You Are Made for More!

December 12, 2011
It’s another member of the smiling Osteen family. Lisa Osteen Comes is Joel’s sister, and she is also on staff at Lakewood Church in Houston, pastored by her well-known brother, who contributes a foreword. Comes’s smile is hard-won, since she has paid her dues. She was almost killed by a mail bomb that was sent to the church in 1990; she was born with an apparent birth defect, which she overcame despite an early and gloomy prognosis; she went through a devastating divorce. Her faith has been tested, and she has thought through her experiences. They give depth to the affirmations that will sound familiar to Osteen followers (“God made you unique”; “you, too, are anointed”). Comes cites the Bible regularly for scriptural grounding, another anchor for her aphorisms for living. Some will invariably say this is overly simple; others simply want useful faith, and Comes provides faith help for those facing hardship.

November 15, 2011
Comes, the sister of megachurch preacher Joel Osteen (who writes the introduction), is an associate pastor with Lakewood Ministries. Although her book offers little difference in content from others of its cheerleading kind, the Osteen name on the cover will draw some attention. The message here is that God has more in store: more love, more money, more, well, whatever you need. Part personal story, part encouragement manual, this is written in an easy-to-read style that offers lots of examples of others who have asked God and received. Comes' personal story is engaging. Born with a defect similar to a cerebral palsy, she has also had to go through a divorce and, more exotically, was burned by a letter bomb sent to her father, also a pastor. Despite these setbacks, Comes has persevered and offers suggestions on ways her readers can do the same. Although the taglines can sometimes be annoying God turns scars into stars! believers will take to Comes' honesty and hope.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)