Contemporary Authors

Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes

Watts, Kristi

WORK TITLE: Talk Yourself Happy
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 10/31/1971
WEBSITE: https://www.kristiwattsministries.com/
CITY: Virginia Beach
STATE: VA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:

RESEARCHER NOTES:

PERSONAL

Born October 31, 1971; children: one son.

EDUCATION:

University of Dayton, B.A., M.A.

ADDRESS

  • Home - Virginia Beach, VA.

CAREER

Author. Worked variously as a television editor, host, writer, producer, and reporter. Talk Yourself Happy Productions, founder; Kristi Watts Ministries, founder. Former 7oo Club cohost. Host, producer, and creator of A Matter of Concern; cohost and producer of Friend to Friend.

RELIGION: Christian.

WRITINGS

  • Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart by Speaking God's Promises, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2017

SIDELIGHTS

Kristi Watts is perhaps most commonly known for her work on the 700 Club. She co-hosted on the morning television show for years, before departing for personal reasons. She has since built a new career for herself, meant to help others connect with God and their faith. Watts’s own bond with the Lord began early on in her childhood, and continues through her television production work. Her career has allowed her to meet with several notable individuals. After leaving the 700 Club, Watts created her own television programs and has helped to create extensive news coverage of several notable events. She is also the founder of Talk Yourself Happy Productions and Kristi Watts Ministries.

Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart by Speaking God’s Promises shares its name with Watts’s production company, and serves as an extension of her teachings on how Christians can better connect with their faith and shape their lives into something positive. Her inspiration for this saying came from her earlier adult years, when she was unexpectedly abandoned by her husband and left to raise her young son alone. Talk Yourself Happy documents Watts’s early struggles, as well as her attempts to pull through and make it out on the other side successfully. This turn of events came to impact her job on 700 Club, leading to her termination and a resulting scramble to find a new source of income in its place. With this newfound instability, Watts found herself struggling to stay afloat not just financially, but emotionally. Her belief in her ability to survive the situation wavered, as well as in God’s ability to carry her through it. These changes thoroughly contradicted her image on the 700 Club, where she was always unfailingly upbeat. What helped her to change her attitude and turn her situation around was her remembrance that God had something wonderful in store for her, and her commitment to reminding herself of this fact every day, even during her low moments. Doing this kept Watts not only faithful, but patient enough to hold fast and keep trying until God showed her the new path she was meant for. Along the way, neighbors and loved ones stepped in to offer her their support, providing a bit of relief for Watts’s worries. In addition to her message, Watts also offers several tools and tips on how to put her message into practice throughout the trials and tribulations of the real world. Watts references several pieces of scripture throughout the book to further support her arguments, all of which ultimately lead to one point. Rather than relying on your happiness to manifest from worldly expectations, we should trust God to steer us in the direction we’re meant to be in. In doing so, those of faith will find themselves living much happier lives on a much more consistent basis. A steady belief in God keeps us level and helps us to live a better quality of life.

One Publishers Weekly contributor called Talk Yourself Happy a “moving book.” On the Fit Yourself Club website, Zachary Houle remarked: “All in all, Talk Yourself Happy is a worthy read.” He added: “If you’re going through a season of sorrow or trouble, reading this book may help — and it may serve as a moral compass towards getting your life back on track.” A reviewer on the Fix-it with Fran blog wrote: “Kristi shares her personal story with readers in a way that allows you to feel (or at least I felt) that ‘she gets it!'” On the Incite Faith blog, one writer commented: “One thing I loved about Kristi’s perspective is speaking God’s promises and Word over our life and circumstances.”

BIOCRIT

PERIODICALS

  • Publishers Weekly, November 14, 2016, review of Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart by Speaking God’s Promises, p. 52.

ONLINE

  • Fit Yourself Club, https://fityourself.club/ (March 25, 2017), review of Talk Yourself Happy.

  • Fix-it with Fran, https://fixitwithfran.com/ (March 8, 2017), review of Talk Yourself Happy.

  • Incite Faith, http://incitefaith.com/ (August 13, 2017), review of Talk Yourself Happy.

  • Kristi Watts Website, https://www.kristiwattsministries.com (August 30, 2017), author profile.

