I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I finally read this book.  I skimmed it when it came out… kind of an appropriate nod to the author who happens to attend Cross Point.  Heck, I even consider Matthew and his wife Jessica friends, but unfortunately I let the busyness of this fall keep me from making reading this book a priority.  (Sorry Matthew!)

I missed out!

Once I picked it up and committed to it, I couldn’t put it down.  I found glimpses of myself in Matthew’s stories of growing up in a Fundamental Baptist Church.  I identified too well with the stories and characters.  I chucked at the fact that had we grown up in that church together, Matthew and I would have been arch rivals in Sword Drills and I would have condemned him for sleeping in church while I took good notes of the sermon.

If you haven’t already, you really need to go check this book out.  If you grew up in a conservative, traditional church environment, you’ll revisit some old memories with fresh eyes and if you didn’t grow up in that environment… well, you’ll just have a good laugh at those of us who did!

If you’ve read it, tell us what you thought!

By the way, what’s on your reading list for 2009?

I love to read!

Unfortunately, finding dedicated time to read is one of my greatest challenges these days.   Any time that I can sneak away with a book is a treasure for me.

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Just finished Seth’s latest.  I love his writing… his perspective… his candor, but I loved Tribes because of it’s focus on leadership.

I’m currently reading Bill Hybels newest book Axiom.  Great short leadership proverbs!

And in fiction, I’m finally reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  Loving this one as well!

What are you reading right now?

One of my rules for reading is that I won’t read anything that hasn’t been recommended to me, so send me your recommendations!

Back in August I had the privilege to hear Nancy Ortberg speak for the first time at The Gifted to Lead Conference that she was co-hosting with Nancy Beach.  As Nancy O. spoke I found myself scribbling frantically trying to capture all the insightful nuggets she was sharing.  I usually appreciate people who speak fast (like me) but I was rather irritated because I wasn’t getting on paper all these word treasures.

But as it so happens, Nancy’s new book had just released and I raced to the conference store to purchase it.

UnLeashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership

I love this book!  The “non-linear” word in the title is key and quite appropriate.  Most leadership material you read is often written pretty systematically, concepts build upon one another and clear steps are directed.  This is not the case with Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands and it’s quite refreshing.

One of the things that I appreciated about Nancy, both in person and in writing, is her wit and candor.  There’s a bit of a sarcastic undertone throughout the book as she pokes fun of her own missteps as a leader.  Stylistically her work is very conversational and you feel as if you have become friends with the author through the stories she shares.  This book is more inspirational than intellectual, but don’t misunderstand that statement – Nancy is an extremely smart and gifted leader, she just opts to lead and guide us by inspiring rather than just intellectually arguing her points on effective leadership.

The actual subject matter of this book is also quite refreshing.  This quote from the introduction best sums up her approach:

“Great leadership is much more about creating a culture, and cultures transform people in much more profound ways than systems do.  Systems and processes should always support the vision, but they should never be the vision.”

Her focus is on the development of people, so instead of hearing about what you need to do to develop yourself as a leader, Nancy pushes you to breath into the lives you lead by:

• naming someone’s giftedness
• providing hope
• inspiring vision
• acknowledging reality
• giving of yourself
• allowing others to do it their way
• paying attention
• managing tensions
• identifying defining moments

There are so many more nuggets that I would love to share but let me just encourage you to get the book! In fact I’m giving a copy away.

Just comment here and tell me who you are and who you lead and I’ll randomly draw to give a copy away!

Today was a very inspiring day for me.

• I hopped a plane for Chicago – love big cities… they inspire me.
• Read a book that I really resonated with and got me thinking
• Met with an inspiring leader who challenged me and encouraged me in a big way

I want to share, but I can’t seem to get it out tonight.  So, excuse me while I process.

I’ll be back with more!

My earlier post was a little intense so I thought I would lighten it up with a list of today’s Friday Fun!

• No alarm clock to wake up to…. aaagghhh!
• 5 miles with Ash. 1/2 running trails, 1/2 roads. HOT! Very HOT!
• Cleaned the house because that makes me comfortable
• Hung out at the pool for a few hours with friends
• Planning to finish Eclipse today so I’m ready for Breaking Dawn to come out tomorrow.
• A little more reading and studying and then I’m making a pizza and watching a ‘chick flick’

Perfect Friday Fun, don’t you think?

