The Heart Behind Ruin to Rise
After a heart transplant at 27 years old, questioning my marriage, and years of wrestling with grief and hope, I found myself standing in the middle of a life that looked nothing like the one I planned — and yet, somehow, I found myself living in the middle of what God always promised.
Ruin to Rise was born out of that sacred tension: the space between what breaks and what begins again when we don’t give up. Here, I write about the layers of healing — the painful, the beautiful, the slow — through my reflections on transplant life, marriage, faith, purpose, mental health, and (hopefully soon to be ) motherhood.
My Life Today…
Currently, I live in Boulder, Colorado with my husband Josiah and our two golden retrievers – Cash & Rosie. It’s my hope to use this blog as a way for me to start writing in a rhythm and at a pace that feels good for my nervous system. By God’s grace, we hope to grow our family this year — something that wouldn’t be possible without the incredible gift of my donor.
There’s more to my story, and there’s more to yours. I hope you’ll stick around and find out where it leads.
love, ashlin
ashlin jones
My intention for this space:
This isn’t a place for perfect highlight reels and constant creation for the sake of follows or likes. I played the algorithms game for far too long and it nearly cost me what I actually love to do – which is write.
It’s a place for real stories. For honest hope. For not being afraid of feeling our emotions and rebuilding, slowly and gently, from the inside out.
Whether you’re deep in the ruins, just beginning to rise, or somewhere in between — I hope you’ll find a sense of home here. A quiet reminder that you are not alone, and that even in the slow rebuild, there is sacredness, meaning, and peace to be found.