Birthday Announcements

I’m 39

My birthday was yesterday officially.

It was a big workday as I run a farmer’s market at my church, and we have a zoom prayer group every Tuesday, plus my boys and some friends decided to sell water. It was a nice day full of people. A good contrast to the past couple years of isolation, outside and relatively safe.

I made my fundraising goal for year 2 of Creative Writing Doctorate in Public Facing Writing! Thank you everyone who shared, prayed and donated! All the info is here, and last year some people made bonus donations, so I guess I’ll try not to be shy about putting that opportunity out there: https://gofund.me/70a114f9

I start my Publishing Lab class in August and my final paper for the Power of Storytelling is due at the End of this week (it’s a manifesto, I’m manifesting it as best I can)

I am starting a Patron Program Here for as little as $3/month

I still have 2 sermon Series available One based on Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering/Unbinding the Gospel and One based on Cole Arthur Riley’s This Here Flesh

I also have a Psalm 23 4 Week Series

I continue to write Narrative Lectionary Liturgy Resources.

I also saw that one of the major conduits for my prayers and friend groups revgalblogpals is shutting down which means I need to think hard about what I am doing to disseminate my prayers. Do I need a separate Facebook Page or is WordPress, Twitter and my personal Facebook enough?

Anyway that’s a life update on my writing. If you want to join my mailing list or follow me feel free 🙂

Thanks for Praying with me

Katy “KatyandtheWord”

Ducks: A Blessing, et al.

This blessing has been published by Enfleshed for the online addendum to Held a book of blessings. The Original link is here. Two of my other Pittsburgh Seminary D. Min. Creative Writing Classmates got picked up for the online addendum and two of my classmates–Molly Housh Gordon and Walter Canter– got in the Print edition which can be ordered for 2nd printing here.

Ducks: A Blessing
by Katy Stenta

God knows, I don’t know where my ducks are
so they aren’t in a row.

How do I prioritize?
Everything is important
Schedules are nebulous, houses are messy, kids need attention.

God, you know, the ducks are waiting
Sometimes they quack at me in the middle of the night.

Is this how the prophets felt?
Chasing down the Wild Goose of the Holy Spirit.

Did they know their ducks would never
ever be in a row?

And that the wild birds of
Friendship, inspiration, food, silliness, etc
Would be the wild blessings of the Holy Spirit

.

Blessed are the ducks
Silly, quacking, never in a row
Blessed are the messy houses,
the children, the imperfections
the neverending tasks of relationships and adulting
the quacking in the middle of the night.

Blessed is the struggle
for it is real, and magnificent.

Katy Stenta is the mother of three, pastor, dreamer, fantasy/sci-fi romance reader and sunshine catcher, and wife of youth librarian Anthony. She enjoys writing blessings and prayers.

Who Am I by my classmate Joanne Spence

I am heavy
I am light

I am full
I am empty

I am shadow
I am bright

I am the me who sees and hears.

Oh, to the songbird
All the sights and sounds

Fluttering gently in my subconscious mind

I. Am. Here. Now.

God is closer than my breath.
That’s the me I see

Here. Now. Sensing Her presence

The Divine Feminine in me.

By Joanne Spence

Joanne Spence is the author of “Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Toolbox for Therapists.” She is a yoga teacher, social worker, and spiritual director. She likes to hike, bike, read, cook, dance, and travel, just not all at the same time

A blessing for wanting to belong by my classmate Jordan Miller-Stubbendick

Alone in the cafeteria, I grip my lunch tray,
slightly damp from its turn in the industrial dishwasher.
I seek a friendly face under the harsh fluorescent glare.

One Who Sees, you notice me standing there,
swirling with the fear that I am
not cool enough funny enough sparkly enough.

Friend Of My Heart, you are with me in that cafeteria
As I look around, taking shallow breaths.
Steady One, you catch my eye and smile, beckoning me over
There is a seat for me at your table—and for all of us
Who ever feel not cool enough funny enough sparkly enough.

Divine Embrace, you sweep all of me up
into your ever growing rainbow embrace
into your warm blanket of peace, of rest.

You say: Come. Sit with me.
Set down your fears and frantic striving.
I see you just as you are, and I love you always.
Yes, you are so much more than enough.
You belong, and there is a place for you here.

Jordan Miller-Stubbendick is a writer who lives in Buffalo, NY with her family.

D. Min Creative Writing Update

I’m so excited, I’ve gotten my new class assigned and it’s my first choice Writing [for] Children. It will be taught by Melissa A. Butler who is a project leader of Educators Neighborhood for the Fred Rogers Center. I still love to read children’s literature, though I know its actually a super hard field to break into when it comes to writing. I’m also laughing because one of the assignments will be to talk to a children’s librarian–which my husband is one, and of course I know them all so that will be super fun 🙂 Can’t wait for the next part of this adventure.

Support my writing and see more about my journey here: https://gofund.me/70a114f9

10 book series to get to know me…

10 Book series to get to know me by I have funded $800 of my $2500 goal for my Doctorate in Creative Writing in Divinity at Pittsburgh Seminary. Thank you for everyone who has supported me this year. Whether it was through donation, likes, shares or (most importantly) praying with me. My Go Fund Me Page & Story is here: https://gofund.me/aaeb4910

Thank you again. I could do it without you.

Creative Writing & Giving Tuesday

Hey Friends!

I am trying to get donors for my next year of Doctoral work in Creative Writing! This is a working theologian’s degree at Pittsburgh Seminary where I continue to work 32+ hrs a week (less in the summer) and try to put my degree to immediate use!

The way we are funding is 1/3rd from my family, 1/3rd from continuing Ed funds, and 1/3rd fundraised. As you know I offer prayers, liturgies and more all for free here at WordPress. My next class is in January in Fantasy and Christianity which is my area of specialty and I can’t wait! We are centering on C S Lewis and comparing him to other authors.

I’ve had 107 views today (Giving Tues Nov 30 2021) on katyandtheword.com. If everyone gave $25 today I’d be done https://gofund.me/aaeb4910 I have 3000 views a month which means if everyone gives – couple of bucks say $2-$5 over the next month I’ll def be done in 2 weeks. Please consider giving what you can. As you can see any amount would help!!

Katy at Katyandtheword

Thanks! For your support and thanks for Praying with me!

My Application is In!

It took the support of my husband, many conversations with my parents and my best friend,

3 personal references (Thanks Amaury, Becca & Don)

4 Session Members to agree that I have the time

An Application

2 Transcripts

An Essay on Why God wants me write (seriously, good question, why does God want me to write?)

And 6 donors thus far….(thank you, thank you for supporting my writing)

And My application is officially in for a Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Keep me in prayer please! Because I still need to get in and get the funds for tuition

Donations Accepted at PayPal https://paypal.me/KatyStenta?locale.x=en_US Venmo www.venmo.com/Katy-Stenta or Google Pay to Katyandtheword at gmail