Joyce Meyer’s latest Blessed In The Mess: How To Experience God’s Goodness In The Midst Of Life’s Pain (Faith Words, 2023) encourages Christian readers to have a more positive attitude towards getting through storms in life.
Meyer states that no matter what trials a person is having, if they stay true and faithful to what The Bible says and follow God, the struggles can be sometimes less stressful, but also, build a bigger faith. She uses Bible examples from the book of James, which states that troubles will come, but they test Christians and make them stronger, to looking at Jesus’ life as well, especially when Satan tried to tempt him in the wilderness, to the Israelites who complained while leaving Egypt, Paul and Silas in jail, and a great illustration of a tale about Robert The Bruce about not giving up.
Meyer looks at rainbows, which she writes only come after storms, not having an entitled mentality, how Christians should use their words to help in trials, to prayer. She writes that having a thankful attitude and looking at what a person has in their life is also important, even the little things like shelter, food, and a job, as opposed to many who do not, as a key to help get through problems.
Several other examples used that helped refresh this reviewer were sections on trusting God instead of negative people (where she states the readers should refuse to be trapped in their past problems) to having a good attitude where she writes that “misery is an option,” and signs to look for to recognize self-pity. The last part of the book deals with The Beatitudes, which is something recently reviewed here in another book by Jason Adam Miller (you can read that review by checking out the archives).
I have stated before I am not a major fan of her preaching style, but in the past year or so, Meyer’s writing has been right on. Normally viewed as a writer focusing on mostly a female audience, this book, and several others I have reviewed (again, you can check the archives), have been gender-neutral, where male readers can learn from her books). Many of the topics covered may have been discussed in other of her books, but a reminder is never a bad thing when it comes to having a better outlook during struggles and life in general, which seems to be lacking in most of today’s society.
This review copy was sent courtesy of the publisher. FaithWords is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
BlessedIn The Mess: How To Experience God’s Goodness In The Midst Of Life’s Pain (Faith Words, 2023) ISBN: 978-1-5460-3734-7 (hardcover), 978-1-5460-0487-5 (large print), 978-1-5460-0035-8 (ebook) can be ordered at : http://www.faithwords.com
This Dream Is Not For You by Wade Joye (Worthy Publishing, 2023) looks at Christians holding on to their dreams when it is not God’s will to have that dream full-time, or his will to move the person on to something else.
The writer discusses his struggles and frustration when he believed his dream was to be a Christian music recording artist, which led him to become a worship leader with Elevation Music. Years later, when he thought music was his calling, he had to face that it wasn’t his dream to stay on with the group and move to another “dream.”
The focus of the book is looking at how to be a true disciple,which in turn will help the Christian in their journey when it comes time to possibly let go of what they at first think is their “calling” or dream if God has another purpose, instead of being angry, disappointed, and give up. He uses the life of David for most of the book, where David wanted to build a house of worship for God, but God had a different vision for him in the overall picture, according to Joye. He writes that people hang on too tight on what they think their dream is, when it may only be for a season in life.
Joye states that there are lies people believe about dreams, which he states that Christians shouldn’t be the “center of their dreams,” that dreams do not define the person or give them significance and the failures of dreams do not tell who the person is not. He also walks the reader through what he calls the “Surrendered Self” versus the “Striving Self,” the right definition of success, the narrative of a person’s mind, and what church followers are really “called ” to do. Although David is the main focus of the Bible, he uses examples of Jesus and Joseph as well as some Star Wars and Lord of The Rings references.
This was an interesting look at dreams without a ton of in-depth philosophy that could have been used on the topic. Musicians can relate to Joye’s feelings and examples, as opposed to a musician writing a normal Christian book. The tales he gives about the desire for playing and performing to crowds that may not be as accepted as he thought, to trying to convince God to provide for his dream, is something all of us musicians have dealt with (me being a drummer) in the church setting. The writer is down-to-earth and honest in telling his struggles and brings out some good points on the subject with an easy-to-read flow of the pages. The chapters could be read one at a time, or in multiple settings, along with a section at the end of most of the chapters to reflect on and give the reader extra thinking points, titled “Pivot Points.”
The writing isn’t to dismiss those who are called to be a part of music or whatever God has for them; it just helps the reader to look at why they are thinking the dream is what it is, how to know if it is, and being prepared to let it go if it is not. This is one text that people should experience in the church, especially if one is struggling to find where they belong, or are wondering why results are not coming.
