would highly recommend that you … Read More

I have been recommended The Aladdin Factor several times by friends and just finally got to reading it. Let me say, I loved it! I liked it so much I bought the audio and went through it again! The book is about learning how to ask. Most Pastors struggle with asking. We struggle asking people to serve, to be committed, to give, or to sacrifice. This book really helped me get to some of the core of why I don’t like asking. It was a fun read. I really enjoy Canfield and Hansen’s style of writing. Here’s a few good … Read More

I heard so much about The 4-Hour Work Week that I had to pick it up. I loved this book! Tim Ferriss is a very witty writer and very articulate in expressing his ideas. I loved his passion and the resources and tools he gives to accomplish what he’s talking about. Tim’s premise is that people don’t live the life they want because of fear. They stick with a 9-5 job because it offers security when they could be living so much more. Tim’s goal is to go wherever he wants, live wherever he wants and do whatever he wants … Read More

I love books that challenge me to set big goals in all areas of my life and take steps to accomplish them. Dare to Win by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen did just that! It looked at every area of life and caused me to ask the questions, “What do you want?” and “What will you do to get it?” This book delves into why people don’t attempt anything great. The reason is fear. They give some great advice for overcoming fear and living the life you’ve dreamed. There’s definitely stuff I didn’t agree with in the book, but … Read More