Friday, 11 November 2011

• The Book That Would Not Go Away

  By Bonnie at Faith Barista
  

  A journal in my hand.

  I’ve been writing here at Faith Barista, talking to you usually in the dark — in the morning before the birds start chirping, at night when the children are no longer up.

  In the quiet, my fingers cradle a pen over a journal. I rest them over a keyboard to type my words out.

  Writing is where I’ve always found freedom.

  I find my voice.

  I hear God’s.

  And I am no longer alone.

  It’s always been that way growing up as a little girl.

  But, when I started this blog — writing in the open — things changed.

  Something Personal

  My journey with words led me to something new.

  Writing led me to the gift of community.

  Creating Faith Barista led me to you.

  So, it feels surreal what I am about to tell you.

  Today, I have something personal to share with you. I say it is personal because my first instinct was to not share it just yet. 

  Keep it close. Until later down the line.

  For those of you who have been regulars at Faith Barista for years, you know that I’d been wounded in community previously — for a such a long season, it once threatened to define me.

  So, I wanted to fall back into my default mode of keeping quiet.  But, here is why I’m writing you today.

  God has used you –

  your kindred spirit

  your real-life stories

  your quiet companionship

  …to inspire me — to write a book about the journey of faith.

  The Book That Would Not Go Away

  Like a pebble in my shoe, the book would not go away.  It kept me up at night, whispering in my ear throughout the day.

  When I ate, as I drove, wherever I turned, in conversations — the stories I wanted to share would not go away.

  So last year, I started a book proposal, to see if God wanted to take my writing to print.  To make a long story short, this was my second book proposal.  I wrote the first one seven years ago. It was the second one that got picked up by Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. 

  Two weeks ago, I got the book contract in the mail.

  I signed on the dotted line later that week.

  The manuscript is due next year.  The book will be released in the summer of 2013.

  This book isn’t a memoir, but I will be telling my story as I always do to serve up encouragement in the journey of faith.

  I am speechless at the turn of events… absolutely joy-filled at such a gift.

  But, I am also terrified. This means God wants me to step back into community in a public way and He’s calling me to write more boldly and freely than I have ever done.

  This is why I am grateful for you.

  My First Steps

  You have made this a safe journey for me.

  So, here is where I begin my first steps onto an untraveled path ahead.

  Together, we will keep faith fresh. (If you are interested in the writing process, I’d be happy to encourage you in future posts too.)

  I’m so excited.  I can’t wait to share this book with you.

  We were never made to do life alone.  I’ve always believed that by faith.  But, God has brought you into my life, in this season, to let me know this is true for me now.

  Thank you for your encouragement.

  Your voices.

  Your faith — Your stories are God’s gifts to me.

  “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”
  ~ Philippians 1:3, 4

  
  
  ~~~~~
  
  
  What gift has God slipped into your life recently?

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