It’s Five Minute Friday time! To learn more, click here.
Before we kick off, I just have to share some amazing deals with you that I don’t want you to miss!
- Fistbump Media is offering a FREE e-course called How to Succeed in Blogging: 3 Goals Every Blogger Should Set! This course is only free through Friday, March 4th — after that, it will be $9.99, so now’s your chance!
- Annie Downs’ newest release, Looking for Lovely, is currently only $9.70 on Amazon for a limited time! Snag the pre-order price guarantee NOW, then visit Annie’s site for some fun pre-order goodies!
- Dayspring has a sale going on: 25% off SITE WIDE! Use code LIVE25 to get your discount!
- You can get 35% off ALL Home Decor at Dayspring with code HOME35, including this gorgeous map tray!
- Finally, this isn’t a deal per se, but one of my favorite websites, (in)courage, is currently open for submissions! This only happens four times a year for a limited period, so jump on your chance to contribute! Submissions will be accepted through March 15th. Themes and details can be found at incourage.me.
This week’s FMF prompt is:
I have news.
I’ve been waiting to tell you for a while, but didn’t really know how to let the cat out of the bag, or when would be the right time.
But more and more, this news is consuming my time and my concentration and my energy and well, basically my life, so I just couldn’t keep it inside any longer.
I signed a book contract.
(Here’s the back story, in case you missed it.)
It actually unfolded between September and November last year, and now I’m swimming in edits and revisions until I can’t see straight and everything is a complete blur.
So I’m calling on my favorite people in the whole world wide web, because you guys are just the best and I know you’ll have my back.
I need you to remind me what I’m sweating for. Remind me that it’s worth it. Remind me, like Kaitlyn Bouchillon says, that every story matters. Every story is a miracle.
And just by showing up here week after week, you prove to me that it’s true.
Your faithfulness and your accountability have kept me showing up, too, because I know we’re in this together.
Writing is a funny creature — it can bring untold satisfaction and immeasurable burden with the same breath.
A battle wages within as I sit in front of my screen, wondering whether the words I type are the right ones. And who really cares? And what’s the point? Questions become companions.
But we press on, because deep down we believe it’s worth it. More than that, we wonder how we could survive without it.
So this is me, showing up here with you and for you, cheering you on not from the sidelines, but from the frontlines. Together, and with God’s help, we can win the fight.
***
To celebrate this momentous occasion, I’m offering my e-book, Letters to Grief, for FREE through Friday, March 4th!
Spread the word!
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Kate! Oh congratulations! You have so much rich treasures to share. I’m encouraged and excited for you!!! Praying for your process. I hear it’s a refining and a growth…much like childbirth. All my best to you!
Love,
Tammy
Thank you, Tammy! Refining indeed! In fact, I have a blog post brewing about how editing is like sanctification. 😉 Might be a while before I actually write anything besides the weekly FMF posts in this space, though! 😉
Once again, I’m so excited for you Kate! The stress of writing and recovering from a concussion calls for extra prayers, though! Keep on keeping on. Your story matters.
Thanks for that encouragement, Anita! Making progress, slowly but surely!
Cheering hard for you, friend.
I adore you. When are you coming back to GR? Festival of Faith and Writing in April? 🙂
Kate!!! I always read your 5 minute posts and never think to comment (half the time I don’t know what to say, mostly I’m focused on participating in this awesome community..selfish maybe?) but this I had to comment!! Because this awesome news–and I’m hoping this very same thing for a friend who introduced me to fmf. 🙂
I’m praying God’s joy becomes your strength, to get through all those edits and long computer sessions. I downloaded your letters to grief, made it a few pages in and haven’t been able to touch it. Makes me think of my grandma who passed in 2014, but I love the way you write. 🙂 also, i submitted a piece to incourage today..nervous and excited. Been wanting to forever.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Julia! (Love your name, by the way — it’s my daughter’s middle name.) 😉 Thank you for your support and prayers! And congrats on submitting a piece to (in)courage! That’s a great accomplishment! Keep up the great work, and thanks for being part of the FMF community!
Kate, I love that we can show up for each other in the midst of life’s crazy. Thanks for showing up here every week, even when you’ve been in bed, and even when you are eyeballs up in edits. 🙂 It’s truly exciting to see where God is leading you. 🙂 EEEEEE! Just had to put that in here. 😉
Thank you for the EEEEE!, Jeanne! 😉 Picturing your happy dance and smiling in gratitude. So very thankful for you walking alongside me in this journey!
What wonderful news, Kate! Thank you so much for sharing this with us, that we may celebrate as well!
Thank you for showing up every week and encouraging us in the words you share and through this community that you support. We are SO blessed!
May you keep leaning into God’s strength, comfort and peace, as you continue the journey to publication. Oh how your Mom must be dancing up in heaven watching you glorify God both here and in the book you will be releasing! Maybe she’s dancing with mine: like that thought.
This is such exciting news! Well done!
Congratulations! It is always good to celebrate the good news of others 🙂 Blessings on the entire process!
Kate, I believe if we don’t share our story we cheat the one who needs to hear it the most. 2 Corinthians 1.3-4 I am delighted for you and will pray the next month or so doesn’t overwhelm you to the point of exhaustion. Just keep doing “the next thing.” Funny, how the Lord keeps saying that to me!!! Blessings, my friend.
Congratulations!!! So excited for you.
Congratulations! So excited to hear your news! That’s brilliant.
That’s so exciting! Congratulations!
Congratulations on your book deal Kate!! I’m really enjoying this community and am getting inspired the get my blog back up and running again soon. In the meantime my take on NEWS follows:
I have some news…
There is a look a woman gets it she says it. “I have some news…”.
Emotion squeezes out of her eyes, a broad smile is glued to her face.
Will this news ever be mine?
The news of blue vertical lines.
The news of craving and nausea.
The news of intuition and answered prayers.
The news of family beginnings.
The news of vulnerability, fear and trust.
The news of legacy.
The news of the ultimate female achievement, the sisterhood of mothers.
The news of dreams.
The news; the rehearsal of which I try to suppress.
My joy at this news, is a trained response;
genuine but practiced.
It is hopeful, proof the system works for someone;
the environment couldn’t be that toxic!
Shame is masked by my smile; what is wrong with my body?
Most of the time I ignore Resentment,
but I can’t avoid noticing he is lurking,
mumbling comparisons, pointing fingers and accusations.
“She didn’t clean up her diet/ lose weight/ exercise/ endure weekly probing and hormones”.
He is like a child complaining about his buddy getting a bigger piece of cake.
“We all have our own journeys”,I try to explain.
He usually backs down,with some logic and reframing,
he slinks away into the shadows of my subconscious.
Some days,
when the hormones are all wrong,
when I’m flailing and raw,
he can rope me in.
“Her half is bigger”, “you don’t ever win”, “there won’t be any left”.
Scarcity and entitlement myths leave me and my nemesis Resentment tantruming,
screaming and stomping: “It isn’t fair”!
When I come up for air, Jesus is there.
“You’re right! It isn’t fair! He acknowledges,
(sounding all too much like the better aspects of my father).
“I will show you how to walk on water.
I will calm the sea, just look up:
re-orient yourself to me”.
I’m so excited for you! Congrats on what I am sure is going to be a continues success and journey!