From Maker's Hollow
— ◆ —Don Shorey
dispatches on story, faith, beauty & the joy of life
Welcome
Pull Up a Chair
Read Here →
Thoughts from the Hollow · August 4, 2026
I Have Never Moved Away
from Home
…because of her
Thirty-Nine Years into Happily Ever After
In 39 years today, I have never moved away from home—I've barely even left home. I have lived, for at least a short season, in seven states in those years (the Lord's humor with this TV-Waltons-homestead-dreaming youth, always picturing myself raising generations in one rambling parsonage of some small town for decades). But I have never moved away from home.
Extravagantly given by God, she has been my home…
Read on Substack →Headlines from the Hollow
Family
The Baxters take a Long-anticipated Dream Roadtrip!
(Elizabeth's first highlight story — if this link doesn't open directly)
Family
The Morrises Loving California for Work, Family & Fun!
(Kristen's first highlight story — if this link doesn't open directly)
Coming Soon
Coming Next Issue: Why We're Here — The Four Threads that Knit into All We Do
In This Issue
Don't miss what everyone's loving this week, below in Rumors from the Hollow!
A Book is Coming · Autumn 2026
The Wonder of Is
An Introduction to Everything · A Story-Theology for Those Coming of Age
"A grandfather who thought he was dying. His grandson. The seasons of a year. And the greatest story ever told — heard as if for the first time."
About the Book →No Mere Mortals · Podcast
Don & Lisa Talk
Q&A — Life, Love & Other Mysteries
Don and Lisa answer some of your favorite listener questions—including the stories behind "The Sudden Joyous Turn" (how they met) and "The Portable Home" (everywhere they've lived along the way).
Maker's Hollow Conversations · Ep. 3
On Home
Don and Kristen Morris open with their deep convictions about God's joy and His identity as family—then take a high-speed, high-altitude flyover of the last century and a half of cultural shifts, landing on the beginnings of a happy, if unconventional, path toward family joy.
Enjoying Grace Story Co. · Art & Commissions
Maker's Hollow Enterprises & Events
Maker's Hollow Happenings
Don Shorey
Happenings
In future issues of the newsletter, this section will share news of events, newsworthy happenings, or special opportunities here at Maker's Hollow or in one of the businesses or ministries of our community.
Rumors from the Hollow — What We're Enjoying…
Only a Holy God, album by CityAlight. I rediscovered this album recently and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially appreciate how singable the songs are!
The Mirthful Mr. Buechner, by Sarah Clarkson. I was heartened by this essay on Frederick Buechner and honor, insight, and truest beauty: "…this is where God arrives in his gentle, heavenly defiance to unravel evil and take back his ever-precious world."
The Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California. Okay, so this is a bit of a regionally specific recommendation; but this museum is simply delightful! Charles Schulz and Bill Watterson are a constant for our boys—countless hours of wit, joy, laughter, and even wisdom added to their days through these strips and characters. These were treasured threads of the legacy of growing up in Don Shorey's home. :) Last year Caroline, Kristen and I had a wedding in Napa and we stopped in here and fell in love. The whole time I kept saying, "I wish I was here with Bill and the boys and my dad, because they would love this!!" Well, here we are (missing Grandpa!).
The National Parks: America's Best Idea, documentary by Ken Burns. It's hard to beat learning about the history of the national parks as our family drives through Death Valley, walks among redwood trees, camps in Yosemite, and will be headed to the Grand Canyon in a few days.
Father of the Bride Soundtrack — Okay, really old news, I know; but our Caroline recently got married (May 21st). In the weeks before the wedding our entire family piled onto the couch with bowls of ice cream to re-watch the movie. This 90s classic stood the test of time. The next day I started listening to the soundtrack on Spotify. Whether the Alan Silvestri originals or the many classics — every song brings a smile to my face. It's the perfect backdrop for anything from a dinner party to mopping the floors.
"We need homes, and a home is more than just the four walls where we eat and sleep and watch Netflix. It's a place that shapes and gives meaning to our lives. We need Places with a capital P, places that honor the community's history, the sacredness of creation, and our basic human need for beauty and nature."
— Andrew Peterson, God of the Garden
Until next time — chase all that is good, true, or beautiful!
Don Shorey
Maker's Hollow · Tarpon Springs, Florida
Know someone who'd enjoy this? Forward it their way — and if this found its way to you from a friend, you can join us here.