Life's highway is not always smooth. We're bound to hit a pothole every once in awhile--a job loss, a financial crisis, a troubled relationship. Some potholes can be quite severe, inflicting serious damage. When that happens, it good to have a survival kit nearby. The BoldPath Pothole Survival Kit includes four hard-hitting messages on two CDs by teacher Leary Gates, message notes, and a 30-day mini-devotional program to help you avoid turning a pothole into a sinkhole. Read a post from Leary's blog on potholes or visit the Pothole Survival Kit web page to learn more and to order a copy for you or a friend that could use some encouragement.
I have a confession. Until now, I haven't read a Max Lucado book. According to his website, an astonishing sixty-five million other people have. Apparently, I was a holdout. Not anymore. His most recent release, Fearless, got my attention and I'm glad it did.
"You're not good enough!" That's the language of shame inside our heads that threatens to limit our capacity to receive God's grace and to move forward in full embrace of God's best for our life. And that's the big problem so many men seriously need to deal with - shame!
Patrick Morley, best-selling author of Man in the Mirror and CEO of the organization that bears that name (website), is no stranger to economic meltdowns. As a former Florida real estate developer he spent years fighting off a multimillion dollar bankruptcy after the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Pat's new book, How to Survive the Economic Meltdown features 35 hard earned spiritual, practical and financial survival strategies based on lessons learned during his own personal financial crisis. It's a quick read book, packed with timeless strategies to help you withstand the heat. For more information on how to get the book in hardcopy, in bulk, or as a free PDF download, visit http://survivethemeltdown.org/. Also, check out the BoldMan Chronicles interview with Patrick Morley.
Best-selling author and career counselor, Barbara Sher's latest book, Refuse to Choose, is a must-read for those of us, she refers to as "Scanners." Unlike, their subject-matter expert counterparts, Scanners possess a multiplicity of interests, and often find their interests taking them in many different directions. In a world that prizes specialists, a Scanner may feel out-of-place, unfocused, and anxious to figure out what they want to be when they "grow up." Sher's book, written from a secular perspective, provides a number of helpful frameworks and creative ideas to help a "Scanner" pursue their interests in a constructive and more fulfilling way. Read the What the Nectar are you Doing? post.
Recording artist and BoldPath worship leader, Tim Lemmens, has announced the availability of latest CD, Even If. Inspired by Daniel 3:16-18, the title track reminds us to stay fixed on God even if it seems that He's not answering prayers our way. "God has used this message to deeply sift me and stir my heart, and I am hoping He will use this music to do the same in other's lives as well," says Tim. Even If is a composition of twelve "alternative" classified cuts, including the whimsical Fences, a familiar track to attendees of the 24 Hours to IMPACT Men's Conferences. Read Tim's Even If devotional post and order his latest CD from his website.
Here's an adventure book that you'll want to read. Bruce Wilkinson, author of the best-selling book The Prayer of Jabez, has written a modern classic in the style of A Pilgrim's Progress. Opening with the story of a boy named Ordinary, The Dream Giver begins with the story of a boy named Ordinary who lives in the land of Familiar and soon discovers that the Dream Giver has put a dream in his heart he can't ignore. Setting off to follow the Dream Giver's promptings he encounters the same obstacles that keeps the rest of us living in the land of Familiar.
The most important book you can read this year is the Bible. If you do not currently have a regular Bible reading program, consider downloading a reading plan from one of these sources:
In his book Surprise Me, Terry Esau, begins
a faith experiment of reciting the short prayer, "Surprise me, God,"
each day for 30 days. By approaching his day with God with this prayer,
Terry has put aside his agenda for the day in anticipation of what is
about to happen next. Surprise Me invites you to approach
your spiritual life with openness and an eye for the unexpected to
discover God working in the everyday moments in your life, from the
spectacular to the mundane. Through his own journey with the "Surprise
Me" faith experiment, Terry illustrates how the good and bad surprises
of life draw you into a deeper relationship with God.
"If the idea of walking with Jesus doesn't make you uncomfortable, you haven't thought seriously enough about His presence in your life," writes Chip Ingram. His book, Holy Ambition, will help you think seriously about your walk with Christ. Drawing upon the life of Nehemiah, Ingram reveals the six conditions for developing a holy ambition.
David Murrow observes that in many churches men are viewed as an attractive accessory; nice, but not necessary to fulfill its mission. Churches are often geared towards meeting the needs of women, while ignoring the needs of men. In Why Men Hate Going To Church, Murrow argues for a new paradigm to call the church back to men. If it wants to attract men, the church must speak a language that men understand. His book, which has received broad national attention from both the secular and religious press, provides several chapters of suggestions to help church leaders restore a masculine spirit in their church.
Why settle for normal when you can discover God's 'greater yes' for your life? Dr. Dan Erickson, in his book Finding Your Greater Yes!, will guide you into new ways of thinking about what God might want to do in you and through you. He will challenge you to exchange your lesser yeses, those times when you let our circumstances determine our destiny, to God's greater yes for your life.
