Challenges Won't Stop Me

Where were you when the news hit about President Kennedy's assassination (November 22, 1963)? When the news hit about MLK Jr's assassination (April 4, 1968)? When the news hit about planes hitting the Twin Towers in New York (September 11, 2001)?

Where were you when the news hit about the Columbine school shooting in Littleton, Colorado (April 20, 1999)? I remember it clearly. I was teaching at Garrett Middle School. It's hard to believe the deadliest school shooting occurred twenty-five years ago.

The lives of twelve students and one teacher were taken that day. Twenty-one others were wounded, including Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson. 

In this interview, Kacey shares her story of being shot in the library, her recovery, and how those challenges prepared her for the challenges she would face in the following years. 

Kacey’s daughter, Logan, was diagnosed with aniridia, or the absence of irises in her eyes. She knew what she’d learned would help her parent a child with disabilities. She said, “Only God could have known that the injuries I sustained at Columbine would turn into a huge blessing with regard to my parenting journey.”

Kacey is on the Board of Directors for the Limb Preservation Society.

Notable quotes from this episode with Kacey Johnson: 

·         "In that most horrific moment of my life also came the proof that I love a living God and that He's bigger than the absolute worst kind of evil that was right in my face. He's bigger than that. It gives me so much to live for."

·         “I’d become comfortable in the trauma I knew and how I was just surviving it. I didn’t know how to get out of the surviving and into the thriving. And I wanted to be thriving as a parent and not just surviving.”

·         “God has ultimately transformed the shotgun slug that tore through me into seeds that have grown to produce very good fruit in my life. The fiery missile of hate that burned through my body has not had the pleasure of destroying me, and what was ultimately meant for evil will continue to be choked out by all the beautiful good that is still to come.”

Bible verses: 

·         Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

·         Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Connect with Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson:

Her website: https://www.kaceyjohnsonspeaker.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaceyRuegseggerJohnson

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaceyjohnsonspeaker 

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Dr. Grace English joins me again to discuss the mindset of getting real to heal. She is a speaker and the director of the Deep in the Heart Conference, which is held in Texas every spring. 

Didn’t catch her story interview in episode 98? She refers to it several times, so I would encourage you to listen to it before you listen to this episode.

When she found herself getting extremely anger with her two-year-old daughter, Grace began to realize she’d stuffed her pain. She shared, “Not until I really got real and had true confession and repentance over my sin of abortion and acknowledging the humanity of my baby did God free me from that guilt and shame.”

Grace knows getting real to heal is hard, but she believes it’s the way for God to heal your heart.

Notable quotes from this episode with Grace English:

·         “I think we have many idols in our life. He’s a jealous God, and He doesn’t want to be put second on the back burner. When we think other things in life are more important than Him, then that’s when we get into trouble.”

·         “I have had to just get really real with the Lord. God, this really sucks. And He’s like, ‘I know it does, but I’m writing your story and there is going to be purpose from this whole journey.”

·         “The Lord can’t use that pain and that loss to minister and speak to you unless it rises up to the surface.”

Scripture references:

·         Luke 4:18-19

·         Romans 8:1

·         Galatians 5:22-23

·         Nehemiah 8:10

·         John 13:7

·         Philippians 4:7

Connect with Grace English:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grace.s.english

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracecenglish

About Deep in the Heart: https://deepintheheartministries.com

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We are discussing emotional infidelity on the show today. It’s a topic no other guest has covered. During my interview with Dr. Grace English, she shared the following statistic from Shannon Ethridge’s book, Every Woman’s Battle: “More than 90% of women have had emotional thoughts of another man that’s not their spouse.” Grace explained that she has struggled with emotional infidelity for many years. 

Dr. Grace English is a speaker and the director of the Deep in the Heart Conference, which is held in Texas every spring. 

In Ethridge’s book, Grace learned a love-relationship addiction stems from a childhood in which you weren’t nurtured. Not having a good relationship with her parents left her with a father-daughter wound and a mother-daughter wound. 

Sharing her struggles with two close friends led to her realizing that speaking her secret broke its power. In this episode, Grace explains why speaking our struggles is the first step in breaking the stronghold it has over us.

Notable quotes from this episode with Grace English:

·         “Me sharing it [emotional infidelity] with a friend actually opened that door where the power of the secret is broken when it’s spoken.”

·         “He [God] can’t speak truth into my life if I refuse to acknowledge the truth of what is actually happening to me.”

·         “Somebody needs to speak light into the darkness. Shine the light because so many times we want to hide in the dark.”

Scripture references:

·         Matthew 5:28 reads, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

·         1 Corinthians 10:13 reads, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Connect with Grace English:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grace.s.english

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracecenglish

About Deep in the Heart: https://deepintheheartministries.com

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Are you in a meanwhile?

My guest, Carol McLeod, describes a meanwhile as "the test of faith between a crisis and God's visible intervention."

What do you do or say during the time between when a crisis intersects your life and when you see God's visible intervention?