  • Talk Yourself Happy Website, http://www.talkyourselfhappybook.com (August 30, 2017), author profile and summary of Talk Yourself Happy.*

  • Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart by Speaking God's Promises Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2017
1. Talk yourself happy : transform your heart by speaking God's promises LCCN 2016026037 Type of material Book Personal name Watts, Kristi, 1971- author. Main title Talk yourself happy : transform your heart by speaking God's promises / Kristi Watts. Published/Produced Nashville, Tennessee : Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, [2017] Description xix, 219 pages ; 22 cm ISBN 9780718083861 CALL NUMBER BT180.P7 W38 2017 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE
  • Kristi Watts Home Page - https://www.kristiwattsministries.com/personal

    Be REAL
    Most people define themselves by what they do for a living and how important that makes them feel. Guilty as charged. So, here you go… the basics. I’ve worked in both Christian and secular television for over 25 years. I’ve carried the titles of television host, reporter, producer, writer and even editor at times. I’ve traveled around the world, experienced extraordinary events and met a lot of impressive people. In fact, most of the impressive people were more impressive before I met them. That is, with the exception of a couple of really cool folks. When I think about it, what made them cool wasn’t what they did but rather who they were. It was their character, their heart and their ability to be kind without attached motives.

    What I’ve come to realize over the past several years is that we’re all the same. Regardless of pedigree, position, job title, financial status or public recognition. We- are- all-alike. We all want to feel Loved. Valued. Appreciated. Happy. Healed. Directed. Significant. And Free. The only place to receive all of the above? Is in the heart of Jesus Christ. It’s now where I live.

    Be TRANSFORMED
    When I was 5 years old I accepted Jesus into my heart. While holding my mother’s hand and standing at the foot of her bed I said the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ At the time my motive was simple… I didn’t want to go to hell. It wasn’t until years later that I learned true Christianity was about a relationship with Christ not a ritualistic one. Yes, I grew up in a strong Christian home and dedicated my life to serving the Lord through my work in Christian television BUT I never really KNEW God. Sure, I could recite scriptures and pray to the mountain-tops and considered myself a ‘strong’ Christian. But my knowledge of God was just that… knowledge. But then something changed. Everything changed.

    When my husband walked out on me and our newborn son, I was a broken ‘hot- mess’. But then God LOVED me, through His presence…making me whole again. When I struggled with low self-esteem and major insecurities about… everything, His WORD HEALED me. When I battled weariness and discouragement as a single mother while trying to balance work, motherhood, bills, a house, car-repairs, clogged toilets… you name it… GOD STRENGTHEN me.

    And…

    When fellow Christians betrayed me, blamed me, abandoned me, rejected me, used me, and hated me…wounding my heart to the core… GOD SURROUNDED me, PROTECTED me, GUIDED me, CLEANSED me, ENCOURAGED me …and HEALED me!

    Be HAPPY
    When I was 5 years old I accepted Jesus into my heart. While holding my mother’s hand and standing at the foot of her bed I said the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ At the time my motive was simple… I didn’t want to go to hell. It wasn’t until years later that I learned true Christianity was about a relationship with Christ not a ritualistic one. Yes, I grew up in a strong Christian home and dedicated my life to serving the Lord through my work in Christian television BUT I never really KNEW God. Sure, I could recite scriptures and pray to the mountain-tops and considered myself a ‘strong’ Christian. But my knowledge of God was just that… knowledge. But then something changed. Everything changed.

    When my husband walked out on me and our newborn son, I was a broken ‘hot- mess’. But then God LOVED me, through His presence…making me whole again. When I struggled with low self-esteem and major insecurities about… everything, His WORD HEALED me. When I battled weariness and discouragement as a single mother while trying to balance work, motherhood, bills, a house, car-repairs, clogged toilets… you name it… GOD STRENGTHEN me.

    And…

    When fellow Christians betrayed me, blamed me, abandoned me, rejected me, used me, and hated me…wounding my heart to the core… GOD SURROUNDED me, PROTECTED me, GUIDED me, CLEANSED me, ENCOURAGED me …and HEALED me!
    Most people define themselves by what they do for a living and how important that makes them feel. Guilty as charged. So, here you go… the basics. I’ve worked in both Christian and secular television for over 25 years. I’ve carried the titles of television host, reporter, producer, writer and even editor at times. I’ve traveled around the world, experienced extraordinary events and met a lot of impressive people. In fact, most of the impressive people were more impressive before I met them. That is, with the exception of a couple of really cool folks. When I think about it, what made them cool wasn’t what they did but rather who they were. It was their character, their heart and their ability to be kind without attached motives.

