Searching for Certainty: Finding God in the Disruptions of Life by Shelly Miller Book Review

In Searching for Certainty, Shelly Miller explored how we can manage and handle life, when it doesn’t go the way we expect it too. Sometimes we lose jobs, experience illness, encounter broken relationships, addictions, marriage troubles, and any other struggles we may go through. Often times we question why God would allow certain things to happen. She begins the book by sharing how her parents divorced when she three years old. She has a child photo proof of her not smiling in photos and her relatives reminded her and told her stories of how depressed she was. She opened up about how her parents met and how her dad was 24 years old and was in his last year of law school. He was raised as a Catholic. He met her mother when she working as an agent for an airline company. A few months in their relationship, she became pregnant. They got married and hid it from their families until after she was born. But they figured it out by the calculation and they were judged. He never ended up practicing law. Their marriage was rocky and her mother ended up leaving him one day to an empty house. She shared how as a young child she refused to eat because of the divorce and separation. She also shared later how her mother eventually moved in with her lesbian girlfriend. She opened up about how she looking for proof that she was truly worthy of love and security. She explained the story of Moses and how he might have been wondering if he was worthy enough of love. She also looked at statistics and how depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicide are on the rise. This isn’t even counting the covid-19 factors. 

 

 

I would recommend this helpful book to anyone who is struggling with dealing with life changes and the uncertainty that we face. We can’t control what comes our way. This book will help readers to learn to handle and cope when the changes do come. I deeply connected with how real she was in the epilogue and how at the end of the book she shared a little on the covid-19 struggles and how she experienced a major health battle. She started having pain on the right side of her abdomen and then it travelled to her back. After many tests during the pandemic, they found out she had sarcoma cancer. She passed away on November 1. I liked how open she was in sharing the uncertainly she was now facing in her battle with her health. Her life story and book will become a testimony on how we can learn to find and discover our Savior even when faced with uncertainty. 

 

 

 

 

https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/funeral-notices/01-11-2020-shelly-ann-miller/

 

 

 

https://shellymillerwriter.com

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Searching for Certainty, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Certainty-Finding-Disruptions-Life/dp/0764235974

Angel Eyes By Shannon Dittemore Blog Tour

Shannon Dittemore has a breathtaking approach to the spiritual world surrounding the characters in this brand new novel. The book had a mixer of angels and demons fighting each other to win. The chapters are told from different viewpoints to capture the entire thrilling plot. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy exploring the seen and the unseen worlds of good vs. evil and angels against demons. If you’re a teenager or an adult who likes a fantasy packed novel then this one you will find this series irresistible! I immensely connected with the characters and the novel was extremely hard to put down.

The book had many life concepts that everybody could relate to. The book proved and showed the effects of how fear can hinder us from living our lives. I liked how Shannon displayed fear to be like a hidden dark cloud and we must rid ourselves of any doubt and insecurity. The main character, Brielle struggled with fear and she didn’t understand how God could allow bad things to take away people she loved. Many of us have asked the same question over certain situations we had to go through. I was touched by how Brielle started to recognize that there is a battle going on in the spiritually that we can’t see. An unbeliever started seeing the truth! Jake was also a big character that I found what it means to be a man and a protector. Jake showed the significance of watching out for someone that you greatly loved and he had an amazing position on believing the precision of Faith. I also thought the author did a brilliant job at bringing light to rescuing human trafficking victims. This is the first book in the fantasy series and I can’t wait to continue in the journey of Brielle and Jake!

“I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group/ Thomas Nelson for this review”.

About the book:  Angel Eyes By Shannon Dittemore


Once you've seen, you can't unsee. Everything changes when you've looked at the world through . . .Angel Eyes


Brielle went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She's come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can't seem to shake.


Jake's the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.


Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what's going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.


A realm that only angels and demons-and Brielle-can perceive.






About Shannon:

Shannon is a wife and mother. A sister. A daughter. A friend. She was raised in Northern California by her parents-pastors of their local church and constant figures of inspiration.
As a youth, Shannon traveled with an award-winning performing arts team, excelling on stage and in the classroom. As a young adult, she attended Portland Bible College, continued acting, and worked with an outreach team targeting inner-city kids in the Portland-Metropolitan area.
It was in Portland that she met her husband, Matt. They were married in 2002. Soon after, they took the reins of the youth ministry at Living Way Community Church in Roseville, California where they continue to serve in that capacity. In October of 2004, their son Justus was born, followed by their daughter Jazlyn, born in 2008.


Find out more at www.shannondittemore.com.






Win a Nook Color from Shannon Dittemore (@ShanDitty)! "Angel Eyes" Giveaway and Facebook Party {6/26} Celebrate with Shannon by entering her "Angel Eyes" Giveaway and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 6/26!


Find out what readers are saying here.

One "angelic" winner will receive:

• A Brand New Nook Color
• A copy of Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on June 25th. Winner will be announced at the "Angel Eyes" Author Chat Facebook Party on 6/26. Shannon will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills and giving away some great prizes!


So grab your copy of Angel Eyes and join Shannon on the evening of the June 26th for a chance to meet Shannon and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 26th!

Four Letter Words: Conversations on Faith’s Beauty and Logic By Bill Giovannetti Blog Tour

My Review: 

Four Letter Words taught me the importance of exploring the truth of our Faith in God. The book starts with four words for each chapter. Some of the topics include Truth, Know, Pain, Wait, and much more. The book was written on how to response to critics of God and Faith. Bill shared a question that proved an important point. He started asking, “How do you know?” We believe that the moon is round and not flat but how do we know this. We believed in the people in authority who taught us that it is in fact round. Most of us haven’t traveled to the moon to see what it looks like. The thing I learn from this book was people can’t say there isn’t a God if they haven’t seen him. They can’t prove he doesn’t exist. I have Faith in the fact that God is very much alive! Bill also shared in one chapter that Jesus is the only God that exists on love and compassion for others. Christianity is the only religion that helps hurting people in the world. Other religions aren’t preaching on showing love to your neighbors. Some of the other gods claim that you must kill in order to receive the mercy of god where you can get into heaven. I would recommend this excellence book for teenagers and adults who want to learn how to stand up what your Faith. It has many key points on how the world views God. The book is very eye opening and has a great potential to help lead people to Christ. I also enjoyed the interactive QR enable codes throughout the book. They assist readers into digging deeper into their Faith. The book shows why people tend to reject the Lord’s truth. Some are just told what to believe and they haven’t decided why they believed what someone else told them! This book confronts truths that most people would run away from. Faith is extremely important and we must know what we believe so we can effective lead others to Christ.

 

“I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group for this review”.

About Four Letter Words:

Thou shalt tolerate every opinion... except the Christian's. Today's postmodern "prime directive" leaves many followers of Jesus tongue-tied. In the global village, isn't it unreasonable, and even dangerous, to suggest that the Bible has a monopoly on truth?

The church needs a new breed of Christ-follower. We need Christ-followers who are alert to today's touchy ideas, the truths that fire up more heat than light. We need Christ-followers who can make a clear case for the Bible's worldview; who are ready to help our friends think through their beliefs; who can recognize inconsistencies and challenge them; and who can do all of this with humility, confidence, humor, and love. For more information visit http://fourletterwords.org.

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/8FbUq  

About Bill Giovannetti:

Dr. Bill Giovannetti is a professor at A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. An experienced speaker and author, Bill informs the mind in ways that touch the heart. He enjoys life with his wife and two kids in northern California. For more information about Bill and his other books, visit  http://maxgrace.wordpress.com  and http://fourletterwords.org.

About the Giveaway: 

Bill is celebrating the new Kindle edition of Four Letter Words (for only $4.99)! He’ll be traveling coast to coast over the next few weeks on this virtual book tour and he's celebrating by hosting a great giveaway!

Click here (http://fourletterwords.org/2012/01/contest-giveaway) to find out how you can win two gift certificates to Amazon (in the amount of $50 and $25) and free downloads of his yet-to-be-released title, Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World.

