Books

Over the holiday break, I had the honor of reading a copy of Primal by Mark Batterson that was provided to me for review.  I have been a Batterson fan since In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.  In fact, that book was encouraging to me as we made the risky move to Georgia to launch Freedom Church.

I loved the way that Batterson challenged the reader to challenge the status quo.  His strong encouragement for each person to ask the question, ‘Does what breaks the heart of God break yours?’ is something that every believer needs to ask themselves.

For me, the major theme of the book seemed to be summed up in this statement, ‘We must be great at the Great Commandment.’  If we would just focus on loving God and loving others, everything else would take care of itself.

Make sure Primal makes it onto your reading list in 2010.  You won’t regret it!!

Yesterday, I posted some thoughts about The Dip.  Here are a few questions that you should ask before throwing in the towel:

1.  Am I panicking?

The decision to quit is often made in a moment.  Quitting is not the same as panicking.  Panic is never premeditated.  When the pressure to quit  is greatest, your desire to quit should be at its lowest.

2.  Who am I trying to influence?

Trying to influence a market looks different than trying to influence an individual.  Both are probably going to take longer and require more work than you thought.

3.  What sort of measurable progress am I making?

You’ve got to make some sort of forward progress, no matter how small.   You need to be consistently moving the ball down the field.

Godin encourages us to determine under what circumstances are you willing to quit.  Write it down.  Then stick with it!

{Don’t get excited.  This isn’t a post about Copenhagen:)  }

Our staff just finished reading through The Dip by Seth Godin.  The book is based on the premise that you can and should quit some things in your life.  He makes the case that quitting is often a great strategy.  Here’s a great quote from the book:

Quit the wrong stuff.

Stick with the right stuff.

Have the guts to do one or the other.

I have often been told that I shouldn’t be a quitter.  The truth is that you MUST quit some things if you want to be the best at what you do.

Pick this book up.  It’s 80 pages that might be lead to some big changes in your life.

The following is an excerpt from Extraordinary by John Bevere.  Read this to set the stage for what you are about to read.

We’re no longer living the status quo.  We are influencers now, not followers.  If you’re a teacher, you should come up with the most creative and innovative ways of communicating knowledge and wisdom.  Other teachers should be amazed by your ingenuity.  If you’re a designer, your creative ideas should be highly advanced, cutting edge, and fresh.  You should be the leader in your field.

As a businessman or woman, you should come up with inventive ideas and keen marketing strategies that are ahead of the curve.  You should see what’s profitable and what’s not.  You’ll know when to buy and when to sell.  Other businesspeople will scratch their heads trying to figure out why you’re so successful.If you are a stay-at-home mom, you should be the most imaginative, most compassionate, and wisest in your neighborhood.  Others who haven’t been saved by grace will approach you for advice.

As rulers in life, we in essence meet people’s needs by the exceedingly great power that’s in us.  This is the victory that overcomes the world, which causes us to rule in life – our faith!

In almost every area of my life, I go through seasons.  For example, I am in a season now where I am tearing through some books.  During some seasons of my life, I find it difficult to pick up a book to read.

I just completed Extraordinary by John Bevere.  I wanted to read this because I was a big fan of another of Bevere’s books,  Honor’s Reward.  This book does a great job of calling out the greatness that resides in each of us.  I think each one of us could say that we aren’t living up to our full God-given potential.  For that reason, I found the book to be both challenging and encouraging.

I would encourage you to pick up the book and check it out.  It might be the thing that helps you to become Extraordinary.

**This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Below are some principles that I learned while reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad that really resonated with me:

Five Obstacles to Financial Independence

1. Fear. Don’t play it safe and cling to what you think is secure. If you don’t
   go for it and think big you won’t be able to earn big.
2. Cynicism. Don’t listen to advice of others who are not doing what you intend
   to do. Listen to your self and those who are doing what you aim to do.
3. Laziness. A little greed is good and fights laziness. Think about the freedom and
   money you’ll have and you will make the necessary changes. Adapt your thinking.
   Instead of saying “I can’t afford it.” Ask yourself “How can I afford it?”
   Challenge your mind to create solutions.
4. Bad Habits. Spending habits should turn into saving and investing habits.
5. Arrogance. Don’t think you know everything there is to know about money.
   Listen to others.

Good things to avoid in regard to finances.  Now time to put them into practice.  Ready…GO!

I just finished reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.  Since you asked, I’ll give you my thoughts:

1.  The book was an easy read.  You can knock out the chapters quickly.

2.  It challenged me to think differently about money. Not major shifts, but little tweaks.

3.  Kiyosaki thinks you are stupid and a hamster if you don’t agree with him.

4.  It was motivating to save more, spend less, and make my money work for me.

5.  I would recommend the book.  It is well worth the time it took to read it.