First Impressions: Off-Screen Conversations with a Bachelor on Race, Family, and Forgiveness by Matt James with Cole Brown Book Review

In First Impressions, Matt James opened up about his personal life story and how he became the first Black Bachelor on the hit reality tv show, The Bachelor after two decades of it being on air. He explained how he led a prayer to God at the start of the first episode and this led to controversies. In the book, he shared how his mother accepted Jesus as her Savior. Most of it was because she saw her coworker life and how joyful she was. He explained how his mother married his dad and how unfaithful he was in their marriage. She stated how she never trashed him in front of her two children. She chose forgiveness towards him and Matt revealed his personal struggle with forgiveness and seeing it as a weakness. He explained how he grew in his own personal faith and how his brother stopped believing later on after he went to prison a few times. In the book, he also opened up about being half white and how people viewed him differently when they learned that his mother was white. He opened up about his experiences growing up and how his own grandfather treated him differently. He also discussed the topic of racism, the wrongful death of George Floyd, and the protests that occurred. In the book, he also shared how he became an NFL athlete and the experiences he faced during that. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who enjoyed watching him on the Bachelor. I don’t watch this show personally but I enjoyed reading about his personal life and how he is a Christian trying to assist others through his nonprofit, ABC Food Tours. I loved how in his Bachelor book he focused more on his roots and Christian values. I was deeply touched by his story of his grandfather and how he refused to tell his brother, John and him that he loved them. He also shared how he wouldn’t help John with his math homework and judged him for his grades. Even though he has a degree in chemical engineering. He would show the other grandchildren more love and attention then John and Mark. I also love reading about how all that changed when his grandfather needed help after falling down. This story is a wonderful example of forgiveness and change.

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/First-Impressions-Conversations-Bachelor-Forgiveness/dp/1546002081/

The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God What Honesty and Pain Taught Us about Faith, Family, and Forgiveness By Jep and Jessica Robertson, with Susy Flory Book Review

In The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God, Jep and Jessica Robertson open up about their personal life and shared their triumphs and struggles and how God saw them through it all. A little background about Jep, he is the youngest brother of the Robertson family and he has three other brothers. He is also a part of the popular TV show, Duck Dynasty. He works for Duck Commander and his family live in West Monroe, Louisiana.

 

Jep Robertson grew up in household that strongly believed in Christian principles and teachings. Phil Robertson (Jep’s father) would teach others God’s word from his own home and he would baptize them in the river. He witnessed his parents reaching out to others and loving them like Christ would. Jep also shared some stories about how his dad taught him how to hunt ducks, squirrels, deer, and turkey. Jep played basketball in high school and was a pretty good player until his junior year, he broke his ankle and was unable to play again. He lost his identity and got wrapped up in worshiping his girlfriend and he let her become the center of his whole world. He also began to hang out with the wrong crowd and he started drinking and eventually he tried drugs. His family found out and his dad gave him two choices either to turn his life around or to get out and leave and they would pray for him and hope he would one day be set free. His dad and his brother, Alan struggled with alcohol addictions when they were younger so they knew the power it can have over someone. He decided to get the help, he needed and he turned his life around. The book goes into detail about how he did just that.

 

Jessica shared about how she grew up loving sports such as cheerleading, track, softball, basketball, and gymnastics. When she was a freshman in high school, everything changed. She fell for a football player and he ended up cheating on her. She felt rejected and she believed that she wasn’t good enough. She began to withdraw from sports and from her family and friends. She also started counting her calories and being obsessed about her weight. She began to have an eating disorder. At around this time, a youth pastor at her church instigated and pursued her. He told her to keep it a secret between them until she was eighteen and out of high school. He eventually proposed and she agreed to marry him. She struggled with feelings that she was making a mistake but everyone around her told her she was just getting cold feet. They finally did get married and she tries to make the marriage work but ultimately it fails.

 

I only touched on the surface about some of the things discussed in this book. The book also covered how Jep and Jessica met and fell in love. It also shared the struggles they have experienced in marriage and secrets they have told no one and how God help them repair their marriage.

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is a huge fan of Duck Dynasty and Duck Commander. I have only recently became a fan of the TV show and the Robertson family. Before reading this book, I haven’t heard most of the topics and stories Jep and Jessica presented in this book about their life. I liked how Jep and Jessica switched from each other throughout the different chapters of the book. The book was easy to follow and keep up with. I especially liked how open they was in revealing their personal struggles in life and in their marriage. I appreciated the courage it took for Jep to disclose the childhood sexual abuse he experienced on the school bus by a female. I was completely shocked that no one ever reported the instance to the proper authority figures like the bus driver and no one stood up for him and tried to stop it from occurring again and again. I was bullied by two females in elementary school so I connected with his story. I also liked how they included colorful photos from their childhood and their life. If you’re looking for an excellent book about how God can use your pain and make you whole again and even restore a marriage, then read this book!

 

"I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program."  

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Good, The Bad, and the Grace of God, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Good-Bad-Grace-God/dp/0718031482

 

 

Preorder Lead Your Family Like Jesus: Powerful Parenting Principles from the Creator of Families

 

 

Lead Your Family Like Jesus: Powerful Parenting Principles from the Creator of Families is a new book from Focus on the Family. Ken Blanchard, Tricia Goyer, Phil Hodges has coauthored this brand new book together. It is written to guide parents on teaching your children humility, the importance of focusing on God and letting Him remain at the center of your family, discovering your family values, helping your kids succeed in their God given dreams and talents, teaching your kids obedience, and forgiving our children when they make mistakes, and teaching our kids how to forgive others.

 

 

The book is being released on April 1, 2013 online and in most bookstores. There is an amazing offer happening right now. If you preorder the book before March 20, you can get $60+ value worth of extras downloads from Focus on the Family.

 

The extra downloads consist of:

 - Focus on the Family broadcast with the Lead Your Family Like Jesus authors (audio)

 - Family Faith broadcast bundle (audio)

 - Passing on Your Faith to Your Kids broadcast bundle (audio)

 - Raising Kids with a Faith that Lasts (video)

 

Check out the link below with all the information on the Preorder Extras:

 

http://leadyourfamilybook.com/pre-order/

 

To order the book, check out the links below:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Lead-Your-Family-Like-Jesus/dp/1589977203

Christian Books:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lead-your-family-like-jesus-tricia-goyer/1112569510

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.christianbook.com/family-powerful-parenting-principles-creator-families/ken-blanchard/9781589977204/pd/977204?event=100991SBF|1438996|1033

 

Check out a helpful booklet on dealing with the EGO:

https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?id=545745485447323&eid=ASuFlduTcP3DS688eopRk5cfVFiY8NgD0QXi8PxsoPOacXgU0HSG_IclLO1CN4gKS6I&inline=1&ext=1363302489&hash=ASshyjO9RTmDxB1C

 

When Work and Family Collide: Keeping Your Job from Cheating Your Family By Andy Stanley Book Review

In When Work and Family Collide, Andy Stanley described the importance of balancing family life and your work schedule.  He has seen the effects of people choosing their job over maintaining a relationship with their spouse and children. At one point or another we have to cheat someone or something somewhere. We can decide to cheat the job or cheat our family. We can’t be everything to all people and there is no possible way to be involved in everything. Is working so hard and long hours in order to obtain the American dream really worth neglecting your family of their needs? This book shared many personal stories and steps to achieve a balance between work and family. The most critical step is to make a decision to spend time more time with your family. The next part of the step is making a plan on how you will do this. Making a decision and not following through won’t accomplish the task of being the father or wife you were created to be. He will take you through Daniel’s story with the King and show you how Daniel handled his situation. Andy Stanley encouraged readers to try a plan for thirty days and see how their lives will change for the better.

The book was previously released as Choosing to Cheat.

Here is a thought provoking revelation from the book:

“One day you’ll come home from the office for the last time. Nobody retires from his or her family to spend his or her final days in the office. Your last day may be at sixty-five when you retire or at thirty-five when you’re laid off. Either way, you’re coming home. What and who you come home to will be determined by how you live out your priorities between now and then” (Page 130).

