Written by Kay Warren
Published at Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group
About the book
Everyone knows how to be joyful in the peaks of life.
I've graduated!
I'm engaged!
I've been hired!
I'm having a baby!
I'm cancer-free!
When all your fondest hopes and wildest dreams come true, and your heart nearly explodes with happiness, it's easy to feel joyful.
But what about the valleys? When nothing seems to go your way? When everything is falling apart? When God is silent, and you feel all alone?
Where does joy fit into those moments?
In Choose Joy, acclaimed author and Christian leader Kay Warren shares the path to experiencing soul-satisfying joy no matter what you're going through. Joy is deeper than happiness, lasts longer than excitement, and is more satisfying than pleasure and thrills. Joy is richer. Fuller. And it's far more accessible than you've thought.
Joy comes from God . . . and it can be yours! Today.
Who is Kay Warren?
Kay Warren cofounded Saddleback Church with her husband Rick Warren in Lake Forest, California. She is a passionate Bible teacher and respected advocate for those infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as orphaned and vulnerable children. She founded Saddleback's HIV/AIDS Initiative. Kay is the author of Say Yes to God and coauthor of Foundations, the popular systematic theology course used by churches worldwide. She has three children and five grandchildren.
Learn more at www.kaywarren.com and follow her on Facebook (Kay Warren) and Twitter (@KayWarren1).
My Thoughts
When I was offered to review this book, I debated it for a while. The title was interesting but I wasn’t sure I had the time or energy to read it. As I ponder I re-read the description of the book and decided to go for it simply because I knew that I could use a little bit more joy in my life. I wanted to know what the author had to say about it. While in the midst of reading this book, my pastor also spoke about joy in the midst of trials one Sunday in April. The theme was recurrent in my life. I knew I had to pursue my reading…
I will admit that I am not completely finished with the book because I read it one chapter as a time and ponder on what I have read. I realize that there is much improvement in my life for joy – the kind of joy that will be there no matter what happens to you. Oh! Don’t take me wrong, I have made great process in trusting God with every aspects in my life since 1997 – the year I became a Christian. But I also know that I worry too much and that my emotions will take over every once in a while. I really enjoyed reading her thoughts on what meditate means:
The word meditate means to contemplate, ponder, think, consider, reflect, or ruminate. Just in case you’ve forgotten, rumination is what cows do. They chew cud, swallow it, burp it back up, and do it all again. Cows go through this process three times! They do this to extract the maximum benefits from their cud for proper digestion and nutrition.
How often have I really meditate the way cows do it… by ruminating on God’s word? It gave me a new perspective to ponder and reflect on Scriptures at least three times before moving on. Doing so will give me a better understand on God, on what He is doing in my life and on trusting Him more every day. Joy will become a permanent aspect of my life whether I am in a storm or not.
The book is divided in four parts which provide more ah-ah moments on the theme of JOY.
- Joy is my inheritance – Embracing the permission to be joyful
- Joy is a conviction of my mind – Discovering a new way of thinking
- Joy is a condition of my heart – Cultivating a soul-response that allows joy to deepen
- Joy is a choice of my behavior – Ways to choose joy daily
Each chapter of the book concludes with a prayer that you can say out-loud or in your soul as well as questions for reflection and application.
This book is definitively a perfect book for a home group or personal study on the theme of JOY. I would like to recommend it to everyone who are seeking more joy in their life.
Choose Joy is available at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, even amazon.ca.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.
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