Judy has loved books since she was a child. She's always willing to share her latest find. Here is a list of a few books she has found helpful, and you may also. Let us know about books you find meaningful and help you enjoy life more. We'd love to check them out, too!

Our book list covers a wide variety: from a small-business guide offered by a CPA friend in Amarillo, Texas, to a religious book offered by a friend in Shreveport. We hope you will send your book recommendations and a paragraph or two about why you like the book. As we receive your ideas, the site will be made complete.

“When I was a child, the local library's bookmobile would come by Barret Elementary School in urban Shreveport, La., every few weeks. Walking up the stairs into that library-on-wheels was akin to walking into a whole new world, with books offered for those of us who might not have access to the library otherwise. By the sixth grade, we had a library and I had a column in The Barret Banner  about the library. From then on, I was a goner  from the cozy little library at Parkview Baptist Church with books about missionaries and the Bible to the Cedar Grove branch library (the first place I drove myself after I got my driver's license). As the years have passed, I have often turned to books to help me develop expertise on topics of interest to my clients. I am excited to share books and thoughts from authors with my clients. Happy reading! May some of these books help you come up with strategies for meaningful life and work."

Sabbath, Finding Rest, Renewal,
and Delight in Our Busy Lives
By Wayne Muller, Bantam Books 1999

This book is wonderful if you want to slow your life down. Muller uses stories and personal experiences to show how to make time to refresh body and mind. He quotes Gandhi: “There is more to life than merely increasing its speed.” Muller uses stories and personal experiences to show how to make time to refresh body and mind. This is one of those books you can pick up again and again when you find yourself beginning to be rushed and resentful.


The Path, Creating Your Mission
Statement for Work and for Life
By Laurie Beth Jones, Hyperion, 1996

The author offers advice on how to define and fulfill a mission. One of our favorite parts of this book is about a half dozen pages of verbs to help you determine your gifts and an assignment that helps you figure out what most interests you in life. This simple exercise is quite helpful. Jones also offers a variety of case studies (most from the Bible) and questions to consider. An example: “What would you do if you were ten times bolder? Go out, and do it.”


Write It Down, Make It Happen - Knowing What You Want ▬ and Getting It!
By Henriette Anne Klauser,  Scribner, 2000

This is a good book if you are trying to move forward and make things happen! We have tried this experiment, and it works. This is a story book  including stories about people who have written their very specific goals and achieved them. It also opens the door for you to write your own story by coming up with goals and specific things you want to see in your life. Klauser believes that by figuring out what you want and writing it down, you can help miracles occur. It’s a fun, uplifting read with lots of good ideas.


My Utmost for His Highest
By Oswald Chambers, Dodd, Mead
& Company, 1935

This “devotional classic” is a great volume for your resource library, ready to be picked up on a day when you feel the urge. This book combines a Scripture verse and short essay for each day of the year and contains much wisdom and thought-provoking ideas. Use this book to build some quiet time into your daily routine.


A Place Called Simplicity:
The Quiet Beauty of Simple Living
By Claire Cloninger, Harvest House Publishers, 1993

This book is about Claire Cloninger’s search for simplicity. Her personal stories and tips are extremely helpful and can spark all sorts of new thoughts.


Ordering Your Private World
By Gordon MacDonald, Oliver Nelson, 1985

Lots of people are struggling with the same sorts of issues we are, and this book offers ideas on a better way to live.


Gratitude: Affirming the Good
Things in Life
By Melody Beattie, MJF Books, 2000

This is a small book full of large thoughts. Beattie goes well beyond reminding us to give thanks each day for the good things in our lives. She includes a chapter on goal-setting and making each of your challenges into a goal. This is another of those books you will want to leave lying out, so you can pick it up for instant inspiration.


The Practice of the Presence of God
By Brother Lawrence, Whitaker House, 1982

The writings in this little book are about 300 years old and extremely helpful as you learn to listen to God and develop a deeper awareness of Him.


Devotional Classics
Edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith, Harper Collins, 1993

This book is a great spiritual resource as you become more interested in Bible study and quiet time. It contains 52 selections by great devotional writers and reflections and exercises to take you further.


Synchronicity: The Inner Path
of Leadership
By Joseph Jaworksi, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998

Among other things, this book can help you think about shaping your future as a leader. It has personal and professional applications.


The Power of Full Engagement Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal
By Jim Loehr and Tony SchwartzFree Press (A Division of Simon & Schuster) 2003

As the title suggests, this book explains that we can’t really manage time, we must manage our energy, both on and off the job. It offers a step-by-step program with an assessment to determine how fully engaged you are. It is an interesting look from a slightly different angle at this business of balancing our lives and having the energy and focus to do what we want and need to do.

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