The secret is found is being Here, Now
I’m not the expert in this, I’m growing in this area, but I have to bring on the expert who is inspiring and challenging my soul, my new friend Kate Merrick.

OK, INTRODUCING….KATE MERRICK!!!

ABOUT HERE, NOW: UNEARTHING PEACE AND PRESENCE IN AN OVER-CONNECTED WORLD

Do you ever feel like you just want to push the fast forward button on life? Do you feel like your current season is meaningless, or that it’s tedious or too painful? Or maybe it’s super sweet but you can’t quite see the exquisite beauty because you’re so distracted by all the things of life. In this book, I write about presence, contentment, and what it looks like to search for and practice those things. In my usual style, I use personal experience, scripture, stories, humor, and questions to lead the reader on a journey to discover of what that might look like in their own life. I dish about moving to Israel for three months, going off the grid, what I was doing the night before Daisy was diagnosed and more. Come explore presence with me, discover what it means to unearth it, practice it, and walk in courage in all seasons. I’m confident God has something for you here!

AND STILL, SHE LAUGHS: DEFIANT JOY IN THE DEPTHS OF SUFFERING

The official description: Kate Merrick examines the Bible’s gritty stories of resilient women as well as her own experience losing a child—a journey followed by more than a million on prayfordaisy.com—to reveal the reality of surprising joy and deep hope even in the midst of heartache.

It keeps going, but you can read that description on the book retailer websites. Get the real scoop below…

The unofficial description: I wrote this book for anyone who has been on this earth long enough to hit a roadblock, whether it’s the death of a loved one or a nasty breakup. Life gets crazy hard, who doesn’t need more joy? And sometimes, all we can do is be defiantly joyful. Because the book was written while reeling from the radical grief I experienced after Daisy died, it’s uncomfortable at times. Perhaps a bit too honest, but not much is accomplished through pretending we have it all together. It’s my journey from the bonds of bitter to the freedom of laughter, from the day Daisy died and the darkness that followed, to choosing to enjoy the beauty of life. It makes me cry every time I do another round of edits, but there is a fair amount of funny, too. You might laugh, you’ll probably cry, but mostly, you’ll get a whole lotta Jesus. It’s my prayer you can join me in trading a life of sorrow for one of sweetness.

ABOUT KATE:

Kate Merrick is the co-founder of the Reality family of churches along with her husband, Britt. When she’s not writing, speaking at retreats and conferences, or slaying motherhood, you can find her at the beach, in the garden, or making delicious messes in the kitchen. She lives with her family and a flock of chickens in Carpinteria, California. (Isaiah, Daisy Love and Fifi Sunshine)

KATE’S WEBSITE:

www.kmerrick.com

QUESTIONS FOR KATE:

At what moment did you realize that you were living in a life of noise and distraction, not in a life of being present?
What do you think causes us the most distraction in our lives? Why is it that so many women feel overwhelmed and that life is just passing them by?
You went to Israel and went off the grid. Were you scared?
How the heck do you advise someone to start to “walk in peace” and quiet their souls when everything about their life is orchestrated by the busy bus?
You talk a lot about glorious, everyday moments that God uses to connect with us and speak to us. What are some examples of these everyday moments in your life recently?
I was moved by a sermon I heard you give on a podcast replay about the letters to your past self that you would write now. I love the idea that speaking to our past selves gives us permission to trust that our current selves are walking through a season of beauty too. What do you do now when you feel the weight of the world upon you to “do more”? How do you slow down and chill that voice out? How do you silence the whispers of unworthiness?
If you could have all the women you know – from your friend group to your neighbors, to your church congregation to these podcast listeners, do one thing to be more “here, now”, what would that be?