From “what’s on your shelf” to what’s on the stage—here’s a glimpse of what October holds.

This weekend I’ll be speaking at a women’s retreat around a theme I’ve been calling Inside Things: What’s on Your Self Shelf?

It’s a question that has a way of following me around. What am I carrying? What am I holding onto that shapes how I move through the world? And what might need to shift so there’s room for something new?

It’s a question that has a way of following me around. What am I carrying? What am I holding onto that shapes how I move through the world?

Sometimes the “shelf” is full of good things—memories, lessons, values that keep me grounded. Other times, it’s cluttered with fears, old habits, or expectations that quietly weigh me down.

Either way, the shelf shapes me. And I’ve learned that when I take time to notice what’s there, I often discover what needs to be treasured, what needs to be released, and what space needs to be made for something new.

That’s the heartbeat of this weekend’s retreat. But it’s also a question I carry with me into the rest of October.

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I’ve been preparing for this retreat while also looking ahead to the rest of October. It’s a full month—moments of quiet reflection in the retreat setting, and moments of music and conversation in places like Lancaster and Carlisle.

I actually put together a short video that highlights some of the October events, if you’d like a peek:

Some of the retreats I mention in the video may already be closed to new registrations, depending on when you’re reading this, but one date that’s very much open is Sunday, October 19. That afternoon, Double Keyed will be in Lancaster for our London Conversation in Song concert.

It’s a chance to hear the music we love sharing—favorites from Midwinter’s Gift and a first listen to what we’re preparing for the London Symphony Orchestra project at Abbey Road Studios. And it’s also a chance to be part of a story that’s bigger than just music, with proceeds supporting MS FitEffect.

Different settings, different expressions—but whether I’m sitting with a small group of women around Scripture or sitting behind a piano with Kirstin at my side, it always comes back to this: what we carry on the inside has a way of singing its way out.

And sometimes, the best way to make room for what’s ahead… is to pause, notice what’s on your shelf, and then take the next small step forward.

🎟 Tickets for the Oct. 19 Lancaster Concert »

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