Lisa notes

5 Books I Recommend—January 2021

By LisaNotes January 25, 2021 Books I Recommend 34 Comments

The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
—Alvin Toffler

I hadn’t planned on this being a productivity month, but three of these five books are loosely themed around getting things done. Yet they’re all different. January was a good month to read them. But another month would be good, too.

Below are 5 books I recommend from those I finished reading in January. See all my recommended books here.

Nonfiction

1. Don’t Overthink It
Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life
by Anne Bogel

I first listened to this as an audiobook last summer. But I needed to see the words because, as an overthinker myself, they resonated with me so much. I read it this month to participate with Linda Stoll’s book club.

Here are some of Anne’s tips when you get stuck thinking about the same thing again and again.

Strategies to Interrupt Rumination:

Pay attention to your thoughts
Look for the good
Consider a different point of view
Brush it aside, for now
Schedule time to overthink
Write it down
Distract yourself
Move your body to move your mind

2. 40 Days of Grace
by Paul David Tripp

This is a great little devotional book. It’s 40 short sermonettes about the beauty and importance of God’s grace, both receiving it and giving it. I hope to reread it this year during Lent.

[My review here of 40 Days of Grace]

3. Attention!
The Power of Simple Decisions in a Distracted World
by Rob Hatch

If you’re too easily distracted to accomplish what you want to, this is a practical how-to guide on how to focus. Hatch keeps it simple—Think small-big-small; Decide before you have to; Design your systems; etc. Excellent book.

[My review here of Attention!]

4. The Lazy Genius Way
Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done
by Kendra Adachi

This is another great book to help you do what you want/need to do without causing yourself extra trouble. Adachi’s advice includes: Decide once; Set house rules; Batch it; plus more.

[My review here of The Lazy Genius Way]

5. Such a Fun Age
by Kiley Reid

This novel is about Emira, a young black woman, who is the family babysitter for Alix, a white blogger. Their relationship gets sticky when an old boyfriend resurfaces. The plot gets a little raunchy at times so be forewarned, but it’s an interesting story about race and privilege. The audiobook is a fun listen.

Reading Now

Charitable Writing
Cultivating Virtue Through Our Words
by Richard Hughes Gibson
Irresistible
Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World
by Andy Stanley
Invisible Women
Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
by Caroline Criado Perez
Difficult Conversations
How to Discuss What Matters Most
by Douglas Stone
Faith after Doubt
Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do about It
by Brian D. McLaren
11/22/63
by Stephen King

What good book are YOU reading this month? Please share in the comments.

My books on Goodreads
More books I recommend

sharing with Modern Mrs. Darcy

Who Do You Complain To?
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes January 22, 2021 Grace & Truth Link-Up 5 Comments

There is SO much to complain about, wouldn’t you agree?

Who do you go to when you’re frustrated? For me, it depends on who I think will best understand my complaint. Often, it’s my husband (lucky Jeff!). Or it’s my sister or daughter. Or one of my friends.

They might agree with me. They might even make me feel better about the situation.

But ultimately, the only way to get peace through a situation isn’t just complaining about it. But changing it.

And often the situation that needs changing first is the condition of my heart.

That’s why Beth’s post stood out to me this week, “How to Complain and Gain Peace and Perspective” at her blog messymarriage.com.

Beth reminds us there’s a better way to approach complaining. She’s currently leading a Facebook Bible study in the Psalms [find it here] to uncover how David prayed.

And David’s prayers often included complaining to the Lord.

“There’s no reason to pretend with God that everything is fine. He knows and sees it all—knowing what’s going on in your life and what’s brewing in your heart.”
– Beth Steffaniak

When we talk first to God about our complaints, we’re more apt to be changed ourselves. To have our perspective channeled more correctly. And if the problem still needs addressing, to be better equipped to handle it properly.

I want to do better about taking my complaints to God.

“I was able to see that much of my problem was/is my own perspective. Viewing things from God’s perspective has reinvigorated my faith, given me greater peace, and is enabling me to trust that He will protect me in the conflicts and battles of my life.”
– Beth

More peace, more faith, more hope, and possibly more change.

