Kelly’s Corner
Where Faith Grows Beyond the Pages
Hi, Friend! Pull up a chair— I’m so glad you’re here.
Welcome to Kelly’s Corner—my little place to share the stories behind my books, moments from everyday life, my faith journey, and the inspiration that keeps Whispering Meadow growing. Whether you’re here to discover a new book, read a “Hey Jesus..” post, or simply stop by for encouragement, I hope you feel right at home.
So grab a cup of coffee, stay awhile, and welcome to my little corner of the internet!
Latest from Kelly 🍵
Thoughts on faith, family, books, everyday life, and whatever the Lord is teaching me this week.
This Week’s Journey
Well, friend… we did it. 💛🐝
Last time I sat down here, I told you that Kaitlynn the Joyful Bee was slowly coming to life—one page, one flower, one expression, and one very particular little yellow heart at a time. 😂
Today, I get to tell you something much sweeter.
Kaitlynn is officially published.
And I have to admit, seeing those words feels a little surreal.
Because this book wasn't created during some beautifully quiet season when I suddenly had hours of free time.
Not even close. 😂
It was created between school-nurse days, family responsibilities, ballgames, appointments, laundry, dinners, phone calls, helping my parents, loving on grandchildren, and all the ordinary things that make up a life.
Little pockets of time became pages.
Pages became a book.
And somehow, here we are.
There is something especially tender about sending Kaitlynn's story out into the world. Behind that little bee is a real girl I love very much—a girl who has been covered in prayer since before she was born, with a tender heart, a whole lot of love to give, and sometimes a few worries she was never meant to carry alone.
Maybe that's why this story feels so personal.
And maybe that's also why its message has been speaking to me while I've been creating it.
We spend so much time thinking we'll get to the thing God placed on our hearts when life settles down.
When the schedule clears.
When everybody stops needing something.
When we finally have enough time.
I'm beginning to suspect that day isn't coming. 😂
Maybe we're supposed to be faithful with the little pockets instead.
Because somehow, in the middle of all those ordinary days, another little piece of Whispering Meadow made its way into the world.
And there have been a few other adventures happening around here too. I've been learning more about the business side of being an author, putting together materials to introduce my books to local shops, and figuring out what it looks like to take these stories beyond my own little corner of the internet.
That part is new.
And exciting.
And slightly terrifying. 😂
But I'm learning that sometimes the next step doesn't have to be enormous.
Sometimes you just gather up the books, say a little prayer, and walk through the next door.
So that's where I am this week.
Still working.
Still cheering from the ballfield.
Still answering the phone.
Still taking care of my people.
Still drinking entirely too much coffee.
And still watching God do something beautiful with the little bits of time I hand Him.
I'm so glad you're here to watch it grow with me. 💛
Until next time…
Wherever this week finds you, I hope you notice God’s fingerprints in the ordinary moments.
Behind Whispering Meadow
Ever wondered where the Meadow Friends came from? This is where I share the stories behind the stories, little details tucked inside the books, and sneak peeks of new adventures still growing in Whispering Meadow.
From the Meadow…
And Then She Flew 🐝💛
Last week, I shared the heart behind Kaitlynn.
This week, I get to share something I've been waiting a long time to say.
Kaitlynn the Joyful Bee is officially out in the world.
There's something strange and wonderful about finishing a book.
For weeks, I've looked at Kaitlynn one page at a time.
I've worried over tiny details most people will probably never notice. I've moved words, changed flowers, fixed little antennae, adjusted one very important yellow heart more times than I care to admit 😂, and wondered approximately 47 times whether I was actually finished.
And then one day... I was.
The little bee who began as an idea inspired by a girl I love became a real book that another family can hold in their hands.
That gets me a little teary.
Because Whispering Meadow has never really been about creating perfect little characters.
It's about giving children a safe place to recognize some of the things happening inside their own hearts—and gently pointing them back to the One who understands those hearts better than anyone.
Kaitlynn's story reminds children that worries don't have to stay tucked inside.
