No Ordinary Dog, by Will Chesney

The Good and Beautiful God, by James Bryan Smith

The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith is the first book in the Apprentice Series and focuses on spiritual transformation through knowing the true character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Smith argues that many of our struggles stem from false narratives we believe about God, ourselves, and the world. Each chapter addresses a specific false narrative—such as "God is angry" or "God blesses me when I'm good"—and replaces it with a true, biblical narrative grounded in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Smith emphasizes spiritual practices (called "soul training exercises") to help readers internalize these true narratives. His goal is to help believers move from merely trying to be good to training in the way of Jesus, allowing God's love and grace to transform them from the inside out.

Main themes include:

• God is good, loving, and trustworthy

• Transformation happens by changing the stories we live by

• Spiritual practices are essential to growth in Christlikeness

It's a hopeful and practical guide to becoming more like Christ by truly understanding who God is.

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

Book Summary and Reflection This is my second time reading Aging Matters. I first read it in 2020, but I don't remember reading it. After seeing a quote in another book, and checking it out on Amazon, I was surprised to find I owned it. My immediate reaction was I'd bought it and not read. Imagine my shock to find nearly 10% of the book was highlighted and I'd recorded it on my book blog—it had obviously struck a chord. As I reread, I found myself thinking more than a few times, "Ha, so this is where I got that idea!" The truths in these pages have quietly shaped my thinking, my teaching, and some decisions—without me realizing how deeply they'd taken root. I've read a few of Steven's books. He was a very early author in the Theology of Work space. As Cathy and I have downsized a few things, including my physical library, I've kept all of Stevens's books. The kids will have to decide what to do with them! I believe it was C.S. Lewis that said a book wasn't truly read until it'd been read twice. Reading it this time around was a bit of an echo, and it helped clarify. From the book…… R. Paul Stevens challenges the cultural script that aging equals retirement from meaning. Instead, he calls us to renewed vocation in later life. Work is not merely paid employment; it is creative, relational, and redemptive participation in God's world. At every age, our calling is to: Belong to God through communion and intimacy, Live righteously by becoming more like Christ, Serve others through presence, purpose, and faithfulness. Calling doesn't expire—it evolves. It deepens. It finds fresh forms. The invitation from God is ongoing: join Him in what He's doing. Aging itself becomes a spiritual discipline. Stevens describes three invitations: Intensification – a move toward inner stillness and depth. Simplification – a shedding of excess and a focus on what matters. Heavenly-mindedness – seeing life with eternal perspective. In this stage, we confront the vices of aging—like bitterness or resignation—and are invited to cultivate the virtues of late life: faith, hope, and love. These are not automatic. They are forged in the fires of surrender, perseverance, and grace. Stevens redefines legacy: it's not about leaving something behind, but about passing something forward. It's not just financial—it's spiritual, relational, and eternal. He encourages us to: Review life with honesty and grace. Practice progressive relinquishment of roles, control, and even identity. Prepare for death with peace, not fear. The real question isn't, What did you accomplish? It's, Did you live faithfully with what God gave you? Personal Takeaway A lot has happened since I first read Aging. I made it 19 miles in my first marathon attempt. I completed Goggins' 4x4x48 Challenge, finished the 75 Hard Challenge, and did 1,000 pushups in 18 hours. I had a quintuple bypass. And I turned 70. And, most importantly, I seem to have slowly discovered some things about myself and my calling in what Steven's calls the third-third of life. Reading Aging Matters again now, and especially in this discover stage I realize I've been in, doesn't feel like coincidence. It feels like divine timing—like this book showed up again because it still has work to do in me. It was strange laying in that hospital bed two years ago and realizing I'd been reading Gary Black's Preparing for Heaven. Black and Stevens has helped me see aging as more than survival, though that's what it feels like some days. Aging is a calling to try to live intentionally, to try to love deeply, and to try leave a decent legacy. But, finishing well isn't about being remembered—it's about being faithful. I'm afraid one of the hardest things I will have done is to be able to say "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7) and to hear "well done, good and faithful servant" (Luke 19:17). "Train hard, every day" isn't just for the physical part of our being. To that end….. Danny Entrepreneur's Journey Originally posted at  https://dannylsmith.substack.com/p/book-summary-and-reflection-aging

Let Your Life Speak - by Parker J. Palmer

https://dannylsmith.substack.com/p/let-your-life-speak

In Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer doesn't hand us a roadmap — he invites us into a journey and it's a process of self-discovery and authenticity that requires us to slow down and pay attention to what our life has already been saying.

What our life has already been saying

Palmer shares from his own story — including seasons of depression, career misalignment, and honest wrestling — and through that, he urges us to listen more closely to our own. He flips the script on vocation. It's not something we chase or achieve. It's something we receive — something that rises up from who we already are, not who we think we have to become.

Our calling isn't out there somewhere. It's embedded in our design — in our gifts, passions, patterns, and even in our pain. Palmer draws a powerful contrast between the true self and the false self — the false self being shaped by other people's expectations, cultural pressure, or our own ambition. But true calling comes from living out of who we really are, even when that means embracing limitations or letting go of certain paths.

Palmer reminds us that the best leadership doesn't come from knowing who you are and leading from that place.

What stood out to me:

• Vocation isn't a decision; it's a discovery. 

• The inner journey — even the hard parts — is where clarity often comes.

• Real leadership flows from wholeness, not performance.

• Your life is already speaking — the question is, are you listening?

"Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening." That one line sums up the heart of the book — and it's a timely reminder in a world that often demands more hustle than reflection. Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is be still and listen to what God has already planted in you.

Tim Keller, Gospel in Life Podcasts

I've been listening to and learning from Tim Keller for at least 18 years. Dave Moore, my executive coach at the time, once told me he knew people who went to Columbia University (in New York) so they could go to Tim's church. 

For years, the sermons were only available by purchase to support the Gospel in Life ministries, but are now available free. 

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life features sermons by Tim Keller, founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and author of "The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism." The podcast covers a wide range of topics, including faith, theology, and practical Christian living. 

I honestly think I've listen to all 1,000+ at least once. A few dozens of times.

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