A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life

by Hayley DiMarco

"A Woman Overwhelmed" is a phrase with which many women can relate. But what would happen if we could see the insanity in our pace and embrace our overwhelming God?

There is a reason they say that a woman’s work is never done— because it isn’t! As women, we often are overwhelmed by the demands and circumstances of life, resulting in stress, fear, worry, impatience, fatigue, frustration, and even depression. The truth is that we were created to be overwhelmed . . . not by life but by God! When we learn to be overwhelmed by God, the fruit in our lives goes from rotten to fragrant—filling our days with peace, hope, love, and joy.

In A Woman Overwhelmed , best-selling author Hayley DiMarco shares biblical insights and personal stories to offer a glimpse at the comedy of an overwhelmed life while encouraging us to discover the depths and heights of God’s love and power.

Be empowered to find freedom in becoming overwhelmed with who God is—by learning to focus on what we know about God so that we can hold onto faith even when it seems that all is lost. For it is when an overwhelmed woman gives up the mission of me and exchanges it for the mission of God that being overwhelmed becomes a good thing.

Choose to bask in the abundance of the Father instead of the abundance of life as his unfathomable depths can surely replace our fathomable messes.

Genres: Christian, Self Help, Christian Living, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2017

About the author

Hayley DiMarco is the best-selling author of over 30 books, including God Girl, Mean Girls, and Die Young. She and her husband, Michael, run Hungry Planet, a company focused on producing books that combine hard-hitting biblical truth with cutting-edge design in Nashville, Tennessee.

Reviews

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A woman overwhelmed”. Yep. Right now that’s me.

This book by Hayley DiMarco landed in my lap at just the right time. One look at all the page flags I’ve got sticking out of my copy should tell you as much.

Two weeks ago when I first read this book, one of the things that most caught my attention was this sentence in Chapter 23:

Can I trust God with my schedule and be willing to miss out on something I wanted to do?

I needed to read it again today too. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the good things we want to do. Blog posts. Reviews. Interviews. Articles. Speaking engagements. Family time. Vacation. Me time. Reading. Watching TV. And then there’s all the stuff we “have” to do. Sometimes those two categories overlap – and we actually want to do the things we have to do. But often we just get overwhelmed, don’t we? Trusting God with our schedules is hard for a lot of us. Maybe even more difficult than trusting Him with ‘hard stuff’ like prayer needs, finances, illness? I think we even feel like our schedule is the one thing we DO control, which is why it’s so hard to trust God with our to-do lists and calendars.

Speaking of to-do lists, the next chapter stepped on my toes a lot too. The only thing on God’s to-do-through-me list is love. I’m the one who clutters it up. And, as the author says so beautifully, “if you keep God’s mission (love) as your goal for the rest of your life, you will find yourself less overwhelmed by life and more overwhelmed by your God.”

Bottom Line: A Woman Overwhelmed by Hayley DiMarco needs to be on every woman’s to-read list! With hilarious chapter headings (‘The World Can’t Handle My Ninja’, ‘My Face Just Won’t Shut Up’, I’m Like the Fat in a Cheese Stick’) and an engaging & witty writing voice, DiMarco speaks to the heart of a woman and refreshes the soul. Each chapter’s ‘Thoughts to Ponder’ help the author’s personal insights become personal to the reader as well and would make great starting points for a small group discussion.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I was surprised by how much I could relate to it and it made me think differently about some things in my life.



I loved the way it was written and how easy it was to read -- I finished it up in one day, I just didn't want to stop reading. I also loved the personal stories Hayley DiMarco shared.


All in all, A Woman Overwhelmed was a great read and I definitely recommend it to all women.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one that I think many women can not only relate to, but will find something of value from reading it. The author uses a combination of personal stories, along with Biblical stories and scriptures to talk about a variety of topics. At the end of each chapter, there is a section called, "Thoughts to Ponder" which contains questions to help you further understand what was discussed in the chapter and relating it to your own life. Everyone feels overwhelmed sometimes and this book gives some very helpful advice on how to try and focus more on a God filled life.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. DiMarco has a good combination of humor and teaching, making the book an enjoyable yet instructive one. I like how she encourages us to get the proper perspective on life. We need a Savior and were meant to be overwhelmed by Him.

