I Can't Do It All: Breaking Free from the Lies That Control Us

by Tracie Peterson, Allison Bottke

Using their own testimonies, the authors show readers what they've learned - and help others escape the lies they bought into.

Genres: Christian Non Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2006

About the author

Tracie Peterson is a bestselling author who writes in both historical and contemporary genres. Her novels reveal her love for research as well as her strong desire to develop emotionally meaningful characters and stories for her readers. Tracie and her family live in Montana.

pen name: Janelle Jamison

Reviews

[Melissa (So Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women are constantly barraged with messages from the media and society. We must be thin, love must be a certain way or it's not true love, we need certain things (a husband, child, career) to be fulfilled, and happiness is everything. I Can't Do it All discusses these and other false messages, to help women break free from the idea that life should be a certain way or something must be wrong. The authors have joined forces to address these issues and provide truth from the Bible to counteract wrong beliefs.

Other falsehoods include: 'I deserve to have it all ... right now' - feelings of entitlement can lead to debt; 'I can do it all' - the notion that we can do everything and sacrifice nothing in the process; 'I can make my own truth' - if we have an empty place in our soul, we tend to make up our own truth to suit our desires; 'The more I do, the more God likes me' - thinking that God's love and grace is based on something we do. Each chapter addresses one lie and counteracts it with truth from the Scriptures. The authors give personal examples, which make the concepts believable and approachable. At the end of each chapter are personal application questions and journaling prompts that will help readers to dig in and apply the ideas to their own lives.

I Can't Do it All is a powerful book, filled with teaching that women will understand and relate to. The authors don't pull any punches or sugar coat their thoughts, and everything is directly from the Bible and analyzed using the Scriptures. If you are feeling bound by society's view of how life should be, the book will help to point you in the right direction toward God's ideal for your life.

[Giselle Alvarez · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was legalistic and is a waste of time. This books preaches the only way to be happy or fulfilled is by strictly following all traditional (outdated) expectations (get and stay married, have kids, among other things the authors themselves admit to not have done smh).

It tries to guilt-trip you and spiritually manipulate you. The authors try to enforce morality through fear rather than empathy. They shame the pursuit of well-being. They claim people should obey Bible commandments (like divorce) even if they're at the cost of their sense of self, happiness, or safety. They dismiss legitimate suffering and give simplistic solutions to complex problems also. None of their arguments regarding all of the topics in this book have nuance. They all have an absolute black and white approach.

Christianity isnt about legalism or rigid checklists (which are the things this book is all about). What matters most is the intention behind everything that we do. If you dont agree, by all means this book was written for you.