God is my Coach - How do I know I’m doing the right thing when there are no clear answers? How can I be confident I’m moving in the right direction? I’m not satisfied with where I am, yet I’m not sure what to do next. Do these questions sound familiar? If so, you’re in the “gray zone.” In GOD IS MY COACH, business leadership coach and bestselling author Larry Julian shows you how to navigate the “gray zone”---those defining moments where we face dilemmas and decisions that don’t have black-and-white solutions. In the “gray zone” we are filled with unanswered questions, ambiguity, and uncertainty. If you feel stuck in the “gray zone,” take heart. There is hope in this principle at the core of Julian's message: “Our true greatness lies within the gray. Uncertainty is the very catalyst to living a significant life and successfully leading others.” Larry Julian guides us through his practical eight-step coaching process, teaching us how to live and lead in the context of uncertainty rather than becoming paralyzed by it. Through Julian’s coaching process we will discover guidance in the gray and clarity in the chaos, and we will begin making wise, impactful decisions that shape our destinies.
The Blessed Life - Our culture is saturated with false teaching on what it means to be blessed, but what does the Bible say about it? How can we truly live blessed lives? With humor, passion, and clarity, pastor and bestselling author Robert Morris presents the secrets of living a blessed life both financially and spiritually. He shows that when God changes your heart from selfishness to generosity, every part of your life-journey is affected. This book will transform your life for the better, bringing you guaranteed financial results. But it will do more than that. It will change every area of your life: marriage, family, health and relationships. For when God changes your heart from selfishness to generosity, every part of your life-journey is affected. If all believers followed the practical guidance of The Blessed Life, every church could be built, every nation would have an abundance of missionaries—and all would reap the benefits of having a generous heart.
One of the most difficult things to juggle in life is our finances. We get jobs so we can provide for ourselves and our families. But how do we come upon some of these jobs? Maybe you’re in a position that you went through several years of college to earn. Or maybe you made a step-by-step plan with goals, budgets, etc. And now you have that dream job that you worked so hard for. Another possibility though, could be that income isn’t coming in like you need it to, student loans are kicking you in the butt, and you’ve had to pick up a couple more jobs to make ends meet. Did you identify with any of those? If you did, you are not alone. There are many people all over, who have most likely walked those roads, or even similar ones too. Well in the book, God is my Coach, author Larry Julian helps us take another approach. Is there something that you’re gifted in? Something that you are passionate about God has put on your heart to share with the world in your own unique way? In chapter one Larry Julian says, “When you use your gifts in response to God’s call, your work becomes a joyful form of worship. Your work is an expression of your giftedness; it’s your way of working out the gifts God worked into you.” And that quote also reminds me of Ephesians 2:10 which says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” So whatever gifts you have that you’re not sure you can contribute to your workplace, remember that every part of your personality and your giftedness is God’s handiwork. A little later on, Julian references a sculptor named Rosalind Cook, and I found something that she said very inspiring. “His hands guided mine to shape that small study because He knew exactly what His purpose was.” The other book that I picked out for this week was The Blessed Life by Robert Morris. Something that he stressed a lot on, was when it comes to our finances, it is very important to trust in our Lord. Morris reminds about this fact by saying, “At four separate points in the book of Deuteronomy, God tells those who will obey Him that He will bless everything to which they put their hands (found in Deuteronomy 14:29, 15:10, 23:20, and 28:8,12).” I recommend God Is My Coach and The Blessed Life to anyone who is confused about what they are supposed to do next with finances or work.