That they can talk about the things that feel heavy.
That a good friend can sit beside them and listen.
And most importantly, that Jesus never asks them to carry everything alone.
Last week I told you there are very real hearts tucked inside these stories.
Now one more of those stories has left my hands and made its way into the world.
Fly, little bee. 🐝💛
May you find exactly the little hearts that need you.
Where the Little Details Matter
One of my favorite parts of creating Whispering Meadow is hiding little reminders of God's love throughout each story.
Sometimes it's a tiny butterfly fluttering nearby.
Sometimes it's a little ladybug reminding us of Abigail.
Sometimes it's a character learning to trust God one small step at a time.
Children may simply enjoy the adventure, but my prayer is that years later they'll remember the lessons hidden inside those pages.
Whispering Meadow isn't just about adorable woodland friends—it's about planting seeds of faith that can grow for a lifetime.
The Whisper Behind the Story...
Sometimes finishing the story is really just the beginning of where God plans to take it.
Today’s Prayer
Honest conversations with Jesus… some funny, some heartfelt, but all written to remind us He’s always listening.
Dear Jesus,
Sometimes I’m really good at giving something to You...
and then picking it right back up again. 😂
I’ll pray about it.
Work on it.
Do everything I know to do.
And then somehow decide I also need to figure out exactly how everything is going to turn out.
Lord, I’m learning that obedience and control are not the same thing.
You ask me to be faithful with what You’ve placed in my hands.
You never asked me to control what happens after I let it go.
So today, help me loosen my grip.
On the plans.
On the expectations.
On whether people understand.
On whether something succeeds the way I pictured it.
On all those little what ifs that start getting loud when I care deeply about something.
Remind me that I can plant a seed without knowing exactly where it will grow.
I can tell the story.
I can take the chance.
I can knock on the door.
I can do the next thing You’ve given me to do...
and trust You with everything that comes after.
If You open a door, give me the courage to walk through it.
If You close one, give me enough faith not to stand there rattling the handle. 😂
And if You ask me to wait, help me remember that waiting doesn't mean nothing is happening.
Thank You for letting me create.
Thank You for the stories You've placed on my heart.
Thank You for the people who have encouraged me along the way.
And thank You that the outcome was never mine to carry in the first place.
My job is faithfulness.
The rest belongs to You.
Amen. 💛
Hey Jesus…
Funny, honest, and heartfelt conversations with Jesus…because He cares about every part of our lives.
Hey Jesus... It's me... listen...
I have a tiny little control issue.
Okay.
Maybe not tiny. 😂
I’m really good at saying,
“Lord, I’m giving this to You.”
And then approximately eleven minutes later…
I’m checking on it.
Just making sure You’ve got it.
Maybe offering a suggestion or two.
Perhaps an entire backup plan. 😂
Because apparently when I say, “Your will be done,” a little part of me still wants to add…
“…but if You’d like to hear how I think it should go, I do have some thoughts.”
Jesus, I know better.
I know You don’t need me to manage the outcome.
But sometimes it’s hard to know where doing my part ends and trying to control everything begins.
I can write the story.
I can finish the book.
I can make the phone call.
I can knock on the door.
I can take the chance.
I can pray over it.
I can do the next thing You’ve put in front of me.
But I cannot make someone say yes.
I cannot make something succeed.
I cannot force the timing.
And I definitely cannot see what You’re doing on the other side of a door I haven’t even reached yet.
So maybe I need to loosen my grip a little.
Not on the work.
Not on the calling.
Not on the things You’ve placed on my heart.
Just on the outcome.
Teach me to recognize the difference between being faithful and being in control.
Because those are not the same thing.
Help me do what You’ve asked me to do…
and then trust You enough to leave the rest alone.
And when I inevitably reach back over and try to pick it up again—
because, well… You know me. 😂
Remind me:
My job is faithfulness.
The rest belongs to You.
I think I can handle that.
