My heart is so full. Slowly Unraveled has been a community project—and we are so close to the January 10th launch day. So many men and women have spoken into this book, edited this book, and contributed simply by being alongside me as I discovered power in the story God was and still  is writing for me in the gospel.

As I thought about Launch Day for Slowly Unraveled, I really wanted the launch to represent the book.

I wanted to collaborate with other women, introduce you to some amazing businesses, and create a women supporting women kind of launch event.

I’m going to lay out the whole launch party here on the blog—I like to communicate ahead of time so you all know what we are giving away and how you can win some of these amazing items.

The Facebook Live Launch Party will begin at 8pm Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, January 10th. I am predicting an hour and twenty minutes for the entire launch party—feel free to pop in as you are able—I will keep the contest open until 10:00pm.

First giveaway will be featured at 8:10 and from my friend Allison Brown. Allison has been in my discipleship group for three years, our girls are in school together and she is owner, creator, mom to four, and the momma-mastermind of Bellafesta. You can find her shop at http://bellafestacrafts.etsy.com/.

Allison is giving away any handmade dress from her shop—you choose the size 6m-6y.

How you will be entered to win the prize from Bellafesta: you must like the post with the above picture on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page during the launch event, comment “I’m here” in the comments, and you must have clicked the “going” button on the launch day event. If you haven’t clicked “going” on the launch day event yet 👉🏻 go do it now so you’re all set.

Click here for the link to the Launch Event

Our second give away will be featured around 8:15 and from Abby Shuman. Abby is an ambassador for Plexus and she is donating a set of simple skincare from their new line Joyome. Abby has been connecting with me here on the blog, and she attends Tate’s Creek Presbyterian Church in Lexington, KY. My husband attended Tate’s Creek for many years while he lived in Lexington. Go Cats. You can connect with Abby and learn more about Plexus on Facebook.

How you can win the simple skincare set: Like the post with the above picture, comment with a hello greeting of your choice, and tell us where you are joining us from. Double entry if you post a selfie of where you are and who you are watching with.

The second giveaway will be around 8:20 and is from my friend Carie Smittle. Carie is a room mom alongside me in our daughters’ preschool classroom—and she is so wonderful. Carie is donating a lip kit from Lip Sense. It is the most popular Lip Kit, Bella which is a neutral color. She also included a sweet travel pouch and it’s decorated with a snowflake ornament. You can connect with Carie on Facebook at Ready, Set, Lips and Beauty by Carie Smittle.

How to win this Lip Kit: Like the post with the images above during the launch party and comment with your name and tag friend’s name—someone you’d like to read through this book this year. Both will be entered to win.

Our fourth giveaway will be around 8:25 and it is from my sorority sister, Brittney Hammons from Bumblebee Photography. Brittney takes all our family photos and did a beautiful job on my headshots last spring. This prize needs to go to someone in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Area. Brittney is giving away a Mini Photography Session with digital images. You can connect with Brittney on her Bumblebee Photography Facebook Page.

 

How you can win a photo session: This is for a Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky winner only—Brittney is located in the Cincinnati area and this gift cannot ship. Like the post of the image above and comment with a picture of you or someone in you love wearing their favorite Ohio or Kentucky Team Gear.

Around 8:30 we will be giving away an item from another one of my sorority sisters, Megan Karr. Megan trained me how to be Kappa Delta Secretary, and I love her work over at CreateHappy Handmade. Megan is donating this beautiful, handmade mixed media sign with hand stamped letters and flowers, and hanging hardware on the back. The piece is 7×7. You can connect with Megan on instagram @createhappyhandmade.

How to be entered to win this sweet prize from CreateHappy Handmade: Show me your emojis. Like the post above during the launch party, and comment with the first six emojis in your recently used emoji library.

Around 8:35, I will introduce you to another Kappa Delta sister of mine, Kacy Massie. Kacy’s giveaway is for her two favorite products from WildTree! Rancher Steak Rub and Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil. These two products can be used on a variety of foods including all proteins and tons of vegetables. Wildtree is an organic food company that helps busy people get dinner on the table. Join Kacy on Facebook at Wildtree with Kacy Massie or check out her website at www.wildtree.com/kacymassie. 

How you can be entered to win the Wildtree Products above: Like the post of the image above on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page during the Launch Party and comment a funny GIF that shows your current cooking style.

Our seventh giveaway is from my favorite preschool teacher and Rodan and Fields woman, Courtney Ryan. Courtney has taught all my children their letters, sounds, and how use their words, not their hands, to get along with others—she also has saved my skin. I love Rodan and Fields Products, they have really changed the way I wash my face and I love my new skin. Product picture to come, but here are my before and afters. This stuff is magical.

How you can win this amazing and magical gift from Courtney: During the party I will post a picture of my dog, dressed in a costume. Like the post during the party on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page and comment with a caption for the photo. Best caption wins.

Around 8:45 we will be giving another Wildtree Product from my good friend Melissa Smith. Melissa and I go to church together and she has been a life-giving friend to me for many years. Wildtree provides all of your mealtime solutions when life can feel a little hectic. Do you find yourself running out the door to get to work, the gym, or your kids’ activities?  Wildtree Wellness Shakes provide convenient, on-the-go nutrition, anytime!

Melissa is  providing a 15-day supply of Wildtree Wellness Vanilla Balanced Meal Shake Mix. Great on its own or add some berries, banana or spinach for a yummy breakfast or lunch on the go! For more information and recipes go to www.wildtree.com/msmith

How you can win this Wildtree Wellness Shake Mix: During the launch party, like the post that includes a link to the PCA Bookstore site for Slowly Unraveled and share the link to the PCA Bookstore on your timeline.

Around 8:50, we will do a giveaway from Thirty-One Gifts. My friend Tammy Rosenfeldt is donating an Essential Storage Tote. I know Tammy though church too. It is so generous of her to donate this bag from Thirty-One. You can find Tammy on Facebook to connect with her about other Thirty-One Items or on her site here.

How to win this tote from Tammy: Like the post of the above image during the launch party on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page and post your favorite funny meme in the comments.

Around 8:55, my friend Ashley Goebel from Chasing Belle Creations is donating some beautiful earrings. I used to dance with Ashley on the Mystical Dancer’s Dance Team when I was a young girl. Ashley has remained a sweet friend, and I am always so encouraged by her faith. You can connect with Ashley on Facebook and Instagram at Chasingbellecreations or at her Etsy Shop: Chasing Belle Creations.

How to win these beautiful handmade earrings: Like the image above during the launch party on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page, then in the comments I want you to share the name of a breast cancer survivor who inspires you or someone you love who passed away while fighting against breast cancer. This will be encouraging to both Ashley and I, breast cancer has touch both of our stories.

Around 9:00 we will be giving away a monogram quarter zip from Couture Bébé Threads donated by my friend Brittany Beaver.

 

How you can win a monogramed quarter zip: Like the photo during the Launch Party on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page, comment “shared cover photo” and make the Rachel Craddock, Author Page Launch Party cover photo your cover photo until the end of the Launch Party.

Around 9:05 we will give our twelfth item for the evening. My friend Jennifer Habra has donated a Beer Bread Value Pack from Tastefully Simple. You can find out more about Tastefully Simple from Jennifer on Facebook.

 

How you can win the Beer Bread Value Pack: Like the post of the above image during the launch party on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page and comment why you are excited about the book!

Around 9:10 we will do a giveaway from CraftRoom Studio. My friend Allison Leland is one of the owners of this shop—they create art kits for your little ones to explore, experiment, and create! She is giving away a “Becoming and Artist” art kit. You can find CraftRoom Studio on Facebook and Instagram. Allison was an art teacher and now is a stay at home mom to two precious girls and a little boy on the way. She also is a football coach’s wife. She is an amazing creator and you will want to check out her shop.

How to win this item from Craft Room Studio: Like the post on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page with the above image during the Launch Party, and comment with a GIF or MEME that best captures your favorite exercise.

Finally, around 9:15 we will be giving away a prize I am so excited about. A  Bible from Hosanna Revival. I am so excited to partner with this business. I found this shop at a vintage market a few months ago and fell in LOVE. Her journals and Bibles are so beautiful. Images of the Bible we will be giving away are below.

How to win this Bible shipped right to your door by me: during the party, like the post with these images on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page during the launch party and send Rachel Craddock, Author a private message with your proof of purchase of Slowly Unraveled from the PCA Bookstore.

All participants must enter by liking on specific image posts during the launch party on the Rachel Craddock, Author Facebook Page. All posts will be live at 8pm eastern standard time and we will close the party at 10pm eastern standard time. All winners will be contacted directly in the post thread by 10:30pm eastern standard time.

Facebook and instagram have no affiliation with this Launch Party and are in no way responsible.

I hope you will join us for this amazing collaborative event as we celebrate the launch of Slowly Unraveled.

P.S. Pre-order Link for Slowly Unraveled is Live Today. If you pre-order the book you can go ahead and send me that proof of purchase to rachel_craddock@me.com or message me via Facebook on the Rachel Craddock, Author Page to be entered to win that beautiful Hosanna Revival Bible. This is the only giveaway I will begin accepting entries for!

Pre-Order Link Here

I am an unraveling perfectionist. This means when I fall short, my human reaction is to wear a very heavy cloak of guilt and shame—I give myself very little grace; naturally, self-contempt has a loud voice within my soul.

What is guilt? Well, we feel guilty when we feel sorry for something we have done. Guilt is the ability to separate action from identity. Think guilty charges and the banging of a gavel. It is a clean, one time banging, the charges are read, and restitution is made at the reading of the verdict.

However, shame is deeper than guilt and ripples like a vibrating gong; there is no clean gavel banging when it comes to shame. Shame is believing that there is not only something wrong with what you have done—the ripple effects of shame infiltrate identity and guilty actions become tangled up in the way we see ourselves as people. Tangled up in shame, our guilty actions begin to define what kind of people we are—what kind of mothers we are.

Mom Fails, Mom Guilt, What Kind of Mother Are You?

One of my sweet children struggles in school. Truthfully, all of my children struggle with school in their own ways, but one of my children has a tougher time than the rest. He is a brilliant child, I have mature conversations with him on a daily basis. He is kind, he is helpful, he loves to chat with adults, he looks you right in the eyes when he speaks, and he loves to learn.

But almost each fall, when I attended his parent/teacher conferences, I would leave the school in tears. Sight words were a struggle, peer relationships were a struggle, spelling made me want to claw my eyes out, skill sheets took hours—my child constantly cried about school and about friends—I believe he was even depressed and struggled with shame attaching to his own identity.

His struggles in school became the way he saw himself. His actions rippled through him like a vibrating gong. He would say things like…

Why am I the worst? Everyone hates me because I am bad.

His bad actions easily turned into a tangled up identity. Guilt says: what I did was bad. Shame says, I am bad.

This breaks my heart, but caused me to take a long hard look in the mirror when it came to how I was dealing with my own mom fails and mom guilt. My personal actions easily become the vibrating gong of what-kind-of-mother-are-you self-contempt and tangle up my mom identity.

As mothers, if we let our shortcomings impact our mom identities, why wouldn’t our children do the same? Children are imitators. They do as you do, not as you say.

So Then, How Should We Live? 

There is hope in the story for that child who struggles a little more than my others in school. This year, my husband and I finally walked through the process of figuring out the missing pieces to the puzzle for our child. This was hard. So hard. But after several years, and trying everything else, we tested our son for ADHD and visual processing disorder.

And guess what? That sweet child of mine struggled with following multiple directions in school—every year, year after year—because his brain was unable to follow multiple directions in school. He is off the charts ADHD. And that same child doesn’t finish his work when copying from the board and struggles with sight words, reversals, and spelling because he has an identified visual processing disorder.

He has been taking a very small dose of methylphenidate at 7:15 every morning for two months. On the first school day he was on his medication he wrote me a note that said:

“Mom, I started my day at 8:10 and I finished my morning work by 8:30. Usually, my morning work sits on my desk unfinished all the way until lunch.” 

That note made me cry. My tears were mixed with happiness and sadness. Happiness for him, and sadness for him because he has struggled for so long.

His confidence is up. His grades are better. His handwriting is better. He seems to be doing better with peer interactions and homework no longer makes me want to claw my eyes out.

There are two personal threads I have needed to unravel from my what-kind-of-mother-are-you self-contempt. This feels like a double-edged mom fail.

One: it is easy for me to get tangled up in the lie that whispers “I am the one who caused this problem for my child.” Maybe, I didn’t breastfeed him long enough, maybe we watched too much television, maybe I didn’t read to him enough, or play with him enough because by the time he was four, he was an older brother to three other siblings. Maybe, I didn’t pray hard enough that his struggles would go away.

Two: The lies that whisper I wasn’t prompt enough in solving this problem. “If I could have just walked through this process when he was in kindergarten, then we would be in a better place academically, socially, and emotionally by now.” I am a trained educator, I should have recognized these signs sooner. I know my child, and I knew something was not right.

There is hope for mom guilt turning into mom shame too. The problem is my sin, the cure is the gospel. We all need the hope of the daily vitamin of the gospel, where we intentionally see ourselves as God sees us as mothers.

I have to be intentional to not let mom fails and mom guilt get tangled up in the way I see myself as a mother. Both of those tangled up lies are self-focused and fail to see the bigger picture of how God sees me, and how God sees my child. Both of those threads fail to see ourselves in light of God’s greater redemption story. Both of these threads look inward, and fail to see outward, onward, and upward.

So then, how should we live? We live by the one time banging of a gavel and not the vibrating sound of a gong. The sound of the gavel is clean and sharp, it may make us flinch, but it doesn’t ripple and infiltrate our identities or the kind of mothers we are.

We do fall short as mothers, (if you haven’t yet—you will) but if God doesn’t hold our shortcomings against us, why would we hold them against ourselves? Living by the one time banging of a gavel, our shortcomings unravel away through repenting (turning away from the action) and believing that God is working even when we don’t have it all figured out.

Don’t live by the gong. We are not are shortcomings. God doesn’t see us that way. If we trust in Jesus and his work on the cross, God sees us as perfect in his sight. We are stumbling on this side of heaven, but we are seen as perfectly loved sons and daughters.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus we are given life and set free (Romans 8:1). 

If we love our children so much we could burst in their stumbling, imagine how much more God loves us as we mother our children? We are free to stumble and seen as loved in Christ. The gavel sounded when we first trusted Christ, now we are free to waltz in the gospel and be unraveled from the shame that tangles us.

When we look outward, onward, and upward and live by the gavel and not the gong, we are really free! Mom fails, mom guilt, and mom shame cannot bind us if we are truly trusting in the daily vitamin of the gospel.

Our children will imitate us. Show them how to live by the gavel and not be tangled up by the gong.