At the Counter Soul Pause Journal: A Guided Companion for Reflection, Prayer, and Everyday Faith

Pull up a chair at the counter.

Life is made up of ordinary moments—quiet mornings, full days, unanswered questions, and small glimpses of grace that are easy to overlook.

At the Counter: Soul Pause Journal is a spacious, guided companion designed to help you slow down, reflect, and notice what is already present in your life and faith.

Each entry begins with a simple Soul Pause—a gentle question to invite honest reflection, prayer, and awareness. With a thoughtful mix of lined and open writing space, this journal gives you room to write freely, process deeply, and engage at your own pace.

When words feel hard to find, the Counter Companions section offers a collection of short, meaningful prayers for moments of overwhelm, waiting, uncertainty, and hope—providing language when you need it and quiet support when you don’t.

Inside you’ll find:

• 117 Soul Pause reflection prompts
• A blend of lined and open journaling space
• Gentle scripture woven throughout
• 20 short prayers for real-life moments
• A format designed for personal use or group reflection

There is no right way to use these pages.

You can move slowly, skip around, return to a page, or simply sit with a single question longer than expected. This journal is not about getting it right—it’s about making space.

Whether you are journaling on your own, reflecting alongside At the Counter, or gathering with others in conversation, these pages are here to meet you right where you are.

Bring what is already present:

A thought.
A prayer.
A question.
A moment you don’t want to rush past.

And begin.

Laura Sharp-Waites is a writer, speaker, licensed minister, pastoral counselor, and Christian Soul Coach who believes some of life's most meaningful conversations happen around the kitchen counter. Known as The Baking Pastor, Laura writes and speaks about faith in everyday life, inviting readers to slow down, reflect, and notice the quiet ways God's grace appears in ordinary moments.She is the author of At the Counter: Spiritual Recipes for Faith in Everyday Life, a collection of reflections that blend storytelling, Scripture, and gentle spiritual practices. Through stories drawn from daily life, Laura encourages readers to rediscover faith not only in church sanctuaries but also in kitchens, conversations, and the small pauses of the day.Laura also hosts the podcast At the Counter with the Baking Pastor, where she shares thoughtful reflections and meaningful questions that invite listeners to pause and listen more closely for God's presence in everyday life.In addition to writing and podcasting, Laura leads Soul Care Circles and speaks with groups about spiritual reflection, gentle soul care, and living faith authentically in everyday life.Laura lives in South Carolina with her husband, Todd, and their ever-curious cat, Sassy, who often supervises her writing sessions.