October Edition: monthly reset

OCTOBER REFLECTION

"'She is in God's hands.' That gains a new energy when I think of her a sword. Perhaps the earthly life I shared with her was only part of the tempering. Now perhaps He grasps the hilt; weighs the new weapon; makes lightnings with it in the air. A right Jerusalem blade.'" 

- C.S. Lewis (A Grief Observed)

I was reading a small book by C.S. Lewis called “A Grief Observed.” He takes you on a journey with him through the death of his wife. It’s heartfelt, raw, and human. Although I haven’t experienced that kind of grief, I could relate in the sense of losing my beautiful MamaRuth, my grandmother, who was like a second mom to me.

October is breast cancer awareness month, and it was one of the cancers she faced. But she was a warrior, a tough cookie. She taught me to dance in the living room, to walk into rooms with my head held high, to own who I am, and to laugh in the face of fear. I hear her voice in the background of my life, and I’m filled with a great inner peace.

This quote spoke to me because C.S. Lewis described it so beautifully. I imagine her spirit in the hands of God as an amazing sword. The tempering he speaks of is so divinely true that even today her words continue to sharpen my iron, even though her sword can no longer yield against mine.

This October, I honor her. I wield my sword and stand in all that she has taught me, and it continues to echo through me.

Verse of the Month

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” - Proverbs 31:26

Physical Reset

Beginner: Take a 10-minute walk each day, phone away, and use it to think of one person who shaped you.
Advanced: Train one session this month like tempering: slow, controlled reps with full rest between sets, and quality over speed.

Mental Reminder
Some of what shapes you isn’t loud. The words that echo in you, the people who taught you, the lessons that keep sharpening you, none of it is gone. You don’t have to swing the sword today. Stand in what you’ve been taught.

Learning Moment
Tempering isn’t punishment, it’s preparation. The heat, the pressure, and the seasons that feel like too much are often what make you strong enough to hold what’s coming. The question isn’t “why is this happening to me?”, it’s “what is this forming in me?”

Next Month Goal
Walk into November asking one question before you respond, react, or retreat: Am I carrying forward what I’ve been taught? Let their words steady your hands, and let your response be sharpened, not rushed.