To You; Love, God: A Year of Daily Guidance and Inspiration Straight from the Source

by Will Bowen

Embrace God's Love Every Day

What if God sent you a personal, daily message to remind you that he is present, that he loves you, and that things are going to work out?   

Will Bowen's To You, Love God is a collection of life-changing messages straight from the source. Simple yet deeply moving, this 365-day devotional speaks to you directly with the wisdom, love, and compassion of God.

Will Bowen is an ordained minister, sought after motivational speaker, and author of the international bestseller,  A Complaint Free World, among other books. He lives with his family near Kansas City, Missouri. 

Begin each day with a deep awareness of God's


Come with me.

I am walking just ahead of you-always in sight,

never more than a pace or two ahead.

Here I am. Take my hand.

I have amazing things to show you.

Love,

God

 
Reader

What a gift-sort of a "spiritual vitamin" to start each and every morning. Some of the messages are so profound that they have found their way laminated and into my wallet or on my desk where I can see them every day. -M. Manard, Gladstone, MO

I really feel like I am talking to God when I read them every morning. You have so helped me. - M. Clesi, Boca Raton, FL

The devotions lift me up beyond the daily dramas, always pointing up towards the Light and Truth that never changes.
-S. Farrow, Vancouver Island, BC

On many occasions the messages are exactly what I need that day. Recently I have been sharing them with my teenage daughter and she loves them! -S. Garland , Kansas City, MO

I can't tell you how much "To You, Love God" has meant to me. I read your inspired messages every morning, and what a beautiful way to begin the day. They give comfort, peace, and insight into experiencing the life God wants us all to experience . -J. Westhoff, Green Valley, AZ

These messages are the backbone of keeping my attitude positive, and helping me learn to accept others and myself as beings created by God . -P. Loffstrom , Zinga, Tanzania

The messages of "To You, Love God" have inspired and sustained me through some of the most difficult times of my life including a divorce and the recent sudden loss of my daughter. -C. Pizzi, Calabash, NC

"To You, Love God" inspires me, makes me think, and most importantly, helps me appreciate all the blessings that come my way. -D. Kelley, Clifton Park, NY

I read these daily letters from God after I pray and meditate. They seem to be written directly to me each day. -E. Ruppert, Delray Beach, FL

I count on starting my day with the wisdom of "To You, Love God." - S. Prince, Long Beach, CA

I look at life differently than I did before.  Gone is the "poor me" attitude. - K. Hill  Morristown, TN

They are always inspirational and often "spot on" as to what happens to be going on with me in my life. Very uncanny!
-T. Penkala, San Diego, CA

 

400 pages, Hardcover

First published December 16, 2014

About the author

Will Bowen is an author and speaker who has been featured on/in "Oprah," NBC's "Today Show," ABC's "World News Tonight," CBS "Sunday Morning," "Fox News," "The Wall Street Journal," "Newsweek," "People," "O," "Self," "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and in hundreds of media stories around the world.

His first two books, "A Complaint Free World" (now expanded and updated) and "Complaint Free Relationships" are international best-sellers having sold more than 2 million copies around the world.

A Complaint Free World, the non-profit organization Will founded, has sent more than 10 million Complaint Free bracelets to 106 countries.

Bowen speaks to organizations helping them shift their focus from negative complaining and fault-finding to positive problem-solving leading to happier employees and even happier customers. Clients include:

*The Million Dollar Roundtable's "Top of the Table"
* Volvo Motor Company
* PriceWaterhouseCoopers
* The Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA)
* Pratt & Whitney
* Kimberly Clark

Bowen's newest book, "Happy This Year!" demonstrates the power we have in setting and achieving higher levels of happiness regardless of what life may bring. The book is being packaged with a free Smartphone app allowing the reader to set a happiness level goal and measure his or her progress toward that goal.

The app is called "HappyStat" and is available for Iphone, Android and Kindle at www.HappyThisYear.com.

