Synopses & Reviews
Seven-time Grammy award winning artist offers an inspiring blend of God and grit for building a fulfilling life "The Blueprint is a transparent approach to talking about issues-from marriage to politics to sex and religion-and it's from my perspective. Not from a Princeton, mainline, protestant, evangelical or liberal viewpoint, but from a 2010 Christian moderate with swag."
--Kirk Franklin
Gospel artist Kirk Franklin's faith wasn't always as strong as it is today. His father abandoned his family; his mother constantly told Kirk that he was an unwanted child and left him to be adopted when he was four; his sister became a crack addict; he never saw a black man who was faithful in marriage. Despite his shaky foundation he found strength and success through his music and through God.
In The Blueprint, Franklin will explain how by communicating with life's architect, God, he learned to see hardships as necessary life propellants and moved on to become the bestselling gospel musician in recent history, as well as a devoted husband and loving father.
This is not a step program, it's a lifelong journey. With Franklin's guidance, you will:
-pursue your dreams without losing yourself in the chase
-do some lifescaping to eliminate the "weeds" that hold you back
-declare your life to be drama-free
-get past your fears, so you can live and love fully
-pass the baton to future generations by leading by example
It's time to take faith out of the church pews and into our everyday lives. With hope, devotion, and strength, The Blueprint offers a plan to help you move beyond hardships to create your own personal Blueprint for life.
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Review
"One of the biggest superstars in gospel...Franklin revolutionized gospel with his hip, contemporary sound."
-Jet
"Kirk Franklin is his genre's most consistently successful mainstream artists for the past fifteen years, thanks to his fusing of gospel messages with hip-hop and pop beats."
-USA Today
"Once again, Kirk Franklin takes the church beyond the traditional, transitioning his life's experiences into life lessons. Clearly there is more to this man than great music. You will feel the beat of his heart and faith."
-T.D. Jakes
Review
"Kirk Franklin takes the church beyond the traditional, transitioning his life's experiences into life lessons."
-T.D. Jakes
"Franklin mixed 'God and grit' to create an honest map for the life he prays others will lead."
-Ebony
"If you're in need of a spiritual boost, you'll rise up after reading The Blueprint."
-Essence
"A perfect gift for a graduate. Gospel superstar Kirk Franklin provides readers with a "blueprint" for how to rise above obstacles on the road to success."
-JET
"Franklin shares his personal trials and triumphs and how he used them to propel him to success."
-Black Enterprise.com
"Kirk Franklin puts his gospel on the page. A down-to-earth spiritual guide for anyone trying to 'live above life's storms.'"
-SoulSummer.com
"The book reads like a conversation with Franklin, combining his hip language with vivid, realistic scenarios that readers can easily see themselves in as he approaches key life lessons."
-Eurweb.com
"Whether you're down and out, misguided, or simply need a boost to push forward, The Blueprint is the essential guide to creating a better you, one day at a time. Success doesn't come easy, but it will come with a helping hand. Follow The Blueprint and start living the life you were always meant to live."
-Praisephilly.com
Synopsis
The seven time Grammy Award-winning artist offers powerful, streetwise advice for building a fulfilling life in the face of adversity
One of the biggest superstars in gospel...Franklin revolutionized gospel with his hip, contemporary sound. -Jet
Kirk Franklin is his genre's most consistently successful mainstream artists for the past fifteen years, thanks to his fusing of gospel messages with hip-hop and pop beats. -USA Today
Kirk Franklin's life was hardly built on a firm foundation. His father abandoned the family. His mother also abandoned Kirk, and constantly told him he was an unwanted child. He was adopted by his 64 year old Aunt Gertrude at the age of four. His sister became a crack addict. He never saw a black man who was faithful in marriage. Without a blueprint, he struggled mightily yet managed to triumph even more mightily, dedicating his life to helping others find hope during hardship. With The Blueprint, he provides an inspiring blend of God and grit to deliver real-world words of wisdom on provocative topics, including:
A-Leap...With Faith: Sometimes it pays to leap without looking and say yes without thinking (Gill accepted the Starbucks job immediately, on a whim).
A-The true definition of manhood
A-Deadbeat dads, divorce and other sources of despair in family life
A-Why faith that only takes place in a church is dead
A-The consequences of sex and the responsibilities of parenthood
A-His own identity as a son, father, husband, singer and African American
A-What it means to be Christian moderate with swag in the 21st Century
The Blueprint delivers an honest new direction, taking faith out of the pews and into the real lives of all who struggle.
Synopsis
Seven-time Grammy award-winning artist Kirk Franklin offers powerful, streetwise advice for building a fulfilling life in the face of any adversity. Kirk Franklin's life was hardly built on a firm foundation. Abandoned by both his father and mother, Kirk was constantly told he was an unwanted child. He struggled mightily yet managed to triumph, dedicating his life to helping others find hope during hardship. With The Blueprint, he provides an inspiring blend of God and grit to deliver real-world words of wisdom on provocative topics including:
•The true definition of manhood
•Deadbeat dads, divorce, and despair in family life
•Why faith that only takes place in a church is dead
In the spirit of Hill Harper's Letters to a Young Brother and T. D. Jakes's He-Motions, The Blueprint delivers an honest new direction, taking faith out of the pews and into the real lives of all who struggle.
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About the Author
Kirk Franklin is the top gospel artist in Nielsen Soundscan history, selling more than twelve million albums and more than twenty #1 gospel hits. The host of his own BET talent search program, Sunday Best, he is the winner of seven Grammy awards, six NAACP awards, and many other honors. Also the author of the memoir, Church Boy: My Music and My Life, he lives in Texas with his wife, Tammy, and their four children.