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Book Review: “Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have”

Published

9 years ago

December 31, 2014

This is the year when you’ll finally do it.

Your New Year’s Resolution is to find love. You’ve vowed to open your heart and your mind and this year, you’re going to do it. But dating is fraught with trouble, so where do you begin?
In the new book “Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have” by Taffi Dollar, you start right at home – with yourself.

When she was young, Taffi Dollar was somewhat of a wild child.

She drank, took drugs, partied, and slept with her military boyfriend. Her relationship with him wasn’t very good, though, and that caused a lot of sadness – until someone handed her a flier about a Bible study group, and she decided to attend.

After that first night, she was so excited about what she learned that she ran to her dorm room, fell on her knees, and gave herself to God.

She also fell in love with the speaker at that Bible study. They dated for awhile, married and started a family, but their relationship wasn’t perfect – and that’s one of the points Dollar makes: nobody is perfect.

We’re all flawed, but God loves us anyhow.

And yet, it’s good to remember that “God’s ways are not always our ways.” What He offers us in blessings may not be clear, at least not in the beginning.

We need to listen, be quiet, and pay attention and “when we understand how God expresses His love, we can recognize His love in our life.”

If you feel a wall between love and happiness, learn to determine where that wall came from. Get rid of guilt, anger, old hurts, betrayals, irritations, and wipe the slate clean by knowing that God made you and that he’s proud of His creation. Don’t, therefore, give yourself such a hard time.

When times get tough, remind yourself to walk in faith. Dedicate your relationships to God and ask Him for help when you need it.

Pray with the ones you love and keep the lines of communication open. Put grace back in your life. And above all remember that, no matter what happens today or tomorrow, you are blessed.

When I first picked up “Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have,” I thought it was a book on hearts-and-flowers kind of love. And I suppose, ultimately, it is – but there’s much more to it than that.

Long before any romance can begin, author Taffi Dollar guides her readers on a path toward loving themselves and accepting the love of God.

That, as Dollar indicates, is a good base for having a strong relationship with a man.

And once you’ve found that, she includes chapters on keeping a marriage healthy, asking for help from God, and raising children to love their creator.

If you want love of self or other this year, don’t breeze through this easy-to-read book, even if you’re tempted to. Instead, grab it knowing that “Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have” demands introspection and meditation. And then do it.

“Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have” by Taffi Dollar, c. 2014, Amistad, $21.99, 240 pages.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.