“When did my life fall so far out of balance?” I screamed while seraching through piles of papers on my desk and under my desk. My husband came to the top of the stairs to see what all the madness was about.
“I can’t find the papers I need.” I complained.
“Don’t you have that information on your Mac?”
“Yes, but I can’t reprint it because I forgot to pick of ink for the printer.”
“Micca” my husand said tenderly. “What you need is a life coach.” He was right. I was over scheduled, over committed, and overwhelmed. At some point, I had become stuck in a rut and couldn’t get out. Sound familiar?
Good news! My dear friend, Pat Layton, has written a book called, Life Unstuck. Through her book, Pat has become my life coach, leading me through scipture, helping me find balance, and teaching me to fall in love with God all over again. Today, I’m interviewing Pat about her book. And, I’M GIVING AWAY A COPY! Leave a comment below to enter to win!
1. Pat, what led you to write your book Life Unstuck?
Life Unstuck is the result of over 30 years of life transformation! My first time reading Psalm 139 as a new Christian, led me on a journey to personal healing from a very broken past that had climaxed in having an abortion at age 23. God used the 24 verses of Psalm 139 to show me His redeeming love and grace and those words became the roots God used to lead me into full time ministry. Very soon after receiving my own healing God led me to open Tampa, Florida’s first crisis pregnancy center and write what is now an international post abortion recovery curriculum called Surrendering the Secret published by Lifeway in 2008. A few years ago God began to stir the Life Unstuck message in my heart which resulted in this new book!
2. What’s different about Life Unstuck compared to all the other books out there about God?
Life Unstuck is basically a life coaching, life FREEDOM plan using the 24 verses of Psalm 139! In this prayer/poem David addresses God in a direct and personal manner using the pronoun “YOU” 11 times twisted together with the use of the word “ME” 13 times! Life Unstuck breaks down this interaction between David and God and shows us how to apply it’s rich revelation to our own lives.
3. Your book is filled with scriptural truth. Can you share a sample or two of these verses and why you chose them?
Verse one kicks off the rich depths of Psalm 139 and prepares us for a deep dive. “Oh Lord you have SEARCHED ME and you KNOW ME!” David gets us at “hello”. God knows you, He sees you. Everything about you! How you think, how you talk, where go and who you go with! At first look, I was not so sure this was actually GOOD NEWS! I have done a whole lot of stuff in my lifetime that I don’t like thinking about being in front of a Holy God. As I have allowed God to work this verse out in my life and heart, I have come to find complete hope and peace in those words, God KNOWS me and Loves me Still!
4. Who did you write your book for? Who can benefit from this message?
My dedication page is “for the woman who secretly suspects there is nothing more but desperately dreams there is. The bottom line is, this book is ONLY those women who ever find themselves STUCK somewhere in life—relationships, finances, marriage, ministry, parenting….ONLY HER! J
5. What was your goal when you started writing Life Unstuck? Was it achieved?
My hearts desire with this book is to share the good and complete love of God with every woman who reads my book. I want her to know “God SEES YOU and has a plan for your peace, purpose and passion”! I also hope to inspire a feeling of community and conversation with other women. Yes, it was achieved, at least for me because I FEEL that already from this book!
6. What do you feel is the greatest obstacle people must overcome in order to make a deep relationship with God a priority?
Overwhelmed schedules and misplaced commitment. In other words, letting life AROUND of God overtake life IN Him!
7. What has been the biggest answer to your own prayers in the writing and publishing process of Life Unstuck?
My own reminders and recapture of the truths found in the 24 verses of Psalm 139.
8. How has Life Unstuck changed YOU?
The year of writing Life Unstuck was by far the toughest year of my journey as a Christian. I lost friends. I lost identity. I lost family physical closeness as each of my children and Grandchildren moved away from home. I even moved from my own home of over 20 years. My foundations were all rocked one by one, BUT GOD! As I dug into these verses every single day, by ORDER of a contracted deadline, God changed me. He unstuck me from many areas of bondage and burden that I never knew where keeping me away from my next adventure with Him. I re-learned that He sees me and has a plan for my life—a good plan. A God plan!
9. What is your prayer for anyone who reads Life Unstuck?
My hearts desire is that every woman who reads Life Unstuck will fold the last page of the book with a smile on her face and a feeling of peace, purpose and passion. I pray she is a different woman from the one who opened the first page. The foundational truths found in Psalm 139 are never “mastered” this side of heaven. We always need to be reminded of them and to re-embrace them, regardless of our level of spiritual maturity or experience. I pray that the Unstuck Manifesto becomes worn from wear and a part of her very core!
10. What are some practical ways your readers can implement the principles found in Life Unstuck
Life Unstuck provide the reader with personal hands on tools and exercises that will help them gain deeper insight into the one of a kind woman God created her to be; provide very specific steps for confronting the past in a healthy way; offer her steps to take for developing a more intimate relationship with Christ; help her intentionally discover her purpose in life TODAY just as she is living it and stir her heart and mind towards dreaming big God sized dreams for her future.
Thank, you, Pat for sharing your heart and passion with us today. I know your book will be a blessing!
