Finding Happy Starts With a Decision

Finding Happy: 10 Keys to Living an Extraordinary Life

Author: Chad Kneller

Publisher: Clovercroft Publishing

Publication Date: October 1, 2018

Length: 124 pages








About the Author
Chad Kneller is the founder and CEO of Made For More Inc; a company dedicated to bridge the gap between reality and possibilities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Mr. Kneller served as an Army officer after pursuing a music career in the rock and roll industry.

Resilience, Perseverance and Faith
Mr. Kneller has penned a book that is both memoir and motivational. He defines ten keys that will help you find happiness and live a rewarding and fulfilling life. 

The author tells how he went from failure in his early years to fortune by becoming a successful husband, father, businessman and leader. 

My Thoughts
I want to begin by thanking Mr. Kneller for his service to our country. He served two stints in the U.S. Army and completed the requirements to earn his college degree and become an Army officer. As a military mother, I have a great deal of respect for his hard work and dedication to our country.

The author is very transparent about the mistakes and bad choices he made as a young man. However, he was able to put these things behind him and work hard to achieve a better life for himself and his family.

Mr. Kneller boldly credits his Christian faith for giving him strength and guidance to become the man he is today. He shares passages from the Bible to support his quest for finding happiness and joy.

"Finding happy starts with a decision. It's deciding you are going to be happy and starting off each day with an attitude of gratitude...The key is deciding to be happy."

This book gives you motivation, inspiration, encouragement, and journaling prompts to help you reflect on what you read. "Finding Happy" is an excellent selection to get the new year off to a great start.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Get Things Done By Setting Destiny Goals

Volcanic Momentum: Get Things Done by Setting Destiny Goals, Mastering the Energy Code, and Never Losing Steam

Author: Jordan Ring

Publisher: Archangel Ink

Publication Date: October 9, 2018

Length: 178 Pages








About the Author
Jordan Ring's primary goal is to help people live a life of less talk and more action. When he isn’t busy writing, blogging, or podcasting, Jordan is also the book marketing and launch guru for clients over at his second home, Archangel Ink. 

Never Lose Steam
Jordan Ring has written a high-impact guide for setting goals and getting things done. The first step is to dive enthusiastically into the problem. Don't hesitate. Take the leap and then take that next step.

Mr. Ring shares the following three kinds of goals that we should all set to achieve volcanic momentum and dynamic results;

• SAGS - Small attainable goals. These goals will help you achieve quick success and keep up the momentum.
• BHAGS - Big hairy audacious goals. Large goals that will have a huge impact on your life.
• Destiny Goals - These are the goals you want to achieve to leave a legacy. These goals go beyond you.

Jordan shares his own life experiences and provides inspiration, motivation and MOMENTUM to help you build the life you desire.

MY THOUTHTS

I have read quite a few self-help books that focus on goal setting for success. I believe this book is right up there with the best of them. 

This book provides well-organized information that is easy to implement and adapt to your life. The author writes in a style that is energetic, motivating and encouraging. Mr. Ring does not hesitate to share his Christian faith with his readers in an honest and straightforward manner.

I think the one thing that impressed me the most about this book was the idea of setting destiny goals. 

Destiny goals can change the world by tapping into the potential of each of us as individuals to bring about bigger change. How you choose to change the world is entirely based on your own experiences and life circumstance. We are all on different life paths, but harnessing your uniqueness into the power of a Destiny Goal will give you firm and clear direction.

It has never been easy for me to come up with a set of goals and put them IN WRITING. This book has finally convinced me to start a journal and create and track goals for my life. 

This is an excellent book to read at the end of the year to help you set goals for a happy and successful new year.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I borrowed a digital copy of this book with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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Book Review: A Search For Purple Cows by Susan Call

A Search for Purple Cows: A True Story of Hope

Author:  Susan Call

Publisher:  Guideposts

Date:  October 1, 2013






About The Author
Susan Call is a speaker and author who enjoys sharing her insights from life's valley, offering hope and wisdom to her audiences. She holds an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Eastern Nazarene College and a BA in Computer Science from Susquehanna University.

