October Short Story Contest Theme Reveal: Light in the Darkness

short story contest

Stories hold power because they capture turning points—the moments when shadows don’t get the last word, when hope flickers alive, and when light breaks into the darkest places. That’s why we’re so excited to announce the theme of this year’s Rooted Minds Short Story Contest: 🌟 Light in the Darkness 🌟 ✨ Theme Verse: John 1:5 — “The light shines…

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Why We Need Both C. S. Lewis and James Baldwin

Multicultural literature recommendations

A few years ago, a little girl asked her mom, “Does God love boys more than girls?” Her question came after noticing that in her Bible storybook, girls were almost completely absent. From silence, she drew a conclusion about belonging. That one question has stayed with me because it reminds us how powerful stories are. They don’t…

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Join our October Short Story Contest

The Beauty of Short Stories: Announcing Our October Writing Contest Short stories have a way of catching us off guard. They don’t take hundreds of pages to build a world or introduce a character—you’re invited in quickly, swept into a moment, and left changed by the end. They’re like windows that suddenly open and let…

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Finding Our Way to What We Love: Growing Motivation for Learning

I’ve been obsessing lately about this idea of motivation, about how we find our way to the things that light us up inside. Not because someone told us we should do them, but because something in us recognizes in them something that feels like home. Finding Our Natural Growth It reminds me of watching a…

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Heart Before Horizon: The Emotional Journey of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Heart before horizon - Podcast on Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

There’s something profound about returning to the books that shaped your childhood education. As a homeschool graduate, I recently picked up Jean Lee Latham’s Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, and found myself moved to tears in ways my younger self could never have understood. The Weight of Loss Reading about Nat’s losses – his mother, siblings,…

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