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Copyright 2012 by Lisa Osteen Comes
Foreword copyright 2012 by Joel Osteen
Jacket design by Jerry Cooley
Jacket photograph by Susan Leach
Jacket 2012 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the AMPLIFIED BIBLE . Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, second edition. Copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by NavPress Publishing Group. Used by permission.
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First e-book edition: January 2013
ISBN 978-1-455-50657-6
God Made Me More
Promises That Are True
I am Gods masterpiece, created for a purpose and destiny.
I am made for more than surviving life. I will thrive in life.
God is at work in my life and he will perfect
everything that concerns me.
I have a good and bright future.
God is turning my scars into stars.
I am strong, overcoming, and soaring over every obstacle.
God can and will bring me to a flourishing finish.
God is bringing my dreams to pass in his perfect timing.
I am bold and courageous to act against fear.
I am safe in my Fathers hands.
I am letting go of the past and moving forward with God.
I choose to wear Gods labels: CHOSEN , ONE OF A KIND , BLESSED , HIGHLY FAVORED , and SUCCESSFUL .
I am a Triple A person: appointed, anointed, and approved by God.
I will never give up because God has victory in store for me.
To the love of my life, Kevin,
and our beautiful children: Catherine, Caroline, and Christopher
Shes More than My Sister
Lisa Osteen Comes is an amazing woman full of faith, joy, and integrity. She is not only my sister, but in many ways she is a hero to me as well. While, like me, she was born into a wonderful faith-filled family, she is no stranger to the curveballs that life can throw our way. Throughout her life she has faced many trials that have tested her faith and her joy. From life-threatening illness to the loss of people she loved, her story is the story so many of us share.
In this book Lisa will take you through her many life experiences in such a way as to intrigue you, entertain you, and inspire you. Her writing style is beautiful and descriptive and once you begin reading you will find it difficult to put down. As you turn these pages you will discover that it doesnt matter how strong your faith is or how much you may desire to do the right thing, you will still be tested. You will see that this is not a sign of weakness, but a sign that you are human. Above all, however, you will discover what it means to overcome and to emerge stronger than you were before.
Lisa inspires me, and she will inspire you too. You can take to heart every lesson she has learned and through them you will discover how to recapture your joy, renew your faith, and respond to every test with integrity.
Having her in my life has made me a better person, and I promise, if you take her lessons to heart, you too will achieve things that you never thought possible. I urge you to open your heart and your mind and allow her to share with you the wisdom and advice that she has always shared with me.
Joel Osteen
Made for More
Youve encountered many struggles in life, so I can only think that God must have big plans for you.
My father said this to me after I suffered the initial shock of receiving unexpected divorce papers in the mail. My first challenge in life was surviving a birth defect similar to cerebral palsy. My dad believed, despite all my many trials and disappointments, discouragements and traumas, that I was made for moremore good, more fulfillment, more meaning and purpose. So much more.
He knew that just because Id known tragedy I wasnt a tragic figure, that just because I had a marriage that failed I wasnt a failure, that even though Id suffered loss I wasnt a loser. He knew the things that happened to me didnt define me by their harshness or ugliness, their disappointment and despair. No, he knew I was more than all that and, if anything, my circumstances made more clear my resilience and tenacity, my promise and hopeall I was made for and all I am becoming.
My Heavenly Father knows that about you, too.
No matter what you are going through, he sees so much more than the circumstances. He sees that you are made for more goodness and hope, a promise of more than what you are now or how others would limit you to be, because he made you for more, for his pleasure and his good. He made you not only to be more, but to find more: more security beyond the mounting bills and empty bank accounts, more purpose and meaning beyond jobs lost or work that seems unappreciated and pure drudgery, more friendship than what you experience when someone you love isnt there when you need them most, more love than the betrayal or unrequited affection or hurt and disappointment you have now. God waits to love you like no other and give you love that is sure and everlasting, stronger than even death, because he is all about more and designed you to be more, too.
Of course, if youre like me, you may not see that right now. You may need some sign, some big flash of lightning or writing in the sky to show you what more there is, why its not only okay but good to not be satisfied with enough. You may be waiting for some hidden message that reassures.
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