Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley

I want to have a healthy marriage, so I think I'll flirt with my secretary.

I want to be financially secure, so I'm going to rack up some consumer credit buying things I can't really afford.

By this time next month I want to lose 5 pounds, so go ahead and supersize that.

I want to get into a great college on a scholarship so I think I'll party tonight instead of studying for that test tomorrow.

Recently I had the opportunity to read a really great book by pastor and leader Andy Stanley called The Principle of the Path. This book reveals a very simple principle that we all know to be true - Direction, not intentions, determines destination. Andy explains the incredible disconnect so many of us have between what we say we want to happen, and what we actually do about it.

It's a quick read and really simple to understand. As a pastor myself, this book has given me a great way to talk to people about the connection between our choices and the circumstances we find ourselves in on a day to day basis. I believe this simple principle could transform the way you and I think about the choices we all face every day.

If you are finding yourself frustrated with your present circumstances and want future decisions to lead to better results, then I would highly recommend you grab a copy of this book.

(Disclaimer: Booksneeze gave me a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.)

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Wild at Heart by John Eldredge: A review

The first time I read Wild at Heart I believe was just after college. Recently I received a copy of a revised and expanded version that was released on the ten year anniversary of the book. Wild at Heart is a classic. The book deals with the heart of a man. John Eldredge contends that there are three desires in the heart of a man: A battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. And yet at the same time there is a question that haunts every man - "Do I have what it takes?" At the heart of every man is a fear that he won't have what it takes to come through when he needs to. It's a fear that he'll be exposed as an impostor, that he isn't really a man. Eldredge does an amazing job at answering that question and addressing that fear in a way that affirms the man in who God has made him to be.

Eldredge's writing style makes for a great read. He regularly dips into his own life and shares stories of his experiences counseling other men and raising up three boys (now all grown). Reading it again was such a joy. I realize now, looking into the rear view mirror that this book shaped me more than I knew. It breathed truth into my life that I really needed in a very formative time as I wrestled with what it means to be a man. And now, being a father with a baby boy I read it in a whole new light. One of the greatest responsibilities I get as a father is to help answer "the question" for my son.

As for the revised and expanded version of the book - it wasn't clear to me what was expanded and/or revised with exception of one part of the introduction where Eldredge comments on what it's like now 10 years after the book was released. It has a different cover, but as far as I could tell the contents of the book have pretty much remained the same - the same classic, life-giving book that it has always been. I was so glad to read it again, and it certainly won't be the last time.


(Disclosure: Booksneeze.com has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for me to review. I was not required to give a positive review of the book. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

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Plan B by Pete Wilson

What do you do when your dreams are shattered? What do you do when your life isn't turning out the way you thought? What to do you do when you have to turn to Plan B? Those are the questions posed on the jacket of Pete Wilson's new book "Plan B".

Pete Wilson is the pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville. All his years of experience counseling people, walking with them through their darkest moments, and trying to answer questions about why God allows certain things to happen have led him to write this book.

A Plan B life is the life that isn't working out according to our plans. It's the life where cancer shows up, where we lose our job, where our finances dry up, where the marriage ends. The Bible is full of Plan B stories. Joseph has a dream about being a ruler, only to find himself in a pit and sold into slavery by his own brothers. But then he finds himself in power in Egypt, only to again be thrown into prison and seemingly forgotten. David is anointed as king, and then spends the next several years of his life running for his life and hiding out in caves.

Pete Wilson does an incredible job walking us through the difficulty of the Plan B. What I love about it the most is that it is really birthed out of a pastor's heart, with years of experience. It's honest, raw, and doesn't try to sugar coat anything. He readily admits that we don't always have the answers, we may never know "why" things happen.

Pete's conclusion is that Plan B situations have the potential to change us into something greater. Some people choose to grow through their Plan B, and some people don't. Pain and suffering and heartache and disappointment are the catalysts for growth in our lives. There's a great quotation from C.S. Lewis here that says "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world." If you are a follower of Jesus, you can probably attest to the fact that it's in the most difficult times of your life that you lean the most into God. You read the bible more, you pray more, you seek him more.

The message of this book is very hopeful. The fact is, your Plan B is not the end of the story. It's not. For many, they give up too easily, they are ready to quit on the idea that things could ever get better. But your Plan B is not the last word. There is still more story to tell. Stick through it. Allow the situation to change you, to mold you, and to break you if need be. On the other side is something beautiful.

For more information about "Plan B" check out the website at http://www.planbbook.com.

(Thomas Nelson provided me with a free copy of Plan B for my review.)

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A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: A Review

I've been waiting for this book for more than two years. It was at least that long ago now that Donald Miller spoke at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI on the subject of Story. It was a talk that I have gone back to probably a dozen times. It's a talk that led me to dream, and then to ultimately step out and begin planting a church - Story Church.

I must admit that I am already a Donald Miller fan. I've read Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What, and To Own a Dragon. Each of these books has played a key role in my spiritual journey. But even as a fan, I don't think I was ready for what A Million Miles has done to me.

This book is the result of Don's real life experience with editing his memoir Blue Like Jazz to be made into a movie. During the process, he begins to learn all the elements of story - what makes a story good, what makes a story bad, etc. After realizing that his own real life story wasn't really going anywhere, he decided to apply the elements of story to his life. He begins to intentionally seek out a story of purpose and meaning by facing his fears, chasing down his dreams, and embracing the challenges and conflicts that come his way. The result is profound.

A Million Miles is raw. It's gut wrenchingly vulnerable. I found myself regularly laughing out loud. A few pages later I found myself weeping. It was convicting, challenging, inspiring, and unsettling. I was blown away at how vulnerable Miller is in this book. I felt at times like he was letting me in on parts of his life and his thoughts in a way that I haven't even done with some of my closest friends. From the journey to find his dad, to the quest to find love, it was an unbelievable ride.

This is one of those books that will forever change me. I will no doubt read it again and again. As a pastor I can say without a doubt that this is a book I will be giving away to everyone who will read it. It isn't preachy. It's honest, funny, beautiful, and inspiring. And if you and I let these truths seep in, our stories will never be the same.

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