The whole scoop here: http://fourletterwords.org/2012/01/contest-giveaway/

Blog Tour Schedule: (please use this link in your post: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13453469

Bill Giovannetti serves on the faculty of A.W. Tozer Seminary and is the Senior Pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. Four Letter Words is his second book. He has written numerous articles and is a popular speaker. Bill hates legalism, loves grace, and teaches that God is infinitely more committed to us than we will ever be to him. He is a graduate of Trinity Seminary and earned his doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary.

What's Four Letter Words about, and where did you get the title?

Four Letter Words is about defending your faith in Christ. If you've ever felt tongue-tied standing up for Jesus, this book can help.

Even though our culture claims tolerance as a virtue, that tolerance stops at Christianity's front door: witness the hostility directed toward a sincere Christ-follower like Tim Tebow. Judging by reactions to him, you'd think he just cussed out his grandma when all he did was say a word for Christ. Speaking God's truth and living your faith is quickly becoming today's profanity. Tougher days are coming; we need to get ready.

There has never been a truth-system more satisfying, consistent, logical and beautiful than Christianity. I wanted to help God's people rise up and say so.

What four letter words do you write about?

True: who says your truth has to be my truth too? Know: how do you know God is real? Pain, Evil, and Ouch: why doesn't God stop the bad stuff? Damn: how can a loving God send people to hell? Word: What makes the Bible so special? Wait: isn't it unreasonable to expect today's people to live by biblical standards of sexuality? Hope: what good has Christianity done in the world?

The book has ten chapters, discussion questions (in the book and downloadable from the website), and 208 pages.

Did you ever struggle with your faith? How did you work through that?

Even though I've been a pastor for a long time, I struggle with my faith a lot. My earliest struggles – back in high school days – centered on scientific stuff, like evolution. In the book I tell the story of how I made peace with faith in a Creator God and how I fit together science, logic, and the gospel in my own heart.

Now that I'm a bit older, my struggles come more out of pain and suffering. Why does God let people hurt? I cover those topics too.

Struggles are normal – we just can't let them overwhelm our faith or uproot our joy. It's super-important for us to know every question raised against Christianity has an answer. I try to provide some of those answers along with simple talking points for everyday conversations.

Who is this book for?

This book is for anyone who either struggles with faith or who wants to help friends who struggle with faith. I wrote to strengthen faith and equip believers to share faith. Our church has used this book with high school students, young adults, and senior citizens—it's been really well received across all age groups. Other churches are using it in small groups and youth groups.

I would love to see this book in the hands of every high school graduate and new college student: they need to be inoculated from the anti-Christian venom they're going to experience.

Toward the end, Four Letter Words invites readers to faith in Christ so it can be resource for evangelism too.

Discussion questions are included.

What's with the QR codes?

Part of my geek credentials, I suppose. As far as I know, Four Letter Words is the first QR-enabled book for the general market. QR codes are those postage-stamp sized boxes with indecipherable patterns inside – Quick Response codes. I wanted to make the book an interactive experience: just scan the codes with any smartphone and you'll go straight to relevant videos, audio .mp3's, and websites. Each chapter has a lot more resources on the website (www.fourletterwords.org) which you can reach either through the QR code or just by visiting the site. The geek-tech stuff in no way overwhelms the written word; it just supplements it. I hope readers like it. What did you think?

What's your spiritual background? How did you get started with Jesus?

I was reared in a tiny Chicago gospel church. I was loved. I was cared for. I was taught the Bible. That church was my second family. They introduced me to Jesus. I received him when I was young and devoted my life to him. But it wasn't until young adulthood that I began to appreciate how much Jesus was devoted to me. That discovery rocked my world. I shifted from rules to relationship and from guilt to grace. I dedicated my life to encourage instead of tear down. I strive to free others from guilt, shame, and legalism, and to help people discover life and love through God's amazing grace.

Would you say that Christians are persecuted?

Not so much in the U.S., but persecution is definitely coming. It's not that Christians are changing; it's that culture is running from God so fast that yesterday's normal is becoming today's weird. Christians will be increasingly marginalized. Tell a typical college student he needs to be celibate till marriage and he'll look at you like you're Amish. Why don't you hop in your buggy and trot along. A generation ago, our culture would have supported that value. Today, culture attacks it. It's going to get tougher to stay strong for Jesus.

