In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

Emily and I just finished reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. I can say without reservation that it’s the best book I’ve read this year. If you follow Mark’s blog, you know that he’s a very gifted writer. That gifting comes out boldly in the pages of this book as he weaves biblical insights with personal stories with challenging encouragement to pursue God’s dreams for your life. I just want to warn you, though, by the time you put the book down, you’ll be ready to become a lion chaser. If your gig is the status quo, I advise you not to pick up this book.

Here are the highlights that Emily and I noted as we read about becoming lion chasers:

• "Taking no risks is the greatest risk of all."
• "Our calling is much higher than simply running away from what’s wrong. We’re called to chase lions–look for opportunities in our problems and obstacles, and take risks to reach for God’s best."
• Lion chasers "thrive in the toughest circumstances because they know that impossible odds set the stage for amazing miracles. That is how God reveals his glory–and how He blesses you in ways you never could have imagined."
• "At some point in your life you have to make a choice between fear and boredom. Lion chasers choose fear."
• "Maybe prayer is less about changing our circumstances than it is changing our perspective."
• "You have to do something counterintuitive if you want to reach your God-given potential and fulfill your God-given destiny."
• "Maybe faith has less to do with gaining knowledge and more to do with causing wonder. Maybe a relationship with God doesn’t simplify your lives. Maybe it complicates our lives in ways that they should be complicated.
• "Most God-ordained dreams die because we aren’t willing to do something that seems illogical."
• "Most of us regret sins of commission in the short-term. But it’s the sins of omission, the missed opportunities, that haunt us the rest of our lives."
• "We need to stop criticizing culture and start creating it."
• "If you wait for perfect conditions before you seize an opportunity, you’ll be waiting till the day you die."