Book # 35: Boundaries

Book: Boundaries
Author: Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. John Townsend
Acquired: Jumped in my cart while I was browsing the books at Salvation Army.

The subheading of this book says it all, "When to say YES, When to say NO to take control of your life."

I would like to buy a dozen copies of this book to hand out to all my friends. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time saying no in this performance-driven, you-are-what-you-produce culture. What if I don't seem spiritual? What if I miss out on something? What if I hurt someone's feelings?

I feel too busy...I think I read somewhere that busyness is a sign of an empty heart....I tried to find it, but found something else:

“We often say we’re busy, but what does this term mean? We just say it without thinking because it’s an easy response and it sounds good. It sounds better to say that we’ve been keeping busy than to say we’re doing nothing, right? . . . Beneath this cultural pressure lies a more poignant and sobering truth: busyness is a sign of vanity. We find our worth through our busyness." - Intervarsity Website

I feel sad for my students. They are the busiest people I know. They fly from one activity to another, filling up their college resumes, yet leaving their hearts behind.

It comes down to this: "Our lives are our responsibility...A helpful way to understand setting limits is that our lives are a gift from God. Just as a store manager takes good care of a shop for the owner, we are to do the same with our souls."

Do you have trouble saying "NO"? NO, to the co-worker who constantly needs you to rescue them from their lack of responsibility? NO, to the friend who only calls to dump all her problems on you and never asks how you are doing? NO, to yourself when you keep wanting to keep hitting the snooze button every morning? NO, to the people in your church who want you to teach Sunday School even though you are already greeting and helping with the Women's Retreat?

READ THIS BOOK!