I'm not one to read popular books - that is, I prefer to wait until everyone stops talking about the latest self-help/enrichment books and then read it with fresh eyes. This helps me see the book from my own perspective and not with the shades of interpretation others naturally add when they comment on it.
Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend are the current hot authors at KCBT for a variety of reasons - most notably because Pastor Adams recently attended their Leadership Conference and Jeff Cox taught a series based upon their Integrity book. Well, I picked up Integrity on recommendation, and I have to say I was not a fan. I found the book dry and dull - most likely because it was from a business perspective and that's just not something I care to read about. The book mentioned an earlier work called Boundaries, and since I'd heard that title mentioned (and had a gift certificate) I decided to pick it up from our bookstore.
I found Boundaries much more to my liking - in fact its filled with all sorts of notes and markings. The gist of the book is that Christians tend to lead lives that are rather free-flow - saying yes to activities and ministries even when they are too busy - instead of creating some boundaries in their lives and learning how to say no. As someone who's had to learn this the hard way, I found the principles incredibly helpful to shore up what I'd previously learned.
There are also chapters devoted to boundaries with family, co-workers, establishing boundaries for children, and even discussing the difficulties of establishing firm boundaries for themselves (how many times have you failed to keep a promise to eat better, work out more, stay on budget, etc.?).
I found the book immensely practical and the stories of others who've lived these principles (or not) were engaging and entertaining. I came across numerous passages and lessons that I've heard from others, and this was a great way to see where I've learned and applied (and where I need to shore up my boundaries a bit). All in all, this is a great read for anyone that's looking to grow a bit in a well-rounded way.
1 comment:
Reba I thought the same thing about the integrity book, I thought it was a bit cold and too business like....until I actually saw a video of the author. 1st thing I noticed was he was wearing wrinkled pants..not business at all...and looking at his pic on the back of the book he looks so hardcore. He was full of grace and I really saw the doctor side of him. Made me read the book totally different. Funny how words can be so cold until you hear it from the source.
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