From Victim to Victor
As a young wife and mother, Susan Call found herself in a a cycle of abuse and betrayal. Her husband was handsome and charming but he also had a dark side. He was an alcoholic and controlled his wife with verbal and emotional abuse.  The last straw came when Susan discovered that her husband was having an affair with their former nanny.

God spoke to Susan's heart as she listened to a Christian radio station. As her faith strengthened, Susan had the courage to take her children and leave her abuser. This is the story of her journey of faith, courage and hope.

My Thoughts
Research shows that the most dangerous time for an abused woman is when she is preparing to leave her abuser. This is a true story about how Susan Call was able to leave a very abusive marriage and start a new life with her children.

Ms. Call gives God the glory for guiding and protecting her during the difficult days of her separation and divorce. She describes how she feared for her life and the lives of her family members because of the threats that her husband made. 

It seemed like helpful people always showed up in Susan's life when she needed them the most.  She knew this was no coincidence. God protected her and had a good plan for her future.

Susan Call lived with her children as a single parent for several years.  She was able to work with her ex-husband so that the children would be able to visit him on a regular schedule. God provided a job that she could work from home and she eventually met her new husband through her work team. 

Susan described how she has forgiven her ex-husband and moved forward in her life. Susan is not a victim. She has found victory through her faith in Jesus Christ. 

This book will provide hope to other women who find themselves in an abusive relationship. It is a testimony to God's faithfulness and grace. Highly recommended!

My Rating:  5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary print copy of this book from B & B Media Group for an honest review.

Please share your thought in the Comments Section below.

Say It With Flowers

Isn't this the sweetest little girl? I believe that prayer changes things....we just need to tell it to Jesus. This would make a perfect sympathy card, get-well card or just "thinking of you" card.

I am entering this card in Mo's Challenge #202 ~ Say It With Flowers.

I used a beautiful background paper from designer Susan Wright ( K & Co.).

I used the digital image "Em Praying" from Mo's Digital Pencil Shop. I colored the image with Copic Sketch Markers. I mounted the image to the green background and then used "pop dots" to attach it to the card.

I embellished the card with a flower, leaf and flourishes from Recollections.

Thank you for taking a look at my card. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Fathers Day ~ Life Lessons Learned From Dad

Wayne and Dean Fuller

I would like to share a beautiful tribute that my husband wrote to honor his father, Emmett Wayne Fuller. My husband grew up on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma and he learned the following life lessons from his dad. This tribute was read by the pastor to commemorate my father-in-law on September 6, 2008, after he lost his battle with cancer.

When we were growing up in the mid 1970's, we usually prayed for rain on the weekends, especially during the winter, because if it wasn't raining Dad would get us up early to go work outside...even if a blue northern was blowing in. Our house had a fireplace which meant we had to cut wood on the weekends to last through the coming week.

I have two memories from our early wood cutting days that had unexpected life lessons tied to them. The first was when we went into the woods with the pickup truck to get a load of wood. Dad had cut down a large tree and asked us to back the truck as close to the tree as possible so we could start loading the wood. After we filled the pickup bed to over-flowing with firewood, we got in the cab to head for the house. We traveled about six inches and the truck came to a sudden stop. We had backed the truck over the stump of the tree and with the bed loaded with wood, the back bumper was catching on the stump.

LIFE LESSON ~ Plan ahead, see the big picture, think things through before starting and cut stumps closer to the ground.

The second memory was when we went to cut wood on one of the coldest days I can remember, we had on several layers of clothes because it was so cold! It was well below freezing, the ground was frozen so we could drive across the pasture in the pickup. We worked on clearing brush and cutting fire wood until well past noon. It was getting warmer because we were removing all the extra layers of clothes we had put on earlier. When we finally cut an over-flowing load of firewood, it was time to head for the house...or so we thought. The ground was no longer frozen and we ended up getting stuck. We had to walk to the house and get the tractor to pull the pickup all the way back to the house.

