Do you ever wonder if you're where God wants you to be? Do you ever feel like you were made for more than what you're currently doing? Do you ever feel out of place in your job or ministry? Max Lucado's book, Cure for the Common Life, addresses these issues and more. It is a guide to discovering your sweet spot in life, the place where you find peace and joy in using your talents and abilities as they were meant to be used. Lucado puts forth the idea that "you were born pre-packed--for a purpose. God equipped you with special and unique tools to achieve his purpose and fulfill his plan."

This book is not your everyday Christian living text. It is a combination of an inspirational work and a guidebook. Throughout the book, Lucado shows you how to examine your talents and your joys to seek out the purpose that God has for you. He encourages you to "think outside the box" of doing what has to be done because "someone has to do it." He asks the question, "But is that someone you?" He recounts story after story of people who were miserable and felt trapped in their dead-end lives. But after reviewing the "luggage" that God packed for them, they found new joy in life. For some, it meant changing careers. For others, it was simply a change of attitude. But for all, it resulted in joy in the journey.

This is my second time reading through this book. I first read it several years ago when God was tugging on my heart strings about leaving my teaching career to take up writing. I was terrified to make the change. I didn't know anything about writing, and I was worried about walking away from a steady paycheck. Things were tight enough as it was. Cure for a Common Life addressed every issue I was dealing with. God used it to answer my questions and dispel many of my fears and doubts. I've been writing for several years now, and I can't imagine what my life would have been like had I continued teaching after I had lost my joy for it.

If you're struggling to find joy in the journey, maybe it's time for a change. Lucado's book is an uplifting guide to studying your life in order to find the perfect place for you. The book comes with a Discovery Guide to help you determine your true sweet spot. It's truly a must read for anyone who suffers from daily discontentment or who asks the question, "Is this all there is?"

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”