What I think of chapters 1,2,3

Hello family - I actually figured this out, so Hans, you don't have to post my entry.

I have actually read the whole book already and found a lot of Andy's teaching applicable to help me in my decision making on all levels of life going forward. I feel that the first few chapters give a nice background on what the principle is. Very basic and sort of common sense, but as you keep reading you will find more depth to the Principe of the Path. I reread the first 3 chapters and have taken some time to think back over some major decisions that I have made in my life... career, relational, spiritual... and I know some of them could have turned out very differently if I would have asked more questions with wiser people and prayed fervently about what I should do before making the decision. I also do believe God is sovereign and knew that I was going to make those decisions and knew the outcome and is very forgiving - thankfully! When I think back on bad decisions I have made, I try to think of those outcomes as learning experiences and have strived to make better decisions in those areas going forward. I am so thankful to have so many wise people in the Robertson family (aunts and uncles - AND cousins!) to go to for counsel. I think I am jumping ahead a little, so I will stop here. Hope to see more posts on the blog. Thanks again Hans for setting this up.

Taking Time to Buy In (Chapters 1,2)

Let me preface this with the statement that Andy Stanley is in my top four speakers on the face of the planet.  I’d listen to him any day of the week.  But I’m not buying into the premise of his book yet.  In the first two chapters he’s trying to make the distinction between paths, destination, solutions, choices, and (I think) habits.  The picture isn’t clear to me yet.  (And so begins our trip towards vulnerability on this blog.)

I get the part about a principle being discovered - whether you believe it or not the principle still applies to your life.  And I get the idea of the harvest and reaping what you sow.  But what you sow seems to be a series of decisions which lead to the destination.  And that’s where I get confused about where Andy’s going with the path.  Isn't it about the decisions we make and the habits we've formed?

Maybe my confusion is because I feel I’m on the right path.  I’m certainly not at my destination, and some days I’m still debating the path.  But most of the time I feel confident of where I want to go in life – here I’m mostly talking career.  For me this book has begun with career in mind because it dominates so much of my thoughts and time.  I’m working in the tree care industry but I want to work in health and fitness as a medical staff or as a teacher.

I’ve read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People along with a slew of other personal management and leadership books.  I feel I’ve grown and developed into a man who knows where he wants to be and how to get there.  But when I’m not “there” and I read words like “people need a change of direction, not a solution” I get self-conscious that I’m not doing this right.

I guess this book will be a process for me.  I trust Andy’s teaching, writing, and leadership.  So I’m not worried or discouraged, but anxious to see where he’s going with this and how it will adjust my thinking about choices and destination.

Welcome to Nancy's Book Club

Nancy Delin had the longest running book club in the state of Minnesota. As a leader and a teacher, she was always a learner and a reader. As the Robertson family continues to remember Nancy, her brother Paul came up with the idea to create a family book club. Paul and his wife Jeri bought books for everyone in the family. Starting in 2007, they bought Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs for the married couples and Integrity by Henry Cloud for the singles.  The next year they bought How People Grow by Henry Cloud.  In 2009 we are reading the Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley.

Paul and Jeri's hope is that the family would continue the spirit of Nancy's book club. My hope is that we would have a forum to discuss what we're reading, processing, and learning.

I hope we can all enjoy the book and the discussion that ensues.  If this is the first blog you've ever worked with, we're happy you're here.  If this is the first book you've read, we need to talk.


Welcome!!

Starting Priciple of the Path

It's time to get this blog going.  I hope you've had a chance to at least read the back cover of our book, Principle of the Path.  Does the subject interest you?  The chapters are fairly short and so I hope you can get started on the first few.

I'm going to put out these guidelines for suggested reading and writing.  Let's try to have the first three chapters read within the next two weeks:  Chapters 1-3 by September 25th.  This will probably take you 45 minutes.  Then we can take the weekend to organize some thoughts for reactions to the reading.  As always, if you read ahead and want to comment before that feel, free to begin.  I suggest reading with a notecard as your book marker so you can take a few notes of ideas that catch your attention.  These are just suggestions to get us started together.

Here's some questions to ponder as you're reading:

• How do you see your life being affected by the principle of the path?
• Where do you think the path you're currently on will take you?
• Describe the destination you wish to reach.  Will your current path take you there?
• Has another path taken you away from a path you'd rather (or should) be on?
• What discrepancies exist between what you desire and what you're doing?

If you'd like to contribute to the blog, please email Aunt Sue and she will add you as an author - we're high security here at Nancy's Book Club.

Any other questions about blogging can be directed to Hans.