Welcome, Cathy Baker

If you are one of the many people fascinated with tiny houses, you won’t want to miss today’s guest. I’m pleased to welcome my colleague and friend, Cathy Baker.

Cathy, Congratulations on yesterday’s launch of your re-designed blog! What changes did you make and what elements did you decide to keep?

Thank you, Kathy. I suppose the biggest change is the title, the Tiny House on the Hill: Because Mustard Seed Moments Matter. In March, my husband and I began building a tiny house on the hill behind our home. It’s becoming such a large part of my writing that I wanted my site to reflect the change. Along with the title and design elements, I also updated my gift to new subscribers of the blog. In Ten {Tiny} Prayers that Offer Great Hope, I share prayers that use few words yet deliver a tremendous impact on our daily lives when offered with a humbled heart. A few of the prayers may even catch some readers by surprise.

The changes to the site are important, but so are the elements that remained the same. Since I began Bible teaching over twenty-five years ago, I’ve found myself drawn to the small, seemingly insignificant things in the Bible that made a great impact for the kingdom. Most of my posts, especially in recent years, have focused on these things while offering creative ways to connect with God and others. These foundational elements will remain as they carry the underlying purpose of the blog regardless of design. The changes will mingle well; hopefully creating a place where readers feel welcomed and loved by the Author of our faith.

P.S. It’s not too late to visit the launch post and enter for the giveaways!

You have over a million monthly visitors to your Tiny House Pinterest board. What sparked your interest in building one? 

I’ve loved tiny spaces for as long as I can remember. As an only child, I’d seek out small hidden places in our backyard to play and pretend with imaginary friends. Years ago, when the first tiny house was introduced on HGTV, the dreaming began. Earlier this year, my dad encouraged me to start the house, saying he would come help as often as possible. How could I turn down that offer? My husband, Brian, is making my {tiny} dream come true.

What is the status of the Tiny House on the Hill and what has been the biggest challenge in building it?

We are currently about halfway through, including all the interior work. I’m probably in denial of the actual time that’s required to finish her, but I keep my eyes on the prize. My husband, however, requires bribing with ice cold Gatorade, neck wraps (lifesaver), and a lessened to-do list. I gladly oblige. The biggest challenge so far has been the southern-fried heat and humidity. Because of these two adversaries, we’ve been forced to work only in the morning hours, which drastically reduces our work time. Fall can’t come soon enough for these two weekend warriors. If you would like to follow the status of the build, I’d love for you to join the journey by following me on Instagram @cathysbaker.

How will you use the Tiny House on the Hill? 

It will be my writing studio. An eight-foot-long desk and window will stretch along the wall that faces the Blue Ridge Mountains. There will be more than one chair at the desk as I plan to invite other writers to join me from time-to-time. A book based on the tiny house is also in the works. In addition to the book, I plan to offer online Bible studies and perhaps even a podcast. Readers will be invited to enjoy the small reading corner tucked away, surrounded with windows on the shady side of the house. Of course, I couldn’t leave out my grandchildren so we’re also planning a {tiny} loft over the reading area for them to enjoy. And the house wouldn’t be complete without an antique mantel we brought from our former hundred-year-old house. When the Tiny House on the Hill is finished, I plan to take my subscribers on a private behind-the-scenes tour.

What did you learn from writing your first book, Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Beach? What do you hope readers will take away? 

I learned there’s nothing easy about it. And yet, it’s incredibly rewarding to know that God is using the book to draw readers closer to Him as they marvel at the ways He makes Himself known through nature and our surroundings—yes, even (or especially) on vacation.

Can you share a book or two that you highly recommend? 

This may be the toughest question yet. Two of my favorite non-fiction books I’ve been re-reading lately are The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch, by Julia Cameron and The Story of With: A Better Way to Live, Love, & Create, by Allen Arnold.

Thank you for joining us and providing a glimpse of your tiny house creation. Readers, you’ll be blessed by visiting Cathy’s website. Her devotionals provide a lovely journey into a sensory world that points to the God of all creation.

Bio: Cathy Baker is an award-winning writer and author of Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Beach as well as Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Mountains. Cathy is a Hope*Writer and Bible teacher who has taught numerous studies and workshops over the past twenty-five years. Her work has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Upper Room, and Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family. She is a monthly contributor to The Write Conversation; Writer’s Digest 101 Top Websites for Writers. She and her husband, Brian, live in the foothills of the Carolinas with a beautiful view of Glassy Mountain and a soon-to-be tiny house, lovingly known as the Tiny House on the Hill.

 

To connect with Cathy visit her at https://www.cathybaker.org and receive a free gift, “10 {Tiny} Prayers that Offer Great Hope.” The tiny prayers included in this pocket-sized publication might just surprise you!