Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day | 
 enlarge | Author: Joel Osteen
Publisher: Free Press
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy Used: $3.55
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Rating:  181 reviews
Sales Rank: 1374
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 379
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4
ISBN: 0743296885
Dewey Decimal Number: 248.4
EAN: 9780743296885
Publication Date: October 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Some shelf wear (scratches) to dust cover. Soiling & dents to edges of pgs. HEAVY underlining & bunny-earred pgs THROUGHOUT. A few markings. Last pg has slight tear. No highlighting/writing. Binding in good condition.
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Book Description
Joel Osteen reaches one of the largest audiences in the U.S. and across the globe--more than 42,000 people attend his church every week, and millions more tune in by television to hear his words of inspiration and wisdom. His first book, Your Best Life Now, has sold over 4 million copies and is available worldwide in 17 languages. His message of hope is helping people find a closer connection with God by learning to apply the principles of Scripture to their everyday lives. In this new book, Become a Better You, Joel Osteen offers seven simple yet profound action steps that will help readers discover the better things they were born for... their individual purpose and destiny. As charming and passionate on the page as he is in person, Osteen incorporates key biblical principles, devotions, and personal testimonies that will uplift and enlighten readers. He speaks directly to the hearts and concerns of people from every walk of life. People love Joel Osteen--they love to be in his presence, to hear him speak, and to read what he's written--they just can't get enough of him. Become a Better You will encourage and inspire readers to reach their full, unique and God given potential.
A Word from Joel Osteen
Dear Amazon Customer, I am very excited to be working with Amazon.com as an online bookseller and partner for the publication of my new book, Become a Better You. As a leader in e-commerce, Amazon.com is an informative and innovative online resource. Get ready to embark on a remarkable journey. One that will help you break free from the past and realize your full potential as a spouse, parent, or friend. Whether you realize it or not, miracles are happening all around you. I'm confident that reading this book will lead you to accept the gift of who you were meant to be and live a life filled with more hope, joy, and victory. Believing for God's Best, Joel Osteen
An Interview with Joel Osteen
 Q: Do you have a hero?
A: Of course, my greatest hero is Jesus Christ. He should be everyone's greatest hero. However, among men, I have two real heroes. My father, John Osteen, was not only the best father anyone could ever have, but was my best friend as well. He was a man of great integrity, and he taught me how important it was to incorporate Jesus Christ into every part of my life. Another of my heroes is Billy Graham who throughout the years has remained true to that which God called him to do and has done so with the utmost dedication, humility, and integrity.
Q: In today's conflicted world, how do you encourage people to maintain their faith?
A: As believers we should be assured that Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us. We should adopt a mindset that God wants to be involved in our everyday lives, through good times and difficult times. We should communicate with God throughout our day (to pray without ceasing), not just when we are in crisis. He cares about our lives even in the small things. There is no part of our lives that are insignificant to Him.
Q: What did working behind the scenes at Lakewood during your father's ministry inform how you preach today?
A: Really it all started for me when I was born. Our family never missed church; Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, week in and week out. However, for 17 years I did produce and edit my father s sermons for television. I often joke that I attended one year of college and 17 years of seminary. For those 17 years, I would have to study my father's weekly sermons and then cut them down to a 28-minute TV program while maintaining the message. I guess I've listened to at least 1,500 of my father s messages.
Q: Your ministry reaches millions each week through television and the Internet. How has technology changed how people worship today?
A: Through telecommunications technology, especially the web, more Christian programming is available than ever before. Not only do people have more choices in Christian programming, but they can get as much as they want whenever they want it. I think that our use of technology results in people spending more of their time thinking about the things of God. However, I don't see technology replacing worship in the traditional sense--that is worshipping with other believers in a church. Everyone should belong to a good Bible-based church.
Q: In our busy lives, what is your advice for how we can slow things down and find peaceful moments?
A: Personally, I take time each morning to spend with God. I have a quiet place in my home or I find a quiet place if I am traveling where I pray and seek guidance from God. I think that is the best way for anyone to start their day; it really sets the tone for each day.
Q: As a father, what advice would you share with parents struggling with our fast-paced culture?
A: Victoria and I decided a long time ago that our family takes priority over most everything else. I tell people all the time that their families should be their first mission field. Today, it takes a great deal of our time and energy to make a living. We need to make sure our families don't get the short end of the stick and we need to make time for them. And, I am talking about "quality time"; no cell phones, no business calls, no outside distractions, just family.
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Product Description
NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE, YOU CAN BE BETTER! Is this as good as it gets? Or can you enjoy more of what life has to offer? Not only can you live happily every day, bestselling author Joel Osteen suggests you must discover the potential within yourself and learn how to use it to live better, and to help others better themselves as well. God didn't create you to be average. You were created to excel! You have everything you need to fulfill your God-given destiny, and there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you discover how to be a better you! Become a Better You will guide you in the process of uncovering your hidden resources. Addressing such topics as building your confidence, developing better relationships, finding peace within, and staying passionate about life. Joel Osteen will encourage you to reach your unique God-given potential, and will help you to enjoy every day of your life, despite your circumstances. As you incorporate Joel's easy-to-grasp principles into your life, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much more God has in store for you, and how quickly you become a better you! "God is preparing you for greater things. He's going to take you further than you thought possible, so don't be surprised when He asks you to think better of yourself and to act accordingly."
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| Customer Reviews: Read 176 more reviews...
 Fulfill Your Destiny November 8, 2007
Rebecca Johnson (Washington State)
78 out of 99 found this review helpful
"You have something to offer that nobody else has." ~ Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen presents a message of hope. Through his experience as a pastor he has encountered problems people have struggled with since the beginning of time. No matter what situation you find yourself in, Joel Osteen has a spiritual solution. He draws on biblical references and his own inner wisdom and life experiences.
