Confessions Of A Boy-Crazy Girl: On Her Journey From Neediness To Freedom (True Woman)

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Sound familiar?1. You spot a cute boy (we’ll call him Boy A).2. You dream about Boy A.3. You do whatever it takes to make Boy A notice you.4. Even though Boy A doesn’t pursue you, you hang on to your dream of Boy A until he (a) moves to the North Pole with no access to a cell phone or computer, (b) dies and is buried or cremated, or (c) begins dating another girl.5. You mend your broken heart by hating Boy A and finding another cute boy (Boy B). You replace Boy A with Boy B and begin all over again . . .  Paula has gone through an entire alphabet—and more—of boys over the years.As she shares her journal entries and stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly—you’ll be encouraged to trust God with your love life and buckle up for the ride!Written for teen girls, Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl will help you on your own journey from neediness to freedom.  Part of the True Woman publishing line, whose goal is to encourage women to exude God’s beauty by embracing his design for womanhood

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (September 1, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0802407501

ISBN-13: 978-0802407504

Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.4 x 7 inches

Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #225,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #11 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Children's & Teens > Teens > Social Issues #32 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Religious > Christian > Relationships #242 in Books > Teens > Religion & Spirituality

I never thought of myself as being "boy-crazy." I remember driving around in high school with two of my best friends in the car, both of whom were screaming and giggling at boys in normal teenage girl fashion. I considered myself a little above that.And yet when it was time to come up with a name for our son, my husband and I had to cross several off the list just by virtue of the fact that I had dated guys with those names. Now, I'm not saying there were scores of names. But there were more than a couple. My boy-craziness might not have led to posters of JTT (google it) on my wall, but I can look back and see that I was indeed far too concerned with the approval of boys, and, later, men.Would I have the guts to spill all my journal entries and heartache in a book that anyone might read? Um, no. But one author did just that, and I wish I could go back and give it to 13-year-old Catherine, the AWANA trophy winner who had a major crush on the high school drop-out who had been shot in the arm. Seriously. Or the 15-year-old Catherine who was naively sure she would marry the 18-year-old she was dating. Or the 18-year-old Catherine who got into a serious relationship 2 weeks into her freshman year of college, convinced she had finally found "the one." The list could go on, but the point is the same-I was looking for something none of these guys could give me.In Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl: On Her Journey From Neediness to Freedom, Paula Hendricks shares her heart with her readers. And not just a little bit of her heart. I mean she really pours it out, holding nothing back out of love for those girls who might pick up this book and see the incredible love of Christ written on its pages. This is not a story of "I became the woman God wanted me to be, and then He brought me an amazing husband."Instead, this is a book that exposes our idols, what she calls "`little g' gods," and encourages us to replace them with something far greater. I found young Catherine on so many pages in this book, and honestly, I found 30-year-old Catherine on some too. I still want to be liked, admired, and loved. There's not a lot of difference between a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old, now that I think about it. The individual situations and idols may be different, but the root is the same.But there is hope, and the author shares it so lovingly and passionately. She encourages her readers:No, you can't fix who you are on your own, but God is in the business of transforming broken girls into beautiful trophies of His grace.I commend this book to every younger girl (middle school, high school, college and beyond), as well as to parents who want to see the depths of what their daughters are going through. The freedom from neediness is only found in Christ, and Paula Hendricks writes from a heart that has clearly been transformed by Him.*I was given a copy of this book by Moody Press, but the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

While perhaps not the target market, I felt drawn to this book for one core reason: “guy craziness” is not simply a “girl issue.” As guys, we often struggle with the same longings and preoccupation with finding a spouse and life partner. Cultural pressures among males often lead us to simple silence on these issues (“Gosh, I don’t want to sound like one of those boy-crazy girls!”).Paula Hendricks calls all readers out – herself first through endearing personal anecdotes – to challenge their true heart in these matters. While the earnest desire for a mate is good, a preoccupation with it can become deceptive idolatry: “if I only had him [or her] I’d be happy…”I closed the last page with a redirected focus toward seeking God as my ultimate source of happiness, not any one person. Ultimately, this is the very attitude that frees us to love as we should if or when that right relationship does come along. Highly recommended for readers of both genders!

Paula expresses through her transparency and honesty the heart and mind of many teen girls - this is valuable read for parents, grandparents and teens alike to understand the importance of a parent's love and our Heavenly Father's love - how they influence the course of our thoughts, actions and life. I know the Lord can and will use this book to touch and turn the hearts and minds of many who read this inspiring book. Submitting to His word and will, will never return a spiritual emptiness in our lives. It is truly written from the heart and soul of a beautiful young lady inside and out! Thank you Paula!

Review from [...]It isn't easy to take an honest, vulnerable look at your dating experiences. Try publishing it for everyone to read. In Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl: On Her Journey from Neediness to Freedom, Paula Hendricks describes how her revolving door relationship with "cute, innocent crushes," eventually became costly investments. The writing manager of Revive Our Hearts and frequent blogger on Lies Young Women Believe opens up her heart (and her journal entries) to share all her personal triumphs, tears and the truth that set her free.But this isn't your typical dating/singleness/relationship book. It's an invitation to follow God with the most vulnerable, fragile, and hope-hungry pieces of your heart, written by a young woman offering her personal journey as "Exhibit A." For Paula, trusting God with her love life meant total surrender: "I never thought I'd say this, but I was treating God like a math equation: trust God + wait on God + pray about everything +be led by Scripture = getting the guy and the love I've always wanted. But I was never any good at math. And God is not a formula."The book is divided into two parts, sort of a spiritual before-and-after: "The Searching (Doing It My Way)" and "The Breaking and Remaking (Relinquishing Control)." What I love about Paula's book is her ability to hit the root issue of the heart, sometimes even hitting a nerve. She talks about the danger of "Awakening Love" (ch. 3) before the right time and running ahead of reality with "The Relationship in My Head" (ch. 6). And who hasn't bought into the lie that romantic bliss is just a cosmetic counter away, convincing ourselves, "If I Could Just Be Beautiful Enough" (ch. 4)? She even addresses that confusing time, "When You Get What You Want But It's All Wrong" (ch. 12) and the painful, humiliating setback of rejection in "The Part Where Everything's Supposed to End Happily Ever After (ch. 15).After a string of heartbreaks and disappointments, Paula came to a profound realization: In running after love, she was actually running away from it. The love and the identity she had been chasing was a God-sized craving. And in a moment of total soul-transparency, Paula's love life was changed from the inside out. "Suddenly I realized I didn't have to be jealous of that pretty girl. I didn't have to covet every guy I saw. I didn't have to hate that guy for not liking me. I wasn't powerless anymore. In fact, in Christ I was no longer that helpless, hopeless boy-crazy girl. I had a new identity now." To discover how...you'll have to get the book!I wish I'd had read this when I was in college! Ideal for young women in their teens and twenties, Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl is both lighthearted and spiritually deep. Paula writes in a voice of emotional maturity and a candidness that makes you feel like you're sitting together and sipping Caramel Macchiatos. Its fast-paced chapters are saturated with Scripture, sound theology, and Paula's witty sense of humor. Make sure you, your daughter, or the boy-crazy girl in your life has this book for the journey from neediness to freedom!

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