I’ve found two books particularly life-giving, as I’ve navigated a crazy-busy life.

* Margin by Dr. Richard Swenson. I’d skip the first half of the book as itis a bit tedious and statistic-y, but the latter half is revolutionary. Swenson gave me permission to slow down, to live simply, to enjoy people more than things. He proposes a radical way to slow down life.

* The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. This book reinforces the idea of a Biblical Sabbath. They speak of managing energy rather than time and tout the benefits of taking strategic breaks all day long. When I do this, I am more productive, more energized. When I plow through a day from morning to night without a break, my abilityto complete tasks lag. God has given us only so much energy (so we can learnto rely on Him!), so in a sense resting is an acknowledgement of our own limitations.