Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend explain the importance of setting boundaries in one’s life and relationships in the 1992 book Boundaries: When to Say YES, When to Say NO to Take Control of Your Life.

It’s something many of us don’t consciously think about as we go about our day, but setting boundaries and keeping them influences nearly everything we do in regard to family members, friends, children, work and even ourselves.

There are chapters in Boundaries dedicated to all these situations and more. It’s a helpful guide for recognizing poor boundary-setting and learning how to improve our relationships. There is peace from God through understanding healthy boundaries and realizing you aren’t neglecting your duties in life if you don’t consent to everything others want from you.

It’s beautiful the way that Cloud and Townsend also discuss God and boundaries. They remind us that God shows us the importance of boundaries. He does not push Himself on us. If we turn our back on Him, He does not force us to obey. If He did, He would not be respecting our free will.

Do you find boundary-setting difficult?

Related Links:

• Purchase Boundaries by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend

• Resources by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend

• The Boundaries Books

Christian speaker, author and former missionary Elisabeth Elliot wrote letters to her daughter Valerie eleven months before Valerie’s wedding. The letters were compiled and published as the 1976 book Let Me Be A Woman.

In these letters-turned-chapters, Elliot speaks to the beauty of womanhood that is given by the Lord.

Chapter title names include “Self-Discipline and Order,” “Love is Action,” and “Love Means a Cross.”

One of the most thought-provoking chapters is entitled, “A Choice Is A Limitation.” In it, Elliot makes simple but profound statements on marriage, vocation, and vows:

There have been many revisions and improvisations in modern weddings … In one of these improvisations the phrase has been changed from “as long as ye both shall live” to “as long as we both shall love.” This cuts the heart out of the deepest meaning of the wedding. It is a vow you are making before God and before witnesses, a vow you will by God’s grace keep, which does not depend on your moods or feelings or “how things turn out.” As others have said, love does not preserve the marriage, the marriage preserves love.

When you make a choice, you accept the limitations of that choice. To accept limitation requires maturity. The child has not yet learned that it can’t have everything. What it sees it wants. What it does not get it screams for. It has to grow up to realize that saying Yes to happiness often means saying No to yourself. … To choose to do this is to choose not to do a thousand other things. … To do this is not to do that. To be this is not to be that. To be a woman is not to be a man. To be married is not to be single — which may mean not to have a career. To marry this man is not to marry all the others. A choice is a limitation.

Related Links:

• Purchase Let Me Be A Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

• Official Web Site of Elisabeth Elliot

• About Elisabeth Elliot

Another dynamic little book of sage-sayings from St. Josemaria Escriva comes to us through The Forge. Chapter titles include “Struggle,” “Recovery,” and “Victory.” St. Josemaria speaks to topics that people of any faith can relate to. They are topics that touch souls because they pertain to human nature and human struggles.

What are you so proud of? Every impulse that moves you comes from Him. Act accordingly. (Dazzled)

Lord, rescue me from myself! (Struggle)

You say yes, you are determined to follow Christ. All right. Then you should walk at His pace, not at your own. (Recovery)

A few are wicked, and many are ignorant: that is how the enemy of God and of the Church reigns. Let us confound the wicked, and enlighten the minds of the ignorant. With the help of God, and with our effort, we will save the world. (Victory)

Sometimes it just takes one brief saying that we can keep in mind during the day to help us in our present situation. Through Scripture and the writings of the saints we can find those words that touch our hearts and move us forward on our journey closer to God.

Related Links:

• The Forge

• About St. Josemaria Escriva

• Opus Dei

In Furrow by St. Josemaria Escriva, this holy man provides us with pearls of spiritual wisdom. His chapter titles include Generosity, Sincerity, Ambition and Friendship. Who couldn’t benefit from this kind of advice? Just a few shared excerpts from St. Josemaria’s book could bless your non-Catholic family members and friends, all the while gently teaching them about one of the great saints of the Church.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

“Every Christian has the duty to bring peace and joy to his own surroundings on earth. This cheerful crusade of manliness will move even shrivelled or rotten hearts, and raise them to God.” – Cheerfulness

“Your life is service, but always with stalwart loyalty, laying down no conditions. Only thus shall we be able to give the Lord what He expects.” - Loyalty

“Before God, no occupation is in itself great or small. Everything gains the value of the Love with which it is done.” - Work

Related Links:

• St. Josemaria Escriva’s Biographical Profile

• Furrow by St. Josemaria Escriva

• Official Web Site of Opus Dei

Do you ever doubt that it is possible to integrate your faith into your professional career? In his new book Produced by Faith, DeVon Franklin combines both elements, illustrating how you can enjoy “real success without losing your true self.”

DeVon is the Vice President of Production for Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. He uses the film-making process to demonstrate an active Christian faith actually benefiting Christians in the secular working world.

Some of the book’s Hollywood highlights include DeVon’s climb to success as well as his work on The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith and The Karate Kid with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith (Will Smith’s son).

Sprinkled throughout the book are motivational lines declaring that if you trust in God, you will be successful. This encouragement and seeming guarantee of success contradicts how we as Catholics view it.

Many of us have heard the famous quote by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “I am not called to be successful but faithful.”

It’s true we are given special opportunities and talents to use for the Lord, striving for success in all we do. But we are never promised worldly success.

Countless saints did not live earthly lives that the world would view as successful, making me wonder if DeVon really meant it the way I took it. He does mention struggle and trusting God even when it is most difficult. He also offers that God may change our career path and show us a different way than we originally set out to follow. Still, it was unsettling to read his definitive statements that everyone will be successful in their careers if they trust in God.

Despite that attitude, this book would especially benefit young adults who are interested in the movie industry (whether as a career or as an interest). It would be a great book to offer to graduates from high school or college, as it emphasizes that God has a plan and that His plan is the best for our lives.

DeVon relates how he remains faithful to God despite any possible opposition or inconvenience. Produced by Faith is a beautiful testament of Christian witness in Hollywood.

Related Links:

• Produced by Faith

• Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Pray always for perseverance for yourself and for your companions in the apostolate. Our adversary, the devil, knows only too well that you are his great enemies, …and when he sees a fall in your ranks, how pleased he is! ~ The Way, by St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Josemaria Escriva’s popular book The Way was first published as Consideraciones espirituales in 1934. It is a collection of wisdom words and advice given by the saint, organized by topic. St. Josemaria hits on many pertinent spiritual subjects, including character, direction, prayer, holy purity, love of God and penance.

It is similar in arrangement to Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, edited by Raymond Arroyo. Both are organized by topic, making it easy to find the kind of encouragement you need at the moment.

The following are just a few of the many powerful excerpts from The Way:

Character: Don’t let your life be sterile. Be useful. Blaze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and of your love. With you apostolic life wipe out the slimy and filthy mark left by the impure sowers of hatred. And light up all the ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you carry in your heart.

Lukewarmness: Fight against the softness that makes you lazy and careless in your spiritual life. Remember that it might well be the beginning of tepidity… and, in the words of the Scripture, God will vomit out the lukewarm.

Joy: I want you always to be happy, for cheerfulness is an essential part of your way. Pray that the same supernatural joy may be granted to us all.

Related Links:

• The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva

• Purchase The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva

• About St. Josemaria Escriva

• Purchase Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality