Book excerpt: There is not much that I can't relate to in this life. I have been through abuse, divorce, betrayal, financial difficulties, military deployments, being fired, heartbreaks, death, suicidal thoughts, insecurity, anxiety, and temptations I have overcome and those I have failed. God has allowed me to be thrown into the fires of life several times. I never understood why when I was younger. I always felt that God hated me, or He was punishing me, or that I was less than other people. It wasn't until I broke free from going through religious motions and entering into a relationship with Jesus that I started to understand why I had to go through the fires I went through in this life. There is a reason you are going through the things you are going through. You are not just incurring pain for no reason. There is a story being written, there is a testimony being formed, and the difference between success or failure is learning how to get comfortable inside the fire. You must learn how to survive the fires of life. The only way to do this is by having the proper mind-set. Being victorious in the fire is a choice!