Last year I started something I hope to keep a personal tradition- I made a book list of books to read throughout the year. Well, I have to be honest, I don’t think I came close to finishing my first book list of 2008. I read Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge, but didn’t make it much further. I read, just not the ones on my list.
Well, here’s my list for 2009- hopefully it’s both realistic and challenging. I try to include various types of books- Christian, secular, history, leadership, political, & biographies- which I’m really into right now. The list has 13 books total-so far & 4 out of the top 5 have been on the NY Bestsellers list in most recent weeks. Here are the first 10.
1. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
2. Multiple Bles8ings by Jon & Kate Gosselin
3. Do the Right Thing by Mike Huckabee
4. Axiom by Bill Hybels
5. A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O’Reilly
6. In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
7. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
8. Tribes by Seth Godin
9. Teaching to Change Lives by Howard Hendricks
10. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
So far I’m off to a great start- I’ve already finished the first 2 books and am halfway through the third. I’ll try to blog here and there about what I’m reading so that I can keep up and stay on target.
Here’s a little personal insight from Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
In Outliers, Malcolm discusses the whole idea that we aren’t successful necessarily because we work really really hard or because of our intelligence, but because of the circumstances we are born into. Our great grandmother did something small yet significant and by the time we come along circumstances have been set up for our success to be almost inevitable. There is no doubt that hard work and some determination get us there fully, but it is just part of the puzzle. Throughout the book Malcolm shares story after story of how circumstances have set highly successful people up to succeed- people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
As a Christian, I believe God has given each and every one of us the perfect plan to succeed at life. It could be easy to look around and see that just because we weren’t born into the “perfect” circumstances, we don’t have the ability to succeed. But despite what we were born into, God can use what may have been a broken and messed up situation for His glory and show the world that Jesus can mend the broken and make success out of what would be deemed a mess.
This passage of Scripture has always given me great comfort in my life. ” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ “ Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
I am convinced that God’s plan for my life is a big plan- much bigger and better than I could even think of. As long as I am committed and obedient to Him, I will succeed in life. I believe that for everyone reading this as well. Success may appear different on the outside, but we know when God is using us to do something we may never have thought possible. To be the Mom or Dad we may have never had, to be the friend when we felt abandoned, to be the role model that inspires others to greatness. Whatever it may be, the impact is of great significance in the world and the Kingdom when it is God’s will.
That passage continues, ” ‘In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you,’ says the LORD.” Jeremiah 29:12-14a NLT.
These are 2 words that keep flashing in my mind for 2009. At the beginning of each year I take some time to seek God and see what area of my life I should focus on and improve. Growing and learning new things is a big deal to me. I feel like if I’m not growing in some area of my life then something is off, and I’m not fulfilling God’s purpose in my life.
Why productivity?
Who doesn’t want to be better managers of family, time, money, relationships, etc.? I feel challenged to kick it up a notch this year. One of my down falls is multi-tasking too much at once. I want to focus more energy on less things, so that I can see more results rather than being frustrated by being spread too thin- for me this is more of a problem in my mind and emotions than in my tasks.
Why health?
I’d rather be proactive not reactive. I don’t want to wait till there’s a problem in my life to deal with something that I know will cause the problem. Whether it be physical health, family health, or relational health, I really believe that no matter how productive I am in life- if I’m not healthy in doing it, then it doesn’t count for a whole lot. Being productive at the expense of my own health, my family, or friends isn’t what, I believe, God desires for my life. It usually takes years of bad eating habits before cancer, heart disease, etc to set in. It takes years of worry, stress, bad time management, poor communication, etc. for marriage and families to fall apart. Years of bad habits take years to fix. I’d rather focus and learn now (maybe before I’m 30!) how to live a healthy life so that my life as a whole will be more productive.
2009, here we go!
I think my brain is finally catching up with the new year. We had a pretty hectic holiday season- fun, but hectic. We traveled to Charleston, SC to be with our families for Christmas, and in the season of life we are in (having 2 small children), these things take a lot more planning and energy to do, thus more stress and potential disaster lurking around every corner.
We spent a week in Charleston, and it was fun having ALL of our family together. My brothers both flew in from around the country and Filipe’s sister (and husband & son whom we were able to meet for the 1st time!) came from Brazil. So, all of our family from both sides were together. There were 16 of us at Christmas dinner- plenty of food to say the least! The girls did great traveling! The 3 hour difference is painful for our sleep schedules coming back though. But, after about 4 days, the girls are back to waking up at 8 or so (today- 8:30!) instead of 5:30 like the first morning!
Last weekend, one of my best friends, Andrea, came up from Orange County with her new boyfriend for the weekend. It was so fun to catch up- especially since she’ll be moving half way around the world to Australia in March. So, it may be a little while till we see each other again- though I’m thrilled to have to go to Australia to see her!
Andrea & I
Eating at The Counter w/ Andrea & Adam.