One of the major points in "Becoming a Better You," is the issue of how to change defeating messages into life-changing affirmations. Instead of focusing on weaknesses and faults, you learn to speak to yourself in more positive ways.
"Becoming a better you is all in how you choose to view life." ~ Joel Osteen
The section on overcoming hereditary problems with a positive mindset is enlightening and very helpful. Some very convincing stories show how humans have the ability to overcome illness just by thinking differently about the problem.
Joel Osteen encourages you to stop dwelling on negative thoughts so you can reach your full potential. In order to fulfill your destiny you have to leave your past mistakes behind you as you reach into the future by following spiritual wisdom.
Some of the areas covered in this book include: divorce, parenting, marriage, addictions, relationships, illness, lifestyle choices, goals, happiness, habits, handling criticism, peace, dreams, kindness, success, God's love, blessings, career choices, health, aging, forgiveness of sin, compassion, challenges, miracles and self-improvement through a deeper relationship with God. Each section ends with "Action Points."
"Today I will reach for something beyond where I am presently. I will actively pursue new goals, keeping them out in front of me, and expecting to meet them." ~ pg. 376, Action Point 3
The most powerful idea in this book is about how you can change your life through remembering that you are a child of Almighty God. With God's help you can overcome your problems and live the life you have imagined.
~The Rebecca Review
Advanced Lessons about Sancification for Christian Believers October 24, 2007
Donald Mitchell (Boston)
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
One of the great pleasures of this book for me was to re-read many of my favorite sermons by Pastor Joel Osteen. No matter how many times I've listened to a sermon that's included here, the Holy Spirit helped me to draw new meaning from reading it in Become a Better You.
Another great benefit was to see the structure that Pastor Osteen used to organize these sermons relative to one another. Just by seeing that structure and thinking about it after finishing the book, I better understood the process of sanctification (the way that Christian believers go about becoming more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit).
People who don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior often think that Christianity is simply about accepting or rejecting Jesus. That's the first step, the step of salvation from our sins. But our relationship with Jesus builds from there through sanctification.
Those who aren't Christians often don't know what large impacts becoming saved and sanctified have. This book is eloquent testimony of how much Christianity does for you here on Earth, long before you die.
Through the many stories (many of them based on his own experiences and those of his family) in the sermons, Pastor Osteen does a marvelous job of showing that transforming experience and potential for even more improvements.
The 31 sermons are organized around seven steps which I have paraphrased as follows:
1. Seek continual improvement and larger challenges.
2. Use your faith to have a positive view of yourself.
3. Improve your relationships with others.
4. Eliminate bad habits and form better ones.
5. Accept your situation.
6. Listen more carefully to and act on God's directions.
7. Embrace life with Godly passion.
Each step concludes with a few action points that allow you to refocus and redirect your life. These are good habits.
The book concludes with a call to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Some would argue that this book is only for Christians. But if you are not a Christian and wonder what the Christian life is like, I think you'll find this book to be interesting and valuable as well.
I was struck that some people think this is a self-help book that should be filled with novel ideas. Pastor Joel Osteen is drawing on the timeless words of the Bible. I'm glad he didn't vary from what God has directed for us.
May God bless you!
Gentle Faith October 23, 2007
P. Smith (Brooklyn, NY United States)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I happened upon Joel Osteen on TV when I was going through a difficult period in my life. Even though he is from a religious tradition different from my own, I found watching him gave me a lift. His gentle take on Christianity exudes faith and hope. He doesn't claim to be a biblical scholar. My personal impression having watched his broadcasts is that his is someone of deep, simple faith, who thinka about God and talks to God as he goes about his day, and wants to share the sense of peace that he has found. His sunny personality is very attractive to people and he seems to have succeeded on TV beyond his wildest dreams. Good for him! His church is diverse in makeup. There is no religious bigotry in his message. This book which I did read brings together a number of his TV sermons almost word for word. It counsels kindness, optimism, and finding joy in life. I didn't find an emphasis on making money per se, just on pursuing happiness in a decent way. If you follow his advice it won't do you any harm and may do you considerable good.
Joel Rocks Again! May 7, 2008
W. Truelove (Baltimore, Maryland)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Joel Osteen has been an inspiration to me since his first book. "Become A Better you" made me relize that I have more to give then what I thought. For a long time I would feel that I was not going to amount to no more than what I was currently. That is until I read his book.
I have had a bad marriage and a few dead end jobs. Joel showed me that it was ok to fall down. But I could get up, shake the dust off, and become much better person then I was with God. To get the full effect of the book, it does take seven weeks. Reading a chapter a week. Each chapter is brokendown into seven sub-chapters. I do strongly recommend the journal as wel.
Try Joel's advice for thirty days then do a review October 26, 2007
Frank M. Kendralla Jr. (Beaver FAlls, Pa United States)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book if read in its entirety and put into place for thirty days will change your life. My suggestion is to try what Joel states for thirty days and see if this will change your marriage, your family, your attitude toward your work, your outlook on life and most important, your outlook toward God.
If you put into place his suggestions for thirty days and find it does not change your life (and your outlook on life) then go back to what you were doing and write a book on how you can be a better person by following your methods. Write how you can improve your relationship with your spouse, your "kids", your employees, employer, your co-workers, etc. following what you have learned from your study of the Bible and life experience. Write how you can have a positive impact on those around you and society in general following your methods.
Joel is not stating he is a theologian nor is he passing this book off as a theology book (which I have read many while earning my Doctorate in Theology).
I read both of his books and they are excellent. However, IMHO this will have more impact on those that read it and put it into practice in their lives.
Listen for the shout!
1Thes 4:16-18
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