Hi everyone… Happy Friday to you! I hope you had a great week and are looking forward to a relaxing, and hopefully warm, weekend.

I started something last Friday on my social media that was a spontaneous idea, but so many women were excited to join in, I thought I would share it on here and make it a regular post going forward!

Last Friday on Instagram I shared a journaling prompt I had heard while watching an online writing class. It was one of many things the lady shared but it was so powerful it stuck with me that whole week. I then shared it with everyone on @artandfaithcreative and it struck a cord with everyone else too. So much so, they wanted me to continue sharing a journaling prompt each Friday so they could follow along.

If you didn’t see the first “Friday Journaling Prompt” it was:

“What am I here to say…”

This was a quote from Allison Fallon in the Teaching Tuesday class from last week at Hope*Writers. I ended up writing 3 pages of notes on this one prompt and I can’t tell you how helpful it was in giving clarity to my writing.

As you can guess, I love this idea! Most of you know I’ve always loved the art of journaling, so I’m excited to start this little exercise with you each Friday. I’ll make it easy by posting it on this blog AND on my Instagram. You can join in if you like and if you have anything to share on the weekly prompt, please feel free to talk about it in the comments here or on IG. I look forward to connecting with you this way!

For THIS weeks journaling prompt, I wanted to bring it around to the thoughts I shared yesterday on IG. I’ve copied it below so you can read it. Basically I was talking about the fear of not knowing what to do. How do you go forward when you don’t know what to do? It’s what I start out talking about in Chapter One of my book.

So this weeks “Friday Journaling Prompt is:

“What step of FAITH do you need to take…”

I’ve really thought (and prayed) about this lately… the fear of not knowing the next step.

So hears the post from yesterday on IG:

Can I share something with you?

I don’t know anything about the process of writing a book.  I’ve blogged since 2007, but I never even considered myself a writer until THIS month! 

So many times in life we don’t know what to do, and we think everyone else does.  Well guess what? They really didn’t know what to do either. 

I’ve had so many emails and coffee dates over the years and they always ask me this question: “How did you know how to start doing your retreats?” And my answer is always, “I didn’t know!” And then I proceed to tell the story that God is working out in my life through the calling He’s placed in my heart.

You see, I took a step of faith... and you need to too.

So now I’m learning all over again… this time it’s about the whole book process and I’m stepping into new territory. But, I have to say it’s been incredible! And it’s because so many people have been willing to come alongside me too, and the Lord is opening the doors in amazing ways!

I may be giving away the heart behind my book here, but I feel like so many women are stuck in the “I don’t know what to do” stage of life and I just want to share my story with them and hopefully inspire and encourage them to go forward in faith.

God has PURPOSE in each of our lives friends! He’s not done with you just because you may have raised all your children and you’re wondering what’s next... or is there a next?

Like my dear friend said to me the other day, He’s waiting to: “Swing wide you heavenly gates!” He wants to show you all the GOOD that can come through your life of willingness to serve Him. (Read Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”)

There IS more friends, but I think you already know that.

So walk forward…

Oh, and have those coffee dates because they’re so refreshing to our souls. 💕

Have a GREAT weekend everyone!

Hugs to all,

Laura McCollough