She helps us understand how we get overwhelmed, wanting to control our family and, well, everything. She encourages us to be honest about our failures and not act like we have it all together. Faking it is of no benefit to us or others. I really appreciated her section on comparison.

My favorite part of the book was her insight that we were made to be overwhelmed by God. He wants to be a part of what overwhelms us.

Another topic very enlightening was about control. She is honest about how people make her life miserable when she is not in control of them. “Making God's will more important to you than your own is the passage way from complaint to contentment.” (Loc 977/1575)

To help incorporate the teaching, DiMarco has included thoughts to ponder at the end of each chapter. There are also additional resources available at the publisher website for the book.

I recommend this book to women who feel overwhelmed and desire a better perspective on life. You'll get some great teaching as well as a good dose of humor.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Cheryl Baranski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overwhelmed is how I have felt on August 9th of this year. They day when my life seemed to go spinning out of control. The day that I would hear the words you have leukemia, you are being transferred to a bigger hospital that knows how to deal with it. This book came at just the right time in my life. I laughed and cried my way through this book. I felt as though I was living out parts of the book. I highly recommend this book. I received a complementary copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion. 4.5 stars!

[Dorine · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this as a group in bible study. I was gone for half the study, but the rest of the group didn't like it as well as other studies we've done. We still got something out of it and some good discussion.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often that I like reading Non fiction but this kind of grabbed my attention.
This author wrote from the core of her heart.
Haley has a remarkable talent to write her thoughts and can connection to many of us women. She has spoken my thoughts aloud and I'm sure most of you other women out there has gone through the same thing she has!!
There are too many things in this book that all of us can relate to!!
I like that she kept repeating how we are in too much control of our own selves and often tend to leave God out of our lives.
I found this book interesting because there's so much that I can relate to.
Marriage and jobs tend to be overwhelming in their own way.
God is always there for us. He never leaves us, we tend to stray from Him.
I know that when my mom died in 97 I was devastated!! I blamed God. I was angry at Him for so long!!!
I felt overwhelmed with grief. It took me the longest time!! I still miss her.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"So much to do. So little time."

So much can be said in those two statements and most of the moms, wives, sisters, women, and more can attest to how truthful it feels like for us on a daily basis. What about you? Feeling like at times your day can feel overwhelming? How can women handle the day to day stresses without falling apart? How can we hold it all together when it seems like it is all falling apart at the seams some days? Where is God in all of this and how can He help?

You might want to pick up a copy of Hayley DiMarco's latest book, A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life. It might just provide the encouragement we all need. What overwhelms you? Is it finances, trying to make ends meet when there simply isn't enough to go around? What about a health issue you've been diagnosed and it seems like prayer just isn't working and it's getting worse? What about your marriage that you've been struggling to hold onto knowing God can do all things? Do you ever wonder if the reason you feel overwhelmed is because we are NOT in charge? Tough question but one easily answered. If you were in charge of those situations, would they overwhelm you any longer? Not a chance.

Whatever is out of our control is what is overwhelming us. So often our goal in life is to find the best way to control, well, everything, including those around us. Especially the ones we consider our people, our kids, our spouses, our friends and family. In fact if you take any of the online stress surveys available, if four or more symptoms stress you out, they suggest a bigger problem. A problem with too much to handle. Let's see how you do. Do you struggle with any of the following, and be sure to be honest, at least with yourself.

Emotional eating

Insomnia

Digestive Problems

Ulcers

Anxiety

Tension Headaches

Weight Gain

Quick Irritation

When life is more than we can handle, just looking at it reveals our complete inadequacies, and failures and all we long to do it simply to go back to bed. We know we are overwhelmed and not in a good way. When our bodies are begging us for a straightjacket and a padded cell, and we start to at least consider it, we know its time to reassess our priorities and to look for the flaws in our logic and planning. Aren't you tired of being overwhelmed by life. Don't you want something more? Don't you?

