The Light Summit

The months have passed and my fingers have not grazed the keyboard in a year on this page. Life has taken me in so many different directions. The struggle has become to balance all the plates and as plates have been added the sound of plates crashing around the room echoes throughout the essence of my being.

With the 2026 Summit prep now in full swing. This post is long overdue. No time like the present to talk about what the Summit was in 2025 and how it came to be.

When the Light Ranch was first coming into fruition, God gave me a vision. One that felt both overwhelming and unmistakably clear. In it, I saw women gathered together. Not just present, but truly seen. I saw the outdoors woven seamlessly into community, faith intertwined with healing. Everything I envisioned that the ranch would be but this was specific. A special gathering. I saw women growing, not in a polished, surface-level way, but in the deep, vulnerable places we often keep hidden. A place where masks were unnecessary. A place where we could finally exhale.

It wasn’t an event built around appearances or performance. We get enough of that in our face every day we open our phones. There was nothing surface-level about it. What I saw was raw and honest. It was a space where women could bring their most tender wounds into the light. A place to lay every hurt, every fear, every unanswered question at the feet of Jesus. I knew, without question, that no summit could heal anyone. I couldn’t heal anyone. But I also knew, from firsthand experience, that He could. I had lived that truth in my own life. I had felt His healing meet me in my darkest moments, and I believed with everything in me that He wanted to do the same for others.

And so, the Light Summit was born.

At the time, I had no idea where it would take place, when it would happen, or even how it would all come together. I just started. I took the next faithful step, trusting completely that God would provide everything the summit needed especially the people. There was a deep peace in that surrender, a knowing that this was never meant to be built by my strength alone. Just like in every capacity of life, where I lack, He is there.

I reached out to a few incredible women in my community and simply asked, “Would you be willing to support this idea in any capacity?” Without hesitation, every single one of them said yes. That alone felt like confirmation. From there, the planning began..slowly, prayerfully, imperfectly.

On May 1, 2025, I watched these women, many of whom are captured in a photo I still look at with awe, show up for the very first Light Summit. Some complete strangers, stepping out in faith. Even now, that image humbles me. God did something extraordinary that weekend. He met each of us exactly where we were, in ways we didn’t even realize we needed. He knew the hearts in that space. He knew the wounds, the prayers, the silent struggles. And He showed up anyway, faithful as always.

While the summit wasn’t perfect, it was never meant to be. It was a beginning. The beginning of something that continues to amaze me every single day. This is where I feel called. This work, this space, these women. It takes me back to the top of the mountain where I once heard God speak to me through tears: “You will use your story for purpose.” And He has, despite my doubts, my fears, and every moment I questioned whether I was enough.

Every woman who attended. Every woman I’ve crossed paths with since. And every woman yet to come, they are part of that purpose. A purpose rooted in pouring His light into the darkest places. The places where we feel unloved. The places where we believe we are too broken to heal. Lies I once believed far too easily in my own life.

I remember pulling up to the property on the first day of setup. The land was breathtaking—quiet, expansive, alive. And then I heard Nicole say, “Look, elk.” Across the yard, elk were walking through the property. Anyone who knows me knows my deep love and fascination with elk, and in that moment, peace washed over me. It felt like God whispering, “You are exactly where you need to be.” And as if the elk alone wasn't enough confirmation. We were able to see an piebald elk grace the presence of the property. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.

This environment. A place that is helping others while surrounded by creation has always felt like home to me. Something deep in my core comes alive, something I know He created within me. Nature was where God met me in my hardest seasons, and I want every woman I encounter to feel that same reassurance. That here, in this moment, God was telling them: It may not all make sense right now, but I have you exactly where you are meant to be.

Each morning began with Hannah Coxen leading us through meditation with God. Our mats were rolled out onto dew-covered grass as the sun broke across our faces. Worship music played softly as Hannah guided us to breathe, stretch, and be still. You couldn’t help but feel His presence. It was an invitation to slow down and recognize God in the very places He created for us. The outdoors has always been a foundational piece of the ranch—a reminder that creation itself was designed with purpose, meant to nourish our souls just as it once nourished mine in my darkest times.

From the lawn, we gathered inside for breakfast, a time to nourish our bodies and our souls. Anne-Christian Johns led us through morning devotionals, speaking truth into the places where we often feel depleted. She gently guided us through reflection, helping us identify what needed to direct our day, not just together, but in our quiet moments alone. She challenged us to look honestly at the places that needed healing and to invite God into them.

Nicole Banning led daily workshops that invited us to look honestly at our hearts, creating space for God to enter the places we often guard the most. From taking to focus on the vision we see our future rooted in Christ to looking at the messy places we tend to overlook. The places we need to allow forgiveness to settle and take root. Her beautiful truth allowed wisdome to seep into our hearts. Nicole a natural born leader has the softest way to speak truth and create a desire to be more and do more with the gifts God has given each woman.

We also built in space to simply be. Time to shoot bows, work out, rest, laugh, or sit quietly in one another’s presence. The beauty of the summit was in the balance between letting go and doing the inner work. Each day also included time connecting through the outdoors from white water rafting, learning to fly fish, stepping into unfamiliar spaces together. These moments were about more than adventure. They were about empowerment. About confidence. About trust. I think every woman would say that time on the water was a highlight, from laughter and joy to facing fears and stepping outside comfort zones. There is something sacred about doing hard things together.

Through it all, Kirsten Petersen captured the beauty of each moment. Her ability to see and preserve the heart of the summit with a single click is a gift, one that allows us to revisit what God did long after the weekend ended.

I can't write without taking a moment to recognize the amazing companies that stepped up and provided so generously to make the event possible. On top of it Kryptek and Zero Tech Optics allowed us to bless some very deserving women with gear for the future hunting adventures. Hunting Day Coffee was our fuel for the weekend and the generous gifts from Raco Soap for the swag bags, as well as so many other anonymous gifts allowed me to bless all these deserving women.

One day, these gatherings will take place on the land of The Light Ranch itself. I dream of that day, a place set apart, prepared by God long before we ever set foot on it. Until that day comes, we remain obedient to where He calls us now, trusting that every step, every location, and every season is ordered by Him. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way” Psalm 37:23. As we step into 2026, we do so with expectant hearts not only for the summit, but for the greater vision of the ranch as a whole. New land, new women, new adventures, and new stories are unfolding, each one written by a faithful God who is always at work, even when we cannot yet see the full picture.

Still, I find myself needing the constant reminder that this mission has never been about the details we can see. It is not about the swag bags, the activities, or even the place itself. It has always been and will always be about community. About creating space for truth to rise to the surface. About listening closely for what God wants each woman to hear in the quiet moments. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” 2 Corinthians 3:17, and that freedom begins when women are seen, known, and invited into honest connection. God’s work is the foundation of it all the holy ground where brokenness is met with grace and pain is gently reshaped into purpose.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John 1:5

Every woman, whether she recognizes it or not, carries that light within her. A light placed there by the Creator Himself, a reflection of His image and His love. “You are the light of the world” Matthew 5:14 is not just a verse, it is a calling. And in ways she may never fully realize, that light doesn’t just impact the world around her; it impacts me too. If I can help even one woman see who she is through God’s eyes, then I know I have walked in obedience to His plan. What she may never know is how deeply she helped restore, strengthen, and remind me of the light God is still growing in my own life.