How to Reach Your Full Potential for God - book review

Book Description
In How to Reach Your Full Potential for God, acclaimed pastor and speaker Charles Stanley connects readers with the plan and purpose God envisioned when He created them.

"Things are never going to change" or "This is just the way I am--I'm never going to get better" are just a few of the damaging lies Christians believe about themselves, their situations, and their walk. But Dr. Stanley shares the real truth as God sees it.

In this powerful and inspiring message, readers reconnect with the grand vision God had when He uniquely created them. They learn that regardless of setbacks, failures, and frustrations, there is a better path based in His Word, one that's full of freedom and purpose. This book takes them to their specifically designed path to become exactly who the Father made them to be and achieve exactly what He designed them for.

My thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this very informative book by Charles Stanley. No matter how long a person has been following Christ, there are always areas that we can improve in. People question all the time what purpose they have in life or they don't understand why they are not hearing from God on certain areas. Charles Stanley gives great pointers by outlining seven essentials to living the life God desires for us. Among these essentials is: having a clean heart (this chapter is a real eye opener for those that "thought" they were clean), a clear mind (what are you thinking about? It is not always about what you do but how you think.), using your gifts, a healthy body (your body is a temple of God so why would we not take better care of it?), right relationships (Is there someone in your life that you need to break ties with?), a balanced schedule, and taking God-approved risks. He outlines just how we can improve in all of these areas of our lives. Anyone that reads this book with an open heart and an open mind, can and will learn something.

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Disclaimer: I received this book free for review purposes only. The thoughts in this review are mine and I was not compensated in any way.

The Girls from Ames - Book Review

WOW...I have just finished reading the book The Girls from Ames and all I can say is WOW. When I agreed to review this book I had no clue that I would learn so much from a group of girls that I have never met, that grew up in a place that I have never heard of. This book has been a true inspiration to me and I recommend it to everyone!!

From the back of the book: Karla, Kelly, Marilyn, Jane, Jenny, Karen, Cathy, Angela, Sally, Diana, Sheila. Meet the Ames girls , eleven childhood friends who formed a special bond growing up in Ames, Iowa. AS young women, they moved to eight different states, yet they managed to maintain an enduring friendship that would carry them through college and careers, marriage and motherhood, dating and divorce, a child's illness, and the mysterious death of one member of their group. Now in their forties, the girls have a lifetime of memories in common, some evocative of their generation and some that will resonate with any woman who has ever had a friend. Capturing their remarkable story, The Girls from Ames is a testament to the deep bonds of women as they experience life's joys and challenges-and the power of friendship to triumph over the heartbreak and unexpected tragedy.

My thoughts: This book is a true testament of how friendships should be. As I read this book and learned about the girls, I found myself being really caught up into their lives. I laughed with them, I cried with them, and I sometimes ven felt like I was sharing with them, in a sense. I found at different points in the book that I could identify with each of the girls with different situations. Like Karla, I must have my coffee in the morning and I want my sleep or I am grumpy. And like Marilyn, I take a "be-a-nice-mommy-instead-of-a-screaming-bitch-pill".
I have always thought that I did not need many friends. I had one really close friend in school and she was the only person I trusted and felt like I needed in my life. Well, she was killed in a car wreck 7 years ago and I was left with no one to fall onto. There was no other friends to offer a shoulder or an encouraging word. Reading this story of the Ames girl, I realize that having more friends is very important. No matter what, we all need someone that we can count on, especially us women! I also learned through reading this book that I need to stay in better contact with my friend's parents. I did for a while but that has kind of become non-existent. I intend on calling them and checking in on them.
I hope that it is not too late for me to find some good friends that I can hold on to! If Kelly can find the man she has been looking for, then surely I can make friends!!
After reading the book I went to the website Girls from Ames and I was super happy to hear that they were in the process of making a movie!! I thought as I was reading that this would make a great Lifetime movie!
Get your copy today of The Girls from Ames from Amazon.

Two Cups of Coffee

I received this in an email once a long time ago and thought it was really awesome. I have been thinking about it lately and I finally found it so I wanted to share it. Tell me what you think......
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked." The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."