I would recommend this wonderful book to every family and those who are planning to have a family one day. Some might not even have children but this book is still relevant and the message is still needed. There needs to be a balance and structure for our families. It’s important to not let work became the God of your life. Yes, we must work in order to live but in the process, we can’t forsake our family members who desperately want our love and support. This is the first book that I have read by Andy Stanley and he did a magnificent job at revealing the steps one must take in order to not cheat on your family. He didn’t sugarcoat the message of saying that we are all cheaters. We tend to not consider that cheating isn’t just with another person. Our jobs schedules are cheating many families right now. Maintaining and finding the balance between the office and home are the main important keys! This book will assist readers to start to learn how to say no to working long hours every single night.  We can choose to stay at the office until everything is done. But we must face the truth that everything will never be completely finished! The work will still be there tomorrow. Your family though may not be!

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

If you would like to purchase a copy of When Work and Family Collide check it out on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/When-Work-Family-Collide-Cheating/dp/1601423799

Read Chapter One:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/70673372/When-Work-and-Family-Collide-by-Andy-Stanley-Chapter-1-Excerpt

Andy Stanley Author Bio:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=74998

For more information about the book:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601423795

Unlocking Your Family Patterns: Finding Freedom for a Hurtful Past By Dr. Henry Cloud, Dave Carder, Dr. Earl Henslin, and Dr. John Townsend

In Unlocking Your Family Patterns, Dr. Henry Cloud, Dave Carder, Dr. Earl Henslin, and Dr. John Townsend explained the path to healing and overcoming your family hurts. Each chapter of the book is written by one of the four authors. The book explored the dynamics of David, Isaac, Jesus, and their family trees. For example, David slept with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. She becomes pregnant with David’s child. He ordered his army to pull back in the battle lines. Uriah is killed and Bathsheba loses the baby. David’s son Amnon raped his own sister Tamar. David doesn’t comfort the issue of what happened to his daughter and it wasn’t discussed and dealt with. Absalom eventually kills Amnon. You have to handle the issues in your life or they get passed to the next generation. The authors proved that they are many things to learn about healing from our pasts. History repeats itself unless we deal with the major issues. Families pass on the concepts of “Don’t Talk”, “Don’t Feel”, and “Don’t Trust” to multiple generations if the cycle isn’t broken. The book also contains discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

I have to say that with the book being written by four different authors they did a wonderful job of tying the material together in a helpful way. This book has immensely taught me the lessons that I don’t want to pass down to my kids. I see the need to heal from the past where I can move forward. I would highly recommend this helpful book to everyone. I am starting to see the traits that my family has taught me through the years. I learnt the different levels of bonding in relationships. I tend to stay in level two which is the level where people discuss events but you don’t share too much about things you’re going through. Walling yourself in and keeping a safe distance from others doesn’t help you achieve the intimacy in relationships that you need. The boundaries chapter also greatly opened my eyes. I have a difficult time saying no especially to family members! I would always feel the need to carry their problems and do things I didn’t want to do out of guilt. I also had the feelings that I was being selfish if I didn’t help them. I realize I’m not setting proper boundaries in the places they need to be placed. I found out I was codependent and not choosing how I want to live my life. The chapter about growing into adulthood was another area that I saw that I struggled with. I was feeling one down to other peers and I always thought I couldn’t ever compare to them. I thought they were so much higher up than me. I am starting to go through the process of achieving adulthood! This book really was an enormous life changing book for me. It exposed me to the truth and revealed to me the issues I haven’t seen before. If you’re struggling to heal from your past family hurts then read this book! If you don’t want to repeat something that happened in your family then pick up a copy of this book. It will help you to step forward without letting the pains from your past control your family and the next generation of your family!

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

If you would like to purchase a copy of Unlocking Your Family Patterns check it out on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Your-Family-Patterns-Finding/dp/0802477445

Check out the book on Moody Publishers website:

http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=63017

Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado Book Review

Max Lucado is a popular Christian writer and he currently serves at Oak Hills Church. Max Lucado has been asked a number of questions dealing with life struggles and challenges. Max has decided to share the questions and answers in his new book called Max on Life. Max has included 172 questions and answers in this book. The book contains questions and answers asked about finances, forgiveness, hope, hurt, suicide, homosexuality, relationships, heaven and hell, illness, and a whole lot more. At the end of the book, Max incorporated a special section on writing. Max on Life also has a topical and scripture index to help readers relook at a question again.

Here are some quotes from the book:

“Be careful. Don’t make a decision in a storm that you wouldn’t make in calm weather.” (187)

“Revenge is the raging fire that consumes the arsonist. Bitterness is the trap that snares the hunter.” (47)

“For in the end, all believers will tumble skyward into the embrace of heaven, where nothing bad will ever happen again.” (65)

An example of a question in the book is: “What does God think of suicide victims? What does that mean for their salvation? For our memories? For our peace of mind?” (208)

Max answered a lot of questions that some Christians would have a hard time answering. He doesn’t sugarcoat the message and what he believes. He applied scripture to each question. I enjoyed reading this book because Max answered a lot of my questions that I had. I found out how to deal with circumstances that we have to endure in this life. Max’s new book will help you look to Christ and his word on how to handle situations in your life.

I would recommend Max on Life if you have any questions about God and life in general. Max does his best to answer a range of great questions that we all have. This book does contain adult and teenager material. It is a great guide to search for answers for our many questions that we may have!  If you have been pondering something give this book a chance and it just might answer your many questions.

“I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.”

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

http://www.amazon.com/Max-Life-Insights-Important-Questions/dp/0849948126

Read a preview of Max on Life below:

http://thomasnelson.insidethecover.com/widget/?isbn=9780849948121

The Christmas Spirit by Joel Osteen Book Review

The Christmas Spirit is a collection of Christmas time stories. Joel Osteen shared stories and memories about his family and how they celebrated Christmases when he was a young boy. His mother and father always made the major decision to tell the Osteen kids about Jesus being born for the whole wide world. Joel Osteen and his brothers and sisters did get some Christmas presents growing up. But the Osteen children were taught values that continued and made them who they are today. Joel’s father, John Osteen gave Joel, his brother, and his sisters a special Christmas present to share with one another and to teach them a virtue. Joel Osteen also gave a similar gift to his son and daughter, because it meant so much to Joel when he received it from his father. Joel Osteen informed his readers about Victoria’s Christmas traditions. Victoria would always travel to see her family at Christmas time. Joel Osteen will make you think about Christmas as a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. He also believes in spending quality time with your family and never taking them for granted. Joel Osteen conveys the message of Christmas throughout The Christmas Spirit.

I liked this book because it told stories and memories about Christmas from Joel and Victoria Osteen. I found out that we both celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I think the whole world needs to hear the message of Christ. This book is a great one to read during the Christmas Holiday. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the Christmas season! In addition, I would recommend it as a gift to give someone else for Christmas. Joel Osteen shares his memories of Christmas in a way that will make you want to spend quality time with your family. His book will inspire you to make every day count and every Christmas needs to be enjoyed because it might be someone’s last.

Here is the trailer for the book, The Christmas Spirit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2RR9QIDGJ67N2/ref=ent_fb_link

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Christmas Spirit by Joel Osteen it is available at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Spirit-Memories-Family-Friends/dp/1439198330/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4

Sad Times But There's Still Hope

Day 4 – Monday, May 24

I went a total of 2.51 miles today. I burned a sum of 158 calories. I took a whole total of 5302 steps.

Day 5 – Tuesday, May 25

I had to go to a love ones funeral today. It was a very sad day. But she lived a long life. She was one of the nicest ladies you could ever meet. She always went to church and she helped spread the love. That is what church is all about. I know her family misses her very much. But she is in a place with no pain now. She is sitting up there with Jesus and dancing away. I got to see some of my family and her friends. It’s kind of sad you only see this many people when someone dies. We should always be this close, when we are alive. I know many people are busy making a living, but take some time to spend it well with people you love. Think of how many people we could reach out to, if we just would do it. I remember how she used to get me off the bus sometimes. I also remember hanging out with my cousins at her house many times. This song was a song I thought fit her life. She had a lot of love to go around. I wanted to put this song on a family slideshow we did for my whole family at Christmastime. But we found other ones to include on it instead. But my point is I had the honor and privilege to be a part of my family’s history. She sat near my dad at my family Christmas dinner. He had to tell her who most of the people were. But she knew some. Her memory has been going for a while. But I know now in Heaven she remembers everything. She knows her family. The song is called, “Some Things Never Change” by Sara Evans. I want to thank the pastors and the church members who helped provide food for her huge family and friends. They had two rows of maybe 6 tables. They had to add another row. We had that many people. I didn’t count the tables I am estimating. But anyone who came saw a lot of people. Thank you. Thank you to the pastors who said nice things about her. Thank you to the people who sung at the funeral. Thank you for your prayers and your condolences.

