Tag Archives: books

Day 2419 – Die Empty

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Today I started a really fantastic book – Die Empty by Todd Henry.

“You’ve probably heard ‘no one ever lay on their deathbed wishing for another day of work.’ I think this saying is wrong, and perhaps a little dangerous because of what it implies….work encompasses much more than just how we make a living. Any value we create that requires us to spend our time, focus, and energy – whether in the context of occupation, relationships, or parenting – is work. Humans, it seems, are wired to find satisfaction by adding value through toil.” – Todd Henry

What really struck me about that last sentence was how biblical it is. Since I’m working on a book about work from a biblical standpoint, I’ve researched verses about work and the theme of work being what we’re called to do is repeated a lot. One of my favorite “work” verses is this:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

I love this concept of work bringing satisfaction through toil. And that work is so many different things.

I can’t wait to get into the mindset/practical application portion. I’m already thinking differently about work from reading just a few pages.

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Day 2413 – Excerpt From My Book

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Writing a book has been quite a journey. Some days…er….weeks…er…months…I barely do anything. I’m in a bit of a holding pattern right now with the book for a number of reasons. Since I’m asked pretty regularly how the book is going, I figured I’d share an excerpt with my current concept. I’d love to know your thoughts. Please be super honest. 🙂

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“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

In All Toil
Toil is a very active work word. It’s not one of those “fluffy” work words like “brainstorming” or “consulting.” It gives us a sense of someone dripping sweat, dirty, gritty and certainly not wasting time.

There is profit
I love that promise. Even if my work feels fruitless, there is profit. Even if I’m just learning from my mistakes. There is a reward for following the rules – such as a great promise.

Mere talk tends only to poverty
This one hits so close to home for me. I am a big dreamer. I can come up with dozens of new dreams and ideas. But when it comes to the implementing, I feel like a lot doesn’t get done. God is telling us that not working will lead to poverty. How’s that for motivation?

Reflection
Are there areas where you ARE toiling? Are you doing well with this? In what areas are you not taking action? In what areas are you just talking?

Day 2407 – Marriage Advice And A Book Review

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Thank you to everyone who answered the poll yesterday! I’m rolling a book review AND marriage advice into one post!

Bret found Marriage: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures by Amber Dusick at the library. We’ve had SO much fun reading through it together. We’ll read a few pages before going to sleep and it’s a great way to end the day. There are some REALLY funny pictures/situations in here!

So the advice? Laugh with your spouse….even if it’s laughing at the crazy things you each do! 🙂

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Day 2168 – How To Get A Workout With Books

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One of the things that I love about Bret is that he can come up with some fantastic workouts that don’t require a gym. He gave me one a few months back that’s pretty easy to do and cheap too!

Find something heavy and do:
30 deadlifts with heavy item
30 bent over rows with heavy item
30 hip raises with body weight only

It only took me a few minutes.

So what was my heavy item? A bag of books! You can also take a peek at a few of the books I’m currently working my way through! I held the bag from the bottom to do the workout.

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