hi! i’m kati lynn.
about the writer
i’m a writer, doodler, and storyteller who is slowly but surely learning how to live loved by Jesus. i love exploring the intersection of faith, mental health, and media in my writing, and my deepest hope is that the stories i tell will draw others closer to the heart of God.
here are some other things to know about me:
i’m 30 years old and engaged to a pretty great guy, but i was single for the 29 years before that and strongly believe the church needs to do a better job at loving and including their singles.
after many years of feeling like my brain was broken and not understanding why, at the beginning of 2024 i was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type) and major depressive disorder.
some of the things i love are cats, bubble tea, folksy music (sarah sparks and jess ray are two favorites), indie video games, and animated movies (especially ones from the late 90s/early 00s era and ones made by studio ghibli).
i have three tattoos and zero regrets.
i’m very introverted and love to be alone or with a small, close group of friends. i also really enjoy public speaking.
i’m passionate about breaking down barriers around talking about uncomfy things in church, especially when it comes to girls and women who struggle with sexual brokenness and shame.
i love Jesus and am actively involved in my church community, but i have also struggled my whole life with consistently spending time in prayer and the Word.
i wrote a memoir about healing from sexual shame (see below) and am in the process of working on the second draft.
an important note
as someone who shares very openly about mental health struggles, naturally the things i write about will sometimes err towards the dark and heavy. i believe in telling the truth, which also means telling my truth as i have lived it.
but here’s what i want you to know, reader:
even on the hardest days, i have a joy and peace whose roots go so much deeper than my brain chemistry or circumstances. it doesn’t mean i always feel this joy or this peace. a lot of times i don’t — because of said brain chemistry or circumstances.
but on those gloomy days, when it feels like it’s raining in my soul (which usually happens when it’s also raining outside), i can find a forever burning source of light and warmth.
it might feel like a candle flicker some days. but it is there. He is there.
always.
“the Lord is my light, and he saves me. why should i fear anyone?
the Lord is my place of safety. why should i be afraid?”
psalm 27:1, nirv
about the book
so there’s this scene in the beginning of my favorite movie. the main character, a lovable misfit with a penchant for screwing up, has just made a devastating mistake that sets the course of the movie’s events into motion.
when the another character realizes his mistake, she turns to him with murder in her eyes and demands to know what happened. he responds with a weak shrug and four words:
it was an accident.
those four words are exactly how i feel about the book i wrote.
it was an accident.
i started unless a seed (originally titled the real reason) in march of 2021. my intention was to write a personal essay, no more than five pages at the most, that explained the meaning behind my first tattoo. i wrote it with just one friend in mind, the only person i ever planned to share this story with.
but like a seed mixed with sunshine and rain, those few pages grew into something bigger than i ever could have imagined.
they became a tree.
unless a seed is a deeply personal testimony about how God used something small to heal my heart in a big way. it’s a story about shame and grace, about hiding and healing. it’s a story i never in a million years planned to tell.
but as usual, His plans for my life are different — and better — than my own.
now i can’t wait to tell it to you.