LIFE LESSON ~ Expect the unexpected and don't take the easy way out. We should have taken the tractor out in the first place, but we wanted to drive the pickup because it was warmer.

There are many more life lessons like these that we learned from Dad that have helped us over the years. Most were not verbal, but if you knew Dad he lead by example and/or actions.

LIFE LESSONS ~ If you break it, you fix it. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and learn from it. Do it right the first time and be done with it. Don't ask anyone to work harder than you do. The easy road is not always the best road.

When we were growing up we thought Dad was too rough on us at times by making us work so hard; but he was using it to instill his work ethics and values in us. These values have benefited us in our personal lives and careers many times over.

It wasn't difficult to see the last life lesson Dad wanted to teach us...it was his faith. During the most trying times he would continue to pray asking for God's will to be done, even though it would have been easier to give up hope. At the end of his life, we all knew he was ready for God to call him home.

[This is a reprint of a post that appeared on JanetteFuller.Com on June 20, 2011.]

What life lessons did you learn from your father? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Ten - How Would You Rate Your Life?

How would you rate your life on a fulfillment scale of one to ten?  "Ten; How Would You Rate Your Life"?, by Terry Smith, offers you a pathway to level-TEN living.

This book reminds us that God has a special future for each of us. Are you ready for your life to be a TEN?


About the Author
Terry A. Smith has served as a lead pastor of the Life Christian Church for twenty years. TLCC is a nondenominational faith community in West Orange, NJ, serving the New York City metro area. Terry is a co-founder of the New York City Leadership Center and an instructor in its Leadership Fellows program. A gifted communicator, Terry speaks in a variety of venues nationally and internationally. He is passionate about challenging, developing, and encouraging leaders.-

A Guidebook for the Journey
Pastor Smith has written a vibrant, inspiring book about how to find and live God's will for our lives. He believes that God has more in store for us than we realize and we must strive to create the best possible future for ourselves and others.

The book is divided into the following seven sections that instruct and guide the reader in living a TEN life;

• Awaken
• Discover
• Imagine
• Grow
• Act
• Lead
• Go

The author believes that people do not want enough. Not more stuff. More life. And not just for ourselves but also for others. Jesus Christ said that His purpose is to give us more "life - life in all its fullness" or "more and better life than [you] ever dreamed of" (John 10:10, NCV, MSG).

The author challenges and provokes the reader to go after the more and better life that God wants for you. The world needs people who would never be satisfied with anything less than a TEN.

My Thoughts
This book is written and organized in a very professional manner. The author makes a strong case for living your best life and he uses Scripture from the Bible as a foundation for his message.

There are "Reflection Questions" at the end of each of the seven sections. These questions are great for individual or group reflection and meditation. This book would be a very helpful resource for a Bible study group.

I love the enthusiasm and passion that the author communicates in this book. I can tell that this is a man who really "walks the talk" and "practices what he preaches". 

Pastor Smith believes we must have more than a dream. Our grand vision needs to be turned into an actionable plan. I recommend this book to anyone who is ready to start living a TEN life.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary hardback copy of this  book to read and review from Audra Jennings of The B & B Media Group.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida

Can old Ben overcome the heartbreak and bitterness in his life and discover the real meaning of Christmas?

This poignant historical fiction story will touch your heart and leave you with feelings of joy and peace.

A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida, by Dale Cox, is a perfect way to spend an hour or two over the Christmas holidays.



About The Author
Dale Cox is a Southern writer and historian based in the quaint little community of Two Egg, Florida. Born in Georgia, he is the author of a growing collection of books on Southern history and folklore, including critically acclaimed histories of three small Civil War battles.

