Jesse has been using Karis services since he was 15 years old. Now, at 32, he has several hobbies. He loves music and plays both acoustic and electric guitar. He enjoys paperwork and preparing notes to teach others. But one of his greatest passions is reading.

Every Monday, he goes to the library: “I go to the Christian section and take my time. Staff give me my own space and time. I go upstairs and look around, and when I’m ready, I let them know.”

Jesse chooses books based on the title and cover. “I like Christian stuff about God or heaven.” One of his favourites is The Three Heavens by John Hagee. He liked the way it used Bible verses and talked about heaven.

Whenever a section of a book stands out to him, Jesse copies it into a document on his laptop. He calls this ongoing passion project his Book Report.

“If I see something I like, it’ll draw my attention, and then I put it in the report.”

Jesse works on his book report almost every day. “I’ve been working on it for a long time. I don’t even remember when I started—maybe the end of last year, but I don’t remember off the top of my head. It’s about 34 pages long.”

His book report isn’t just filled with passages from Christian books—it also includes Scripture. “I have so many Bibles it’s not funny.”

Bible verses, theological commentary, personal stories from authors, biblical genealogies, prayers, and Jesse’s own words all come together in his book report. The way the pieces blend makes it hard to tell where one voice ends and another begins. But for Jesse, it’s not about individual pieces—it’s about the whole. His book report is a collage of ideas, stories, and faith.

Jesse weaves together snippets from the Bible, books, and websites to tell his own story.

“It’s about the good times and the bad times and how I got through it. When I’m stressed or depressed or not in a good state, it helps when I read books. When I hear people’s stories, I want to copy them down and place them in my life.”

Jesse explains that his disabilities can sometimes lead to self-harm, but studying the Bible and reading Christian books helps him make safe choices.

“It helps me make safe choices on my own. I try not to take PRN [medications] when I don’t need them—it makes me very groggy. Playing with things, like fidgeting with things, like silly putty, helps. Working on my book report gives me something to do when I’m bored. I’m trying to be more independent.”

Reflecting on his journey, Jesse says, “I’ve been through good times and bad times, but I got through it because my family has supported me and loved me very much. From time to time, I read the Bible. My favourite book is the book of Matthew.”

One of Jesse’s goals is to attend church on his own. “I’m going to put it in my next personal plan.” But for now, he finds ways to connect with God at home.

“Sometimes I’ll go where it’s quiet. I’ll go into the quiet room. Before, it was a time-out room for me when I wasn’t safe or would try to hurt myself. But now it’s a quiet room for me. My [mental health team] is supposed to be discharging me this year. It’s nice when I can go to one of those areas and be by myself.”

As we scroll through Jesse’s book report together, we stop to pay special attention to certain pieces that stand out. One of them is a prayer—its author is unknown, but it speaks to Jesse’s heart. We share it with you now:

“Heavenly Father, lead me as I face the challenges of today. Help me to slow down and seek your counsel so that I may respond in a way that will honour you and assist those in my circle of influence. Help me to respond rather than react.

Amen.”