We are heading towards the summer season this side of the equator! Time to get some needed personal growth and enjoyment from reading! What are you reading? As I suffer through this cruel and harsh spring (High 70’s to low 80’s) in Brasil, I want to share a small list of what I am reading and have read lately. I read using a Kindle app on all my devices. Whether I have my iPad, iPhone or laptop accessible, I always have a book ready. Kindle syncs my books to the furthest read section, so I’m always ready to pick up where I left off. This also gives me the ability to highlight, make notes and read multiple books simultaneously.

Books I have Recently Read and I am Reading

Baptism of Love  by Leif Hetland

When I read this book my spirit leapt. Leaf was putting words to my encounters and beliefs. Amazing! This baptism brings the greatest healing and freedom to every believer that has experienced it, a Baptism of Father God’s love. There are only a few people in this world that truly understand what it means to be loved unconditionally. The rest have no idea what it is to receive and enjoy a love without strings attached, without preconditions or without a pre-nuptial agreement. It is love that only our heavenly Father can give.

Although this book would not be listed in the Cross Cultural Leadership section, this is exactly why I’m reading it. Learning to live, minister and lead cross culturally certainly has it challenges. The author Bob Burg has some pretty great points on how to have a healthy and proper perspective. Not only on people, but how to relate to people. If you are a Pastor, Missionary….heck, any type of minister, public speaker, sales person and breathing this is a good book for you. Burg offers five simple principles of what he calls “ultimate influence”—the ability to win people to your side in a way that leaves everyone feeling great about the outcome…and about themselves!

Bernice and I read together. That may sound strange to some, It actually helps keep us on the same page (literally) and stirs creativity in both of us. Here are three books we are currently reading together:

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie

We actually are listening to this on an app called Scribd. It is the story of the man behind TOMS shoes and the One for One business model. We have not completed it yet, but are into it enough to say it is much more than inspirational. It raises our level of awareness in so many areas. For example we are learning about strategy. Placing strategy with compassion and turning it into communication can be very powerful. Our work means something to us and this book helps us hone our craft. If you want to change the world this is definitely a great read.

This is a classic. Honestly, with so much written about hyper grace, the abuse of grace, sloppy agape and other catch phrases that are out there in today’s world this book helps me sort through the noise. I have read this book before and was enlightened by it’s message. And it’s biblical! Being brought up in a culture where grace was nearly a foreign concept this book helped me form my own thoughts towards grace. Bernice and I are reading it together for the first time. Good times!

What are you reading this winter/summer?

Myth: I am too busy to read!

Myth Buster: You have TIME to read! Turn off the TV. Walk away from Facebook. Walk the dog tomorrow….You have time to read! One chapter a day will start the momentum you need to equip yourself to change you and the world!

If you CLICK HERE our non profit organization RIVER INTERNATIONAL will receive a percentage of your proceeds spent on Amazon.com. It is a creative way to GIVE as you grow:))

I encourage you to read. I do not believe that readers are leaders, but I am 100% convinced the LEADERS ARE READERS!

Lead well and Read often.

Tom