Here is “Some Things Never Change”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkIWI1YH3nI

Another song that popped in my mind during these crazy times was a song by Mandisa. The song is called, “You Wouldn’t Cry (Andrew’s Song)”. The song is a about someone who is already in Heaven. He or she is telling that it is going to be okay. Jesus has them and you. Sometimes we get stuck in wanting to know why. I can’t answer that question. All I know is if I died I am going to Heaven. I know it’s hard when you lose someone you love. But we have to have hope that one day we will see them again someday. I know it hurts when someone leaves us on this earth. But if they knew Jesus and you do then you will see them again.

Listen to Mandisa’s “You Wouldn’t Cry (Andrew’s Song)”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFOdA52sjFA

Some of the lyrics are listed below:

“All you saw was pain All you saw was rain But you should see me now Moments filled with tears Lasted all those years disappeared somehow You never said goodbye On your knees you cry You’re still asking why, but Blue has never been bluer True has never been truer Honey never tasted so sweet There’s a song in the breeze A million voices in praise A rose has never smelled redder The sun has never been brighter If I could find the right words to say If you could look at my face If you could just see this place You wouldn’t cry for me today.”

If you like to see Andrew’s Story, check out the link below: Mandisa shares the message behind the song.

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=980a2cb94bf283772d30

Day 6 – Wednesday, May 26

I went a grand total of 3.00 miles today. I smoked a total of 206 calories. 6347 steps were taken by me today.

Day 7 – Thursday, May 27

All I have today is a song to share.

Here is some of the lyrics of “You're Gonna Be” By Reba McEntire.

You're gonna fly with every dream you chase You're gonna cry, but know that that's okay Sometimes life's not fair, but if you hang in there You're gonna see that sometimes bad is good We just have to believe things work out like they should Life has no guarantees, but always loved by me You're gonna be

Here is the video for “You’re Gonna Be”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kLs4VdfFlQ

“‘Cause anything worth doing is worth doing all the way Just know you'll have to live with all the choices that you make So make sure you're always givin' way more than you're takin'”

So let’s listen to these lyrics! That is the truth.

You can be whoever you choose to be. You can choose to love or choose to hate. It’s all a decision.

Check out:

http://sites.google.com/site/theofficialandrewsmith/week6

How We Could Be

I am sure we all remember this in the news. Jessica Simpson is being called fat which she is absolutely not. No wonder girls think they are overweight and some of them are becoming Bulimic or Anorexic. Some are even doing things worst then that. We need to be focus on being the person God created us to be. I do believe we all need to work out and try to be as healthy as we can be. But we shouldn't beat ourselves up over it.

Here is a picture of the outfit she wore at a concert.
http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20090126/293.simpson.jessica.012609.jpgSo you may not like the outfit but that's okay. We all have different tastes and styles on how we dress. God didn't make us all have the same features and attributes. We would all be boring and very much the same. We all have different names which is a good thing. We wouldn't want to all be called one name.
I love how Point Of Grace Recorded a song about this entitled "On God's Green Earth".
The lyrics goes something like this "On God's green earth...if every color was the same And every child had just one name There'd be no beauty for each of us to claim". We were all created to have special talents that no one else has. We need to use those gifts and not waste them.

I know it's so easy to listen to other people criticize us. But we can't live and let them win. We have to continue to be positive about ourselves. We need to stop being negative and saying poor poor me. I am not saying we should criticize them and tear them down. That will help no one. But we need to encourage our friends and enemies.
"God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it". 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (The Message Bible)
"Would you mind if I said something to you? Under the circumstances it's hard to keep quiet. You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit. Your words have put stumbling people on their feet, put fresh hope in people about to collapse". Job 4:1-6 (The Message Bible)


Hollywood will try to tell us to look thin and act a certain way to fit in. "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you". Romans 12:1-2 (The Message Bible)
"If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face." Romans 12:6-8 (The Message Bible)

You don't need to get stuck into peer pressure and have that first drink or first smoke or first "hook up" whatever you want to call it these days. I am not judging you if you do that type of things. But for me I choose to try and do my best and stay strong and reject them.

