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Book Review: The Art of Work

Pat Hannon @phannon December 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

Book Review: The Art of Work

I was in an epic struggle. Despite years of time and effort I wasn’t sure I could finish the project. This wasn’t your everyday kind of project; this was a life goal, alter your destiny kind of project. And I was losing the battle.

I had the skills necessary to accomplish what was in front of me, but I was paralyzed with an inability to do the work. During this season I read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I discovered names for my paralysis: fear and resistance. I was afraid that I didn’t have what it takes, that I wouldn’t be able to get the job done, that I would fail at a major life goal. So resistance took over, giving me all the reasons I would ever need to avoid instead of doing the work necessary.

Pressfield named my struggle and help me understand that fear is not always a sign to stop or retreat, for fear can point the way to what we are most supposed to do. We overcome resistance by going pro – showing up and doing the work even when we’re afraid.

I resisted resistance and fear, did the work, and accomplished my lifetime, destiny altering goal. Thank you, Steven.

Recently, Mike at Speakeasy contacted me with an opportunity to receive a free review copy of Jeff Goin’s The Art of Work. I immediately noticed the homage to Pressfield’s work in the title. Seeing that Pressfield endorsed The Art of Work sealed the deal: Let’s see what Goins has to say.

While Pressfield reflects on how to get our work done, Goins is reflecting on what work we should be doing. How do we discover and live into the calling to our true life work? Goins reflects on the nature of calling and discovering our vocation. By listening to people’s stories he discovers and unpacks seven common characteristics of people who embrace their calling:

  1. Awareness
  2. Apprenticeship
  3. Practice
  4. Discovery
  5. Profession
  6. Mastery
  7. Legacy

It turns out that calling is less about planning for the perfect life and more about responding well to the unexpected moments of life.

I once thought that discovering my calling was something I would accomplish once and be done. It’s the “what will you be when you grow up” question. If this was the case, I would have settled this at 19. I’ve since made a discovery: we are never finished discovering our calling. Our calling becomes more specific as we walk the path it has for us. It manifests differently in different seasons of life. And, if we let it, calling will guide us throughout our life.

Pressfield prepares us for the war involved in doing our most important work; Goins shows us the way to discover what that most important work is.

Filed Under: Books, Leadership, Productivity Tagged With: Book Notes, calling

Three Critical Questions for Effective Outreach

Pat Hannon @phannon May 1, 2015 Leave a Comment

Three Critical Questions for Effective Outreach

Most Christians want to see people come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Most Christians want to be part of a church that is drawing people to God through the good news of Jesus.
And most Christians wish their church was more effective in its outreach efforts.

In Organic Outreach for Churches, Kevin Harney asks three questions for churches that desire to grow in outreach effectiveness.

  1. Does your church believe, honor, and follow the teachings of the Bible?
  2. Does your church love people and long for them to know Jesus?
  3. Are the people in your church willing to sacrifice to the point that they will joyfully embrace change?

If you can give an enthusiastic yes to these questions, says Harney, your church is on the verge of seeing an explosion in outreach effectiveness.

However, if you cannot give an honest yes to any of these questions, it will be very hard to develop a culture of effective outreach in your church.

 

Filed Under: Books, Leadership, Mission, Spiritual Formation Tagged With: Book Notes, evangelism, outreach

Free Book Friday #39

Pat Hannon @phannon March 13, 2015 Leave a Comment

Free Book Friday #39

It’s Friday! That means free books, book deals, and miscellaneous ramblings.

Free Books
Life to the Max by Max Lucado When God Met A Girl Andrew SnadenSmart Women Know When to Say No by Kevin Leman

$.99 eBook Sale
Zondervan currently has hundreds of ebooks on sale for $.99. View the whole list here.
I’ve selected a number of great titles to recommend for you. Click on the covers to get them at this deal while you can!

