And Just Like That, It’s Fall

Somehow, the calendar flipped when I wasn’t looking. One moment I was still blaming the heat for my bad attitude, and the next, I’m reaching for oversized sweaters and emotionally attaching myself to candles I’ll never actually light. Welcome to October. We made it. Kind of. Maybe limping. But still here.

There’s something about the first of the month that makes you feel like anything is possible—even if it’s just catching up on laundry or finally replying to that one text from three weeks ago. September was a whirlwind. Not just with the launch of the new website and app—because yes, surprise! We moved everything in 48 hours like a bunch of digital squatters dodging renewal fees—but also with real life. The kind of life that includes transitions, emotional whiplash, unexpected prayers, and moments where you’re forced to reckon with what actually matters.

October feels like the deep breath before the holiday sprint. It’s the cozy pause between summer chaos and Christmas madness. It’s the month where everything starts to slow down just enough for you to hear your own thoughts again—and maybe even ask yourself a few big questions when you’re standing in your kitchen at 11:43 p.m. holding a bag of shredded cheese like a feral raccoon in mid-life crisis.

But this isn’t the month to be perfect. It’s the month to be present. It’s not the month to prove anything to anyone. It’s the month to live like someone who’s already been redeemed. October is the slow, sacred shift—the quiet permission to reset. Not in the way we try to reinvent ourselves every January with a planner and three-week sugar detox, but in the way we remember we were never meant to hustle for God’s approval in the first place.

This is a month for faithful showing up. For small obedience. For making dinner while praying under your breath. For apologizing to the kid you snapped at. For choosing not to spiral even when the news, your group chat, or your own insecurities try to drag you down. This is the month we remember that holiness doesn’t have to be loud or flashy. Sometimes it looks like turning off your phone and turning toward the people God actually put in front of you. Sometimes it’s choosing prayer instead of panic. Or choosing stillness instead of scrolling. Or saying no to something good because God’s calling you toward something better.

So here’s to October. To leaves that fall and grace that doesn’t. To pumpkin-flavored everything, even if you hate it. To days that start with new mercy and end with the kind of peace that makes no sense unless you’ve walked with Jesus through a few storms. To fresh pages, quiet prayers, and the still-small voice that’s louder than our fear. To not needing to have it all figured out. Just enough faith to take the next step.

We don’t need big resolutions or big breakthroughs. We just need to remember who God is—and that He never asked us to be impressive, just faithful.

Welcome to October, friend. Let’s live it with open hands and expectant hearts.

🪶 P.S. You can now read blog posts like this, shop books, and listen to the podcast all from the same spot: kathrinshaffer.com — or download the app on your phone. No more clicking twelve links and praying they load. We made it easy. Because I believe in snacks, shortcuts, and sanctification.