We need a new breed of Christ-follower: alert to the beliefs that tick people off, and ready to fire the weapons of truth and grace with courage, compassion, humor, and love.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

There's this guy on the TV show Alphas named Gary Bell who can literally see the entire electromagnetic spectrum: radio waves, phone texts, television signals, digital transmissions, and the Internet. He sees it in the air around him. I want that. Is that enough to renew my geek-card?

Name one movie you consider wildly under-appreciated.

That's easy: Tremors. Yes, the one with Kevin Bacon fighting giant worms that eat people. Creepy comedic genius. My wife loves it so much she rolls her eyes and leaves the room every time I turn it on.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/tF3L3M

Direct from the Author (signed copies) http://maxgrace.1freecart.com

Website:  http://www.fourletterwords.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BillGiovannetti

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/billgiovannetti

Blog: http://www.maxgrace.com

TWEET THIS: Four Letter Words by @BillGiovannetti answers the ? what do I do when my faith clashes with my culture? Click to win! http://ow.ly/8FbDW

FACEBOOK THIS: Thou shalt tolerate every opinion… except the Christian’s. Today’s postmodern “prime directive” leaves many followers of Jesus tongue-tied. In the global village, isn’t it unreasonable—and even dangerous—to suggest that the Bible has a monopoly on truth? Four Letter Words by Bill Giovannetti is a great resource for youth and adults who are looking to answer the question, “What do I do when my faith collides with my culture?”http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13453469

The Sound of Red Returning: A Novel By Sue Duffy Blog Tour

My Review:

I greatly enjoy The Sound of Red Returning. This is the first book in the Red Returning series. She has written a book about a famous pianist, Liesl Bower. Liesl is being hunted down by a Russian spy who is trying to kill her. I would recommend this wonderful novel to teenagers and adults. Anyone who loves a great mystery will really enjoy trying to solve this one. Readers will enjoy trying to figure out the mole's hidden identity. I couldn't even figure out who the mole was until the very end. You just won't see it coming until you put everything together. Throughout out the book, I was captured by the details about this frightening mystery adventure. The book contains suspense that unfolds with each turning of the page. I connected with Liesl and sometimes the thing we are trying to find lies in front of us. We just don’t know it yet. She didn’t believe in God because she lost a number of people she cared greatly about. She didn’t understand how a good God could allow so many bad things to happen to people she loved. But the brilliance of this novel is that is has a Christian theme and it can be applied to your daily life. The novel proves that God can use anything and anybody to bring you to a relationship with him. Liesl saw a lot of pain but through perseveration, determination, and love she learns the lessons that God was trying to teach her. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series!! If you are a fan of the crime and action books and TV Shows you will enjoy reading this mystery novel. I think the novel has the potential to be made into a movie. I will be checking out the others in the series when they are released. If you're looking for a new mystery story to discover then look no farther and read this one! Come on and jump right in and help uncover the identity of the mole! Sue Duffy has written the next bestselling mystery series!

“I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group for this review”.

About the book:

After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can’t shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she’s giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash. It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he’d been spying for Russia. She had seen that man--that eerie face--the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he’s back--and coming for her.

On the run and struggling to rely on the protection of CIA agent Ava Mullins and handsome newspaper reporter Cade O’Brien, Liesl learns she is the prey of an underground cell of Russian KGB agents determined to restore their country to its former Soviet might. But what she doesn’t know is that she is in possession of something--a piece of sheet music--that Russian intelligence is now frantic to find. Inside that music is a secret code, the hidden transcriptions of her deceased mentor, that clearly identify a Russian mole operating inside Israel’s Department of Defense, a mole with enough power and access to execute a daring assassination that no one would see coming.

Caught in a deadly conflict between American and Russian undercover agents, this innocent young pianist is just trying to survive her own personal trauma. Through it all, Liesl must learn that no matter how dark her world grows or how fiercely her enemies pursue her, God is still in control--if only she can yield herself to His grace. Read an excerpt here: http://www.sueduffybooks.com/#!vstc1=books

About the author:

Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody Magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. She is the author of Mortal Wounds (Barbour, 2001) and Fatal Loyalty (Kregel, 2010). Sue has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children.

