I mentioned in an earlier post that over the past four years I have studied the Scriptures and read thirty-five books and numerous other writings about rest and life balance. References to rest and life balance are found throughout the Old and New Testaments. Certainly, the Author of life is our final authority on this matter. The Scriptures will always be the bedrock of what I share. But I want to early on acknowledge the writers whose works I have read over the past four years that have strongly influenced and affected my life. Chuck Swindoll, author of Intimacy with the Almighty. Greg Mckeon author of Essentialism and Effortless. The writings of Cal Newport, including Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and A World Without Email. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. Adam Mabry, The Art of Rest. John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Joshua Becker, Things that Matter. Others who have written on rest and life balance that have left an indelible mark on my life include Walter Brueggemann, Michael Hyatt, A.J. Swoboda, A.J. Sherrill, Wes Raley, Rebekah Lyons, Archibald Hart, Alex Soojung & Kim Pang, Gary Keller and Jay Papasan to name just a few. I’ll often reference and acknowledge these sages who have mentored me these past several years.

I’ve read, reread, underlined, journaled and have taken copious notes. I created “mind maps” for every book. As I pulled all the information together there were six recurring themes that I ran across over and over. Purpose, Principles, Practices, Productivity, Priorities, and Physical. These six areas will serve as the scaffolding for all posts moving forward.

Awhile back I had the following dialogue with God. “Lord why did you wait until I was nearly sixty-five to teach me and lead me toward this lifestyle change? I was rather aggravated and ticked at God. “Really God, why didn’t you get my attention and teach me these things when I was in my 30’s? (Truth is He probably tried countless times and I simply wasn’t hearing or listening to Him.) Anyway, after a brief pity party I came to a couple of conclusions. First, instead of dwelling on the past I resolved to live out the rest of my days and years that He would grant me putting into practice what I was learning. And second, I asked that He allow me the opportunity to influence others especially those significantly younger than me, which is the motivation behind this website and these posts. It is my earnest desire to share my journey and the things I have discovered and learned to encourage others toward a balanced life. Will you join me?

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