A Snowy Christmas Eve in Two Egg, Florida
Yes, Two Egg, Florida is a real place. It is is a small unincorporated community in Jackson County, Florida. The year is 1938. Ben Harper is the richest man in Two Egg. In 1918, Ben had lost his wife to the Spanish Flu. Later that year, Ben received a letter saying that his only son had been killed in World War I.

Ben had been angry at God for the past 20 years. He had not planted his fields or taken care of his property. The times were hard and many of his neighbors were on the verge of starvation. Old Ben had the resources to help, but he had become bitter and isolated as the years passed.

It was Christmas Eve in Two Egg and a rare December snow was covering the Florida countryside. A stranger appeared at Ben's door and identified himself as "Gabriel".  The unexpected stranger helped Ben escape from the prison of his own suffering and enter the beautiful world of God's creation.

It was a miraculous Christmas morning in Two Egg, Florida. Ben was able to use his resources to bring happiness and joy to every person in town. God intervened in Ben's life through the person of a mysterious stranger.

My Thoughts
This is a very touching, "two-tissue" story that will help you understand the real meaning of Christmas.  The author is a historian and shares many facts from history in this fictional story. He explains how "Two Egg" got it's name, he provides facts about the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1918, he gives details about the Spanish-American War in Cuba and he provides information about the fighting in Europe during World War I.

This is a story of redemption. This book reminds me of a classic story about another bitter old man;  "The Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Christmas is truly a time of miracles.
"A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida" is currently being offered for $0.99 on Amazon.Com.  It is FREE for Amazon Prime members. I highly recommend it!

FYI ~ I ordered this book from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a FREE digital ebook.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Chopsticks (Friends For A Season)

Two 13-year-old girls compete in a song-writing contest. They both desperately need the $400.00 prize money to help others at Christmas.
Will their friendship survive?
Will this competition draw them closer together or tear them apart?
Will their Christian faith help them overcome the challenges that they face at home and at school?
Chopsticks, by Sandra Byrd, is a book for tweens/teens that includes fun, friends, family and faith.
About The Author
After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than three dozen books. A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra has also published many nonfiction articles and books. Sandra is also passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self-publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.

Two Young Musicians Become Friends
One girl sells the other a guitar and they seal their new friendship with a pair of chopsticks from a Chinese restaurant. The girls love music but their lives are very different.
Paige Winsome has always been in the shadow of her athletic brother and her academic sister. She feels like she has to fight for attention in her affluent family and that her musical talents are overlooked.
Kate Kennedy is an only child.  Her father is a pastor but has to work a second job to make ends meet. Kate uses her musical abilities in the youth group at church but she feels bad about always having to accept hand-outs from members of the church.
The girls both enter a singer/songwriter competition. The first place prize is $400.00 and an opportunity to sing at the annual Thanksgiving Day football game. Paige wants to use the prize money to donate to an animal rescue group. Kate wants to use the money to buy Christmas presents for needy American Indian children.
The girls are both talented and have what it takes to win the contest. The surprise ending of this story shows how faith and friendship can overcome all obstacles.


My Thoughts
This book is realistic Christian fiction for tweens/teens at it's best. The girls in the story face real-life challenges, pressures and heartaches. The one thing that gives them hope for a better future is their Christian faith.
The girls learn to put their own self-interests aside and concentrate on helping others. This book highlights strong family values without being overly saccharine or gooey. Highly recommended for tweens/teens ages 10 - 14!

The Friends For A Season Series
Chopsticks is Book #2 in the "Friends For A Season" series. It was first published as a paperback book in 2005 and was released in digital format in October, 2011.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Read Their Mind

Are you a mind reader?

Are you able to determine what the marketplace wants and needs?

Are you listening to people and helping them find answers and solutions?


"Read Their Mind; How To Hear What the Marketplace Wants and Build a Huge Business", by Sandi Krakowski, will show you how to follow your passion and build a strong, stable online business.

About The Author
Sandi Krakowski is a Serial Entrepreneur with 11 successful companies under her belt and a "Back To Basics Step By Step Business" expert who currently serves more than 170,000 clients in over 136 countries.