Or at least…
I can let You handle it. 💜
Amen.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”
—Psalm 37:5
Life Lately…
Last week I told you life around here was full.
Well.
Apparently life heard me and said, “Oh, you think that’s full?” 😂
This week brought all the usual things—work, family, ballgames, writing, laundry, things around the house that need attention, and approximately 847 little things floating around in my brain at any given moment.
And for a few minutes this weekend, it all became a little too much.
Nothing terrible happened.
There wasn't one big catastrophe.
It was just one of those moments when all the little things I'd been handling just fine suddenly decided to show up for a meeting at the exact same time.
And I cried.
Not the pretty little single-tear-running-down-your-cheek kind, either. 😂
The “I am overwhelmed and I don't even know which thing I'm overwhelmed about anymore” kind.
And you know what?
Maybe sometimes we need to.
Because I spend a lot of time being the one who handles things.
I make the lists.
I figure things out.
I take care of people.
I rearrange schedules.
I solve problems.
I keep going.
Until occasionally… I can't.
And this time, the people I love took care of me.
There was a daughter who listened, helped me sort through the jumble in my head, and somehow knew that rearranging a bedroom might actually rearrange a little something inside me, too.
There was a husband who didn't need to fix everything.
He just hugged me.
And there was Jesus.
Right there in the middle of my very unpolished little moment.
Nothing about my life magically changed overnight. There are still things to organize, things to repair, things to figure out, and a calendar that apparently has no intention of becoming less crowded.
But something in me settled.
Sometimes we don't need our whole life fixed.
Sometimes we need someone to sit beside us while it feels messy.
A hug.
A little breathing room.
A piece of furniture moved to a different wall. 😂
And the reminder that being overwhelmed for a moment doesn't erase all the ways we've been strong.
So, life lately?
Still full.
Still a little loud.
Still a little messy.
Still filled with people I love.
And this week, I'm especially thankful for the ones who notice when the person who usually says, “I've got it,” might need somebody else to say…
“I've got you.” 💜
This week's reminder:
You don’t always have to be the one who has it all together. Sometimes God’s provision looks like the people who simply remind you…
“I’ve got you.” ❤️
Coming Soon…
A little peek at what’s growing, what’s being created, and what might be coming next.
🌼 What’s Coming Next…
There’s always something growing around here…
Kaitlynn the Joyful Bee is finished! 🐝💛
Her story has made its way from an idea tucked in my heart, through many, many illustrations (and more than a few conversations about antennae 😂), all the way to a finished Whispering Meadow story.
And I have to admit—it feels pretty wonderful to see her there.
But Whispering Meadow is never very quiet for long.
There are still friends waiting in the wings, stories beginning to whisper, and ideas scribbled down in places I will probably forget I put them.
Some belong in the Meadow.
Some belong in the Hey Jesus… It’s me… listen… world.
And some are still at that funny little stage where I know something is there… I just don't know exactly what God is going to do with it yet.
For now, I’m giving myself permission not to rush ahead simply because one project is finished.
I want to enjoy this one for a minute. 💛
And then?
Well…
I have a feeling we haven't met everyone in Whispering Meadow yet. 🌿🦋🐞🐝
So stay close.
There’s more growing. 💜
Thank you for growing with Whispering Meadow. Every new story is a blessing to create, and I'm so grateful you're on this journey with me.
—Kelly
Reflection of the Week
Before you go...
Take a quiet moment to think about this:
When was the last time you let someone take care of you?
We get so used to being the ones who handle things.
The ones who remember.
The ones who organize.
The ones who listen.
The ones who keep everybody moving.
And sometimes we forget that God also gives us people who will notice when we're the ones who need a minute.
Maybe you don't need everything fixed today.
Maybe you just need a little breathing room.
A safe place to fall apart for a minute.
A hug.
Someone beside you saying, “I've got you.”
And maybe accepting that love is its own kind of strength.
This week, give yourself permission to receive the same grace you so freely give everyone else.
Have a beautiful week, friend.
Until next week...
Kelly 💜