Faith in the Valley - Lessons for Women on the Journey to Peace

Acts of Faith, more affectionately known as "the purple book," has truly taken on a life of its own. It has crossed gender lines to foster understanding, racial divides to create peace, religious barriers to encourage tolerance, and has become somewhat of a lantern for those seeking a better way of life. I have been told it has saved lives, renewed faith, created vision and healed wounds. Some day it has comforted them. Others say it has enlightened them. It has changed perspectives for some, directions for others and lives for many. I can take no credit for any of this. In fact, I give the credit to those of you who were willingly seeking, open and easy for whatever blessing you received from your interaction with this book.

My goal in writing the book was to provide a service. At that time I never imagined how greatly I would be served. The kindness, generosity and love I have received in a response to this book has been, at times, overwhelming. Because we live in a world and during a time when we are untrusting, almost afraid of one another; we can forget how loving and supportive people can be. We also live in an environment where we tend to think of one another as them and us; the haves and the have nots. My experience during both the writing and promotion of Acts of Faith has served as a valuable reminder of how alike we all are. We all cry. We all hurt. We all want to do better. We all learn and we all grow.

I have grown tremendously since the publication of Acts of Faith. In both my personal and professional life, I have grown in the realization of just how precious life is and how blessed we are to be alive. I have grown to appreciate the delicate balance between surviving and flourishing. I have grown in the realization of the awesome responsibility one undertakes when they seek to serve. More important, I have grown stronger in my faith and belief that God is happy when His children are happy. You and I are God's precious children.

Acts of Faith has brought an incredible amount of happiness into my life. For this, I am grateful. I am happy that so many are searching for the truth about life and about themselves. I am happy that people from all walks of life, all social backgrounds are developing a deeper sense of awareness and connection to the beauty of life and the glory of God. I am grateful that from a very rocky beginning in life, I have been entrusted by the Creator to bring forth a message of truth and healing. I am grateful that healing is available and that many have found the healing that they sought in the pages of this little purple book.

People often ask me, "What are your plans for the future? What will you do next?" They are somewhat taken aback by my casual response, "I haven't got a clue!" Acts of Faith has taught me the value of surrender and the wisdom of not getting bogged down in all the details of life. I know that God has a plan for me and for us. I know that when you have pure intent and a loving desire, God will not forsake you. I wanted to show my appreciation to you by offering this gift edition of Acts of Faith as a special way of letting you know how much your love and support has meant to me. Give it to a friend or a loved one, or present it to yourself as a reminder that when you act on faith, you rarely go wrong and you are always blessed. Thank you for blessing me with your love.

Is it the job you hate but need in order to pay the rent? Is it that relationship that you gave your all to only to end up with a broken heart...again? Perhaps it's your children, a family member or a lifelong friend doing you in, dragging you down, pushing you to the brink. If you are an honorary member of the Black Woman's Suffering Society, you have probably been told that it's all your fault. Or that struggling and suffering is your lot in life. Iyanla Vanzant says NO! Life is an Act of Faith and suffering is optional! Those everyday challenges, obstacles, and dilemmas are what Iyanla calls valleys. As bad as they may seem, there is a purpose or, as Iyanla says, "There is so much value in the valley."

Valley experiences open your eyes to the things you know but have difficulty facing and accepting. Valleys challenge your fears, strengthen your will, correct your misperceptions, and give you valuable insights into yourself, the world, and the people around you. Those dark, bleak, ugly experiences that make you most uncomfortable can help you to grow.

Valley experiences let you know it is time to do a new thing in a new way. You may grit your teeth and dig in your heels, but, as you will see, that new thing can be daring, exciting, and even fun. If you learn your valley lessons well, you are bound to shake other people up too. Good! You need to display your brilliance and move into your own grace. You've got the power, and your thoughts, deeds, and actions are your ticket. When you muster up the strength to change how you do what you've been doing, you find the way out of the valley.

As Iyanla says, "Valleys are not one-size-fits-all." In fact, they are custom-designed to teach you how to reach your highest potential -- to be divine, prosperous, and in alignment with your highest and greatest good.

Are you confused, angry, disappointed, frustrated, anxious, apprehensive, sorry for yourself, or generally wiped out? If so, my friend, you are in the meantime.

Are you ready to put the pieces of your life together? Are you ready to begin the process of healing? Are you ready to give and receive love in all of your experiences?

Your mother, bless her heart, and your father, with all of his good intentions, did not prepare you for the meantime. They did not because they could not. No one can prepare you or help you find what you are looking for. What you need is love, not romance. Love, not more money. Love, not a new car. Love is the only thing that can make the meantime worthwhile. Once you find love, true selflove, and unconditional love for everyone all the time, things will look, feel, and be a lot better. The question is: What do you do in the meantime?

What is the lesson when you lose someone you really love?

Just what are the lessons of life's hard times?

In the instant number one New York Times bestseller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, Steve Harvey gave millions of women around the globe insight into what men really think about love, intimacy, and commitment. In his new book he zeros in on what motivates men and provides tips on how women can use that knowledge to get more of what they need out of their relationships, whether it's more help around the house, more of the right kind of attention in the bedroom, more money in the joint bank account, or more truth when it comes to the hard questions, such as: Are you committed to building a future together? Does my success intimidate you? Have you cheated on me?

In Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find, Keep, and Understand a Man, Steve Harvey shares information on:

How to Get the Truth Out of Your Man
Tired of answers that are deceptive? Harvey lays out a three-tier, CIA-style of questioning that will leave your man no choice but to cut to the chase and deliver the truth.

Dating Tips, Decade by Decade
Whether you're in your twenties and just starting to date seriously, in your thirties and feeling the tick of the biological clock, or in your forties and beyond, Steve provides insight into what a man, in each decade of his life, is looking for in a mate.

How to Minimize Nagging and Maximize Harmony at Home
He said he'd cut the lawn on Saturday, and you may have been within reason to think that that meant Saturday before ten in the evening, but exploding at him is only going to ruin the mood for everyone, which means no romance. Steve shows you how to talk to your man in a way that moves him to action and keeps the peace.

And there's much more, including Steve's candid answers to questions you've always wanted to ask men.

Drawing on a lifetime of experience and the feedback women have shared with him in reaction to Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, Harvey offers wisdom on a wealth of topics relevant to both sexes today. He also gets more personal, sharing anecdotes from his own family history. Always direct, often funny, and incredibly perceptive, media personality, comedian, philanthropist, and (finally) happily married husband, Steve Harvey proves once again that he is the king of relationships.

* Illustrated
* Author Biography
* Interactive Table of Contents
* Free Audiobook Download

The Souls of Black Folk [ Free Audiobooks Download ]

The Souls of Black Folk is a classic work of American literature by W. E. B. Du Bois. It is a seminal work in the history of sociology, and a cornerstone of African-American literary history.
The book, published in 1903, contains several essays on race, some of which had been previously published in Atlantic Monthly magazine. Du Bois drew from his own experiences to develop this groundbreaking work on being African-American in American society. Outside of its notable place in African-American history, The Souls of Black Folk also holds an important place in social science as one of the early works to deal with sociology.