    What I’ve come to realize over the past several years is that we’re all the same. Regardless of pedigree, position, job title, financial status or public recognition. We- are- all-alike. We all want to feel Loved. Valued. Appreciated. Happy. Healed. Directed. Significant. And Free. The only place to receive all of the above? Is in the heart of Jesus Christ. It’s now where I live.
    Some Christians will tell you that happiness is superficial and even conditional while JOY is everlasting. True. In fact Happiness IS conditional.

    But check this out! Proverbs 16:20 says, “Whosoever TRUSTS in the Lord, HAPPY is he!” It doesn’t say, whosoever has the most money, or the greatest job or the best ‘whatever’ happy is he. Happiness is found in the place of TRUSTING in GOD. But here’s the deal, the only way to TRUST GOD is to KNOW God. And the only way to KNOW GOD is to know His WORD, His WAYS and His HEART. It’s when we choose to seek Him, while being ‘real’ with Him do we EXPERIENCE Him! That’s what happened to me. And here’s the really cool part. It’s when we really KNOW God that we know who we are! Regardless of our circumstances. When we know who we are and whose we are then nothing anyone does or says or believes about us carries the power to negatively affect us. And THAT is where our HAPPINESS lies!

    Every day I CHOOSE to trust God! I trust Him in my failures, I trust Him in my shortcomings, and I trust Him in my fears. But even in the midst of it all. Because of who HE is… Happy am I!

  • Kristi Watts Home Page - https://www.kristiwattsministries.com/mission-statement

    Mission Statement

    Kristi Watts Ministries' main focus is simple. It's to teach people the basics of who God is by encouraging them to learn the Character of God... the Heart of God... and the JOY found in a relationship with God! Through His son Jesus Christ!

  • Kristi Watts Home Page - https://www.kristiwattsministries.com/professional

    Kristi Watts BIO

    Full of JOY and quick with a smile, Kristi Watts is best known for her role as a former co-host on the award winning television program, The 700 Club. Kristi is a gifted storyteller who draws the audience in with her down to earth personality and relatable style. Her humorous, yet honest approach has won over television audiences for over 20 years.

    Born outside of Chicago and the youngest of five children, Kristi grew up in a strong Christian home where she accepted Christ into her life at the age of 5. After experiencing a devastating divorce and a break-down of her faith through unexpected trials and challenges Kristi says that, “It was the miracle working power of God’s love that healed my broken heart and restored my faith in His son Jesus Christ.” God’s transforming power in her life has raised up a special call to share the JOY and HOPE of God to the world. Today, through the platform of television, radio, speaking engagements and writing, Kristi shares her message of hope through Kristi Watts Ministries and her production company, Talk Yourself Happy Productions.

    Although Kristi started out in news working at a local NBC affiliate in Dayton, Ohio she eventually found her niche in Christian television where she loved “getting to the heart of people’s personal stories.” She is known for her in-depth interviews with authors, celebrities and public figures such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and movie mogul Tyler Perry. Kristi says that her most life-changing encounter was when she interviewed Nick Vujicic, an Australian man born with no arms or legs. “He is one of the greatest examples of how God can use someone with no arms or legs to be HIS hands and feet.”

    Kristi produced and co-hosted an inspirational television program called Friend to Friend in Columbus, Ohio. During that time, she also created, produced and hosted a weekly inspirational news magazine-style program called A Matter of Concern. Since beginning her television career in 1992, Kristi has trained and mentored several aspiring television reporters where her goal is to teach them “to find the heart of the story, because heart touches heart.” Kristi also co-hosted a children’s program on a FOX affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. Her reports on medical missions with Operation Blessing have taken her to some of the most remote villages in the world in Africa, Albania, Indonesia and many other parts of the globe. She has also covered several ground-breaking stories including Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. Kristi received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Dayton in Ohio.

    Today, Kristi continues her ministry with a passion to lead people to the heart of God by showing them how to “Talk Yourself Happy!”

  • Talk Yourself Happy Book page - http://www.talkyourselfhappybook.com/

    ABOUT
    Former cohost of The 700 Club Kristi Watts reveals the pitfalls that keep Christians from true joy and demonstrates the transformational power of speaking the words and promises of God.
    How does a person bounce back after being beaten down personally, professionally, and emotionally? What impact do words, thoughts, and beliefs have in determining one’s level of happiness? Kristi Watts asked herself these questions after her marriage dissolved and she left a high-profile position as a cohost of The 700 Club. Initially excited to walk into a new season of life that she thought held the key to happiness, she soon stumbled into emotional pitfalls that left her discouraged, disappointed, and distant from God. Known as the upbeat host who was always filled with joy and laughter, she was anything but—yet she was determined to get her happy back! But how? By learning, as Kristi did, that true happiness is not simply acquired but rather cultivated.

