Book Review - Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor

(Forget a Mentor)
Find a Sponsor 

(by Sylvia Ann Hewlett)

All AMAZINGNESS in this book! Definitely a new thought and ground-breaking concept on excelling one's career. With all the pressures and emphasis on work (i.e. career life), the strategies and methods to succeed are becoming so common that everyone is either laboring into overtime (shifting the standard working hours from 40/week to 50+/week) or laboring while taking classes full-time. Where does one get the time to actually live and enjoy family outside of work?

Well, to regain your personal life you'll need to come up with a new strategy. This lady, former professor of Columbia University, opens the door to a new, useful concept on maximizing your efforts at work while receiving the matching recognition and rewards. Stop focusing so much on building a team of mentors. Build a team of sponsors.

Interestingly, non-profits actually already do this (i.e. build sponsorships) in order to continue operating. The only difference with individuals is that sponsorship helps with finding job opportunities rather than financial opportunities. So, who are your sponsors?

Main Points

Here are the main points that I really liked from this book, and the author actually does a nice job of organizing this knowledge.

• The Sponsor Imperative - Part One of this book's table of contents
• First and straight to the point, we need to know what is sponsorship and how sponsorship works.
• Road Map for Proteges - Part Two of this book's table of contents
• Dream (envision your castle)
• Diagnose (your current situation and skills)
• Collect (a list of potential sponsors)
• Divide (or distribute your risks)
• Develop (what sponsors are looking for)
• Deploy (your currency)
• Dive-In (with a 'Yes')
• Pitfalls - Part Three of this book's table of contents
• Sex
• Distrust
• EP = Executive Presence
• Gravitas - How you Act
• Communication - How you Speak
• Appearance - How you Look
• Last Point: Envision and build toward your vision

Favorite Quotes

There were a lot of nice quotes by the author, but I'll limit to eight.

1. Climbing the ladder in any competitive field requires heavy-duty support from a senior person with heft and influence.
2. Sponsors give advice and guidance, but (unlike mentors) they also come through on much more important fronts.
3. Mentors give, whereas sponsors invest. <-- Key!
4. Sponsors may advise or steer you, but their chief role is to develop you as a leader. Your role is to earn their investment in you.
5. Cultivating a sponsor and leveraging the relationship to mutual benefit turns out to be a skill that serves people in nonprofits and education as readily as it serves people in for-profits and government.
6. Sponsors make it their business to see you succeed because you carry their brand.
7. *Combination of quotes here.* What proteges do? Own their ambition, define their destination, and deliver positive, useful results especially adding value to their sponsors.
8. 'Yet among proteges, only 32 percent say they "lead with a yes."' Lean-in with 'yes' and then figure out how to get it done - and do it well. Be confident and secure the opportunity before negotiating.

Favorite Verse

"That's right: making a fabulous first impression boils down to biceps." - Sylvia Ann Hewlett

What's Missing?

A nice table or chart showing all the statistics that she mentions would have been nice. Otherwise, it's still a great and useful read.

MLK Night: Remembering our Suffering and Fight for Equal Rights

I wrote this one week after Election Night.

Dear Family & Friends,

Please join me on Monday, January 16th (MLK Day) in front of the White House at 6pm ET to celebrate with lighted candles of the many accomplishments that have and will forever change the history of our great nation. Let's focus on how grateful we are for our nation's first Black president and how huge of a milestone this mark has made for many generations to come. Let's give thanks for the many generations before us who have fought for our freedom and civil rights with their sweat, blood and tears. Let's thank God for blessing us with experiencing these years!

Let's rise above expectations and show the world why we are STILL a great nation. During the last week of President Obama's leadership and service, let's give praise and shouts of joy as the 44th president, his wonderful family and team finish strong with their heads held high with respect. Let's show them some love and support of all the strength and courage it took for them and us to make it this far and come out as champions. Let's show the world that we are still standing with the Obamas and we still have faith in the Prince of Peace.

