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Five books that shaped my
life
by
Commissioner Joe Noland
The Power
of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale.
I have always had a tendency toward pessimism and cynicism.
Whether hereditary or conditional, I don’t know, but an
educated guess leads me to believe it to be a combination of
both. Thus early on, during a searching, dark period of my
young life, I discovered this book, read it, reread parts of
it many times and practiced religiously the recommended
exercises following each chapter. This book helped shape my
outlook on life, catapulting me forward as a possibility
thinker.
Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, Robert
Schuller.
This book served as reinforcement to Peale’s teachings later
on in my Salvation Army career. Having been the corps officer
at Santa Ana and Orange County coordinator for eight years, we
observed closely the visionary accomplishments of this man,
becoming acquainted with him and his ministry up close and
personal. His writings helped to expand within me an already
burgeoning vision and fertile imagination.
Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society,
John W. Gardner.
This book was required reading whilst working on my Master’s
Degree. I was Territorial Youth and Candidate’s Secretary at
the time, literally being beaten up by the bureaucratic
machinery, so much so that I was beginning to think there was
something wrong with me. This research and these writings
reinforced my own self innovative worth, so much so that I
purchased a copy and sent it to every top Salvation Army
administrative leader nationally. This was one of those “Wow!”
books for me. In fact, it is now dog eared, falling apart with
underlining galore and the word, “Wow!” written on the side of
almost every column.
A New Call to Holiness: A Restudy and Restatement of New
Testament Teaching concerning Christian Sanctification,
J. Sidlow Baxter.
As a maturing Salvation Army officer, I struggled with Samuel
Logan Brengle’s teachings on holiness because my inherited
disposition seemingly didn’t match his; we were not two peas
in a pod. This book was a God send answering all of the doubts
and questions plaguing me at the time. A moment of
enlightenment came when I realized that Brengle was right and
so was I, just coming at it from different dispositional
perspectives. These writings were to shape my teaching and
preaching in the years to come.
Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to
Surviving with Grace, Gordon MacKenzie.
At the beginning of my tenure as Territorial Commander, this
book miraculously arrived on my desk. I gobbled the contents up immediately and
still it left me wanting for more, I just couldn’t get enough
of it. Its message was so creative and so powerful that I
purchased a copy for every officer in the territory. These
writings became foundational to everything that followed and
is still a companion piece during these very active retiring
years, pushing me on creatively. It is the most innovative
book I have ever read, both in content and style, the kind I
wish I had written.
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