    When one’s words focus on faulty perspectives, faith is quickly derailed, but by remembering God’s blessings and verbally claiming His promises, hearts change. Using biblical principles, Talk Yourself Happy illustrates the importance of relying on God to tame our tongues and train our minds, and it exposes the hidden traps that keep Christians from living lives of happiness, empowering readers with the ultimate transformation of their hearts.
    Kristi Circle.png
    3D.png
    About the Author
    Kristi Watts is best known for her role as a former co-host on the award-winning television program The 700 Club and for her in-depth interviews of authors, celebrities, and public figures such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and movie mogul Tyler Perry. She recently launched Kristi Watts Ministries to provide Bible study tools, video blogs, and speaking engagements. Today, Kristi lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her son.

Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart by Speaking God's Promises
Publishers Weekly. 263.46 (Nov. 14, 2016): p52.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Listen
Full Text:
Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart by Speaking God's Promises

Kristi Watts. Thomas Nelson, $16.99 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-7180-8386-1

Watts, former cohost of The 700 Club, uplifts with this account of how speaking positive, life-giving affirmations in the midst of life's most harrowing experiences can lead to deeper faith and confidence. Watts begins by detailing the events surrounding the unraveling of her marriage, her role as a single parent, and her ongoing search for a job to support herself and her son, and how these turbulent times challenged her overall happiness. She also shares with a tender transparency her struggles with inadequacy, failure, discouragement, and struggles with her faith. Waiting upon God and getting only silence forced Watts to reexamine her spirituality, a blessing in disguise that allowed her to renew her bond with Jesus. Readers will appreciate Watts's candor as she allows outsiders to examine her inner life throughout what felt like interminably dismal circumstances. In this moving book, Watts reveals how simply speaking God's words aloud (often and with conviction) can transform unhappiness into genuine faith-infused happiness. (Jan.)

"Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart by Speaking God's Promises." Publishers Weekly, 14 Nov. 2016, p. 52. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA473459051&it=r&asid=4ce9fab3d67484cb2ff74d11f8fa55a0. Accessed 13 Aug. 2017.
  • Fit Yourself Club
    https://fityourself.club/a-review-of-kristi-watts-talk-yourself-happy-d72fe0169138