I know many of us might still feel defeated. I totally understand. I, too, was shocked at what was happening during Election Night. I was caught off guard. Yet, I'm thankful for the news coverage on breaking down the voting progress by county which revealed a lot. I was not aware of how many Americans still have a different American Dream, one far from the one envisioned by Martin Luther King Jr. Although it's painful, I'm glad that I now know.

As a person who loves playing sports, it never feels good to lose a game. It never feels fair when our opponent fights harder to win even at all costs including character. However, every game has a clock and an end. Champions never focus on the loss, but on how to win the next game. Champions evaluate the game and look for areas that our opponents gave more attention to. Then, champions make adjustments and ensure those mistakes never happen again. And, champions do this with keeping a character of integrity. Again, we did not lose. We are just learning a lesson. Our nation's brothers and sisters have simply helped us with identifying areas that we need to improve in. Over the next several years, let's pray and show them some love. Let's start by being great examples of support for our new president meanwhile praying for a better 46th U.S. president and preparing a nation to leave to our children.

Please join me on Monday, January 16th (MLK Day) and let's really show the world how strong we are.

Please feel free to invite everyone. Everyone is welcome to join us in this celebration and prayer.

This was the outcome of a beautiful, still night in remembering why we are truly here. Not for our equal rights, but equal rights for all. Not for our prayers, but for prayers for everyone. Not to simply show love to ourselves, but to practice showing love to everyone. And conditioning our hearts to ask God to help us love on people the way He loves on people; including ourselves.

Let's pray more and love more. May our God increase our hearts with love and thoughts of righteous prayers.

Book Review - Jesus B

Jesus B 

(by Jim Lyon)

This refined collection of sermons was a pleasant and insightful. I always thought like this author and have had many thoughts of my own regarding "The Calling of Every Christian" throughout the past couple of years. The outline of the book makes this an easy read. It's also a short read being less than one hundred pages.

How does one be like Jesus? Although everyone is unique, there are the fundamentals of character that Jesus has perfected. These fundamentals are what we ought to strive for as we be like Jesus. However, to be like Jesus we have to know more about who Jesus is.

Main Points

Here are the main points that I really liked from this book.

• Who do you want to be?
• This is a simple, yet powerful question. The answer to this question often determines our direction in life. It determines your identity. It determines where we put all of our energy and focus. So as a Christian, shouldn't we put a lot more energy and focus into being like the one we call our King, our Prince of Peace?
• Celebrate Baptism.
• We Christians need to make a big celebration of baptism. If there's anytime the church puts on a party, then these baptism moments are the time. Our family, friends, and everyone needs to know about this incredible conversion and proclamation of one beginning his/her journey to be like Jesus. Perhaps baptisms should happen outside in the public like the Jordan River?
• Be Spirit-led.
• Walk in the Way and keep in mind always to guard against these three natural temptations: 1) Providing for Yourself (i.e. selfishness), 2) Acting on Impulse (i.e. human nature vs godly nature), and 3) Switching Loyalties (i.e. cheating on God).
• Be the change.
• See what God can do through you. Let Him use you for the good of our world.
• Let your walk around the neighborhood say a lot about the new you.
• Be a healer.
• Serve people, your community, your neighbors.
• Spread hope.
• Speak life into people (i.e. be encouraging).
• Listen to what people need.
• Be a nonfictional storyteller.
• Master the storytelling of Jesus's life, and the other Bible stories.
• Know how history is interconnected with the Bible.
• Know how the Bible stories relate to today's stories.

Favorite Quotes

There were a lot of nice quotes by the author, but I'll limit to ten.

1. Most of us want to have a relationship with Jesus, but we're not so keen on being like Him.
2. Think of it: God Himself discipling us.
3. We become evidence of the Scripture brought to life.
4. Someone being baptized is completely helpless, off balance, and dependent on someone else: Jesus Christ.
5. You can do more than influence others, you can show what it means to live in right relationship with God and help them see the world as heaven sees it.
6. Never leave a conversation with another person in despair; always leave them with hope.
7. ...spiritual gifts may be for a lifetime or may be for a season.
8. It's God's gift to you for God's purpose.
9. All of us have a tendency to worry about what others are going to say or think about us when we reach out to people who are not already followers of Jesus or whose journey with Jesus has been troubled, but Jesus Himself seemed to be free from such worry.
10. One last thing: If you want to Jesus B. and really become a friend of sinners, you must know who you are, as Jesus did. #identity

Favorite Verse

"I am confident of this very thing, that He who began the good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6

What's Missing?

