Here is a list of the books I read in 2010. The titles that at hyperlinked will take you to the book review I wrote for that book.
Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites
Classic Wisdom For The Professional Life
Endued With Power
Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain
In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day
Living Free In An Anxious World
Overcoming Barriers To Church Growth
Patton: the Pursuit Of Destiny
I was reading Dr. Archibald Hart’s book Sleep: It Does A Family Good a few nights ago in the evening, and my oldest son looked over at me and snickered. “What?” I asked.
He said, “I just think it’s kinda funny that you are reading a book about sleep just before you go to sleep!” I smiled at his sense of humor and kept on reading Dr. Hart’s fascinating book. And the more I read, the more I discovered that reading just prior to bedtime was the perfect time to read, as Dr. Hart explains that what I put into my mind just before going to sleep gets sorted and stored in my brain’s long-term memory as I sleep.
That is IF I get enough sleep. Sadly, that’s the problem with most Americans: we are chronically tired. Not getting the proper amount of sleep adversely impacts our memory storage and recall, our work/school performance, our decision-making abilities, our coping skills, not to mention our physical health. Some students have even been misdiagnosed with disorders such as ADHD when in reality they are severely sleep-deprived.
Dr. Hart diagnoses the power of sleep in three sections:
This is a very straightforward read, with just enough evidence to convict me that I need to work on my sleeping habits, but not so technical that the information became overwhelming. Dr. Hart has an easy-to-read style that anyone can grasp, and he includes several charts and assessments to help you personally gauge where you and your family are on the sleep spectrum. Then he offers very practical steps on how to begin to make better investments in your family’s sleep bank.
Years ago a friend said to me, “Sometimes the most spiritually healthy thing I can do is go to bed early.” It took me a while to grasp what my friend was saying, but it all became so clear when I read Dr. Hart’s book. Sleep, as it turns out, really does do a family good! I’m looking forward to seeing how things in my family improve as we all get more sleep.
I am a book reviewer for Tyndale House Publishers.
I’m a morning person. I absolutely love getting up early and spending some quiet time alone with my Bible. This is the time of day I most absorb all that God is saying to me. It’s my most creative time too. In fact, I so love getting up early that most mornings I’m awake before my alarm clock goes off.
But not this morning.
Today my alarm clock began playing Way-FM and I felt like I was in a fog. It took me a minute or so to even open my eyes and sit up.
I was about to press ahead with my morning, when I thought, “I should sleep some more.”
You see, I’ve learned a few things about myself. When I’m tired…
So I re-set the alarm and slept another hour.
Sometimes a little extra sleep is one of the most important things you can do to improve your physical health, your emotional stamina, and your spiritual maturity.
UPDATE: In my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter I have five chapters about a leader’s health—mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health is vital to a leader’s effectiveness and longevity.
Several years ago the term “cross-training” became more popular in physical fitness circles. The idea was that training or working out in a secondary sport better prepared the athlete for their primary sport. For example, a long-distance cyclist playing basketball would help develop some of the fast-twitch muscles needed for quick bursts on the bike. This was valuable insight and has helped many athletes excel.
It’s just as true spiritually.
The Apostle Paul encourages us to, “Carry each other’s burdens.” No small task in itself. In fact, that usually requires some very heavy lifting. But if I’m going to be prepared for the heavy lifting, I’ve got to put in some spiritual cross-training time.
It’s no secret that if I don’t eat right, my body doesn’t have the fuel to burn. If I don’t sleep enough hours, my body doesn’t have the stamina to function properly. If I’m not handling stress right, my mind and emotions will be clouded in their processing capabilities.
All of these areas are just as true spiritually. If I’m not getting the right spiritual food, rest, and peace, I’m going to break down. I won’t be any good to myself or others.
In the same burden-carrying / cross-training passage, Paul says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”
Yesterday I did some cross-training. I was having lunch with a B.T.D.T. pastor friend (been there, done that). I was soaking up his counsel on vision-casting for my church, enjoying his encouragement for the road ahead of me, and just generally being filled up.
As our lunch was wrapping up, I received a call from another friend who needed help. This friend was in trouble and needed me to help shoulder a burden. I spent the next three hours doing some very heavy lifting.
Here’s the deal: if I hadn’t been doing some spiritual cross-training to prepare myself, I may not have been able to lift that burden. Or, worse yet, I may have been tempted to take shortcuts and fall into the same trap as my struggling friend.
It doesn’t always happen back-to-back like this. But I know the joy of being able to carry a heavy burden for a brother because I have done my cross-training time, and I (unfortunately) also know the heartache of not being a very effective lifter because I didn’t make the time for cross-training.
We never know when we’ll be called upon by a friend. So we need to stay in tip-top spiritual fitness all the time. Your spiritual cross-training regime should include time with God’s Word and time in prayer; reading good books; spending time with encouraging, uplifting people; plenty of rest, good food, and physical exercise; and an attentive ear to those in need.
Cross-train regularly so you can be a great burden-lifter when a friend-in-need calls on you.
Craig T. Owens 