The Ordinary Can Make Life Extraordinary

This summer I was selected to be a part of the launch team for Melanie Shankle's new book, Church of the Small Things. Melanie has a special way of putting you at ease, like you're in her living room having a chat, while tackling this internal struggle that plagues numerous women: whether or not they are living a worthy life. So much of life seems focused on our "big moments," and not enough attention is given to those everyday, consistent actions that truly make up a life. We all strive to be Pinterest perfect, but we need to remember that just getting out of bed in the morning can be a victory in and of itself. Somehow in our search for significance, we forget about the importance of our very presence in people's lives.
Church of the Small Things made for a quick read because it was so easy to relate to the subject matter and it celebrates the little things in life. From hospitality received from grandparents, to loyal friendships, to figuring out how to house train dogs, this book has a way of impacting readers from all backgrounds with topics reminiscent of our own lives. Melanie draws you in with her wit and humor and her book has many moments where you will laugh until you cry, and then cry until you laugh again.
I've always been a fan of quirky imagery, which is why I think I love Melanie as an author. While I absolutely love her deeper thoughts about learning to trust God having a plan for your life and accepting that one must inevitably endure failures along the way, my favorite quotes from this book include, "Ironically, the laser was called the Cool Touch 1000, which is the biggest oxymoron of all time. The Cool Touch 1000 burned like the heat of 10,000 white hot suns surrounding a planet of volcanoes filled with molten lava that has been set on fire, and, "Because even though it's a stationary bike, I felt a little bit like a cat who has accidentally found itself in a tap-dancing competition."
If you neglected to pre-order Church of the Small Things, do yourself a favor and hop on over to your local Barnes & Noble to pick up a copy. And if you don't feel like crawling out of bed or leaving the house, feel free to order it online from Barnes & Noble or Amazon.