October certainly had its share of unexpected twists and turns. You know those days when you have everything planned out, only to discover that life apparently has an entirely different agenda? Well, October seemed determined to provide plenty of those!

There was a road I frequently travel that suddenly closed, a spilled glass of milk on a morning when I was already running behind, and more than a few plans that needed rearranging. Sometimes I felt as though I spent more time adjusting my plans than actually following them.

But somewhere along the way, something clicked.

I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about rivers and how they move through the landscape. When a river encounters a rock, it doesn’t stop flowing or spend its energy trying to push the rock out of the way. It simply finds another way around. Over time, that steady movement can reshape the landscape itself.

That realization became something much bigger for me this month, even inspiring a new book I’m working on. But I’ll share more about that in a moment.

For now, I thought I’d take you along for a look at what October brought to Healthy in Heart, because despite all the detours, quite a bit happened!

Fermentation Season Opened

If you’ve visited Healthy in Heart recently, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been spending a lot of time talking about fermentation. My kitchen has certainly been busy!

Fermentation is one of those subjects that continues to fascinate me. There’s something remarkable about working with living cultures, learning how they behave, and discovering how people have used these processes for generations to preserve food and create delicious drinks.

This month, I decided to spend some time exploring the subject in greater depth and sharing what I’ve learned along the way.

We started with the humble ginger bug, which is a wonderful introduction to natural fermentation. All you need is fresh ginger, sugar, water, and a little patience. The naturally occurring microorganisms do the rest, provided we give them the right environment to thrive.

Then…

Once you have an active ginger bug, an entirely new world of possibilities opens up. One of my favorites is homemade juice soda. Using 100 percent fruit juice and a little ginger bug starter, you can create a naturally carbonated drink without all the unnecessary additives found in many commercial sodas. I’ve been enjoying experimenting with different flavors, and you can find the recipe here.

Of course, the more I explored fermentation, the more curious I became about its history. Did you know that fermented beverages were essentially the original sodas? Long before commercially manufactured soft drinks became popular, people were enjoying naturally sparkling beverages created through fermentation. I explored some of that fascinating history in Fermented Drinks: The Original Soda.

Another interesting discovery was the ginger beer plant, a unique living culture with a history all its own. It led me down a research rabbit hole comparing the different cultures used to produce fermented beverages. Although ginger beer plant, water kefir, and kombucha all produce fermented drinks, they aren’t interchangeable, and their microbial communities can be quite different. I shared what I learned in Not All SCOBYs Are the Same.

Not Just Beverages…

And because fermentation isn’t limited to beverages, I also shared a simple classic sauerkraut recipe. Sometimes the simplest foods are the most satisfying. With nothing more than cabbage, salt, and time, you can transform an ordinary vegetable into something wonderfully flavorful.

If you’ve been curious about fermentation but haven’t known where to begin, I’d encourage you to give either sauerkraut or a ginger bug a try. Neither requires expensive equipment, and both are wonderful ways to become familiar with the process.

You can explore everything I’ve shared so far in the Ferments Archives and Fermentations Archives. I’m not finished exploring this subject, so there will certainly be more to come!

Herbs, Hormones, and Honest Research

Another area I’ve continued exploring this month is the relationship between herbs, hormones, and overall health.

You probably already know that I have a deep appreciation for the natural world and the ways we can support our bodies through nutrition, lifestyle, and the thoughtful use of plants. But you also know that I don’t believe every claim made about a particular herb simply because someone says it’s natural.

Natural doesn’t automatically mean safe, and traditional use doesn’t necessarily mean that modern research has confirmed every claimed benefit. That’s why I spend so much time digging into the research. Sometimes I find compelling evidence supporting a particular use. Other times, the evidence is preliminary, the studies are small, or the results aren’t nearly as impressive as the headlines would have us believe. And occasionally, I discover that something I thought I understood is considerably more complicated than I realized.

That’s part of learning, isn’t it?

I believe we can appreciate the remarkable complexity of the bodies our Creator designed while also being willing to question assumptions, investigate claims, and change our understanding when new evidence emerges.

I’ll be sharing more of what I’ve been learning about herbs and hormone health in the coming months. My hope is that these conversations will help you become a more informed participant in your own health journey rather than simply accepting whatever the latest wellness trend happens to promise.

Pattern Detective at Work

Speaking of learning, my Pattern Detective approach has continued to play a significant role in my personal health journey.

If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know that I’m fascinated by the connections between our everyday choices and how our bodies respond. What happens when we change the timing of a meal? Does a particular food affect us differently depending on what we eat with it? What role does movement play in the way our bodies manage glucose?

These are the kinds of questions that keep me curious.

Rather than making several changes at once and hoping for the best, I’ve been working on observing my own patterns more carefully. Sometimes the results confirm what I expected. Other times, they challenge my assumptions entirely.

And that’s where things get interesting!

