A Crash and a Book Giveaway!

I had a half-written post about how the book It’s All Under Control by Jennifer Dukes Lee was such an encouragement to me. Our family was coming off a rough year and a busy summer, where we didn’t have time to catch our breath. Life felt out of control, and this book was just what I needed to revive my spirit.

All of that is true. This book truly encouraged me in every chapter. My first blog post was nice. But then something happened. I fell flat on my face. Literally.

My husband and I were enjoying a weekend away, walking along a big city sidewalk, when suddenly I found myself sprawled on the concrete. I had been looking around at nearby buildings and, apparently, failed to properly navigate the uneven sidewalk. I’m not sure what happened exactly, but I tripped and ended up with a bloody knee, scraped up hand, scuffed elbow and a bruised ego.

So, why did I have to ditch my “nice” book review for a story of my wipe out? Because it’s exactly the kind of story I normally wouldn’t share. One of my first thoughts was, “At least this street is empty and only God, my husband and some random guy sitting on a step a block away were witnesses to this face plant.” I mean, how embarrassing! My inner perfectionist would like to pretend it never happened.

There was a deeper issue going on in my heart, and it went beyond the sting of my scraped knee or the embarrassment of tripping. Falling down was a concrete (pun intended, ha!) lesson in how hard I try to do everything right, to not mess up, to not trip and fall, literally or figuratively.

In It’s All Under Control, Jennifer writes about “Control Characters.” While researching the book, she found that women tend to fall into three general categories. She labels me a “Darling.” Isn’t that sweet? Her description of The Darling is scarily accurate. (Except for the part about having fashion knowledge. Don’t ask me about your skinny jeans. 😉 ) The Darling is motivated by internal control more than external control, uninterested in controlling the behavior of others but instead holding herself to a strict (likely impossible) standard.

The Darling definitely does not trip on a sidewalk. LOL!

You can take a totally-for-fun quiz on Jennifer’s website to see what control character you are. (The description in the book was more accurate than the quiz for me, but the quiz is fun anyway.)

I never saw my bend toward perfectionism as a “control” thing, but God has used Jennifer’s book to help me see my personality in a whole new way. Jennifer is one of my favorite writers, and I honestly didn’t think I needed to read her new book, because I’m not a Type A, control freak type of person (at least not most of the time). But, it turns out I’ve got a lot to learn and some inner striving to let go of.

We probably all struggle with control in one way or another. Maybe you have too much on your plate because you can’t say “No” for fear you will disappoint people. Maybe you’ve had things happen in life that were totally out of your control, and you’re not sure how to keep going. Maybe you’re like me, fighting an inner voice that keeps saying you need to do life better.

This book has something for every woman. Jennifer weaves stories from her life with Biblical wisdom and practical tools to help navigate life when things get out of control. I truly felt encouraged as I turned each page, and I think you will, too.

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I’m so excited to be a part of a huge giveaway to celebrate the release of It’s All Under Control. Jennifer and her publisher, Tyndale, are giving away 50 copies of the book in celebration of its release! Enter below to win. Giveaway ends September 30. Winners will be notified by Tyndale House Publishers. 

It’s All Under Control 50 Book Giveaway

I also have one book to give away to a friend who I know in real life. So, if you’d like a copy of this book and you are a person I can physically hand a book to (so local~ish, no postage required), leave a comment below by September 30 and you will be entered in my little giveaway.

 

Book Review: You’re Already Amazing

I hear a missionary share about her work in Africa. I think, “Maybe I should go to Africa!”

I see a family with twelve children. I think, “Maybe I should have twelve kids!”

I read about a mom who cooks everything from scratch, homeschools her children, runs a business from home, has organized every square inch of her house, writes blog posts every day, and has a weekly date night with her husband, all while looking super cute in her thrift store finds. I think, “Maybe I should do all of that!”

It’s certainly okay to be inspired by someone’s story, challenged to re-think my life choices, or follow someone else’s example. But sometimes I’m working so hard to be like everybody else, that I forget to be who God made me to be. 

If you’ve ever felt the same, wondered what you should really be doing with your life, or wished you could just do life better, I recommend the book You’re Already Amazing by Holley Gerth.

And here’s the thing: we only get one you. There never has been, and never will be, another you in this world. God doesn’t have a backup plan or replacement policy. That’s why I feel so passionately about you being who you are and embracing it. We don’t need a copy of someone else–we need to the one and only, original you.

— Holley Gerth, You’re Already Amazing, pg. 180

God did not create me to go around trying to be like everyone else. He uniquely designed and gifted me for a purpose. I sometimes wish God would just send me an email and tell me what to do with my life. And while You’re Already Amazing is not an email from God, it is an encouraging book with plenty of words that likely would be included if God were to send you an email. {Grin.}

With a series of tools, questions and examples, Holley helps you better recognize and evaluate your strengths, skills, relational style, personality and more, all with a warm, conversational style that makes you feel like you are chatting at her kitchen table. She weaves in a bit of poetry and shares stories from the women she counsels, her friends and her own life. She addresses lies you believe about being perfect and comparing ourselves to others, and gives guidance for determining where God’s journey is taking you.

