Carter - Kick the Boring Out of Your Life: *Think Big *Take Risks *Travel Light

Review Only Not for Redistribution Kick the Boring Outof Your LifeDonna Carter ial ter ted ma ighyr opC Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 1 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotes are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Il inois 60188. Al rights reserved. Verses marked msg are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Verses marked voice are taken from The Voice. Copyright 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. Al rights reserved. Verses marked gnt are taken from the Good News Translation in Todays English VersionSecond Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society.

Used by permission. Verses marked ncv are taken from the New Century Version. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. Al rights reserved. Verses marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Al rights reserved worldwide. Verses marked kjv are taken from the King James Version. Verses marked tlb are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Il inois 60188.

Al rights reserved. Italics in Scripture quotations indicate authors emphasis. Names and minor details have been changed in the real-life stories shared in this book to protect the privacy of the individuals mentioned. Donna Carter is represented by MacGregor Literary, Inc., Hil sboro, Oregon Cover design by Franke Design and Il ustration, Excelsior, MinnesotaDonna Carter Straight Talk Ministries www.straighttalkministries.com 38 River Rock Crescent SE www.donnacarter.org Calgary, AB Canada T2C 4J4 info@donnacarter.org 1.866.835.5827KICK THE BORING OUT OF YOUR LIFE Copyright 2015 Donna Carter Published by Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon 97402 ial www.harvesthousepublishers.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data ter Carter, Donna. Kick the boring out of your life / Donna Carter. Pages cm ISBN 978-0-7369-6348-0 (pbk.) ted ma 1.

Christian womenReligious life. 2. WomenLife skil s guides. I. Title. Printed in the United States of America 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 / ##-JH / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 2 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution For Randy.Thank you for making me laugh, holding me when I cry, andsharing my pas ion to make a difference. Printed in the United States of America 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 / ##-JH / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 2 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution For Randy. Thank you for making me laugh, holding me when I cry, and sharing my pas ion to make a difference.

I think of al the adventuresweve shared, not the least of which is parenting, and I cant imaginemy life without you. You are both the mischievous junior high boywho lightens me up and the man of integrity I deeply respect.You are the love of my life. ial ter ted ma ighyr opC Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 3 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution Acknowledgments I am deeply grateful to my friends, family members, and acquaintances who have al owed me to share their stories. They have reminded me of the exquisitely personal ways God works in and through al of our lives. Thanks to Barbara Gordon and al the Harvest House fam ily for their great work and great hearts. It is a privilege to partner with you. To the Straight Talk Ministries board and support base.

You pray for, invest in, and believe in me for reasons that continue to elude me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. May God use our partnership to heal hearts and popu late heaven! ial ter ted ma ighyr opC Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 4 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution Contents A New Perspective......................... 7 1. Think Big............................... 9 2.

Build Boundaries.......................... 29 3. Build Bridges............................. 53 4. Take Risks............................... 71 5.

Travel Light.............................. 93 6. Protect Your Purity........................ 113 7. Leverage Pain............................ 135 8.

Invest Wisely............................. 157 9. Watch Your Words......................... 179 ial 10. Embrace Your Creator...................... 221 ted ma ighyr opC Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 5 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution ial ter ted ma ighyr opC Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 6 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution A New Perspective She wore a gunnysack for her prom dress by her own choice. 221 ted ma ighyr opC Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 5 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution ial ter ted ma ighyr opC Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 6 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution A New Perspective She wore a gunnysack for her prom dress by her own choice.

Her mom says Kerri-Jo has always seen the world a bit differently. Its like she was born with a unique ability to see an extra dimen sion. The additional aspect she sees gives her a broader-than-normal view of the big and small events in her life. So when her high school senior dance approached, she was troubled by the amount of money some of her friends were spending on dresses for the occasion, albeit a special one. She was concerned that her peers were basing their intrinsic value on sequins and satin. Now Kerri-Jo likes to dress up as much as any young woman, but she saw an opportunity to chal enge the predictable priorities of her high school class and communityand raise awareness about ial the needs of young women in the developing world.

She thought ter of al that could have been accomplished with the col ective cash being shel ed out on dresses and accessories and decided to make a statement to take a stand. Through a friend, she found the perfect ted ma opportunity to invest in a good causea new vocational school in igh Niger, Western Africa, for girls at risk of being sold into prostitu yr tion or being married off very young. Kerry-Jo told her family and op friends that if she could raise $10,000 for her cause, she would wear C a burlap dress to the dance. Kick the Boring Out of Your Life.indd 7 4/1/15 1:34 PM Review Only Not for Redistribution Kick the Boring Out of Your Life She posted her chal enge on social media, and the campaign went viral. Kerri-Jo far exceeded her goal. She raised enough money to fund the entire vocational school, including supplies, tuition, and even the cooks salary for an entire year.

And, yes, she fol owed through at her prom. She was the smart-looking young woman in burlap. Kerri-Jos insight and vision changed her paradigm. Instead of choosing what would make her look glamorous and feel good for one evening, she opted for looking outward and doing something that would feel great forever. Rather than ending the festive occa sion with a few photos and a dress in storage, she ended it knowing that the lives of some girls were going to be changed for the better. In fact, not only were their lives going to be changed, but hopeful y the cycle of poverty would be broken and result in generations of change.

And since the vocation school was Christian-oriented and influenced by Jesus-loving teachers, eternity itself might be affected. Kerri-Jos unusual wil ingness to zoom out to see a much bigger picture than one special evening of glamor broadened her world. In deciding to wear a boring dress, she kicked the boring out of her life. Her smart decision to look beyond her immediate gratification has ignited a passion to make a difference that is infiltrating her whole lifeand the lives of the people she influences. You can stamp the humdrum out of your life too. My prayer is ial that by reading this book, contemplating the Questions for Reflec ter tion and Discussion, and, hopeful y, discussing everything with a group of friends, youl gain a broader viewpoint.