I’m stuck, I know it, but I don’t want anyone else to know. I feel myself so conflicted inside and as though I’m not good enough at anything. I’m distanced from attending church weekly, I have little consistency in walking through my Bible study, and I just feel like I want more, I want peace, I want…something else. I can’t put it all together anymore. I can’t seem to be fulfilled in my marriage, in my children, in my career. I know the answer is God, go to God, but I feel like God’s message isn’t for me. I believe it for others, but I can’t convince myself that it’s actually for me, that I am his beloved. I would love the book to help push Satan away from my life and let God back in to do his good work in ME. Thank you.
I desire to be transformed by Jesus too!
I would love this book. I feel like I am in a rut. I’m disorganized, have a cluttered house and need Gid to help me be the best mom, wife and servant to Him that I can be. This sounds like a wonderful book.
This book sounds perfect for where I’m at right now in my journey. I know I’m stuck but haven’t been able to break free. I want to get the victory soooo badly. Thank you
I need this book!
This book sounds like it would be helpful in moving me out of my rut. Thanks for this chance to win it.
I can’t wait to read this book. It sounds like something in need to hear about.. my life is stuck right now. . And i don’t know if I will ever be moving forward. My life seems like it is never going to change, will i be able to go back to school when my children are all in school.. i dont know if i will be able to do it. Thank you so much for a chance to win a blessing
My heart is literally pounding in my chest. I don’t know what God is doing and it scares the fire out of me. I think He may be calling me into ministry. I keep asking Him “why?” I’m so not the right person. To be honest, I was just going to comment to get a free book. I’m trying to read every book that God is putting in my path. However, what I just read on this site has my heart pounding. Seeing the testimony of someone else who heard the call is making me want to run! Help my unbelief Lord! How can You use someone like me? I’m a nobody. And then I’m afraid im hearing God all wrong which only confirms in my heart that God won’t use me. I’m so messed up right now.
It would put a smile on my face if I were to win this book! Thanks, Micca, for the chance to win.
This book sounds awesome! Learning to not only accept God’s interruptions in my life but to embrace them!
I am a huge reader of everything, but especially books that inspire, motivate and bring me closer to God. This book would truly be enjoyed by anyone who wins. Thank you!
I would like this book, it might help me out of the pit I’m in.
Would LOVE to win!
This Book = SOUNDS AHHHMAZING!!!!!
I have been feeling like I need a life coach/organiser. I just recently started a job after almost a year at home. For the first time in 4 years something is going right,but I know this book will help in every aspect of my life. So all the way from Johannesburg,South África…I am saying,I really need this book,I need a life coach. Being overwhelmed is not a good look on me.
Micca when you were describing the scene in your office with your husband,
I was thinking that is ME! I thought I am not losing it. Everything is a mess and
I know it and i thought how did it get like this. I get back to Putting things
In order…putting God first and everything keeps sliding back away from my grasp
again and my memory is, well I scare myself sometimes! I was just praying for God
to help me yesterday. I hope this book will help me and others I talk to. Whether I win
it or not, I will be interesting in reading this book. I need to be back in the right place a gain and my life organized and in the right order.. Thanks to Pat and to you for sharing and making us aware of your struggles and the book with some Blessings!
Dear Father God,
Thank you for the journey of hope, health and life. Thank you for your very present grace and your abounding love. Thank you for the gift of ladies who very much want to impact their homes and their jobs and their hearts with more than just another thing to do. Thank you that from a very real place of longing created by your love for us, we can grasp hold of your promises and live abundantly-here. Breathing in and breathing out your sweet presence every day. Grant us the ability to see through your eyes, even ourselves. May we be able to accept your amazing love for us. May we know that you know exactly where we are and that we are not too stuck for your hand to loosen.
What an important message in this chaotic, broken and way too busy world we live in. I am eager to read this book!
I need to become Unstuck in order to live my life completely for God, surrendered to Him in all that I am and all that I do so that I can have peace!
I adore Pat Layton’s heart and Surrendering the Secret ministry. It is amazing. I definitely would love to read her new book!
Book sounds like it would be helpful for me 🙂
Great interview. I would love to read this book and think I could really benefit from it. I feel stuck in a few ways in my life.
Life has been like a roller coaster lately. I feel stuck and have been this way since 2007. I desire to surrender my life daily to Christ, however, I find myself fearful of what might happen. The unknown is the part that scares me. At times it almost paralyzes me. I desire to live a life “unstuck”.
This book sounds like a great read! I’m so ready to move forward in my life, but feel stuck and unsure about where God wants me to go. The uncertainty just leaves me overwhelmed and fearful about making the wrong decisions so I hesitate to make any. I need Pat to be my life coach too! 🙂
Sign me up! Hope it is not too late!
I was praying one morning for the Lord to show me how much He loved me after reading a devotion suggesting it. The next thing I read is from P31 mentioning the upcoming release of Life Unstuck. I didn’t realize until that moment, how truly stuck I am, but also realize God loves me too much to leave me there. I cannot wait to dive in to this book and learn to live unstuck.
Sounds like a GREAT book that most of the world could use.
This book sounds like just what I need-can’t wait to read it.
I can’t wait to purchase and read this book! Amazon.com, here I come!
I would love to read this!