October Newsletter / Hope, Books, & Inspiration

October 02, 2025•4 min read

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER | HOPE, BOOKS, & INSPIRATION

🗞️ LIFE UPDATE

October is my favorite month of the year. In our family, it’s a nonstop celebration with birthdays stacked one after another! We get to sing for my daughter, my mom, and me, plus two sisters-in-law, an aunt, two nieces, a great-nephew, a great-niece, and we even remember my sweet grandmother who lived almost a century.

Add in the crisp air, trees dressed in brilliant colors, the smell of campfires, college football Saturdays (Go Big Red—Nebraska), and pumpkin-spiced everything, and October feels like pure joy wrapped in a cozy sweater.

I’m also starting to come out of a dark season that has lasted about three years. It has been a season of pain, waiting, and grief. While I’ve had difficult seasons before, this one has been especially hard. But I’m now looking forward with renewed hope.

Hope is what I write about, and I’ve been learning that sometimes hope is all I have. When I wait for God to answer prayers, when I lean on His promises, hope anchors me. These hard times, waiting seasons, and hope in Christ will be themes in my next book.

✝️ SCRIPTURES ON HOPE

Jeremiah 29:11 — “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Lamentations 3:21–23 — "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Isaiah 40:31 — "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Romans 5:3–5 — "We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
Hebrews 6:19 — “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain…”

📕 MY BOOK HIGHLIGHTS & EXCITING NEWS

🌟 And the Sun Came Up: A True Story of Grief and Hope
Since I write about hope, I’m excited to remind you that my book will be released very soon!
I’m currently forming a LAUNCH TEAM 🎉. If you join, you’ll receive a free ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of the book, access to fun conversations, and chances to win prizes and giveaways.
👉 Sign up here: Join the Launch Team

🔦 AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Charles Martin

Charles Martin has been my favorite author since my kids (as teenagers) introduced me to his novels years ago. One of his most memorable books for me is When Crickets Cry, a moving story about a heart surgeon and a young girl whose heart is failing.

This month, he is releasing a 20th Anniversary Dust-jacket Edition of the novel. I’ve already ordered a copy because it deserves a re-read (and I rarely re-read books!).

Why I recommend it:
With lyrical writing, unforgettable characters, and deep emotional quality, When Crickets Cry is a book that lingers long after the last page.

📖 More about his work: Charles Martin’s Website