I received A Woman Overwhelmed by Hayley DiMarco compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity. Almost every single woman can identify with feeling overwhelmed at some point in their life and she gives you the tools and encouragement you need, not only to realize you are not alone, but how to manage quickly through them and get to the other side of the issue. She opens up her own life and that is how I feel she wins readers over. We realize someone else has been there with us and the feelings she relates are exactly how we have felt. By the conclusion of this book, hopefully you can see the depths of God's love for you and maybe even the ability to catch a glimpse of the comedy of an overwhelmed life seen from the rearview mirror or the passenger seat of our car, and you will discover freedom. You will find grace to begin to close your worldly eyes to the messiness of life as you open your spiritual eyes to the beauty surrounding our messes. I easily give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars and plan on referencing it often along with prayer to get through my own issues that threaten to overwhelm me.

[Morgan Farr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of A Woman Overwhelmed by Hayley DiMarco by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

So here are my unbiased thoughts: Do not waste your time on A Woman Overwhelmed.

There were parts of this book that I STRONGLY reacted against. That probably should have been a warning to me that this was not the book for me, but I pressed on and continued to read hoping that it would get better.

It didn't get better.

Here are some of my biggest concerns from A Woman Overwhelmed:

The author almost lost me in the second chapter when she talked about opening up her computer to a "smorgasbord of hot Christian men" on a Christian dating website in order to find her true love. Not only is this the wrong example to set for other Christian women, but it also cheapens the marriage relationship to nothing more than physical attributes.
The author's use of colloquial phrasing seems to be an attempt to make her more relate-able to the reader. Unfortunately it just did not work and instead made the rest of the writing seems forced and pushy, as if she had to include the biblical stuff to sell the book.
The author seems to endorse a LOT of mainstream media including Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey. Both of these shows use sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and rape to further their story line. Somehow that doesn't seem to fit with Philipians 4:8 which says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things and the God of peace will be with you”. Watching rape, homosexuality, or premarital sex (or even the hint of it!) just doesn't scream "lovely" to me.
Lets set aside the moral bankruptcy of promoting a show that actively works against Christ's mission and glory. If you just look at the time investment it is clear that the author is overwhelmed because of her misplaced priorities, more than anything else. The author brags that she watched the entire series of Downton Abbey in a two month period. There are 52 episodes of the show total. Maybe a good way to start working on not being overwhelmed by life would be to cut out the hour of television each day (if you are only watching that one show) and use that time productively instead.

Overall I give A Woman Overwhelmed by Hayley DiMarco a C- rating. The author spends a great deal of time swinging wildly from one emotion to another, making excuses for her flightiness, and practicing the illusion of "finding God in the messes of life". In reality, any good advice that could be gleaned from the book is tarnished by her incredibly worldly stance, as evidenced by the incredible number of pop cultural references and very few biblical references pointing the reader back to God and His glory.

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

"A Woman Overwhelmed" is a phrase with which many women can relate. But what would happen if we could see the insanity in our pace and embrace our overwhelming God?

There is a reason they say that a woman's work is never done-- because it isn't! As women, we often are overwhelmed by the demands and circumstances of life, resulting in stress, fear, worry, impatience, fatigue, frustration, and even depression. The truth is that we were created to be overwhelmed . . . not by life but by God! When we learn to be overwhelmed by God, the fruit in our lives goes from rotten to fragrant--filling our days with peace, hope, love, and joy.

In A Woman Overwhelmed, best-selling author Hayley DiMarco shares biblical insights and personal stories to offer a glimpse at the comedy of an overwhelmed life while encouraging us to discover the depths and heights of God's love and power.

Be empowered to find freedom in becoming overwhelmed with who God is--by learning to focus on what we know about God so that we can hold onto faith even when it seems that all is lost. For it is when an overwhelmed woman gives up the mission of me and exchanges it for the mission of God that being overwhelmed becomes a good thing.

Choose to bask in the abundance of the Father instead of the abundance of life as his unfathomable depths can surely replace our fathomable messes.


My Review:

God is my mainstay. He sees me through when this world and its people fail and He always will. Women get the short end of the stick really. They are called to be the submissive ones yet they are the ones that get the brunt of other peoples theories and demands. And while most days we are able to shoulder the load--some days explode in our faces and in the faces of the ones we love.



Sometimes it takes our faith to continue on down a road that we feel has lost its luster or that maybe the course changed and we aren't too happy about it. But we have to continue anyway for the sake of our family. It takes God in those terrible times and in those struggles just to take the next breath.


