Living for God - Book Review and Giveaway: Blue Like Play Dough

Living for God

Monday, July 27, 2009

Book Review and Giveaway: Blue Like Play Dough

Posted in Reviews

Update: This giveaway is closed. The winner (randomly chosen) is Dana Carroll at TheHomeschoolMommy. I would like to thank every commenter. I've been touched and encouraged by your heartfelt stories. Thanks for taking the time to share your struggles, challenges, learned lessons and more! I pray that the Lord will continue to work in your lives and give you triumph and that He will be glorified through your testimonies.

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Blue Like Play Dough

Summary:

In the everyday stretch and squeeze of motherhood, Tricia Goyer often feels smooshed by the demands of life. In Blue Like Play Dough, she shares her unlikely journey from rebellious, pregnant teen to busy wife and mom with big dreams of her own. As her story unfolds, Tricia realizes that God has more in store for her than she has ever imagined possible.

Sure, life is messy and beset by doubts. But God keeps showing up in the most unlikely places–in a bowl of carrot soup, the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon, a woe-is me teen drama, or play dough in the hands of a child.

In Tricia’s transparent account, you’ll find understanding, laughter, and strength for your own story. And in the daily push and pull, you’ll learn to recognize the loving hands of God at work in your life…and know He has something beautiful in mind.

Author Bio:

Tricia Goyer is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including Generation NeXt Parenting and the Gold Medallion finalist Life Interrupted. Goyer writes for publications such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family, speaks to women’s groups nationwide and has been a presenter at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) national convention. She and her husband, John, live with their family in Montana.

My Review:

Blue Like Play Dough is the second book that I've read from Tricia Goyer. I read her other book, My Life, Unscripted, a couple years ago. I like her writing style...very casual, friendly, and easy to read. Tricia shares her life experiences, including her mistakes, with sincerity and humility. In Blue Like Play Dough, I can relate to some of the things she shares, such as desiring to be a perfect wife and perfect mom :), raising 3 kids (one girl and two boys), learning in homeschooling, memorizing God's Word, listening to God-given radar, actively supporting crisis pregnancy centers, etc. This book serves as a gentle reminder to surrender all to God. When we do that, we will see something beautiful because God will mold and shape us to be the moms He wants us to be. I enjoyed reading the book; it made me pause and pray (for my kids, my husband, and myself). I also cried when I was reading Chapter 20: "When Death Stopped at Our House." You have been warned :).

Giveaway: I have one copy of Blue Like Play Dough to give away. The deadline is July 31st at midnight (Pacific Time). I will randomly choose the winner and announce on Aug. 1st. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

To enter: Please leave a comment here sharing a struggle or challenge you have had while homeschooling or parenting and how it was resolved or how you adapted to the struggle or what God has taught you through it/what you have learned from it. Please make sure to leave your email address or your blog's address, too. You will receive an extra entry if you post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook (remember to include the link to your post in a separate comment).

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Comments

Monday, July 27, 2009 - God uses hard things

Posted by lifelearners6@yahoo.com

My son became so depressed during his first year of college that he was sent home. He cried more during the months that followed than he ever did as a baby. Why is God making me suffer, he would ask. I couldn't answer the question. I was asking the same thing. After awhile I couldn't pray.
My son started going to a different church, and our family eventually followed. It was a place where people were very real and very honest: "Yes, life is unbearably hard sometimes. Yes, God seems to disappear sometimes. But He is there."
Slowly, slowly my son got better. He's back in school and doing pretty well most days. Now my oldest daughter is having some problems. My first thought: wasn't one problem child enough? Can't we do normal now? But I'm learning that God uses hard things to bring grace to our lives. I really hate hard things, but God seems to think they're useful. Maybe He's got more problem children in store for me. Who knows? I do know God will be with us. I think I can keep praying.

