A Different View: Start Living the Life Your Soul Longs For

By Vona Johnson

The world has twisted God's Truth. 

A Different View is the wake-up call Christians need.

The world is shaming us into embracing a culture k

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Academy Elite
• Release date: Nov 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647468811

Vona Johnson

VONA JOHNSON is Living Her More. She's an author, life coach, and speaker who, after a successful 30-year career in affordable housing, felt called to leave the corporate world and help others live their faith in all aspects of life. Her first book, 'A Different View: Start Living the Life Your Soul Longs For,' shares why it is important to do so. Her second book, 'Equipped for More: 10 Essential Habits to Stop Your Doubts and Fear of Judgment and Boldly Live Your Faith,' shares how. She lives in Pierre, South Dakota, with her husband, Steve, where she is honored to serve as a city commissioner. Some of her favorite things to do are reading, attending outdoor music festivals, riding in their '64 Ford Galaxie convertible, and producing her podcast, Longing for More. To connect with Vona, visit VonaJohnson.com.

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Praise for A Different View

A Different View cuts to the core of many of the challenges our society faces today and shows how we’ve drifted from the path God intended. It inspires us all to see how we can impact the world and live our true purpose.

—Kim Avery, MA, Author of The Prayer Powered Entrepreneur: 31 Days to Building Your Business with Less Stress and More Joy

Vona is a gifted writer and has hit the important topics of our day. She helps us focus on where society has drifted away from God’s plan and lovingly shows us how to shift our priorities and live the life God intended us to live.

—Abby Johnson, Former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director; Founder, And Then There Were None and ProLove Ministries

Through her own experiences, Vona shows how God works in our lives and helps us through the challenges we encounter. She shows how God can take even the most difficult situations and turn them into good.

—Kary Oberbrunner, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, and CEO of Igniting Souls Publishing Agency

In a world of so many conflicting messages, it is hard to know what is true and what is not. It’s high time we stop believing everything we think we know and get back to the foundation of our faith. If you have wandered from your Christian faith, feel unsure of your purpose, or question if what you hear is the truth, the Bible will always steer you to the right place. If that’s too daunting for you, A Different View is a great place to start your journey back to the truth of God’s Word.

—Rev. Dr. Cory J. Rajek, Theological Educator

A Different View

Start Living the Life

Your Soul Longs For

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Vona Johnson

A Different View© 2021 by Vona Johnson. All rights reserved.

Published by Author Academy Elite

PO Box 43, Powell, OH 43065

www.AuthorAcademyElite.com

All rights reserved. This book contains material protected under international and federal copyright laws and treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the author.

Identifiers:

LCCN: 2021916420

ISBN: 978-1-64746-879-8 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-64746-880-4 (hardback)

ISBN: 978-1-64746-881-1 (eBook)

Available in paperback, hardback, e-book, and audiobook

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT®, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Author Academy Elite, nor does Author Academy Elite vouch for the content of these sites for the life of this book.

Some names and identifying details have been purposefully left out to protect the privacy of individuals.

Formatting and cover design by Jetlaunch

Back cover image by SabOlga/Shutterstock

Author photo by Michelle Maupin Barrett Photography

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This book is dedicated to my grandmothers. They were women who instilled in me a passion for learning and books. While each followed her unique path, they both demonstrated love, a commitment to God, and how to live our faith.

Like so many grandmothers who want to leave a legacy in this world, they lived their more!

Contents

Foreword

Note To The Reader

PART 1 LONGING FOR MORE: Hearing Your Soul’s Cry

1 The Cry for Faith

2 The Cry for Knowledge

3 The Cry for Identity

4 The Cry for Clarity

5 The Cry for Authenticity

6 The Cry for Discernment

PART 2 ALIGNING FOR MORE: Shifting Your Focus

7 The Heart Shift

8 The Truth Shift

9 The Faith Shift

10 The Tolerance Shift

11 The Love Shift

12 The Success Shift

13 The Patience Shift

14 The Expectation Shift

PART 3 CONNECTING FOR MORE: Seeking His Purpose

15 The Purpose of Possibilities

16 The Purpose of Surrender

17 The Purpose of Presence

18 The Purpose of Connection

19 The Purpose of Fortitude

20 The Purpose of Prayer

PART 4 LIVING FOR MORE: Sharing The Gift

21 The Gift of Faith

22 The Gift of Courage

23 The Gift of Persistence

24 The Gift of Light

Always Live Your More Prayer

Notes

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Foreword

As we get older, we realize that our perceptions of the world aren’t quite what we once thought they were. We reflect on the past and think about what we could have done better. We devise plans to improve our circumstances with the hope that we can learn, grow, and be happier. But life keeps moving on, habits are hard to break, new issues arise, and even when we meet our goals, our plans never seem to fully satisfy our inner needs and desires.

