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Making Sense When Life Doesn't
Sometimes life gets messy. It s cluttered with too many demands. Companies downsize. Trauma hits. When chaos erupts, every person has choices. We can call it the worst time of our lives, wishing for the way things used to be and resenting the changes that have been forced on us. Or we can say, "This can be a positive time in my life. I didn't choose the crisis, but I can choose to learn through it." In Making Sense When Life Doesn't, Cecil Murphey s compelling stories, hope-filled insights, and practical encouragement move readers with messy lives to the stunning realization that life won't ever be perfect, but it can be good even exciting!
- GenresNonfiction
192 pages, ebook
First published March 29, 2012
4 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Cecil Murphey
161 books57 followersCecil Murphey has written or coauthored more than one hundred books, including the autobiography of Franklin Graham, Rebel with a Cause. A collaborator on the bestseller Gifted Hands with Dr. Ben Carson, Cecil resides in Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 18, 2021
Cecil Murphey's aphorisms have a way of cutting through the noise to the heart of what I need to hear, whether I want to hear it or not!
April 18, 2022
I enjoyed this book. Lots of little tidbits of information to help you move on with life.
February 3, 2023
Loved this book!
August 11, 2012
Cecil Murphy in his new book “Making Sense When Life Doesn’t” published by Summerside Press gives us The Secrets of Thriving in Tough Times.
From the back cover: Life is messy, cluttered, disorganized.
Companies downsize. Relationships end. Trauma hits. When chaos erupts, every person has choices. We can call it the worst time of our lives, wishing for the way things used to be and resenting the changes that have been forced on us. Or we can say, “This can be a positive time in my life. I didn’t choose the crisis, but I can choose to learn through it.”
“Making Sense When Life Doesn’t” is about making your life better–not in spite of, but because of the adversities you face. Life won’t ever be perfect, but it can be good. It can be exciting…better than you ever imagined.
Everyone is going to face chaos. Even God faced chaos; just look at Genesis chapter one, verse two. It is how we face the chaos that determines how our life is going to be. We can become bitter or we can face it, learn from it and grow. Look at what God did: He made Heaven and Earth, chaos hit and then He had to remake Earth. Some of our crises feel just like that. How do we cope with the tragedy, the trauma? Cecil Murphy tells us in real life stories. Mr. Murphy gives us short chapters that contain practical guidelines, with inspiration, motivation and application. They provide devotional material for refection, spiritual renewal, encouragement and hope. This is a book to give to all your family and friends. It will be a book that they will read and thank you for. “Making Sense When Life Doesn’t” is a keeper.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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.”
From the back cover: Life is messy, cluttered, disorganized.
Companies downsize. Relationships end. Trauma hits. When chaos erupts, every person has choices. We can call it the worst time of our lives, wishing for the way things used to be and resenting the changes that have been forced on us. Or we can say, “This can be a positive time in my life. I didn’t choose the crisis, but I can choose to learn through it.”
“Making Sense When Life Doesn’t” is about making your life better–not in spite of, but because of the adversities you face. Life won’t ever be perfect, but it can be good. It can be exciting…better than you ever imagined.
Everyone is going to face chaos. Even God faced chaos; just look at Genesis chapter one, verse two. It is how we face the chaos that determines how our life is going to be. We can become bitter or we can face it, learn from it and grow. Look at what God did: He made Heaven and Earth, chaos hit and then He had to remake Earth. Some of our crises feel just like that. How do we cope with the tragedy, the trauma? Cecil Murphy tells us in real life stories. Mr. Murphy gives us short chapters that contain practical guidelines, with inspiration, motivation and application. They provide devotional material for refection, spiritual renewal, encouragement and hope. This is a book to give to all your family and friends. It will be a book that they will read and thank you for. “Making Sense When Life Doesn’t” is a keeper.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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.”
August 5, 2012
Although Cecil Murphey has written over 125 books, I had not heard of him before I requested a review copy of his recent book, Making Sense When Life Doesn’t: The Secrets of Thriving in Tough Times. I was quickly drawn in, however, by his warm voice and down-to-earth writing style. He illustrates his points with many interesting stories from his years of mission work and pastoring, as well as a number of fascinating examples from his career as a writer, making the book very readable as well as inspirational. Also, the short chapters are ideal for a busy mom who is lucky to get even 5 minutes to focus on something outside of her daily routine.
Things happen to all of us in life that we cannot control, and sometimes we make things happen by our own choices. Change is inevitable, but it is not always easy to navigate. Making Sense When Life Doesn’t is, at its heart, a book about finding the greater meaning in the ups and downs of life, which is a question that we all face at various times in our lives. Although each chapter focuses on a specific topic, several different themes resurface as Murphey takes us through his philosophy of life, such as:
finding balance, even during a crisis
identifying and following our passions
handling change, whether chosen or forced upon us
understanding what to do with negative experiences such as rejection or loss
reaching out to others to help and be helped
forgiving others – and ourselves
dealing with strong emotions such as jealousy and anger
Murphy’s candid openness about his experiences, combined with his unflinching honesty in examining his own heart, make this little book so much more than a series of homegrown sayings or pithy expressions. Instead, his words are treasures gleaned from the time he has spent reflecting on his life along the journey which will hopefully help us avoid some of the more painful lessons he has learned or, at the very least, give us some insight as we go through our own struggles and challenges.