Will I make a mistake? Yes, I will. I am by far from perfect. But God will forgive you when you make a mistake. All you have to do is ask for forgiveness. Natalie Grant also recorded a great song about "Perfect People." "There's no such thing as perfect people There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred Lift up your heart and be amazed And be changed by a perfect God." Natalie Grant has suffered from Bulimia. But she chose to overcome it. Now she sings songs that will hopefully change people lives and touch them in some way.

We also have another Christian artist Mandisa. She was on American Idol. Now she is trying to teach girls to be happy and focus on their True Beauty. She recorded a song called "True Beauty” Some of the lyrics are "What's inside of you What's inside of me The hands that made the moon and stars The mountains and the seas Made you wonderful, beautiful, marvelously Let the whole world see your True beauty" This is another verse of the song "Doesn't come in a bottle, doesn't come in a box You can't spray it on, you can't wash it off You can't nip and tuck, you can't sew it up So don't waste your time It's the love in your heart, the peace in your soul The hope in your smile lets the whole world know This little light - you gotta let it shine." That song is the truth. We have to let people see what's inside of us. You have to let your light shine.
"The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." Psalm 45:11 (New International Version)
"Your domain was on the high seas; your builders brought your beauty to perfection." Ezekiel 27:4 (New International Version)

We need to love people and help people out whenever we can. We have to live and make our Dreams happen. When people hurt us we have to forgive and forget. I say a quote from God Daily Promises. "I can forgive, but I cannot forget," is only another way of saying, "I will not forgive." HENRY WARD BEECHER. That quote is so true. I have struggled with this. I have not let stuff go but I have been slowing starting to let stuff go. It doesn't do you any good to hold on to past mistakes and hurt. Joel Osteen has written two books telling you how to live a Better Live. One is called "You Best Life Now" and the other one is called "Become a Better You". He has helped me to finally realize that I have to let things go. I think everyone should pick of a copy of both of those books and read them.
“Come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”
1 Kings 19:3-4 NLT
“Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him. “
Luke 17:4 NLT
Another quote from God Daily Promises is "It is far better to forgive and forget than to hate and remember." AUTHOR UNKNOWN. That one is also very true.
Amy Grant recorded this song called "Simple Things".
"Cuz I dream of simple things I can believe in Like the feeling this day brings True love and the miracle of forgiving I believe in simple things"

Natalie Grant even recorded a song called "Let Go" and that's what everyone needs to do.
"But I'm ready to let go Looking forward to don't know Forget about yesterday, get away And live in the right now Yeah, I'm ready to let go And I'm ready follow Anywhere the road bends Where it ends I don't know So let go. Oh, we live in the future We got our regrets Cause we don't live in The present tense
(It's) hectic in my mind (Gonna) leave it behind. Don't wanna over think it Don't worry so much Gonna live this life And not lose touch I'm gonna let go."


"Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good." Romans 12:9-21 (The Message Bible)

I lost an aunt a few months ago. She died from cancer. She was in her 40's. I get another day if it's God's will. It was her time to go. But I got another day.
Mrs. Natalie Grant recorded this awesome song that really moved me. It is called "Another Day". The lyrics are "Another day Another chance to love the ones I love To find my way To laugh, to dance Watch the sun come up Another day I get to live As if Every breath could be the last I take I get another day. To make somebody smile Go the extra mile Take a wrong and make it right And try to touch somebody's life."
We don't know when we will die so we have to live when we get another day. I first heard this song the day after she died and went to be with the lord. Coincidence no. I believe God wanted me to hear this song then. I have had that CD with that song on it for a while. Nothing happens for a reason. God makes it happen when it's suppose to happen.


So are you going to let go? Are you going to forgive people who hurt you before it's too late? Are you going to love people and try to make a difference? Are you going to make your dreams come true? Are you going to be positive?

I hope you will. In fact I know you will! May you live and your dreams come true!

Andrew