Rework

Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you're looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf. Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business. Read it and you'll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don't need outside investors, and why you're better off ignoring the competition. The truth is, you need less than you think. You don't need to be a workaholic. You don't need to staff up. You don't need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don't even need an office. Those are all just excuses. What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way. You'll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counter intuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you. With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who"s ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs they hate, victims of "downsizing," and artists who don"t want to starve anymore will all find valuable guidance in these pages.

Brenda's Thoughts: I really liked this book. It doesn't take long to read cover-to-cover and it's packed with great advice for anyone working in all types of business environments.

You might not agree with everything in this book, that's OK. All of the topics in this book may not apply to you, that's OK too. The key here, is that out of the many things this book covers there is a really good chance that one or more applies to your situation. It will force you to think about things you normally wouldn't and suggest new and innovative ways to deal with the issues you are having in the workplace. 

This book is for people who want to make a difference in the workplace and suggests straightforward and interesting ways to handle almost any situation. If you own a business, want to start a business, or looking for new fresh ideas then pick up this book.

 

Jumping Through Fire

Religion has left an undeniable mark in our world. Some see it as the answer to every problem, while others see it as the problem itself. Simply put, religion is the single greatest force in history. But in a much more intimate sense, what does religion mean to one life?

In this honest, suspenseful, and moving memoir, author David Nasser tells of a life filled with heartbreak and healing. Forced to escape from a country gripped in a religious revolution, David and his family run for their lives in an attempt to find refuge. Through the lens of a terrified boy we see the destructive power of religion and the pull of peer pressure as he tries to fit into a new culture.

Nasser's raw and transparent account of his transition from hating religion to having a living faith in Christ will impact readers from across the religious spectrum. His unflinchingly honest, yet humorous, assessment of the church from an outsider's point of view will both enlighten readers and spur them to renewed and refined outreach.

For anyone who has seen the lie of religion, whether in Iran or Alabama or anywhere in between, Nasser offers the truth of Jesus.

Brenda's Thoughts: David Nassar shares his life story in an amazing and inspiring book on struggling with the concept of being raised muslim and converting to Christianity. I found this book interesting and enlightening. A picture of Nasser's younger days prior to becoming a Christian, battling common issues, and getting to where he is today. The amazing stories that reveal the hand of God at work in the family's escape from Iran, as well as in the detours along the way throughout the relocation process. The events that followed reveal the intricate working of relationships and circumstances by a supernatural God. David experienced a complete change of heart and found acceptance, forgiveness, and redemption. "Jumping through Fires" is filled with the life changing message of the grace of God working out His purpose in individual lives.

The Confession

For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn’t understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn’t care. He just can’t believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed.

Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what’s right and confess.

But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?

Brenda's Thoughts: This was my first John Grisham book and I was pleasantly surprised. There were places that seemed slow and tedious, but after I really got in to it, I could hardly put it down.Whether you're pro or con on the issue of the death penalty, it shouldn't have any play in the fact that this Grisham novel was good. It evoked in me some very strong feelings which caused me to revisit my own views of the death penalty and our justice system. I will definitely be reading another Grisham book in the future.

In the Name of Jesus

In the Name of Jesus is Henri's Nouwen's bold, honest, and heartwarming message about Christian Leadership. According to Nouwen, Christians must give up their desire to be powerful and embrace authority based on prayer and forgiveness. His emphasis on a vigorous centered-Jesus life will be helpful to ministers in training and all those wanting to live with integrity and compassion of Christ.

Brenda's Thoughts: I read this book in an hour, but that one hour of reading produced many more hours of personal thought and reflection about what it means to be a leader in ministry who truly reflects the Savior we serve.

This book addresses ministers/pastors, but I think many of the principles he discusses are applicable to almost anyone who wants to serve God in ministry, even in non-leadership capacities. I was particularly struck when he discussed how those of us who serve in ministry can often get sidetracked and distracted in our work for God when we begin to associate our service with our own glory and not God's.
 
As leaders in ministry, we will regularly encounter and serve people who are in tough situations and we need to realize that this is a position of tremendous responsibility. Having this responsibility can tempt people into craving power or influence, which can lead to a lot of hurts once our motives for service are not authentic. All the more reason to enter into leadership with the right motives and a heart that is right with God. To be an effective leader for God who has joy in their service and whom God uses to the fullest for the benefit of those we serve.
 
Being a Christian leader is all about being genuine and vulnerable, and loving others through that vulnerability. "The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God's love" (Henri Nouwen). As a leader we can be set free to be ourselves and enjoy God and love others. Being an effective leader is very simple and has been done for thousands of years; it's about emptying ourselves, taking up our cross, and sharing that journey with those in our care. One of my favorite quotes and there are many..."Jesus has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go."

This book may be short, but sure does pack a punch!

Brenda's Thoughts Continue...

The Help

This book continues to play in my head, and as I was at Costco shopping I had a thought...

The maids who worked for white families were slaves due to the legal and social laws of the land, while the white women in the story were slaves to their social circles. It occurred to me as I was walking the isles of Costco...we are all slaves to something...work, food, drugs, friends, families, social acceptance, money, pride, ego, insecurity, etc...you get the idea.

What are you a slave to?

I know what enslaves me, and I am thankful that the Master of the Universe lives in me. He helps me to break the chains that bind and keep me from the life He wants and desires for me.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

The Help

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women--mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends--view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

Brenda's Thoughts: This was my book club's pick for this month and what a great choice! This was a wonderful book that not only described the lives of women in domestic help, but also of their relationships with the children of families and the sometimes complicated, layered relationships between women. A tradition that the south has--you don't have to be blood to be family. The characters were written in such a way, they became alive and the writing style of the author, telling the story from various points of view, was perfect.

The book also shows a dark side to the life of a black southern women. At times, I wanted to cry and other times I laughed out loud. There were times I was literally afraid and other times so angry. The author did a very good job of creating a positive relationship between black and white southerners while at the same time exposing the negative effects of racism during that time. This is an important story that is a painful reminder of past cruelty and injustice. It shows how far we have progressed and how much more we still have to accomplish. As Skeeter explained, "Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, 'We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.'"

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7, NIV).

P.S. A big thank you to Jackie for surprising us with a delicious "chocolate pie" that would have made Minny proud!

Water for Elephants

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

Brenda's thoughts: We recently read this in the book group I attend and for the most part everyone thought it was a good book overall. The details of circus life were fascinating and disturbing, and seemed quite real. The descriptions of animal care were amazing. To be honest I'd never contemplated how all the humans and animals were fed and housed in a circus. I found the passages with Jacob as an old man melancholy and touching.

The only thing I didn't find convincing was the romance between young Jacob and Marlena. Strange to read a book where I'd much rather read about the relationship between a young man and an extraordinary elephant than about the (human) love of his life! I so longed and wanted more details about the animals and their interaction/relationship with their handlers.

My only disclaimer with this novel is that if YOU do not like sexually explicit descriptions and cussing, I would not recommend this book to you. Regardless of personal feelings about the explicit sexual descriptions, everyone agreed that the book's ability to evoke the travelling turn of the century world was very impressive and we had a great discussion about that and about the role of the animals in the storyline as well. This story is an interesting portrayal of life in a traveling circus, and the ending is an unexpected one that takes you unaware.