Many of us freak out and then address the problem but with God's help and His strength we can avoid freak out mode. Haley has given us a gold nugget of truth. examine yourself so that you can see the areas that need God the most and maybe just maybe you will start to see why you need to lose control sometimes. If we let God save us when we know for a fact we can't save ourselves--we might actually get some things done.


A great way to examine life's greatest creation----MYSELF!


**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Deana Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author must have had me in mind when she wrote this book. I feel overwhelmed everyday. I am always asking myself did I remember to do this and oh yeah I need to do that errand before they close. Some days I’m so out of it, I see myself coming and going. This book is just what I needed. It is so refreshing to read that I am not alone in my thinking. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when the author said, “I’m overwhelmed simply because I’m not in charge.” Well of course that’s the answer to my problems. Let me be in charge of everything, then I know it will get done. Then I stopped and realized I’m the problem. I want to do everything to please others, make myself feel good and yes I forgot that God is in charge, not me.

The book is filled with wonderful insights that help women understand that it’s ok to make a mistake. We can’t do it all and God has given us spouses and families to balance everything out. I hated it when I was at work and would make a mistake and someone would point it out. I felt like a little child being scolded by my dad who I could never please. So I became a shell of myself. I slowly started to see myself putting a wall up so no one could get in. I didn’t invite the most important part of my life to help me. I walked away from God, but I didn’t feel worthy enough to be in His presence. What I needed to do was ask God to help me and work through what had transformed into anxiety.

The author has so many points that really helped me. I loved when she said, “I may never know why God slows me down when He does , but I want to find the strength to trust Him in those times.” I want to stop, smell the roses and enjoy my life. I love the personal stories the author shares and the humor she brings as she shares her life . There are so many nuggets of eye opening topics I decided to slow down and start taking notes as I read. I loved at the end of every chapter she provides a section called “ Thoughts To Ponder.” It summarizes what you just read and gives you questions to take your study deeper. I loved this book so much and it will be a book I refer back to along with the notes I made. This is a must read for every woman. We don’t need to be overwhelmed anymore.

“ God’s mission is never interrupted and is always completed; it’s just not always completed in the
ways we might expect.”

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse. The review is my own opinion.

[Just Commonly · Rating 5 out of 5]

". . . we weren't meant to become overwhelmed to distraction but to devotion." (160)

". . . God's amazing grace is never impotent; it is overwhelming. It overwhelms all the sin in your life, both the acceptable and unacceptable." (189)

Overwhelmed. Who are we kidding when we laugh at such a silly notion. We are overwhelmed. We're overwhelmed with the many aspects of life, and sometimes, we let that hinder us, overtake us and forget the grace that soothes us. A Woman Overwhelmed by Hayley DiMarco shares not only our dilemmas, but our heart as well with personal stories and reminders, helpful hints to finding God in the Messes of Life.

"To love people, we have to learn to listen, and listening involves the quietness of both mouth and spirit." (88)

Easy to read with a relax approach that isn't afraid to dig into the Bible with references, giving readers God's words. And in doing so, it ties into the truth of God's love and grace to calm us during the overwhelmed moments.

"When God overwhelms your former view of the world with His glorious goodness, you can't help but shout it from the rooftops." (164)

In all, A Woman Overwhelmed provides insights to a woman's world, but also allowing readers to ponder on the meaning of it and how we can find that hope in our daily life. Encouraging and empowering, a book us girls should peruse periodically. And in the end, ponder the important things.

"I pray that God will give you insight into the depths of His love and maybe even a glimpse of the comedy of it all as seen from the rearview mirror. . . and I pray that in those things, you will discover freedom . . . you will find the grace to begin to close your worldly eyes to the messiness of life as you open your spiritual eyes to the beauty surrounding that mess." (6)

A prayer for us all.


This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

[Keri My Table of Three · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity.

If there was ever a book written for me it would this one. I have really been feeling the pressure lately with all I have going on. So much so that I even missed a couple of important deadlines along the way, which pains me to say. So yeah, this book was dead on and timely indeed!

As I began to read the authors words in the first chapter and throughout many of them, I felt like I knew exactly what she was talking about.  I could relate so well to her on so many levels. I found myself reading portions of this book out loud to my husband and before I could even finish the paragraph he would say, wow this lady has read your "mail" ha! He may know me a bit too well, but he was right.

