Every year it’s my goal to be a reader and I set my goal is reading 20 books over the course of the year. I fell short this year because of a few things, but really there are and should not be excuses.
Tag: Reading
What I’ve learned in my trek through the Bible in 30 days
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I started this year with an ambitious goal. Maybe not ambitious to you or anyone you know, but one that I’ve never done before, so a goal of new territory for me.
My pursuit this year is one of intentional direction and seeking what God has next. I felt the best way to do that would be a super fast trek through his word, and so began my quest through the Bible in 30 days. I’ll end up a few days late because, you know, life happens.
Recently, I’ve seen a few stories of people who have abandoned their faith because of problems with the Old Testament. They say that they cannot trust a God who would go to such lengths to destroy rather than forgive and who seemed to be more about rules than relationship.
They are speaking through their ignorance and lack of first hand investigated effort. They see this through their perception rather than through their knowledge of investigated effort.
The Books of 2019
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Every year I sent out to outdo what I did last year with what I choose to read.
Because of the velocity of what I choose to do in 2019, I came short of my 20 book goal, but I still made a good dent on my progress and I learned a whole whole lot and was challenged in a number of new and different ways.
Here’s what I read in 2019:
This Year’s Reading List
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I am not an avid reader. At least I don’t consider myself to be. What I do know is that there is a lot I don’t know and I am eager to learn. Of all the things I want to learn right now, fathering is at the top. (I’ve got 57 kids you know 😉 and they all require something different. So at the top of my list and one that I have just finished reading is Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.
I want to seek to know more
One of the areas I am weakest is in managing, so I will be doing some reading about how to become a better manager.
Creativity is my game when it comes to church. This may be a controversial statement but I feel there is as much need for creativity as Theology in church. I’ll write about this statement in more detail at some point in the future, so be on the lookout for that.
There is as much need for creativity as Theology in church.
So without further delay, here are the beginnings of my reading list for 2019 with the same goal of 20 books. Some of the books I’ll be tackling this year are:
Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Meg Meeker, M.D.
Grit by Angela Duckworth
The War of Art by Steven
A Marriage book of which I have not determined
Everybody Always by Bob Goff
Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing by Robert T. Kiyosaki
First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Jim Harter
Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street by John Brooks
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt.
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
Herding Tigers: Be the Leader That Creative People Need by Todd
Theodore Rex by Edmund
Books of 2018
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Last year I made it my personal goal to read 20 books over the course of the year. I didn’t quite make it all the way through that goal and got a little bogged down right at the end, but here’s what I covered over the year and a few thoughts about them.
How to Lead When You’re Not in C
Published by Michael Hyatt
Own the moment by Carl Lentz
Decision Points by President George W. Bush
Platform by Michael Hyatt
Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
Night by Elie Wiesel
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
Stop Recruiting, Start Retaining by Darren Kizer, Christine Kreisher, and Steph Whitacre
Why We Want Tou to be Tich by Donald Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
The Power of a Positive Team by Jon Gordon
These are not listed in any sort of order, just a copy and paste from my Evernote file where I had them listed. There are a few books on here that stand out above the rest. By far, my favorite books from 2018 was Decision Points. I know that may come of some surprise but I have always been intrigued with what went through the mind of the President during three of the most tumultuous events of our lifetime, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the collapse of the housing market and the following recession of 2008/2009. You can learn a lot of leaders who navigate through events like that and I was supremely amazed at the composure and character of President Bush during those situations. We all have a different outlook on any President and I’m not here to argue anything, but what I do believe to be entirely true is that Mr. Bush is an impeccable leader who faced insurmountable difficulties.
The most life-altering book for me as I read through 2018 was Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I read through that book in a matter of just a few days. I literally could not put it down! The way Mr. Kiyosaki writes is so incredibly fluid and easy to understand. Sure there were some borings parts that I skimmed through, but that book completely changed my outlook at how I handle money altogether. Let’s just understand it this way, there is more than one way to face your finances and not
The most helpful book I read in 2018 hands down, must be awarded to Stop Recruiting, Start Retaining. I read this together with several others from our church and have been so convinced of its viability, we defined most of the serving culture in our church around the premises found therein. This book will not pertain to everyone but it did to us in a most profound way. If you are a part of an organization, ministry or entity that is heavily dependant on volunteer help, then this book is a must for you!
So what read last year that helped and challenged you? Help us out! I’m curious to know what I should be looking at for 2019.