CopyWriter With Pink Hair
Sandi Krakowski began her Internet marketing career as a copywriter. She is known for the bright pink streak she wears in her hair.

Her marketing/consulting/coaching business has grown from her success in multiple Internet businesses. Ms. Krakowski shares many of the business principles and practices that she uses in this book.

Here are some of her key points;

• Determine your WHY. The author explains your WHY in the following way..."Whenever IT happens, IT pisses you off." You will work to find other people who have the same frustrations that you have and work with them to find a solution.
• Listen, Ask, Listen. Ms. Krakowski suggests that you do "listening research" to determine what the marketplace wants and needs. You must be sincerely interested in helping people and being the change. The author offers helpful advice in asking questions and using surveys to test your market. You will know what people want because they will tell you.
• It's Not About You. Your goal should not be to write copy that converts. You goal should be to find out what people are struggling with and figure out how you can help. The author believes it is important to speak and write at a level that people will easily accept. She uses the Flesch-Kincaid Formula to determine the reading grade level of her text. She has found that copy with a reading level of 7th grade or lower will convert more readers. Speaking to people where they're at is huge.

My Thoughts
Sandi Krakowski has built her business around the power of words. The words that are heard are just as important as the words that are spoken. This book provides practical tips and advice that you can use to improve your Internet business. The author writes a weekly newsletter and has thousands of subscribers. This book will give you a fresh outlook on how you communicate with people on your lists (email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

If you are not able to purchase the book at this time, I highly recommend the author's newsletter and Facebook page.

A Woman of Faith
Sandi Krakowski is not "religious" but she has a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She writes about her faith frequently in this book and gives God all the glory for her success.  I like the way the author was able to blend her personal beliefs and convictions with her business. She believes that she is fulfilling her God-given purpose by helping others.

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book during a pre-launch promotion on Facebook.

Do you conduct "listening research"? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Escape From The World Trade Center

Leslie Haskin was on the thirty-sixth floor of the World Trade Center, Tower One, on September 11, 2001. Her drive for success and independence led her to New York in 1987, and later to Kemper Insurance Company in 2001, where she became the director of operations and one of only two African-Americans to hold an executive title within the corporation's eastern region.
"Escape From The World Trade Center" is her story about how she escaped the burning building and how it changed her life.

About The Author
Ms. Haskin has written four books and has become a favorite on national media such as CNN, The 700 Club and Moody Radio. She is the founder of a ministry designed to provide rehabilitation and healing to women and children who are homeless and victims of domestic violence.

A Day That Will Never Be Forgotten
Ms. Haskin begins this story by stating that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can come about after one has experienced or witnessed life-threatening events like war, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, or violent personal assaults.
The author provides a vivid and emotional account of her experiences after the plane hit Tower One at the World Trade Center. She explains that she was frozen with fear and could not understand what was happening. She was one of the last ones to leave her office area because she could not grasp the gravity of the situation.
She then entered the stairway and descended thirty-six floors. She describes how crowded it was as they went down the stairs. She was disoriented and was just pushed along as the crowd slowly made there way to the bottom floor.
She tells how more people were entering the stairway from each floor.  On one floor, the door was opened and she could see a man who was decapitated. People were yelling, cussing and crying in desperation as they made their way to freedom. She tells of the putrid smoke that was burning her eyes and making breathing difficult. When she finally exited the building, she saw many people jumping from the upper floors.
The author sought guidance and strength from her Christian faith. The text contains Scripture that complements the text. She is truly convinced that the Lord was with her and led her to safety on that horrific day.

My Thoughts
Leslie Haskin has provided a very detailed description of her experiences on 9/11. She is very good at expressing her emotions and providing details that some authors might overlook. I think one of the most poignant moments of her experience was when she witnessed a man and woman holding hands and jumping from a window to their deaths.
Some people will object to the author's frequent references to the Bible. I think the verses that she chose to highlight her experiences were very appropriate. She is a woman of faith and she gladly gives all the glory to Jesus Christ.

