Maximize the Moment is a biblically-based self-help book by T.D. Jakes, a leading African-American pastor, motivational speaker, and the author of The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord. Jakes begins the book with a powerful reminder of the frailty of life, the reason that "we should maximize and prioritize our time and esteem it as precious." In a straightforward, humble style, Jakes teaches readers to reach their God-given potential in family, work, and spiritual life. His advice, in short, is to think of every moment as an opportunity for decision, and then to make decisions that are always faithful and constructive. The passages advocating freedom from fear-filled and destructive relationships are especially powerful, and well-crafted to be useful for both men and women. Maximize the Moment also has a wealth of sayings that stick in the brain without the cloying sentiment that often colors self-help books. "The wisest thing we can do," Jakes writes, "is minimize the liabilities, plan for the unexpected, enjoy the ecstasies, endure the disappointments, and then face the inevitable."


From Publishers Weekly
This is motivational writing with a preacher's flair. Jakes, the bestselling author of The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord, describes himself as "the television minister of millions, the pastor of thousands, the father of five, the Chief Executive Officer of three companies, and the husband of one." Here, the bishop wants readers to consider the brevity of their lives and make something of themselves. The book's subtext often seems to be upward mobility: Jakes urges readers to disentangle themselves from those who don't help them maximize their potential, and he provides a checklist of attitudes for associating with the educated or powerful. Jakes can certainly turn a phrase in classic preacher fashion, though by the end of the book enough phrases have been turned to leave even the most enthusiastic congregation a little dizzy. Underneath the rhetorical flourish, however, there is little depth, and the frequent biblical quotations seem to serve mostly as conventional jumping-off points for what is essentially high-octane self-help literature. The motivational tone flags only once, when Jakes narrates the agonizing experience of caring for his mother during her illness and eventual death from a brain tumor. For 10 brilliant and heart-wrenching pages, Jakes's gift with words, his insights into patience and perseverance and, not least, the riches of his faith are all in evidence. If only the whole book rang so true. (Jan.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Bishop Jakes, an influential minister of The Potter's House, a church in Dallas, and best-selling author who has affected the lives of millions of people, offers here a sensible, practical, and inspirational plan: Life will be rich and rewarding if you make wise choices; if you have God in your heart, you're a winner. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Beliefnet
T.D. Jakes isn't your average pastor. Author of the best-selling "Woman Thou Art Loosed" and "The Lady, Her Lover and Her Lord", a producer of Grammy-winning CDs, Jakes is a full-blown phenomenon. But it's not only his prominence or his prosperity that has made Jakes subject to careful scrutiny from fellow Christians: it's his message. Rather than a good, old-fashioned sermon on Christ's saving power, Jakes, some say, preaches the Health-and-Wealth gospel. At first blush, his new book, "Maximize the Moment" seems to lend credence to that criticism. But an attentive reader will find that Jakes isn't espousing "Name It and Claim It" religion (if you work hard, God will give you a new car). To the contrary, Jakes reminds us that "Sometimes ... His will collides with our loves." Out of those collisions comes "a clearer view of God's grace"-a gift more valuable than a dozen SUVs. In other words, a life lived in tune with God's will is always more abundant than a life guided by our own headstrong wishes. Isn't that the simple Gospel? As John 10:10 tell us, Jesus "came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."


Book Description
Using ageless biblical principles, Bishop T.D. Jakes teaches that every moment of every day, God provides all we need to achieve success. In Maximize the Moment, he explains how to release ourselves from damaging relationships and debilitating fears, how to face and conquer obstacles that may stand in our path to success, and how to move beyond our painful pasts.

"His stories are thought provoking, his guidelines are easy to follow and his questions allow the reader to align the course of his or her life to the biblical precepts presented in the book." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)


About the Author
Bishop T.D. Jakes is among the most respected ministers in the country today. He is the author of the bestsellers The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord; His Lady; Daddy Loves His Girls; Woman, Thou Art Loosed!; and Loose That Man and Let Him Go! and has released several chart-topping CDs, including Sacred Love Songs and Potter's House Live. His weekly television program, "Potter's House", airs on Trinity Broadcasting Network and Black Entertainment Television in the United States, and in Europe and South Africa. Bishop Jakes is the founder and pastor of Potter's House in Dallas, one of the fastest growing churches in the nation.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

T. D. Jakes, preacher, bestselling author, motivator, and entrepreneur, has influenced millions of people. He has a remarkable gift for deeply touching the hearts and souls of those who need to hear the spiritual truth in practical terms. Now, he imparts a profound message for achieving success and spiritual fulfillment. Using ageless biblical principles that reveal the keys to personal success available to each and every one of us, Bishop Jakes teaches that every moment of every day, God provides all we need to achieve that success. In Maximize the Moment, he explains how to release ourselves from damaging relationships and debilitating fears, how to face and conquer obstacles that may stand in our path to success, and how to move beyond our painful pasts. Choose wisely, and life will be rich and rewarding. Choose with a plan in your head and God in your heart and you can never lose...

SYNOPSIS

"Every moment that you live is an irreplaceable resource with a limited supply." --T. D. Jakes, Maximize The Moment

How do we measure this time called life? Some people think a person's life can only be measured by the longevity of his days. Others measure people's lives by the amount of material possessions they have attained or the success they have achieved. But when we stand in the face of eternity, real success is calculated by more than riches alone. It doesn't matter how long we live or how much wealth we've gathered: What matters is how well we live. What is important is how we fill in the blank that comes between the first and the last day of our lives.

In Maximize The Moment: God's Action Plan For Your Life, T.D. Jakes, author of the No. 1 bestseller The Lady, Her Lover, And Her Lord and many other inspiring volumes, offers a way for men and women to maximize their potential and fulfill the divine plan that God has for them. With the clear, down-to-earth style that has become his trademark, and an ability to cut through commonplace generalities, Jakes offers a message for creating balance and fulfillment in life.

"One of life's greatest tragedies," says Jakes, "is to arrive at the end of your journey and realize you could have done more, laughed harder, played more intensely, and lived more vivaciously if only you had taken the day by the throat and steered it the way you wanted it to go, if only you had made a conscious decision about what you wanted to do." Now Jakes helps us make the conscious decisions that will allow us to maximize the moments of our lives.

Drawing on his experiences as a preacher, author, motivator, and entrepreneur, Jakes teaches practical, hands-on principles that reveal the keys to personal success available to each and every one of us if we know where to look.

In Maximize The Moment, Jakes shows us how to: Minimize liabilities, plan for the unexpected, face the inevitable, enjoy the ecstasies of life, and endure life's disappointments. Release ourselves from damaging relationships and debilitating fears, and move beyond our painful pasts. Courageously face and conquer obstacles that may stand in our path to success. Recognize and utilize our God-given potential to its fullest. Set goals and develop strategies so that we may be all God wants us to be and fulfill the plan He has for us. In this guide to an abundant work, home, and spiritual life, Jakes illustrates how the sum of our lives lies in the choices we make. For those of us who choose wisely, life will be rich and rewarding. Those who fail to choose with a plan in their head and God in their heart will surely falter. Maximize The Moment shows us how by prioritizing our goals and making the most of our precious time on earth, we can hold fast to a vision of crossing life's finish line, knowing that we have run the race with bold integrity.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This is motivational writing with a preacher's flair. Jakes, the bestselling author of The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord, describes himself as "the television minister of millions, the pastor of thousands, the father of five, the Chief Executive Officer of three companies, and the husband of one." Here, the bishop wants readers to consider the brevity of their lives and make something of themselves. The book's subtext often seems to be upward mobility: Jakes urges readers to disentangle themselves from those who don't help them maximize their potential, and he provides a checklist of attitudes for associating with the educated or powerful. Jakes can certainly turn a phrase in classic preacher fashion, though by the end of the book enough phrases have been turned to leave even the most enthusiastic congregation a little dizzy. Underneath the rhetorical flourish, however, there is little depth, and the frequent biblical quotations seem to serve mostly as conventional jumping-off points for what is essentially high-octane self-help literature. The motivational tone flags only once, when Jakes narrates the agonizing experience of caring for his mother during her illness and eventual death from a brain tumor. For 10 brilliant and heart-wrenching pages, Jakes's gift with words, his insights into patience and perseverance and, not least, the riches of his faith are all in evidence. If only the whole book rang so true. (Jan.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal