As many of you know, I love books. I love reading books, giving away books, you know the deal. I often get asked “what are you reading or do you have any book recommendations?” As such, I created The Library of Love on Big Picture Fine Focus dedicated to book reviews and recommendations.
This week I wanted to share seven recent reads that are all about Leadership, Lifestyle, and Legacy. And who knows, perhaps you will find your next read among the seven below or over at The Library of Love.
“Get rid of stinkin’ thinkin'”
You know things in your life need to change.
It is said that “Old habits die hard.” Well one of our oldest habits that can severely propel or paralyze our lives is our thinking. Insert John Maxwell‘s adult activity book “JumpStart Your Thinking.”
Requirements: A committed heart. Seriously. If you want things to change but know you’re not ready or willing to do anything about it, this book is not for you. This is for the soul who is ready to look, challenge, and explore his/her way of thinking and the impact it has had, is having, and will have on his/her life.
What it will take: 10 minutes x 90 days
Dear You, “there is an abundant need for your brand of beautiful…”
Have you ever come across a book and while reading it thought “she wrote this for me” or in this case “about me.” That’s precisely how I felt as my mind and heart immersed themselves in the book “Uninvited” by the witty, wise, and wonderfully honest and always transparent Lysa TerKeurst. She’s a gal that tells it as it is and is the first to admit when her attempts at living the picture perfect life have come up short. She’s the girl who invites you and I to dig deep because though life in the shallow end is safe and certain, there’s not much else there.
Details: 269 pages of honest conversation in which you may find yourself saying “me too.” This book is filled with lots of nuggets of golden wisdom, which are highlighted throughout and also summarized at the end of the book for easy reference.
“Uninvited” is a now book. It’s a the-buck-stops-here kind of book with the buck being the feelings and experience(s) of rejection. It’s a you-were-made-for-more book in a we’re in this together sort of way. This is not an “I’m better than you” book but rather a “you’re not alone” reminder. “Uninvited” reinforces the best of who we are by unshackling the worst of what’s been said to us through the unconditional, relentless love of the One who created us-the One who can take our mess and turn it into a masterpiece; transform our brokenness into a thing of beauty and blessings; and use our experience(s) of rejection into a story of redemption.
Who this is for: anyone who has ever faced rejection and felt left out, less than, and lonely.
Requirements: a willing heart and committed spirit to move forward and let go of feeling less than, left out, and lonely in exchange for living loved.
p.s. My favourite Golden Nugget from the book: The Olive Tree analogy…it may just change your life!
Kindness Never Gets Old. Ever.
“My Brother’s Keeper” is a book about tragedy and triumph. It’s story after story of every day folks willing to risk it all to save another. Men, women, and children alike who look beyond what differentiates them and extends their hands, their hearts, and their homes to what connects them…love, dignity, compassion.
“In a world of total moral collapse there was a small minority who mustered extraordinary courage to uphold human values….They are perhaps the sole rays of light in this dark era, the few whose consciences prevented them from being indifferent to the fate of the Jews.”-Yad Vashem
“His quiet courage, his serenity, his steadfast faith-all gave us great hope.”-Former prisoner re: Pastor Joseph Peeters
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love one another. This collection of stories remind us that there is always hope when one is willing to be a light in the dark places of our world.
Details: Thirty stories. Each story is anywhere between 5-10 pages in length.
Who this is for: anyone interested in learning more about the Holocaust and what love looks like in the face of tragedy.
Colour Me Happy?!?
(Adult) Colouring books have turned up everywhere and on every possible topic and theme. According to Happiness Expert Gretchen Rubin, “Colouring boosts happiness for man reasons.”
In a recent article, she shared that:
1. Coloring is calming, even meditative.
The activity of coloring helps to focus the mind and rest the body in a constructive, creative way. In this book, you’re coloring various quotations, and II hope that the quotations, too, will inspire quiet reflection.
2. Coloring is very satisfying, because there’s a special pleasure in doing things with our hands.
Very often these days, we’re sitting behind screens and living in our heads. Like activities such as knitting or tying flies, coloring allows us to connect with the physical world, in the present moment. And there’s something about the repetitive, wordless nature of the work that boosts creativity and energy.
3. Coloring is a great activity to do with other people.
Research shows that a secret—probably the secret—to happiness is strong connections with other people. Coloring is fun to do with other people. It’s companionable, and allows for conversation, and at the same time, gives a sense of shared purpose.
