Today I welcome author:
Bethany Jett
To win a copy
of
The Cinderella Rule
of
The Cinderella Rule
Scroll to the end of the post
to see how to get your copy.
to see how to get your copy.
Bethany has such a fun spirit and is dedicated to her calling. I asked Bethany to share with us how God has led her on her writing journey. This is what she said:
I sobbed in front of the open pink
trunk I’d stolen borrowed from my sister. The dinged silver edges and
worn interior matched the beating I’d verbally given myself. The cold kitchen
tile seeped through my thin pajamas. With muster, I kicked the side of the
case.
I needed to quit crying.
I needed to buck up.
I needed a shower.
“God—answer me,” I cried in my
head…not wanting to distract my toddlers who were happily ignoring me with
Legos. “I’m in the depths of despair.”
When you start quoting Anne of Green Gables in your prayers,
there may be a problem.
My quest for fulfillment wove
through three beautiful baby boys, a husband I adored, his youth ministry that I
lived vicariously through him as a sponsor, an eight-year stint in one direct
sales company and a two-year stretch in another.
I was proudly a WAHM – Work at
Home Mom – but somehow it wasn’t enough, and that left gaping ugly guilt holes
in my heart.
I’d waited for answers—searching
for what God wanted from me.
Desperate to stretch my brain and
implement our income, my husband and I made the heart-wrenching bittersweet
decision that I would go back to work full-time…for a short while.
The temp agency placed me quickly,
and while I enjoyed recognition for my own work, slipping out of the house so
as to not wake sleeping babies and occasionally dragging myself in after an
evening direct sales presentation took its toll.
For nine long months, I watched my
one-year-old grow rapidly before my eyes…my three year-old talk more and more…my
five-year-old start kindergarten.
I was missing it.
That pathetic Saturday morning on
the kitchen floor was the last straw. I didn’t know how to pray for direction
without feeling guilty, and I felt like I’d followed God’s direction in each
job I’d taken.
So I wept, and let the Holy Spirit
pray for me (Romans 8:26).
My sweet husband stopped short
when he saw me—red-eyed, greasy-haired, pajama-heap.
“You really should start writing.”
He spouted his favorite advice to me whenever in the last five years I
mentioned needing something more.
I rolled my eyes as negativity
swooshed through my mind.
My mom’s success with writing the
previous year was hardly an achievement I could imitate. Yet, she echoed
Justin. With a promise to do a preliminary edit, she gave me a virtual kiss,
told me to start a blog, and to apply for a scholarship to the Florida
Christian Writers Conference.
My years of experience working
with teenage and college-age girls made my topic easy, and with our biggest
group of girls getting ready to graduate, I started blogging the dating advice
I wanted them to have access to.
I worked my full-time job.
I built my part-time direct sales
business.
I applied for the scholarship.
…and got it.
Two weeks before the conference, I
begin transforming the blog articles into a couple of chapters of a book. I
researched proposals and how to write them. I created my bio and one sheet. I
took selfie-headshots. I printed my own business cards on cardstock.
At the conference, I attended
class-after-class, drinking in the advice, rules, lessons, and wisdom until my
overloaded brain could hardly think. In the midst of a small campus, I felt God
cupping me in His hands, and I felt peace.
Meeting with editor #1: “Send this
to me, and anything else you’ve written.”
Meeting with editor #2: “This is
good, but I don’t think it’s ready.”
Meeting with editor #3: “This is
really great. I want this.”
Cloud nine.
Meeting with agent #1: “I’ll send
you a contract in the mail after the conference.”
Meeting with agent #2: “I’d
represent you, but it seems like since you’ve got publishers interested, you
really don’t need me.”
Meeting with agent #3: “Send me an
email after the conference. Let’s talk.”
WHAT??????
I did what any girl would do. I
called my mom.
“I made a “deal” with God,” I
joked. “If I win the “Nonfiction” award, I think I should spend some time
dedicated to writing. Maybe this is affirmation that you and Justin have been
right…maybe I should be writing.”
I felt like I was exactly where I
needed to be at exactly the time I was supposed to be there.
I didn’t win “Best Non-fiction,”
yet I still felt like I had a new path laid before me. I sat in my seat as the
awards continued. This was enough. I didn’t need God to prove anything to me.
Who was I to even ask?
Yet there are times when God is
crystal clear.
I won the $200 grand prize “Writer
of the Year” award.
I signed contracts with agent #3
and editor #2 (who had originally said “no”).
I gave my two-weeks notice.
The conference was my fairy-tale
ball, except instead of fairy godmothers, I have the God of the universe on my
side—the Creator of life, and the Father who gave me gifts and talents and
wants me to succeed for His glory.
The
Cinderella Rule: a Young Woman’s Guide to Happily Ever After published
and the connections from the Florida Christian Writers Conference led to
multiple writing gigs, publications, speaking engagements and a life that I’d
always been afraid to dream of.
When you’re on the path that God
has set for you, things click. Following God’s direction with a talent I was
dismissing meant I traded in kitchen-floor-trunk-kicking-crying for
coffee-filled nights and overflowing piles of laundry.
Gotta check the dryer.
When she’s not writing or speaking, Bethany enjoys cooking, spending time with her husband and sons, coaching cheerleading, and rooting for her favorite football team, the Florida State Seminoles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Of all the fairytale princesses we know and love, Cinderella is
the one who got it right. She knew the spell was about to break, and ran out of
the castle just in time to keep her mysterious identity a secret. Prince
Charming couldn't help himself! He had to pursue her, to track her down and
invite her to be his queen.
The
Cinderella Rule is your guide to letting your prince do the
work. Whether he knows it or not, the man God has for you longs to experience
the thrill of the chase . . . and that means running out of the castle before
you give away all your secrets! Find out how to be a woman of mystery who lets
herself be pursued, knowing you are worth every ounce of effort. The Cinderella Rule will show you how
to be the queen your prince is already looking for.
Click Here to buy The Cinderella Rule
To enter the contest for a copy of
Bethany Jett's book: "The Cinderella Rule"
leave a comment (and email address)
AND become a follower of this site,
OR sign up to receive posts by email
if you aren't already.
International readers are invited to enter for the eBook
US may choose eBook or paperback
US may choose eBook or paperback
Winner announced on my facebook page.
Thank you, Bethany, for Joining us This Weekend!
Reader, wasn't this a fun post to read? I can see why God called Bethany to work and write for young women. Do you know any young mom's, young married women, or single young women who might benefit from Bethany's book? I remember how I struggled. My mom wasn't around and my mother-in-law didn't feel she should say anything. But I needed advice so many times. I have a feeling older moms and mom-in-laws could benefit from this as well. :)
If you don't have an answer, that's okay, just say howdy-do in the comment section. I love chatting with you.
Thanks for stopping by!
Don't forget to comment!
Comments
God bless you both, Mary and Bethany!
janka(dot)halcinova(at)gmail(dot)com
So nice to see you this morning. Sometimes just remembering that God wants us can soothe our souls.
Blessings on you, too, Janka.
Connie
cps1950@gmail.
cps1950 at gmail dot com
When I first met Bethany and heard her story I simply knew there were many in need of her advice. I'm so glad her book could help your need.
Thanks for stopping by :)