Are you a reader ?

Are you a reader?  I mean aside from blogs. Do you regularly read books of interest ?   I am what many would call a book nerd. Yet I’m not  a nerd at all, at least not in the since most would think of the definition. I learned, or most likely read, years ago the phrase; readers are leader, and leaders are readers - and I took it to heart.

Every year I set a goal to read a certain number of books over the next twelve months on specific  topics. Some may be in my area of vocation, some may be in a new areas of interest, and some may just be fiction.  But I read and I read a lot.  Of course I read my Bible every morning and spend time each night reading  books on my goal list.

I don’t decide in January exactly what books I will read, only that I will read a certain number of books in a specific category. The fun part is getting to look for that next great book.  I read with a pen and paper close by. I mark up the book, write down notes, and copy phrases to look into further. Most books, if they are any good at all, are so marked up when I’m done they probably wouldn’t be good for anyone else. 

If you are not an avid reader, let me exhort you to take a greater interest in this sport. You will be amazed at what you can learn and how it will help you in your career.  I have learned over the last  twenty-five years that the leaders are readers quote is true.  

Find some books of interest and get started, you will be richly blessed. 

Showing Christian Love

I sat in Sunday School this morning and was amazed at the lesson. The teacher, Joyce Corbett, taught on Christian love as written about in Romans 12. I was in awe at the simplicity of the lesson and how profound the message. It opened my eyes again to the need for Christians to Love each other.

Not just in word but in action. I first discovered this kind of Love last year when I was going through a pretty hard time in my life and I reached out to a friend from Church. At that time that’s all he was, a friend from Church. I knew little about this man’s background, only what he had shared. But his younger life resembled mine in a lot of ways, and although this man is younger than me, and has not claimed to be a Christian as long as me, God put him in place to be my confidant and friend when I needed him the most.

He has proven to be a trusted friend and a Godly man. I will, without hesitation, say that this man, in many ways, saved my life. He has no idea, until know, just how much he did for me during that time. His strength, Godly wisdom, and Christian love was everything God needed to direct me in the direction I needed to go. I could talk with him about what was wrong and the struggles that I was going through and he never judged and he never told. To this day he has never wavered as my friend, no matter how much I unloaded on him. He has remained a trusted friend.

It’s this kind of Christian love that we all need in our lives. Everyone of us need to be that person for someone and to have that person in our lives. Us men are the worst at having a “meaningful” relationship with another man. We too often see it as weak and not the “manly” thing to do, but that’s exactly what God wants us to do. Us men have the same struggles and the same problems, you are not unique. Having a Godly friend that can share in that struggle and will hold you accountable is one of the biggest blessings you will ever have.

God uses people in our lives to answer our prayers. We just too often shut out the answer and the blessing that God has for us because we are too scared to open our true feelings to someone else.. From the other side I challenge every reader to be that friend to someone. Show Christian ( Christ Like) love to everyone around you. Be known as the person that can be trusted and can listen without judgment. You just might be a bigger blessing to someone than you could ever imagine.