I Thought There Would Be Cake

by Katharine Welby-Roberts

Publisher:

SPCK Publishing

, 2017

Overview

EVER THOUGHT LIFE ISN’T TURNING OUT QUITE AS YOU EXPECTED?

Growing up, Katharine Welby-Roberts imagined that being an adult was one big party. But depression, anxiety and crippling self-doubt led her to alienate herself from others. To replay events and encounters as nightmares. Occasionally, to be unable to leave the house.

Aware of the cacophony of voices in her head, Katharine invites us to join her as she journeys to the depths of her soul. Here, with instinctive honesty and humour, she confronts the parts of her story that hinder her most.

As she charts a course that offers ways of coping with everyday issues, we are encouraged to embrace our own self-worth. To recognize the value of our existence. To let ourselves be loved. Exactly as we are.

With each chapter drawing on personal experience and featuring an original illustration, the topics include:

- taking responsibility (the need to accept failure)

- your crap/my crap (the boundaries between caring and taking on others’ worries and stresses)

- what sort of special? (what it means to be unique in a sea of unique people)

- comparisons (the destructiveness of comparing ourselves to other people)

- affirmation (the healthy and unhealthy need)

- inner conflict (believing we can do anything/nothing at all)

- numbers (the power of social media)

- never chosen (finding our value in who we are in each situation, not in the people around us)

- major crisis in a minor moment (keeping things in proportion)

- regret (spending less time evaluating ourselves and more time just being ourselves)

Candid but powerfully reassuring, the book reminds us that we are each made - fearfully and wonderfully - in the image of God, our true source of confidence, comfort and joy.

’Brilliantly honest, often funny and wonderfully readable’
Martin Saunders, Youthscape

’Wholly authentic in the face of suffering and struggle’
Will van der Hart, The Mind and Soul Foundation

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Contents

 1 Introduction
7 Chapter 1: Taking responsibility
21 Chapter 2: What sort of special?
31 Chapter 3: Affirmation
45 Chapter 4: Comparisons
59 Chapter 5: The inner conflict
71 Chapter 6: Your crap, my crap
83 Chapter 7: Numbers
99 Chapter 8: Replay and regret
113 Chapter 9: Major crisis, minor moment
127 Epilogue: Finishing
135 Bibliography

Product Details

• Title: I Thought There Would Be Cake
• Author: Katharine Welby-Roberts
• Publisher: SPCK Publishing
• Print Publication Date: 2017
• Logos Release Date: 2022
• Pages: 128
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9780281075775, 9780281075768, 028107576X, 0281075778
• Resource ID: LLS:9780281075775
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-22T22:48:29Z

About the Author

Katharine Welby-Roberts speaks and writes about issues relating to mental and emotional health, and the wider context of how the church responds to those in suffering. She is married to Mike and they live in Reading with their baby son Elijah. Much of her time is taken up occupying Elijah and drinking tea with other mums, but outside of those things she loves a good steak, comic book films and wine.