Andrew Smith's Blog

Book, Music, and Movie Reviews

A Dog Named Mattis: 12 Lessons for Living Courageously, Serving Selflessly, and Building Bridges from a Heroic K9 Officer (The Perfect Gift for Dog Lovers and People in Law Enforcement) by Mark Tappan Book Review

 

 


 

In A Dog Names Mattis, Mark Tappan went over 12 lessons he learned while being a Georgia law enforcement officer and having a K9 dog. Some of these included go all in, keep your eyes on what matters most, pride is the enemy, be strong and courageous, and much more. In the book, he opened up the book by sharing a terrifying story about in pursuit of a criminal. A suspect driving a BMW with Florida tags was fleeting. The driver didn’t seem to care about others safety. They were running red lights and speeding. He was calling off the chase when another officer spotted that they wrecked the vehicle near North Point Parkway. He explained how he made the choice to try and stop him near a guardrail. The suspect jumped and he almost made the jump but grabbed back on. He had already hit the secret button on his belt to release the door on his vehicle which will in turn let out his dog Mattis. Mattis made the jump after the suspect and this event almost cost him his dog’s life. He goes into great detail about this event and what happened after that. 

 

 



 

In the book, he discussed the different training methods they use for their K9 dogs. He also started an Instagram showcasing videos of the training sessions. He touched on getting a chance on staring on the American Top Dog. This show was a K9 show that they competed on to win money for their department. 




 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is curious about how the K9 unit works and you want an insider look to the program. It was very eye opening and revealing to read about the training and how difficult they must train the K9 to hunt, search, and stop suspects. The stories at times from the field will leave you on the edge of your seat to see how they all play out. I enjoyed reading this inspiring book and believe others will too. 



 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:




https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400246687/





Check Out his instagram page:



https://www.instagram.com/adps_k9_mattis/

In Search of You: How to Find Joy When Doing More Isn't Doing It Anymore by Kasey Compton Book Review





In Search of You, Kasey Compton helps readers to reconnect with their inner child and discovering the path to true joy again. She has always had a dream of being an author since a young child. When she started her journey of writing she discovered more of herself in the process. She is now an author and a counselor. She realized that her marriage was failing. Her heart was heartened to protect herself from the pain she felt. He accused her of cheating with a woman and stated that he saw them sharing a drink together. They would constantly fight and argue. She shared how she felt close to this woman how she trusted her and communicated with her. She went into details about her experience with this and her new feelings. She explained what she learned in therapy and how to apply it to our lives. The book features journal entries, therapy assignments, and memories. 



 

 

This book was interesting to read about her story and how she was able to refined joy and heal her inner child. This book can help you to find new meaning in life and searching for new things. I really liked the journal style entries and how open she was in sharing and trying to help others to gain more self-awareness. 





 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

 



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1637744447/ 

The Sex Talk You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality by Sam Jolman Book Review



 

 

The Sex Talk You Never Got, Sam Jolman has written a book to try and help men to embrace their sexuality and rediscovering their heart. The book shared stories on how parents taught their children about sex and how some didn’t. One study in 2017 revealed that 70% of 18 to 25 years old wish their parents would have gone over sex and romance more. He explained how as man our sexuality is in trouble and it’s being neglected. Many people feel they must hide their sexuality and that it is a burden. They feel shamed for being sexuality. Evil has warped our perception and has twisted God’s desire for human sexuality.   

 



 

He takes the approach that our sexuality is a gift that is meant to be blessed. God stated that it was good on day six but sin eventually entered the world. In the book, he explored what is sex and how it is intended to be playful. He compares it to the stage and how it follows a script. He clarified that our bodies go through different arousal cycles and it like a story following the plot and climax. He looked at scriptures and how a king spotted Isaac and Rebekah playing together. He goes into the Song of Songs and how these poems are testimony of love. He helped readers to see how sex is meant to be pleasurable and not just for bringing in new life into this world. He shared how they suffered a few miscarriages and when they had a focus to get pregnant it was robbing them of pleasure. The playtime was lacking. He touched on being humble and serving one another in the bedroom. And learning how to be better lovers. 




