Church of the Small Things...

Whenever I get the "if you could choose any career, what would you want to do with your life" question - my answer is always the same.

Write.

I would love to be able to write words that have meaning for others. I have found so much joy in the seven years that I have started this little blog and from time to time I find encouragement in the comments others have left when posts have moved them, made them think and most importantly made them feel.

And while this dream of writing all the words and saying all the things waits to become a reality, I will do the next best thing which is read all the words, especially the words of my friend, Melanie.

(So what if my definition of friend means that she has commented on my instagram posts, not put a restraining order on me and does not run the other way when she sees me in public.)

Melanie is my writer muse. She hits the three h's with ease.... I love her humor. I adore her heart. And we can all agree that she has the perfect Texas hair. (That may not actually make the list of "things that make an amazing author" but you can't deny that a good "about the author" picture is priceless.)

She has written three NY Best-Sellers that have made me laugh and cry so much that I almost wet my pants, so I was ecstatic when she announced her newest book would debut in October. But THEN she announced she was opening space on her official launch team and I was lucky enough to snag a spot (clearly there were no real selection guidelines) and was given an advanced copy of the book. And y'all... I know we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but...

Don't worry - you can preorder your book at churchofthesmallthings.com and snag tons of goodies!

Church of the Small Things is the letter you forgot to write to yourself about every in between moment of growing up. Those insignificant moments we didn't  write down in our diary because those pages were reserved for two things: when you are in love and when you are mad at your momma. Lord Jesus, the irony that the cover of my diary was "Precious Moments" because many of those passages and words are anything but.

Melanie tells her personal stories in such a way that they feel like your own. Maybe it's because our grandparents all taught us deep lessons about simple lives. Maybe it's because our best-friends help us do hard things. Maybe it's because the lives that we lead are anything but glamorous, but they are every bit a dream come true. Maybe it's simply because no one in their right mind is a "white couch" kind of person...

Or maybe it's because she welcomes you in like an old friend does and isn't afraid to be a little bit vulnerable, a lot of bit funny and always filled with the truth. His truth that promises us an entire life of carpool lines and packing lunches mixed in with meetings at work and Netflix binges are no less significant than the glitz and glamor of one filled with faraway vacations, spa days and more money than you can count. While there may not be any sand through the hourglass... these really are the days of our lives. The big and the small filled with imperfect moments that make up His perfect plan for us.

So much of this book made me feel like I had hopped in my DeLorean and travelled back to my childhood. Her experiences growing up in the church sounded exactly like growing up Catholic with a bestie that was Assembly of God. I went from Hail Mary's and signs of the cross to alter calls and praise hands. Let me just tell you, there is nothing like watching your best-friend die and get drug to the depths of hell during an-ever-so-convincing rendition of Heavens Gates Hells Flames to get you to an alter call. And I loved it - every single solitary moment of it. The hardest part was not getting confused about where I was ... I started clapping once during mass and my dear momma had to put a stop to that.

But you know what? She and my dad never put a stop to me learning about and loving Jesus. No matter what church I attended that week - it didn't matter - because I wasn't just learning about Him, I was living a life surrounded by people that loved Him. And that is no small thing.

This book is going to remind you that small moments matter in a big way. Taking food to a friend, understanding your spouse, missing your loved ones... the beauty of the patchwork that we weave is in every thing we do. At the end, we have a giant tapestry filled with the message He sent us through the church of the small things.





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Church of the Small Things doesn't release until October 3 but if you preorder you get some AMAZING goodies...

Once you've placed your order, complete this form and you will get an email access code for tons of bonus fun!

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Melanie, thanks for welcoming your congregation in to your church. We are blessed by your words, changed by your influence, and grateful for your voice.










Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci....Go check out other people's favs!