Melanie Shankle has a new book, The Church of the Small Things. I can’t wait to read it. The trailer is really lovely and features some great pictures from her Gen-X childhood.

Shankle is one of my favorite bloggers and writers. I loved her books Nobody’s Cuter Thank You, Sparkly Green Earrings and There’s An Antelope In My Living Room. The New York Times Best-Selling author was born in 1971 and lives in Texas.

Here is the Amazon write-up for The Church of the Small Things:

Is my ordinary, everyday life actually significant? Is it okay to be fulfilled by the simple acts of raising kids, working in an office, and cooking chicken for dinner?

It’s been said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” The pressure of that can be staggering as we spend our days looking for that big thing that promises to take our breath away. Meanwhile, we lose sight of the small significance of fully living with every breath we take.

Melanie Shankle…tackles these questions head on in her fourth book, Church of the Small Things. Easygoing and relatable, she speaks directly to the heart of women of all ages who are longing to find significance and meaning in the normal, sometimes mundane world of driving carpool to soccer practice, attending class on their college campus, cooking meals for their family, or taking care of a sick loved one.

The million little pieces that make a life aren’t necessarily glamorous or far-reaching. But God uses some of the smallest, most ordinary acts of faithfulness—and sometimes they look a whole lot like packing lunch.

Through humorous stories told in her signature style, full of Frito pie, best friends, the love of her Me-Ma and Pa-Pa, the unexpected grace that comes when we quit trying to measure up, and a little of the best TV has to offer, Melanie helps women embrace what it means to live a simple, yet incredibly meaningful life and how to find all the beauty and laughter that lies right beneath the surface of every moment.

Why Grandparents Are The Best Thing Ever For Children of Divorce

Earlier this month, Shankle published a portion of The Church of the Small Things as an article in Country Living. It’s cathartic read for any Gen-Xer who suffered through their parents divorce. Here is an excerpt:

“I was eight years old when my parents sat me and my sister down one night and explained that my dad was moving out. It was one of those moments in life that doesn’t seem all that significant at the time, but you realize years later that the shockwaves continue to reverberate in countless ways.

“The next few years were tumultuous. My parents attempted reconciliation at one point, then my mom ended up in an ill-advised second marriage that ended badly and resulted in our moving to Beaumont to be closer to her parents, my Nanny and Big Bob. To this day, Nanny and Big Bob serve as proof to me that sometimes, two complete opposites find each other and figure out how to build a life together.”

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