Resolution Review

I was blown away by an email from a friend today. She told me that last year I mentioned on the radio one of my goals was to read a book a month.  She decided to join me, and sent me the list of the books she read this year.  

Her sweet and thoughtful email told me how most of the books focused on helping her with the main challenge she's been facing...overcoming grief, and how much of an impact it's made in her life.  Wow, all from sharing my goal on the air.  What an honor and privilege I have!!

I figured it was time for me to follow up on how I did with my goals for the year.  My main objective was to continue with my healthy eating and exercise plan, which I mostly did as much as I could except due to health issues for a while.  Got a bit off-track the last two months, too, but am ready to get back on it for the new year!!

Here are the books I've read and my take on them...don't be too impressed by the number, many were quite short!!

1. I Didn't Ask to Be Born (But I'm Glad I Was) by Bill Cosby.  Excellent! Very funny.
2. Be Still and Know by Don Aycock.  Very encouraging.  I re-read this one occasionally.
3. Be Loved by Ed Tandy McGlasson.  Short, insightful.
4. Three Free Sins by Steve Brown.  Very good, check out my review.
5. The Lord's Work The Lord's Way by K.P. Yohannan.  Helpful for my job, short, and I have enjoyed everything I've read of his!
6. Love Does by Bob Goff.  Excellent! Short chapters, great stories and very inspiring.  Highly recommend.
7. Crazy Love by Frances Chan.  Re-read this one.  Thought-provoking!  Like that he has videos that you can watch on the website that go with the book.
8. The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers by Amy Holloway.  Re-read.  Loved it!!
9. Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal.  He's my cousin and this is his story of dealing with terminal cancer.  Great insight, though some things in his belief system were a little out-there to me, but overall a good book that would be helpful for many facing such dire news.
10. Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman.  Excellent, I'm a fan of this book!
11. Fully Alive by Ken Davis.  Excellent!  Check out my review here.
12. Radical by David Platt.  Didn't hold my interest.  Good premise but could have been said in much fewer words.
13. Soul Detox by Craig Groeschel.  Excellent!!  Would be helpful to most people willing to get rid of some of the spiritual and emotional baggage they (maybe unknowingly) tote around.
14. Living on the Edge by Chip Ingram.  This one shouldn't count, I only read half!! Like to listen to him on radio or tv but the book was too long!
15. Just a Minute by Wess Stafford.  Great stories about impacting the lives of children.
16. The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard.  Short "required reading" that I need to revisit often.  
17. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell.  Same as above...though not short. Each chapter is chock full of wisdom and great stories to help apply it to your own life.
18. Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst.  This was very good and quite insightful for dealing with relationships.  Wish I could get a few folks I know to read this, I think it would help them greatly!!  I also re-read chapters in her book Made To Crave throughout the year.
19. Love and Respect for a Lifetime by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.  Excellent, short book, easy to read in one or two days and great to read together.  Check out my review and interview here.
20. Stories from the Silk Road, insights into Muslim people who have become believers in Jesus Christ.  Wow.
21. A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs.  Historical fiction. Good story. The only novel or novella in my list.  I'm not much into these kinds of books but I sure enjoy Lizzie's writing!!
22. I Want to Kill the Dog by Richard Cohen.  Saw it at the library and couldn't pass it up. Entertaining, from the perspective of a non-dog lover.
23. Plus a giant number of children's books.  I volunteer and usually read two books each week to preschoolers.  Pete the Cat is definitely the favorite with the ever-popular Clifford a close second.

I suppose my goals are about the same for 2013 and hope to see much success in a few challenge areas.  What's on your list?