By: David Beavis on December 7, 2023
As a youth pastor, my work involves being in the world of students and witnessing firsthand numerous parenting styles. There is a great spectrum of hands-off and helicopter parents. But on the far end of the helicopter parent spectrum is a man named Henry. Henry has one son. His name is Benny. Henry is very…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on December 7, 2023
Introduction: Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder are another great one to explore. Frankly, this book is uneasy to read; I always love it when Blinkist has a summary book version that brings the entire book to a manageable and easy-to-read format. The fragile, the robust, and the antifragile. Everything around the world, as seen…
By: Cathy Glei on December 6, 2023
“Any act that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, health, or integrity. Or, expressed another way, any act that derives from our higher nature instead of our lover. Any of these will elicit Resistance.” [1] I couldn’t have ended my semester in a better way than to read a book about the enemy of creativity.…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on December 6, 2023
Most of us live two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance. ~Steve Pressfield The back cover of this book asks a question that I yelled “YES” as an answer! YES, I dream about writing the Great American Novel! Now that I’ve cleared that up…how do…
By: Esther Edwards on December 6, 2023
Reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield comes at a pivotal point in this doctoral program where the very war this book describes, tangibly shows itself for those of us who have fallen prey to the enemy throughout the semester. Yes. I confess that procrastination often becomes my unwanted friend. Though we can all…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on December 5, 2023
“Antifragility” has been tumbling through my conscious and unconscious mind for the last few days. I pondered it this morning at the gym: is my workout antifragile, strengthening my muscles beyond the load I’m placing on them or fragile, because the movements are repetitive and unnatural?[1] “Antifragile” also led to some interesting conversations with friends…
By: Kally Elliott on December 5, 2023
“It’s about ten-thirty now. I sit down and plunge in. When I start making typos, I know I’m getting tired. That’s four hours or so. I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns. I wrap up for the day.”[1] I read this book, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, on the heels of completing the…
By: Kim Sanford on December 5, 2023
The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle sounds like an intense and intimidating read. The author, Steven Pressfield, is clearly passionate and experienced as a creative professional. While parts of the book felt reminiscent of Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist, this book’s main idea was more clearly defined. Basically, successful artists discipline…
By: Jenny Dooley on December 4, 2023
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield came at just the right time. Well, maybe not. It is a curious time to unpack my own resistance when I have so little time to do so. However, I am receiving this opportunity as a timely invitation…
By: Travis Vaughn on December 4, 2023
What keeps us from getting things done is what Steven Pressfield calls “Resistance”[1] in The War of Art. Resistance. I know it well. I’ve dealt with this antagonist for years. Call it ADD. Call it too many things on my plate. Call it I’ll have plenty of time to do what I really want to…
By: John Fehlen on December 4, 2023
This is my third time reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It’s a go-to book for me, and so are his other works on writing and creativity, such as Turning Pro, Do The Work, and Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be. Like the writings of Austin Kleon (Steal Like An…
By: Tim Clark on December 4, 2023
Finishing a semester feels like finishing a Sunday. Every week on Sunday I get up much earlier than usual and prayerfully enter the space where for the next few hours I’m going to be in the ring and fighting for lives, sometimes my own. The battle isn’t against flesh and blood and I’m building people…
By: Jennifer Vernam on December 4, 2023
In the middle of the hubbub of getting all the final papers completed and the underlying hum of the holidays, this last blog post of the year was hard for me. While Steven Pressfield’s The Art of War [1] is a quick read, I found that I struggled with it a bit. Below I will…
By: Michael O'Neill on December 3, 2023
Introduction In the institutional realm of church congregations and ministries, where the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment and community joy reigns, an ominous force lurks in the shadows, threatening to undermine the very foundations of faith. This power is darkness, Night, death, and lies, and it targets its prey with careful execution over long periods when…
By: Becca Hald on December 3, 2023
After thirty-eight days migraine free, I am on day seven of this migraine. I am at least past the “someone please give me a guillotine” phase, but the horrific head pain is not the only symptom. Nausea, exhaustion, tinnitus, stiff neck, struggling to concentrate, and sensitivity to light, sound, and smell… these are my current…
By: Becca Hald on December 3, 2023
“She’s a pastor? But she is too nice to be a pastor.” That is what the receptionist at the kennel said to my husband. He was dropping off our kitties before heading out of town with me for a conference. The receptionist asked where we were going this time and he told her he was…
By: Laura Fleetwood on December 2, 2023
Dr. JR Woodward set out to write a book that “would offer theological immunity to the disease of domineering leadership in the church.” [1] In The Scandal of Leadership, Woodward dives into the heart of failures and scandals among male church leaders who become corrupted by the power they wield. In this academic and theological…
By: Daron George on December 1, 2023
Introduction In “Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault,” Stephen R.C. Hicks navigates the historical and philosophical evolution of postmodernism, tracing its roots from the Enlightenment critiques by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant to its manifestation as a critical lens in modern thought[1]. Hicks critically examines how postmodernism, often cast as a rebellion…
By: Chad McSwain on December 1, 2023
“As you read, you will discover that each of us will either follow the scandalous way Jesus led or become a scandal. There is no neutral ground.”[1] There is truly no neutral ground to leadership. It is no surprise that leadership books, blogs, email list and water-cooler-conversations persist the way they do. We all participate…
By: Daron George on December 1, 2023
Introduction “Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief” by Jordan B. Peterson is a fascinating book that digs deep into how our beliefs, the myths we hear, and our everyday lives are connected. Peterson shows us that myths are not just old stories but more like an ancient tool. He presents these narratives (myths) as…