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Monday, July 27, 2009 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Shawntele

Wonderful giveaway! We have only been homeschoooling a year and the greatest challenge I have faced is with my teen. Trying to help him lose the 'public school' mentality of just getting things done to be done with it, instead of embracing the learning. I can't say that we have resolved this yet, but I am praying this year will show more growth and some change. :) You can find my blog here:
http://savedbygrace721.blogspot.com/

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Monday, July 27, 2009 - Book give away

Posted by Anonymous

My daughter had a hard time learning to read because she was reading like I spoke. I have speech defect. After struggling with this for 6 months or more. I felt that God wanted me to let her be and i just started reading to her daily. Then one day she asked to read a page and surprise she was able to readi with very little help. I was listening to the world and not to what God was leading me to do or listening to my heart said to do. During this time my daughter and I grew closer together.

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Monday, July 27, 2009 - Failure

Posted by Anonymous

When I began to homeschool I had never seen it done. I had lived in a foreign country for two years and when we returned to the states, my children were woefully behind their former classmates. I decided to homeschool when we returned home. It was my biggest failure in life. I just thought that when you told them what to do...they did it. I didn't bother to get the answer sheets to the algebra book...too expensive. I got the teacher's edition to the language and grammar books thinking I would have the answers and the questions. I didn't know that they were together and that I'd have to copy each page and white out the answers and copy again. I had to work each algebra problem my son did to see if his answers were right. All in all a nightmare....and in a country where no one homeschooled....no help at all. I persevered though and all of my children (5) went to bible college, three have master's degrees from university. A total failure I was, but God challenged their hearts to serve Him and learn of Him and He took my intent and turned it around. Now all 5 children and their spouses are homeschooling their children and doing a wonderful job teaching my 18 grandchildren.
xaba1989@gmail.com

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - God is so faithful!

Posted by andierae1115@aol.com

Thank you for sharing your story to inspire and help other women. God is faithful. The enemy wants us to hold on to our shame, but God can use our mistakes, missteps, even our sins to show others his love and mercy, his kindness and grace. I, too, was a rebellious teen and single mom young. Over the past 20 years I have seen our God work in ways that still amaze me and awe me. Thanks again for being so open! God's blessings!

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - Fast or slow?

Posted by jaam1224

This morning while I was making biscuits, 3 of the 4 children were in a bedroom playing while the baby was still asleep. This has been the first morning that I haven't had little ones under foot "helping" with breakfast and talking non-stop in ages... well... I can't even remember the last time. I thought "Oh the joy of peace and quiet! So this is what it is going to be like when they are all grown and off doing their own thing...(ting of sadness) Wow! This sure goes lot faster without little hands."
Then I heard, "yes, but are you REALLY enjoying it more than seeing their smiling little faces as they help you?"
"hmmmm, (now this is a serious debating question) ..maybe not but it certainly goes a lot faster."
"maybe life is not meant to be "faster"
.. maybe when it is faster, you are missing out on all the real richness in life that I meant for you to enjoy
... maybe life it is meant to be slower.
.. much slower.. .
slow enough to really enjoy the simple pleasures
... simple pleasures of just being together weather it be making breakfast or enjoying the summer evening in the yard hanging out..the ever changing sunset with your love ones"
"hmmmm............(thinking about this)..
..... I will have to think more on this later, here comes to troops asking questions..."

Here is my question: (strike that: Here are my question (S):)
So in these lazy days of summer, where is MY (your) focus, my attention?
Am I really living life like God wants me to be?
Am I really enjoying the ALL the richness God has intended me to, in this life HE has planned for me?
Am I focusing on my blessings and the things that God treasures or the small insignificant negative things that are trying to distract me from how blessed I REALLY am?

