I don’t know about you, but I love to do things my way! I love to know what to expect and have life fall into place and meet my expectations.
I love feeling like things and circumstances are in control – or that I am. And honestly, in some circumstances I need to be in control, but then there are those times when I need to let it go and trust God with the outcome.
My friend Karen Ehman is a self-professed recovering control-freak. I love that about her! She’s joining me today to talk about her new book, Let.It.Go. Karen is my oh-so amazing-friend and ministry teammate with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She’s also the wife of one very wonderful guy (he helped move furniture and a huge wall hanging at my house not too long ago}! She’s also the mom of 3 great kids, a national speaker and 4-time author. Here’s a little about her new book and how you can win a copy!
Karen’s book Let.It.Go. will empower you to:
- Take control of your schedule yet welcome interruptions from God
- Draw the line between mothering and micromanaging
- Influence your husband instead of manipulating him
- Learn to control your emotions when you can’t control the circumstances
- Stop pursuing the appearance of perfection and start pursuing the person of God
*A companion 6 week dvd and Bible study guide is also available.
I had the chance to interview Karen about this new project. Here is what she had to say:
Karen, tell us a little about why you wrote this book. Are you a control freak?
Ummm….yeah! What woman isn’t about at least some aspect of life? We have so many areas that we must be in charge of—at home, at work, in the church and community. What happens is that we let our strengths of multi-tasking and getting jobs done morph into a weakness of being controlling.
So, are you saying controlling can actually be needed at times?
Of course we must control our homes and schedules and such. We should work with diligence and excellence. What we have to be careful of is going from being conscientious to being controlling. Being conscientious is doing a job well. Being controlling is trying to manipulate the outcome. There is a difference and we know deep down inside when we’ve crossed that line. This book helps women determine how to control what they should, trust God with what they can’t, and most importantly, how to decide which one is which!
What are some areas you cover in the book where women try to run the show?
We try to be in control of our homes, our schedules, our kids, our husbands, our circumstances, others’ opinions of us…..the list is long!
So what is at the root of why we women control?
We control because we don’t trust God. We think we know better than Him just what is best for us. It is as old as the garden of Eden. Well, guess what? God called and He’d like his job back!!
The holidays are coming up. Do they bring out the control freak tendencies in women?
Oh yes….in fact. One whole chapter of the book is about my friend Lisa Whelchel daring me five years ago to not make any decisions for a whole three weeks RIGHT AT THE HOLIDAYS!! It was painful. And actually, in the end, wonderful. I think this topic is so important that I’ve written a free five day resource for women dealing with the holidays called From Chaos to Calm: The LET. IT. GO. Christmas Challenge. Your readers can sign up for it here.
What is your prayer for the woman who reads your book?
I pray that through learning to relinquish control and let go of the reins, she will be able to grab hold of her faith. That her relationship with God will strengthen as she learns to stop trying to fix outcomes and get her own way but seeks His perfect will for her life—and the lives of her loved ones—instead.
Thank you so much Karen!! I’m so excited about your book!
Enter to WIN: Click “Share your Thoughts” below this post and let us know why you’d like to win 2 copies of Karen’s new book, Let.It.Go. as well as a Starbucks gift card! Also, share on Twitter, Facebook and via email and link back to today’s post and then leave another comment for a second chance to win! {I’ll be announcing last week’s winner in another post shortly>}
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I know I still need a lot of help in this area. I would love to win a copy of the book and see what the Lord teaches me through it.
I just shared on facebook and pined it…Also…I LOVE STARBUCKS
I am so intreeged by this title, as I am so struggling AGAIN with letting things GO! Seams I learn how to let go and then some other circumstance comes along and poof…it all goes out the window again real quick…I have learned and know that God can do such a perfect job, so why am I still struggling with it again! It is very frustrating…this time it has to do with my daughter and God knows that is soooooo close to my heart!
I look forward to reading this book! Thank you and God Bless you
I can not wait to read this book!!! I loved everyone’s posts!!! I don’t think of myself as a control freak, but know that I am..to the point I’ve suffered depression and anxiety for over 20 years… I think if I take control everything will be ok or go right. I pray everyday for change…. Knowing God will take care of everything, but silently wondering, and I know I shouldn’t!!! Faith is what I crave!!!! Thank you girls so much for all the lives you have touched and helped!!!! I love you!!!!
I need to learn to let God do the conttroling and I need to rest. I try to control way to much in my family and my life. I would like to share with a feirnd who dose the same things
I have so much I need to let go of. I feel I really need to read this book. Thank for the opportunity to receive a free copy.
I need to let go Of contrl issues and Lt God do it for me I need to trust him
I am a control freak that needs to let God Handle the tings that are beyond my control. I have a friend the same way
You hit the nail on the head with the subject of this book. I’ve been looking forward to the release of this book since I first heard about it. My problem is letting things go and then trying to pick them up again! I loved how you talked about the difference between being conscientious and controlling. Do I really trust God with the outcome? I should but do I always? Sadly, that would be no but I want to improve!!! Thank you so much for tackling this subject and can’t wait for the online study of your book with Melissa Taylor’s Online Bible Studies early 2013! Blessings!
I would love to receive this book! I am especially interested in the parts about emotions. I am the worst at trying to control those. Everyone says that I am to emotional so if I could learn to tone it down a bit that would be great!
Thanks,
Christy
Would like to put in our church library
Life is so out of control, I can’t even be in control anymore. Maybe that is God’s lesson in the whole thing.
I am not a person who usually enter thing like this. I came from a father who was a very controling person. I hated it . i destised it. But as live goes, I became that person. All my life I have struggled with the Christian walk. I don’t know if it is because I want to control my life orI have trouble with the Father figure. I wonder sometimes that maybe I am afraid to let go. Your title stuck out and then the word control. I use to try to read to learn. But as I got older I quit. Maybe i need to get back to reading material again.
This book sounds wonderful and I am anxious to read it and apply it to my life.
I have control issues and need this.
Oh, how I’d love to be reminded that I’m NOT in control and that I should be daily asking the Lord to take the driver’s seat in my life. This morning’s devotion was beautiful timing to a rather ugly day.
I so need this book right now. Lots going on with lots I can’t control and need to know how to deal with it.
I need help letting God take the reigns. I would love a copy of the book!
My friend Marcia and I just finished the Unglued series. It made such a difference in my life. My relationship with my teenage son is stronger than ever before. I want to ocntinue to grow in my relationships, especially with my family.
Well, guess what? God called and He’d like his job back!!
Love this…what a relief. Looking forward to learning to strike the balance of what I can and should control and what i must hand over.