October 2025

This reflection weaves poetry, memory, and gratitude as Jane navigates early grief after Jerry’s death—holding sorrow and hope together. Through small kindnesses, shared stories, writing, faith, and community, she honors love that endures, learns to live beyond “hanging in there,” and carries forward a life shaped by devotion, creativity, and the quiet power of tending oneself while remembering deeply.

July 2025

A teenage promise made on a hot summer day at the county fair ended in a hospital room and a doctor’s hard-earned wisdom. Keeping one’s word shapes character, but life eventually teaches that honoring our limits and tending ourselves is not breaking a promise—it’s keeping one that truly matters.

June 2025

In Mary’s country, I met readers, shared stories, and felt the deep joy of connection. From cupcakes to courageous women, from salt air to signing books beside poet Dana Huneke-Stone, June was a celebration of resilience, reading, and community. Thank you for making the “select group” of readers a little smaller.

May 2025

A weathered chair, a curious child, and a shared book reminded me: stories invite us to pause, connect, and heal. In celebrating parents who read to their children, we honor the power of story to unveil mystery—inside pages, and within ourselves. May your next read reveal something beautiful.

April 2025

With her 41st book releasing soon, Jane Kirkpatrick shares the thrill—and vulnerability—of creation. A glowing Booklist review lets her exhale, while an earthquake reminds her of deeper tremors. Circling the wounded with love and prayer, she reminds us: even in uncertainty, we mend, tend, and spark hope together.

March 2025

When kids “made it” despite hardship, researchers found one common thread—they each had someone who truly saw them. A parent, teacher… sometimes even a bus driver. Our granddaughter Mariah just became one. She’ll not just drive, but notice and care. And that can change everything for a child.

February 2025

When the world feels out of control, we can still choose kindness. From tulips on a doorstep to affirming a stranger, these “gifts of confidence” remind us that small acts can spark resilience — in others and ourselves. What will you give today that might make someone feel seen?

January 2025

Meet Rupie—a spirited spaniel with a flair for storytelling, rock collecting, and dodging baths. While his mom writes novels, he navigates two-state living and life with an airtag. His adventures remind us to pause, play, and maybe—just maybe—see life’s noise and mess as part of the joy.

December 2024

I watch Rupie wait, knowing joy comes when I call him. Like Advent’s anticipation, waiting is guarding hope amid uncertainty. This season, I’ll guard my heart, resist despair, and cherish moments of rest and joy, trusting that waiting holds the promise of miracles yet to come.

September 2024

Be gentle with yourself. Draw alongside the silence of stone. Avoid those vexed in spirit. Find someone who feels they have all the time in the world. In exhaustion, small tasks challenge us, but blessings and kindness fill the spaces between. May your weariness be brief.