Control Girl- An Enlightening Wake Up Call for Ladies Desperate to Let Go (even when they don't realize it)

My Thoughts:

Wow. This book has been a life changer, a wake up call, and at the same time a calming reassurance to me. If you're like most women, it will be for you, too. Do you crave control for yourself, your husband, your children, or your future? Do you search for ways of "helping" God? I had no idea but my whole life has been revolved around CONTROL. In fact, I could be the poster child for CONTROL GIRL. I'm not saying this with pride, I'm saying it with a heavy heart. It turns out that many women in the Bible were Control Girls, too. Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge and then "guided" Adam to do the same (control), Rachel had her servant sleep with Abraham to "help God" with His promise of children (control), and on and on. This book isn't guilt inducing, though, it's more like a friend advising you to release your burden of control and trust that God is the one in control- always. He doesn't need our assistance or input, ladies. He just needs our obedience and trust. My goodness, I struggle with this! But so has Shannon Popkin and she knows exactly what Control Girls struggle with every day. 

I absolutely devoured this book! Each lesson left an impression on my heart. I relaxed and leaned into the Lord instead of frantically thinking of ways to "help" Him. The burden of control is immense and stressful and I was beyond ready to let it go. I just didn't know it. Reading Control Girl was one of the best things I ever did for myself. Take time and read it yourself and you'll see what I mean. :)

Are you trying to stay in control of your quest for peace, joy, and security . . . and you're exhausted? Shannon Popkin's debut book, Control Girl, is a must-read for anyone with a heart that craves control. Join Shannon as she shares what she has discovered about her own control struggles and about God from studying seven Control Girls in the Bible. Whether it was Eve’s desire to know instead of trust, Sarah’s inability to wait for God to move, or Rebekah’s controlling hand on her family’s future, each of these women’s stories contain warnings and lessons for us today.


Learn how to give up control to God and become a Jesus girl! Enter to win a prize pack that will help you give up your Control Girl tendencies.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of Control Girl

A Vera Bradley tote

A rose gold arrow bracelet

A set of Moleskine journals

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on February 21. The winner will be announced February 22 on Shannon's blog.

{MORE ABOUT CONTROL GIRL}

Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible (January 2017, Kregel)

Tension, anger, fear, anxiety—it all begins with a heart that craves control.

Little fights with your husband and kids. Unhappiness when things don’t match your version of perfect. When your perspective of how life should go replaces God’s, you doom your quest for security, peace, and joy before it even starts.

Thankfully, there is a better way.

Join Shannon as she shares what she has discovered about her own control struggles and
about God from studying seven Control Girls in the Bible. Whether it was Eve’s desire to know instead of trust, Sarah’s inability to wait for God to move, or Rebekah’s controlling hand on her family’s future, each of these women’s stories contain warnings and lessons for us today.

Learn how you too can lay down this burden of trying to control everything and find rest in surrendering to the One who truly is in control.

{MORE ABOUT SHANNON POPKIN}

Shannon Popkin is a wife and mom, a speaker and teacher, and a leader of small group studies. She’s been published by “Family Fun,” “MOMsense,” “Focus on the Family Magazine,” and other outlets. She is a contributing blogger for True Woman.com and has blogged for several years at shannonpopkin.com. “Control Girl” is her first book.

Find out more about Shannon at http://www.shannonpopkin.com.

*I was given this book by Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.*

When We last Spoke by Marci Henna- Heartfelt, Funny & absolutely Delightful!

My Thoughts:

When we Last Spoke is a delightful visit to the days of Elvis, drive-in movies, 
Necco Wafers, and dressing up and dancing to the Supremes. This step back in time revolves around Juliet and Evangeline Cranbourne, aka Squirrel and Rabbit, whose mother drops them off at their grandparent's house when she decides to pursue a Hollywood career. Ruby and Walt (Popo) generously raise the girls as their own and hilarity, heartbreak and lots of memory making ensues. I truly loved this book for many reasons. The writing was beautiful,:

"Time seemed slower back then. One hour felt like five. A week equaled a year. Christmas was always an eternity away. We marked days by rainfall, by the mysterious births of white-faced calves, and by how many buckets of maize we'd hauled to the chicken yard where we gathered eggs. Mealtimes were spent around Ruby's oval table, picking the tender white meat off of friend chicken wings and eating spoonfuls of sweet butternut squash, sliced red tomatoes and green peas, all vegetables from her blue-ribbon garden." (The words just make you want to jump into the story.) 

the stories were heartfelt and the characters were incredibly memorable. Small town antics involving eccentric old ladies, jealous church busy bodies and a mysterious single "floozy" with teased hair, frosted lip stick and go go boots keep the story rolling at a cleverly quick pace. I was charmed by the way the author delighted her audience with the point of view of a 9 year old girl. The only negative point is the cover if the book. It's boring, in my opinion, and this story deserves so, so much better. It's a charmer that will make you laugh- a lot- and will also deeply touch your heart.

****Marci will be giving away a FREE Kindle version from Feb. 20-24 on Amazon.*****

About When We Last Spoke (back cover):

            "Humor, heartbreak, and triumph are served with whipped cream and lots of local nuts in this heartwarming tale of family, friendship, and forgiveness in Fireside, Texas.

Meet Juliet Cranbourne, local radio personality and owner of a whimsical kitchen gadget store, and her sister Evangeline, a fruit tree geneticist who works for Oregon State University.

When a rift due to their orphaned past affects their sisterhood, Juliet convinces Evangeline to come home for Christmas and choose headstones to honor grandparents Walt

(a tenderhearted, good looking rancher) and Ruby (a blue-ribbon fiddler, fabulous cook, and expert in the art of making family feel loved).  As they cruise through Fireside in Ruby's

Thunderbird, Juliet hopes that healing memories will somehow smooth rough roads ahead.

Does the tremendous love that marked Walt and Ruby's lives still have the power to renew their sisterhood and help them find their place in the world?"

About the author:

            Marci Henna was born in Austin, Texas and lived as a child in Kenya, East Africa with the Wakamba tribe where her parents managed a medical research station. She later moved to the Hill Country ranch which has been in the family since the 1800's and currently lives in Austin.

*I was given a copy of this wonderful book by FlyBy Promotions. The words and thoughts expressed on my blog are my own.*