October also brought an exciting development in my movement journey. Kelsey and I completed our first workout together on the Total Gym and Body Groove, and she did wonderfully! There’s something special about sharing movement with someone you love, especially when the goal is simply to become stronger and healthier together.

But my own experience with exercise led me to an even bigger realization this month.

I’ve been using my Total Gym and thinking about why so many of us struggle to maintain a consistent exercise routine. We know movement is important. We understand the benefits. Yet knowing what we should do doesn’t necessarily make us want to do it.

The River

That’s when the image of the river came to mind. A river follows the path of least resistance. It doesn’t stop being a river because a rock blocks its course. It flows around the obstacle and continues moving. And I thought…What if we approached physical activity the same way?

Instead of forcing ourselves into exercise routines we dread, what if we began by finding the kinds of movement we naturally enjoy? What if the goal wasn’t to become someone who loves going to the gym, but to discover the ways we genuinely love moving our bodies?

For someone who has never been particularly enthusiastic about traditional exercise, I can probably thank horrific memories of gym classes for that abhorance, BUT that shift in perspective was significant.

And it became the foundation for a new book I’m writing, Movement: The Path of Least Resistance. More on that as it develops more fully. I’m exploring the psychology behind movement, the obstacles that keep us sedentary, and how we can build a more natural, enjoyable relationship with physical activity. The river will serve as a metaphor throughout the book, because I believe there’s something important we can learn from the way water moves through the world.

I’m still developing the project, but I’m excited about where it’s going.

If October taught me anything through my Pattern Detective experiments, it’s that paying attention can open doors we didn’t even know were there.

Faith, Reflection, and the Ten Words

Amid all the busyness of writing, researching, fermenting, and experimenting, I’ve also continued spending time reflecting on the Ten Words, more commonly known as the Ten Commandments. The more I study them, the more I appreciate how deeply they speak to our relationships, both with YHVH and with one another.

Sometimes people approach the commandments as though they were simply a list of restrictions. But when we look at them through the larger context of Scripture, we begin to see something much more meaningful. They teach us what love looks like when it becomes action.

They address our loyalty to the Creator, how we treat our parents, how we value human life, how we honor our commitments, and how we regard what belongs to others. Perhaps most importantly, they reach beyond outward behavior into the attitudes and desires of the heart.

And when I consider the life and teachings of Yeshua, I see someone who consistently demonstrated the depth of those instructions. He didn’t set aside righteousness in favor of compassion, nor did He use righteousness as an excuse to withhold compassion. He showed us how the two belong together.

I’ve found myself returning to that understanding repeatedly this month.

If you’re looking for a meaningful way to deepen your own Scripture study, consider spending a week with each of the Ten Words. Rather than simply reading the instruction, think about what it reveals concerning the Creator’s character and what it might look like to live it out in your own circumstances.

Sometimes the passages we’ve read the most are the very ones that have the most left to teach us.

New Books and Projects

You didn’t think I’d make it through an entire month without working on another book, did you?

My bookshelves may not be growing quite as quickly as my list of ideas, but I’m certainly doing my best to keep up! One of the projects I’ve been particularly excited about is my Psalms Scripture Memory and Meditation Workbook series.

The idea behind these workbooks is to create space for something we often rush through: spending meaningful time with Scripture. Rather than simply reading a passage and moving on, each workbook encourages you to slow down, reflect, memorize, and consider how the words speak into your life.

Psalms

The series begins with Psalms of Rooting, covering Psalms 1–12. From there, Psalms of Trust explores Psalms 13–24, Psalms of Refuge covers Psalms 25–36, and Psalms of Return takes us through Psalms 37–48.

The next installment, Psalms of Lament, covers Psalms 49–60 and is ready for KDP. It is scheduled for release December 1, 2026. I’ll be announcing its release as soon as it becomes available.

One of the things I appreciate most about working through the Psalms is how honestly they address the human experience. Joy, grief, frustration, gratitude, uncertainty, trust, and even anger all find expression within their pages. They remind us that faith doesn’t require pretending everything is fine when it isn’t.

You can work through these books individually or follow the entire series as a longer journey through the Psalms.

And, of course, the Psalms aren’t the only books keeping me busy!

I’ve also continued working on new projects in both my wellness and fiction lines. Some are further along than others, and I’m not quite ready to reveal everything just yet. But there are some developments I’m looking forward to sharing when the time is right.

You can explore my currently available titles in the Healthy in Heart shop.

Community and Giveaways

One of the most rewarding parts of Healthy in Heart has always been the opportunity to connect with people who share an interest in learning, growing, and approaching life with curiosity and intention.

Whether you’re reading an article, participating in a discussion, sharing a personal experience, or simply following along quietly, I’m grateful you’re here.

I hosted another giveaway this month, and the winner has been notified. Thank you to everyone who participated! I always enjoy having an opportunity to share something with this community.