What are you going to do for fun this weekend?

Earlier this year I discovered this place called FlowerDust and began following this girl named Anne.  I was so intrigued by her blog, her passion for Uganda, her apparent love for people and her vulnerability in talking about the challenges and struggles she has faced as a Christ follower.

[I quickly discovered that I was just one of literally thousands who follow FlowerDust.]

Fast forward a few months and I find myself welcoming her to the Cross Point team and sitting with her dreaming about how to connect and encourage women in ministry.  What an honor!

As a woman in ministry, Anne has developed a tremendous amount of influence.  From the Compassion Uganda bloggers trip to her participation at Deadly Viper, to articles written for Relevant Magazine and Catalyst, to her upcoming book ‘Mad Church Disease’, Anne has earned her influence from authentically sharing who she is and vulnerably sharing God’s work in her life.

I’m so proud of what Anne is doing, so that’s why she’s my feature today for Wednesday’s Woman of Influence!

BTW – Anne’s book releases early next year, but guess what?  You can pre-order it now!  And better yet, you can pre-order it for only $11.55 at Amazon!  So go get it here.

I had the privilege to contribute a book review of Gilbert Bilezikian’s book Beyond Sex Roles:What the Bible Says About A Woman’s Place in Church and Family to the Sophia Network this month.

THE SOPHIA NETWORK aims to celebrate women in youth work and ministry, what we have achieved and what we are contributing to the kingdom of God. We want to increase the visibility of women in youth work, making the wider church aware of the fantastic work that women are doing. The Sophia Network will enable women in youth work to connect with each other, share skills and experiences and offer encouragement and support.

While The Sophia Network targets women in youth work, they also encourage women in children’s ministry or church leadership to be a part. You can check out the review by going HERE. You’ll need to become a member to access the review, but if you are a woman in leadership it’s worth it for the additional networking with some great women across the pond.

A couple of days ago I shared some highlights from Seth Godin‘s The Dip. This book really has me thinking about what I need to quit and where I need to stick things out.

So I’ve been reflecting on some other ‘dips’ in my life and the results when I’ve chosen to stick it out – to push through rather than quit. (Godin defines “the dip” as a temporary setback that you will overcome if you keep pushing”.)

Here are a couple of ‘dips’ that I’ve experienced:

1. The Running Dip – until about 6 months ago I had never run more than 2 or 3 miles consecutively and I wasn’t sure that it was even possible for me to run farther than that. What I’ve discovered is that I hit a ‘dip’ between miles 2 and 3. If I push through it I hit my stride and am good for 8, 10, 12 miles. Had a good friend never challenged me to train for the 1/2 marathon I would have never experienced pushing through ‘the dip’.
2. The Education Dip – the summer after my sophomore year of college I did an internship at the company I hoped to work for some day. That internship turned into a job offer that I jumped at, but had to quit school for a time. This unfinished goal haunted me and definitely felt like a ‘dip’, so I went back to school while working full-time for almost three years until I earned that diploma.

What ‘Dips’ have you successfully pushed through?

The Dip. A Little Book That Teaches You When To Quit (And When To Stick)

I read Seth Godin‘s The Dip this weekend and in usual Seth-style this was a good, little ‘kick you in the pants’ kind of book.

My highlights:

• Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time.
• Extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny minority of people who are able to push just a tiny bit longer than most. Extraordinary benefits also accrue to the tiny majority with the guts to quit early and refocus their efforts on something new.
• Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.
• People settle. They settle for less than they are capable of.
• The people who are the best in the world specialize at getting really good at the questions they don’t know. The people who skip the hard questions are in the majority, but they are not in demand.
• Strategic quitting is the secret of successful organizations. Reactive quitting and serial quitting are the bane of those that strive (and fail) to get what they want.
• Persistent people are able to visualize the idea of light at the end of the tunnel when others can’t see it.
• If you are making a decision based on how you feel at that moment, you will probably make the wrong decision.

There are plenty more highlights from the book, but these were some of my favorites.

If you haven’t read it, READ IT! If you have read it, share your takeaways with us too!