This review copy was sent courtesy of the publisher.
This Dream Is Not For You by Wade Joye (Worthy Publishing, 2023) ISBN: 978-1-5460-0479-0 (hardcover), 978-1-5460-0481-3 (ebook) can be ordered at: http://www.worthypublishing.com
Jason Adam Miller’s writing When The World Breaks: The Surprising Hope and SubversivePromises in the Teachings of Jesus (Faithwords, 2023) looks at the Bible teaching of Jesus in The Beatitudes for answers for when the world’s events break down.
Miller, the pastor of South Bend City Church, focuses on the section in Matthew 5, when Jesus is teaching his disciples with his words like “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” and “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (for those who may not know what the titled “Beatitudes” are). In the early part of the text, he writes about embracing emptiness when it comes to things like death, and illness, and looking at injustices in the world, along with using hurt in life to journey into praise. The first sections of the book pretty much remind readers how rotten the world is, filled with bad things, and then into a philosophical dissection of each of the eight sentences Jesus relays to his followers.
When getting summaries of books to review, sometimes what I read doesn’t equal what is brought out in the brief descriptions. Also, what may be a good topic ends up relating to the reader now, or the writing style doesn’t excite the reader, which may hinder the review. Such is the case here. What was assumed to be a helpful encouragement of how to use this Biblical advice in everyday life, became a book almost reminding the reader how awful life is, and the reminders of the evil in the world, which readers can just find by watching the news or reading online. By the time I finished each chapter, I had no idea what the point was being relayed or what suggestions to keep going in the world with your faith. The writer states that he is using what these lessons from Jesus meant in his life, but didn’t seem to be encouraging anyone at the end of it. The philosophical -in-depth tearing apart of the words, became over the head of this reader, making me glad with the wordiness I didn’t go to ministry college. He states several times that he is not interpreting the text, but what the text means to him; isn’t that the same thing?
I always have respect for anyone who can get a book written, and get published by a major distributor (you must have so many followers to achieve these feats), but this was one of the books that didn’t resonate at all with me, thinking it was going to focus on something different, and ended up not knowing what I just read. Not to say that this is a bad book, just will be over the heads of many.
When The World Breaks: The Surprising Hope and SubversivePromises in the Teachings of Jesus (Faithwords, 2023) by Jason Adam Miller ISBN: 9781546003502 (hardcover), 9781546003526 (ebook) can be ordered at : http://www.faithwords.com
This review copy was sent courtesy from the publisher.
Cover design by Melissa Reagan. Cover copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Hachette Book Group,Inc.
Grace Wabuke Klein’s Flourish (Worthy Publishing, 2023) is an interesting look for Christian readers in encouraging them in certain seasons of their life when they may not know how to handle being in the place they are in.
The subtitle of the book states that the goal is “Finding Purpose in the Unknown and Unexpected Seasons of Life” by looking at the four seasons of the world; Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring, while breaking down the reasoning for each season’s responsibilities in not only for the time but to prepare for the next upcoming event, as well as using excerpts from the author’s personal journal entries for the reader to look as examples. The author details how her family moved to the United States when she was young only to have a church pastor ask them to leave the church in Minnesota due to being a black family from Uganda, which made the congregation uncomfortable, which she details in the chapter about the fall season, which she states that it is the time of letting things go where people need to release past things that were done or said to them to move on.
The Winter section discusses the similarities of black ice and winter storms to life’s struggles, where people tend to overreact and panic when hitting (or driving) into situations, along with certain animals that grow thick skin during the season of coldness.
The Spring chapters discuss how trees need nutrients for their deep roots and the season is usually associated with people trying new things in life, whereas the Summer sections deal with being relaxed, rested, and restoring themselves.
The author uses the symbolism of trees, which has been used for generations in the Christian communities, but gives a unique take on the cliché examples by using the whole seasons than just the normal roots and branches. She also gives animal references like Bison as well (aka the thicked-skinned animal) while using her struggles of being a woman who focused on a career and hobbies before getting married later on in life, along with looking at tree rings and what a person can learn from them.
The writing tends to lean more toward the female reader, especially with her desire of being married and her conversation with CEO Dr. Warner of eHarmony, but it doesn’t alienate the male reader. Nature lover Christians will like the reading of the text more so than those who are not interested in it, but again, this isn’t the same symbol that some may think of when seeing the summary of the book. Don’t assume that this is the same tree/rooted Christianity reference that you have always heard in church (although some points may be familiar). Klein takes a creative approach to this text that gives its appeal through her honesty with an artistic side of nature.
