Welcome to the first Five Minute Friday post of November 2016!
How’s everyone doing? Gearing up for the holidays? Raking tons of leaves? Still desperately clinging to the last fraying strands of warm-ish weather?
Since November is traditionally known as a month of gratitude, I thought it would be an appropriate time to remind you all just how grateful I am for each and every one of you!
So, in a demonstration of my gratitude for the one-of-a-kind community called Five Minute Friday, I’ll be hosting a giveaway here every week during the month of November!
[Tweet “It’s GIVEAWAY MONTH at Five Minute Friday!”]
Go ahead and join the Heading Home mailing list here if you haven’t done so already to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the news!
You’ll find this week’s giveaway item and instructions on how to enter when you get to the bottom of the post.
But first …
Have you heard?
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This course will hold your hand step-by-step through the self-publishing process, from start to finish.
[Tweet “Check out this new #selfpublishing course from @FistbumpMedia!”]
Learn more from Fistbump Media president Dan King in this blog post interview, and in the video below!
The price is currently $19.99, but only through November 7th, 2016! Starting November 8th, it gets bumped up to $29.99, so make sure you get in on the action now!
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This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is:
[Tweet “This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is: JOURNEY .. Come write with us!”]
Ready? GO.
Sometimes I forget that all of life is a journey.
It sounds silly, I know.
But sometimes I get stuck in the moment, lodged in a rut, or zoomed-in focused on the nitty-gritty of the day-to-day.
I get frustrated by small things and forget to look at the big picture.
It’s nearly holiday season, which often gets me reflecting back on past years. This week I found myself looking ahead in my calendar at the weeks to come, and inevitably I thought back to last year around this time.
Last December was one of the worst health months in my life. Some of you may remember that I was down for 21 days (including an overnight hospital stay) with a weird viral heart infection combined with carbon monoxide poisoning. Literally the day I started to feel better after three weeks in bed, I slipped on ice, split my head open and had to get internal stitches and external staples in the back of my head. I had concussion symptoms for a full month afterwards.
Now, I don’t share these details for pity or sympathy and I am oh-so-aware that so many struggle with issues far more significant and devastating.
But the looking back has made me thankful for the ups and the downs. I thank God for His gentle leading, for His gracious provision, for guiding me to wide open green pastures.
I thank God for growth, not just in the past year, but past years, and
I thank God for the journey.
[Tweet “I thank God for the journey.”]
What are you thankful for?
STOP.
And now, it’s GIVEAWAY TIME!
This week’s giveaway item is a limited edition Five Minute Friday mug!
[Tweet “Enter to #win a Five Minute Friday mug! #giveaway”]
To enter the giveaway, share this post on one (or more) of the social media channels and leave a comment to tell me where you shared. Each share can be added as a separate entry in a separate comment.
Winner will be drawn on Monday, November 7th. Winners must have a U.S. mailing address.
Happy writing, friends! Link up your own five minute free write below!

It’s always interesting to look back a year (or five) and see how God showed up in seasons. I’m so glad you’ve moved beyond last December, and look what He’s done in this year!! 🙂
I am thankful for His constant presence with me, my family. His faithfulness to me, even when I’m not. And I’m thankful that His plans are perfect, even when they look different from how I thought they would (should) look. He is the perfect Father.
This is truth! “But the looking back has made me thankful for the ups and the downs. I thank God for His gentle leading, for His gracious provision, for guiding me to wide open green pastures.” I am learning that I might not understand when I am going through it, but even so God was working in and through me during the journey. As I look back I understand more clearly the gift the journey really was and how God’s hand was in it every step of the way.
Kate,
thankful for a calmer season for you physically, though I’m recalling that one of your children has also had to journey through some physical setbacks this school year. Your example must have been closely watched by him, though you wouldn’t have known at the time. He saw you handle each challenge with grace, just like Proverbs 31:25-26.
You are a woman of character, and we are blessed to get to journey alongside you!
Love,
Tammy (#10 tonight)
p.s. just missed you on twitter. By a matter of less than 5 minutes!
Love this, so true! And thank you for the lovely giveaway. I shared it here –> https://twitter.com/bohofoxbabe/status/794391973087977473
Shared via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/uttleysz/status/794430632789045248
I want that mug! lol
Shared on twitter: https://twitter.com/dandyiscandy/status/794464503714877440
I shared on Pinterest / https://www.pinterest.com/pin/535506211926737291/
I shared on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/audrey.stewart.140/posts/1136295373124541?pnref=story
I shared on Twitter / https://twitter.com/AudreyS23511436/status/794467498368364544
I shared on Google+ / https://plus.google.com/u/0/101752594138615304534
I’v been so busy drowning with work and home- I haven’t been able to remind myself to slow down more. Then your post popped into my inbox and I read this.
Thank you for the refreshing reminder that there’s always a plan and life is journey!
Happy Friday!
I shared this post on Twitter!
Just shared your post on Facebook too!
AND I just shared on Instagram!!!!!!!!!
Kate, this was such a wonderful prompt. It is true that as we look back over our journey, we often become thankful for where the journey has brought us. It is always good to be here.
Sharing on Twitter 🙂
I definitely shared but I already have a mug – so give my chance to someone else! I loved this week’s word…a lot. Love you, Kate, for all you do for this FMF community.
Hey Kate,
I can’t say yet that I ‘m thankful for our journey, but I’m sure someday I will. God is definitely growing us.
Shared the post on Twitter…yep I’m back on. One can NEVER have too many cute coffee mugs 🙂
I shared on twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaC75/status/794558917632212992
Shared on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/174936766755897959/
Shared on fb, twitter, Google and Pinterest.
In the journey, I am thankful I am not alone.
I shared on twitter: https://twitter.com/Realinginlife/status/794593562788823040
Shared on my FB writer page and on Twitter! How fun! Thanks for doing this, Kate!
So thankful for you, dear Kate!
I need to start fmf. Looks like fun! I shared on Twitter
You did go through the wringer, Fearless Leader. It is a mark of grace that the trials haven’t made you bitter. Many fall to that temptation, myself included. Thank you for your example of looking for the good and the blessings.
I love taking the time to look back and be reminded of just how far God has brought me on my journey with Him. So may times that Jesus was right there beside me, actually carrying me, and I didn’t realize it until much later. I love this post, and the word, journey! 🙂
I shared on Facebook!
I also shared on Twitter!
Shared on Pinterest!
Shared on twitter
Shared on google+
I shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thanks for the giveaway! I’d love to win this. 🙂
Lovely thoughts! I shared on twitter https://twitter.com/kathsthoughts/status/794953916169461762
I shared on my personal Facebook page. 🙂
I also shared on Pinterest.
Shared on FB!
https://www.facebook.com/livinglifetruth/posts/708880349265479
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/creativeaim87/status/795390991473774592
Shared on Google+! https://plus.google.com/u/0/111000647204597148610/posts/AfVYNUPswdJ?sfc=true