Book Review and Giveaway: Control Girl by Shannon Popkin

Do you know any controlling, manipulative persons in your life? They are not pleasant to be around, are they? I know I don't want to become one. Maybe you yourselves have struggled with the desire to control. I know I have at times. This desire or craving usually makes things worse and produces the results that are opposite of what we expect/want. It also brings about anger, frustration, stress, fear, anxiety, discontent, pressure, and conflicts. It often damages relationships. The author of Control Girl shares valuable lessons from seven women in the Bible who had the control problem: Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, and Miriam. Their control issues led to a mess which serves as a warning for us. Shannon Popkin points out that there's a better way to live. Relinquishing control (surrendering all to God who truly is in control) and living by faith lead to a beautiful & victorious life. A life of sweet surrender brings peace, joy, and freedom. On the contrary, the craving for control is a curse, burden, and disease. Control is an illusion, anyway. At then end of the book, the author uses Mary as an example of a surrendered life we should emulate.

The author shares about her own control struggles and the devastating effects of the control problem seen in seven women in the Bible. Each chapter consists of 3-5 lessons. Each lesson includes Scriptures for study and meditation, questions to reflect upon, and practical steps to apply. I highly recommend this relevant, convicting, and insightful book! It's great for personal study or for small group studies. I'd rather be a Jesus freak than a control freak any day. How about you?

"As we try to control things we can't control, we tend to lose control of the one thing we can--ourselves." (p. 27)
"Faith is trusting that God is for us, even when he keeps things from us." (p. 40)
"Rather than controlling my loved ones by pressuring them into external changes, I must exhort them with truth, then entreat God to work in their hearts." (p. 75)
"It's possible to give God control of big decisions and then ignore his Spirit for the small ones. It's possible to make Jesus our King and then live like a Control Girl queen." (p. 189)

~I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. To read other reviews, visit here.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the author:

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 shannonpopkin.com.

   

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.