Curious why anyone would ever want to face their pain?
Hello brave one. Yes, you. Even though you may feel emptied of all brave right now. But you’re here, searching, wondering if there’s any measure of possibility for you. That tells me you are brave.
What you’ll gain from joining us here.
Like-Hearted People
Searching for hope. Believing that suffering and pain do not have the final word. Finding together there’s more to life than merely surviving – you can thrive again.
Courage
How to bravely face your pain with God until it becomes a pearl. To wrestle or be still with Him. To find Him safe enough to cover it all with His strength and beauty.
YOU
Your past has shaped you, but not always into the person you were meant to be. Your true self is buried underneath the ashes of many pains…let’s find the real you.
About Melissa.
Melissa is a truth-seeker and a truth-teller. Whether reading her words or hearing her speak in person, her unique ability to weave story and truth will have you hooked!
Who I am, and why I want to help you.
I am no stranger to pain and suffering. From my own childhood trauma of various kinds, to parenting children of trauma from an accident resulting in over eight years of reconstructive surgeries, to church hurt, to personal losses. Though these things have tried to name me, they are not my identity. Not even close.
Pain is universal and inescapable. Most of my life, I have found the world’s and the church’s reaction to pain bewildering. Both come up short too often, causing us to lose hope. We are often met with every well-meaning message but “face it,” because we aren’t really sure how to, or if we can, fearing it will undo us.
But, suffering does not get to have the final word in the Kingdom of God.
There is a way to face our pain and thrive. Jesus is the way. He is certainly no stranger to pain and suffering either. He will gather every sliver of our broken heart to bring them back into the whole again. In this process with Him, we discover our true self.
Pain tries to reframe our identity, but Jesus comes to frame it back right. We are not the false names that our past, people, and circumstances have given us.
May the words on these pages restore our true identity, and bring us the life we hope for.
“Our hope cannot be tethered to the temporal; it can only be anchored in the eternal.” MGP
“I would have despaired unless
I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”
Psalms 27:13-14
“The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
Jesus reading Isaiah 61 in Luke 4
We don’t yet see things clearly…
We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:12-13
Jesus wants you to know there’s a treasure to uncover with Him, and the treasure is you.
Let what is buried in you
be spoken ~ be honored ~ be loved ~ be accepted
There’s more than Writing
Artist
An Art major in college, I put it down unintentionally to raise our four kids born five and a half years apart. Part of healing is rediscovering who I am as an artist. You are invited to learn with me! An art store will be coming some day.
Foodie Confessions
I love to play with food. Scouting restaurants. Creating recipes. My love for art and sweets collided when I ran a gourmet cupcake/cake art business in our home. Then, my health required a drastic change in the way I eat. Healing the body, mind, heart, and spirit is key – all parts are interwoven. I’ll offer what I’m learning, and share a few recipes!
Adventure Seeker
It’s small scale, but I do love adventure. Experiencing it with family is my favorite. Beauty is healing, and exploration renews a spirit of wonder. Both are needed for our restoration. Here we are reminded how much we are dearly loved.
Hear what Others have to Say
“Your transparency in the journey is inspiring”
Rev. C.J. Bethea
“Perfect rawness in your story. There is beauty in it. I am so moved by the deepness…and complete faith and trust as you are leaning in so tightly to God. I felt like I was sitting at the edge of my seat and felt hope.”
Robin Teal
“As a communicator, Melissa engages both the young and the young at heart. Clearly understood. Relatable. And full of passion.”
Pastor Heather Scarbrough
“Melissa communicates with her heart. What she expresses comes from life experiences. She is passionate, honest, and vulnerable.”
Evangelist Janet Raeburn
Meet Melissa
That smile is a miracle. A miracle is something that cannot be accomplished by the natural, but only by the supernatural power of God.
Another photo remains hidden in a stack that I scarce can take in for the emptiness of the young face staring back at me.
From the Blog
- Chronic Illness & GriefOn suffering, I felt like I’d heard it all inside and outside the church. Both were found lacking. We’ve forgotten true compassion (to come alongside and suffer with), and we’ve lost our capacity for … Read more
- “Who” Do You Want to Become in 2023: “How” you become her/him may surprise youᴡʜᴏ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ɪɴ 2023? Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road in front of me, I’m moving torward what I hope is a beautiful destination. … Read more
- A Letter to My Daughter (Ashley’s Letter)It is the birth day of our second child – our first daughter. Four and a half years ago, she was about to graduate from college with a degree in … Read more
- LIVE Q & A with Ashley and Abby: Why Would Anyone Ever Want to Face Their Pain?How do you respond to pain? That was the catalyst for my first Instagram Live a week ago. I’ve tried stuffing it, numbing it, escape, busyness, ignoring it, even servanthood. … Read more
Melissa. Daughter of God. Lover of Jesus. Wife to Andy. Mama to four fun-loving adult children, and two bonus sons. And now, Mia to TWINS. Embracer of brave. Why? Because in every doubt, in every broken cry, God is making me whole again. Join me?