This review copy was sent courtesy of the publisher.
Worthy Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Flourish by Grace Wabuke Klein (Worthy Publishing, 2023) ISBN: 9781546004301 (Hardcover), 9781546004325 (ebook) can be ordered at : http://www.worthypublishing.com
Amanda Held Opelt’s Holy Unhappiness (Worthy Publishing, 2023) looks at nine elements of the Christian life that have been misused in the emotional prosperity when it comes to living a Godly life.
The myths (my words, not the authors) of the elements discuss how Christians and the church have used terms and phrases in the Christian journey that mislead at times people into believing if they do not follow or fall short of these, they are lesser people in the Christian walk. Ideas like “if you find the perfect job, you will never work” where people who are great Christians are frustrated by work, co-workers, and policies, to the topic of marriage, where the belief of the Bible saying “it is good to be alone” equals that singleness is bad to the exposure of the “True Love Waits” movement in the 1990s where if you wait for God will send the “perfect” person for you, yet Christians deal with divorce, sadness, and loneliness in marriages. Opelt suggests that the lack of social groups like Boy Scouts, rotary, and other clubs, puts unrealistic pressures on couples where the partner has to be a cheerleader, advisor, friend, and leader in the other’s life.
Opelt covers other topics such as having a calling in life, how society has more freedom than in the past when it comes to community involvement (in other words, with social media a person can unfollow those who they don’t agree with, to choosing churches that fits their needs only), to health and the topic of suffering which the book discusses how Christians want “because” and “so that” answers (wanting to have answers to all the problems that happen in life). She also writes about being content, where Christians need to live with both suffering and happiness together.
The writing is interesting due to the writer’s honesty in covering these topics, with personal life experiences used as examples, along with a few Bible verses. One great topic was looking at the universal question among churchgoers “Why does the wicked or Non-Christians seem to prosper at times more than the followers?” Although there are Bible verses and examples used in the text, most of the examples are from the author, and it is a plus and a minus. For some readers who want more Biblical references, they may be put off a little bit, but for those who want less theology, it will suit them. The author uses historical examples to back up her thoughts, so the readers who want in-depth ideas, can’t complain too much about the lack of verses in every chapter.
Honesty is what makes the overall writing a good read. The reader at times is on a journey into a diary from the writer’s struggles with her career going over all over the world to her personal life dealings with family issues. The ending sums up her thought-provoking questions, much like the ancient philosopher’s writings. It is a read for the Christians who grew up in the late 1980s-1990s movements of the church who wonder why some of the phrases their Bible teachers made cliché sometimes didn’t equal to their lives.
This review copy was sent courtesy of the publisher.
Worthy Publishing is a division of the Hachette Book Group, INC.
Holy Unhappiness by Amanda Held Opelt (Worthy Publishing, 2023) ISBN: 9781546001928 (hardcover), 9781546001942 (ebook) can be ordered at :www.worthypublishing.org.
Jacket design by Faceout Studio, Molly Von Borstel
Joyce Meyer’s latest writing Overcoming Every Problem (FaithWords, 2023) is a devotional reminder that the Bible has plenty of answers and encouragement for whatever situation a Christian may be facing.
The book’s second title states that the writing is “40 promises from God’s Word to strengthen you through life’s greatest challenges.” The book is a series of statements that Christians can hold on to from reading the Bible daily, with topics like how the Bible (God’s Word) can renew and revives, Give people good judgment and wise knowledge, can give hope, and have joy through troubled times. There are also chapters about how God’s Word can bring persecution, melt a hard heart, and can bring stability.
Each chapter is about three to four pages long, and has several Bible verse references in the sections, as mentioned earlier, in a devotional-type style. The author gives some of her life struggles and lessons to illustrate the ideas as well. The writing can be used as reading one chapter at a time, or many in a sitting due to the shortness of them.
One of the good things about this format of writing is that even though the author gives some Bible verses in the chapter, many of the verses are just listed and not dragged out. Since the text is about getting into the reading of the Bible daily, Meyer sometimes just gives the Bible verses and leaves it, so the reader has to go and read them themselves, as opposed to having numerous lengthy verses on the pages. With the chapters short in length, again, it can be read one section at a time for those that want to dwell on the points made.