This book will get you to see your plans from a different perspective, no matter who you are, where you want to be, what you think you want in life, or how you think you feel about any of these. A Different View is filled with stories, insights, and encouragement of faith and God’s eternal truth. I genuinely feel there is something very special about this book. I found myself constantly relating my own life to her words and being inspired to want more; I am confident that the same will happen for you. Just as we are all unique in our trials and triumphs, each of our minds will go in various directions where God needs us to personally focus on the all-encompassing truth that only He can provide.

There’s no doubt that God had a hand in composing the words that fill these pages. My mom’s thoughts about everyday life, combined with the Scriptures she references, make an effortless yet powerful connection to a path that God has for us. She takes on uncertain topics such as sin and faith, and transforms our worries and fears into relief and excitement. These topics can be difficult and even scary when we don’t know what they entail. But the more we learn about God’s intentions for us, sin and faith become a topic of relief, and we begin to get excited about God’s plans for us—to share His truth with others and lead by example. When we realize this, we stop worrying about anything and begin to pray about everything.

In this book, you’ll discover that God can use our missteps to allow us to stumble into something much greater than ourselves. As you will learn, nine months before I was born, my mom had a choice to make. I am so grateful and blessed she chose life. I imagine she didn’t realize it then, but that decision had the potential to impact thousands of lives, not just the one within her. I can’t help but think of the hundreds of friends and acquaintances I have made in life and the hundreds of kids I have worked closely with during my years in the fields of special education and at-risk youth. Not to mention, the three beautiful boys I am raising with the love of my life and the impact they will have in the world. My relationships and interactions with each of those souls, no matter how large or small my influence may be or have been, would be voided if it weren’t for her courage then and her guidance throughout the years. People say, Everything happens for a reason. While that may be so, it is our job to find the good in every situation—in other words, it is our duty to find God’s purpose for why things happen in your life and make the most of it.

A Different View reminds us that God is in control whether we feel it or not. We often place too much comfort in the idea that if we make the right decisions or do good things we’ll be okay. This book graciously illustrates that we can try to be our best, but it won’t ever be enough without giving our hearts and full trust to God. I realize when I say this you’ll think, Yeah, I know this. But after reading these words, something inside of you will shift and you’ll begin to live it.

By the end of this book, you will learn that living your more is about embracing God’s individualized plan for you. It’s about each one of us entwining our unique past with our exclusive skills and dreams to fulfill the purpose God has explicitly created for us. Once you connect with your more, you will begin to Live Your More.

I am blessed to have the opportunity to introduce to you A Different View. I am absolutely excited about the gift you are about to receive, and I am thrilled that you, too, will have the opportunity to share this gift with others.

Tye Harlow Johnson

Son of the Author

Note To The Reader

Almost everyone is longing for more peace and fulfillment in life. Often if we gain strides in one area, we feel it has to be at the expense of the other. This constant struggle leaves us feeling dissatisfied, empty, and always searching for the thing that will bring meaning to our lives.

We’ve all been there, moving in and out of times of satisfaction and discontent. The fact you picked this book up tells me you can relate, and your soul longs for more.

Telling my story is the best way I know to demonstrate how I bought off on the lies of this world and began to believe I could fix all my problems myself. Through the years, I’ve learned that God has a plan for us all; fortunately, we don’t get to see how it will play out. That is a big part of the lesson, and, honestly, that’s what makes the journey exciting.

My path of discovery began when things were finally going my way after a bumpy start, and I was getting everything I thought I wanted. I had just graduated from college. Within two months of moving back to my hometown, I started my first real job and met the man I would marry. I loved my work; I found it challenging. Though I climbed through the ranks quickly, it always felt like something was missing. I pushed myself harder to do better, thinking the rewards would fill the need in me that I couldn’t describe. Like so many people in society, the promotions and pay raises were nice, and they certainly helped to buy the bigger house, the fancier car, and the clothes I thought would make me feel successful, but they didn’t fill that empty place inside of me.

So, I kept finding more things I could do to help me feel satisfied with life. I frequently traveled for work, taught Sunday school, became the Sunday school superintendent for a while, and took on the role of team parent for my son’s hockey team, but it came at a cost. My life was full, but it felt like I had given up any opportunity for peace in my soul. We were constantly on the go. I remember racing to church most Sunday mornings. I’d land in the pew exhausted, empty, and ready to fill my cup until the following week.

