What to Do... is about finding a way through life’s troubles, not “warm religious feelings,” “positive thinking” i or getting out of problems ii.
What to Do… isn’t filled with anecdotes. The few anecdotes used illustrate central themes such as the futility of becoming good enough to get God’s attention. Trusting God is the key element of the authors’ approach. Learn to forgive God, yourself and others. Learn to trust God, yourself and others. Set boundaries when others prove untrustworthy. Sound like work?
It should sound like work. There are plenty of things for you to do in this book. You must deal with your baggage, iii take responsibility for your life, iv and own your good and bad actions.v This book is not a wish for a better life. It’s a plan for rebuilding relationships with God, yourself and others.
I expect short books to be either simplistic or syrupy and theologically questionable. This book is neither. Whether your bent is toward contemplation, relationships or actions, the authors have considered your style. They ask you to trust God with your life and your problems. They ask you to accept that God loves you where you are and in the condition you are, even if “his people” appear not to…. They ask you to work with God.
What to Do… is a good primer on a mainstream Christian approach to navigating life’s challenges. I rate it “4-stars +.”
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
NOTES:
i Cloud, Henry and John Townsend. What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: 8 principles for finding God’s way. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006, 2009. p. 2.
ii Ibid. p. 55.
iii Ibid. p. 30.
iv Ibid. p. 44.
v Ibid. p. 45.
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I hope you enjoy your time on the site and that something in these pages encourages your journey along the Way of Jesus. All thoughts here are my own and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of others or of organizations with which I am affiliated. 
Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!