Arthur Verdel

Overcoming the Briar Patch Arthur Verdel

OVERVIEW: Written from a Christian layman's point of view, "OVERCOMING THE BRIAR PATCH" is about discovering and fulfilling one's true purpose for living in a complicated and sometimes confusing society. Though times and technologies have changed, the basics of living and striving for success have not changed since the days of Adam. Along with personal stories of discouragement and failure, the author also used biblical examples and other true stories to help us better understand why bad things happen to us and what we can do to overcome the briar patch. Some stories will take us all the way back to the author's childhood years and reveal how many of our fears, prejudices and attitudes were initially developed. These childhood stories may appear to be fictitious and entertaining, but they were very real in the mind of a child. We also learn that there are three (3) main sources behind our problems and discover that some of our problems have a purpose to harm us while others actually work for our good. We learn that success means different things to different people and that wealth seldom leads to lasting joy. King Solomon tells us where to find wisdom and warns us to avoid the lifestyles of three (3) specific kinds of bad characters. God's word also teaches us how we are to treat others and how we should react to others when they mistreat us. By studying and following God's word, we can lead more productive lives and ultimately win the race.