On page 88, the author provides a nice list of steps to remember when being like Jesus.

1. Be publicly baptized.
2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Be God's light.
4. Be a healer.
5. Be a friend of sinners.
6. Be a storyteller.

What I think is missing is this:

• Let your life tell a story of being like Jesus.

If you died later today, then at least have people say that they could tell you were trying to live a life like Jesus Christ (of truth and love).

The First to Commit Suicide

Hello my Impact brothers and sisters,

So, I was talking to my wife last night about why Adam was the first to commit suicide and came up with this analogy which I think might be helpful. This is coming from the story of the Great Fall (Genesis 3).

Suicide by Food Poisoning

God told Adam (and Eve) not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This fruit, in my words, is poisonous. It is the poison within the fruit - i.e. knowledge of evil - that contaminates the entire fruit and makes the entire fruit poisonous. No matter how juicy and delicious the fruit is, because there is poison in it a person will die from eating the fruit. Adam was warned by God. It's like our best friend (God) telling us not to eat a certain food because if we eat it then we will die. Or, not to eat at a specific restaurant (i.e. a tree). And then, like Adam, we eat it and...we die. Not because the fruit itself is bad, but because of what is in the fruit is bad.

A stronger analogy to many of today's suicides can compare this fruit to a drug. Many of us grow up learning from parents, friends, and others that we should not take any drugs because of the many consequences which one leads to overdose and death. Unfortunately, many of us are enticed to such harmful drugs or even get addicted to prescription drugs. When life really has us feeling worthless, eventually we end up dying from overdose. In the story of Adam and Eve, this fruit was a very powerful drug that the human body could not handle and when eaten would instantly send the body into overdose and die.

I pray this analogy is helpful.

Again, Adam was first because their eyes (i.e. Adam and Eve's) were not open to their nakedness until after Adam ate of the fruit (verse 7). But we shouldn't allow ourselves to get caught up with who was exactly first. What matters more is that there was a husband and wife who allowed each other to fall into sin instead of helping each other keep their holy guard up (and not commit suicide).

I pray that the Lord helps us in helping each other including ourselves with keeping our guard up and not committing suicide. God created us because we have worth. Each of our lives is worth more than we know. Thanks be to God.

Online References

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/food-poisoning#1

Book Review - Blue Like Jazz

Book of the Month - "Blue Like Jazz" (by Donald Miller)

It's a well written autobiography and I truly enjoyed this book as a leisurely read. I can see why it's sponsored by Cru, the organization in which I heard of the book, because it's an evangelistic tool with some great ideas on evangelism. More importantly, it has great thoughts on a true life that wrestles with churches and Christianity. There's a big difference between churches' Christianity and the Christianity of Jesus Christ.

At first, I thought this book was about nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality. But after reading this book, I can't say I necessarily agree with this note because there is a lot of hints of Christian thoughts throughout this book. I guess most people's childhood in the Bible belt of the USA will automatically steer the thinking towards a Christian mindset (i.e. spirituality). But can't Christian spirituality also have various definitions?

Main Points

Similarly to my journey of understanding how to be like Jesus albeit very different paths taken, there are quite a few good points mentioned by this author, Don.

• Jazz - like all music that we didn't grow up with (and if it sounds really different from the music we like while growing up), we won't like it when we first hear it. However, we can't appreciate the music (considering the sounds are good) if we don't learn what it's about it. And we can't feel the music unless we see someone else dancing to it. That's how people truly feel music - they dance to it. You can't just sit and listen to a song when it's really speaking to your soul. You gotta dance! Plus, there's more than one type of Jazz and I love smooth jazz, baby.
• Journey - understanding Christian spirituality is a journey focused on seeking more and more understanding of Jesus Christ.
• Chapters - his chapters are categorize very well and he doubles one on the crucial topic of "Love". Well, actually triples on "Love", but you'll have to figure that out for yourself. ;)
• Teenagers - I love how this is a good read for teenagers. I would expect college students to be too busy reading text books, but many teenagers are interested in knowing how college guys and girls think.

