Hello Reader!

Two new things to address!

1. I have switched back to my old email delivery service from Substack. The majority of you read in your emails, not the Substack app AND there are some cool features that are worth it to me to use (and pay for) again! Thanks for being cool about change. Life is full of pivots and I'm learning to get better at them.
2. Today's email is kicking off a series for the month of October I'm calling 🍁🍿Fall At the Movies🍿 🍁 I'm theming my devotionals around some of my favorite fall movies! I hope you enjoy!

You’ve Got Mail is an iconic romance movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It opens with a glorious ode to fall in New York City and has always made me dream of opening my own bookstore where I would wear lots of twinset cardigans and tights.

One of my favorite quotes from the movie (and there are many!) is this one Joe writes to Kathleen about coffee in NYC.

First of all, it’s funny. And self-deprecating. And true.

At my core I am a “16 oz, Hot, Sugar-Free Vanilla Latte with Almond Milk” girl. It’s a lot of words and a little complicated–very much like myself.

Over the course of the movie we see Kathleen Kelley fight for the thing she loves most in the world, her bookstore. The one her mother left her. So much of her identity is rooted in the store: it’s her job, yes, but it’s also who she is–Kathleen Kelley of Shop Around the Corner. Her past, her present are in that store–and slowly, then suddenly–it’s no longer her future.

Her world tips on its axis. She’s grieving. She doesn’t know what’s next.

Many of us have felt like that. I know I certainly have.

• Maybe it was when you quit your job and you were no longer defined by your role as “teacher”?
• Maybe it was when you had your first child and the only name you answer to now is “Mama.” It's beautiful and you love it, but aren’t you more than just a mama?
• Maybe it was when your children all flew the nest and you were left to recalibrate?
• Maybe it was when you got a physical or mental health diagnosis?
• Maybe it was less dramatic than that, a slower realization that your heart and mind have shifted, but your spaces, friendships, and carefully crafted worldview no longer fit tidily together?

In Jeremiah 29 we read a letter from Jeremiah sent to the exiles who had been carried off to Babylon by the Assyrians. They are refugees. Survivors. Terrorized. Dehumanized on their march to a foreign land and are now in service to the man who conquered them.

But look how Jeremiah refers to them.

Did you notice that their location didn’t change their identity? These were still the elders, still the priests, the prophets, the people of Yahweh. God spoke words of identity over them–even as many of the ways they defined themselves shifted.

Like Joe ordering his “Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino!” They may have no longer have been "Landowner. Temple Worker. Respected community member."

But they were still Treasured. Worthy. Children of God. Called to His service.

The parts of their identity that truly mattered remained unchanged. That’s true for us too. No matter where we find ourselves today–in a new experience, a new place, a new job, a new marriage, a new stage of life–it doesn’t change who you are and WHOSE you are.

You may be feeling shook up, but God isn’t.

A little later in this chapter we find everyone’s “life verse” Jeremiah 29:11. It’s one that’s familiar and often misrepresented on coffee cups and water bottle stickers. But, knowing this context, that these words were spoken to people in the worst part of their lives, not the best part, feeling lost and having an identity crisis—gives these familiar verses fresh impact.

When our identity is rooted in how God sees us, we can weather the identity shifting storms of life that inevitably come. God does have a plan for us, even when that feels confusing and like the death of a beloved dream.

We can respond by looking for Jesus—and finding Him, right there.

Prayer: Father, our jobs will change, our families will change, our relationships will change, our location will change–but you never will. Give me courage to root who I am into the identity you speak over me. That I am Yours. Beloved. Cared for. Holy. Chosen. Dearly Loved. Set on mission in a hurting world. Thank you for never leaving or forsaking me, Jesus. Amen.

Contemplative Question: Can you name a time where (at least externally) your identity took a hard left turn? How did you remain rooted during that season or what would you do differently knowing what you know now?

Practical Step: When I'm in a season of a lot of change (whether internal or external), I spend time saturating my mind with what God says about me. You can read some of my favorites here. I also tend to turn back to reading in the gospels; because spending extra time in the company of Jesus is always well spent.

💖 Friday Loves 💖

💖 Our Perfect Storm -- A friends-to-lovers trope that is a modern retelling of Jo and Laurie from Little Women. Carley Fortune's characters always have layers and I really liked this couple. Light and binge-able!

💖 Good News -- We received positive news from Nate's most recent cancer scan! (If you're new here, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2025 and underwent 6 months of chemotherapy.) Nothing concerning and he continues testing on a three month schedule! We're so thankful! And scan-xiety is valid!

💖 This set from Walmart is adorbs.

💖 Photo books -- I finally ordered our two-year-olds baby book! It's always worth creating an album and then waiting for the unlimited pages sale! (Or any photo book sale.) I legit had 375 photos in Daisy's book.

I am trying to delete multiple and bad photos as I go AND save my favorite photos to a yearly album so I don't get soo overwhelmed at the prospect of creating albums for our family! Would love to hear how you go about family photos? Prints? Albums? Something else? Our kids adore looking through our past albums and their baby albums!

💖 Homecoming -- We're off to our small town's homecoming festivities tonight! There's a parade before the football game and it's always a vibe! And then tomorrow I'm leading two breakout sessions at Grace Adventures Women's Retreat! Can't wait!
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✨ Keep chasing vibrance, -Katie WRITER | SPEAKER "A life with Jesus is the most vibrant life of all."

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