Bamboozled By Jesus: How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams

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Bamboozled By Jesus: How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams

Description

Thriving stand-up comic and actress Yvonne Orji—best known as Issa Rae's BFF on the HBO series, Insecure—shares the secrets to living the life of your dreams.

Yvonne Orji has never shied away from being unapologetically herself, and that includes being outspoken about her faith. Known for interpreting Biblical stories and metaphors to fit current times, her humorous and accessible approach to faith leaves even non-believers inspired and wanting more. 

The way Yvonne sees it, God is a Sovereign Prankster, punking folks long before Ashton Kutcher made it cool. When she meditates on her own life—complete with unforeseen blessings and unanticipated roadblocks—she realizes it’s one big testimony to how God tricked her into living out her wildest dreams. And she wants us to join in on getting bamboozled. This is not a Self-Help book—it’s a Get Yours book! 

In Bamboozled by Jesus, a frank and fresh advice book, Orji takes readers on a journey through twenty-five life lessons, gleaned from her own experiences and her favorite source of inspiration: the Bible. But this ain’t your mama’s Bible study. Yvonne infuses wit and heart in sharing pointers like why the way up is sometimes down, and how fear is synonymous to food poisoning. Her joyful, confident approach to God will inspire everyone to catapult themselves out of the mundane and into the magnificent. 

With bold authenticity and practical relatability, Orji is exactly the kind of cultural leader we need in these chaotic times. And her journey through being Bamboozled by Jesus paints a powerful picture of what it means to say “yes” to a life you never could’ve imagined—if it wasn’t your own.

Reviews

“Inspiration practically leaps off the pages and into the hearts of readers—the writing is engaging and the comedic timing is absolute gold. Orji is a cheerleader and best friend for every dreamer.”― LaParis Hawkins, Booklist 

“Not only is Yvonne really funny and smart, she brings a fresh new perspective to every story she tells. She is an absolute master, and an original voice that needs to be heard now more than ever. Once you let her in your mind, you’ll never want her to leave.”

― Chris Rock, actor & comedian 

"Yvonne somehow found a way to brilliantly weave her humor, insight, courage, and faith into pages that feel like a weekend retreat hanging with your best, boldest, brightest and most blessed girlfriend. Bamboozled by Jesus is real talk about deep faith put in practice from a woman committed to living a life of vision, purpose, service and success." 

 ― Kerry Washington, actress, producer, & director 

“Whether it’s as an actress, comedian or thought-leader, Yvonne has always given a fresh perspective and authentic storytelling. Bamboozled is a culmination of the characteristics that make her so special: sharp wit, fierce intelligence and an unapologetic sense of self.”

― Rachel Hollis, author & speaker 

"A delightful debut... Orji's boundless enthusiasm will appeal to her fans and newcomers alike."― Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Yvonne Orji is an Emmy-nominated Nigerian-American actress, writer and comedian. A failed doctor (blame organic chemistry), Yvonne took to comedy after needing a talent for a beauty pageant. Now, she entertains international audiences, as can be seen in her one-hour HBO comedy special, Momma, I Made It! A sought after speaker, she’s given the opening keynote at the Forbes’ Under 30 Summit, and her TEDx talk, “The Wait Is Sexy,” has garnered over a million views. Her breakout TV role was playing Molly on HBO’s hit show Insecure. She currently resides in Los Angeles. Connect with Yvonne on Twitter and Instagram: @YvonneOrji.

Oh God, Please Change My...

1. Oh God, Please Change My...



"There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid."1

"It's not my problem. It's my wife/husband who needs help!"

How many times have you heard this defensive type of statement? Having worked in the area of divorce recovery for the past decade or more, I have heard it repeatedly. One person recently said to me, "How do I make my husband understand that he is the one who needs help. He needs to know that he is wrong so he can get counseling."

"And why did you marry this person? What attracted you to him/her in the first place?" I ask. Rarely do I get an honest answer.

This is not true in all cultures but, at least where we make our own choice about whom we marry, there are always underlying reasons why we are attracted and drawn to a particular person of the opposite sex.

At least one single man I know was facing reality when he said that he could walk into a room full of women and would automatically be attracted to the sickest (emotionally sickest) woman in the room! He knew it was because of his own emotional sickness. There's hope for this man.

No matter what your wife/husband has done, the reality is you can't change them. If you try to, it just makes them angry or angrier. As I've said many times, the only one we can ever change is our self, and as we change, those around us are almost forced to change in one way or another. However, this is not always for the best because some people don't want us to change and get angry when we do. Change upsets the games they are playing!

I'm not saying that we should put up with someone else's abusive behavior. Not at all. But we need to remember that we are the only person we can ever change. And while we pray for the other person, we need to first ask God to change us—and to confront us with the truth about ourselves so we can see any character flaws we have that we need to work on and resolve.

And we can always ask God to help us to be as Jesus to our husband/wife so that they, seeing Jesus in us, will want him for themselves. That may be the only hope for encouraging others to change.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to quit playing the blame-game and always accept responsibility for whatever I am contributing in any conflicting situation in which I find myself. Help me to keep on changing and growing to become the person you want me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Proverbs 30:18-19 (NIV).

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