t-blog

Last Friday this article ran in the Wall Street Journal. President had 186 books. The leader of the free world read 186 books in 156 weeks. Year-by-year: 2006-95, 2007-51, 2008-40 (a few days left when the article was published). Now I know tomorrow is the beginning of the final year of this decade and many of us set goals for ourselves. But if our Pres. can read 186 books in 3 years (more than 1 a week), why couldn’t we do the same?

Charles “Tremendous” Jones once said. “You are the same today as you’ll be in five years except for two things, the books you read and the people you meet.” Most Americans read no more than 2-3 books a year. So, will you take the dare to read one book a month and you’ll be 5x farther than most Americans. Below are some suggestions to get you started.

You might be wondering why I didn’t say anything about reading through the Bible. Check out the article on Pres. Bush. The last sentence says that he also read through the Bible every year. So there it is. Read a book a month and the Bible in a year. Click the Bible Reading Plan link on this page and get started now.

I wonder what kind of person I’ll be next year???

CHURCH LIFE:

Simple Church – Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger

The Present Future – Reggie McNeal

The Church of Irresistible Influence - Robert Lewis

Unchristian - David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons

Seven Practices of Effective Ministry - Andy Stanley

THEOLOGY/CHRISTIAN GROWTH:

Vintage Jesus - Mark Driscoll

Heaven – Randy Alcorn

Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know – Wayne Grudem

The Hour That Changes the World - Dick Eastman

An Unstoppable Force - Erwin McManus

Living by the Book – Howard Hendricks

MARRIAGE & FAMILY:

Grace-based Parenting - Tim Kimmel

Boundaries with Kids – Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Shepherding Your Child’s Heart – Tedd Tripp

Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts – Les & Leslie Parrott

Sacred Marriage – Gary Thomas (Haven’t read it, but it’s on my list)

Love Talk – Les & Leslie Parrott

LEADERSHIP:

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done - Larry Bossidy

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni

The Ascent of a Leader – Bill Thrall

Spiritual Leadership – Henry Blackaby

I was raised on Southern Gospel music. Hey, what can I say? Different strokes for different folks. Once I discovered the likes of Christian artists like Wayne Watson, Sweet Comfort Band, Petra, and Michael W. Smith, I knew that was more my style (not necessarily today though—long live Third Day). But back in those Southern Gospel days, I remember every song ending with a crescendoed chorus that ended strong loud and then fading. Every song did it. Southern Gospel singers love to finish big.

On this 3rd day of December 2008, we are in the height of the Christmas season which means one thing for sure—people are spending money. As Americans we are experts at finishing the year of spending money strong. It’s no secret that we spend and gigantic amount of coin on Christmas gifts. It’s estimated by some that we consistently spend $450,000,000,000 on Christmas in the U.S. You read it right—that’s 10 zeros!

Let’s face it, God does not commend consumers. Just the opposite is true. God tells us it’s more blessed to give than to get (Acts 20:35) and that He loves it when we give cheerfully or as some would say, hilariously (2 Corinthians 9:7).

So what if we took on a new challenge to finish the year strong in a different way? Our family has been praying and looking for ways to “flip the focus” of Christmas and give—no, I mean really give. So here’s what I suggest. What if you mark your gift funds for cash gifts of $10, $20, or $30 only? Send it to those that you would normally by a gift for and challenge them to match it then give it to someone who really “needs.” Someone with real needs like for food, water, shoes, coats. Someone who lives in some the most deplorable situations, both in the U.S. and around the world.

I know there are causes everywhere that scramble for our donations during the Christmas season. It’s the end of the year and many organizations ask you to donate. Instead of donating why not make a difference? Our family has found three organizations that we have a heart for and encourage you to make a difference through them or find your own. Finish the year strong!

Living Water International
Soles4Souls
Samaritan’s Purse