BOOK REVIEW - GIVEAWAY

In my last post on this blog I told you I had started reading Joyce Meyer's new book called eat the cookie ... buy the shoes. (I didn't capitalize the title because as you can see it is not capitalized on the book cover.)

Joyce Meyer, a #1 New York Times best selling author, has written over 80 inspirational books and two novels plus thousands of audio and video teachings. I have heard her teach on TV but have not had the privilege of hearing her in person. I did not realize she had written so many books, but when I learned that this book was available for review, and being a cookie and shoe person myself, I jumped at the chance. I also liked the shoe connection because my daughter had seen her in a shoe store a few years ago looking for a pair of brown shoes. I mentioned it in my last post.

After finishing this delightful book, I was tempted to eat a cookie to reward myself, but alas, there were no cookies in the house. Perhaps I should go out and buy a pair of shoes. No, what I need to do right now is finish writing this review.

Joyce wants to help readers of her book to experience joy and celebration. She says it took her many years to learn this important concept. She calls it giving your soul a vacation. She states that the entire premise of "eat the cookie ... buy the shoes" is designed to let your soul rest. It is not wrong to let go of life's demands and circumstances for a while and do something you enjoy. She also emphasizes the need to not try to fix all the problems in life by yourself, but to turn them over to God who can do a much better job of it than you can anyway. She also points out that time after time God ordered his people to celebrate. She also states that fun and enjoyment are needed in our lives, and we can't be healthy without them. She says that for too many years she was addicted to guilt and the only time in life she felt right was when she was wrong. I think there are a lot of people who can relate to that. She says we need to lighten up, give our souls a rest and in the long run we will get more accomplished. She gives little nuggets of advice all through the book. Here's one I like. "See how many days you can go without getting into a bad mood or finding something in your life to complain about."

You may be fortunate enough to win a copy of this book. If not, I think it would be a good investment to obtain a copy from a bookstore or from Amazon.

The generous folks at Hachette Book Group are allowing me to host this book giveaway for five (5) copies!

• Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing address please. You do not have to be a blogger to win.

• I must have a way of contacting you, so be sure to leave your email address in your comment.

• Some choose to omit the @ sign and the . dot by writing it in "code" like this: you (at) your email (dot)com.

• I'll close the comments May 27 and pick the five winners. I will contact the winners via email to get their mailing information. The winners will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from them within three days, I will select another winner(s).