Balanced by Tricia Goyer Book Review (Litfuse)

I received the book in exchange for honest review from Litfuse. I wanted to review the book because I am a work at home mom. I am a blogger, author, and grad student. I also have two SPED boys. As much as  I try to stay organized, I still feel disorganized and forgetful at times. I also like how the book is Christian-based.

Throughout the book, Goyer offers chances to pause and reflect on topics.

Goyer discusses scheduling and prioritizing, but most importantly she discussed submitting to God's will for your life. In the midst of screaming kids, we still have to find time to serve and praise God.

About the Book: (from Litfuse)

Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom

How can a work-at-home mom raise kids, juggle a career and take care of family responsibilities with only 24-hour days? Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom. Balancing is a process and a journey, one that Tricia herself has yet to perfect. But between writing more than forty books, raising and homeschooling six kids, being a wife, and being active in her community, she has amassed valuable tips she shares in “Balanced.”

The book includes tips on:
—how to create focus themes for your family
—how to prioritize your schedule
—how to utilize your job so it also benefits your kids
—how to keep yourself out of the comparison game
—how to make working at home work for you
—and much more!

Purchase a copy, get a free downloadable workbook, and learn more at Tricia’s website.

About Tricia Goyer (from Litfuse)

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and “Lead Your Family Like Jesus,” (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host of Living Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children.

Find out more about Tricia at http://triciagoyer.com.

Sign up for the balanced challenge

12 days of Christmas Book Reviews (Litfuse)

I read three books for review from Litfuse. The books included:

• A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer
• Silent Night by Colleen Gobel
• Holy Night by Colleen Gobel
• A Plain Peace by Beth Wiseman

My Reviews:

A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer

The book is about Rose, who lives in an Amish community. She is living in the middle of The Great Depression. She is dating Johnathan, but he isn't ready to get married. Johnathan went to fight in the Second World War, which affected Rose's and Johnathan's relationship. I liked reading the book--more like letting the Kindle read the book to me. It was a good listen.

Silent Night by Colleen Gobel

The book is about Bree. The scene is Christmas Time and everyone is preparing to deal with annoying relatives. A mama is coming to visit, who really hasn't been there for her child. Kade and Bree seems to be happy. Kade and Bree have a son named Davy and a dog named Samson. Bree is grieving from a miscarriage. Then her sister, Lauri, visits. Someone, a parachuter is missing and Lauri may know more than what she has revealed. 

Holy Night by Colleen Gobel

The book is about a wedding but it may not go as planned.

A Plain Peace

A Plain Peace an Amish Book. The book is part of the Daughters of Promise series. The book is number 6 of the series.The book does provide a family tree, just in case you didn't read the first five books in the series. I also like how the book contains a dictionary of Amish words. 

The book is about Anna, who is looking for her future husband. Anna lives with her grandparents, who are very strict. It does not help that Grandpa is the Bishop. Anna does not want a life, similar to her grandparents, filled with secrets. Sounds like my family. No one wants to discuss anything until it's too late. 

Jacob moves to Lancaster County. Jacob is interested in Anna, but the community is trying to deter her from dating him. 

The book was a good read. 

12 days of Christmas Blog Tour, and Giveaway

I participated in the 12 days of Christmas Tour, in exchange for Litfuse. I received galleys of the books from Netgalley. This post will focus on the blog tour and giveaway. I will write a second one shortly with my reviews.

The books include:

1. A christmas gift for rose by Tricia Goyer
2. Silent Night by Colleen Gobel
3. Holy Night by Colleen Gobel

About Holy Night: From Litfuse's Media kit. 

One sinister phone call has derailed their wedding. Will they let it tear them apart forever?

A Christmas wedding on the beach---what could be more perfect? Poinsettias and fragrant pikake blossoms, soft sand and mistletoe, the gentle sound of the surf and the wedding march played on a ukulele. This wedding has been a long time coming, with Bane's trust issues and Leia's worries about her childlike sister, Eva.

Now they can hardly wait for the day to arrive. Thrilled to be a bridesmaid, Eva keeps trying on her ruffled dress. The tent is reserved, the caterers paid. Everything is going as planned---until Leia's phone rings and her world skids out of control. A muffled voice informs Leia that Eva's been kidnapped and will be killed unless Leia calls off the wedding without explanation---and no police! If she disobeys instructions and tells Bane, she'll risk her beloved sister's life. But how can she ever handle this without his help? And how can he ever trust her if she lies to him now?

About Silent Night:

As Christmas day nears, Bree and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests ofRock Harbor.

Bree Matthews is preparing forChristmas guests, but her heart is reeling from the recent and tender loss of her unborn child. Her sister-in-law, Lauri, suddenly turns up on the doorstep of the lighthouse home Bree shares with her husband, Kade, in Rock Harbor. Secretive and withdrawn, Lauri seems curiously intent on discovering what happened to a parachuter who disappeared in the North Woods along Lake Superior's icy shore.