Beth is resolving this year to take her complaints ONLY to God. I won’t go that far (sorry, family), but I do want to re-route my complaints to God first more often.

Read all of Beth’s encouraging post, then link up below.

“How to Complain and Gain Peace and Perspective”

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

4. If you need help, watch these videos: “What is a link-up?” and “How to link up.”

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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Now Let’s Link Up!

How often to you complain directly to God? Share your thoughts in the comments.

One Word 2021 Linkup—January

By LisaNotes January 21, 2021 One Word Community 29 Comments

This is our January linkup for your One Word 2021.

Ask yourself the questions below about your One Word. Then share a comment, link to a blog post, add artwork, a quote, etc., anything related to your One Word.

This linkup will stay open until January 31. Add as many links as you’d like. All links are randomly sorted. Comment on one or two other links to encourage others.

The next linkup for One Word 2021 will be February 21. Sign up here to receive a monthly email reminder.

Let’s also keep the conversations going in our One Word 2021 Facebook group.

1. ENCOUNTERS

How often do you encounter your word, either through your own thoughts or through conversations, books, media, etc.? Every day? Every week? Once a month?

2. REMINDERS

Have you collected or created any tangible reminders of your word? Writings? Scriptures? Songs? Art? Vision boards? Are they visible in your home or office?

3. SATISFACTION

Are you satisfied with your level of interaction with your word for January? Do you have any goals for February involving your word?

Now let’s link up!

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Attention: Put Success in Your Way
—Book Review of Rob Hatch's "Attention!"

By LisaNotes January 19, 2021 Book reviews, Encouragement 8 Comments

Two Valuable Resources

So much to read. So much to watch. So much to do.

Our time and attention are two of our most valuable resources. Are we giving them to the right things?

As believers in Christ, we know we have purpose here. We’re to work within that purpose daily, whether it be at a workplace, in our homes, or traveling from here to there.

While our “success” isn’t measured by secular standards, we still want to know: What’s the best way to steward our time and attention?

Attention!

This book by Rob Hatch guides us to put our attention on the right things: Attention!: The Power of Simple Decisions in a Distracted World.

Attention! can be applied to any aspect of your life, whether you’re a corporate executive or a stay-at-home mom.

Rob says we’re to use the power of simple decisions to put success in our way. His three core elements are:

(1) Willpower is a limited resource.
(2) Decisions are distractions.
(3) Habits are a powerful force to which we are biologically prone.

He gives an example of Shawn Achor wanting to learn to play the guitar.

(1) Shawn reduces the need for willpower to go find his guitar every day by placing the guitar within arms’ reach of the couch.
(2) He eliminates the distraction of the TV by placing the TV remote in the closet.
(3) He takes advantage of his already-established habit of sitting on the couch after work by pairing it with playing the guitar.

These simples decisions put success in Shawn’s way, and made his goal more achievable.

Make It Personal

Removing obstacles and placing what we need in front of us is something we each can do. You likely do it already in certain ways without even thinking about it. If you ever set your clothes out the night before, or jot down distracting thoughts in a notebook, or put your running shoes by your bed, you’re already eliminating distractions and reducing your need for willpower.

Rob encourages us to find more ways to do these kind of things, to make it personal, to make it work for our unique lifestyle.

“When I’ve made decisions before I have to and everything I need is ready, I eliminate the need to rely on my willpower to accomplish a task.”

Rob gives lots more practical tips in this book. It’s an excellent resource and a motivating tool to decide how to make the best choices with our time and attention, including advice to leave room around the edges for margin. Nobody can or should aim for 100% efficiency all the time.

In deciding how to manage each 24 hours that God gives us, reading books like this one was a good use of my time. Next week I’ll share about a similar book that I also highly recommend (The Lazy Genius Way).

What habits do you have that put success in your way? Share in the comments.

My thanks to Net Galley + Practical Inspiration
Publishing for the review copy of this book

Is This the One Thing We Need?

By LisaNotes January 18, 2021 Book reviews, Grace, Uncertainty: My One Word 2021 20 Comments

What’s Next?

Can you predict what will happen this afternoon? Overall, maybe.

What about next week? Less likely.

Next year? Don’t even try.

Uncertainty in 2021 looms large, especially coming straight from 2020. Uncertainty in our relationships, too. Friendships are stretched thin. Family relationships are fragile. Infighting is too common.

We’re at a crossroads.

If there’s one thing we need, it may not be to know the future. It may be to hold on to this for the future: God’s grace.

Grace Is a Game Changer

Understanding our need for grace is the first step in healing relationships. It involves self-awareness. It involves confession. It involves repentance.

Paul David Tripp in 40 Days of Grace says there’s no greater danger than the danger we are to ourselves. We need help. And we need help outside ourselves.

Tripp says,

“The person who is comfortable in his own righteousness hasn’t really understood grace, and the person who is unimpressed by God’s grace hasn’t really understood his sin.”

Asking for help doesn’t come easy to us. But if we want out of the messes we’ve created, confessing our need for intervention is critical. It involves grace.

“Grace is the ultimate spiritual game changer. It is the one thing that has the power to change you and everything about you. It is what all human beings need, no matter who they are or where they are.”

Receive and Give Away Grace

Next, we need to receive the grace that God is giving us. An unopened gift sitting unwrapped on the shelf does us no good. Let’s rip the paper off God’s forgiveness for us and bask in his kindness. Soak in his grace.

And then, let’s give grace away every chance we can.

“God is not satisfied with you being a witness to his work of grace. He’s called you to be an instrument of that grace to others.”

That doesn’t mean that we don’t hold people accountable. We do. There are still consequences that must be faced, by us and by others.

But grace makes those consequences easier to accept, our burdens easier to bear.

With more grace comes clearer vision. Healed relationships. Deeper love.

Count on Grace

To make peace with the uncertainty of unpredictable times, we can be certain of one gift that will keep on coming: grace. God and his grace are inseparable.

Receive it for yourself. Then pass it along to someone else.

Grace is one thing we need now and always.

On January 21, and on the 21st of every month, join our One Word 2021 community here as we link up posts, images, articles, about our one words. My word is “Uncertainty.” What’s yours?

To help me deal with uncertainty, I’m writing a 28-day series beginning February 1, “I Just Can’t See It! How to Uncover Hidden Biases” (or something like that). Visit Anita Ojeda to learn more about the #write28days challenge.

Where have you seen God’s grace in the past week? Who has needed grace from you? Please share in the comments.

My thanks to Crossway for the
review copy of 40 Days of Grace

Have You Gotten Your Spiritual Vaccine?
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes January 15, 2021 Grace & Truth Link-Up 4 Comments

Has a COVID-19 vaccine made it to your home yet? We’re still watching for it here. Many healthcare workers have received it, and now it’s being given to the next tier.

Thankfully, my in-laws received their first dose of the COVID vaccine this week. We’re thrilled. It’s been almost a year since we’ve been able to sit inside our homes together and visit. There is definitely light at the end of this tunnel.

But with all the attention we’ve been putting on the physical vaccine and our physical health, are we giving ample attention to our spiritual health?

Is there a spiritual vaccine we can take?

Just as with our bodies, our spirit’s health is often invisible to us until it becomes sick.

During the past 12 months, many of the healthy measures we once relied on have been temporarily put on hold: regular in-person church attendance, weekly volunteer activities, in-person conversations with spiritual friends, etc.

But those things are only one part of our spiritual exercise routine. What else can we be doing?

In our Featured Post today, AnnMarie encourages us to assess our current spiritual health. Then she shares ideas to build our spiritual strength in the new year. Many of her suggestions are tangible things we can do. But others are intangible, and just as necessary, such as remembering that the power of Jesus lives in us.

Even if you are spiritually healthy today, keeping your vaccines up-to-date with booster shots is important. When we’re healthier, we’re better equipped to fend off certain sicknesses when they do enter our body. A functioning spirit is vital to producing spiritual fruit that God wants to grow in us.

Read all of AnnMarie’s post here at her blog, BusyBlessedWomen.com, then link up your own blog posts below.

“Building Spiritual Strength in the New Year”

Thanks for sharing, AnnMarie! Here’s a button for your blog.