The 4-Hour Workweek

This book is a little off the beaten path for me. It is not one of those get rich quick books, though. It is a get rich enough to take vacations and enjoy yourself book. Although the general principle is rather radical, I found some interesting tips in here to streamline the way I work (though most ideas are way too radical) and some cool tips on travelling to some really cool places. At the very least, it challenges your thinking and I think will help you evaluate the effectiveness of what you do. Click on it to order it from Amazon.

Too Busy Not Too Pray

If you are having trouble getting your prayer life on track or just looking to get closer to God through prayer, I highly recommend this book. Not only does Bill outline the reasons which we MUST pray but gives some great ways to pray and to take our prayer lives to the next level. Do you keep a prayer journal? Ever written down your prayers? Does it feel like your prayers a stopping a the ceiling? Give this classic a try.

One Final Picture from Marco Island

It was overcast the first 3 days we were there. Then on the last day the sun came out:

This was the view from our balcony.

Louder Than Words

I have enjoyed all of Andy's books as well as his teaching at Northpoint Community Church. Louder than Words was no exception. In this book, Andy defines character and describes the process of building true character. This book is one of the best I have read lately. I recommend if for everyone as we can all us some work in this area. Click on it to order it.

A Great Day at the Beach

The day started here. I have always taken pictures of the various places I get to have my morning reading/quiet time and here is the latest:

Bailey even joined me today:

When we got to the beach we found these things washing up, They were crawling around trying to get back in the water. I did not make this up. It is an actual pic.

We got to ride a waverunner today. What a blast! We got it up to 72MPH. I did not think they went that fast. This is Bailey and me going out.

This was a cool pic towards the end of the day. A little hole in the sky.

More of the same planned tomorrow. Wish you were here.

We're Here!

A few quick notes from today. We travelled over to Marco and got settled in. A little pool at lunch with the boys:

A view from our balcony:

Great room - as always. More to come...

We're Off!

To The Surf Club at Marco Beach. Hope to blog from there, but we all know how technology goes.

Explanation

Why are here 16 books on my "What I Am Reading" list? BTW - There are actually 17.

I find it very hard to read one book for an hour or more at a time. I have devised a reading plan for me to combat that and also allow me to read many different types of books at the same time. (I also had problems in the past deciding what to read - problem solved as follows):

I start my day with the One Year Chronological Bible. I feel that this is the best way to start and allows me to continually read through the Bible in a year. I try a different version each year. 15 minutes a day tops.

Later in the morning, I have my "Morning Reading Time/Quiet Time" It consists of the following categories of books for about 10 minutes each (and the current book I am reading in that category).

-Inspirational - Chasing Hope
-Financial - 9 Steps to Financial Freedom
-Leadership - The Likeability Factor
-Spiritual Growth - Louder Then Words
-Physical Fitness - Lose it for Life - Hardest category for me
-Parenting - Boundaries with Teens
-Devotional = Pathway to His Presence
-Bible - NLT Study Bible - Different from above reading in that I read a smaller passage and read all associated notes.

I wrap up this time with prayer. Total time about 90 minutes

During the day I read a misc book of interest, currently, The 4-hour Workweek whenever the opportunity presents itself (waiting rooms, bathroom, etc.)

At night (usually after the kids go to bed) I read the following categories (books) about 10 minutes each:

-Misc Book - Getting Things Done
-Personal Growth - The Power of Positive Thinking
-Parenting - The Chicken's Guide...
-Marriage/Relationship - The Five Love Languages
-Business - Leading at a Higher Level
-Spiritual Growth - Hard to Believe

Before Drifting off to sleep, I finish up with varying books for enjoyment currently The Google Story.

By reading this way, I finish a lot of books, retain a lot more information, and keep my reading interesting. I also hone many different skill areas at the same time.

Well, there it is. Insane or not. That is my explanation. Try it.

Props

Props to my wife. She spent some time last night helping me add some cool things to my blog. She is a blog master. We added the following:

Hit Counter - Not sure I want to know

Cluster Map - Shows where people are checking in from. If you know anybody far away - help me out.

Amazon Widget - very cool tool that allows me to share with you what I am reading and you can click on it to order the book (saving me a few steps in my book reviews). When you look at the widget you are going to ask the question "It says you are reading 16 books right now. Is that right?" More on that later.

She is also helping me setup labels and other blog things.

I just wanted to say a big thanks to her.

Thanks,

P.S. Cool Signature huh? She helped with that too.