Some of the topics are simple and probably not that groundbreaking to many long-time Christians, but that doesn’t mean a reminder isn’t needed at times. Also, this works for both newer Christians and mature ones, where some books may only focus on one of them, with the text either too over the heads of the reader or too simple. Throughout the pages, Meyer adds some great points of wisdom and positive encouragement as well, such as stating that “Hope is the anchor of the soul” to “Satan wants us to believe God or others are the problems” when it comes to certain struggles, as opposed to focusing on Satan being the lair. Another chapter looks at the people pleasers, where the writer states that being one, can end up having the Christian disobeying God. Several stories from the Bible, not just verses are references like David in the book of Psalms, the story of Joseph and his brothers, and Jesus in the wilderness.
I have mentioned a few times when reviewing Meyer’s books (you can find past reviews by typing in the archives via the search engine) that I am not a huge fan of her preaching style, but many of her writings lately have been educational and well done. This book is more of a helpful guide or a Spark Notes version of some of the topics that can be used as a concordance for some topics, as opposed to a book that would be read multiple times over and over. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just a nice quick guide to go deeper into readings.
This review copy was sent courtesy of the publisher.
Overcoming Every Problem by Joyce Meyer (FaithWords, 2023) ISBN : 978-1-5460-2915-1 (hardcover),9781546004653 (large print),9781546029144 (ebook) can be ordered at: http://www.faithwords.com
FaithWords is a division of the Hachette Book Group, INC.
Pastor Joyce Meyer’s latest writing dives into stress, worrying, and anxiety in the Answer to Anxiety: How to Break Free from the Tyranny of AnxiousThoughts and Worry (FaithWords, 2023) by using the groundwork of the writing from the Bible passage Philippians 4:6-7, which states :
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Meyer gives the reader several keys to overcoming anxiety, which suggestions for remembering the past victories the person has been brought through, trusting in God, and believing that God is in control. She also covers the power of prayer by being definitive in prayer requests to getting the person’s mind off their troubles by praying for other people and dives into showing gratitude, having peace, and not letting the worries build up, instead dealing with them one at a time without piling them up.
The text is easy to read, which can be used as a devotion by reading one chapter a day or reading multiple ones. She uses Biblical stories in brief like the tale of Job without getting into too much detail, letting the reader go and discover the stories themselves. In one section of the book, she writes about “5 Keys To Overcoming Anxiety” and states that a person cannot think of two things at once, so thinking of the good things (such as “God will handle this”) will push the negative thoughts out, which although hard at first and may take a while to achieve. Once it happens, the person will be able to handle the next problem easier. Even if someone is not a fan of her preaching or work, there are several good points made in the text in a non-judgmental way (she uses her own experiences to be relatable) for readers of any age. The book is short in length (at 160 pages), but there is information in it that will bring Christian readers back for re-reads because who doesn’t want help in dealing with stress, and worry while reducing anxious moments when troubles come?
The Answer to Anxiety: How to Break Free from the Tyranny of AnxiousThoughts and Worry by Joyce Meyer (FaithWords, 2023) ISBN: 978-1-5460-2917-5 (hardcover), 978-1-5460-0304-5 (Large Print), 978-1-5460-2918-2 (ebook) can be ordered at : https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/hachette-nashville/faithwords/
Jacket design by Kristen Paige Andrews. Cover Images by Shutterstock.
Bestselling Author Mary Katherine Backstrom’s (Holy Hot Mess) latest Crazy Joy: Finding Wild Happiness In AWorld That’s Upside Down (Worthy Publishing, 2022) looks at society’s view on what happiness is and if it is a destination, and what joy is.
The writer views herself as a tour guide where the beginning and end of most of the chapters include questions for the reader to ponder and reflect on, titled “Tour Guide Takeaways.” She writes about her love for Sir Isaac Newton with his theory of opposite reactions, to humorous references to Shrek green-colored ketchup, conspiracy theories, and ghost stories, throughout the book with her personal experiences to get readers to take daily examples of how to be more joyful in life.
Examples Backstrom uses in the writing are encouraging to talk to the reader’s younger self, stating joy is a choice, what do they want the dashes to be in between the person’s life and death dates, and looking at the reader’s attitude about how they not only see themselves but avoiding the negative dialog that keeps put into their minds.