This weekend our country will be remembering those who lost their lives on that terrible day. This book offers a message of hope and healing. It is available in digital format on Amazon.

I recently posted a review of "That Day In September" by Artie Van Why. This is another touching eye-witness account of the tragedy at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Beyond The Myth

Would you like to have a more joyful, fulfilled and prosperous life? Beyond the Myth; How To Live The Life You Desire, by Maria Holmes, takes you beyond the myth and shows you how to live the life you desire by using the power of the Law of Attraction.
This book features beautiful imagery, inspiring quotations and insightful words of wisdom. Ms. Holmes delivers a powerful and life-changing message in this 60-page publication.

About The Author

A passionate advocate for the Law of Attraction, Maria Holmes began her journey twenty years ago with the works of Deepak Chopra and the Celestine Prophesy. After graduating from Indiana University with a Bachelor's Degree in Science, she studied with Anthony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer and Bob Proctor.

The Law of Attraction states that your thoughts directly shape the events which occur in your life. If you want something to happen and are able to focus enough intellectual and emotional energy on it, you can make it come to pass. Whatever it is that you need, you will attract it. This is possible because the energy you give out is able to interact with the energy in the Universe to help you achieve whatever you desire.

Principles of the Law of Attraction

Ms. Holmes states that desire is the starting point of all achievement. Desire is the thought you have when you picture the outcome you want to accomplish. If you focus all your energy and resources on this desire, you will begin to attract everything you want into your life. The author acknowledges that this is a process and you should do something everyday that moves you closer to the disired results.

Once you have a desire firmly in your mind, you can begin applying the principle of visualization to it. This is a powerful tool that forces you to create a clear image of the end result that you are trying to achieve. You do this by forming a clear picture in your mind of exactly what you want to come into your life. As you picture your desire in your mind, you should strongly believe that you deserve it and that you will receive it.

Gratitude is an important component of the Law of Attraction. You must be able to see all the blessings that you have already been given and feel thankful for them.

Belief in yourself is vital in achieving your desire. You must also believe in your abilities and believe that the Law of Attraction will work for you. Your goal will come to pass only at the level that you believe.

Faith gives you the courage to believe when everyone else tells you it can't be done. You must be able to fall back on your faith to keep you going when things become difficult or challenging.

My Thoughts

I would like to share some history of the Law of Attraction and the New Thought Movement. The New Thought Movement should not be confused with New Age thought.  There were many authors and speakers in the early 1900s who taught and promoted the principles of the Law of Attraction. Some of these were William Walker Atkinson, Wallace D. Wattles,  Elizabeth Towne and Ernest Holmes.

The Law of Attraction regained popularity in 2006 with the production of The Secret movie and book by Rhonda Byrne.

Ms. Holmes has written a consice, succinct summary of the Law of Attraction. She shares some personal experiences that demonstrate how the Law of Attraction has worked in her own life.  The book includes many beautiful color photographs of nature that enhance and complement the text. The author has included quotations from well-known authors, philosophers, spiritual leaders, a physicist and the Bible.

This book is meant to inspire and motivate you to be the best that you can be. The principles are widely accepted and can be truly life changing.

This would be a good selection to keep on your bedside table or give as a gift. Good things will come into your life...if you believe!

Ms. Holmes is offering a $5.00 discount off the retail price of her book if you place your order through her web site and use PayPal as your payment method.

*Beyond The Myth ~ Video Book Trailer*

Disclosure: Maria Holmes sent me a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

  

Book Review: Pressing into Thin Places

Dr. Margaret Harrell Wills defines a "thin place" as the place where the veil that separates heaven and earth is nearly transparent. It is a place where we experience a deep sense of God's presence in our everyday world.

Pressing Into Thin Places; Encouraging the Heart Toward God is a collection of stories, experiences, and important lessons expressed through prose and poetry. Dr. Wills encourages readers to have eyes to see the gifts of thin places through their own experiences. This book tells personal stories of pain and heartache where great truths have emerged.


