Blue Like Play Dough

It's been one of those weeks where I feel like my psyche has been put through a meat grinder. I had relatives driving in from direct opposite parts of the country. One to move her father and in need of child care. The other to rip my house to shreds and re-do it. Do you see the dilemma yet? Interestingly enough, from the original time line, I expected them both ten days earlier and they still both arrived on the same day. Wednesday.

Add to the natural stress of seven children and a tile saw I went and subjected myself to missions night at church which should have been uplifting to a non-selfish person. (We all know who that isn't.) For nearly a year, I'd planned to go on the Malawi trip. I saved up the money. And oh, long about time to turn in the money, God said "no." (No comment on whether I was listening before then.) So Wednesday night I heard the words "dying to self" in discussion of the missionaries and I wanted to SCREAM. (I settled for crying.) Very frustrated that it's considered "dying to self" to go and serve when I truly felt like I was dying to self to stay home.

And then I came home and made a bajillion decisions regarding tile and Formica while I was in that wonderful frame of mind.

Some days, you just feel like a blob of play dough that God is mashing beyond recognition. Good thing God is a master artist. Just because I don't know what I'm being made into, doesn't mean the final product won't be worth it. Or so the theory goes....;) (As the tile saw fires up, I'm not so sure. Then again, my BATHROOM is shaping up beautifully and we are fallible humans.)

In her latest book, Blue Like Play Dough, Tricia Goyer shares her struggles as a mother, her smooshing, her mashing, her crunchy crumbs of floor lint, as God molds her life into something beautiful. It is transparent and lovely.

Read an excerpt here.

About the book: 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.

A note from Tricia: Are you a mommy who feels squeezed by Motherhood? Could God be shaping something beautiful in you?

In my new spiritual memoir, Blue Like Play Dough I invite women to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary! To learn to see God's hand lovingly at work in every aspect of your life---from laundry-folding to the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon.

And now I’m inviting YOU to come bring your stretched self and attend a fun Facebook Launch Party for Blue Like Play Dough! I know you’re busy (and tired) so I’m bringing the festivities to you! So grab your comfiest chair and slip away from that long To-Do list and join me for a two hour Play Dough Party. I’ll be sharing some of my mothering experiences (the good and the bad), hosting a fun trivia contest, giving away Mommy Play Dough Packs, answering questions, and getting to know YOU!

I’d be honored to have you as my guest – and to prove it I’ll be giving away 2 ginormous Mommy Play Dough Packs to two party attendees at random! The winners will be announced at the end of the party. Grab your friends and let’s party! oh, and don't forget your camera! Snap pictures during the party and upload them during the festivities. I'll be giving a prize away for the best photo!

So come join me on July 27th from 5-7 pm (PST)! Friend me on facebook and join the fun!

About the author: Using her own experiences as a teen mother, and leader of today’s generation, Tricia’s vision is to be a voice of hope and possibility for teenage girls, pregnant teen girls, mothers and wives through her educational and inspirational speaking, workshops and books. Her intention is to serve ordinary women by encouraging extraordinary things with God’s help. Tricia expresses real life, real hope, for real women.

Tricia is the author of 20+ books and has published over 300 articles for national publications such as Guideposts for Kids, Focus on the Family, Christian Parenting Today, Today’s Christian Woman and HomeLife Magazine. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from American Christian Fiction Writers, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award in 2005.

In her fiction novels, Tricia writes contemporary and historical stories that feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She recreates historic wartime eras with precise detail through perseverant and comprehensive research.

Each of her World War II and Spanish Civil War novels tell the inspiring stories of engaging characters—and a God whose hand is evident in the landscape of history and the obstacles of ordinary lives.

Tricia speaks to groups interested in these eras, with the intention of preserving and honoring the memory of the men and women who served.

She also speaks and conducts workshops for teens around the nation, and offers programs to assist teens and teen moms through Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, which she founded. Tricia is a frequent workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Convention.

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