How it All Began...

Brooke and John met at a gathering of A Course in Miracles in Ft. Myers Florida in the late 1990’s. Brooke had been facilitating these meetings for over a dozen years, and John went on to facilitate ACIM meetings for over 15 years himself. Both had been students and teachers in the spiritual world for many years, and though they were involved in other types of careers, they became restless and longed for a change.

After 30 years with an esteemed wholesale shoe business, John quit his job and they set their sight on Key West. It was during their brief stint in Key West that Brooke proposed the idea of opening their own spiritually-based shop. They were guided to go west, so John bought a small Airstream and decided to go on a journey to explore shops of this nature. After much traveling the search ended in the Tampa Bay area, with Palm Harbor offering the perfect spot to build their establishment. Together they launched their long time dream of having a center for nurturing souls. With John’s strong business background and Brooke’s incredible gifts to comfort and connect with people, they opened doors on April 1, 2004. Their primary mission in mind: learning how to remove the obstacles to Love’s presence!

In John’s words: “I remember that we joined hands and said a little prayer, and we agreed that if at the end of the day we had touched one soul it would be a good day. And if there was sufficient cash in the drawer to keep the lights on and pay the rent, it would be a great day.”

Many changes have happened over the years, and Serenity Now just keeps transforming, confident in the full Divine support and the love of our community. 

Serenity Now Books and Gifts continues to offer gifts for inspiration, meditation, spiritual growth, and 12-Step recovery.