Jan Silvious - Same Life, New Story: Change Your Perspective to Change Your Life

Praise for Same Life, New Story

With her customary skill, wisdom, humor, and practical way of dealing with life, Jan Silvious has given us Same Life, New Story. If youve ever thought, Im sick o me... I dont like who I am or what Ive become, this is the book for you. Jan uses her own story to help you with yours, and she weaves ten women from the Bible into our stories, showing us how God changed their struggles and fears into blessings. I love Jan Silvious and have found everything she says helps me in some area of my journey. This book is a winner, Jan. Congratulations!

LUCI SWINDOLL
AUTHOR AND WOF SPEAKER

Jan Silvious is one of the wisest women I knowI think the only book Ive underlined more than Same Life, New Story is my Bible!

LISA HARPER
AUTHOR AND WOF SPEAKER

One of the things I love most about Jan is her ability to help me understand my own life. With charming wit and insightful wisdom, she shines the light of Gods Word on what is true, good or bad, and shows us how to grow. In this study of the lives of ten women whose stories we may feel we know, Jan gives us a fresh look at their lives and helps us see our own.

SHEILA WALSA
WOF SPEAKER AND AUTHOR,
THE SHELTER OF GODS PROMISES

When Jan Silvious speaks, I lean in and listen! With the voice of wisdom, common sense, and experience, Jans practical approach to applying Gods Word to life helps put the modern-day woman on the road toward maturity. In Same Life, New Story Jan reveals that our setbacks are really setups that launch us into becoming what God desires us to be.

BABBIE MASON
AWARD-WINNING SINGER, SONGWRITER,
AUTHOR, AND CONFERENCE SPEAKER

There are only a couple of books that make my must list in any year. Jans books are always on that very short list because she combines ancient truths in relatable, honest-to-goodness girlfriend language that allows us all to access life-changing concepts. Complex truth in simple wrapping. If youve been wondering why your life isnt as fulfilling as you had hoped or why it just isnt working, I highly commend Same Life, New Story to you. Once you understand the power of your internal dialog, not only to frame your circumstance but to impact your choices and literally narrow or widen your options, you will see why this book is a soul necessity. Give yourself the gift of perspective. Jan Silviouss writing can change yours.

ANITA RENFROE
COMEDIAN AND AUTHOR

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE to CHANGE YOUR LIFE

JAN SILVIOUS

2010 Jan Silvious

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New Century Version. 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are from the Amplified Bible, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Stories from individuals in this book have been used with their permission.

Page design by Mark L. Mabry

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Silvious, Jan, 1944
Same life, new story : change your perspective to change your life / Jan Silvious.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-7852-2819-6 (pbk.)
1. Christian womenReligious life. 2. Women in the Bible. I. Title.
BS575.S445 2010
248.843dc22

2010039567

Printed in the United States of America
11 12 13 14 15 16 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Lynda Elliott and Pam Gillaspie

You have been my Aaron and Hur.
Im deeply grateful.

Contents

S usie, Karen, Jean, Laura, Judy, Pam, Pat, Brenda, and Cindywe birthed this concept together. Our bond is great.

Susan, Cecile, Margaret, Wanda, Karen, and DebbieIve seen each of you write new stories. Your new lives make me smile.

Charlie, David, Sandi, Lauren, Luke, Jon, Aaron, Heather, Rachel, Ben, and Bekahyou are the lead characters in my personal play. I love you.

Sandy Smithyou always pray me across the finish line.

And Debbie Wickwire, Mary Hollingsworth, Rebecca Pricewhat a team! Im grateful.

IF YOU CHANGE
YOUR STORY,
YOU CAN CHANGE
YOUR LIFE

I had always felt life first as a story. And if there is a story, there is a storyteller.

G. K. Chesterton

I wish there were some wonderful place

Called the Land of Beginning Again,

Where all our mistakes and

All our heartaches

And all our selfish grief

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,

And never be put on again.

Louisa Fletcher

D o you like the life youre living? As Dr. Phil says, Hows it working for you? Do you wish you could somehow stay the same and yet be different? When you look at the big picture of your life, does it appear good and hopeful and exciting? Or do you need a different perspective? Do you wish you could wipe the slate clean and get a fresh start on an old story that somehow has not turned out as you had planned or hoped?

If you have ever said, I wish I could just begin again, then sweet friend, I have good news for you. There is a place of beginning again. This place may not look exactly as you want it to look or think it should look, but it is a place to start over. It most often comes with a new perspective and a new way of thinking that use your past experiences as a springboard to a different way of living. Sounds too simple, doesnt it? It is simple in many ways, and yet the effects of changed thinking are profound.

Think of your life as a storyone you have been writing since birth. And depending on your age, you have filled up a number of pages, some fuller than others, of course. Some pages are good, others are not so good, but its important to remember that the story is not finished. If you are breathing and alive, there are always new blank pages on which to write. You