Dawn and Ruth check in mid-Lent about rotating Wednesday pastorates, quirky church history discoveries, and children's theater outings before sitting down with Kim Knowle Zeller, ELCA pastor and writer from rural central Missouri.

Kim's got two books under her belt: The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years (co-authored) and her new release Small Steps: Blessings to Lift Your Soul on the Pilgrimage of Life. But here's what makes her story compelling—the new book was born from her Camino de Santiago pilgrimage and a "100 Day Project" where she wrote one blessing daily.

That practice changed everything. Kim learned to notice God's presence in small, ordinary moments instead of waiting for the big spiritual revelations. She reads "A Blessing for When the World Is on Fire" during the conversation, and honestly? It's the kind of blessing we all need right now.

Kim shares her traditional publishing journey, marketing strategies, writing rhythms, and the truth about what blessings actually do. Spoiler: They don't guarantee safety or fix everything. But they do something maybe more important—they accompany people into a hard world so they're not alone.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever wondered if the small, everyday moments of faith actually matter, or who needs permission to find the sacred in the ordinary instead of waiting for lightning bolts from heaven. Because sometimes the biggest hope comes from the smallest steps.

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Kimberly Knowle-Zeller is a writer, pastor, wife, mother of two, and the co-author of The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years, and the upcoming book of blessings, Small Steps: Blessings to Lift Your Soul on the Pilgrimage of Life. She lives with her family in Cole Camp, Missouri. She loves to walk around her town of 1,000 and enjoy the many festivals and events, as well as attend her monthly book club and trivia night.

IG: @kknowlezeller

Substack: https://kimberlyknowlezeller.substack.com

Website: kimberlyknowlezeller.com

00:00 Blessing Not Bubblewrap

00:21 Lent Check In

00:36 Country Church Tales

04:28 Marionettes In Central Park

06:18 Meet Kim Knowle Zeller

08:24 Beauty Of Motherhood Book

11:00 Small Steps New Blessings

12:13 Hundred Day Blessing Habit

15:05 Structuring The Pilgrimage Lens

16:33 Finding An Agent Publisher

18:54 Landing a Publisher

19:21 Marketing Through Connection

20:22 Local Media and Events

21:02 Substack Over Instagram

21:48 Writing Rhythm and Routine

23:47 Favorite Devotionals and Reads

25:38 Reading a Blessing Aloud

27:27 Coaching for Motivation

29:57 Simple Reels and Tech Help

32:52 Blessings as Creative Faith

34:04 Final Thanks and Sendoff

Ep 121 - Small Steps, Big Hope: Kimberly Knowle Zeller on Blessings, Pilgrimage, and Writing