*The above is an excerpt from an article published on GretchenRubin.com
-A Colourful Christmas-
“Christmas Quiet” is a colouring book and 25-day devotional in one. Each day invites you to sit and reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas. At a time where stores are trying to manufacture the sacred, we are reminded that sacredness cannot be bought nor manufactured, it must be sown and cultivated. This book brings together insight and imagination, creativity and compassion, reflection and restoration-a welcomed invite to making this Christmas the most wonderful one thus far.
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“A Very Blessed Christmas” is a chance to inhale the beauty of the season and exhale from the chaos that can sometimes fill our days. This book is filled with simple illustrations and inspiring quotes to help you remember the reason for the (Christmas) season. Each page also invites you to add your own thoughts, reflections, sayings, memories, that transforms the book for an ordinary colouring book to an extraordinary book of moments and memories, hopes and dreams. Also included in this book are holiday cutouts that can be used to create Christmas cards, gift tags, personal ornaments, etc. Blessings are indeed all around us and “A Very Blessed Christmas” may very well be the blessing you need.
“There’s a difference between being too scared to do hard things and doing hard things scared.”-Shannan Martin
I love coming across hidden gems and not-so hidden gems.
Gem. That is precisely the word I would use to describe “Falling Free” and Shannan Martin.
She had a wonderful marriage, a beautiful home, and a growing bank account. Her and her husband had flourishing careers and everything appeared to be on the up and up. They lived safe, secure, and comfortable lives-something that many if not all of us secretly or openly desire, whether we care to admit it or not. Yet what if in the midst of their quest, our quest for safe, secure, and comfortable lives, we were/are pursuing the very things preventing us from living…our best lives?!?
“Love is really love-when you are loving the unlovable.
Forgiveness is really forgiveness-when you are forgiving the unforgivable.
Faith is really faith-when you believe for the unbelievable.
And there is a grace that says even this is not impossible and that makes you one of the impossables.”-Ann Voskamp
Faith. Trust. Surrender.
“Deep inside, under my protective layers and all my excuses, buried beneath my ignorance and pride, nearly suffocated by my false realities and unholy ideas, a brand-new spark was lit.”-Shannan Martin
“With knocking knees, I stood between everything I’d ever known and the God who scripted me into being. He had things for me to do. He stood ready to blow my plans out of the water, if I’d let him.
I wish I could say the choice was easy, that following God amid uncertainty was a complete no-brainer.
It wasn’t easy. It was painful. Wrenching. Confusing. Unclear. There were times it felt like the flu and a long string of days that ended with my face pressed against a soggy pillow.
Because of his fierce love for me, and his unflinching knowledge that what he offered was so much better than the ghetto of my scared, secluded faith, he nudged and needled and shoved me around.
Until finally, I jumped.”-Shannan Martin
Who this is for:
Life(style). Leadership. Legacy.
If you think you’ve got everything figured out, this book is for you.
If you think you’ve got nothing figured out, this book is for you.
And if you’re neither here nor there, this book is for you.
This book is a game changer because…love, God’s love is a game changer in the best possible way.
A Perfect Gift (Book).
You wake up. (Get the kids ready for school.) Go to work. (Pick the kids up.) Dinner. Shower Bedtime. Repeat.
And before you know it, same-day-on-repeat turns turns into months which turns into years and you begin to wonder “is this all there is to life?”
If this is you, insert “101 Things to Do Before You Go to Heaven.”
If you haven’t entered “same-day-on-repeat” yet, insert “101 Things to Do Before You Go to Heaven.”
In this beautiful hardcover book, Bordon and Winters offer 101 invitations to live and be fully alive. Ideas range from “plain-and-simple fun ways to spend a day to inspirational ideas designed to help you get to know yourself-and God-better.” Consider it a passport for your soul… -a chance to experience life on a deeper level and to be everything that God’s created you to be. Easy-to-read, inspiring, and a perfect book to remind you and/or your loved ones of some of life’s greatest treasures.
*Special shout out to FaithWords, Nelson Books, Hachette Book Group, and HarperCollins for their partnership in today’s post.
- Ladies (and Gents) Who ________: What’s Your Legacy? - May 15, 2018
- A Letter For Every Mother - April 17, 2018
- Dear Beautiful Soul… - March 28, 2018
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