THE WAY BACK TO OURSELVES LITERARY JOURNAL PRESENTS:

THE SPRING COLLECTION: IN HIS GARDEN

APRIL 2025

The Spring Collection: IN HIS GARDEN print journal is here. Buy your copy now.

The Way Back to Ourselves is proud to present our FIRST print journal. Enjoy the free digital collection below and purchase this stunning keepsake on Amazon in matte paperback with full color from The Way Back Books, an imprint of TheWayBack2Ourselves.com.

Listen to the poets of The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal perform their work with our podcast, The Poetry Corner, a spin-off from The Way Back Podcast, hosted by Edward Holmes and Deidre Braley.

Loss to Gain
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Loss to Gain

In her poem “Loss to Gain,” Ashley Whittemore learns there is great and unexpected beauty in loss.

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Mountain Laurel Living
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Mountain Laurel Living

In her poem “Mountain Laurel Living,” Bethany Peck writes about loss, suffering, and faith through the metaphor of the Mountain Laurel.

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The Way Back to Ourselves and our Literary Journal is not for profit and FREE for all to read and enjoy. If you believe in our cause and want to support our mission and the creation of our journal and other content, like our podcast and blog, please consider donating. Thank you. God bless you. You belong here.

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🎉🎉🎉It’s happening!!! The Great Gatsby Cohort is happening next month!! ✨Details are in the slides!! Enrollment is LIVE NOW at the website’s store for this 8-week cohort. ✨$50 discount to the first 5 students!! 8 discounts left! ✨Ad
♥️🙏🏼🙏🏽♥️This is a post in praise of friends who walk in when everyone else is walking out. It’s also a post in praise of the beautiful mosaic God is making with our lives. In my darkest days of loss of all kinds in 2022-20
❤️‍🩹Trying to process it, but I can’t. So I prayed in poetry tonight, and this is what came: ✨A Lament for Mystic✨ We are speechless. This tragedy at Mystic reaches down into the depths of our shared parental ache to see these babies
🎉It’s here! TWBTO is blessed, honored, & downright delighted to announce that the PRINT EDITION of the spring literary journal’s 🪴IN HIS GARDEN🪴 is on sale on Amazon right now! 🎉And guess what? It’s already a TOP NEW RELEAS
👋🏼Hi, friends. Can you believe it? I’m still pinching myself that this is even REAL! 🎉🎉Day #2 of #CultivatingHope25 is done! What a powerful time we had together today! ♥️🥰☺️❤️‍🩹We loved seeing all of your smiling faces, hea
🎉Tonight’s kickoff for CULTIVATE 25 took my breath away. It was surely a SACRED SPACE. The entire TWBTO team was an unbelievable gift! And so were YOU! All your beautiful faces was such a blessing to us! ✨More than 75 faithful creatives, wr
🙌🏾🙌🏼🙌🏿 Don’t miss this life-changing, soul-filling virtual event for faithful creatives, writers, and leaders happening June 20-22, brought to you by TheWayBack2Ourselves.com. 🎟️These are your LAST days to secure a ticket! And to sweete
✨Dreaming with God and beloved community really saves the soul. The past two nights, after many very sick weeks, I have finally been able to walk a little distance consistently. ✨Gazing up at the night sky continues to hold all my big feelings&hell
🕯️ Please excuse me while I geek out and marvel at what God is doing! 🙏🏼I was praying God would show me a way to integrate all the things he’s teaching me and what I’m learning in my doctorate and in community with TWBTO for our CULTI
🪴 This is a story so much bigger than me & my grief. It’s a God story. It’s a story about YOU. About US. About what we can BECOME—together—when we choose THE WAY. ✝️Did you know that “The Way” was the name f
❤️‍🩹If you’ve been struggling or suffering and have wondered, “What good could possibly come from this?” then @sam.decosmo has an essay for you! Here’s a sneak peek from My Way Back’s newest post (find l!nk in b!o
🪴The other day, I had the most powerful conversation with a precious friend of mine. We both had to leave what was once familiar and safe because of circumstances beyond our control and because God was on the move. ❤️‍🩹In tears, we recognized
🎉🎉BIG NEWS! Check it out in the slides! Congratulations to @bysarahsteele and @heatherlobejohnson! We love you both! Your hearts, talents, faith, & dedication are a gift to all! ✍🏼Sarah Steele is now our SENIOR EDITOR & POETRY CONSULTAN
❤️‍🩹Sometimes, I’m asked how I keep going after suffering for 5 years. I ask people who suffer the very same thing—because let’s be really honest: I’m still trying to be okay with not being okay. I’m sure there&rs