About The Author
Dr. Margaret Harrell Wills grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her undergraduate degree from John Brown University, a master's degree from Arizona State University, and a doctoral degree in higher education with a teaching field of history from the University of Arkansas.
A writer and a poet, Dr. Wills is dedicated to the ministry of encouragement and helping people experience hope, wisdom, and faith in their spiritual journey.

This Book Is A Real Keeper
Dr. Wills opens her heart and shares some of the most difficult times in her life.
The book is divided into the following sections;

• Thin Places
• No Other Stream
• Tearing Off The Mask
• The Fall
• Speaking In The Waves
• A Listening Heart
• Our Starting Place
• The Way To Your Door
• The Reality Of Living
• Beauty From Ashes
• Rebirth
• Amen

I especially liked the part of the book where the author uses a verse in 1 Samuel 30. In verse 6, it says, "And David strengthened himself in the Lord." How do we strengthen ourselves in the Lord? We can go into His presence and let Him guide our thinking. It is wonderful to know that the Lord can take our wrong thoughts and make them right. A change of thinking can make all the difference in the world.

Dr. Wills also shares the difficulty of watching her parents growing old and dying. This is something that most of us will have to deal with. She shares the poignant story of the things that daughters remember about their father. It is the little things. Life is made up of the little things within the pleasures and challenges of our daily living.

This book is a source of hope during difficult times. It is a real treasure and I will certainly be going back to read treasured passages over and over again.

Thank you to the fine folks at The B & B Media Group for sending me a complimentary copy of this book to read and review.
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: 40 Days Without Food

This is the story of a young man's spiritual quest to find purpose in his life. He embarks on a 40 day journey of self-discovery and intimacy with God. He eats no solid food for 40 days and survives on fruit and vegetable juice.

 What can you learn from a 40 day fast? Does this experience help you discover the things that are MOST important in life?  40 Days Without Food; Divine Goodness To A Starving Soul, by Russ Masterson, will answer these questions and many more.

About The Author
Russ Masterson lives with his wife and two young daughters in Atlanta, Georgia. He received a BBA from University of Georgia and a Masters of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a writer and pastor to college/20′s/30′s at The Church of the Apostles in Atlanta.

Favorite Quotes
As I read this book, I found myself highlighting many memorable passages. I would like to share a few of my favorite quotations from this book.

"We need something beyond shiny leaves, success and vanity. Affluence and struggle will both blow against us. Impatience will swirl, and unbelief will howl, but if we are wrapped in Christ's love, our roots will shoot deep----deep they'll run, through the shifting soil." 

"I closed my eyes and God's love spoke to me. "You are not alone in this. I have blue skies for you." It's easy to become consumed by regret of the past or fear of the future, to analyze or plan till you're stuck in the gray. But this promise----you are not alone in this----changes everything."

"But I realized this morning, like a revelation from God, that failure may be a comment on my abilities, but not on my value."

"I think the lesson in this is for us to refuse to treasure things that can't love. Things can entertain us, clothe us, and transport us, but they can't love us. "

My Thoughts
The title of this book literally grabbed my attention and I felt like I had to read it. I was not disappointed. I really didn't think he would be able to continue for 40 days without any solid food. He DID complete the fast!
I want to make it clear that food is not the main theme of this book, this book is about spiritual discipline, growth and faith in God.
Russ Masterson shares his victories, doubts, weaknesses and strengths in this inspiring memoir. At the end of the book, the author offers some tips on the practicalities of fasting.
This is a very worthy book to add to your Christian book collection. I think it delivers a powerful message for all ages. God is speaking to us today just like he spoke to Mr. Masterson..."You are not alone in this. I have blue skies for you".

Disclosure: I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from the Tyndale House Publishers.