This book seems incredibly timely for me, as I ponder what to do with my life in the coming years when my kids will all be in school. It also seems like a great book to keep as a reference, to re-read when I’m questioning a decision or headed to a new season of life.

More than anything, this book left me feeling content to be me. Just me. Quirks, issues, imperfections and hopes included.

And, psssst! Do you know what? The same goes for you! You’re amazing!

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If you’d like to know more about the book, check out DaySpring’s site here.

For more about the author, check out HolleyGerth.com.

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*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of You’re Already Amazing in exchange for this review, however all opinions are mine. Gracias.

Outlive Your Life

1.75 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day.

1 billion are hungry.

147 million children are orphans.

It’s hard to even comprehend those numbers, let alone begin to figure out what can be done to fix them.

Then, there is the neighbor who just lost a job.

A friend who lost a child.

A grandmother who has lost her memory.

So, what are we to do about all of the needs and hurts in the world? Can we really even make a difference? Can one person really do enough make an impact?

Max Lucado says, “Yes!” We can make a difference, in fact, we were made to make a difference! In his newest book, Outlive Your Life, Lucado says we should stop seeing the above statistics as unfixable problems and start seeing them as opportunities to step up, make a difference and share God’s love with the world.

Outlive Your Life is based on the book of Acts from the Bible and the stories of early Christ followers. They were ordinary people who made a difference, eventually spreading the hope found in God to the far reaches of the globe. Lucado weaves throughout more modern stories of people who did things that seemed small but had a huge impact on the lives of others.

My favorite story is about a Texas high school football coach with a winning team who asked his fans to cheer for their opponent, a team of kids from a correctional facility. More than 200 fans made banners, learned the names of players and cheered their hearts out for a group of kids that usually have no one on their side. It completely stunned the opposing team. After the game, one of the incarcerated kids participated in a group prayer. “Lord,” he said, “I don’t know how this happened, so I don’t know how to say thank you, but I never would’ve known there was so many people in the world that cared about us.” (Page 124)

I highly recommend this book. As with all Lucado books, I love his story-telling style and ability to make Bible stories come to life. Outlive Your Life will not leave you feeling condemned for not doing enough. Instead, you will feel encouraged and inspired to act in ways where God leads. Lucado uses Biblical principles to give practical advice to figure out how God has uniquely designed you to make a difference. The book has short, easy to read chapters, making it ideal for anyone.

In keeping with the message of the book, all of the author’s royalties are being used to help children and families through World Vision and other faith-based compassion ministries.

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I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Love & War

I remember a conversation with my brother about a friend of his who was from a culture that practices arranged marriages. I remember talking about how we can hardly fathom the idea and how bizarre it seems to us.

Then my brother said, “But the divorce rate there is almost zero.”

My immediate thought was, “Ah, but are they happy?”

And then, I immediately was disappointed in myself for thinking that, because I “know” that marriage is more than “being happy.”

So, what is marriage all about anyway? Why did God design marriage in the first place? I think the book Love & War: Finding the Marriage You’ve Dreamed Of, by John and Stasi Eldredge, can answer those questions.

This is not your typical “Seven Steps to a Happy Marriage” book written by an author who shares about the people he/she has counseled to a better marriage. Yes, there are some stories about other couples, but mainly the authors tell their own story  — the lows and highs, the bad and good, the ugly and beautiful — of a real marriage. I mean really sharing about their marriage. [Can you imagine writing a book about your marriage for all the world to read? Yeah, me neither.]

It is their realness and honesty that makes this book so good. I read it and felt normal, because as I read about their story I felt like I was reading my own. And while I related to the frustrations, misunderstandings and just general hardness of marriage, I also had the overwhelming feeling of hope. It’s as if the book says, “Hey, it’s Okay! You are normal! But there is something more. Marriage can be so much more … you can do it!”

But, not just that I can do it alone. And not even that Ben and I can do it in our marriage. But that God can do it when we invite Him into our marriage and into our lives. And isn’t that the message of Jesus? He accepts us as we are and invites us to something better.

Like I said, the book isn’t as much a how-to with a list of suggestions, but a story of how John and Stasi have invited God into their marriage. How they have learned to listen to God. How they’ve learned to love. And how they’ve learned that the “war” is not against each other, but against Satan, the enemy who wants to destroy everything God has called good. And most importantly that God offers us something better when we invite Him into our lives. It can seem like a risk — and it is! — but it is worth it.

And so begins the book: ”

It can be done. And it is worth it. Of all the things a man or woman needs to hear about marriage, this is perhaps the most important of all. It can be done. And it is worth it.” (Introduction, page 7)

The book is worth it, too. I find no coincidence in the fact that I finished reading the book in the week Ben and I celebrated our 10th anniversary! Thank you, God, for the gift of marriage! And thank you for the hope you give us!