 

 

I would recommend this awesome book discussing our sexuality to all men who are confused and they feel ashamed for having sexual thoughts and desires. Sex was meant to be pleasing and bring us closer to our lovers. This book has the power to help readers to recheck ourselves and find out what the true message of sex we should be receiving. I appreciated how he touched on the topic of shame and tried to help men realize the truth about sexuality. I think this book is a good lesson in reminding parents on how to discuss sex and sexuality. Maybe even teach them a new approach. 






 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

 


 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Talk-You-Never-Got-ebook/dp/B0CMQ9THBG/

 

Baby Biographies: Dolly Parton; My Baby’s Introduction to the Queen of Country by Amanda Sobotka Book Review

 



This brand-new children’s book is written about the life of country superstar, Dolly Parton. Dolly was born in 1946 in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She had a passion for singing. When she was ten, she made her debut on The Cas Walker Show. Her first single was entitled puppy love. When she was 13 years old, she performed at the Grand Ole Opry and was asked to do three encores. She appeared on the Porter Wagoner show. She released I Will Always Love You, Jolene, 9 to 5, Here You Come Again, just to touch on a few in the book. She founded Dollywood in 1986 and later the Imagination Library. She was the first country artists ever to record two pop songs that made the top of the charts. She has a total of 107 songs on the US hot country charts by a female artist. 

 

 

I would recommend this baby biography book to anyone who is a huge fan of Dolly. It was a very quick lesson on Dolly and her life. It touched on her career and her amazing library for children. I liked how it included the years in each of the pages and it was a well written overview of her life’s story. The illustrations are all Dolly based and the book is extremely colorful in true Dolly fashion. 

 

 

 

“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Biographies-Parton-Introduction-Country/dp/140034915X/

Time Machine: Five Decisions to Accelerate Your Success Timeline and Live a Thousand Live by Kris Krohn Book Review





In Time Machine, Kris Krohn has written a new book about managing our time and learning to get our focus back on what matters. He begins the book by explaining time is not money. A lot of us believe that time is valuable. We all have the same amount of time in a day, 1440 minutes. He revealed how we need to know when to say yes to things and when to say no thanks and move on. He looked at how we can accumulate money and we can do this by saving, investing, and spending. He explained how only 16% of Americans have $200,000 in retirement and this can lead to a problem of having very little to live off of. In the book, he shared that his company grew by 200% while he was writing this book. He chooses to work Mondays, Tuesday, and Thursday. Wednesday is bliss day, Friday kid day, Saturday his day, and Sunday Lord’s Day. He feels that making more money shouldn’t require us from having to spend more of our time. He opened up about his different jobs and buying real estate. He explored the lens system and came up with two new standards: delegation and yes. He walks readers through how to discovered how to use their time more wisely. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this eye-opening book about time and figuring how what matters. I honestly don’t see how he is able to personally work only three days a week and gets to spend that much time with his family compared to others who work way over that many hours. Maybe this is a struggle for me. I thought this part was kind of crazy. I appreciated how he revealed how we need to only say yes to the activities that will benefit us that is twice as much as our highest hourly rate. He enclosed some examples to show the lessons in action. 




“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CPZKG1N6/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0CPZKG1N6&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor

I'll Have What She's Having by Chelsea Handler Book Review





In I'll Have What She's Having, Chelsea Handler opened up about her life story and added humor in the mix. As many people know, Chelsea is a famous comedian and was a late-night TV host. So, this book is filled with funny stories and she doesn’t hold anything back. She revealed a personal story she experienced with Jane Fonda and how she wasn’t afraid to be real and call Chelsea out on her behavior at one of her parties. She blamed her and didn’t appreciate the drugs she was on at the time. She told her to watch herself and not to allow her environment to ruin her. She told her with her gifts she could easier throw them all in the trash if she wasn’t careful. She also discussed her dating life and her struggles with not having kids. She opened up about her attraction to Andrew Cuomo and how she tried to get his attention with sexting and later learned how he behaved behind closed doors. 