Find out more at www.sueduffybooks.com.

Link to buy the book:  http://ow.ly/8B9HT

Blog tour schedule:  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452833

Win a Kindle Fire from Sue Duffy!

Enter 1/23 - 2/11. The Red Returning Giveaway!

 

Win a Kindle Fire from @SueDuffy2 and @KregelBooks in the "Red Returning" Giveaway!

Sue Duffy and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are celebrating the release of The Sound of Red Returning by giving away a Kindle Fire prize package worth over $200 to one lucky winner!!!! (1/23-2/11)

Enter the Sue Duffy’s Giveaway today and you could win:

* A brand new Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi

* The Sound of Red Returning (Book One in the Red Returning series) by Sue Duffy

To enter click one of the icons below. But, hurry! The giveway ends on 2/11. Sue will be announcing the winner of the “Red Returning” Giveaway on February 13th on the Litfuse website!

 

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. 

Share this on Facebook:

Sue Duffy is back with a brand new three book series, Red Returning. The first release, The Sound of Red Returning, is a breathless and unexpected tale. Romantic Times gives it 4 Stars: Book one in the Red Returning series starts out just right with political intrigue, suspense and just enough romance to keep readers guessing and interested. Well-defined secondary characters add that extra zing to the plot. To celebrate, Sue has teamed up with her publisher, Kregel Publications, for the "Red Returning" Giveaway! One winner will receive a brand new Kindle Fire!  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452833

Share this on Twitter:

Win a KindleFire from @SueDuffy2 @KregelBooks in the "Red Returning" Giveaway!  http://ow.ly/8B9l4 Pls. RT #litfuse

Alienation: A C.H.A.O.S. Novel By Jon S. Lewis Blog Tour

My Review:

Alienation has a lot of action packed events with weird aliens hunting down the humans. I could connect with the main character Colt. He was relatable because he experienced traumatic situations in his life. He witnessed his own parent’s death and he overcame that event with determination. He faced the giant aliens with tremendous courage and speed. The aliens were trying to kill him and he continued to fight for the world safety.  He had to learn to stand up for what he believed was right. I would recommend this novel to any teenagers and also to adults. It is a friendly read and has a few Christian themes throughout it. It is filled with wonderful science fiction action and the aliens are made out of a great imagination from the writer. The way he described the aliens provide me with an image of what they were created to appear like. The novel could very well be easily made into a bestselling movie series. I read the novel in about two days and I couldn’t put it down. If you enjoy comic theme movies and books you will immensely like this novel. It will keep you longing to stand up with the good guys and fight challenges! Giving up and surrendering to fear isn’t an option! It wasn’t to Colt and it shouldn’t be with us. Believing and standing up teaches you courage and helps you to know you can do anything!

“I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group for this review”.

About the book:

After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.

Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

About Jon:

Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona.

For more about Jon and the series, visit www.chaosnovels.com.

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/8wW4O

Blog tour schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13451655

 Win an iPad2 in the Alienation Givaway!

Enter 1/19 - 2/7. RSVP for Party today!

 

Win an iPad from @JonSLewis and @NelsonFiction in the Alienation iPad2 Giveaway!

The invasion was only the beginning! Jon Lewis is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced C.H.A.O.S. series with an explosive giveaway!

One thrill-seeker will receive:

• iPad2 with Wi-Fi
• Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies of the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don't miss a second of the intrigue!

Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Share on Facebook:

Win an iPad2 in the Alienation Giveaway! Alienation is the continuing story of the C.H.A.O.S. series' Colt McAlister. In this 2nd installment, Colt starts a new life training at the secret academy for Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural. Thomas Nelson is hosting a Facebook Party on 2/7 with Jon – RSVP today and save the date! The winner of the iPad2 will be revealed and Jon will be chatting with guests and giving a sneak peek at the next book in the series.  Click for details and don’t miss the fun. http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13451655. Young adults and fans of graphic novels will find Alienation and the C.H.A.O.S. series a thrilling read, which includes a graphic novel prologue and a sketchbook of characters. 