Only, my full cup never lasted until the next week. I dreaded the weeks when I couldn’t get to church because we were traveling or had other commitments.

The discovery of Bible studies was a real turning point for me. The weekly homework helped my cup stay full longer during the week, and I felt a sense of peace. My husband and I had participated in couples’ studies for years, but I knew I had found my place when I began attending women’s studies. Those women understood me; they stirred something in me I had no idea was there.

I started to realize that some of the things I had always believed about myself and the world weren’t true; they didn’t necessarily line up with what Scripture said. The Bible study leaders’ messages about Jesus’ love and how He wants to be more than a superhero to be worshiped and admired really struck a chord with me. I realized He wants to be my friend, not just a figure that is constantly correcting me. I also learned the Bible is much more than a book full of rules and thou shalt not restrictions than I had grown up believing.

The studies began to show me I could choose how I responded to others and make better choices with my time and life. I started to handle things differently, smile more often, and most importantly, I began to dream again. It wasn’t long before I knew I needed to take my experience and find a way to help others in this world. I’d been focusing a lot of attention on healing the effects of stress on my body from working long hours and eating for comfort. I got a coaching certificate and started my career as a health coach, thinking I’d finally found my purpose. I’d help people regain their health, and all would be right in my life.

If you’ve ever taken a step in life thinking you had the solution to your problems to find it was only the first step, you’ll understand what happened to me. Some things were better, but others weren’t. God had other plans that He wasn’t ready to share with me just yet. He helped me to see that the root of most people’s health challenges had very little to do with what we are eating and a whole lot to do with who we are being. Honestly, if I couldn’t provide a magic pill, no one was interested in what I had to offer.

Ironically, as time wore on, the pendulum swung the other way. With my family grown and gone, my schedule wasn’t so hectic anymore, and since I was my own boss, my life was much calmer. Sadly, it simply wasn’t fulfilling. I was still trying to do everything my way and wasn’t having the impact I thought I would, nor was I financially successful.

For several years I frantically tried everything in my power to make my business work. I hired coaches and business mentors, attended training and conferences, started a podcast and made all kinds of beneficial connections. But it still didn’t feel right. In my heart, I knew I was doing the work God wanted me to do, so why wasn’t it working out?

In desperation, I turned to the Bible for solutions and was surprised to find that every answer I was looking for was right there, along with so much more than I could have imagined. It shocked me to see that so many of the truths I’d grown up believing or had learned in the coaching world were biblically based but had been twisted—sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. Once I looked at life through this new perspective, I could feel a peace in my soul that I’d never experienced before. It was so rewarding to share this truth with others. I began to live my faith, and I began to live my more.

Once my eyes were opened to this new way of thinking, I noticed that most peoples’ worldviews are modified versions of God’s truth. Though I’d always known that the secular world had disdain for much of what God’s Word offers, I was naive to the fact that some Christians did too. I was shocked to learn that others felt justified in picking and choosing what Scripture was true and what wasn’t. New converts and long-time believers, leaders in the church, and even ordained ministers were selective in what they believe from the Bible.

People I loved and respected said things to me that were not true when tested against the Word of God, even though they claimed Scripture as their source. The more I researched, the more convinced I became that it is time that our world shift our focus away from culturally acceptable things and back to the Bible.

It’s troubling that people I know and love believe lies and make choices that could impact on their salvation. As afraid as I was to admit it, I realized God was calling me to do something about it. It became clear that it was time to write the book God had planted the seed for decades ago.

Using examples from my life and the new perspectives I learned along the way, A Different View will show you how the world has twisted the truth of God’s Word. It will also shed light on how we’re being shamed into embracing a culture that is keeps us from experiencing the real joy that comes with knowing we are fulfilling our purpose and living the lives we were created to live.

This book will show you why it is essential we as Christians safely guard every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we take and how we are provided the tools we need. Once you realize the eternal consequences of living the values of this world, you will be motivated to make different choices every day and inspire those you love to do so, too.

I know that this concept will not be popular. There will be times it will be downright uncomfortable, and you will struggle because many concepts I share are not culturally acceptable beliefs. I ask you to prayerfully read through this book with an open mind and check every single idea and suggestion against the true Word of God. If you do, I believe by the conclusion of this book, you will have the courage to stand up against the false truths in today’s society, which not only embraces this constant battle but encourages it. Throughout