The Book of Man

For the past several months, my dad and I have been part of a fellowship of men at church who have been meeting every week to build each other up in our manhood journeys. This program called Men’s Fraternity has facilitated times of talking about our past, discussing struggles and successes, praying for current situations, and looking to affect the future with positive change. All in all it has helped each one of us to see a larger picture of God’s design for us as men and leaders. In addition to listening to the lectures from Robert Lewis, I’ve supplemented the study by reading through an anthology of quotes and literature entitled “The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood” compiled by William J. Bennett.

This hefty volume is divided into six main sections: man in war, man at work, man in play / sports / leisure, man in the polis, man with woman and children, and man in prayer and reflection. Each section is nearly 100 pages of biographical sketches, speeches, poems, or excerpts of classic literature showcasing the type of courage a real man must have—courage to stand up and fight for what he believes. As I read through the book, I was struck with the relevance of its passages—several of them I had just come across earlier that week, whether it was brought up in the pastor’s sermon, Men’s Fraternity, or another book I was reading.

One aspect I appreciate about this book is that every selection was meant to teach a different attribute of manhood. I can learn as valuable a lesson from a soldier as I can from an ancient philosopher as I can from a basketball coach as I can from a president. Nobody here claims to be a perfect example or to have all the answers—and for answers, the best place to go is the Bible—but still, each one is valuable for “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14b).

I am very pleased to have this book on my shelf from here on out. I can see myself coming back to this book again and again as I continue on my quest for authentic manhood.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of The Book of Man through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player

Exercise…with it come strength and growth; without it come laziness and stagnation. Exercising the body is important to maintaining a good physical well-being, and likewise it is also important to regularly exercise the mind. For me, this has taken the form of reading good books and looking for ways to apply in my life what I am reading.

I recently started a new job and was delighted to discover that I now have access to hundreds (if not thousands) of digitized books thanks to the company’s partnership with Books 24x7. In between checking e-mails and waiting for clearance to work on the team’s projects, I’ve had plenty of time to spend perusing the wealth of information contained within the windows of my web browser.

First on the list of gems I’ve uncovered is John Maxwell’s exposition on the 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player: Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants. For each quality, Maxwell brings in thought-provoking quotes, engaging stories, practical advice, and probing questions to cause the reader to get a handle on each quality and begin the process of continuous personal growth in his life. I’m a fan of all things practical, and this book is full of first-rate observations from a man who has proven himself in the very areas he is writing about. For this reason alone it is a worthy use of time as his advice comes from experience. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who interacts with other people—and who doesn’t? As you read, you’ll be challenged to be adaptable, collaborative, committed, communicative, competent, dependable, disciplined, enlarging, enthusiastic, intentional, mission-conscious, prepared, relational, self-improving, selfless, solution-oriented, and tenacious—qualities that will take you far and will help your team achieve new levels of success.

What’s holding you back from being a better team player? The best way to improve is just to work on it—get out there and exercise your mind!

Through My Eyes

In my humble opinion, the best person ever to play the game of college football was Tim Tebow. I say this not because he won a lot of games or led his team to the national championship or because he set all sorts of records, I say this because of the person he was and is off the field. Being in the limelight can cause many people of lesser character to stumble, but Tim was able to use the platform he had earned through his athletics as a springboard for sharing his faith. Tim not just talked the talk, he lived it every day from being faithful in his backyard chores to being an example on the foreign mission fields. In his recent memoir, Through My Eyes, Tim explains why he is the way he is, and what (or more specifically, Who) has brought him to where he is right now, a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Tim's story begins before he was born, when his parents specifically asked God for another son to raise as a preacher. God answered by sending along Timmy, but not without much difficulty in the pregnancy. In fact, doctors recommended an abortion to save his mother's life, thinking there was no way both would survive. However, God's plan was much different than the doctors', and God delivered both mother and baby in a hospital room in the Philippines where his parents were missionaries. Their incredible story has been heard nationally through a Super Bowl ad that Focus on the Family sponsored.

After such a beginning to life, the Tebows knew Tim would be a special boy. He grew up strong and healthy and was always competing with his four older brothers and sisters. I'll not recount all the stories he told in this book about his growing up years—that's what the book is there for, so you'll have to go read it yourself. Many of them are quite humorous! As the book progresses and he moves from high school into college, he takes us inside his helmet to show what he was seeing and what he was thinking in the big games and major events he participated in. One of the biggest things that happened to Tim was being selected as a Heisman trophy finalist three years in a row. Tim was the youngest Heisman trophy winner when he won in 2007. This says a lot about his determination and commitment to being the best he could be.

It's not often that I prefer reading about sports than watching it happen in front of me on the TV, but with this book the commercial breaks were never long enough! I think I ended up missing most of the weekend's games due to being enthralled in this story. Well done, Tim Tebow, and all the best as you continue your legacy in the NFL while honoring your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Doing Virtuous Business

As a follow-up on the theme of living courageously, I’ve been studying some ways to practice the message in my daily living. It is important to live courageously with the family at home, but it is equally important—if not more vital—to do so in the workplace. It is within the realm of enterprise that most people spend a significant portion of their waking hours holding a job and conducting business. It is the habit of some people to spend more time at work than they do with their families. The ideas shared below come from my recent reading of the book, Doing Virtuous Business: the Remarkable Success of Spiritual Enterprise, by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch.

