Hello, friends, and welcome to today’s reflection—a little piece of my Saturday soul, shared with you as part of the 7-40 Challenge. I hope your day has been as rich and fulfilling as mine. Here in our new home, the day was brimming with family time, good food, a cozy movie, and, yes, the ongoing adventure of taming the chaos that is my office.
You see, we moved a few months ago, and my office is still a bit of a glorious mess. Picture this: stacks of books, decorations, cords for long-forgotten electronics, vinyl records, and—did I mention?—more books. Over the years, I’ve amassed a collection that could rival a small library. But here’s the kicker: I’ve never had a solid strategy for organizing it all. For too long, boxes of books have been relegated to the garage or tucked away in the attic, out of sight but never out of mind. Moving to this new house forced me to confront them—either find a place for them in my office or, heartbreakingly, let some go.
Now, if you’ve followed my posts before, you know I have a thing for books. I’m utterly captivated by the knowledge they hold, the worlds they open, the possibilities they whisper. But here’s the honest truth: I’m not always great at sitting down with a paper book and getting lost in its pages. So why do I keep all these books? It’s a question I’ve wrestled with, and the answer lies in what they represent.
Books, to me, are markers of my journey. They’re like breadcrumbs leading back to who I was and signposts pointing to who I want to become. As the great philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” Each book in my collection tells a story of a moment when I decided I didn’t want to stay stuck—mentally, spiritually, or emotionally. I wanted to grow, to be more, to do more.
Take, for instance, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, or Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. These books aren’t just pages bound together; they’re companions that have nudged me toward action, encouraged me to dream bigger, and reminded me to keep pushing forward. They’ve been my coaches on days when I needed a spark of motivation.
Then there’s the spiritual side of my library. Authors like John Eldredge, Craig Groeschel, and Erwin McManus have been my guides in deepening my faith in God and my walk with Jesus. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in 1937, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” These words remind me that following Jesus is a call to surrender and grow, to let go of my old self and step into the purpose God has for me. These books challenge me to reflect God’s love, to speak truth with compassion, and to live with intention. They push me to be a better example to the world and to align my steps with Jesus
But beyond the practical and the spiritual, there’s another reason I cherish my library. These books represent potential—who I could be, who I’m striving to become. If I can internalize the wisdom within these pages, I can be a more devoted follower of Jesus, a better husband, a better father, a stronger speaker, and a more impactful presence in every area of my life. These books aren’t just objects; they’re trusted voices, offering nuggets of truth that I can turn over in my hands and heart, testing and applying them to grow beyond where I am today.
I don’t take every word in every book at face value. I wrestle with the ideas, weigh them, and keep what resonates as true and good. And that’s the beauty of it—my library is a living, breathing testament to my pursuit of growth, a collection of possibilities that inspire me to keep going.
So, here I am, surrounded by my books, grateful for the journey they represent and the one they’re guiding me toward. I’m thankful for you, too, for reading this far and joining me in this reflection. I’d love to hear from you—what books are in your library? What lessons are you learning, and how are they shaping who you’re becoming? Drop a comment, keep the conversation going, and let’s inspire each other.
Here’s to day seven of the 7-40 Challenge—may we keep growing, learning, and chasing the best versions of ourselves.
The 740 Challenge 