Things happen to all of us in life that we cannot control, and sometimes we make things happen by our own choices. Change is inevitable, but it is not always easy to navigate. Making Sense When Life Doesn’t is, at its heart, a book about finding the greater meaning in the ups and downs of life, which is a question that we all face at various times in our lives. Although each chapter focuses on a specific topic, several different themes resurface as Murphey takes us through his philosophy of life, such as:
finding balance, even during a crisis
identifying and following our passions
handling change, whether chosen or forced upon us
understanding what to do with negative experiences such as rejection or loss
reaching out to others to help and be helped
forgiving others – and ourselves
dealing with strong emotions such as jealousy and anger
Murphy’s candid openness about his experiences, combined with his unflinching honesty in examining his own heart, make this little book so much more than a series of homegrown sayings or pithy expressions. Instead, his words are treasures gleaned from the time he has spent reflecting on his life along the journey which will hopefully help us avoid some of the more painful lessons he has learned or, at the very least, give us some insight as we go through our own struggles and challenges.
January 2, 2014
It happens to everyone. Throughout life, we have large and small experiences which stir internal questions which appear to have no answers.
There is no one better than Cecil Murphey to help us understand "The Secrets to Thriving in Tough Times" and his book, MAKING SENSE WHEN LIFE DOESN'T. As a former pastor and long-term writer, Cec has co-authored and written more than 100 books. Through capturing the experiences of others as well as living his own, he has accumulated a lifetime of wisdom and insights. In short doses, this book serves up these nuggets in an ideal format for readers.
I loved the chapter called Becoming Resilient. Cec writes about his mother facing the death of her husband of more than sixty years and the immediate death of her fifty-three-year-old firstborn son. In the face of such tragedy, we wonder how anyone copes. He writes, "Resilience--the ability to accept what can't be changed and not be defeated by it. My mother had become a strong Christian, and certainly her faith enabled her to hold up. And I believe that's when faith becomes most important--when life falls apart. Some go through a painful divorce, or the deception by someone previously considered a friend. Perhaps a request for a loan to buy a house gets turned down. Or a car does on you, or you're involved in a serious accident. That's when faith makes sense. That's when we realize we need help and call on a power beyond our own abilities. If we call out and trust God's loving care through our hard-times, we survive and build resilience.... Life doesn't always make sense, and we have no explanations for the disappointments or setbacks, yet we can become tougher and stronger than we were before the confusion invaded our world. If I live through hardships, resilience is the payoff." (page 57-58)
That's a small sample of what you will find in the pages of MAKING SENSE WHEN LIFE DOESN'T. I recommend you get this book. You will be surprised and blessed with what it contains.
There is no one better than Cecil Murphey to help us understand "The Secrets to Thriving in Tough Times" and his book, MAKING SENSE WHEN LIFE DOESN'T. As a former pastor and long-term writer, Cec has co-authored and written more than 100 books. Through capturing the experiences of others as well as living his own, he has accumulated a lifetime of wisdom and insights. In short doses, this book serves up these nuggets in an ideal format for readers.
I loved the chapter called Becoming Resilient. Cec writes about his mother facing the death of her husband of more than sixty years and the immediate death of her fifty-three-year-old firstborn son. In the face of such tragedy, we wonder how anyone copes. He writes, "Resilience--the ability to accept what can't be changed and not be defeated by it. My mother had become a strong Christian, and certainly her faith enabled her to hold up. And I believe that's when faith becomes most important--when life falls apart. Some go through a painful divorce, or the deception by someone previously considered a friend. Perhaps a request for a loan to buy a house gets turned down. Or a car does on you, or you're involved in a serious accident. That's when faith makes sense. That's when we realize we need help and call on a power beyond our own abilities. If we call out and trust God's loving care through our hard-times, we survive and build resilience.... Life doesn't always make sense, and we have no explanations for the disappointments or setbacks, yet we can become tougher and stronger than we were before the confusion invaded our world. If I live through hardships, resilience is the payoff." (page 57-58)
That's a small sample of what you will find in the pages of MAKING SENSE WHEN LIFE DOESN'T. I recommend you get this book. You will be surprised and blessed with what it contains.
August 14, 2012
Cecil Murphey, former pastor, bestselling author and speaker, looks at life from a “glass half full” perspective that describes an optimist. His subtitle, “…the secrets of thriving in tough times…” describes how he survived through life’s many difficult circumstances.
Circumstances that included a period of homelessness after the devastating loss of his son-in-law his home, clothing, pictures, possessions and work-in-progress manuscripts everything consumed when his home burned to the ground in 2007. Separate losses would be tough, together they were catastrophic. However, Cecil learned he’d been “preparing for this” his response to his best friends “…words of comfort.”
The words were instinctively spoken. Cecil didn’t mean he expected his son-in-law’s death, the fire or the loss of everything he owned. His unconscious words described a lifetime of preparation…Full Review: http://tinyurl.com/99xwcet
February 5, 2014
A great book of encourgement. Chapters are short and many personal stories of people's life experiences.
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July 13, 2017Super Advice.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews