The Essential Guide to Joyful Living

About the Book

I have written this book straight from my heart with the hope that I can help others who are struggling with life. I intentionally wrote it in a simple, easy to understand style, in an effort to reach out to those who are in need of help, encouragement, and hope. My heart breaks when I see anyone who is miserable, depressed, and stressed out with issues in their life. The suffering is so unnecessary, is such a waste of time, and can be relieved. We all need good things in our lives and seldom, if ever, do we experience the full potential that God wants for us. Life is meant to be lived, experienced, and enjoyed to the fullest, not to just muddle through it wondering; “is this it?” If you are in need of help, if you are you without hope, or if you know someone in this situation, then this book can help! Are you asking yourself “how did I get myself into this mess?” or “is there any way out of this?” Whatever your storm is, has been in the past, or will be in the future, there is hope! There is a light at the end of the tunnel and joy is waiting for every single one of us. God has enough joy to go around, it is abundant and overflowing, and is right there just waiting for you to receive it! If we can solve the problems in our lives and learn to live with those issues we cannot do anything about, and very importantly learn to tell the difference between those two, then we can experience a life filled with joy and peace, that is truly worth living. I want this for each one of you, but you have to want it, need it, desire it, and be willing to fight for it. I have been through many of the problems you are facing in your life and let me tell you – THERE IS HOPE! You can have peace and you can have joy! Jesus Christ promises us “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world,” John 16:33. We will have troubles, there is no doubt, but it is how we deal with it, and how we come through it that makes us who we are and sets the tone for our lives. I have been through divorce, betrayal, loneliness, miscarriage, skin cancer, and the death of my father. I have suffered through the toughest decisions a parent can make when their children are in crisis, and was ostracized by my own family for years because I married a man who was “the wrong color.” I have overcome many obstacles, heartaches, and problems in my life, many of which were self-induced and should have never occurred. There were many times I didn’t know where to turn or what to do, but when I finally figured out how to fix my life, the problems didn’t seem nearly so overwhelming and my life turned around for good. Yours can too! “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control,” Galatians 5:22-23. We can all have every one of these things! Inside this book are the answers to life’s problems, straight from God’s Word. I don’t believe in sugarcoating anything, and hiding from or avoiding the truth doesn’t benefit anyone. I believe in getting it all out on the table, assessing the situation, then fixing it! I have wasted years of my life just wandering through it in a fog, being full of self-pity most of the time, and trying to figure out what was going wrong. I can assure you that I will never waste another day of my life like that again and it is my prayer that you don’t either. I can never get those years back, but I hope that I can prevent you from doing the same. I pray that everyone who needs help with life will read this book, give a copy to a friend, a co-worker, or even a stranger in need, and that everyone who reads this book will be blessed with love, peace, hope, and joy. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

About the Author

Jamie Hill has worked over half her life in law enforcement, and has experienced storms in her life. She has been a stay-at-home mom with three toddlers and a teenager, and also a full time working mother raising four children. She has turned the struggles of her life into positives, making her a stronger person and bringing her on a closer walk with God. Jamie has learned to let God lead her to joy and peace, and she is dedicated to bringing this same joy and peace to the lives of others. She is married to J.D. Hill and they have four children: Beth, Destiny, Jim, and Tyler, and one grandson, Gabriel.