• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Can’t Steal My Joy — The Book
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Featured On
  • Blog
    • Our Story Part 1- The Beginning
    • Our Story Part 2- Receiving the diagnosis
    • Our Story Part 3- Journeying a different story than planned
    • Our Story Part 4- Learning to live after loss
    • Finding Joy
    • Living With Grief
    • Finding Truth
    • Living In Community
  • Join
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram

Bekah Bowman

Can't Steal My Joy

Welcome!

I am glad you’ve found your way here. I believe we are all a part of something much grander than our small individual stories. And the intersection of our stories together with God’s Big Story is what makes that so incredibly grand. But what I’ve found is that our stories don’t usually go as planned and in fact, in our lifetime, we experience a lot of unexpected plot twists. This is the heart of Can’t Steal My Joy. 

We are all broken. It’s a unified human experience.

  • And we all need a hope that doesn’t disappoint,
  • A love that anchors us,
  • Joy that survives in unthinkable conditions,
  • And a perspective shift that goes beyond our circumstances.

The book Can’t Steal My Joy is for those sitting in the deep-down dark, traveling with grief as a constant companion, and anyone whose life path has taken an unexpected turn.

*Amazon buy buttons are my affiliate links. That just means Amazon sends me a small percentage for each sale they make, but it doesn’t change any pricing on your end. Thanks for the support!

Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Barnes and Noble Nook
Buy from GoodReads
Can’t Steal My Joy: The Journey to a Different Kind of Brave
Buy now!
Learn More

What readers are saying about Can’t Steal My Joy by Bekah Bowman…

You cannot read this book without seeing the Creator and longing for all things new.

Anne Riley
author of Voyage to the Star Kingdom

…there was healing taking place in my own soul as her generosity of sharing so truthfully gave voice to the depths of brokenness that is the human experience.

Jody Bullard
The Sweet and the Salty Blog

She is both raw and real, and it’s a fast-paced read.

Kelly

The light and joy she found in these deep moments of struggle and grief allow the reader to understand how we all carry this same light, and how joy is found in unexpected places.

Sara

Have you ever experienced any kind of brokenness in your life? Who of us hasn’t? Whether you have walked the difficult journey of facing a terminal illness diagnosis being given to your child or you have been beaten down by the typical rhythms of life, then Can’t Steal My Joy will speak straight to your heart.

Staci

Whether you are in a season of mourning or grief, or in my case, struggling in the heaviness of life to find peace and joy within, this book helps lift the veil of sadness to reveal God’s promise that He never leaves you.

Melinda
founder of The WhenLife Co

Sign up for my monthly newsletter today and discover joy, connect with community, and renew your hope in the middle of brokenness.

Let's journey together...

The latest from Bekah's blog...

Put on Truth

Messages are everywhere. Each one has a motive. They want us to believe something about ourselves and about our world. And in that underlying motive, messages usually want us to act in a way that will benefit their messenger. It’s a “looking out for me” kind of world and we manipulate each other to get…

Continue Reading Put on Truth

What you need to know about this broken world and our victorious God

Her sobs were too much to hold in. They burst from her with such power, it was as if every organ, muscle, tissue and bone were pushing it out all together. The wails pierced the world around her and flew high. Some would think they’d lift up only to be held in by the ceiling,…

Continue Reading What you need to know about this broken world and our victorious God

When You Question If You’re on the Right Path

It was July 2016. In a lapse of judgement, I agreed to participate in a game of truth or dare as I sat in the hot tub with my husband, sister and brother-in-law, all of us on vacation in central California. We actually had some good laughs and deeper conversation during this childhood game. Each…

Continue Reading When You Question If You’re on the Right Path

Doubt After the Resurrection

I woke up Easter morning, the miracle of Jesus’s resurrection on my mind, and accompanying those thoughts–Thomas. Doubting Thomas. How would I have felt in Thomas’ shoes? Over a week after the resurrection, Thomas still doubted–rejected even–the idea that Jesus was alive. The draw to the keyboard was strong, as I dove into the days…

Continue Reading Doubt After the Resurrection

When I’m ready to fly off the handle

Miscommunication happened, again. As a result, I was ready to fly off the handle this time. I had spent copious amounts of time organizing, planning and overly communicating. Despite my preparations, no one seemed to understand what was going on. Perhaps it was the fact we were on day 7 of being stuck at home.…

Continue Reading When I’m ready to fly off the handle

5 Action steps you can take when you’ve lost control of your circumstances

We sat on the couch looking through one Airbnb after another to find the perfect home away from home for the trip we would be taking over Spring Break this year. Last year, we had a trip planned for Spring Break, but as we neared our departure date, it was clear travel wouldn’t be an…

Continue Reading 5 Action steps you can take when you’ve lost control of your circumstances

Read More on the Blog...
We often make breakfast for dinner on Sunday eveni We often make breakfast for dinner on Sunday evenings. Last night's meal was pumpkin waffles.
.
My waffle iron beeped, letting me know it was done cooking the first batch. As I opened the lid, I winced as the waffles stuck to both sides of the iron. I forgot to spray. Shoot.
.
And then, I remembered the homemade whipped cream and chocolate chips I had in my possession and images of stuffed waffles started floating through my mind.
.
May you see your failures this week as an opportunity for stuffed waffles. 🤜🤛 #HappyMonday!
.
.
.
#perspectiveshift #kitchenblunders #cantstealmyjoy
Infusion day, which means a much needed refill on Infusion day, which means a much needed refill on brain juice! Love this sweet little boy. 

A couple nights ago I had an incredible dream about this bubba of mine. 

In my dream, Ely was just like he is now-- affected by batten disease, blind, not much verbal language ability, etc. 

Out of nowhere in this dream, he started telling me, in full sentences, all the things he was observing and understanding about the world around him. I was baffled by all that he could understand, and in my dream, it felt clear that I was learning something true about my son in real time. 

Then, tears started to roll down his face and he said, "mama, a lot of days, my body feels really good. But some days, my body feels like it's going to die." Well, I had tears rolling down my face as I wiped his away and said, "I know, buddy. I am so sorry you have to fight this disease." 

It was sad, but also an oddly intimate and comforting dream. I can't explain fully the gift this dream was. I have vivid dreams often, but this one was so different. No wonky random side stories, or unexplainable storylines when I woke up. It was as real as the scene in front of me now with Ely in a hospital bed infusing. 

Maybe a gift from God that was a glimpse into the mind of my son whose thoughts, feelings, and understandings sometimes feel so locked away and inaccessible? I don't know, but it's been on my mind since early Saturday morning. 

#adayinthelifeofEly #infusionday #giftfromGod #rarediseaselife #CLN2 #BattenDisease #biomarin #brineura #thankfulfortreatment
Anyone else's kids obsessed with Little Blue Truck Anyone else's kids obsessed with Little Blue Truck? I love when this cool dude helps me "read" his favorite stories. 😍
.
.
.
#adayinthelifeofEly #littlebluetruck #rarediseasefamily #specialneedsmom #disabilityawareness #cln2 #battendisease #miracleboy #differentnotless #rarediseaselife #team4titusely
Woke up this morning in a funk. Couldn't put my fi Woke up this morning in a funk. Couldn't put my finger on it right away, but felt it in my bones before I remembered in my mind.
.
5 years ago today we gathered for Titus's celebration of Life service.
.
The ache remains. The tears don't fall all the time like they used to, but it isn't hard to summon them.
.
I sat in my car in the parking lot at Ely's school, tears rising. I took a deep breath, threw my shifter into reverse (manual stick driver here!), and backed out. As I moved out of the parking lot, this tree captured all my attention.
.
The life, the death, the beauty in it all. This is life. This is my life. And the most hope-filled part of it all is the promise of new life in Jesus and his willingness to do life with me right now.
.
So I looked like a knucklehead pausing in the middle of school drop off to capture a picture of a ho-hum insignificant tree to remind me of Life. 💛
.
"In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, for I have overcome the world." ~Jesus
Happy 16th Anniversary to my hubsters @dtbtrack20 Happy 16th Anniversary to my hubsters @dtbtrack20 ! Thanks to our awesome parents, we were able to get away for a few days to Southern Utah! Wow, it's beautiful down here!
.
Yesterday was a day full of yeses as we hiked through the slots of Buckskin Gulch. It was crowded at the beginning, but once people saw the freezing cold water they'd have to wade through (some up to mid-thigh for this shorty 🙋‍♀️) the crowds thinned fast. We only saw a few people after that. We stood at the first large puddle (knee high) that we'd have to wade through and thought, "We get to say yes to this today. We didn't come this far to turn around, so let's go for it."
.
I'm so glad we did! Yesterday was full of laughs, gorgeous views and stunning scenery, freezing cold water (brought back ice bath memories from college soccer), and a bit of a metaphor for our marriage-- hard treks, some painful (think walking barefoot on rocks), and joy!
A few weeks ago, I found myself on an impromptu ru A few weeks ago, I found myself on an impromptu run. Ran toward this beautiful sunset for the first half. Not the best I've ever seen,  but a beauty nonetheless.
.
Then it was time to turn around and race darkness home. It hit me that my run felt a little like my life. We had to turn from the beauty we thought was ahead of us, and instead run head on into darkness.
.
If you know me, even just a little bit, you know of my relentless pursuit of Jesus. But in my darkness when I couldn't pursue anymore,  I actually learned of His relentless pursuit of me.
.
I'm reminded of His promise in John 16:33 where he says "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." He has overcome darkness. And that is why I run a little harder into it, because I'm not going to find permanent desolation there, but rather redemptive victory.
We were out on a walk today when a plane flew over We were out on a walk today when a plane flew overhead. I noticed Ely grow really still and lean toward the sound.
.
I stopped walking so he could listen. "Ane," he told me softly. He sat there listening long enough, I had time to open my camera and capture this moment.
.
I want to be better about listening like that. Leaning in, with intention, unhurried, no agenda, just listening.

Copyright © 2024 · Bekah Bowman · All Rights Reserved