Books I Liked this Year (2023)

Every year I like to look back and think about the books from that month that I’ve liked. Here are five of the top picks for me from 2023.

“The Upper Room” by JC Ryle
This collection of writings from JC Ryle was both challenging and encouraging. Each chapter takes on a different aspect of the Christian life. It helped me reflect and motivated me to keep moving forward in my faith. It’s exciting when writings from generations ago are still impactful today – and this book is.

“Bo’s Cafe” by John Lynch
Bo’s Cafe is a story of grace, empathy, and second chances. I don’t usually read fiction, but this story helped me reflect and consider the way I view other people. A personal mentor recommended this book to me, and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to grow in their ability to help bring out the best in other people.

“Hearing God” by Dallas Willard
How do we know when God is speaking to us? How can we recognize his voice? What do we do when we may have missed what God was trying to tell us? These are the kinds of questions Dallas Willard asks and answers in “Hearing God.” If you’ve ever wondered how you can have a conversational relationship with God, this book is helpful.

“Good Tidings of Great Joy” by Charles Spurgeon
I love this book of devotional writings from Spurgeon about the birth of Jesus. It’s beautifully insightful in the way it helped me consider Christmas in a different perspective. It’s also beautifully bound. Any book lover would enjoy having this clothbound volume on their shelf.

“The Self Aware Leader” by John Maxwell
Any John Maxwell book is a good one. What I really appreciated most about this book is the way it caused me to stop and think at the end of every chapter. If you’re a leader and you’re willing to apply the lessons in this book as you read, it will be like having John Maxwell sit with you and give you personal coaching.

Helpful Habits

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” “A marathon begins with a single step.” Quotes like these remind us that the person we become is the result of what we do over and over again. Growth is a process, and the big results we hope for often come from the habits we form. Here are a few habits that have helped me grow:

Learn Something New Every Day
Curiosity keeps me moving forward. In every situation there is always something new to learn. I tend to accumulate books faster than I can read them, but I read with a pen in hand – taking notes and learning. Everything is connected in some way, and when we learn anything new it deepens our understanding in every area.

Create Something New Every Day
Creating new stuff gives a purposeful outlet for the things we are learning. I think everyone has a creative part of their personality, and we’re better when we use it. Maybe it’s writing something new, cooking a meal, or starting a new project. We were made to create.

Get Meaningful Rest Every Week
If we live our lives on “go” all the time, we’ll burn out eventually. We were made to produce, but we were also made to rest. Rest becomes more meaningful when it is scheduled. I like routines. On my day of rest I wake up and usually do the same things. This helps me be prepared to benefit from the rest.

Exercise on a Regular Basis
Our bodies need the challenge of regular exercise. I have made a habit of running several days a week. When I started I would dread going on a run, but now it helps me clear my mind, stay healthy, and sleep well at night. Most of the time when I want to skip my run is when I need to go exercise the most.

What habits have helped you grow?

4 Things Servant Leaders Do

Jesus is the perfect example of servant leadership, and he teaches that his followers should also serve others – if they want to lead. Servant leaders do many things. Here are four:

1. Do the dirty work.
   There are always things that people will avoid if they have the opportunity. A servant leader is willing to do the dirty work when nobody else wants to. Of course we have to delegate, but if you aren’t willing to take out the trash when it’s needed, you probably aren’t leading well.
   
2. Help others, before you look for their help.
   We could almost always use help from others on whatever we are responsible for. Servant leaders accept that they may never get the help from others they wish they did. But they still choose to offer that kind of support to whoever needs it – because serving isn’t about what we can get back, it’s about what we can give.
   
3. Listen.
   Whenever you feel like you have something to say, remember that someone else probably does too. One of the most meaningful acts of service we can give is to make someone feel heard. Servant leaders understand that listening adds value to themselves and to the person who is talking.
   
4. Celebrate when someone else wins.
   The best leaders choose a perspective that puts the interests and aspirations of others before their own. So when someone else wins, the best leaders celebrate with them! It shows they truly care about the other person – and you can’t fake that.

We can love and serve people because Jesus loved us first. When we do, it shows people that we care about them. And that’s what we’re supposed to do, whether they serve us too, or not.

God With Us

The angel told Joseph that Jesus would be called Immanuel, which means God is with us. God has always been everywhere, all at once. But when Jesus is born as a child and takes on human flesh, God is with us in a new way.

Jesus shows God’s love to us. Its why…
When you feel unheard, you can know God hears you.
When you feel discouraged, you can remember his promises.
When you think you’re alone, you can trust that he knows you.
When you feel like giving up, he can help you keep going.
When you seek him, he’ll revive you.
When you’re empty, he’ll fill you up.
When you’re afraid, he’ll be there.
When you have doubts, he invites you to bring them to him.
When you don’t know what to do, he’ll help you take the next step.

When you mess it all up, you know that you’re wrong, and you find yourself in shame and failure again and again, you can always go back home to him – knowing that he’ll run to you and meet you, heal you and restore you, purify your heart and forgive you – because he paid the price for your forgiveness – and you belong to him.