I would love to hear from you ~ Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

FREE Bible Promise Book For Kindle

We are always seeking God's message for us. We often deal with anger, depression, money problems, relationship problems and more.
The Message Promise Book, by Eugene H. Peterson, contains passages from the Bible on 80 different topics, covering many areas in which we all struggle to know what to think, what to say and what to do. These passages are written in the kind of contemporary language we use every day.

Have you ever needed a word directly from God?  This little book provides Scripture on many different topics that we deal with daily. The Kindle version of this book has a clickable index of 80 topics.

Are you tired and worn out? Click on the word "Rest" in The Message Promise Book and you will find this message from the Word of God;

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Matthew 11:28

My Thoughts
I find a Bible promise book very helpful when I am looking for Scripture on specific topics. This book is well-organized and easy to understand. I am really happy to have The Message Promise Book on my Kindle. The Scripture in this book is comforting to read and memorize during difficult times. It is a wonderful resource to use during daily Bible study. The modern language that is used in this version is popular with young and old alike. I am standing on the promises of God!

This book is being offered as a FREE download for the Kindle at the present time. NOW is the time to grab this book.

You might also be interested in the following FREE Kindle book;
The Message; The Book of Proverbs by Eugene H. Peterson

Disclosure: Sometimes FREE books are offered for only a limited amount of time from Amazon. Always check the price before making your purchase.

I love to hear from you ~ If you found this post helpful, please post your thoughts in the Comments Sections below.

Life Lessons Learned From Dad

I would like to share a beautiful tribute that my husband wrote to honor his father, Emmett Wayne Fuller.  My husband grew up on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma and he learned the following life lessons from his dad. This tribute was read by the pastor to commemorate my father-in-law on September 6, 2008, after he lost his battle with cancer.

When we were growing up in the mid 1970's, we usually prayed for rain on the weekends, especially during the winter, because if it wasn't raining Dad would get us up early to go work outside...even if a blue northern was blowing in. Our house had a fireplace which meant we had to cut wood on the weekends to last through the coming week.

I have two memories from our early wood cutting days that had unexpected life lessons tied to them. The first was when we went into the woods with the pickup truck to get a load of wood. Dad had cut down a large tree and asked us to back the truck as close to the tree as possible so we could start loading the wood. After we filled the pickup bed to over-flowing with firewood, we got in the cab to head for the house. We traveled about six inches and the truck came to a sudden stop. We had backed the truck over the stump of the tree and with the bed loaded with wood, the back bumper was catching on the stump.

LIFE LESSON ~ Plan ahead, see the big picture, think things through before starting and cut stumps closer to the ground.

The second memory was when we went to cut wood on one of the coldest days I can remember, we had on several layers of clothes because it was so cold! It was well below freezing, the ground was frozen so we could drive across the pasture in the pickup. We worked on clearing brush and cutting fire wood until well past noon. It was getting warmer because we were removing all the extra layers of clothes we had put on earlier. When we finally cut an over-flowing load of firewood, it was time to head for the house...or so we thought. The ground was no longer frozen and we ended up getting stuck. We had to walk to the house and get the tractor to pull the pickup all the way back to the house.

LIFE LESSON ~ Expect the unexpected and don't take the easy way out. We should have taken the tractor out in the first place, but we wanted to drive the pickup because it was warmer.

There are many more life lessons like these that we learned from Dad that have helped us over the years. Most were not verbal, but if you knew Dad he lead by example and/or actions.

LIFE LESSONS ~ If you break it, you fix it. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and learn from it. Do it right the first time and be done with it. Don't ask anyone to work harder than you do. The easy road is not always the best road.

When we were growing up we thought Dad was too rough on us at times by making us work so hard; but he was using it to instill his work ethics and values in us. These values have benefited us in our personal lives and careers many times over.

It wasn't difficult to see the last life lesson Dad wanted to teach us...it was his faith. During the most trying times he would continue to pray asking for God's will to be done, even though it would have been easier to give up hope. At the end of his life, we all knew he was ready for God to call him home.

What life lessons did you learn from your father? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.