Favorite Quotes

There were a lot of nice quotes by the author, but I'll limit to one per chapter (20 total).

1. My father left my home when I was young, so when I was introduced to the concept of God as Father I imagined Him as a stiff, oily man who wanted to move into our house and share a bed with my mother.
2. The greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time.
3. I couldn't give myself to Christianity because it was a religion for the intellectually naive.
4. I still had serious issues with Jesus, though, only because I associated Him with Christianity, and there was no way I would ever call myself a Christian.
5. She believed that all things that were true were rational. But that isn't the case. Love, for example, is a true emotion, but it is not rational.
6. Trying to love the right things without God's help...was impossible.
7. Who am I to think myself above God's charity?
8. Don't complain about the way God answers your prayers.
9. This is why he could be beaten one day, imprisoned the next, and released only to be beaten again and never ask God why.
10. If I walk away from Him, and please pray that I never do, I will walk away for social reasons, identity reasons, deep emotional reasons, the same reasons that any of us do anything.
11. Stop ten people on the street and ask them what they think of when they hear the word Christianity, and they will give you ten different answers.
12. First [thing I didn't like about churches]: I felt like people were trying to sell me Jesus.
13. ...marriage is worth the trade. You lose all your freedom, but you get this [incredible] friend.
14. When a person has no other persons he invents them because he was not designed to be alone, because it isn't good for a person to be alone.
15. Living in community made me realize one of my faults: I was addicted to myself.
16. There's not a lot of work in the Christian market if you won't write self-righteous, conservative propaganda.
17. A statement like this [of Mother Theresa] offends some Christians because they believe if aspects of their faith do not obey the facts of reality, they are not true.
18. The real issue in the Christian community was that it was conditional.
19. God's love will never change us if we don't accept it.
20. ...jazz music was invented by the first generation out of slavery...a language of the soul. I think Christian spirituality is like jazz music. I think loving Jesus is something you feel.

And then you dance to it!

Favorite Verse

No verses mentioned in this book. But, he does mention the Book of Matthew and in particular points out chapter 13 as a life changer.

What's Missing?

Well, if you're going to write an autobiography and compare it to jazz, then I would love some links to some good jazz music. :-)

Book Review - Reset (by Joseph W. Walker III)

This is actually the Book of the Month for September.

This is a good book if you are looking to start over with your life in addition to the Bible. If you're reading this on your own, then this is a great motivational book for churchgoers. However, I believe the best way to read through this book, similarly to "The Purpose Driven Life" (by Rick Warren), is in a small group of believers.

Personally, "Reset" sounds like a collection of sermons. For example,  reading through the contents page a reader will see chapter titles like "Reclaim and Rededicate" and "Reassess and Recalibrate". This is very helpful for people to remember like one would with a song which has been popularized in the Black Church. I also can tell that the author is non-white from the vernacular and diction. This is great for those, like me, who are looking to read more books from a non-traditional American author.

Main Points

If I had this book ten years ago when I was starting my life over again (for the third time), then here are the points that I would have instantly applied.

• Reflections - these questions at the end of each chapter are powerful and require deep, honest thoughts. I would write down my answers and, next to it, write future answers (to the same questions) that I would like to reflect.
• Rain and Revelation - this section is quite good; talks about getting breakthroughs instead of breakdowns.
• Recognize the Call - 'the call' defined as 'an urging of the Spirit.' This was very helpful in zooming into my focus because many distractions in this world will take you away from your main attraction in this world.
• Remake - in the section about 'Understanding...Lo Debar' the author talks about how someone has dropped us, abused us, lied to us, deceived us, and caused other damages that may have paralyzed us in some fashion. He reminds us those thoughts and feelings are painful and difficult to face, but need to be addressed if we are to progress towards God and forward with God. We can't reset family, friends, and others, but we can reset ourself. This message is something I could have used during middle school.
• I like his section on "Commitment and Promise". Basically, our commitment to God is what entitles us to His Promise and promises.
• I would actually debate with the author on his statement "This [tithing] shows us that it was pre-Mosaic covenant." Tithing implies a tenth for all things received. I don't see where Abraham and others pre-Mosaic covenant are actually continuously tithing. I see some sacrifices here and there, but nothing periodically.
• I like the section on "Sacrifice", too. Every true Christian understands the meaning and importance of sacrifice.
• I like how the author uses a lot of personal examples.

