The Exceptional Life, The: 8 Powerful Steps to Experiencing God's Best for You by Stephen Arterburn

I've listened to New Life Live, a nationally syndicated radio and TV show, for years and know that Steven Arterburn, founder of New Life, an author, speaker, and one of the longtime hosts, has a knack for taking what could be very complicated problems and providing steps to simple solutions. The fly in the ointment is that many people do not want to give up anything to gain something better – a "new" life. 

In The Exceptional Life, The: 8 Powerful Steps to Experiencing God's Best for You, Arterburn boils down what he sees as the major problems in life to eight categories. Each chapter identifies the origins and features of a negative quality, trait, or behavior and how it impacts a person's life. Then Steven gives Bible-based advice on how to give up the negative for the positive.

Steve uses stories, both funny and sad, but always relevant, to illuminate his points. Although I enjoyed each one, sometimes I did find myself struggling to get back on track. It tickled me though, because after listening to Steve talk on the radio for several years now, I could almost hear him telling the stories. If you're not used to his conversational style of writing, though, it might not seem as endearing. I believe if you stick with him, you will find he does make his point.



Overall, this book is a thoughtful, insightful, and useful tool to help you get started on that journey to become free of negative behaviors and traits that prevent you from having a better, more positive, yes - exceptional life. As a follow up to this book, consider "Healing Is a Choice" also by Arterburn which will help you take further steps to experience God's best for you.

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers for an honest review.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

Deeanne Gist's romance writing combined with J. Mark Bertrand's suspense writing come together to weave an enjoyable story. The mystery was relatively easily solved, but the tale kept my attention because of the likeability of the main characters in the story. You'll find yourself rooting for the best for Rylee and hoping she'll learn how to let go and let love find her and for the reporter who is researching the case as he looks for clues and finds himself beguiled by the main suspect. The rich atmosphere of historic Charleston lends extra charm to Beguiled. Very entertaining.

Product Details:
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Bethany House; Original edition (February 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764206281
ISBN-13: 978-0764206283

Regret-Free Living by Stephen Arterburn with John Shore

In Chapter 2 of Regret-Free Living, Mr. Arterburn quotes poet May Angelou who once wrote, "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." In the book, Steve urges the reader to step back into the past to analyze past mistakes and learn from personal history how not to repeat the errors and missteps.

What has caused your regret? What was your part in the situation? Do you need to grant forgiveness in order to move on? With a voice of experience and his relatable style, Steve is fantastic at thinking up humorous hypothetical situations and sharing very real situations, some positive, many painful, from his own life to show the reader how to avoid living a life of regret, and is careful to give scriptural foundation for his advice.

My advice? Make yourself a big, squishy peanut butter and jelly sandwich (you'll know why when you read the book) and get ready to examine your past and make plans to live regret-free in the future.

Highly recommended!

Product Details:
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764204246
ISBN-13: 978-0764204241
 
New Life Ministries
New Life Live Radio 

* Reviewed as a Bethany House Reviewer