Contained within the pages of this book are treasure troves of wisdom focusing on the benefits of spiritual capital in doing business. In each chapter, different companies are analyzed to find out what made them as successful as they are or to identify where the business went wrong and brought disaster upon itself. This book does much more than simply state the need for business ethics—it spells out the benefits for virtues such as faith, hope, and charity and what can happen to businesses (or people) who lack the qualities that invoke trust from others. Other characteristics that must be cultivated are leadership, courage, patience, perseverance, discipline, as well as the softer virtues of justice, forgiveness, compassion, humility, and gratitude.

I would recommend this book to everyone who interacts with other people in their line of work (which would be just about everybody). There’s a saying, “those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it.” Reading this book will help the reader learn from the CEOs who made wise choices and avoid the mistakes of those who went down the wrong path. In the back of the book is a lengthy appendix of businesses who have done the right thing, including the likes of Chick-Fil-A, IBM, Habitat for Humanity, Wal-Mart, and others. After reading this book, I’m more likely to give my business to a company that possesses and practices the spiritual capital discussed in the pages of this book. I think you will too, after you give it a read.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Doing Virtuous Business through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Courageous

Dad and I have had some great father/son time this weekend—and the weekend is really just getting started! Due to a Christian educator’s convention happening in Detroit, it was just the two of us at home for a while. After a nice meal eating out, we spent some time last night going through his old memorabilia—stuff he saved from his childhood. I got to read letters and postcards his father wrote and enter a little bit into the relationship they shared in my dad’s early years. My grandfather died before I was born, so these kinds of memories are the only tangible things I have of him. He was a pastor and his love and care for his flock was evident through the letters left behind.

Our father/son time continued today through watching the new film “Courageous” together. What a film! Sherwood Pictures has done it again in creating a poignant illustration of a timeless message that fatherhood must be taken seriously. There will come moments of putting one’s life on the line, tragedies requiring going to God for grace to get through, situations for making tough decisions to stand up for convictions, and the time to own up to past failures and shoulder the responsibility. Honor begins in the home, and this is where a lifelong impact on a child’s life is formed. I’ll not give away the plot any further, but the film is riveting and is packed with both action and emotion.

What does God have to say about being courageous? “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, ESV). That’s pretty clear isn’t it? Go live courageously!

Surviving Your Serengeti

This summer has been unmatched in terms of personal traveling and places visited than any other short period of time I can remember. Let's see, I swam in the Atlantic Ocean, drove all over the Eastern-Midwestern states, scaled one of the Rocky Mountains, cruised up and down the Pacific Coast, biked around some northern lakes, and saw the great city of New York from the sky. I saw firsthand such a variety of beauty and majesty! If I could specify one thing that I learned through my peripatetic prowess, it would be that all creation sings its Creator's song.

Now that I've returned from my travels, it's been time to settle back into life at home and line up work. One of the books I just completed reading was written with those goals in mind: to help the individual master seven skills for business and life. Enter "Surviving Your Serengeti" by Stefan Swanepoel.

This book is a fictional story about a few folks who travel to Africa for a vacation but through their encounters in the Serengeti return ready to reshape their business and lives back home. On their African adventure, they encounter seven different animals—all who exhibit a unique survival trait. Wildebeests must endure as they make the annual journey of 1000+ miles around the Serengeti in search of good food and water. Lions must be strategic in working together in order to eat. Crocodiles must be enterprising when opportunity comes their way. Cheetahs have to be efficient in knowing what to pursue in order to get the best results. Giraffes are graceful and are respected out there in the savannah (this correlates to professionalism). The Mongooses take risks and reap the rewards of wise maneuvers. Elephants communicate and pass on important information to the others in their herd, especially the young ones.

For anyone who likes a simple storyline with a little science lesson thrown in, this is great. It's a quick read and a fun one too. I enjoyed the author's ability to correlate the animals' strengths into easy-to-grasp self-help statements. Perhaps this book should come along with you on your next adventure!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Surviving Your Serengeti through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

George Washington Carver

Today for my lunch, I enjoyed two delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In fact, I’ve been going through the peanut butter so fast recently my family had to stock up on several jars of peanut butter from the grocery store tonight! There are so many varieties out there: regular, natural, organic…each coming in creamy or chunky options. Some people I know only go for the Peter Pan brand, others pick JIF, or maybe they just go for whatever’s the cheapest on the shelf. However, a few decades ago the food that has become a staple in today’s kitchen cupboard had not been created yet. True, the components for the food were all there, as God is the creator of all things, but no one had taken the time to ask Him how to separate the peanut until George Washington Carver came on the scene in the 1880s with a very important issue to resolve.

I focus on the way our lives have been affected today by this man, George Washington Carver, as I just finished reading a book from the Christian Encounters series that gave me an up-close glance at his life. Born a slave and orphaned at an early age, George grew up in his master’s home and took an interest in plants at a very young age. Though his body was physically weak all throughout life, he applied himself to whatever he was doing and did whatever he could to further his education. The majority of his life was spent working at Tuskegee Institute, a school founded to train black people in the South to learn a trade and make a living using their hands. Carver invested many years teaching the students agriculture and groundbreaking farming techniques. Carver loved working in his laboratory, because there he was able to go to God and make incredible discoveries on the crops that were growing well in the South. Carver had a special relationship with the Creator, and his creativity flowed out of his communion with God.

The book was very well written and approached Carver’s life in a respectful way. As a black man living in the South not long after slavery was banned, he endured a lot of racial prejudice and injustice throughout his life. The author made sure to include enough examples of Carver’s circumstances, experiences, and personal reflections. I found the pages full of information, easy to read, and worthy of my time. After studying this man’s life, I am very grateful for his self-sacrificing efforts to transform a field of potential into a world of prosperity. His life stands as a legacy of hope to all people that beauty can rise out of ashes and that much can be learned from God’s creation.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of George Washington Carver through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.