Blind Spots: What You Don't See Can Hurt You (eBook)

“One of the greatest gifts God has given to humans is the capacity for self-knowledge. We can navel-gaze into our own being like no animal ever dreamed. The capacity for self-awareness is both a blessing and a curse. If we are open to our blind spots, it is a blessing. If we deceive ourselves regarding who we are, it is a curse. Tim and Fil are working from the blessing side. Go with them.”
Dan Boone, President, Trevecca Nazarene University

“It will take courage to read this book. It’s uncomfortable to consider weakness. I’d much rather live in denial. In Blind Spots, Tim and Fil offer groundbreaking insights and help in not only identifying what you cannot see—but also finding freedom to move toward the person you want to be.”
Tim Stevens, Vice President of Consulting, Vanderbloemen; author of Marked by Love: A Dare to Walk Away from Judgment and Hypocrisy

“Reading Tim and Fil’s book feels like a conversation with a trusted friend. You can hear the tones of their caring voices in the stories they tell because they’re stories they’ve lived. You can sense their profound wisdom as they bring Scripture to life because they have been transformed by God’s Word. And somehow, while revealing the ugly realities of our blind spots, and telling us the truth that is hard to hear, their words make their readers feel known and loved. Read it and be changed.”
Drew Hill, Pastor; author of Alongside: Loving Teenagers with the Gospel

"Jesus says that when we can see things clearly, our whole life will be full of light. That’s precisely where Fil Anderson and Tim Riddle plunge into our smudged existence to help. With hard-won insight, they bring focus and clarity to critical matters that our hurry, self-deception, and pure thoughtlessness often turn to a muddled blur. In helping us attend to what we often miss, Blind Spots offers a gift as precious as sight.”
Jedd Medefind, President, Christian Alliance for Orphans

“Only the most brazen and foolish presume they are fully self-aware. Most mere mortals know there are countless ways we fail to see what we need to know about ourselves. But how do you know what you can’t see? Blind spots are a problem that leave us knowing we are significantly near or farsighted without the glasses to correct our vision. Tim Riddle and Fil Anderson have written a compelling and honest book that offers light to fill the spaces we can’t see. What we can’t see can kill us or our jobs, marriages, and friendships; but when we learn to see, it opens our eyes to wonder about how Jesus pursues us even in the midst of our refusal to see. Blind Spots is a brilliant gift to anyone who longs to let the truth set them free.”
Dan B. Allender, Christian therapist; author; speaker focusing on sexual abuse and trauma recovery; professor of counseling psychology; founding president of The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology

“Blind Spots is a short and wonderfully narrative take on our pervasive lack of self-clarity. Practical and personal stories provide a lens to open our eyes to things others see about us that we miss. I think of how Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper, ‘I have many things to say to you that you cannot yet bear. But when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will lead you into all truth.’ I am so grateful that this book gives the opportunity to bear more truth and see ourselves anew. Reading Blind Spots was Jesus’s invitation to address blind spots that sabotage my relationships. It gave efficient ways to participate with God’s Spirit in responding to truth about myself.”
Adele Calhoun, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, Highrock Covenant Church; author; spiritual director; retreat leader; pilgrimage leader; certified Enneagram instructor

“The very thought that there is something unseen in me that hinders my intimacy with Jesus, or deters my true self from emerging, is what compels me to read Blind Spots. The insight, challenge, and practical help offered, combined with the Holy Spirit’s work within, revealed several of my personal ‘blind spots’ to keep exploring. Thank you, Fil and Tim.”
Ty Saltzgiver, Author of My First 30 Quiet Times and numerous other titles; husband; father; speaker; mentor

“Did you know there is a difference between looking and seeing? So many of us spend lots of time looking without ever really seeing. In Blind Spots, Tim and Fil take an honest and profoundly authentic look at some of the places that keep us blind, groping in the dark. Bringing light to dark places, Tim and Fil not only expose our blind spots but help us move toward truth, freedom, boldness, and strength. A must-read!”
John Wagner, Young Life SVP Global Cities; author of Perfect: Sacred Stories from the Heart of a Dad

“It’s often said that ‘seeing is believing.’ However, in Blind Spots, I learned just the opposite—that believing is seeing. That regarding the things we can’t see about ourselves, we only develop twenty-twenty vision when we’ve been lovingly seen by a chosen few and by the One whose gaze of affection and acceptance sets us free. After reading this treasure of a book written by Tim Riddle and Fil Anderson, I finally understand why St. Paul asked God to ‘open the eyes of our hearts.’”
Michael John Cusick, Author of Surfing for God; CEO at Restoring the Soul 

“In these pages, you’ll find the authors diligently and honestly trying to uncover and address a crucial topic. In so doing, they successfully offer a helpful start to the lifelong and freeing practice of journeying with God to discover, reveal, and attend to reality. Many will find this book to be a great help. Your loved ones will be glad you read it.”
Nathan Foster, Director of Community Life, Renovaré; author of The Making of an Ordinary Saint

“Blind Spots is so much more than just a book. It is a mirror through which we can see our souls. With truth and grace, the authors hold up this mirror for us to take a deep look at what needs to be addressed in our own lives. I wish I had read this book decades ago. I’d be a better man, and now I have that invitation to become a better version of myself and you do too! Sometimes the truth can be too hard to accept. But in this book, we find that the truth sets us free. By first knowing our blind spots, then having them brought to the light, we can see our way more clearly to walk with confidence into the future to experience all God has for us.”
Stephen W. Smith, President and Spiritual Director of Potter’s Inn; author of The Lazarus Life and Soul Custody

“In my forty years of being a pastor, it would have been so instructive and helpful to have this book. As it has been said, ‘Sin blinds, it binds, and it grinds.’ We all need a different set of eyes to see what we are missing. This book helps leaders to pay attention to the necessary internal work they need to do to serve and love their communities faithfully. Tim and Fil illustrate a critical topic for healthy, wholehearted leadership and share their stories with insight and wisdom.”
Clyde L. Godwin, Director for The Barnabas Center Triad