One Minute Wellness

I just recently finished "One Minute Wellness" By Dr. Ben Lerner. I had previously read "Body By God" by Dr. Ben and am still trying to implement that one. "One Minute Wellness" has a very unique layout. The left side pages are a fictional story that relate the principles covered in the book. The right side pages are the principles that lead to a healthy lifestyle. After trying to read a little of the left and then a little of the right, etc. I gave up and finished the left pages first then went back and read the right side pages. The principles in this book are similar to BBG but go further in depth. If you are looking for a wellness model that does not involve medication and traditional medical practices, give it a try. I personally believe in the principles he outlines and think he has found one of the keys to a healthier lifestyle and disease prevention.

The Dip

On our trip to Sanibel last weekend I finished a pretty cool book. It was especially cool for me at the stage of life that I am in now. Seth Godin writes about how we determine when we should quit something that has no future and when we should persevere through "The Dip" The trick is identifying whether you are in a dip or in what he calls "a cul-de-sac". If you are in a time of your life where something you are involved in is getting harder, whether that be a job, a volunteer opportunity, pursuit of a life goal, etc., I recommend that you give this book a try. It is a short easy read. Click on it to order from Amazon.

Matt

The Shrewd Christian

This is a book that I have been meaning to read for a long time. It turned out to be well worth it. While the cover and title are unimaginative, it gives some very practical guidelines to personal money management - sometimes bordering on too cheap. It is however, definitely worth the read and will help you manage your money and your household. Click on the pic if you want to order it.

Matt

Final Day at Sanibel/Heading Home

It started like this:

Lunch was here: (Our favorite place - The Bubble Room)

then on to the Outlet Mall for a little shopping. After that we headed home. Another great weekend.

Matt (Rested)

A Day at the Beach in Sanibel

Today I spent the day sitting here:

Looking at this:

and ended the day with this:

Tough Day and then Auburn beat Arkansas tonight in a nail-biter.

War Eagle,
Matt

Mashburns in Sanibel

We are on a little trip to Sanibel this weekend. Below are some pics that you might find amusing.
No Wireless - had to bring a switch and run cable.

Bailey practicing for tomorrow

A Bird flew over and this is what happened to Nick.

More to come...

Matt

A Day at the Beach

As some of you may already know, Thursday's are the day the Melissa and I spend the day together. Below are a few pics from the beach today.

The view from my chair

The view from the lunch table

The view from heaven.

Matt

Zune Rocks!

A few weeks ago I had a lapse of consciousness and slipped into an alternate reality. I blogged about how great my new iPod was. After having the iPod for couple of weeks and fighting the most ridiculous music program on the market (itunes), I got the opportunity to get a Zune cheap from www.woot.com. I went for it because I am a windows guy. I will never regret this decision. Not only can it play all my music, but will hold my pics and videos that I have downloaded from my Tivo. The best part of all is that this is done using a program that actually works. I might also add - bigger screen. For those of you that were surprised and disappointed by my Apple lapse, I apologize. I am back on the wagon.

Matt

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Mixed feelings about this book. It was very interesting as he talked about the judgements we make in the blink of an eye and why they are right sometimes and not other times. He also discusses how to use this to make decisions that will be more accurate. I did not really enjoy this one as much as some of the last few I have finished. However, click on it if you want to order it.

Matt

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

I just finished another really good book. This was another of Patrick Lencioni's fables and well written as usual. This book talks about learning to manage your employees in a way that makes their success measurable to them, therefore giving them fulfillment in their job and vision for success in their job. A definite read for managers/supervisors. As always, click the book cover above if you want to order.

Matt

Movie Poster

Walking through the theater today the following poster caught my eye. Not sure why.

Tired

Sometimes you don't realize the toll that recent events have taken on you. As most of you know, the last 6 weeks have been emotional for the Mashburns. I think it hit me last night. I slept for over 13 hours - I know - impressive. I think I needed it. The cool thing - I did not get up until 1:30 in the afternoon and my phone did not ring once. A little divine intervention maybe?

Matt

Hockey Game with Bay

Last Thursday some friends gave us tickets to the Panther Preseason Game. Nick had tons of homework so Bailey and I decided to go - just the two of us. We had a great time. I love Hockey and I had the chance to explain the game to him and also to have some other conversations that we would not otherwise been able to have.

Cool sidebar - It was raining when we got there and in the scramble to get my poncho on and get into the arena as quickly as possible, I dropped my Blueooth headset in the road. When we came out, it was still there - in the rain. It still works. Unbelievable!