Favorite Quotes

• "There are also those men and women who think they are inside the will of God when they are not. These are the people who outwardly live the Christian life. They go to church. They tithe. They're on committees. But so many are guilty of working for God instead of with God." - Whoa, love it.
• "Only a few of us really have the capacity to be Hosea, to love like that. But all of us have been Gomer."
• "it takes pain to teach us the limits of behavior, people, or situations that can hurt us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It is there to push us away from danger. That is the positive side of pain."
• "Give yourself time to heal before God's next move." - Amen!
• "This is a distinction between information about God and revelation about God." - Amen.
• "If you have a dream that is of God, he will always give you the space to reach for it."
• "you will never reach your destiny if you don't know your history."
• "You can tell when people don't know who they are. It's easy to see when they don't know their identity, their destiny. It's in their posture."
• "there is a distinct difference between praise and worship. Praise is simply a response to what God has done for us."
• God is a God of timing. He operates in kairos rather than chronos - his time, not ours."
• "There can be no purification without separation, and there can be no separation without some agitation. Sin has attached itself to you the way dirt and grime attach themselves to your clothes. To remove it, there has to be agitation. In real life, that can mean disruption."
• "There are certain ships in life we all ride in - relationships, friendships, partnerships, fellowships. And some of those ships are too small to get you where God is taking you."
• "If you're not healthy, you can't fulfill your purpose."

Favorite Verse

"Let us reason together," says Isaiah 1:18. Let us talk this through.

What's Missing?

Here are my thoughts on what is missing in this book and could possibly draw concerns.

1. The author must emphasize the importance of starting life over with true believers that care about the person's reset. Church is insufficient on such a personal matter. Small groups, too, are not enough. There must be a few trustworthy believers, preferably of the same gender, that will personally befriend and assist with the reset.
2. A person resetting their life but having strong abusive addictions must get professional, Christian counseling. I didn't see this mentioned along with a list of counseling centers, contacts and resources. Such helpful resources should have been provided in an appendix. I must highlight this miss because my assumption of the audience will include individuals who are heavily broken, discouraged and depressed.

Overall, I'm glad I read this book as it's always helpful to be reminded of the importance to reflect and see which in areas in my life need to be reset, removed, reclaimed or refined. ;-)

Book Review - Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

Fam,

I have always been interested not only in Christianity, but also in other religions especially those of my friends. One in particular is Islam. Islam seems to be the greatest opponent to Christianity and I never understood why. Having read the Bible, I didn't see any threats to Muslims. I also don't see any threats to Jews, those who actually know the Spirit of the Law in addition to the Law. I believe there's a huge misunderstanding for anyone who feels threatened by Christianity including certain so-called Christians who only believe in their additions to the biblical interpretations. So I believe that Christianity truly is a religion of love, one that spreads to everyone unconditionally.

But why aren't churches or Christians talking about other religions and understanding Christian Apologetics? At a particular church I was attending, God blessed us with a man visiting our church over a weekend who was getting his post-doctorates in defending the Gospel against Islamists. He emailed me and suggested plenty of references to further my understanding of the Islamic perspective on Christianity highlighting this book: "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus".

Another great book transforming mindsets, I love how Nabeel Qureshi, the author, is very open and honest with telling his autobiography as a former devout Muslim on such a vital topic (faith) where many lose their lives - literally. Now, more than ever, people especially young people in the West need more evidence in supporting any kind of belief. With so many lies, false stories, and rhetoric, Westerners are free to choose their faith and often do so based on their knowledge and personal experiences, but can easily be misled. In contrast to many other cultures, Westerners have access to all kinds of information due to the Internet and even public libraries. Westerners also have access to temples and mosques in addition to the heavily population of churches. But no so with non-Westerners, who are heavily persuaded and even compelled into certain beliefs.