My guest is Carol McLeod. She's an overcomer, an award-winning author of sixteen books, host of the Significant Women podcast, international speaker, Craig's wife, and Marmie to her ten grandchildren.

Carol and I discuss several snippets of her Bible study about the life of Joseph titled "Meanwhile: Meeting God in the Wait."

I gained so much insight and understanding about those months or years in the meanwhiles - in the waiting - when I worked through Carol's powerful Bible study.

Notable quotes from this episode with Carol McLeod:

• "Just as God has a plan for your life, so does the enemy. His ugly plan is that you, as a believer in Christ, will live out your earthly days in the dit of despair, in the pit of hopelessness, and the pit of unending depression. There is no potential for growth or nourishment there. The devil is unable to take eternal life from you, so he endeavors to take abundant life from you."
• "Joseph spoke generously because his life had been refined by human pain and he saw the unprecedented and miraculous plan of God unfold."

Bible verses:

• 2 Corinthians 5:7 "We live by faith, not by sight."
• Psalm 138:8 "God will accomplish what concerns me."
• John 16:22 "... no one can take away your joy ..."
• Genesis 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many nations."
• Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Carol's Bible study, Meanwhile: Meeting God in the Wait, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Connect with Carol McLeod:
On her website:  https://www.carolmcleodministries.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.b.mcleod
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolmcleod_

Get your ticket to the 20th annual women's conference: Overflowing: Living Abundantly in a Broken Culture HERE. 

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My guest, Honey Duncan, is celebrating her 7th year of sobriety today – February 20, 2024. 

Since her recovery from drug addiction, Honey has been intentional about practicing gratitude. 

It’s a mindset that keeps her focused on the good things in her life, helps her maintain a positive attitude, and shows her thankfulness to God for always being with her.

Honey believes gratitude is a powerful force in every area of her life. 

Notable quotes from this episode with Honey Duncan:

·         “I know that the devil is attacking us. I know that he will look for cracks in our armor or he will look for any weaknesses that you are focused on. Gratitude is one more defense that I can put up.”

·         “There is a powerful notion that you can restart your day at any time. At any moment, you can decide to have a different version of your day.”

·         “Gratitude helps me soothe my sickness. To heal what’s broken and dark inside of me. Gratitude is not homework. It is rescuing me.”

·         “I am done being the problem in my life. It’s no longer going to be me that holds myself back.”

Connect with Honey Duncan:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honey.h.duncan
 On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyd/

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My guest, Honey Duncan, is celebrating her 7th year of sobriety today – February 20, 2024. 

It took just one pain pill to cause her descent into addiction. While that pain pill helped with her back pain, it also helped numb her emotional pain. She liked how that pill seemingly solved her problems. 

She quotes actor Russell Brand in her interview. He said, “Drugs and alcohol are not my problem. Reality is my problem. Drugs and alcohol are the solutions to my problem.” 

Four overdoses scared her, but they were not her rock bottom. Jail was. While there, Honey decided, “I was made for more.” Jail was the needed ‘wakeup call’ to take recovery seriously. 

Today is a day of celebration. One in which Honey will give all the credit to God for breaking the stronghold of addiction.

Notable quotes from this episode with Honey Duncan:

·         “I don’t know at what point I gave up on being worthy. But I was like I’m never gonna be worthy, so I might as well be bad.”

·         “There’s no running away from your pains. You have to confront them and overcome them.”

·         “The only person my anger is hurting is myself.”

Bible verses:

·         Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

·         Ephesians 6:12 NLT “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Connect with Honey Duncan:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honey.h.duncan
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyd/

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

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During the difficult days of Sara Cormany's journey, she developed a mindset of seeing God's grace in seemingly impossible situations.

Sara believes God has done the impossible in her life. His grace allows her to understand the hard times were necessary in growing her faith and trust in Him. The years of living with a chronic illness, the neurological residuals she now has after a stroke, the pain and grief of miscarriages … Sara sees how God worked in and through those impossible challenges. She poured out her heart to God, which strengthened her relationship with Him. 

This grace of the impossible is a gift from God. This gift allows you to see all the ways God was with you, protected you, fought for you, and surrounded you with love during your difficult days.

Notable quotes from this episode with Sara Cormany: 

·         “The just hard … just every single day over the last year, and it is no mistake that God would be bringing this book out into the world now. Because I was able to look at His faithfulness and see how He worked through our impossible years ago. And I think that’s what He does. When we are able to look across the landscape of our lives and see His faithfulness through our hard things in the past, it gives us the hope to keep pressing on in the future.”

·         “Without God … the grace of the impossible, or the impossible, is nothing but an obstacle. But with God, it’s just the beginning of what’s possible.”

·         “When we can be vulnerable and we can be honest, that builds relationship. And knowing He is big enough to handle our hurts and our pain and our frustration, it keeps an ongoing conversation so that we can truly know His heart.”

Scripture references:

·         Matthew 17:20 “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.”

·         1 Samuel 17:48 “As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.”

