I’m enjoying this great little book, Unwritten Travels, written by my friend Jenny Black.

One of the exercises in the book is to describe how you would spend an ENTIRE DAY if you could do whatever you wanted?

Here’s mine:

On a beach… in the fall

Sun is out, but temp is moderate

Walking, reading, praying

Sitting in silence

Not hurrying

Not worrying

What would your day look like?

This week flew by!

Fortunately it was a very good one.  Here are some things on my mind today:

• An important project that I’ve been working on (which happened to be one of my thorns), is officially complete today!  Holy cow, that’s a wonderful feeling.  I’m not sure how to adequately celebrate it.
• It’s been a roller coaster week for all things Cultivate Her.  Some good news, some bad news, some big dreaming and then a great event this past Wednesday with our guest speaker Tami Heim.  We’re dreaming and scheming some amazing stuff for all things women in leadership, so stay tuned.
• Our Cross Point missions teams are back home this week.  Our team in the Dominican Republic came back Tuesday and our Honduras team gets back tomorrow.  So proud of each of these teams for serving so big!  You can check out highlights from the Honduras trip HERE.
• Almost finished with Steven Furtick’s new book Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible.  This one is making me think and pray BIG!  It doesn’t release until Sept 21st, but you can pre-order by clicking the title.
• Gotta finish up my talk for The NINES this weekend.  Are you registered to attend?  It’s FREE!  Our entire staff is going to attend this year.
• Can’t believe July is almost over.
• I’m working on some big planning and leadership development stuff for our team for this fall.  I’m getting so excited – love people development stuff – LOVE IT!
• My thumb which I smashed during flood week is growing back really funky.  Kind of afraid it’s going to stay that way. 
• Going to the beach for a few days the end of next week with my sis.  Can’t wait!
• Walking with Ash in 30 minutes!  Love that sweet little Audrey Beth but she has messed up our weekly run/walk time.  Excited to get back to it!
• Hoping to see Inception this weekend.  Everyone is raving about it.  Have you seen it?

Find some joy in your weekend and tell us about it!

Ahhh, I love Fridays!

I actually have a full day planned today, but all things that I am looking forward to.  Here’s what’s on my mind today:

• Excited about a collaborative meeting with a few of my favorite women to brainstorm long-term plans for Cultivate Her.
• Had the privilege of talking with Greg Darley this week and learning more about Backstage Leadership.  If you are looking for an intensive, leadership development opportunity where you can connect and learn from some amazing leaders, check this program out.  They start another class this fall!
• My dog is crazy today.  C R A Z Y !  I can’t figure out what he needs… he’s pacing like a mad man!
• Just started the book Strong Women, Soft Hearts by Paula Rinehart.  Really great book that I first heard about from Jessica and Angie for Bloom Book Club.  Just read the chapter on desire and am wondering if I really know the true desires of my heart.
• Gotta register for Story today.  Only a little over 100 seats left and best rate ends today.  Are you going?
• Right now a 5 mile hot, humid run is ahead of me.
• Maybe the pool tomorrow…

Love the summer!

What’s your plan for this weekend?

I’m kind of a geek for self-discovery.  I love uncovering the layers of who God has created me to be.  I love deciphering what is authentically me and what has been shaped by my life experiences.

I love personality profiles, self-help quizzes, spiritual gifts tests and just about anything that helps me “make a careful exploration of who I am” (from my favorite verse Galatians 6:4-5).

So that’s why I’m thoroughly enjoying my newest treasure:

Unwritten Travels is a fun little book co-written by my friend Jenny Black and her friend Jenny Watson.

“The Jennys” take you on a whimsical journey of self-discovery that is fun, insightful, thought-provoking and inspiring.  I know you’ll enjoy it too.  You can check out their website Unwritten Travels and/or order Unwritten Travels here.

What’s your favorite self-discovery resource?

One of the challenges I find as a leader is sorting through all of the great resources out there for equipping yourself and your team.  There are so many GOOD books, articles, blogs, etc. that sometimes I feel like all I’m doing is reading or studying rather than applying anything that I’m learning.

I also struggle with choosing which books to study with my staff.  There are a lot of good business books out there from which you can draw some applications to church work, but is it worth having the staff read it too or should you do the homework and share the clif notes with them?

So help a girl out…

How do you clear through the clutter?

Do you have a system/process for determining what you study and/or what you study with your team?

What’s the best resource (book, blog, magazine, etc) that you’ve found this year?

I’m a little late in posting March’s book of the month, but I was pretty sure I knew it needed to be this book.  I just needed to finish it first.

I told you a few weeks ago that I thought this book would be life-changing.  I feel like I’ve already won an insecurity battle by admitting that I needed this book.  But truly, we all need this book.

Women – this disease of insecurity is crippling us.  It may rear it’s ugly head in different ways for each of us, but I really think you’ll find yourself somewhere in the pages of this book.

Men – you are not exempt.  Although Beth writes this to women, she shares some insights on how this affects you guys too.  We also know we drive you crazy with our insecurity crap, so maybe reading this would give you a bit more insight into the mental and emotional battle we’re fighting daily.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

The enemy of your soul has a tremendous amount to gain if you don’t deal with your insecurities.

Insecurity is not the same thing as sensitivity.

Insecurity’s best cover is perfectionism.  That’s where it becomes an art form.

Not only will insecurity cheat us of reaching and then operating consistently at maximum potential, it also will turn our coworkers into threats and trap us into becoming posers.