    Word count: 1089

    A Review of Kristi Watts’ “Talk Yourself Happy”
    Happiness Is …

    “Talk Yourself Happy” Book Cover
    Sometimes books leap out at you when you go to a book galley or just plain book download website, and this one was no exception. I was enticed by the blurb for Kristi Watts’ Talk Yourself Happy, because, well, it was a book about happiness. Seeing as though I’ve had my share of disappointments, difficulty and anxiety, I thought it would have a good message for me to parse. Indeed, it did. Basically, it’s a book about how you can go from a bad place to a good place by speaking the promises and such of God, found in His Word. I found the book to be largely compelling, as the author shares intimate details of her own faith journey. Now, a bit of a warning: the author was a former co-host of The 700 Club, which I haven’t seen in years, but recall from my youth as being particularly evangelical. So there’s some stuff here that I found myself reacting against. But not too much.
    Essentially, while the tone is evangelical, and there are things here such as “Jesus died on the cross for you sins” and so on and so forth, there isn’t a lot of it — so that made me feel thankful and as though I wasn’t being bashed over the head with a theology I don’t really agree with (which I find in some books). In fact, the message of this book is rather universal and fairly mainstream. We all have trials in life. But if we hold onto the Word of God, good things are bound to happen in their own time.
    Granted, I found some of the information in this book to be repeats of other fairly recent books that I’ve read on hope and such. That seems to be a bit of condemnation in other reviews that I’ve seen online. However, I think it’s good to be constantly reminded of certain things — such as God does things on his own timeline, whether or not that’s acceptable to you — so I wasn’t too hung up on that aspect. I suppose where I did get hung up is that the author’s story is — to use the word of another reviewer — rather opaque. She uses flash forwards and flashbacks as a narrative tool, and this can disorient the reader.
    Usually, it isn’t until later in the book that details of the author’s personal narrative start to emerge. For instance, Watts tells us early on that she was seemingly let go from her co-hosting job. So a lingering detail hanging over readers’ heads is … why? It turns out, though this is to be inferred and isn’t told to the reader directly, that her marital status change (along with giving birth to her son from said marriage) seemed to have a big role in bringing about her dismissal. It’s critical details that seem to be missing from the book, and that is one of them.
    Anyhow. The key takeaway from Talk Yourself Happy is that you can get to a better place by putting the practices of talking about your life as being centered around God’s Word. That’s a crucial bit, and I have to admit that even I stumble on that fact most of the time. To help, Watts gives exercises to do at the end of each chapter that is to help you live life more glorified. The only problem is, for me at least, that a lot of the advice involves praying with other people. I suppose I do this every Sunday in church, but I’m not a very social guy (to be honest) and the concept of praying with someone else outside of the church context is something that absolutely terrifies me. So I’m not sure if the exercises are helpful in that regard — though maybe they are planting seeds in my mind that I have a few things to work on.
    Still, I was taken by the book because some of the author’s circumstances mirrored mine. While I haven’t suffered divorce and being a single parent, Watts loses her job at The 700 Club early on — again, presumably because of her personal marriage circumstances — and her financial struggles were something that deeply resonated with me, and, thus, my interest in the book increased as Watts went on to recount how she was able to get by with the help of her community and other people in general, and how God revealed the promise for her life. This aspect of the book felt true and honest, and the book is worth reading because of this account.
    All in all, Talk Yourself Happy is a worthy read. It’s not perfect, and I found my interest waning from time to time (especially when the author talked about her son, which I have no context for as a single person), but, overall, it’s an uplifting and empowering work. If you’re going through a season of sorrow or trouble, reading this book may help — and it may serve as a moral compass towards getting your life back on track. To that end, I’m grateful to have read this, even if some of the writing is a little wanting. There’s some good information to be had between these covers, if not a little Good News — and, for that, I can heartily recommend this title.
    Kristi Watts’ Talk Yourself Happy: Transform Your Heart By Speaking God’s Promises was published by Thomas Nelson on January 3, 2017.
    Of course, if you like what you see, please recommend this piece (click on the green heart icon below) and share it with your followers.
    Zachary Houle is a resident of Ottawa, Canada, and was the recipient of a $4,000 arts grant from the City of Ottawa for emerging artists. He has been a Pushcart Prize nominee, too. He also is a music critic, with music writing publishing credits in SPIN magazine and the Ottawa Citizen, among others. He is a member of First United Church in Ottawa, Canada, and has been so for the past two years. Houle is interested in anything having to do with deepening his newfound faith in God, so, if you’re an author, feel free to get in touch. Contact: zacharyhoule@rogers.com.

  • Fix-it with Fran
    https://fixitwithfran.com/2017/03/08/talk-yourself-happy-book-review/

    Word count: 1218

    Talk Yourself Happy: Book Review

    I’m just not feeling it today.

    I haven’t been feeling it much this week.

    In fact, I’m not feeling much of anything. Especially not nouns. You know– people, places and things.

    I’m pretty much over them all.

    But that’s where this book became an on time tool for me. In fact, there have been several occurrences this week that ultimately served as reminders that I needed to “Talk Myself Happy….”

    First, one of my friends asked a question in our group text earlier this week that evoked an immediate response from me. Her question was, “Why is it that we sometimes fall off or get out of the worshiping spirit?”

    Can I tell you how grateful I am for a group of transparent friends!!!
    Ain’t that the truth….. We all get there sometimes.
    My immediate response: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. You have to push play and listen/sing until you start to feel different.

    I didn’t realize it when I sent my response, but this goes back to the moment I stood in the Garden of Gethsemane in Israel. Those were Jesus’ words to Peter. It’s moments like this when those Bible stories I learned as a little girl become so tangible.
    It might sound cliche, but it’s real. We all have those moments when we feel some type of way, even when we know that we shouldn’t. When we want to worship, but our body and physical selves go against everything we know in our spirit man. And sometimes we just give in to that. Our spirit may be willing, but our flesh is WEAK and if we are not on guard and disciplined we won’t have the strength necessary to resist the temptation.

    Fix-it With Fran in the Garden of Gethsemane

    Jesus Prays at Gethsemane … Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
    So then what? I believe we ultimately get to a point where we become disgusted with ourselves and the results of our ways. We know from the scriptures that if we sow to the spirit we will reap to the spirit, but if we sow to the flesh, we will reap also from the flesh. I think that’s why we can only live this way for so long…. it’s fruitless. When you’ve been connected to the vine and you’ve been producing fruit– you’re only going to go but for so long before you realize that your life doesn’t have the fullness that it once had.

