FROM OUR EDITORS

Bestselling author and pastor T.D. Jakes is back with this look at how Christian women can "face life's challenges and move beyond survival to become successful." Addressing the issue of women's self-esteem, Bishop Jakes shows women how they can conquer the obstacles in their way, recognize the Lord's calling and embrace the role He has in mind for them, and learn how they can inspire those who come after them.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

T. D. Jakes knows that society demands a great deal from women. They are told that they must do it all, give their all. But the truth is, many women feel that their souls are parched and they have nothing left to give. Many have been abused verbally, physically, and emotionally, leaving them scarred and lacking in self-worth. They are tired, uninspired, and spiritually impoverished, unsure of what they can offer and uncertain if they could ever do enough.

But now Bishop Jakes offers the balm to soothe their spirits and restore their souls. Drawing on the stories of the women of the Bible, Bishop Jakes shows all women how they can move beyond their imperfections and lack of self-esteem, and step up to claim the success the Lord has promised them. Bishop Jakes gives contemporary relevance to the ageless truths and principles found in the Scriptures, and empowers every woman to break the bonds of her worldly limitations and stand strong in the light of who she is in God. He teaches that whether a woman is leading a family or a corporation, she has within her the ability to impact the world. By guiding them to look inside themselves and toward the Lord, Bishop Jakes helps women find the power they need to unlock their destiny and excel.

Author Biography: Bishop T. D. Jakes is the author of several books, including the bestsellers The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord; Maximize the Moment; The Great Investment; His Lady; Loose That Man and Let Him Go!; and Woman, Thou Art Loosed!, which is also the basis for a bestselling video and CD. His daily morning show, The Potter's Touch, and weekly broadcast, The Potter's House, air on Trinity Broadcasting Network and Black Entertainment Television, as well as in Europe and South America. Bishop Jakes is the founder and pastor of Potter's House, one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation, where he pastors an interracial congregation of more than twenty-six thousand members. Also a highly successful entrepreneur, he has pioneered three multimillion-dollar corporations and travels the world as an invited guest of foreign diplomats and presidents to discuss personal and economic empowerment.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In the tradition of Woman, Thou Art Loosed! and The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord, Bishop Jakes continues to uplift Christian women with this charge for them to step out of the shadows and take their positions onstage as God's leading ladies. The stage metaphor is carried throughout; Jakes encourages women to master the art of improvisation (to put aside pre-arranged scripts...and go with what works in the moment) and to transcend life's outtakes (embarrassing failures). The writing style is vintage Jakes: he poses rhetorical but energetic questions to the reader, shares personal examples from his own life and draws upon the models other women have provided for success. He profiles several biblical women who knew how to step into the limelight: Deborah, Jael, Mary the mother of Jesus, Ruth, Sarah, Tamar and Eve all get juicy roles in Jakes's production. He deals with some sticky biblical passages, arguing, for example, that the let-wives-be-subject-to-their-husbands verse in Ephesians has too often been taken out of context and used to suppress women and rob them of their voices. Jakes also points to modern-day leading ladies, such as radio magnate Cathy Hughes, television icon Oprah Winfrey and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as role models. Some of his self-help advice is cliched; readers are asked to decide, for example, whether their trials will make them bitter or better. Overall, however, Jakes offers a fresh and compassionate summons for women to recognize their divine worth. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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