 


 

 

 

One of her first stories was about hard lemonade. When she was ten years old, she decided to make money by opening up a lemonade business. She asked her older sister to join her and she demanded 50-50. Chelsea would be the primary business owner and she would make the tough decisions. She chose to add gin, whiskey, and tequila to the hard lemonade. The first day they made 13 dollars and she had to split it. Chelsea hated that so she chose to fire her. She found her replacement, Nelson a neighbor. The first day they made 33 dollars. The first week it turned into 359 and she gave him $3.59 as his commission. He was proud of the payment and compared that he would have to have lost 5 teeth to the tooth fairy to make that much. She admired his work ethic but she didn’t have the heart to tell him the tooth fairy wasn’t real. 





 

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys humor and they have watched her show before or one of her specials. This book enclosed tons of humorous scenes and no doubt she acts just as crazy in real life. There was dating stories, sex, love, breakup, step-like kid’s experiences, and all sorts of things. Some of the stories are naughty and some are just down right outrageous. I liked how she was transparent about her life and wasn’t scared to be real and open. Fans will enjoy the humor and getting to see some of her life and stories. 






“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:




https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593596579/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0593596579&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor

Chosen: Your Life Is Marked for Distinction by Joel Osteen Book Review





In Chosen, Joel Osteen has written a book reminding readers that God approves us and that He has handpicked us and He has given us a calling on our lives. The book is derived from material previously published in The Power of I Am and The Power of Favor. The book begins with Joel explaining how we are all marked for distinction. When we choose to put God first in our lives, God can cause favor to fall on our lives. Scriptures declare how we are chosen and set apart from others. He can cause blessing to occur, promotions we didn’t earn, prosper when we shouldn’t be, all of these can happen because of whose we are. Joel also shared how important it is to run your own race. We have our only special assignment from God. We don’t have to compete with others and try to keep up with them. Instead, we need to focus on what God has called us to do. We don’t have to have an incredible gift to be used by God even. He stated how David was chosen for his personality and his ability to sling a rock. The gift helped him to defeat Goliath and help him to get promoted on the throne. 



 

 

 

In the book, Joel shared an email he received from Rudy. Her and her husband, George was trying different recipes to make gumbo. They found one they loved and started to sell it door to door. One day, they saw a commercial from a large grocery store hosting a cooking competition. Whoever won would be featured on their store shelves. Out of 600 submissions they were in the top 25. They unfortunately didn’t win the grand prize. They attend Lakewood Church and that Sunday Joel was discussing how God doesn’t take us from point A to B to C sometimes it’s back and forth and can take a while. After a few months, they received a phone call from the grocery store saying that they would like to feature their product and display it in their stores. God accelerated their dreams even when it appeared that door was shut. 

 



 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone is needing a reminder of the special calling on their lives. They may feel insignificant and less than but this book will provide you with the hope that God has chosen us. This book is very insightful on helping us to realize that God’s face is shining down on us and His favor is all around us. God chose our personality, our looks, and our purpose where we can fulfill our destiny. We are all God’s masterpiece and this book will remind you of how important you are. 




“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:




https://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Your-Life-Marked-Distinction/dp/1546008829

Life Makeover: Embrace the Bold, Beautiful, and Blessed You by Dominique Sachse Book Review

 




 

In Life Makeover, Dominique Sachse explored how women can learn to embrace the new changes and transform your external look and life. This can help you go gain more confidence. She loves providing tips on your style and hair. She is an anchor for the news station KPRC in Houston, Texas, for over twenty-eight. She is also a fashion icon on YouTube and has over a million followers. In the book, she explained how we need look at what’s holding ourselves back. Two of her areas were being overweight and men. She shared how she had to heal her relationship with her father and food. A lot of this was with assistance with her therapist. And with God’s help she came to realize that she was worthy and accept just the way that she is. She also encouraged readers to create them a vision board but do it with two boards and make a passion and a talent board. This can help you to discover even more about yourself and your dreams. The book also discussed external tips for makeup and looking your best. 




 

 

In the book, she discussed her fertility issues with her first husband. She only had one good egg for implanting. She had about a 1% chance of becoming pregnant. She explained how she felt the need to pray. She grew up not believing in God and didn’t really pray. She prayed big and bold and believed for a miracle. She did end up getting pregnant with her son. She shared how her faith was a slow start even after that event. She revealed how her marriage failed and how she had to lean onto her faith. She begins to attend Lakewood Church and received Christ into our heart. She explained how she wants readers to abandon fear and a big part of this is by building faith in Jesus. 

 



 

 

I would recommend this book especially to women since they are the target audience. She had a lot of tips and suggestions on makeup and hair and style tips. Readers will be able to learn a lot about fashion and how to regain your confidence. I liked how she also explored the importance of faith and making over your own life inwardly.  






“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:




https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400225728/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400225728&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor

Take the Wheel: An Offroad Monks Guide to Quiet Your Mind and Get Back in the Driver’s Seat of Life by Bryan Bernard and Tommy Stoffel Book Review


 

 

In Take the Wheel, Bryan Bernard and Tommy Stoffel have written a book about quieting our minds and handing our negative thoughts. They begin the book by stating who we are all facing the chatter of noise now and it is never ending. There is a constant stream of thoughts flowing through our heads. These can include our worries and fears and they are automatically hardwired into our brains. They started a special group entitled, Offroad Monks and they take adventures together on trails and go on soul outings. They try and live like monks. 



 

 

In the book, Tommy opened up about how he woke up in 2005 next to a man who was trying to kill himself. He wound him their next to him because he also let his emotions build up. It started when he was 11 when his dog was killed by a school bus and his dog was his best friend. He slowly started burying down his own pain deep within his soul. He turned to drinking to try and ease the pain. One day he snapped and called 911 and told them his brain isn’t working right. He ended up in a psychiatric ward. He admitted he went after everything society and the world would make him happy but it always fell short. He saw a chart that described the yellow and red zone of chatter and he made a choice not to ever get back into the hospital again. 




 

 

Bryan’s story discussed how in 2019 he held a gun to his temple and was about to pull the trigger. He also felt he had everything but deep down he was miserable and felt lost. His second son had just moved out and went off to college. His identity was shaken. He wasn’t happy in his marriage any longer so he left it. He hated his job so he sold his business. He struggled with worrying and went into a deep depression. At this time, he decided to check his phone one last time to see if anyone cared. He had a voicemail from Tommy. They had met a year prior and he talked him down from the edge. He told him he needed him and that there was still some jeeping to do. Tommy helped him to learn that his thoughts was the issues and they both tried all sorts of healing and most of what they learned is including in this book. 

 



 

One of my favorite lessons included the topic of worry and how our minds will always find the next thing to worry about. We can actually choose what we worry about. They instructed readers to instead find the positive and focus on what could go right. We can choose to feel the accomplishment and let it guide our thoughts. They explained how 99% of what we worry about won’t ever happen. We can rely on the fact that more than likely that worry won’t happen and we can feel more confident in dealing our worries. If it does happen learn the lesson from the worry. Choosing to have positive thoughts can provide us with the confidence that we need and that positive energy can help us. They broke down the worries into three categories: chance, control, and cost. They enclosed different exercises to help readers deal with their darkest corners of their minds. 





 

 

I would recommend this excellent book on controlling your thoughts and dealing with the chatter going around your head. I really connected with both of their personal stories and how they both were depressed and even suicidal and was able to bounce back and change their lives around. The lessons used in this book to simplify your life and mind were outstanding. I also liked how the discussed the chatter chart and even questions to help you figure out where you currently are. The principles in this book will assist readers on finding healing and helping them move forward. 




