You are beloved. You belong. You’re not alone. You were made for this wild, holy life—for love, for meaning, for joy, and for whatever amount of mischief you can stand.
Write from that place. Live from that place.
Pay attention to the voices—inside and out—that try to tell you otherwise. There’s a story there. It’s yours to wrestle with, and to tell when you’re ready.
You’ll stumble. You’ll grow. Grace is sneaky like that.
Your stories—whether full of light, full of questions, or full of grit—are a gift.
Tell the truth as you have lived it thus far. Then tell what happens next. Somebody out there needs to hear they aren’t the only one.
Rev. Jane M.M. Herring is a second-career pastor who brings her love of words, story, and soul work to every part of her ministry. Before answering the call to the church, Jane taught college literature at the University of Memphis and Davenport University. She completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency with the Veterans Administration and began her pastoral journey as a hospital and hospice chaplain before being called and installed to parish ministry.
Known to many as “Pastor Jane,” she is a writer, retreat leader, public speaker, and spiritual coach with a deep interest in the healing power of spiritual practices. She works with prayer, silence, meditation, and art as ways to help people connect with God and live more grounded, Christ-centered lives. She believes these practices are not just helpful—they’re life-giving and transformative for the long, beautiful journey of faith in all its gifts and mysteries.
Jane writes for Upper Room Books and is the author of One Day I Wrote Back: Interacting with Scripture through Creative Writing, along with articles and contributions to Disciplines, the Upper Room’s daily devotional guide, The Spire, and Weavings.
