Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel

I wasn't quite so fond of this as Mr Comer - "I found a little book by a Jewish mystic on the Sabbath. 1 I read it. Then I read it again. Then I read it again. I hate to say, This book changed my life! but, well, this book changed my life. For the first time I started to practice the art form of Sabbath, an art form as ancient as creation itself."

— Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human. by John Mark Comer

But then, I've read it once. The last chapter about "time," I have read twice. Very good.

The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson

The most powerful part of The Slight Edge is the simplicity and practicality of the philosophy. Olsen summarizes many big ideas we may already know, and shows how to apply them in simple, daily steps. The book is sobering yet uplifting at the same time, because it presents so clearly how we can shape our lives, there's no longer any excuse not to.

Olsen shares relatable stories and examples to help us understand the concepts in the book, including his own story – how he went from a beach bum to owning the 5th largest solar-air energy company in America, to losing everything and rebuilding from scratch again. Most chapters end with testimonies from people who shared how they have applied the Slight Edge in their lives.

Master of One, by Jordon Raynor

In the author's words...

Part I: The Purpose of Mastery 

If the first, most fundamental purpose of masterful work is to bring God glory, the second is to love our neighbors as ourselves. We ought to pursue excellence in our work not as a means to an end but in obedience to what Jesus identified as the Greatest Commandments. 

As Christians we can't claim to love our neighbor as ourselves and then do our work with mediocrity. 

Mediocre work is nothing short of a failure of love. It is through the ministry of excellence that we love our neighbors through our work.

Part II: The Path to Mastery 

There are three keys to mastering your one thing. 

- The first is a direct or indirect apprenticeship. 

- The second is what scientists call "purposeful practice," which distinguishes itself from "naive practice" in that it requires specific goals, intense focus, rapid feedback, and frequent discomfort. 

-The third and final key to mastery is having the discipline to stick with your one thing over a long enough period of time to become truly masterful at it.

Part III: The Promise of Mastery 

The third and final promise of mastery is that when we pursue excellence in our work as a means of glorifying God and serving others, we are invited to share in the True Master's happiness. 

While our happiness is not the primary purpose of work, our desire to find work that we love is a good, God-honoring thing. The truest and deepest satisfaction of vocation follows mastery, not the other way around. 

It is only when we get insanely good at what we do that we not only fall in love with our work but stay in love with it over a long period of time.

———-

Thank your Jordan and I apologize that when I started reading your first book (while it was still a blog post of sorts), I thought you to be too young to teach me anything new and worthwhile. You have.  - Danny Smith

The Garden City, by John Mark Comer

From the book, page 286 - Just remember one last thing: if your dreams are all about you, then your dreams are way too small. You need to dream larger. Larger than your job or career or net worth or name or body. You need dreams as large as Jesus’ vision of the kingdom.

How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body, by Dr. David Hamilton

Aging Matters: Finding Your Calling for the Rest of Your Life, by R. Paul Stevens

A Minute to Midnight, by David Baldacci