Bart Blair

Quote of the Day

"God is in the business of redeeming the messes we make in life, but that doesn't mean there is not a price to pay - often a very steep price - for ignoring God's whispers of counsel."

-Bill Hybels (The Power of a Whisper)

Quote of the Day

"Leaders who follow the kingdom lead not by controlling, but by connecting. They bring people together to generate synergy through the combining of visions, gifts, and experiences for the diversifying of the church's mission and its continuing outreach to society."

       -Dr. Edmund (Eddie) Gibbs, Emerging Churches

Quote of the Day

"The church is primarily a people, not simply a place to meet. It is a movement and not an institution...church is a seven-day-a-week identification, not a once-a-week, 90-minute respite from the real world. The church lives as a commited community in this world, which desparately needs redemption."

- Eddie Gibbs, Ryan K. Bolger (Emerging Churches)

Best Entertainment Reads of 2011

As I mentioned in yesterday's post (Best Inspirational Reads of 2011), I have to break my reading resommendations into two categories. Yesterday, I highlighted 4 books that inspired me in a variety of ways. This list below, is simply a list of books that I found well written and highly entertaining:

Into Thin Air (John Krakauer)
This is a book that I had considered purchasing many times over the years. The subject matter (a disastrous attempt on Mt. Everest) was one that intrigued me. I was able to download it electronically from the MedHat library*. It was well worth the read. I found myself short of breath as I read it - just like the climbers! 

Twelve Mighty Orphans (Jim Dent)
If you are a Texas high school football fan, this is a must-read! I grew up in Texas but had never heard this story. It is excellent. Apparently being made into a movie now, too!

 

Moneyball (Michael Lewis)
Another book that had been on my list for a while. Decided I needed to read it before seeing the movie. A great (GREAT) look inside Major League baseball. Incidentally, I still haven't seen the movie.

Signs and Wonders (Alex Adena)

I stumbled across this little book and was really excited to find a gem. This is Alex Adena's first book. It is a faith-based work of fiction. Easy to read. Fun all the way. 


King of Torts (John Grisham)
If you've read one, you've read them all. That is a common phrase amongst those that have read any of Grisham's books. This one, I found, to have a renewed energy to it. I've read all (but two) of Grisham's novels. I would say this one's in the top 5.

*If you haven't discovered it yet, OverDrive is a great little app for downloading e-books from your local library.

Best Inspirational Reads of 2011

My personal reading habits typically lend themselves to me having two books on the go at all times. Generally, I start my day by reading something that is either instructional in my faith or in my leadership. 

Then, in the evening, as I wind down my day, I read what I would refer to as "fluff." Sometimes it's fiction. Sometimes it's non-fiction. Either way, it's reading that requires less of my intellect and is less punitive if I fall asleep in the middle of a page - which is frequently the case.

As I compile my list of "Best Reads" I feel compelled to create two separate categories: Inspiration and Entertainment - since those are the two reasons I read!

Here's the best of my Inspirational reading for 2011:

Missional Renaissance (Reggie McNeal)
As a church planter, and a person who aims to live a life of purpose, this book was eye-opening to me. As I read this book, I spent a lot of time reflecting on how we "do church" these days. I have a new-found inspiration for how my church planting efforts might look in the future. 

Leaders Who Last (Dave Kraft)Hands-down, the best leadership book I have ever read - and I've ready many! Reading this book changed the way that I think about my influence on others and how I intend to position myself as a leader in the future. 

The Winner's Manual (Jim Tressel)
It's quite unfortunate that Jim Tressel took such a hard personal fall this year. The news of Ohio State's NCAA violations came just a few months after I read this highly inspirational book on creating a culture of success - not to be mistaken with Charlie Sheen's perspective on winning! Although it is a book that I'd reccomend to Charlie if he's really interested in finding a way to win!

In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day (Mark Batterson)I had the chance to hear Pastor Mark speak at a conference several years ago. He gave an overview of this book in his lesson and I'd had it on my "to read" list ever since. It is a great book about taking chances for God. An excellent read for those who are new in their walk with God and also for those who are stuck in their journey. 

 Tomorrow's post: The Best Entertainment Reads of 2011

2011 Reading Review

I hit a couple of milestones in 2011 as it pertains to my personal reading. First off, I read my 100th book. I began logging the books I'd read on this blog in October 2005. So, in 6 years, I read 100 books. I thought that was pretty cool.

Secondly, I set a personal record for the number of books I read in a calendar year. As of this post, I have read 30 books since the start of 2011. My goal had been 24 books - 2 per month - and obviously, I crushed that goal.

I will attribute the mass of reading to a couple of things:

  1) For Christmas in 2010, I received both a Kindle and an iPad. The accessibility I've had this last year to books has been outstanding. Being able to electronically shop and download (and spend less than the cover price) has made it a lot easier to keep myself in good reading.

  2) I watched far less television in 2011. 'Nuff said.

In tomorrow's post, I will highlight a few of my favorite reads from 2011.

100 Books!

I began tracking the books that I read in October 2006, which is the same time I began this blog. Today I finished reading the 100th book in 5 years (The Fine Line by Kary Oberbrunner).

As a milestone marker, I thought I would share the ten books from that list of 100 that have had the greatest impact on my life, ministry and leadership:

1) THE CONNECTING CHURCH by Randy Frazee

2) JUST WALK ACROSS THE ROOM by Bill Hybels

3) WAY OF THE WILD HEART by John Eldridge

4) THE END OF RELIGION by Bruxy Cavey

5) ONE HEARTBEAT AWAY by Mark Cahill

6) AXIOM by Bill Hybels

7) OUTLIERS by Malcolm Gladwell

8) LEADERS WHO LAST by Dave Kraft

9) SIMPLY STRATEGIC CHURCH GROWTH by Tim Stevens & Tony Morgan

10) FIRST IMPRESSIONS by Mark Waltz

Religion Gets in the Way of Faith

"Some tribes are engaged in change. Many are not. And it doesn't matter whether it's a church or a corporation, the symptoms are the same. The religion gets in the way of the faith. Static gets in the way of motion. Rules get in the way of principle."  - Seth Godin, Tribes

3 Types of People

I've heard it before and it's likely that you have too. But as I'm reading Jim Tressel's "The Winners Manual" I read it again and determined it to be worth repeating:

There are three types of people:

1) Those that make things happen,

2) Those that watch things happen,

3) And those who say, "What happened?"

Which one are you?

Books

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you may have noticed that as 2009 concluded I did not post a top 10 books list from my annual reading.  The explanation for the missing list is simple: I only read 8 books in 2009.

After averaging over 20 books per year since 2006, last year ended up being a year for little reading - at least by my standards.  Between a crazy work schedule, a change of schedule for the boys' school days and simple fatigue, I never really got into a reading rhythm.  I vow that 2010 will be different.  I'm already halfway through my first two.  And I've got a big stack on the night stand ready for action: