Community in your mailbox.

It didn’t start out that way. I didn’t picture a tagline in my head. I didn’t imagine endless spreadsheets and color coded organization charts. Really, it was just a few tweets sent back and forth. But this little planted deep in me and apparently the need for community and the love for a hand-written note of encouragement reached beyond just little ol’ me.

Five rounds, hundreds of women, and over a thousand cards later, is still a thing.

It’s that thing where women around the world sit down for five minutes to encourage a stranger – and often end up making a new friend.

It’s that thing where you open the mailbox to more than just bills and junk mail.

It’s that thing that has now become a Facebook group of daily and weekly encouragement, fun giveaways, and a way to build community online.

#fmfpartysnailmail has been my baby. I never saw it as more than a one-time thing and then one time turned to five times.

But some time around Round Three I knew it inside and felt my hands opening in response. The time to let go was coming.

This is the part where I tell you I’m stepping away from leading #fmfpartysnailmail.

And as weird as that is to type out, it’s absolutely the right decision for me. I’ve been thinking about this, praying about this, wrestling with this, and talking this out for nearly half a year.

#fmfpartysnailmail was only mine to get off the ground – it is not mine to continue.

Real life needs me right now. And I need real life. Please don’t misinterpret that – every single letter has mattered and has been written by a real person. They are encouraging and good and God has used them in my own life and countless times.

But I graduate in 53 days (I had to look that up and so please excuse me while I take a brief moment to sob in the corner). I need this time and these last days with my people to process and make every moment count.

Carrying #fmfpartysnailmail alone has taken up the time of a part-time job and instead of making spreadsheets, I need to be making memories right now.

I entered Round Five knowing it would be my last one to lead but unsure whether it would be the last round in general. I asked God to bring to mind people who would shepherd this thing while also agreeing to step away regardless of whether it continued or not.

I’m so thankful and excited to say that five amazing women have come together to lead #fmfpartysnailmail! And I am truly thrilled to know that they will do such a wonderful job and already have great ideas for this next round (and other rounds to come!).

These ladies have been with #fmfpartysnailmail for several rounds, some of them from the very beginning. You’ll likely recognize several of their names if you’ve participated in past rounds.

I’ll let them do the explaining and share all the exciting stuff to come, but for now I’d like to introduce you to the lovely Rebekah Ellis, Jen Daugherty, Andrea Luong, Jessica Stinson, and Sarah Jo Burch.

I certainly hope that you’ll sign up for Round 6! The form opens TODAY –> Click here to go sign up! More info on Round Six can be found on their blogs in the coming days. For now, go ahead and sign up!

This is going to be good, y’all. Change can be scary but is can also be so good.

Thank you for your grace over these five rounds. Thank you for understanding as I say no to leading this so that I can say yes to other things. I have no hesitation whatsoever about handing this over to these ladies. I know God will use them!

God is in the encouragement of a hand-written letter. And God is up to something new. I can’t wait to see what it’s going to look like!