I think that was the longest blog vacation I’ve ever taken.
Did I miss it?
Yes, I enjoy writing. I especially enjoy the challenge of coming up with something helpful that will serve the church each week day.
But I took the break for a few reasons. First, I was vacationing in Florida with my family for a couple of weeks and I wanted to dedicate more undistracted time to them.
Second, I wanted to pause, take a step back, and think longer-term about how I can make the blog more useful, where I can make the most useful contribution to my readers lives.
Third, I wanted to read. I felt I’d been doing too much outputting and wanted to do more inputting so that I could do better outputting. What did I read? I tried to read a book a day and got through the following list over the past 14 days, some of which were re-reads, by reading about an hour early morning, an hour on the beach, and an hour in the evening.
And if you’re sharp, you should be able to see a connection between all three reasons!
Books:
- The Friendship Factor: How to Get Closer to the People You Care for
- Fail: Finding Hope and Grace in the Midst of Ministry Failure
- Decide: Work Smarter, Reduce Your Stress, and Lead by Example
- 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life
- The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enough. A 30-Day Plan to Reset Your Body
- Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion
- Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life
- Addicted to Busy: Recovery for the Rushed Soul
- Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives
- Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results
- Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul
- Survive or Thrive: 6 Relationships Every Pastor Needs (PastorServe Series)
- Beating Burnout: A 30 Day Guide to Hope and Health
- On the Brink: Grace for the Burned-Out Pastor
- Play It Away: A Workaholic’s Cure for Anxiety
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less