Let's each take some time to slow down.. I mean REALLY s-- l-- o-- w d--o--w--n..
Clear your schedule for one whole day.. yes.. the WHOLE day with NO PLANS what-so-ever. Scary, isn't it?! LOL
Then wait and see what God has planned for you to enjoy, to savor like a piece fine chocolate for just that one single special day. I will be doing this today on my hubby's ONE day off this week. I am going to let go of my plans and schedule and just enjoy every second of being with my husband. I wonder what adventure we will have

This is all fine and dandy for a special treat... however, I believe God wants us to enjoy the life we have... once the day is over.. take some time to figure out how to add a small chunk of time to each day just to savor a part of it... laughter over making breakfast... a quiet cup of tea with a chat... a sunset walk around the block..truely look in the face of your loved one as they laught.. memorize it.... bedtime snuggles.. just stop and really concentrate on that exact moment, focus on it as hard as you can like you are trying to engrave it into your brain so you can remember it when you are old and grey.. relish in the sweetness that God intends for you to enjoy. So how are you going to live today.. fast (getting more done) or slow (and relish in the sweetness of God's blessings to you?)

I pray you have a blessed day!

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - It's a girl!! (?)

Posted by lily

How many young mothers would thrill at these words!

But I felt numb. I hugged my infant close in an effort to calm my racing heart. I had had a girl? What was wrong with me? Wasn't I supposed to feel ecstatic?

I had wanted a baby so badly, and pregnancy had not come until two years into our marriage. I was so excited, and dreamed of all the wonderful things the baby and I would experience together--first words, first foods, first steps... Oh, so exciting!

My husband and I picked out names, the boy's was easy--his daddy's middle name, but the girl's? I couldn't imagine a girl. A girl? This was difficult: finally we picked a very old and beautiful name, my grandmother's. Maybe the baby would be as wonderful a lady as her, that was IF it happened to be a girl.

I peeped down at the baby's tiny face. So this was to be Lillian? I was mommy to her? Maybe if I hug her enough I will be okay.

Over the next weeks and months my feelings raged from heaven to hell. When I nursed and cuddled her baby form, it was heaven. And when I looked at the future, it was far from heaven. I was terrified that she would relive my choices as a teenager. It had taken so much to really break my fascination of witchcraft and deceit, that I kind of wondered if God had enough energy left in case my teenage girl liked it too.

Satan told me, "It's better to end her life now so she won't go through the tough times you did." I knew it was him, for God loves even the infants--the Bible says so (the mothers brought even the infants to Jesus that He would touch them.). I resisted the thoughts. I sang to her; but he still talked and talked and talked. He would paint the most awful pictures, and I would just sit there and cry. Because I did love my baby so much, and it seemed so dark around us. I was scared--what if I did do something, if my guard went down? I had heard of mothers who killed their children. Was this how Satan began working on them to get them to finally do it?

There is power in prayer coming from a pure heart, and I knew that my husband had this. And so, with a not a little fear of what he might think of me, I told him what Satan was saying, and how afraid I was. And my husband prayed for me. Nothing fancy, but God heard us. And He heard my prayers, which weren't always coherent to human ears.

The awful pictures stopped. And the pressing darkness abated to the likeness of a desert, in other words, nothing beautiful in sight. Thank God! I was relieved, and oh, so thankful. But I still couldn't seem to love this baby a great deal, and it bothered me, but I stuck it in the back of my mind.

We were going along like this, enjoying the good days, dragging through the sand on the other days when I heard the voice of Satan again, this time on how unvaluable a child is. I considered that if that were true, then his first suggestion (which we had prayed away) was probably going to be next on the list.

I got very earnest, and told the Lord I would do *anything* He wanted if He would tell me how to completely escape out of this dreary state. I told Him I thought that unless I could live in a way that His blessings and love could hourly shower me, I was going to wear down and give in at some point to something. (Isn't that the cause of suicide?)

He told me to give all my heart. He said it was the cause of all the trouble I was having, that I had given most of my heart, but the part I had not given had unfortified walls. Because they were weaker than the parts God had, Satan attacked them to see if he could get me back.

This "anything" I had said in my desperate unhappiness now took on dimensions unrealized before. And I didn't want to, really. So Satan doubled his efforts. In misery, I cried, "Why, Lord, do you ask so much?" And He said, "So you can be happy."