Another reason I like this book is because the author gives some insight into the divisions within Islam. This is eye opening for many since the West is filled with churches promoting their denomination instead of focusing on the biblical essentials and dispelling myths of Christianity. The same can even be said of Islam.

Nabeel subtlety highlights the single, most important part of evangelism: friendship. Many are turned off by Christianity because Christians, in general, are not befriending people. Many Christians are absorbed in their "community" (i.e. church community) that they are forgetting Jesus second commandment: love thy neighbor. But like many other religions, many Christians are listening to what they have been taught which is any and everything coming through their pastor instead of first listening to God. And this puts many Christians in the same religious lifestyle as Nabeel's Islamic lifestyle.

My last point about why I love this book - is on the importance of any individual learning the faith in Jesus Christ with his/her own interpretations refined by self-studies and having open, challenging discussions with biblical scholars.

My favorite quotes and key takeaways

1. "love for his family and heritage was his motivation." (In reference to his father which is interestingly similar to the feelings of the Father.)
2. "Muslims believe that every single word of the Quran was dictated verbatim by Allah, through the Archangel Gabriel, to Muhammad."
3. "Muslims do not consider the Quran translatable. If it is rendered in any language other than Arabic, it is not Quran but rather an interpretation of the Quran. A book can be a true Quran only if written in Arabic."
4. "most Muslims I knew growing up could recite many chapters of the Quran from memory, but rarely could they explain the meaning or context of those verses." (This, interestingly, could be the case for all religions.)
5. "Light gets dimmer the farther it gets from its source."
6. There are 5 Pillars of Islam
7. There are 6 Articles of Faith
8. Shia make up 10-15% of Muslims, Sunni make up 80% and others make up the 5-10%.
9. A man is Muslim if he exclusively declares that Allah is God and Muhammad is Allah's messenger.
10. "there is much division in Islam."
11. "each denomination differs on what hadith they consider accurate."
12. "My mind was shaped to think critically, but that shape did not fit into our culture."
13. "I was no longer of traditional Pakistani culture, and I was no longer of American culture. I had a third culture, and no one met me there."
14. "They did not categorize religion with belief but with cultural identity."
15. "the best we can do before getting to know someone is to determine whether he is an immigrant or a second-generation Muslim. This one factor often makes a huge difference."
16. "The Quran is the only uncorrupted, perfect book in the world. The books of hadith are more like the Bible because they are the works of men."
17. "when authority is derived from reason, questions are welcome because critical examination sharpens the very basis of authority."
18. There are two types of basic belief of Islam: 1) Islam is the religion of peace; 2) Islam will dominate the world. A Muslim must choose one of these two types which will shape his/her entire life.
19. "Effective evangelism requires relationships. There are few exceptions."
20. "Polictical correctness is for acquintances, not friends."
21. "Conjecture is not enough. You need proof." (by David Woods)
22. "Feel free to be as skeptical as you want, but just don't be inconsistent. If you're going to be this skeptical about the Bible, I want you to be equally skeptical when we take a look at the Quran." (by David Woods)
23. "the Quran calls Jesus the 'Word of God'."

Verses

• John 1
• Daniel 7
• Psalm 110
• Mark 14:62
• Mark 8:34-35

Conclusion

This documented testimony is worth sharing with and recommended reading for every Christian and non-Christian. A Christian must be like Paul the Apostle in the Book of Romans by first understanding others and then explaining the Gospel and how it is the truth to life. There is no other God, but Jesus.

By using an objective approach and setting aside biases, I am pretty sure like Nabeel that many will conclude that there is no greater faith than in Jesus Christ.

Online References
https://twitter.com/NAQureshi
https://twitter.com/Acts17
https://carm.org/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DakEcY7Z5GU (one of the most powerful stories to Nabeel, and me)