I can't tell you how many times I let things overwhelm me to the point that I just want to stop everything all together. I believe the author would call this being "overwhelmed to inaction". Such a fitting description! Have you guys ever been there? You know, like it was so much to deal with that you just didn't want to deal with it at all? If you have been, then you can sit next to me and we can read along together because this book is just the dose of reminding we need!

Hayley DiMarco has such a fun way of writing and sharing her own personal struggles with being overwhelmed that it just draws you in and before you know it you are zipping through chapters faster and faster soaking up every story and knowledge she has to offer. Her humor is such a bright spot to me and I think you will enjoy it too. I mean who wouldn't enjoy reading a chapter called "The World Can't Handle My Ninja", right?

This book was such a great reminder of how we let things take over and overwhelm us in our everyday lives when we should only be letting God's love and mercies overwhelm our souls! I am telling you guys, this book was meant for me to read and I am so glad that I got a chance to ready it and share it here with you. I hope you will pick up a copy for yourself if you ever experience the feeling of being overwhelmed like myself and many other women do.

[Megan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book drew my interest enough to want to read it. I had read The Fruitful Wife by Haylet DiMarco and really enjoyed that book, so I was curious about how she would tackle the very common feeling of being overwhelmed.

As I read the description of the book, her first two questions were enough for me to get excited about reading it. She asks, “Are you overwhelmed? Did you know that you were made to be overwhelmed?” What?! I was made to be overwhelmed? To have this feeling like I’m spinning circles and in control of absolutely nothing?! Well, yes. I knew that, however, I had never really stopped to think of the prase “being overwhelmed by God.” We were made to love, serve, enjoy, and glorify God. Sisters, that is being overwhelmed by God!

As women, we can easily relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed. Hayley DiMarco is no exception. Throughout the pages, she shares her stories of her life that can easily overwhelm. It’s a life we all live day in and day out.

I really wanted to spend more time in this book than I had the chance to. I wanted to journal out answers to her thoughts to ponder and I do intend to go back and use those questions and thoughts to explore some things in my life. Her questions are very pointed and I know that the Holy Spirit will guide me to the things in my life that need some attention that are taking away from me being completely overwhelmed by God instead of the “flashy” things I encounter daily. I feel like this would be a great book study if you can find a group that longs to be transparent in both the good and bad. It’s a book that you can use, along with the Bible, to form some very tight friendships and change some lives.

My favorite line from her is actually found at the back of the book. She writes, “For it is when an overwhelmed woman gives up the mission of ‘me’ and exchanges it for the mission of God that being overwhelmed becomes a good thing.” Amen.
________
I received this book free from Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity Group.

[Lauren DuPrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life is the latest from author Hayley DiMarco. I first became familiar with Hayley when I read her book The Fruitful Wife. I really enjoyed The Fruitful Wife and am thankful for the impact it's had on my marriage but with A Woman Overwhelmed I didn't quite feel the same way. With 31 brief chapters, A Woman Overwhelmed reads like a devotional type book although it is not one. When I first received my copy of the book, I found this aspect confusing because I wasn't quite sure what the intention of the book is.

Through the 31 chapters, Hayley takes women through various scenarios in which she's experienced feeling overwhelmed and how she responded. I did enjoy reading these as I found them very relatable. I also deeply appreciated the questions Hayley provided at the end of each chapter to get to the heart behind why women feel overwhelmed and how they can respond to these feelings in a godly manner. The questions, however, often did not seem to relate to the scenarios Hayley described, which I also found to be a bit confusing. Overall, I'm thankful for Hayley's heart to point women to God and His Word, and while I did find aspects of this book enjoyable I don't know that I necessarily view it as a must read.

If you are a woman who has wrestled though living a life overwhelmed by worldly cares rather than Godly ones, I do believe that the questions in this book may be helpful to you. Consider however, that they may not necessarily flow with or relate to the content of the chapter.

I received A Woman Overwhelmed compliments of Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Woman Overwhelmed

Finding God in the Messes of Life
by Hayley DiMarco

Abingdon Press

Christian , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 15 Aug 2017

I am reviewing a copy of A Woman Overwhelmed through Abingdon Press and Netgalley:

Many women if not most women can relate to being overwhelmed at one time or another. At times we can even be overwhelmed by inaction. Some get overwhelmed by the slow pace of the world, others get overwhelmed because everything moves so fast. The author reminds us that impatience is the need for speed.