The Book Insider’s Club is also continuing to grow. It’s about actively participating in the development and improvement of  my books, journals, recipes, wellness programs, and patterns. Where you can participate as beta testers, ARC readers, wellness program testers, recipe testers, pattern testers, or launch team members, depending on your interests.

If you’d like to be part of it, you can find more information here.

And please don’t underestimate how much I appreciate hearing from you. Your questions, comments, and shared experiences often lead to some of the most interesting conversations and occasionally even inspire new topics for me to explore.

What November Brings

Looking ahead, November is already shaping up to be another busy month, although I’m trying to leave a little room for those inevitable detours!

I have more fermentation articles planned, including additional ways to use your ginger bug once you’ve established a healthy starter. There are so many possibilities beyond basic juice soda, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of them.

I’ll also continue exploring what I’m learning through my Pattern Detective experiments. I’m especially interested in the relationship between movement, nutrition, and the way our bodies respond to the choices we make every day.

My Psalms workbook series will continue moving forward, with Psalms of Lament next in line for release.

And with Thanksgiving approaching, I’ll be sharing more thoughts about gratitude and what it means to practice ThanksLiving rather than limiting thankfulness to a single holiday.

That’s something I’ve believed for a long time. Gratitude isn’t simply a feeling we experience when life is going well. It’s something we can intentionally cultivate, even during difficult seasons.

If you’d like to explore that idea more deeply, my ThanksLiving Bundle includes a full year of unique daily journaling prompts designed to help you recognize and reflect on the blessings, lessons, and meaningful moments woven into everyday life.

And as always, I’d love to hear your questions! I read every comment and make a point of responding, because I want Healthy in Heart to be a place where we can learn from one another.

The Way Around the Rock

As I look back over October, I keep returning to that image of the river.

I’ve spent a good portion of my life believing that when something stands in the way of a goal, the answer is to push harder. Work harder. Try harder. Find a way to overcome whatever is blocking the path.

And sometimes perseverance really does require that kind of determination.

But I’m beginning to appreciate that perseverance doesn’t always mean pushing against the obstacle directly. Sometimes it means recognizing that there’s another way forward.

A river doesn’t abandon its journey because it encounters a rock. It changes direction, finds an opening, and keeps flowing. It may take a different route than the one we imagined, but it continues toward its destination.

I think there’s a lesson in that for all of us.

How often do we become so attached to the way we believe something should happen that we fail to recognize another possibility? How much energy do we spend fighting against circumstances we cannot change, when we might be better served by considering a different approach?

That doesn’t mean giving up on our goals. It means being willing to reconsider the path we’re taking to reach them.

Isaiah 43:19 reminds us:

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

I love that imagery, especially after spending so much time thinking about rivers this month.

Sometimes the path before us looks nothing like the one we expected. Sometimes the road closes, our carefully arranged plans fall apart, or we discover that the approach we’ve been using simply isn’t working.

But a change in direction doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve lost our way.

Perhaps the challenge is learning to recognize when it’s time to stop pushing against the rock and begin looking for the way around it.

That’s what I’m carrying with me into November.

Whatever October brought into your life, I hope you’ll remember that an unexpected detour doesn’t mean your journey has ended. There may be another way forward, even if you can’t quite see it yet.

Keep learning, growing…keep moving.

And most importantly, keep trusting the One who can make rivers flow even in the desert.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me.

Rooted in Truth. Written in Love.

Continue the Journey: See What Grew This Month

If something in this month’s update sparked your curiosity, I’ve gathered a few places where you can continue exploring.

Ready to try fermentation for yourself? Start with Fermentation for Beginners: A Complete Guide to Fermented Foods and Drinks. Once you’re familiar with the basics, try making your own Ginger Bug Starter.

Want to make naturally sparkling soda? My Ginger Bug Juice Soda recipe is a wonderful place to begin experimenting with flavors.

Interested in exploring more fermented foods and drinks? Visit the Ferments Archives and Fermentations Archives for recipes, research, and helpful information.

Curious about the differences between fermentation cultures? Take a look at Not All SCOBYs Are the Same, where I explore ginger beer plant, water kefir, and kombucha.

Looking for a meaningful way to spend more time in Scripture? The Psalms of Rooting workbook provides a place to begin a more intentional journey through the Psalms.

Want to explore the bigger picture of whole-being wellness? The Eden Way explores the foundations of caring for our bodies, minds, and spirits through the Creator’s original design.

Wherever you decide to begin, remember that meaningful change doesn’t always require a dramatic leap forward. Sometimes it begins with a small step in a direction you hadn’t considered before.

And sometimes, that’s where the most interesting journeys begin.

Healthy Living Picks

If you’re interested in the kitchen tools, books, and pantry staples I use and recommend, including some of my favorites for home fermentation, you can explore my Healthy in Heart Amazon Storefront.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.