Choose Joy
Because Happiness is Not Enough
by Kay Warren
Synopsis: Between tough economic times and everyday “life” struggles sometimes it may feel as if things are hopeless. Happiness doesn’t just seem fleeting, it often seems unattainable.
Kay Warren is no stranger to sorrow and difficulties. Though she lives in the public life as the co-founder of Saddleback Church – one of the nation’s largest and most influential churches in America – with her husband Rick, the circumstances in Kay’s life have not always been perfect. She has personally experienced emotional and physical abuse, two bouts with cancer and various other hardships along with witnessing women and children worldwide who are hurting from HIV/AIDS, hunger and poverty.
While very difficult, these circumstances have taught Kay valuable lessons about the true meaning of joy. Realizing that many other women struggle with living in joy – if they even know what it is – Kay decided the lessons she has learned needed to be shared.
In “Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough,” Kay draws from biblical principles and her own life experience to illustrate what joy really is, where to find it, and how to choose it in the good times and the bad.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
The very first page of “Choose Joy” caught my attention because the author and I seem to have a lot in common. First of all, like Kay Warren, I don’t always have it all together. And even though my name is Joy, the joy Kay is talking about doesn’t always come easily to me, and one reason is, I’ve struggled with depression as well for a long time. Therefore this book captured my interest and kept it until the last page, because I really wanted to see just what Kay Warren has to say about this ‘Joy’ she is talking about.
A few of the statements Kay made that jumped out at me are:
Joy is a choice.
The foundational truth that each of us needs to remember is that ‘God is the Only True Source of Joy.’
Joy is the gift of the Holy Spirit intended for all personalities at all times.
Because God’s will is good, we can embrace joy rather than fear. When we truly believe God’s will is good, we have no reason to fear.
The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy.
And these are just a few things I wrote down while reading this book. As I read through “Choose Joy,” I was reminded that God’s desire for us is to have the full joy in our lives as we live for Him. Kay Warren gives us an outline in her book that is easy to read and follow, and will help us have joy in every area of our lives. It is not always easy, but it can happen if we truly trust the Lord. And that is what this book does for me, it shows me how I can truly trust God in all areas of my life, finding joy in Him.
I appreciate Kay Warren admitting to her readers that always finding Joy is difficult for her, because that made this book more real to me because she knows what she is talking about because of her experience. I tend to find a book more believable when the author talks about his or her own experiences, and that is true of “Choose Joy.” As I read the book, I could feel the love and encouragement Kay has for her readers.
I encourage all ladies to read this book, even if you think you don’t need it. And it wouldn’t hurt men at all to read it as well! And this would make a wonderful Bible Study for small groups and Sunday school classes as well as devotions. I highly recommend “Choose Joy” to anyone!
“Available April 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
I received this book from the publisher Revell to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55
About Kay Warren
Author: Kay Warren, author, speaker and international HIV/AIDS advocate. Kay and her husband, Rick, began Saddleback Church, now one of the largest churches in America, in the living room of their condominium in 1980. Since then, she has founded the HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church in 2004 and spoken around the world as an advocate for the weak and vulnerable. She chronicles this in her first book “Dangerous Surrender,” originally released in 2007 and revised, expanded and published as “Say Yes to God” in 2010. A two-time cancer survivor, Kay knows firsthand how a life-threatening diagnosis alters one’s daily life. Her own bouts with suffering have motivated her to serve those who are sick. She is passionate about using her personal experiences to encourage others, which is why she wrote “Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough,” which releases in April 2012.
Publisher: Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group
Release Date: April 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2172-5
MSRP: $21.99 U.S.
Pages: 272
Size: 6” X 9”
Website: http://www.KayWarren.com or http://bit.ly/yj3waz
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/KayWarren
Twitter: @KayWarren1
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