“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:




https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1963827023/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1963827023&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor

Beyond Self-Defense: How to Say No, Set Boundaries, and Reclaim Your Agency--An empowering guide to safety, risk assessment, and personal protection by Shihan Michelle, CMA Book Review




In Beyond Self-Defense, Shihan Michelle has written a book about self-defense and how to hopeful prevent an attack. Her background is she is the founder and leader of Self Defense Services and holds a six degree in Black Belt Karate. She begins the book by explaining what sexual assault is and how it basically means any nonconsensual sexual act. She started the book with a story about Lynn and her older brother was left alone when their parents went out of town. Lynn and her friend wanted to go to a party. At the party, they chose to go smoke a joint. Two guys noticed them and offered them a ride. When they woke up, they were beaten, bruised, and sexually assaulted. This story was based on someone in her family and her mother warned her about the dangers. 

 

 



 

In the book, she looked at the studies and how it is reported that 80% of people sexually assaulted have known their attackers beforehand. It mostly isn’t strangers. She discussed the topic of context and used two different stories to convey the importance of understanding context. This can lead us to seeing the world differently in different settings. She also gave you a powerful lesson about how we can discover how a person handles rejection when we tell them no and set a boundary. She explained how she has yet to meet who is confident to say no to anyone at any time. In the book, she touched on lightweight and strong-weight movements in order to stand up against someone else. She enclosed tips on how to perform simple actions to display strength in self-defense. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who is needing to learn how to stand their ground and they are fearful of the world even. I liked how she discussed context and how we see our environment and the world around us. I liked how she shared some of her background in her karate and what it taught her on standing up for rape victims. The book contained much more than just techniques to use if you have to, it went deeper into the recognizing signs and triggers and provides you with the knowledge to handle any situation. 






“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:




https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/162317998X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=162317998X&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor




Get Your Hopes Up: 90 Devotions and True Stories for Young World Changers by Carlos Whittaker Book Review






In Get Your Hopes Up, Carlos Whittaker has written a devotional geared to the younger audience. He begins the book by stating that we have all lost hope in something or someone or maybe even God. This book is geared to assist you in getting your hope back. He explained true hope as a limitless hope that only comes from trusting God and how powerful He is. God has performed miracles such as parting the Red Sea. We can see hope throughout the different stories he shares in this book and how it has changed and inspired others. 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite’s stories discussed an event when they were travelling and in the airport. His wife, Heather saw a woman in need who had her items in a plastic bag only to carry her stuff. Heather told Carlos to empty his suitcase and they were going to give them there’s. They have to move his stuff into a backpack and part of it in Heather’s suitcase. He explained that his wife saw a need and knew she needed to fill it. He goes on to looking at the Biblical story about the Good Samaritan. As we all know, a man was beaten and left on the side of the road injured. One a Samaritan would stop by and chose to help him. He explained how we can all offer hope and extend a hand when someone else is in need. Small acts of compassion and kindness can change others’ lives. When we choose to love your neighbor as yourself can real change begin. 




 

 

I would recommend this life changing devotional to the younger generation because it is written to be a simple daily read. Though the older generation could still relate and connect to the stories. There is illustrations and graphics throughout the book which I believe will help appeal more to the younger audience. There is tons of encouragement and lessons that can help to train up a child the way that they should go. The stories are impactful and will help us to rediscover our hope. 






“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400247144/ 

Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge by Melody Wilding Book Review



 

In Managing Up, Melody Wilding has written this brand-new book to guide readers on how to manage up and get the things you need from your bosses. She begins by sharing how professionals are believing that they have little to no control over their careers and futures. 40% of workers struggle with a feeling of hopelessness. People are confused as to where they stand and fit in their workplace. Some feel boxed in with the office politics and they see a lack of any changes. In the book, she helps readers on how to manage up. The book is written in the style of having ten conversations with your boss and it’s meant to be an ongoing discussion. Some of these included: the alignment conversation, ownership, boundaries, feedback, advancement, money, and much more. The book contained steal the scripts section throughout each chapter. 