The humor in the book is nice, and makes the book easy to read, where one could read multiple chapters or read one a day like a devotional. However, if one is looking for Biblical references or truths, you will find little here, even though it is from a Christian imprint. She does use Samson as a point of reference in one chapter, but that isn’t until page 146. Her language is at times off of those other Christian writers, but one can’t point a finger at her honesty. Some Christian readers may find a few comments offensive (she doesn’t use swearing but somewhat stronger blatant comments).
The is more geared for the female audience who may know more of her (I was not versed on her before reading this book) and found myself looking back a few times to see if this was from a Christian publisher, but again, I’m not being judgmental, just honest like she is in her book. I enjoy the references she uses, including McGruff The Crime Dog, which helped with the lack of biblical passages that it lacks as well as an actual How-To step-by-step process. A few points made were nice, but overall the book didn’t get me any closer to finding out how to be more joyful in life. This could have been written by any celebrity (besides the one chapter) not knowing she was a Christian or a religious person.
This book was sent courtesy of the publisher.
Crazy Joy: Finding Wild Happiness In AWorld That’s Upside Down by Mary Katherine Backstrom ( Worthy Publishing, 2022) ISBN: 978-1-5460-1554-3 (hardcover) , 978-1-5460-1553-6 (ebook) can be ordered at : http://www.worthypublishing.com
The Overall:
Pages: 220
Language: Moderate
Geared For: Ages 18 and Up
For Fans Of: Christian Living
Cover Design by Kristen Andrews
Religion writer Bob Smietana takes a look at why people are leaving churches in his book Reorganized Religion (Worthy Publishing, 2022).
Smietana is an award-winning reporter who covers religion all across the United States, along with many articles written in various magazines. He investigates through interviews and polls, why there are some churches with members leaving, while others have survived after COVID and the shutdowns it created. He also looks at several pastors’ opinions on how the churches should go in the future, along with interviewing church members on why they left past churches or their last one.
The first part of the book covers a lot of polls and statistics about the layout of churches and such information which makes it like a textbook for colleges. He has many facts in the writing, including the rising of the group known as “Nones,” the group of people who have no religious affiliation, and has become the faster-growing group of religion. He looks at some of the reasons some of the churches went bankrupt or had scandals involved in the ranks of their members.
The second part deals with examples of why people are leaving the churches, the impact of COVID, and people labeled as “Dones,” who were engaged in church but no longer. He also looks at what is called “The Hamlet Problem;” churches leader who are actors on stage and everything revolves around them. The final section looks at where the churches are heading or where they should go in the future.
At the beginning of the book, the author states that he is just reporting via polls and interviews, and is not taking a stand or putting in his opinion. Taking nothing away from this, I found the book to be the opposite where few pages didn’t point a finger at former President Donald Trump for some of the blame. Yes, the writer interviews many people in the text and they state that politics were reasons for leaving, but it seemed to be the backdrop for the writing while claiming not to have a bias. Smietana does a nice job covering the mega-churches versus the smaller ones, informing that the bigger the churches are, the fewer people donate and are active participants, but some of the people he talked to have an opinion that contradicts themselves. For example, some people stated they left the church because the churches were not involved in social issues, yet left when the preachers started talking about politics from the pulpit. It is the opinion of the interviewees and their rights, but again, it didn’t make sense at times.
The text, for me, was too much on the polls and information at the beginning of the book to keep my attention and then started to lose me after the countless pointing to Trump to make me get a solid read of the true reasons churches may be in trouble. Some want social issues addressed while others say they left for those reasons. The author ends the book by not taking a stand which caused this reader ended up more confused instead of informed.
This book was sent courtesy of the publisher.
Reorganized Religion by Bob Smietana (Worthy Publishing, 2022) ISBN : 9781546001614 (hardcover), 9781546001638 (ebook) can be ordered at :www.worthypublishing.com
Cover Design by Faceout Studio. Cover imagery by Shutterstock.
Pastor Joel Osteen’s latest book Stay In the Game (FaithWords, 2022) is a brief encouragement text helping readers have faith in their Christianity when it comes to overcoming struggles and obstacles.
The writing walks through the audience in several short chapters with topics like having the right attitude and mindset , not being content staying on the sidelines when hurting or struggles occur, and arming themselves with the strength and knowing that the tests and trials of life will bring the person closer to their destination.