I gave Him all He asked for. My favorite dreams, and everything else He wanted. And do you know what? (And with what joy I write this--) He did something (and I don't know exactly what) that when Satan would say the very same words, they had no power in them. It was so dark before, I think because the power pulled on me. But now it was like my paper dolls, very flimsy. And I just thought, "what a foolish suggestion," and that was that. No struggles, no fear of giving in.

It was really amazing the first time it happened. I was alone with the baby, and not feeling so great that day, and Satan began to talk. And I remembered it seemed so see-through, like tracing paper, and I said, "No. This is God's baby. I'm not doing that." And he went away.

I have been learning to have real joy with my baby--it was wonderful when I first laughed from the heart a really joyful bubbly sound. She was five months, I think. This joy, I had to earnestly pray for too, and I am learning. I must go slow-- at her toddling pace, and I must include her in all I do, which is many things. And keep her included with my talking when I am actually cooking food.

And now when ladies say, "You have a girl! How nice!" I agree from the heart. It is wonderful to have a girl!

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - Re: It's a girl!! (?)

Posted by lily

I forgot to include my email address: lily@mygardenofspices.com

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - Finding joy even when all you want to do is cry!

Posted by emmasara

Homeschooling is who we are as a family. We never thought for a second not to. With all it's beauty and wonder, homeschooling has it's challenges. The biggest challenge isn't posed to my children, or because of my children. The problems I've had with homeschooling have resided within me. Time after time the Lord has shown me it's because of my old self selfish nature to put my needs before my households on many days that I fall short a lot. He has also showed me that I am more worst critic. Walking and living in Gods grace are what keeps me on the right path and rescues me from dispair. Seeking to please him daily, learning to be a servant standing up on His word are what keeps me.
www.strongquiver.blogspot.com

ps You know you can uses our EVENT section on the Conservative Homeschooler to post this event. Just put the link to your site to particpate :) Your event will then be featured on the top of our home page.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - added it to my blog

Posted by emmasara

I also put it on my blog www.strongquiver.blogspot.com

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - Home schooling through death, defeat, and divorce...

Posted by TheHomeschoolMommy

Hey, My friend!!! This will be our seventh technical year of home schooling. However, I view home schooling to be since birth. With that being said, we have home schooled for 10 years.

In the beginning, I was a stay at home/work at home mother who owned a home care center. I loved being able to be at home with my son and enjoyed teaching him everything that God had etched into my heart.

When my Jordan was only two years old, tragedy struck our family. My husband, his father, past away within three months of learning he had cancer. Our family was thrown into total turmoil. I was left without a husband and Jordan left without an earthly father. We moved into a smaller home where I opened another home care center. This allowed me to be able to continue to home school Jordan.

A year and a half passed before I met a man whom become my mate. As you might realize, I had much on my plate and my vision was to find a father for my son. So, in doing what I felt was right, (not consulting God..not smart..) I married this man. During the six years of marriage, I was abused physically and mentally. However, I was able to continue to home school. This was point where our "formal" education began.

I became aware of a poem having the topic of domestic violence and how "death" is a real possibility for all those who are victims. I left that man....with the feeling of defeat from a broken marriage. We divorced and a new little one was born out of that marriage (I was pregnant at the time of separation).

My family took the children and me into their home, and we remained with them until the grace of God presented a godly earthly father for my children....and a husband for me.Now, we are so very joyful and content with our life. God is so good!

All along the way, God has continued to bless me with being able to continue to home school....even during the crossing of the low valleys in our home school venture. We have never had any lack or problems getting materials for our school.

We are truly blessed!

This is our home school journey! :-)

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About Me

This is a place for me to relax a bit, recount my blessings, reflect on God's Word, record my thoughts, reassure others of God's love, receive others' insights, recall precious memories, relate what the Lord has done in my life & my family, rejoice at God's goodness & faithfulness, relish writing, recycle my poems, and refresh myself.