Insecurity lives in constant terror of loss.

It’s up to us whether or not we’re going to let the worst of us get the best of us.

We will never feel better about ourselves by becoming more consumed with ourselves.

Unchecked and unhealed, it (insecurity) makes an idiot out of us over and over.

Hitting any nerves yet?

If you are ready to take the leap, I challenge you to go get your copy of So Long, Insecurity

Have you read it yet? What would you add?

This past Saturday night we decide to head to the mall to hang out for the night.  We had no particular agenda… just to walk around and spend some time hanging out.  As we wandered we came upon a bookstore and it occurred to me that there was a new book I wanted to get.  I quickly asked my husband “Hey, do you mind if I pop in here for a minute?  There’s a book I want.”

This comes as no real shock to Merlyn.  (Well, and probably not to you either.  It’s no secret I read a lot.) Other than maybe rolling his eyes because he knows this will be longer than “a minute”, he kindly indulges my inability to pass a bookstore without going in.

Immediately I dash off.  This time I’m a little anxious and in a hurry.  I quickly start scouring the store looking for the Christian book section.  I figure this one has to be easy to spot.  Surely it’s on an end cap.  It’s only by one of the biggest Christian authors of our generation.

“Yep, there it is.  Oh man, right smack in the middle of the store screaming the title So Long, Insecurity.  Ok, quick just read the back cover and grab a copy.  Maybe people will think I’m getting it for someone else.”

There I was being insecure about buying a book about insecurity.

Yep, I guess this one’s for me.

Even later when my husband asked me what I was reading, I simply said “Beth Moore’s new book.”  Even still, in my own home, with my husband of 11 years I was afraid to admit that I was reading a book about insecurity.

And while I’ve just started it, I’m convinced that this may be one of the most important books Beth has written for our generation.  As I talk with, mentor and encourage other women leaders, I’m becoming more and more convinced that our disease of insecurity is eating us alive and sabotaging the dreams God has for our lives.

If you even think there’s a chance you need to read this book, I want to encourage you to take the leap and get it.

Are you ready to say so long to insecurity too?

Just some random stuff on my mind tonight…

• I’m really honored to have a featured interview at my friend Laura Anne’s blog.  You should go check out the other people she’s interviewed too – pretty cool stories!
• I hate peeling oranges, but I’m strongly opposed to cutting them therefore I have orange gunk under my nails right now.
• I keep thinking that I need to get my “to do” list done before I sit down to do some reading.  I can’t seem to get that “to do” list done with time to relax with a book.  Need to reprogram my head on this one.  I’ve got too many good books to read.
• Looking forward to seeing how our Cross Point peeps show up with items for Haiti tomorrow!
• Praying that our Visa issues get worked out for our trip to India.
• Wishing the laundry automatically folded itself…
• Excited that sweet Audrey entered the world this week.  She’s beautiful!
• I’ve spent several hours today working on my talk and materials for Cultivate Her which is this Friday.  Have you RSVP’d yet?
• Wishing that I was in Australia watching the Australian open!
• I committed to running with the 10 minute mile pace group for the 1/2 marathon training.  This should stretch me!  I would love your support for the race!

What’s your randomness this weekend?

Recently someone asked me on Twitter what’s on my reading list for this year,

so… I thought I would share with you what’s on my radar so far:

Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins

The Leadership Pipeline by Charan, Drotter & Noel

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Tribal Leadership by Logan, King & Fischer-Wright

Paul, Women & Wives by Craig Keener

Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton

Management of the Absurd by Richard Farson

Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis

Necessary Dreams by Anna Fels

The Leader’s Voice by Crossland & Clarke

Open by Andre Agassi

Those are the ones waiting in line on my shelves.  I’ll add more as the year goes.  I like to have a mix of new books and older books.  I also have rule that everything I read is based upon recommendation.

Currently I’m in the middle of:

• Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
• Put Your Dream to the Test by John C. Maxwell
• My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Piccoult
• True North by Bill George

And I recently finished this book:

I’ve just recently discovered Bill George and I’m really enjoying his books.  7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis is a great, practical resource especially if you find yourself facing an unexpected leadership crisis.

What is on your reading list this year?

Each year I set some pretty aggressive goals for reading.  I read a variety of things and always keep track of what I’ve read.  (You can read more about my philosophy on what I read in this post.)

Here’s my reading list from 2009:

Non-Fiction:

• Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
• Axiom by Bill Hybels
• Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kolter & Holger Rathgeber
• Leading Change by James O’Toole
• Leading Change by John P. Kotter
• It by Craig Groeschel
• Focus by Al Ries
• The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley
• Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be by LeRoy Eims
• Why Not Women by Loren Cunningham & David Joel Hamilton
• The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
• How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins
• Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham
• Fearless by Max Lucado
• The Truth About You by Marcus Buckingham
• Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels
• 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis by Bill George

Fiction:

• Sanctuary & High Noon by Nora Roberts
• One Pink Rose, Murder List & Come the Spring by Julie Garwood
• Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown
• If You Stay by Gayle Forman
• The Other Queen & Fallen Skies by Philippa Gregory
• The First Time by Joy Fielding
• The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
• The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
• Something Borrowed, Something Blue & Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

Of everything I read this year, the 3 books that had the most impact on me were:

1. The Hole in Our Gospel
2. Why the Mighty Fall
3. Courageous Leadership

What was the best book you’ve read this year?