If you’re looking for a way to get acquainted or more comfortable with your Bible, @jeanwilund has written a beautiful book that I know will encourage you and help! “Ease Into the Bible”, published by @bhpub , is easy to read, offers great clear content (I learned a couple of things in the first few pages!) and thorough.

I know Jean personally… We wrote together at Revive Our Hearts for many years. We’ve also connected on numerous occasions, including the day she and @hatcherl came for lunch earlier this summer! (See the photos.)

Jean, I’m so proud of you and cheering you on as you invite others into their Bibles to know our great God! ...

The day we launched our first college student, I woke up in the hotel room with a pit in my stomach. “This day is not about you…” I kept reminding myself. Then quietly began planning the photos I wanted to take, the moment of prayer we’d have in her dorm room, and the special dinner out we’d have—just the three of us.

But as it turned out, my daughter had her own ideas on how the day should go…

Read the full article, “Launching Your College Student, Letting Go of Control”, 🔗 in my bio.

If you’re a mom who struggles with letting go, check out my book Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible.

https://www.shannonpopkin.com/launching-your-college-student/ ...

“My whole family remembers the day I asked the boys to clean up their LEGOs before company arrived. When I walked downstairs an hour later and discovered LEGO chaos, the fuse of my anger was lit. ‘They don’t listen to you!’ I thought. ‘What’s going to happen if they don’t learn to obey? You’ve got to do something about this right now!’ So I lifted my arm to their pride-and-joy LEGO tower—which had taken months to build—and in a moment of rage, I smashed it.

The boys, hearing LEGOs shatter, came running with looks of horror and dismay that I still can’t unsee. My heart instantly flooded with regret, and as they cried, ‘Oh noooo,’ I begged them to forgive me. What was wrong with me? What sort of mother would do such a thing? It’s one of those ugly Control Girl moments I wish I could forget.

Sometimes we say God’s in control but act like we are. We claim God is powerful and able, yet we heap up the burden of control onto our own shoulders and stagger under its weight. Ironically, when we try to control what *isn’t* ours to manage, we often lose control over the one person that *is*: ourselves.

That day I sat on the floor surrounded by shattered LEGOs, my heart’s first response was telling. Rather than humbly repenting before the Lord of my sinful anger, I started rehearsing how I could fix this. ‘You’ve got to turn this around, Shannon! From now on, you’re going to be the kindest, most patient mom to ever live . . .’

After demonstrating control’s ugly progression, was more white-knuckled control really the answer? Without God’s help, I couldn’t even control myself, let alone produce the far-reaching outcomes I longed for.

Sister, God can cause any dead thing in your life to burst into bloom. He can bring your child to saving faith. He can convict your daughter of her sin or help your son develop godly character. And he can turn you from an angry, anxious, perfectionistic mom into a self-controlled woman of God. You can’t, but God can—and when fruit appears, he gets the glory.”

Read more of my article from @risenmotherhood. 🔗in bio. ...

Did you know your brain can change? And did you know willpower isn`t what makes the change? This was a fascinating conversation with Dr. Weissenbacher on the Live Like It`s True podcast, giving you some of the science that supports what we do here on the podcast.

Rehearsing stories from the Bible can change your life! Listen to my latest episode and learn how. ...

Lots of new faces, so time for #fridayintroductions !

I’m Shannon. Ken and I have been married for 28 years (these photos were taken on our #25th ), and we have three young adult kids (📷 4). I’m overwhelmed with gratitude that they all live here in Grand Rapids, MI—home of the blue bridge and the Calder (that big orange structure Ken’s holding up in 📷 3).

I’m an author 📚, speaker 🎤 , and host of the Live Like It’s True podcast 🎧!

Three things you might not know about me include:

1. I talk to my dogs 🐶🐶 (📷5) the same way I talked to my babies👶, which is probably embarrassing and frustrating to Louie, who thinks he’s so mature—especially now that we have a new puppy. But I’m pretty sure Mosey will always love being babied.

2. I’m super curious. 🧐I was telling some friends this week about my deep curiosity about cemeteries. Who pays for them to be kept, after all the plots are sold? And what about when 200 years have gone by? Who owns the land? Etc. I’ve recently stopped sleeping with my phone nearby so I can stop googling my questions and go to sleep.

3. I think decorating my house is fun, but housekeeping is not. I’m trying to decide if I have margin to paint the living room with the last shreds of summer. We’ll see if I get ambitious enough to do it. I also recently started making my bed 🛌 which has convinced me that for anyone, change is possible.

In response to my writing and speaking, people tell me I’m relatable. It’s true that I’m not afraid to be vulnerable. When I tell you about me, I’m simply trying to go first and hold the door open so you too can be challenged and encouraged by the truth of God’s word.

Most of all, I love Jesus. It’s my joy to write, speak, and podcast—inviting you to open his word,l, drink in the overarching Story, and live like it’s true. #livelikeitstrue #fridayintroductions #authorsofinstagram #shihtzusofinstagram ...

My kids were about this age, at the time of the awful LEGO story I’m sharing over at @risenmotherhood today. (🔗 in bio.) Even though my kids are now in their twenties, the LEGO story memory has not faded.

There are times one of them will say with a grin, “Remember when mom smashed the LEGO tower?” They might be ready to laugh about it, but for me it’s still too soon.

Do you have stories you wish everyone could forget? And what do the memories that bring color to your cheeks fuel in your heart? Is it fresh resolve and renewed effort? That was my reaction to the LEGO story for many years.

And here’s the irony. Often what feeds the bitter fruit of my angry blowups and anxious perfectionism is the desire for control. So how is more white-knuckled control and self-reliance going to fix a control and self-reliance problem?

Remember Sarah, the woman who had been promised a nation-sized family and yet couldn’t even produce one baby? The child born to Hagar represented what Sarah could do without God. But God wanted to fill Sarah’s family tree with fruit that only he could produce.

Here’s a quote from my new Bible study on the life of Sarah, called “Shaped by God’s Promises”:

“When Sarai does finally conceive, God will make it infinitely clear that her baby is a result of his power, not hers. It’s the same with our spiritual fruit. Any fruit that grows on our brittle branches is evidence of God’s Spirit and his power—not us getting a white-knuckled grip on our fruit staplers.”

How is God asking you to rely on him for the fruitfulness you long for? ...

My first visit to a “Shaped by God’s Promises” study group! Thanks to Sally and Laura for leading.💕📚

I had such a great time talking about their impressions, what God showed them and the backstory to writing this new book! 🥰

Also, here are reviews from two of these women!

“This study challenged us to consider deeply, connect wisely, and apply courageously the truth that Sarah was invited to believe: our God is faithful. Each lesson began by connecting us to the reality of Sarah’s experience, then left us amazed at the depth of God’s grace, and inspired by the power of His promises.”

Laura Darter, Bible Teacher and Leader

(She’s the one on the couch on to the far left!)

“Some book studies scratch the surface of a faith lesson, but this one dives deep to uncover beautiful truths about our faithful God. I loved Shannon’s imagery of God’s timing as a parenthesis, and the parallels she drew between Abraham and Sarah and the Israelites as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land.

Shannon asks questions that will cause you to pause and ponder God’s truth and how it can be applied in your own life in new ways. I highly recommend this book study!”

Amelia Broekhuis, Bible study participant

(She’s the one on the couch getting squished with all the love!) ...