About Don​
Donald E. Cole is a pastor, military veteran, public service leader, and author whose life has been shaped by service, faith, and a deep desire to help people grow through life’s hardest moments. For more than forty years, he has walked with individuals and families through seasons of pressure, loss, and transformation — teaching how God uses the quarry places of life to form strength and purpose within us.
His leadership journey has taken him from the military to city management, to serving as a gubernatorial appointee, and later as the Primary Speechwriter for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Through every chapter, Don has seen how God shapes character quietly, often long before the results are visible.
Today, he continues to write, teach, and encourage others to recognize God’s shaping work in their own stories. Don lives in Cordele, Georgia, with his wife Leslie, and remains committed to helping people discover hope, resilience, and spiritual clarity — even in the quarry.
Why I Wrote Shaped in Life’s Quarry​
I was reading through the Bible and came to 1 Kings 6, where Solomon was building the temple. In verse 7, almost hidden in the narrative, is a simple line that changed me: … so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built. (I Kings 6:7)
That verse immediately reminded me of Paul’s words to the Ephesians about being built together as a dwelling place for God. I realized that just like those stones shaped to perfection in the quarry, God was doing the same quiet, intentional work in me — in this quarry we call life.
The more I meditated on those few simple words, the more God opened my eyes to see how He shapes us through pressure, struggle, and grace. I began writing this book years ago, then set it aside for nearly a decade. When I picked it up again a few months ago, the stories, insights, and lessons flowed as if they had been waiting for their moment.
I believe you will see your own story in these pages. You will recognize the places where God has been shaping you, even when you didn’t realize it. And I pray that through these life‑shaping quarry stories, you will find fresh hope and strength for your journey.

