The title comes from research that shows people are happiest on Fridays. Pastor Joel Osteen writes how we can generate this level of contentment and joy every day of the week. Known as a man who maintains a constant positive outlook in spite of circumstances, Osteen has described this message as a core theme of his ministry. Combining his personal experiences with scriptural insights and principles for true happiness, he shows readers how every day can hold the same promise and opportunities for pure joy that they experience at five o'clock on Friday.
{"itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":17.46,"ASIN":"0892969911","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":16.29,"ASIN":"1455516783","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":4.95,"ASIN":"0762438878","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"0892969911::9iSlQBPqsLDK6fB4SCRnf8BQUByxlQ9yrYJy8XeSqDwnh7PYkFlBCXKpe5uL9%2Fkmyx117zdiWWe8AJaRls4qWs0W%2BX6DkdVgs6FPJLnnj3b8wogiiNptVw%3D%3D,1455516783::atLjx82HKSC1AtmS7yaUc%2FhRSRI%2BYZwli%2FYALSB3rb58Tyg6utOPjTpX3SpiK6%2Fv4SJ8XbcdqQ00w%2FBYKLy6VRGAINd0xvVkpT0b4hvkIZFML38WZ45lMw%3D%3D,0762438878::z3r26KoL%2FgUnP7jslWNlVoZZk1ZiOCgxI%2BQSmEkfgiafD3szFP%2F8LNcs6dZIjri7LdBi%2FacLqSkzIg%2FAiGvcPbVLlDnzb5Bya%2FD7lMiLcmpu0hqK5VDz1A%3D%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"currenyCode":"USD","shippingDetails":{"xz":"same","yz":"same","xy":"same","xyz":"same"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"addToWishlist":["add to wishlist","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"]}}
Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Listed by several sources as America's largest and fastest-growing congregation, Lakewood Church has approximately 45,000 adult attendees every week. Millions more watch Joel's messages as they are broadcast on national and international television networks. He resides in Houston with his wife, Victoria, and their children. You can visit his website at www.joelosteen.com
Joel Osteen is a native Texan and the Pastor of Lakewood Church, which according to Church Growth Today is America's largest and fastest growing church with over 38,000 attendees. On July 16, 2005 after completing $95 million dollars in renovations, Joel moved Lakewood Church into its new 16,000 seat home -- the former Compaq Center which is now the largest regularly-used worship center in the United States. According to Nielsen Media Research, Joel is the most watched inspirational figure in America. His weekly sermon is broadcast into television markets across the U.S. where it is viewed by seven million Americans each week and more than 20 million each month. His weekly broadcast is also seen in almost 100 nations around the world. In 2004 his first book, Your Best Life Now was released by Time Warner debuting at the top of the New York Times Bestsellers List and quickly rising to #1. It remained on the New York Times Bestseller for more than 2 years and has sold more than 4 million copies. Most recently, Joel was named as one of Barbara Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2006" and he was selected as the "Most Influential Christian in 2006" by the readers of Church Report Magazine. The son of John Osteen -- a highly respected minister of the Gospel and the founder of Lakewood Church -- Joel attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he studied radio and television communications. In 1982, Joel returned to Houston and founded Lakewood's television ministry where he produced John Osteen's televised sermons for 17 years until January 1999 when his father passed away. For many years John Osteen encouraged Joel to preach, but he always declined preferring to work behind the scenes. In early 1999, Joel felt compelled to accept his father's invitation and he preached his first sermon on January 17th of that year. Little did anyone know that would be the last Sunday of John Osteen's life. Two weeks later Joel began preaching and later that year was installed as the new Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church. Almost immediately, weekly attendance began to grow at an extraordinary rate and, in 2005 Joel moved Lakewood Church into its present location, the former Compaq Center, a 16,000 seat arena that was once home to the Houston Rockets professional basketball team. Now, with his wife Victoria and the leadership staff of Lakewood, this innovative church is poised for the new millennium. Joel's extraordinary success can be found in his core message: That our God is a good God who desires to bless those who are obedient and faithful to Him through Jesus Christ. It is Joel's deepest desire that his own life be an example of that principle and that everyone who hears this message of hope and encouragement would choose to accept God's goodness and mercy and to become all that God wants them to be.
I am sure that this book will have a few critics. For one, it's message is pretty much the same as the message in Osteen's previous three books. As always, Osteen preaches that God loves us and wants us to be happy and prosper. We should choose to be happy by living in expectation and not allowing the difficulties and obstacles that we face to prevent us from receiving God's favor. If you have read Osteen's other books and don't want to hear it again then this book is not for you. But personally, I think it's a great message that I can never seem to get enough of.
In this book the idea that happiness is a choice is given a particularly strong emphasis. Osteen explains that Friday is the day of the week on which people are happiest because they are looking forward to the weekend with expectation. Osteen believes that if we accept every day of the week as a gift from God we can live with similar happiness and expectation every single day of the week. This book is divided into seven sections. They cover topics such as: not giving away your power, knowing what to ignore, being a dream releaser in others and celebrating yourself. In all of these chapters, Osteen lays out a generous expansive vision of faith that argues very persuasively that by changing our outlook and helping others we can greater enjoy the fruits of God's blessings. The book is a pleasure to read. It can be easily understood by readers of all ages and levels and yet its message will still appeal to highly educated people.
Many evangelicals complain that Osteen is not truly a Christian. He is quite different from what you hear in many churches. There is a lot less talk about how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and the need for repentance then you would hear in a typical Sunday sermon. Nevertheless, I don't think that his message is truly incompatible with Christianity. He simply chooses to emphasize different parts of the bible (which he almost always uses to support what he is saying). I've never had a problem with this. I also believe that his message is more pure and compassionate than the simple "name it and claim it" theology that he has been accused of.
For me the appeal of Osteen is that regardless of how repetitive he is, how many times he tells the same or similar stories and how skeptical others might be of his motives, reading his books always make me feel a little more optimistic and a little more confident. How many other books can do that? For me, this alone makes the book worthy of a 5 star rating.
In Every Day A Friday, Joel Osteen has seen that most people become happy and joyful on Fridays. But throughout the week we are counting down the days to happiness on Friday. The book is based off a study that has found that happiness increased 10 percent more on Fridays. We tend to be waiting to be happy for the weekend and we are missing out on the rest of the days of the week. We are supposed to enjoy our lives every single day. A significant key we must realize is we don't have to give away our power to the economy, rude bosses or customers, traffic, and any other circumstances that are beyond our control. We must change our perceptive and focus on the positive and not dwell on the negative. A kind encouraging word can break down the wall barriers around our heart. Osteen believes in reaching out to the hurting and loving them into they are whole again! A kind word can heal souls!
The book is divided into seven important parts: -Don't Give Away Your Power -Know What to Ignore -Live Without Crutches -Travel Light -Laugh Often -Be a Dream Releaser -Celebrate Yourself
My favorite stories that changed my life were the story about trying to drive a SUV at the Indianapolis race track. You have to run the race the way God created you to be! The second story that spoke to me was a kid named Joey that was trying to copy everyone else and all he had to be was stop and be himself. I won't post the stories because they are so good you need to read them for yourself. They will help you realize that God loves you just the way you are. He chose you!
One of my favorite quotes is: "Our churches should not be museums to display perfect people. They should be hospitals to help the hurting and the lonely" (186).
I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults who aren't enjoying every day that God has blessed them with. Each day is a brand new day and has a gift just wanting to be treasured and enjoyed from our Creator. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is lacking Faith in tough times and is failing in the battlefield for their minds. Joel Osteen has shown me that I have to have Faith and speak out positive words to encourage me when no one else is around to. I must speak truth into other people's lives in order that they will be built up. We spend way too much time tearing others down. We have the power to help others achieve their God given dreams. But we can also choose to break their dreams! It comes down to a choice and a decision. Osteen has taught me to unpack my baggage from my past and let the hurts and offenses go once and for all! It will only keep me from living my destiny and becoming everything I could be! The mind is where we must win the battle in order to succeed in our lives. I will become a positive person! I have God's favor over my life! I can enjoy every single day! The Lord loves me! I am wonderfully made!
Joel Osteen has written the most life changing book that everyone needs to get and read again and again. I want to get the words of truth into my mind where they will come out my mouth. The principles he is teaching readers in this book will assist you into becoming everything God has created you to be. I feel much happier after reading this book. I am even starting to speak about God's favor more boldly and openly. God can help me accomplish every dream that is in my heart and he will receive the glory. I am making a decision to not give away my power to my problems God is way bigger than them! Joel Osteen has spoken the words of encouragement that I needed to hear to keep believing and to keep the Faith! My mind might be the toxic battlefield but God has the solution to help me to think more positively. If you need encouragement and need help to become happier you need to immensely read this book. But make sure you take the words inside your heart and take action to speaking God's truth.
I will treasure each day from now on and enjoy the gift I have been given. Every day is meant to be celebrated like its Friday! It is so imperative that we live each day trying to be a blessing to someone else. We have the influence with God's help to touch someone else and speak the words of truth into them.
"I received this book free from Hachette Book Group/Faith Works."
Whatever battles rage around Joel Osteen, one thing is clear: He is a tireless optimist. His message is a completely positive one, at variance from the gloom and doom, fire and brimstone preachers who make their flock feel like they are just one misstep from eternal damnation. Orthodox Christians don't like Osteen. But I like him, and I'm not even sure I believe there is a god out there. I like his love of people, his message that we make choices in this life, and we can live remarkable lives if we just choose to and have faith in ourselves. I like his simple message that God (or whatever) favors us, loves us, and wants the best for us. God is in control, not us. Let go and let God! This is a message of liberation and love. It's a message about the power of positive thinking. To my way of understanding, it's Jesus's message. I'll take it! Yes, this new book is a distillation of all his shows and his other books, but judging from the state of politics and society these days, his message seems to bear repeating and repeating and repeating until people actually hear it! So I'm reading this book right now and I'm loving it! It's not about Joel or Victoria for me: It's about the good news! It's about being at peace and letting go. It's a great message, heard down the ages, from all four corners of the earth: from the Dalai Lama to the Buddha. Thank you, Joel, for being today's messenger!