John Wesley's Teachings, Vol 1 John Wesley's Teachings, Vol 2 John Wesley's Teachings, Vol 4 Praying the Scriptures for Your Children Real SImplicity by Rozanne and Randy Frazee Common Roots by Robert E. Webber Hungry for God by Margaret Feinberg The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg Rest by Keri Wyatt Kent STIR by Mindy Caliguire Deep Justice in a Broken World by Chap Clark and Kara Powell Organic Outreach for Ordinary People by Kevin Harney Organic Outreach for Families by Kevin and Sherry Harney

Weekly Ramblings

How often does our life feel like this? Very funny, and very tiring.

Tomorrow is Pi Day. Our family celebrates every year by having pie for dinner.
This year, Pi Day is extra cool. At 9:26 am and 53 seconds, it will be 3/14/15 9:26:53 (the first 10 digits of the number pi.)

#PiDay Dinner

A photo posted by Pat Hannon (@pathannon) on Mar 14, 2013 at 3:47pm PDT

Filed Under: Books, Miscellany Tagged With: Free Book Friday

Free Book Friday #38

Pat Hannon @phannon March 6, 2015 Leave a Comment

Free Book Friday #38

Free Book
Hit the Mark by Erik Fisher and Jim Woods
I worked with Erik Fisher at Indiana Wesleyan University. He’s a great guy with a great podcast. Grab his book while it’s free!

Book Deals
Check out these books with massive discounts at Amazon.
Community of Kindness by Steve Sjogren For All God's Worth by NT Wright Sacred Pause by Rachel Hackenburg The Jesus Creed for Students by Scot McKnight 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight The Jesus Prayer by Frederica Mathews-Green
Don’t have a Kindle? Download the free Kindle Reading App.

Weekly Ramblings
I’ve decided to add some weekly ramblings to my Free Book Friday posts. What will I ramble about? Whatever I want! Perhaps some thoughts, perhaps some links, always some ramblings.

At it’s best, the church is like this.

We’ve been discussing using the hymnal more at our church. It’s a crazy idea: What if when we sing a song in the hymnal, we encourage people to use the hymnal? Jonathan offers 15 reasons this might be a good idea.

Hymnals involve tactile action. Hymnals make the people work. Picking up the hymnal, finding the right page, and holding it up to sing grounds you in time and space. Feeling the weight in your hand engages you in the activity more than staring at a screen ever could.

I used this website to schedule a meeting last week. Worked better than emailing/texting/calling everyone over and over.

Filed Under: Books, Miscellany Tagged With: Free Book Friday

Monday Quote: A Merrier World

Pat Hannon @phannon March 2, 2015 Leave a Comment

Monday Quote: A Merrier World

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

-Thorin Oakenshield via J.R.R Tolkien

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Monday Quotes

Free Book Friday #37

Pat Hannon @phannon February 27, 2015 Leave a Comment

Free Book Friday #37

Free Books
Relearning Jesus by Matthew Paul turner The Message of Easter by Eugene Peterson Jesus Hacks by Neal Samudre
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Free Book Friday

Free Book Friday #36

Pat Hannon @phannon February 20, 2015 Leave a Comment

Free Book Friday #36

This week’s Free Books
The Message of Easter by Eugene Peterson Jesus Hacks by Neal Samudre Reconsider Poverty by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Free Book Friday

Monday Quote: See and Hear

Pat Hannon @phannon February 16, 2015 Leave a Comment

Monday Quote: See and Hear

People generally see what they look for,

Tweet This: People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for. -Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Filed Under: Books, Spiritual Formation Tagged With: Monday Quotes

Free Book Friday # 35

Pat Hannon @phannon February 13, 2015 Leave a Comment

Free Book Friday # 35

It’s Valentine’s Weekend. That always means deals on relationship books.

Free Books
The 4 Seasons of Marriage by Gary Chapman Life to the Max by Max Lucado

Book Deals
Check out these books available at great prices. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Free Book Friday

Free Book Friday #34

Pat Hannon @phannon February 6, 2015 Leave a Comment

Free Book Friday #34

Friday’s Free Books
The Same Love by Paul Baloche Beyond Ordinary by Justin & Trisha Davis Live Uncaged by Mary Demuth
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Free Book Friday

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