·         2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Connect with Sara Cormany: 

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.cormany

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saracormany/

Her website: https://saracormany.com/ 

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My guest, Sara Cormany, is a speaker and author of the newly released devotional, Even When: Experiencing God During Difficult Days.

The daily fight with a chronic illness became too much to bear, forcing Sara to leave her role as a high school drama and speech teacher. In 2011, Sara’s life-impacting disease became life-threatening.

Unaware of the seriousness of her symptoms, Sara continued living as normally as possible for six weeks before being given the news that she’d suffered a stroke. 

Post stroke, Sara says she has a ‘wonky brain’ and a ‘wonky body,’ but be assured that her wonkiness doesn’t stop her from continuing to pursue her dream of teaching. Now, she teaches through the messages in her book and when she shares messages with audiences.

Notable quotes from this episode with Sara Cormany: 

·         “When you’ve gone through life thinking, oh, I just have a weird body, but nobody is that woofed about it, so I guess I won’t be either. To words like strokes and death, and it just changed the game. And it requires deeper faith and deeper trust that God, you’ve got this.”

·         “He grows beautiful things in and through my story.”

·         “I continue to thank Him even in the hard … that’s part of the journey and that’s part of the utter dependence on God.”

Connect with Sara Cormany: 

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.cormany

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saracormany/

Her website: https://saracormany.com/ 

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In this first video solocast of season six, I'm excited to share some insights I've gained through the hard challenges of my journey. 

*Please note that this episode is a video solocast. Please visit my YouTube channel @MelonyBrown to watch it. 

In 2005, the office supply company, Staples, launched a marketing campaign which introduced the 'easy button.' The easy button would solve frustrating situations. 

The downfall of the 'easy button' is it trained our culture to be frustrated by anything that was hard, or time-consuming, or took too long to obtain. Going through the drive-thru is easier than preparing a home-cooked meal. Ordering cleaning supplies, wrapping paper, and dog food on Amazon is indeed less-time consuming than making a trip to Target. 

Unfortunately, the 'easy button' marketing campaign has permeated our mindsets. Not just about our errands but about the hard challenges we face in life. 

John 16:33 reads, "In this life you will have trouble. Take heart, for I have overcome the world." 

James 1:2-4 reads, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." 

Matthew 19:26 reads, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 

Jeremiah 32:17 reads, "Nothing is too hard for you." 

When we are going through hard challenges, we see several of God's responses in each letter of the word hard. 

H - God helps. 
Check out these additional verses: 2 Samuel 22:36, 2 Chronicles 32:8, Psalm 46:1, and Psalm 121:1-2. 

We often don't see God helping us. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." 

A - God is active.
Check out these additional verses:
Isaiah 64:4, Deuteronomy 23:14, and 2 Chronicles 36:22. 

R - We receive many blessings from God. Those blessings are activated by hard challenges, which is often how God strengthens, develops, and grows character traits in us. This one is different from the other three letters. You receive blessings when you accept Jesus' salvation. 

Challenges activate those blessings, which can lead to your growth. Think fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23.

D - God directs. 
Check out these additional verses:
Proverbs 20:24, Isaiah 48:17, and 1 Kings 17:9. 

What is the purpose of hard challenges? Your growth is the purpose of hard. Your growth is what makes hard necessary. Your growth is the outcome of hard. Your growth is valuable because you are invaluable to God. 

In the last third of this episode, I share several hard challenges I've faced and how those challenges activated my growth. 

*I do not share this to boast about myself. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:31, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 reads, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 

Moyamoya disease is a rare cerebrovascular disease that affects 1 in 2 million people. It is characterized by strokes, mini strokes, and migraines. 

Philippians 4:7 reads, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

Ephesians 6:17 reads, "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

My books, Challenges Won't Stop Me and Keep Moving Forward, are available at www.melonybrown.com.books.

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Cherie Denna joined me for episode 90: Didn’t Fit In. Didn’t Belong. A dysfunctional childhood didn’t stop her. Cherie is an author, speaker, and writing coach. 

In episode 90, she shared about growing up with members of the mob and members of an outlaw biker gang as her family. She witnessed excessive violence, suffered abuse, and never felt like she belonged. 

If you missed Cherie’s story episode, be sure to listen to it!

In this interview, Cherie joined me to discuss the habit of healthy boundaries and why we need to establish them. 

Notable quotes from this episode with Cherie Denna: 

* "The Holy Spirit is our protector.” 

* "Being in God’s Word. There’s a reason why it’s described as a sword. Having that boundary is key. Above any other type of boundary that I could possibly adopt in my life because it all starts with what’s up in my head. What I’m thinking. What I’m focused on is going to determine what I speak and what I do.” 

* "We can forgive, but we do not necessarily have to be reconciled to that person.”

Scripture references:

Luke 18:7 “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”

Connect with Cherie Denna: 

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheriedenna 

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheriedenna/ 

Her website: https://cheriedenna.com/

Cherie's memoir, Beloved Outcast: The Quest for True Belonging, is releasing in February of 2024. 

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