After purchasing Joel Olsteen's new book, It's Your Time, back in December 2009 I'm finally at a point mentally where I'm motivated to start reading it. Not to say that I don't like reading because I love to read, in fact I spend most of my waking day tied to a computer and reading. This type of motivational reading comes when my Spirit needs a "boost". When I start to feel overwhelmed from my life struggles and see myself loosing site of my goals I need messages and instructions interpreted in a way that speaks positive enery back into my Spirit. These messages re-enforce what I already know and believe in my heart to be true which is that I'm destined for greater things. It sounds odd now that I'm writing it but it's something I've believed in every since stepping out of faith and joining the Army years ago.

I'm at a point to where I'm about to turn 40 in a couple of weeks, I'm still single and struggling to maintain "simple healthy" personal relationships, I haven't had steady work in a while, my financial accomplishments are pretty much non-existent, and I'm becoming more and more isolated from the people I love. It seems that in my attempts to maintain an upright and progressive journey, I've regressed and become dis-engaged to the point that I've take this reckless approach to shielding myself from things and people that have negative affects on my spirit. What's crazy is how I'm constantly convincing myself of how much I love life, how much I love to give of myself, how much I like to talk, and that the reason I'm always trying to get others to join me for rides or runs is my way of helping to empower and network. I'm guessing that after spending so much time talking to people who really don't relate or care to hear what it is I'm talking about its starting to take it's toll forcing me to stay within myself where it's safe. Thank God for blogging and providing me with the ability to create platforms upon which I'm able to freely engage myself and share my mind, even if it's only from a virtual perspective.

back to the book!

So I open the book to chapter one (1) and there staring at me are words to sooth my troubled heart, You're Closer Than You Think! I love it, so I jump right into his initial story about a climb up Beaver Creek Mountain located in Denver Colorado. He's basically describing the challenge he's facing to make it up this steep mountain. There are moments of doubts that creep into his spirit that makes him want to abandon his effort. Although he continues on he finds it harder with each step to stay motivated to continue the climb. His mindset changes once he encounters a gentleman walking down the mountain who says to him, "You're closer than you think". These few words, he states rejuvenatated his spirit and propelled him to continue the climb. Turns out he was only ten (10) minutes from reaching the top of the mountain and had he turned around he'd never have known that. A true lesson of how it only takes a few words to inspire one's spirit.

So as I'm reading through the rest of the chapter I marvel at how easy it is for me to relate to his stories and how they translate into some of my own struggles. It was the same in his first book I read, "Become a Better You". I think he, Joel Olsteen, has a true gift when it comes to delivering the word of prosperity. His style and demeanor speaks to the spirit and offers a sense of comfort and support needed when there's no one in the physical to provide it. So I applaud him for that and encourage anyone reading this post to get his book. It could truly be your time.

There's another story in this chapter of a wife who renews her passion to start a business after praying about her situation where she was working two jobs to support her family after her husband was laid off. In the book she states that after praying "His response came to her "like a breath". "I gave you a gift. Go plant gardens. Do your hearts work." So she started her business and became successful in it. I can dig this as it shows that she never let go of the desire she had to become a successful business owner. In her mind she remained convinced that she could be successful in her line of work. It was at her lowest point that she finally found the time to speak on it and have it confirmed. The one thing I truly believe about Faith is that if something is placed on your heart and you nurture it, you will receive its reward. You just have to stay committed to nurturing that dream and staying true to it at all cost. Joel makes a similar reference in this chapter by stating "Rewards await if you stay steadfast in your faith."

So after reading a while it begins to dawn on me why I'm suddenly so motivated to start reading this book. It seems that my spirit has become weakened and needs "speaking to". Weak in that I've lost sight of some of my main goals in life which are all centered on becoming a new creature as defined in 2nd Corinthians 5:17:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I have to let go of a lot "old things" that have been stock piling these few years and are starting to weaken my spirit. I figure somewhere along the lines I got so used to people blowing me off and taking advantage of my kindness that I started to accept it as normal. Things I had a hand in starting would change without me knowing about it and those I considered close would be anything but. I guess I convinced myself that I was doing what was put on my heart, which hopefully was for the greater good.

Turning 40 and being in my current position makes me realize that I have so much to do before leaving this life and that I really don't have time to sit and wonder how others perceive me or my efforts. In this chapter he mentions Psalms 30:5 "weeping may endure for a night, but I know joy is coming in the morning". The timing of me reading this is so amazing that I'm compelled to write on it. It's as if I'm being instructed to write a report on this chapter and share it with someone, who happens to be a virtual audience. My goal as I prepare for my New Year this February will be to utilize this book as one of tools for purging my spirit of these ailments. I vow to share in my reflections and interpretations of each chapter in hopes of nursing and rejuvenating my mind and body to prepare for the next leg of my journey. So stay tuned.

Tags: 30:5, 9:12, book, It's Your Time, joel, olsteen, reviewPsalms, zachariah

This entry was posted by marvC on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 5:21 PM and is filed under Blog, Book Review, It's Your Time, Joel Olsteen, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.