Just like many of Osteen’s books, which several have been reviewed on this page (you can find by typing in the search engine in the archives), he tends to keep a positive outlook and encourage the reader that God can do anything and with the right discipline and attitude from Christians, where they can tap into their potential that is there for them.
The book is just over 100 pages with five chapters titled “Stay in the Game, “Keep the Right Perspective,” “You Can Handle It.” Your Second Wind Is On The Way,” and “Finishing Grace.” Osteen uses the sports analogy of life, much like the Bible verse that discusses running the race as a major theme here. He uses some true stories about a few sports athletes, people from his church, his family, and Bible tales like Joseph, Paul, and David.
Regardless of what some may view about Osteen’s preaching, this is a book that will encourage someone who not only needs a short boost of faith and positivity, but those who seem like their trails have overcome them and not sure they can go on. Since the book is short in length, I chose to read a chapter a day and use it like a devotion to help me during the day. Some may choose to read it all at once (which I have done with other books in the genre, but chose to take my time on this one), but either way the reader will find some good in the text.
After coming out of COVID shutdowns and lockdowns, with churches and work places being opening up again, it is still nice to have something that will help out with being positive and a helping hand when it comes to the struggles and trails of everyday life, and those who need their second wind , which he writes about.
The hardback book is small in physical look as well, which is something I enjoy; just a little bit bigger in size than a mass paperback writing, but still has the hardcover on it (Michael W. Smith and Rebecca St. James used this format several times with their writings in the past). It’s not so big and lumpy to carry around like full size hardback, yet durable with the solid covers for those who want to take it with them.
This is a writing that is worthy the time and read, no matter what some may think of Osteen’s personal opinions on Christian may or may not be. With all the negative out there right now, Christians need something to boost their moral and help them stay in the game of life.
This book was sent courtesy of the publisher.
Stay In The Game: No Adversity Is Too Great For You by Joel Osteen ( FaithWords, 2022) ISBN: 9781546029335 (hardcover), 9781546029311 (ebook) can be ordered at :www.faithwords.com
Cover design by Faceout Studios. Cover copyright ⓒ2020 by Hachette Book Group, INC.
Pastor Joel Osteen’s latest book, Rule Your Day: 6 Keys to Maximizing Your Success andAccelerating Your Dreams (FaithWords, 2022), encourages Christians to start their day off by deciding to control their mindset when it comes to letting others, and everyday situations affect how they go through the day.
The title comes from the idea that a Christian’s choices define how they relate to other people such as co-workers and the way they handle situations, are the choices made by them, and not other people. The person is affected by what they let into their lives, from music, movies, and attitudes of others, which will determine how their Christian walk and self-health will create the person’s environment. Early on in the book, he writes that the Christian has the choice to let people and other events in life offend you, or they can keep moving on with trying to achieve their peace and happiness.
The writing covers topics such as daily filling up with God’s direction and not being on “autopilot,” to watch what people say and how they say it (speaking good things about not just others, but themselves), and the concept that when a person is struggling with issues, taking their mind off of themselves and go out to help others will end up helping them in the end. A few other topics involve avoiding being a person who constantly has to please others and digging into the power of bouncing back from bad situations.
Like many of Osteen’s sermons and books, he focuses on being uplifting and positive, while using some examples in his life about the struggles he has encountered to encourage the reader to move forward with their goals and dreams. He uses Biblical examples like Joseph, Micah, and Abraham for references. The story of Joseph is used several times in the short read.
The chapters are formatted where one can read several in a sitting, or read one a day to focus on the concepts suggested, which is not uncommon with other Christian Living books. The length is rather short at under 150 pages and sticks right to the points of the chapters. There are some Biblical references in the chapters, but not that it overbears the reader or that gets in-depth, which younger and newer Christians may enjoy.
Regardless of what one may have on Osteen himself (some Christians do not like his style or topic of always being positive), this is a short read that those who need a boost of positivity will enjoy helping get their morning started or to reflect at the end of the day. Sometimes Christians need just a shot of encouragement, and they will get it here.
This review copy was sent courtesy of the publisher.
Faithwords is a division of the Hachette Book Group, INC.
Joel Osteen’s Rule Your Day: 6 Keys to Maximizing Your Success andAccelerating Your Dreams (FaithWords, 2022) ISBN: 9781546041856 (hardcover), 9781546041825 (large print). 9781546041832 (ebook) can be ordered at : http://www.faithwords.com.
lancewrites: Reviews By Lance Lumley 