This week has been a powerful lesson in the complexity of life. It is possible to feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows all within the same twenty-four hours, and I am learning that navigating this valley requires more than just physical stamina; it requires a deep, abiding patience with myself and those around me.

I have officially hit the three-week wall with my medication. After the surge of energy I felt last week, I did what I always do: I pushed. I tried to outrun the diagnosis and the fatigue, and I finally ran out of road. It is a humbling reminder that while I am a state-level Emergency Manager used to being in control, my body is currently under a different kind of authority. I have to honor the rest that healing demands, even when my mind is ready to keep moving.

Despite the physical exhaustion, my heart is full because a fifteen-year dream has finally crossed the finish line. Walking with Shadows is officially published and available in both ebook and hardcopy on Amazon, Google, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and many other platforms. Seeing this story—which was born in the era of gothic thrillers and sat eighty-five percent finished for over a decade—finally out in the world is a victory I can’t quite put into words. It is proof that God can breathe life into old dreams, even in the middle of a desert.

While we celebrate this milestone, life on the farm keeps moving. Tomorrow is a special day as we celebrate the 7th birthday of our rescue, Oakley River. Oak is a Great Pyrenees and Lab mix, and at over 80 pounds, he is quite the presence. Because he was a puppy during the height of COVID isolation, he isn’t fond of strangers, but he is the absolute gold standard of a farm dog. He is incredibly protective of his property and his animals—though, in his mind, his jurisdiction often extends to the neighboring properties as well.

He has proven his worth more times than I can count, including the time he successfully chased off a coyote that was eyeing our chickens. He is also far too intelligent for his own good. He figured out how to open doors, especially those with flat handles. We learned this the hard way during a trip to Branson when he managed to let himself out of the hotel room just as we were preparing to leave. Now, he has to be crated for his own safety whenever we aren’t around. He is a playful soul with unique traits, like the multiple dew claws on his back feet, and he is a constant reminder of the quirky, loyal blessings God places in our lives.

However, the atmosphere at home has its share of heavier challenges too. Things with my sixteen-year-old nephew have been difficult lately. He is at that age where he feels he knows everything and is restless to be eighteen and out on his own. It is a heavy thing to watch someone you care about walk toward the real world with a confidence that hasn’t yet been tested by life’s harder realities. It reminds me that we all have to learn our own lessons about strength and humility in our own time.

I am holding onto the truth that there is a plan for every season. Whether it is a dog who found his purpose on a farm, a manuscript that found its way to print after fifteen years, or a teenager trying to find his way, God is in the details. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers as I navigate this wall and celebrate these wins. I am leaning into the strength that isn’t my own, and I am ready for whatever the next step holds.