Share this on Twitter:

Win an iPad2 in @jonslewis' Alienation Giveaway! CHAOS series, A comic book come to life! RSVP #FB Party 2/7 http://ow.ly/8wXZ2 #litfuse

The Exceptional Life: 8 Powerful Steps to Experiencing God’s Best for You By Stephen Arterburn Book Review

The Exceptional Life teaches readers eight powerful steps that will radically change their life. The book includes what you must give up in order to have the life you have always wanted. The eight things we must give up are guilt, resentment, fear, anger, instant gratification, helplessness, isolation, and addiction. It also includes what will enrich your life when you give that thing up. For example, if you give up guilt you will receive your hope back. We don’t have to hold on to our past failures and mistakes. We are to accept God’s forgiveness. Another step is giving up fear in our lives. We have to remember that God will protect us no matter what we may go through. If we give up fear we will receive trust back into our lives.

Each chapter is divided into five sections: what we need to give up, how the thing hinders us from living fully, how to give it up, what we will gain if we give it up, how our life will change. Each chapter has discussion questions to assist you in your journey to your exceptional life.  

One of my favorite quotes was:

“We like what we like, and we do what we do. Once we’re in any kind of behavioral pattern, getting out can be a true challenge.” Page 171

I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults who are struggling with how to live their lives. If things are holding you back from living your life this book will help you to become free.  One of the chapters helped me immensely to stop hiding from the world. I saw that I was living and staying in my comfort zone. I realized that I have to give up isolation in order to get back to living in a community with friends. I have to get to the bottom line of why I choose to hide from the world. The past has held me back and I had to choose to stand back up and start living again. If I stay on the sidelines protecting myself, my whole life, I will miss a great life. I started walling myself in and would stay away from people who hurt me. I believed that everyone else would treat me the same way that they did. We don’t to live in fear of getting hurt because God will always be there to put us back together. This book helped me to see I need to live in fellowship with others. God will protect me and he will never let me down. This book is a wonderful book to help you break free from your past. It can help you to stop past behaviors and it will change your life into an exceptional life. Say goodbye to the old you and say hello to the new you. If you will put these eight life changing steps into your daily life you will start seeing changes in your life like never before.

“I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers book review bloggers program.”

Read Chapter One:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/61473712/The-Exceptional-Life

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Exceptional Life check out Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Exceptional-Life-Powerful-Steps-Experiencing/dp/0764204254/

Start Here, Go Anywhere By Richie Hughes Book Review

In Start Here, Go Anywhere, Richie Hughes explored the choices individuals make daily. People can choose to go down this path or they can go another way. He shared a number of personal stories that took courage to share to the world. His brother, Eddie made a choice that changed his life. Eddie loved to sing, act, and make people laugh. He got involved in the wrong crowd when he was reaching for his dreams. He went down the path of homosexuality. He eventually got diagnosed of the AIDS virus. His family made a choice to love him through it. Richie Hughes will walk readers through the process of our choices in life. The choices we make today we have to live tomorrow. Hughes has made the choice to always be there for his daughters and his family. Choices are big and choices are small. So choose wisely.

This book also included testimonials from lead singer of Third Day, Mac Powell and former Atlanta Braves pitcher, John Smoltz. They had to make choices in their own lives and they shared some of them.

I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults. Everyone needs to learn how to make great choices. We have to live with our decisions we make. It’s important to read this book and choose the right paths for our lives. This book will help readers to choose to follow God and his ways. We shouldn’t make excuses for our choices we chose to take. Richie Hughes teaches stories from the Bible that gives us hope when we mess up and make mistakes. The stories will lead readers to believe the truth of God’s word. Everyone has to make decisions every day and we need to make the right ones. It’s not too late to turn around and change your choice making process. This book can guide you to a better life.

Charisma House has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Start Here, Go Anywhere then check it out on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616382112  

Start Here, Go Anywhere By Richie Hughes Book Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEQeuT8KIWc