Honest Heart Blog

Inspiration from our hearts to yours

Gratitude —The Path to Grace
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Gratitude —The Path to Grace

Gratitude is the recognition of grace moving quietly through our lives.

It’s the awareness of Love—steady, devoted, unwavering—shaping what we cannot always see, protecting what we sometimes forget, guiding us with a tenderness that asks for nothing in return.

People cross our paths, circumstances rise and fall, and each becomes a teacher. Through them, Life lifts us into a deeper understanding of trust, surrender, and the subtle architecture of grace.

Gratitude has a way of softening the edges of worry and dissolving the weight of doubt. It wraps the heart in a spacious, reassuring embrace and whispers, You’re held. You’re guided. You’re not alone.

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After the Sunset: Reflections on a Journey Through Morocco
Diane Witters Hicks Diane Witters Hicks

After the Sunset: Reflections on a Journey Through Morocco

Many of us revel in the anticipation of a trip, even while we recognize some unexpected bumps in the road are likely to be part of the package. We dream of the possibilities, imagine ourselves in brochure-like settings, even play with the packing. 

For me though, the post-trip reflection that follows a journey is what I most relish.

I’m still processing and digesting all we experienced during an exploration of Morocco with Honest Heart Journeys (HHJ) in October 2025… 

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The Dolorosa: Standing in Stillness Without Why
Victoria Kessel Victoria Kessel

The Dolorosa: Standing in Stillness Without Why

By day nine, our small group had found its rhythm. We gathered for breakfast, then shouldered our packs.

Our shared presence was a wordless unity. Over miles and mornings, we built an unspoken connection, a quiet trust among us. Some days we walked together; on others, our steps drifted apart and found each other again farther down the path. It was a bond both steady and rare, formed in the company of women walking with open hearts.

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Rising on the Spiral: Finding Grace in the Hard Seasons
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Rising on the Spiral: Finding Grace in the Hard Seasons

A wise friend recently shared an idea that I’ll paraphrase here: Life is like a spiral.

As we move around it again and again, we encounter familiar things — repeated challenges, lessons, habits, and relationships. And yet, we’re not truly repeating them. Each time we circle higher, our vantage point changes. We see farther, understand more, respond quicker, and adapt easier.

This past week, I’ve been processing a recent battle. I don’t share it as justification or explanation, but as grateful awareness —

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From Empty Nest to Full Heart
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

From Empty Nest to Full Heart

My baby gets married in just a few days. It’s been almost a decade since he left for school, but somehow this is a new milestone. Just like that, all three of my children will belong to “their person” — that person with whom they build families, communities, and their chosen life. Weddings feel like this, too — a bittersweet release followed by the joy of watching them fly.

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Listening to Your Inner Child
Ashley Bay Ashley Bay

Listening to Your Inner Child

It’s ok not to react or respond. To just sit with yourself and LISTEN. Acknowledge the child within and let her make the choice to go outside. Let her show your future-self the things in life that bring her joy! Then, take her hand — and lead her. Courage is personal. Leadership begins inside. So show up where it matters. You don’t have to do it all. You’re not meant to fix everything. But… you want change? BE the Spark! Speakup! Say the thing! Start the shift! But remember to check yourself. Is it ego, or is it impact?

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Awakening the Mama Bear Within
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Awakening the Mama Bear Within

That Mama Bear tenacity is rising in me again. It’s been a while, but she is awakened. To be honest, it’s been a year of inner struggle. I know I’m not alone. And I know there are so many bigger concerns in the world than mine. I also know we experience the emotions and energy of what we believe. We create tumultuous inner worlds that grow if left unchecked. Life can come to feel like a war zone.

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Lessons in Trust — Letting Go of the Need to Know
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Lessons in Trust — Letting Go of the Need to Know

I’ve found that Trust is not a state I achieve once and hold forever. It’s a practice, a way of being. When fear rises in my heart—grieving the world’s confusion, questioning my ability or intentions, whispering scarcity and doubt — I pause. This is the invitation. Not to resist, but to remember: I am not the thought. I am the one who observes the thought. And from this place, I choose how to love it.

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Carried by Divine Love
success story Jennifer Dale success story Jennifer Dale

Carried by Divine Love

In the midst of so much heartache and uncertainty, I return to one deep longing:
To crawl into the lap of God as Father.
To be held by the divine.
To feel safe, comforted, secure within Father Love—that ever-present, ever-gentle presence that holds vigil over my life.

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What Nature Longs to Teach Us
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

What Nature Longs to Teach Us

There’s nothing more expansive or soul-awakening than nature to rouse us from the slow lull of complacency that can so easily set in. Nature opens thought to new perspectives. It invites wonder back into our lives.

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Leave the Light On
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Leave the Light On

Confidence rises not through striving or polishing what was never broken, but through quiet release — the soft unhooking of vain ideals: human perfection, masked performance, success without soul.

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Morning Gratitude
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Morning Gratitude

I rest within a state of gratitude, embraced by light and fullness of being. I am whole, worthy, one with all that is naturally mine and me.

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Peace of Abundance
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Peace of Abundance

I find myself thinking about those of us who are feeling uncertain. This simple meditation on ‘abundance’ came to me as comfort this quiet Saturday morning. I see so many of us finding a renewed strength of consciousness to be the change, the peace, we want to see.

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Packing List for the Adventure of Marriage
Heather Barron Heather Barron

Packing List for the Adventure of Marriage

Having a ‘Marriage Mission Statement’ prepares a stable foundation upon which you can build your marriage. Regardless of the external pressures of life, if you’re able to return to the 3-5 values that make your relationship work, then you can face nearly anything as a team.

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Awakening
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

Awakening

We all awaken each day. This is what my morning bath might feel like as I walk in the presence and grace of Love.

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"Be a Witness."
Jennifer Dale Jennifer Dale

"Be a Witness."

I seem to experience the turning of the seasons in words. This year, I heard, "Be a witness." So, I am here listening and watching. I've found peace in stillness that doesn't measure time. It allows me to experience fullness without guilt that I should be doing something more, or different. Stillness calls me to stop and just BE.

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