We are often overwhelmed by our desire to impress and that leads to impossible standards. We to often feel the need to compare ourselves with others, that we become overwhelmed.

We get overwhelmed by the possibility of some disastrous illness, that we often assume the worst, turning to Google for the answers, only to find out a bite is sometimes just that a bug bite.

In a Woman Overwhelmed, Hayley Di-Marco, the author of the 2004 book Mean Girls once again brings the issues that face many women to light, and that is of being overwhelmed, but she also reminds us in those Messes of Life, we can find God.

I give A Woman Overwhelmed five out of five stars.

Happy Reading.

[Mazzou B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book and really benefited from it. The author's honesty and openness definitely helped me to face my own mind and heart concerning life. I was surprised by how similar I am to this author. This book was easy to read, not too long yet full of truths and worthy of thinking over. I liked how each chapter ended with ''thoughts to ponder'' and I look forward to re-reading it as a daily or weekly book study. The author, Hayley DiMarco is a best-selling writer and I certainly will read more of her books from now on! Not only does she speak from experience and with sound Biblical truth, she writes with a great sense of humour which I enjoyed. I highly recommend this book for any woman who consistently feels overwhelmed and/or out of control of life! 
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

"A Woman Overwhelmed" is a phrase with which many women can relate. But what would happen if we could see the insanity in our pace and embrace our overwhelming God?

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hayley DiMarco's A Woman Overwhelmed reads like a faith-based Gilmore Girls episode script. Her witty banter and blunt honesty about faith, its implementation in her own life, and how to "walk it out" make me feel like I'm sitting across from her at a local coffee shop, sharing heart-to-heart conversation.

Sometimes I felt like I was still catching up with her train of thought, only to find she'd moved to the next topic, but that was small potatoes compared to the goldmine this book truly is. I definitely went back and re-read elements, which helped. It will convict and encourage you in turns; for myself, I was grateful to know I wasn't the only one that has struggled in some of the areas she covers - even though my life situation and hers differ rather significantly!

I could see this book being popular as a group study, though it also works as an individual read. Broken into bite-sized chunks, you can enjoy it in small doses or straight through.

I received a free copy of the book from Litfuse. All opinions are my own.

[Julie D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate to so much in this book! There’s always something going on in my life and so much to do that it can feel overwhelming.

Hayley writes with humor about the messes of life that we all experience as women. The little things and big things that can be so overwhelming. I really like how real and open she is about things that she has experienced.

There are several sections in the book and my favorite is “The Mission of Me”. This section focuses on how we need to put others before ourself, just as God instructs, even though it’s our nature to put ourself above others. Contrary to what we think, it can be more overwhelming to be self centered.

At the end of each chapter, there’s a section called, “Things to Ponder”. This is where she asks us questions for us to ponder and answer. This is where she shares what God has to say about what we’ve read and how to apply it to our life.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group

[Sherry Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't be truthful if I said I am not a Woman Overwhelmed.

I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said that I didn't find help in filling my days with peace, hope, love and joy after reading this book.

Who doesn't want to bask in the abundance of the Father.

Hayley DiMarco shares herself and shares what God has taught her.

This is a great book for all women. Mature or young. I think there are times that we are all in a place where we need to be reminded of God's sovereignty and his grace.

Let's face it. It's hard being a wife and a mom. I for one am grateful to find some help.

I recommend Woman Overwhelmed to all women.

I received a complimentary copy from Litfuse.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it like to be overwhelmed by God instead of by life? Isn’t that the way we should be? This is a wonderfully written book about being overwhelmed and it’s an amazing read. Life has just gotten too busy and we’re stressed with not only the big things but the little things as well. Where does it stop? This author gives us an idea on how to begin with stories of her own daily experiences and how she turned things around. I must say they are amusing.

