SPIRITUAL STEPS ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS by LINDA SEGER Th. D

I can remember when I was little all I could think about was growing up to be a teacher. I loved to learn and was always intrigued by the teachers.  I thought they were so smart and I wanted to be just like them. Now that I am older I wonder if I really considered what my calling was? Did I get it right? Do I feel like I succeeded in life? I loved when the author said, " we can best find out what we're meant to do when we grow up by looking at what we loved to do when we were young." The two things I loved as a child were  reading and wanting to teach. I was a librarian for  fifteen years and loved every minute I was at the library. I wasn't the "traditional" teacher in a classroom but I have been a Children's Pastor for many years. My vision was much smaller than God's. I had the honor of teaching many children each Sunday.

In the book the author shares many testimonies from businessmen to actors of how they recognized their calling in life. I did like the example Denzil Washington shared. He says, "I understand that what I've been blessed to do is a part of God's plan." He starts and ends each day with prayer. When you know without a doubt what your calling is, you want to honor God as you walk in your destiny. We sometimes rush into something thinking this is exactly what I'm  called to do. However we may not have heard correctly and it could be our flesh  rushing in the wrong direction. The hardest thing to do is wait. We need to sit quietly, listen to His voice and He will direct us. To have patience is never easy.

The book really made me take a second look at other jobs that people have. They may not think they have important jobs, but what would we do if there was no one to wait on us at a fast food restaurant or the customer service person at a store eagerly willing to solve our problem. Each job is important and brings different things to help each other. I appreciate the warm smile as I'm getting checked out at the grocery store or a greeting from the teller at the bank.

Each chapter discusses a topic that is explained with examples and at the end of each chapter is questions which I really enjoyed and scriptures to look up . It helped me  understand the chapter better and gave me a deeper sense of the subject. One of the chapters I really enjoyed was  on the Seven Deadly Sins. They sure try to sneak in when we are successful and "although they'll be happy to play with anyone, they particularly love those with power." Which  deadly  sin would you have the most trouble with? I found the chapter to be powerful and inspiring.

Overall the book is very well written and is a great tool to use as you find your calling and become successful. I did think about the word successful the entire time I read the book. For me, my success is that I never gave up, I went through trials, and I'm happy with the things I achieved while working as a librarian and Children's pastor.

"We are out in this earth partly to help people and things grow. We prepare the soil, we plant our seeds , we hope we are in tune with the Holy Spirit and that the Light comes to nurture our work. "

I received a copy of this book from The BookClub Network for an honest review.