Savoury-cheese muffins!

What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

It’s amusing me that I’ve literally just placed an order for groceries to be delivered and I see today’s prompt. I was shopping for a little gathering I’m hosting for some friends, to celebrate having finished writing a book.

My book will only be published next August. At the moment, it’s me waiting for the editors to come back to me with their comments. It’s a little nerve-wracking, if I’m honest, but also very exciting!

My book is on kindness in leadership and at the workplace. It feels like a commitment to what I’m doing for work in coaching and people development. I want to make the workplace better!

I’m not sure if I’m being idealistic, but as I’ve spent time thinking, I realise I love working. I love work – there, I’ve said it again! The times I’ve loved working have been when I’ve had good leaders and wonderful workplaces. Kindness was key.

If you’d asked me even in March this year, before I set up my coaching consultancy, I’d probably have told you that I wanted to write a book but was having trouble narrowing down what to write about. I pinned myself down for fiction. Never thought I had the chops for anything nonfiction.

The kind of clarity I had at the point of setting up the consultancy, was astounding. I felt like God kept extending me grace after grace to make decisions and do things. Once the launch and the paperwork for setting up were done, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect.

Time wise, this was about five weeks after the launch. I had also started speaking to clients and trying to get myself going a wee bit more on LinkedIn. That’s when the writing started.

I didn’t even think I was going to write on such and such a topic. The words flowed and I faithfully typed them into my MacBook. This is why it feels like God guided me through this. Before I knew it, in May, I had almost 30,000 words.

At that point, I took the chance and wrote in to a publisher. Their automated response was heartbreaking. It said they’d respond in six months and if you didn’t hear from them by then, to take it as they weren’t interested. It was a cruel reality. But still I kept writing.

Three or four days later, there was a response. One thing led to another, and I was offered a publishing contract. I boldly set my deadline as 31 July. Boy, did it feel overwhelming at points!

I wrote and wrote and wrote. God just kept pouring out grace. People understood when I couldn’t meet up, I could focus, and the words just kept coming. I couldn’t believe how memories of all sorts of incidents became alive in my mind. It was sheer grace.

What has all this got to do with why I was looking at a savoury cheese muffin recipe? Well, I’m celebrating! On 30 August, a few friends are coming by for dinner. It’s just a handful of us and I want to cook. They’re celebrating the fact that the book got written, with me! I’m planning to try these savoury cheese muffins as little starter bites. If they work well and don’t take too long, I may think about making them for 5 September, when my family comes over for a potluck gathering, to celebrate with me.

I wish that my dad was around to see this. He knew I’d wanted to write but I couldn’t say what. I wish my mum could see this. She always said I had a book in me. As I celebrate with family and friends, I’ll be holding my dad and mum close to my heart.

So now that I’ve answered this, it’s back to studying the recipe so that I can make it work!