Web sites:

HappyThisYear.com
AComplaintFreeWorld.org
WillBowen.com

Reviews

[christianchicklit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Letters From God For Everyday Issues

What a great concept for a book. Will Bowen, the author of the book and also a minister, used to find that people needed an infusion of spiritual confidence during the week. The spiritual inspiration that they received on a Sunday from attending church might only last for a few days. Toward the end of the week, he would notice a significant increase in the amount of people needing spiritual counseling. This led the author to think "wouldn't it be great if God could send everyone a daily email just to remind them that He is present, that He loves them, that things are going to work out, and that they have everything they need?"

This thought prompted Bowen to start typing an email called “To: You Love, God” and he wrote about the things that he would like to have God say to him in an email, if that were possible. He started sending out these emails to his church. These emails became the essence of this book.

Many of these letters were a result of the author sitting at his computer with a particular issue or challenge in his mind. After meditating on the issue, he would find the answers that he thought God would provide and it became a collection of answers, guidance, reassurance and love. What an interesting perspective if we were to approach our problems and issues by meditating on what God would say to us about these situations….rather than meditating on the problem. We would certainly be more likely to find His presence in the situation.

The book is organized into 12 different topics – one for each month. Each day within the month focuses on a particular thought about that topic. For example, January is all about Awaken. February is all about Love. March is about Release. Other chapters are about Believe, Appreciate, Do, Transform, etc.

There were several devotionals that I think have powerful thoughts. For example, one devotional in the chapter on Transform says that there are three options you can choose. You can Like something (and give it more time and attention). You can Unlike something (and choose not to give it time and attention). Or, you can Dislike something (and give it active negative energy, time and attention). Obviously, it’s better not to spend time and attention on negative things and we are encouraged not to dislike anybody or any experience.

In the March 1 devotional on Release, it states that “anger is misdirected fear” -- anger is the underlying emotion of fear that has not been released. I’ve never thought of anger as related to fear…but it usually always is.

While this book does not contain any quoted scripture, all of the thoughts are Biblical and aligned with God's word. Rather than reading it as a straight devotional each day, I think it might be more valuable to go to the particular topics that you are struggling with to find applicable words of inspiration. It worked for me!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for this fair and honest review.

[Katherine Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this one. I’ll say from the start I believe this book requires some discernment, and because I also believe it’s particularly suited to new(ish) believers, I’m not sure that’s a match. My fear is that it could be easy to slip into a belief that this book is inspired in a way that no book beyond Scripture is. That’s why I hang up on the “straight from the Source” part of the subtitle. Um, no. It’s not.

However–I can see the arguments mounting–how is this any different from other spiritual self-help books in which we do believe God has spoken His hope and encouragement to the world through the people who wrote them? Well, here I have to refer to something the author says in his introduction. (I’m sorry I can’t quote it directly, but the publisher doesn’t allow any reproduction of their copy, even in reviews, without prior written permission, and I didn’t get my ducks in a row in time for that.) If you’ve read Bowen’s story on how this book came about, you will know that he began sending daily emails to his congregation as a way to keep them inspired and spiritually plugged-in throughout the week. He signed each email: Love, God.

Now–I don’t have a problem with this as the recipients would know these pithy and inspirational notes (which are compiled in this book) are not really from God. But when Bowen began getting pointed questions from his congregants as to who was writing these notes, he insisted on maintaining the facade, replying that God wrote them. (See page 3 of the Introduction.)

It’s there that for me the line gets blurred.

I think it would have helped if each message referenced its Scriptural source, so that readers could easily verify the veracity of the message.

Nevertheless, there are parts of this book that I can embrace. The author notes that God’s children often need frequent reminding that we are secure and loved by God. True. And that after getting our tanks filled on Sunday, we often suffer as we go about our business the rest of the week by the environment of negativity we live in. Also true.

I do admire Bowen’s poetic approach, and I can commend many of the inspirational messages, especially the ones that pertain to worry and control. Oh, how we need to be reminded of God’s loving faithfulness. (Or is it just me?)

All in all, I’d say this tome has its merits but should be handled with care.

Thanks to Convergent Books for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.