    That moment is its own wake-up call. You realize that something has to change. If that moment doesn’t come from within, it usually comes at the hand of a trusted friend or wise counsel that will hold up a mirror for us to see ourselves.

    Don’t like what you see in the mirror? Make that change (Yeah, that’s a Michael Jackson reference there. You knew a song reference would becoming… Man in the Mirror will PREACH).

    Talk Yourself Happy is another book that I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to review. I actually came across the text thanks to You Version’s reading plans. There is a 5 day reading plan available for Talk Yourself Happy that I’d highly recommend. I’ve been reading it this week and it has helped me tremendously. In fact, I read it this morning and it changed my outlook on my entire day.

    Talk Yourself Happy Review by FixItWithFran

    Earlier today, I was speaking with someone on the phone and she complimented how joyful and pleasant I was. I thanked her and tried to move on with the conversation, but she insisted and continued describing how I was much nicer than anyone who had called her previously. That was such a blessing to my day (and I was having a rough one)!

    Here’s more about the book from the Publisher:

    How does a person bounce back after being beaten down personally, professionally, and emotionally? What impact do words, thoughts, and beliefs have in determining one’s level of happiness? Kristi Watts asked herself these questions after her marriage dissolved and she left a high-profile position as a co-host of The 700 Club. Initially excited to walk into a new season of life that she thought held the key to happiness, she soon stumbled into emotional pitfalls that left her discouraged, disappointed, and distant from God. Known as the upbeat host who was always filled with joy and laughter, she was anything but—yet she was determined to get her happy back! But how? By learning, as Kristi did, that true happiness is not simply acquired but rather cultivated.

    When one’s words focus on faulty perspectives, faith is quickly derailed, but by remembering God’s blessings and verbally claiming His promises, hearts change. Using biblical principles, Talk Yourself Happy illustrates the importance of relying on God to tame our tongues and train our minds, and it exposes the hidden traps that keep Christians from living lives of happiness, empowering readers with the ultimate transformation of their hearts.

    Fix-It Fran’s Review of Talk Yourself Happy:

    First and Foremost, the book is easy to read. I’ll be honest. I initially passed up reviewing the book, but I came across the reading plan on YouVersion, the description met me where I was, and I decided to start it. Then I wanted to read the full book.

    Her writing style is easy to follow and the voice that she uses is very conversational. That makes a big difference to me. If I’m already in a “not feeling it” mood,I don’t need to read a book that is going to make me feel as if I’m being preached to about all of the reasons I shouldn’t be feeling that way.

    Nope, not gonna work for me.

    I need someone who will give me the truth, someone who has true empathy for my experience, and who can share some wisdom with me and equip me with an applied knowledge of scriptures that will both bring my flesh into submission and empower my spirit man while doing so.

    This book is good for that! Kristi shares her personal story with readers in a way that allows you to feel (or at least I felt) that “she gets it!”

    Today was not the first day that I’ve had to talk myself happy and I’m sure it will not be my last, but I’m equipped with even more tools for the journey ahead and I’m praying that this will encourage and help you as well.

  • Incite Faith
    http://incitefaith.com/2017/03/talkhappy/

    Word count: 311

    Talk Yourself Happy Transform Your Heart by Speaking God’s Promises was a timely read. I think one of our biggest misconceptions is if we think happy, we will be happy. In my own life, this isn’t always the case. One thing I loved about Kristi’s perspective is speaking God’s promises and Word over our life and circumstances. This has the power to change our perspective significantly.

    Our thoughts and words have power, especially the ones directed at ourselves. I’m getting better in this area with God’s help. We have a powerful weapon available to us daily and that is God’s Word. Kristi reminds us speaking God’s promises out loud breaks the enemy’s hold over us. Using the Word of God and speaking His promises allows for spiritual breakthrough.

    Speaking God’s promises over our life is not just a pep talk, but a way of life.

    I’m learning this a lot lately. Every time I get into a funk, I repeat scripture back to myself. Thankfully, I have friends in my life who remind me daily of God’s truth. We need to believe daily the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and break through the lies of the enemy. This is the key to happiness.

    If you struggle in this area, Talk Yourself Happy is the book for you.

    I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.