Welcome to the end of May. Things have been crazy busy in our world, and I’m certain they have in yours as well. I’d like to share with you what I'm reading, pondering and enjoying in the midst of that busyness.
I do this the last Monday of each month. It’s my way of peeling back the layers and sharing the things that have the greatest impact on me each month. I hope the resources I share with you are helpful and brighten your day. If you do enjoy it, pass it along to family, friends and the occasional stranger.
Quote I'm Chewing On
“Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.”
I stinking love this quote. It’s one of the many new favs I’ve found reading and listening to Jocko talk about discipline, leadership and getting after it. This one in particular pushes me to take ownership of absolutely everything. This ownership has me springing out of bed earlier than ever, and charging into the day. It has me drawing the circle around myself and working on everything within it like never before.
What I'm Reading
Stuart Little by E.B. White - Few writers have as clear and concise a style as E.B. White. Now that we have a little, I’ve got a new excuse to reacquaint myself with his voice.
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Lief Babin - I’ve been obsessed with this book of late. It continues to challenge me in several deep and profound ways. I’m rethinking and retooling the way I approach every area of life in light of it.
Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam - We're struggling to get a solid sleep schedule down with the new little in our midst. We once had promise and hope that our new son was getting the hang of things and sleeping well, but all hope seems dashed of late. Late nights filled with crying are the new normal. We're reading everything we can find to get our arms around what we're supposed to do.
What I’m Listening To
The Church Leadership Podcast - This is a new podcast Watermark Community Church launched in the past month. While directed towards church leaders, I’ve found it deeply helpful as I’ve processed what it looks like to lead our growing family well. Go listen to the first episode entitled, A Leader’s Inner Circle. In it you’ll hear an outstanding conversation about why other Christians are one of God’s biggest gifts to you.
Betty Who - I know you’re thinking I’ve lost my mind. What could possibly lead to my listening to an artist like Betty Who? The short answer and the long of it is that I trusted the recommendation of a friend. I’m not even the least bit sad I did. Her tunes have become the sounds powering my work day and it’s wonderful.
The Jocko Podcast - I discovered Jocko Podcast the same weekend I read Extreme Ownership. It's my new favorite podcast. Whatever I'm doing, and wherever I'm going, it's playing in my headphones of late. Jocko's a virtual mentor as his podcast fires me up, gets me moving and has me taking action to develop as a leader.
The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast - J. Warner Wallace is a real life cold-case detective helping Christians develop the skills necessary to make a compelling case for why they believe the gospel to be true. He calls this a Forensic Faith and it’s exactly what believers must do.
From the Internet
Why Do We Want to Put a Stone in Your Shoe? - This two part series springs from the often quoted Greg Koukl who says, “All I want to do is give him something worth thinking about.” In this series, Scott and the marriage team at Watermark give us more than something to think about, but several somethings worth talking about with our spouses.
Major Dick Winters Interview - Several podcasts I listened to this month discussed the life and leadership of Major Dick Winters. Here is an interview with the man himself. One of the finest leaders of men and the subject of the HBO mini series Band of Brothers.