Local author Laura Murphy has released her second book, “The Joy Journal: 25 Testimonies of the Goodness of God,” a heartfelt compilation of stories designed to inspire hope and healing.
The book, divided into two sections, begins with “Her Story,” featuring 25 personal testimonies from Owensboro women who answer the question, “When is a time in your life that you experienced the goodness of God?”
The second section, “My Story,” invites readers to reflect and document their own moments of joy.
“The purpose of this book is to help women pause to reflect on moments of gratitude and, in turn, experience a deeper layer of hope and healing in response to the trials of life,” Murphy said.
Murphy’s inspiration for the book stems from personal tragedy. After suffering a second-trimester pregnancy loss and losing her mother in a car accident in 2022, Murphy began therapy and searched for self-help resources to cope with trauma.
“I often could not find a tool that was ‘just the right fit,’ which is what prompted me to create the tool I was once searching for,” Murphy said.
Her first book, “Inside Out Upside Down: From Hopeless to Healed,” was released in 2024 and helped her process the complex emotions surrounding her grief.
A conversation with a friend sparked the idea for “The Joy Journal.”
“I was on a walk with my friend Faith one day when she told me an inspirational story from her personal life, and I could not help but think that other women needed to read it,” Murphy said. “This really got me brainstorming that many women have stories to tell that could help lift one another up.”
Murphy hopes the book will reach those searching for hope and healing. Her goals include distributing the journal to counseling practices, churches, and recovery centers.
“I hope to eventually connect with people who would like to purchase some of these journals at cost so we could give them away free of charge to anyone who might need this tool during this season of their life,” she said.
A native of Owensboro, Murphy is also the founder of the women’s conference “Joy Comes in the Morning,” where attendees will receive a copy of “The Joy Journal” this year. Her passion for helping women heal from grief and loss has also led her to organize events such as the Life After Liv 5K, which raised funds for local nonprofits in honor of her late daughter, Liv.
“For me, giving back is the ultimate way to counteract feelings of isolation and hopelessness,” Murphy said. “When talking with friends, I call it ‘giving through grief.'”
The 25 women featured in “The Joy Journal” all hail from Owensboro and share diverse stories of perseverance, from battling addiction to overcoming cancer diagnoses.
“I am so humbled that they were willing to take their time to join this cause, acting as a piece of the puzzle when it comes to women empowering women,” Murphy said. “When we all got together for a group picture, I was overcome with emotion, witnessing the vision truly come to life with all of us there together.”
With this latest project, Murphy hopes to inspire other women to share their stories and find strength in community.
“I hope more women will find the courage to tell their stories, too,” she said.
“The Joy Journal” is available now on Amazon.