Only God is perfect and no matter how hard we try life will never be so why stress? What are you doing wrong? Read this book and realize how much different things could be.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.​ ​

[LeAnne Klopfenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a light-hearted yet thought-provoking women's devotional/autobiographical/study. I think it would be a great book for new Christians or women who are still trying to figure out what a relationship with a personal God looks like. It's also a nice book for the 'seasoned' Christian, as it provides a refreshing and fun look at insights that too often fall into a rote 'Christianese'. I enjoyed having someone so honestly discuss life as an overwhelmed woman and what it means to turn that over in total surrender to being filled by God and allowing him to have your complete heart.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.*

[Samantha Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved Hayley DiMarco's mix of humor, seriousness, and scripture. I laughed out loud many times while reading this. I even raised my hands and said, "that's me!"... more than once!

I loved the 'Thought to Ponder' portion at the end of each chapter that really make you apply what she's talked about to your own life.

We have a Savior who wants us, as His children, to be overwhelmed by Him and His love for us over everything else. Hayley DiMarco really drives this point home.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brooke • bibbidibobbidiibrooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got SO much out of this book! I was able to relate to the author in so many ways. At first I was pretty close minded about what she was saying but then I realize I’m literally just like her 😅 Everything she said hit me hard and made me realize some changes that I need to make in the way I communicate with people and in my mindset. I’m excited to apply what I learned to my life and see if I can be overwhelmed only in God instead of my circumstances.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad to have read a chapter each day for the past month or so....but this did feel a touch forced. I might just not be the perfect audience for the book, but it was worth my read in the end. 3 stars

[Kasey Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I advice any one to read 👍🏼

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was funny and interesting.

[Leslie McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who hasn’t felt overwhelmed at some point in time? If that describes you, this is a book to check out. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, from our own desires to impress others by trying to live up to unrealistic expectations, to illness, to so many other things. Perfection, control, worry … the list goes on and on. DiMarco reminds the reader that in those circumstances, God is still there. He doesn’t leave us to go through them alone.

In general, this book is a quick read, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not filled with lots of useful tips … because it is! The book is very relatable. The author combines personal stories with Biblical stories and scriptures, on a variety of topics. While some parts are serious, there is a lot of humor thrown in, as well. Each chapter ends with “Thoughts to Ponder,” a place that highlights the key points of the chapter. As a result, this book could work well as a small-group study.

You can read the full review on my blog: https://lmckeeediting.blogspot.com/20...

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy as part of the LitFuse Blogger Program, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

[Whitney Werling · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a woman, I am always on the search for a book that will bring encouragement and challenge me at the same time. I enjoyed reading this book, but it didn't completely fulfill what I had hoped. The author brought humor which I like, but I felt a disconnect while reading each section. And even while I am writing this review, I have a hard time discussing anything specific because it just wasn't memorable. I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking up this book, but it was just an average read for me.

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

[Laura]

Its not often I pick up a nonfiction book and immediately identify with the person she's writing about. A WOMAN OVERWHELMED. Yeah. That's me. And who would've guessed it was because I am trying to take control, keep control, and not let others do it because God knows they'll do it all wrong...

Yeah. That's me.

Or I'm trying to work too fast and my words are not keeping up with my brain and computer freezes and shuts down just to keep it's sanity. Because it can't keep up with the speed I"m typing.

Perfection. Trying to make things the way YOU want them and only that way. Controlling others. Worrying about why, why, why, why! Sheesh, I could manage the world better if I were God... Be honest now, did you ever think that?

I have. And maybe that's why I am A WOMAN OVERWHELMED. And maybe that's why I so needed to read this book. And maybe that's why God made sure I had a copy sent to me so I *had* to read it. And maybe, just maybe, I'd learn something like "Be still, and know that I am God." Or that no, I'm not in control of the world, and maybe there are no law against the things I'm micromanaging. If my twelve year old wants to wear one of my shirts with her pants and her sister's tutu does it really matter in the big picture?

There are discussion questions included. I have the kindle copy and there are no lines, not sure if there are in the printed version. But really, you will want to read this with a notebook, and maybe a Bible close at hand. A WOMAN OVERWHELMED is like a fantastic book for women's studies, small groups, or to do one-on-one with a BFF. Or, all by yourself as I did. Interrupting my husband and daughters often as I totally related to something and had to share it.

If you are A WOMAN OVERWHELMED, grab your copy NOW. This is a #mustread. Seriously.

I was given a copy off netgalley. All opinions are my own.