 

 

One of my favorite chapters discussed advancement and how to match your wants with the company needs. She explained how if we received any positive feedback how we need to say more than just a simple thank you. We should instead tell our boss how much we appreciate the kind words and our interest in in taking on even more responsibility. She encouraged to try it in causal conversations and adjust our settings and how we state our intentions. She explained how to also move it to a more formal discussion. She also looked at what to do if your boss is playing favorite which we have all seen or faced before. 




 

 

I would recommend this excellent book about managing up and stepping up in your career and learning how to have important conversations. There is tons of examples and starter questions to get the topic rolling in the right direction. This book is very insightful in helping you navigate your career and future. This book has the power to assist you in reclaiming your career and engaging more in depth with your workforce. 

 

 


“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Up-What-People-Charge-ebook/dp/B0CXLSH6Y6/


Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age by Ben Stuart Book Review





In Single, Dating, Engaged, Married, Ben Stuart walks readers through the different stages of their lives in regard to marriage. This book is an update edition filled with new studies and things that have occurred in the last 7 years since the first release. Technology mainly has evolved a lot since the first release. He served as the director of Breakaway Ministries from 2006 to 2016. There is a new chapter devoted on how to break up. In the book, he explained that the current generation is waiting longer and longer to get married. The average age is 27 for women and 29 for men. In 1990s, men got married at 26 and women 23. He blames half of the waiting on they are afraid of divorce and they don’t want to risk making the same mistake as their parents. Another reason is the fear that marriage will mess them up and it could delay their career goals. One of the first topics, he looked at was the importance of putting God first and only then can we have a good relationship with someone else. He goes into detail about how love sends, love sacrifices, and love stays. He shared who we are in Christ and how He sees us and how He knows our name. We don’t have to try and earn His incredible love. He explained the gift of singleness like Paul had. He looked at how if we are single, we can have liberty from anxieties and stresses that can come from marriage. When we are married, we have to be concerned about how to please our wife and her needs. 





One of my favorite lessons was from a story about Rome and how they treated their baby girls. Girls were seen as a symbol of wealth. If a family didn’t want their daughter, they would literally lay them down on the side of the road. She would either die or be picked up by a pimp. Christians would choose to try and save them and they would raise them up and teach the ways of Christ. He uses this example to showcase how critical it is to invest in others. Scriptures encourage us to train the younger generations. This can be seen in the form as mentors or coaches. 




I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is single, engaged, or married. This book has important principles for all folks and lessons that we can all learn. I also liked the section discussing that if we are Christian, we do know the world is going to hell but we can choose to behave differently. We must stop wasting people’s time and to quit playing with their emotions. We can mean what we say and be clear with our intentions. This can be in reference to flirting and leading others on. I appreciated how he shared how people can be upfront about their feelings if they aren’t interested in you romantically. This book is very eye opening on the different stages in our lives and is very powerful. 





“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”
 
 
 
 
If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400345871/

The Glory in Your Story: Activating a Fearless Faith to Change Your Life, Your Career, and the World by Monique Rodriguez Book Review

 






In The Glory in Your Story, Monique Rodriguez has written a memoir about her life story and how she become a CEO of a multimillionaire hair consumer products in the multicultural category. The book touched on 16 different lessons such as, surviving the breakdown, one step forward, selling up, not out, keeping the main thing the main thing, and much more. She begins the book by sharing how when she was growing up, she had a dream to compete in beauty pageants. Her mother tried to support her but eventually made her give it up and go to school. She knew she was called to do something with beauty deep down inside her. Her mother wanted her to become a nurse. She worked as a unit secretary at a local hospital. She knew that if she could help her daughter to become a nurse that they would always be in demand. So, Monique got her degree at 22 years old and found her a nursing job. She stayed there for 8 full years before realizing that she wasn’t fulfilled. This taught her how to work well with others and theses lesson helped her to transition into her entrepreneurship. She went on to found, Mielle Organics. This company sells hair products and is still growing. One of the first lessons in the book was on not letting anyone to dictate your own dreams. She discussed her childhood and how her father was an addict. She explained how she had to have empathy for him. In the book, she also touched on losing her son and having to deal with grief. As we all have experienced, grief doesn’t just disappear it can hit us in waves at random times. She also shared how her company wouldn’t have existed without her son. 