As Bree and Samson, her search-and-rescue dog, plunge into the search, Bree wonders if Lauri may know more than she's admitted about the parachuter. And then the clues lead them to the trail of a young woman whose family fears the worst about her disappearance.

Will the search on this snowy, silent night lead Bree and Samson to more than clues about the missing girl? And will Bree's prayer for a baby ever be answered?

Purchase a copy of Holy Night: http://ow.ly/qbrG0

Purchase a copy of Silent Night: http://ow.ly/qbrTE

About the Author: 

Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book ofthe Year, RWA's RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers ofAmerica. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

Find out more about Colleen at http://www.colleencoble.com

A Christmas Gift for Rose: (from media kit)

Inspired by a true story, A Christmas Gift for Rose is a heartwarming novellaof sacrifice and deep love.

Born in the midst of the hardshipsof The Great Depression, Rose grew up in Berlin, Ohio, in the arms of a loving Amish family. But she is overwhelmed by self-doubt when she learns the truth of her birth. She was born Englisch and abandoned when her family moved West in search of work. Was she meant to be Amish or would she have been better off growing up with her own kind---Englischers? And was her intended's gift of discovering her birth family given out of love or fear?

Don't miss award-winning author Tricia Goyer's first Christmasnovella.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qbs31

About the Author: Tricia Goyer

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and "Lead Your Family Like Jesus," (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host ofLiving Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children.

Find out more about Tricia at http://triciagoyer.com

Giveaway and Facebook Party:

Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction are hosting the 12 Days of Christmas! They've teamed up with three of their authors for a Merry Facebook Party on November 12th {5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern}. Colleen, Tricia, and Beth will host an evening of book chat, Christmas traditions, and of course plenty of presents!


But wait! There's more! Each day between now and November 12th a different book (10 copies of each book) will be given away on the Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Facebook Page. Ring in the holiday season and warm your heart with some great reads from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan!

 

Click here to ENTER each day's giveaway here.
RSVP for the Christmas Party here!

Good luck and hope to see you on the evening of the 12th!

Pearl Girls Mother of Pearl Mother's Day Blog Series Day 1 How I learned to Give up Control by Sue Edwards

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother’s Day blog series—a nine-day celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today’s best writers (Tricia Goyer, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Beth Vogt, Lesli Westfall, and more). I hope you’ll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother’s Day.



AND . . . do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful handcrafted pearl necklace and a JOYN India bag. Enter at the bottom of this post. The contest runs 5/4-5/13, and the winner will be announced on 5/14. Contest is only open to U.S. residents.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info, subscribe to our blog, and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith to help support Pearl Girls™.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

~

How I Learned to Give Up Control by Sue Edwards

I'm one of those mothers who would like to control everything in my children's lives. You may be too, all out of the best intentions. I tried frantically to do that for many years until God grabbed my attention and wrestled my control issues from my clenched fists. It happened this way.



My youngest daughter attended a large university where campus housing was at a premium. Her second year she was accepted into one of the nicest dorms on campus, but the rule was that you could either choose the room or the roommate of your choice but not both. Well, I had heard horror stories of what happened when you roomed with some girls--like men in the room, and I turned into mother bear. I was not going to allow my child to take pot luck in roommates, nor were we willing to give up that choice room.



I had heard that if your child had a learning disability they would ditch the rule. So I decided to make my case with the administrator who could fix this unfair situation. All week, I was on the phone long distance climbing my way up the ladder to the gentleman who could give my daughter the room and roommate she deserved.

And finally, I was on the phone with him. We talked for a few minutes, and then he asked me, "Does your daughter have a learning disability?" I answered rather indignantly, "Well, I prefer not to label people." That did it. He bought it. I had done the impossible. I called my daughter, she turned cart wheels on the other end of the phone, and we rejoiced together.



Only the roommate she had chosen, the dear Christian girl from her church, did not turn out to be the roommate she expected. In fact, she did have men in the room, a lot. And she went home at Christmas under suspicious circumstances. All fall I had to endure calls from my daughter who was trying to figure out how to navigate this awkward situation. And it was my fault. Some of us are stubborn and God needs a two by four to get our attention, and break us of our control issues. This was that time for me, and for my daughter. Now, when we are tempted to take control instead of trusting God, we look at each other, remember, smile, and let go.



God knows what he is doing in your life, my life, and the lives of our children. And he loves our children more than we do, as impossible as that may sound. So trust him, follow him. Two by fours are rather painful. You won't regret trusting your Sovereign Father who has your, and your children's, best interest at heart.

###

Dr. Sue Edwards has over thirty-five years experience as a Bible teacher, overseer of ministries to women, and author. Now, as a full-time professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, she equip men and women for future ministry all over the world. And women everywhere enjoy learning the Scriptures in face to face groups as well as an online community using her Bible studies, the Discover Together Series. To join the online Bible study community or to converse with Sue, go to Facebook.com/discovertogetherseries. She is currently working on a book with Barbara Neumann on mentoring millennials. Married for forty years, she and David are the parents of two married daughters and the grandparents of five.
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