Thankfulness. This is something I am trying to cultivate in the hearts of my children. With so many blessings in this world it can sometimes be hard to remember to give thanks to God and to the people who have blessed us. Using her own life as a suicide attempt survivor and through her healing process, Yolanda Shanks wrote this book to help others walk through the thankfulness process and to see that we really do have reason to reject living in ingratitude and discover a cause to be thankful.
This book is a fairly short read at only 110 pages but there is plenty of material to meditate and reflect on.While I would not use this book with my children as there are some very mature subject matters discussed such as a suicide attempt, I can definitely use many of the scripture passages and references in this book to help me in teaching my kids to live with a thankful heart toward God.
This book is written with a suicide attempt survivor's heart in mind, but as Yolanda writes many of us may be able to remember a time when we felt lost and things seemed hopeless. Yolanda walks the reader through a study of thankfulness by first studying what thankfulness is and to whom are we to be thankful. After studying what leprosy is and sharing her own personal testimony of her teenage mom experience and what led to her suicide attempt in chapter three, Yolanda dives into the heart of this book in chapter four and begins her in depth study of the ten lepers and how they approached Jesus for healing and how only one of them came back to thank Jesus. She gives scripture references throughout the book and pauses often in the middle of the chapters to pray for the reader. She wraps the book up with a powerful message of salvation and help for the new believer in Christ. If you know someone who is hurting and feels lost and hopeless this might be a good book to either give to or study alongside them, for there truly is good reason and a cause to be thankful in Jesus Christ!
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| Yolanda Shanks |
About the Author: Yolanda Shanks
Multi-published author, speaker, blogger, teacher, wife, grandmother—Yolanda Shanks wears many hats, but the one she most resonates with is her role as an advocate for living life to its fullest.
Shanks’ award-winning first book, Destined to Live, Despite Me, continues to be a source of hope for those battling effects from a prior suicide attempt. It garnered an enthusiastic Kirkus review, which stated the book was “a commendable guide for finding meaning after considering suicide.”
Her second book, Not Just a Hearer but a Doer (released June 2012) challenges the body of Christ to act upon scripture. In the Fall of 2012, she released a third project, entitled Destined to Live, Despite Me – A Cause to Be Thankful.
Check her website (
www.YolandaShanks.com) for book events in your area and for weekly wisdom from this lover of life and committed Christ-follower.
From the back of the book,
A Cause To Be Thankful,
"Have you ever considered how often we neglect expressing genuine gratitude?
The Bible gives an account of how Jesus healed ten lepers.
But only one returned to express thanks.
Using the Biblical story of the ten lepers as a reference, A Cause to Be Thankful by Yolanda Shanks will unpack the Biblical model for thankfulness, showing how a spirit of entitlement has overshadowed our spirit of thanks. In this straightforward and challenging book, you will not only learn how to return as the one leper who expressed gratitude, but you’ll come away with a clear plan for including consistent and genuine thanks in your prayer life and day-to-day encounters."
ISBN: 978-0985361600 | List Price: $12.95 | Format: Hard Copy | Page Count: 110
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I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.
