Control Freaks Anonymous by Misty M. Beller

Profile Pic mainMisty Beller was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and two daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Writing is a dream come true for Misty. Her family—both immediate and extended—is the foundation that holds her secure in that dream.

You can find Misty on her website, blog, Goodreads, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Control Freaks Anonymous

By Misty M. Beller

I guess this is time for full disclosure—I’m a recovering member of Control Freaks Anonymous. Yes, I tend to be a bit of a control freak when things are important to me. I’m not OCD, mind you (meaning I don’t compulsively obsess about every little detail), but I need to feel like I’m in control of the big picture—the outcome. And if things aren’t moving according to my plan, I can’t rest until I’ve “fixed” it.

I just finished writing my third novel, and as I look back at the spiritual theme in each of the three books, trusting God’s plan for our lives is at the core of each. Wow. As you can imagine, God has been working with me in this area for a long time. 🙂

So why is it so hard for me to release control fully to Him? That’s a topic great minds have argued for years. I won’t pretend to know the answers or even what makes my own brain tick, but I will say that God has had to dramatically reshape my life over the last year to bring me to real trust. Through mind-boggling challenges, He brought me to the point way that I had no control left. And not even enough energy to care that I had lost control. And through that experience, I had to rely on Him (if I didn’t, I would have officially lost my mind).

And you know what? I’m now beginning to experience the amazing benefits of His plan! My debut novel The Lady and the Mountain Man released on Sept 23rd, and I’m already seeing God’s hand over it in humbling ways. The way the publishing has come about did not fit my plan at all, but after I finally submitted to the Lord’s direction, He is blessing the outcome.

Can I share with you a scripture that has been one of my lifelines over the past year? Habakkuk 3: 17-19 – Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.

This passage is really the core of the issue for me, and likely for most other self-diagnosed control freaks. The focus has to shift from me to God. I will rejoice in the Lord. He is my strength. Only then can I release my fears and desire for control to Him. No matter what happens around me, I don’t have to be the one to fix it. I simply need to make sure I’m where He wants me to be. That’s hard to know for sure sometimes, but the closer I walk with Him, the easier it is to tell. And when I am in His will, the outcome may not be what I had planned, but He’ll help me walk on my high hills. And I will joy in the God of my salvation. 🙂

More about The Lady and the Mountain Man:Mountain Man cover

Leah Townsend, a recently orphaned heiress, flees Richmond after discovering her fiancé’s plot to kill her after their wedding. She needs a safe place to hide, and finds herself accepting a newspaper marriage proposal from a God-fearing young rancher in the Montana Territory. But when Leah arrives at the mountain ranch, she learns her intended husband was killed by a grizzly, leaving behind a bitter older brother and a spunky younger sister.

When Gideon Bryant finds a city girl standing in his log cabin, his first thought is to send her back where she came from. He’s lost too many people to the wild elements of these mountains––his parents, his wife, and now his brother. His love for this untamed land lives on, but he’s determined not to open his heart to another person.

But when an accident forces Leah to stay at the ranch for seven more months, can Gideon protect his heart from a love he doesn’t want? Has Leah really escaped the men who seek her life?

My review can be found here.

Buy links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQB7F4U

I was a control freak until child number three or four, I think. Then I knew I no longer had control anyway so why fight it. 🙂  Are you a control freak? Were you and conquered it? Tell us how.

Blessings,

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1 thought on “Control Freaks Anonymous by Misty M. Beller

  1. I’m not a control freak, I’ve learned from watching others it doesn’t work. I made so many mistakes when I was younger, I learned it’s better to try and trust God more and enjoy the ride. (Still make mistakes, but don’t we all?) Thanks for the reminder to rejoice in the Lord and lean on his strength.

    I’ve read The Lady and the Mountain Man, and it’s a great story. So glad I stopped by today.

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