 

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is ready to learn new lessons that you can apply to your life, business, and relationships. You can use this lesson to also change the world and help make it better for others. I really enjoyed the topics and you can feel the passion and the love she has for others and the faith she maintained to get to where she is today. I liked how she encouraged readers on discernment and to realize that you don’t need to team up with just anybody. You have to learn who to trust and watch out for the red flags. And sometimes people will also come into your life and only be there for a season and then they must move on or we must move on without them. I liked how she included helpful questions at the end of each chapter. This is an excellent impactful book to read! 





“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:



https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Your-Story-Activating-Fearless/dp/1400349834/

The Courage to Change: Saying Goodbye to Good Enough and Embracing the Promise of What Can Be by Joyce Meyer Book Review





In The Courage to Change, Joyce Myer has written a book to guide readers on how to embrace changes and not to run or hide from them. Change happens to everyone and it’s inevitable. She shared how she has seen technology grow in her lifetime and changes she had to endure. In scriptures in multiple places, we are reminded that God doesn’t change and His word remains. At times, it has been difficult for herself to roll with the changes. In her ministry, she shared how about 20 years ago she looked around and saw the crowds getting smaller and smaller. Her son, Daniel was younger and he suggested that she dress differently, get younger bands, and modernize the platform look. They also redid their monthly magazine. She as least was against his changes and didn’t want to do any of his ideas. She saw that she needed to listen and them their ministry grew even more after the changes. 

 



 

In the book, she explained how she experienced change in herself. She grew up in a tormented childhood and was abused by her own father. When she began her walk with God, she had to heal her soul with God’s assistance. Satan had robbed her of her peace and joy. She lashed out at everyone and was angry all the time. She admitted to feeling cheated in her childhood. She realized that she had to let go of her negative attitudes and mindset in order to move forward. She noticed that she could have a better ending even though her beginning was anything but good. God helped her to overcome and God would repay her for her trouble. She stated how she had to learn to forgive people who hurt her. 




 

 

One of my favorite chapters discussed on how to let go and let God. She encouraged readers to never be afraid to let go of something that is outdated. Sometimes friendships are only for a season and something we need to learn to realize it was just for a season. She compares this to an example of expired food and how food is only good for a certain amount of time then it will go bad. She enlightened how she had to rework her own schedule because it was making her really unhappy. She was complaining a lot and felt overwhelmed. One of her tips was for readers to write down everything they are doing and then cross out whatever it’s bearing much fruit. Learning to let go of things that aren’t helping us can help us to relax and have more joy. Another lesson in this chapter is forgiveness and scriptures even stated that if we don’t forgive our prayers won’t be answered. Also, if we choose to not forgive, we give satan an advantage over our lives. This chapter can help assist you with bitterness and forgiving others. 



 

 

I would recommend this incredible book to anyone who is resistance to changes they like to hold on for dear life to the past. Joyce does an excellent job in sharing how she had to go through changes in her life and ministry to allow God to do a new work. The principles in this book will guide readers in embracing changes and to live their lives more fully. It had the power to help you manage your emotions, change your mindsets, and learning how to manage change. There are also discussion questions at the end of each chapter. This book will help you to change! 



 


“I received this book free from the publisher for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon:




https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Change-Goodbye-Embracing-Promise-ebook/dp/B0DFW7TX9X/