Challenges Won't Stop Me

Grateful to Christine Trimpe for joining me for a habits interview!

Habit: an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely voluntary because of repetition.

It's easy to think of the bad habits that we need to stop when this topic comes up. But that's not where we are going in this episode. Instead, Christine shares about those times when it feels our emotional and spiritual heart ... well ... just feels out of rhythm.

I've been there. Have you?

The five heart habits go along with the anacronym H-E-A-R-T:
H - Handle our emotions
E- Examine our thoughts
A - Ask for motivation
R - Run with courage
T - Take action

These healthy heart habits have helped Christine experience BIG results in her life. And in the lives of her coaching clients.

If you're ready to see BIG results in your life, grab a pen and paper, and listen to this habits interview with Christine Trimpe.

To learn more about Christine, visit her at www.christinetrimpe.com.

Check out her book, Seeking Joy Through the Gospel of Luke: A Christmas to Calvary Countdown.

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I'm excited to have author, speaker, health coach, and friend Christine Trimpe join me again.  She's known as the 'joy girl' as she's learned to seek joy no matter what challenge she's facing!

And Christine's faced several challenges! You might remember Christine from episode 53: An Invitation to Sit at His Table. In that episode, she shared about her incredible weight loss transformation.  If you haven't already listened to it, I encourage you to check it out.

About the same time Christine was seeing great results with her weight loss journey, another challenge intersected her path.  Her son, Kyle, was involved in a catastrophic car accident, which significantly impacted his life.

Because their insurance company repeatedly denied Kyle's treatments and therapies claims, a court battle followed. Christine leaned hard on God when the challenges weighed heavy on her, seeking God's strength and focusing on the joy in her life.

Psalm 27 and 37 were her 'go-to- verses, reminding her to not fret about the circumstances and to trust God. As she pondered these verses, she realized, "My job is to trust God. God's job is the outcome." WOW! What great wisdom!

To learn more about Christine, go to www.christinetrimpe.com. Her book, Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke: A Christmas to Calvary Advent Countdown, is available on Amazon. 

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Please listen to episode 77: Drew Her Out of Deep Waters before listening to this episode as Tiffany shares the story of when she was attacked by a shark. 

Tiffany Johnson survived a shark attack while on vacation with her husband in 2017. Every year since then, she takes time to pause and remember God's faithfulness before, during, and after the shark attack. 

Tiffany explains how this is an intentional habit for her as God commands it for our benefit. While it can be difficult remembering the terror she felt while it was happening, it sets the stage for her to also remember all the ways God was faithful in shielding her, protecting her, filling her with peace, and saving her life. 

In addition to a set aside time of remembering on the anniversary of the shark attack, she brings up parts of that day in conversations with her children. She wants them to know how God protected her and saved her. Not only does talking about God's faithfulness strengthen her faith, but it also strengthens her children's faith. 

In this episode, Tiffany refers to Judges 2:10-13 which says, "After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths." 

Tiffany comments that the Israelites forgot to remember all the things God had done and His faithfulness toward them. Their "forgetfulness" led to them forsaking God. We must remember God's faithfulness in our lives, so we aren't tempted to forsake God.

Tiffany refers to the song "Do It Again" by Elevation Worship. You can listen to this song on YouTube. 

Connect with Tiffany at beanovercomerministries.com.

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In 2017, Tiffany Johnson and her husband went on their yearly getaway to nurture their marriage: a cruise to the Bahamas and some adventures when the ship stopped at various ports. No kids. Lots of sun. Good food. What could go wrong?

The parasailing adventure was fantastic, but the snorkeling adventure proved to be filled with one huge challenge followed by several other challenges. The huge challenge? A shark attacked Tiffany, biting off the bottom half of her dominant arm.

Tiffany cried out to Jesus. And boy, did God show up in numerous ways! Tiffany shares, "the peace of the LORD surrounded me. It was thick and tangible."

When describing how God was with her during the attack and the rescue efforts, Tiffany refers to Psalm 18:16 which says, "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters."

Her doctors declared that surviving the shark attack, receiving very delayed medical attention, and not needing a blood transfusion were nothing short of a miracle.

It's been nearly six years since she encountered the shark. While that challenge impacted her life in many ways, it didn't stop her. In fact, she believes, "I'm not supposed to be here. God rescued me. He saw something in me to give me this second chance. I was rescued for a purpose."

Tiffany started a ministry to share the message of overcoming the challenges we face in life. It's called 'Be an Overcomer.' She speaks to students to share the message of Jesus being alive and active in our lives. Additionally, she's co-authored two devotionals titled Endurance and Unchartered Waters.

Connect with Tiffany at beanovercomerministries.com.

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My fight verse is Hebrews 2:18 from the Amplified Bible Classic Edition. It says, “My trust and assured reliance and confident hope shall be fixed in Him.” 

I refer to the Jesus & Women Bible study by Kristi McLelland in this episode. I highly recommend this Bible study!

El Shema – the unofficial name of God that means God hears us

El Roi – the name of God that means God sees us

Immanuel – the name of God that means God is with us 

Other verses that refer to God hearing us, seeing us, and being with us to read and color code:

God hears us: Genesis 16:11, Genesis 17:20, Genesis 21:17, Exodus 2:24, Exodus 3:7, Exodus 3:9, Exodus 6:5, Exodus 22:23, Exodus 22:27, Numbers 11:18, Numbers 20:16, Deuteronomy 27:17, 2 Samuel 22:7, 1 Kings 9:3, 1 Kings 17:22, 2 Kings 20:5, 2 Kings 22:19, 2 Chronicles 7:12, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 2 Chronicles 20:9, 2 Chronicles 30:20, 2 Chronicles 30:27, Nehemiah 9:27, Nehemiah 9:28, Job 34:28, Psalm 4:3, Psalm 6:8-9, Psalm 10:17, Psalm 18:6, Psalm 28:6, Psalm 31:22, Psalm 34:17, Psalm 40:1, Psalm 55:17, Psalm 69:33, Psalm 106:44, Psalm 116:1, Psalm 145:19, Psalm 145:19, Proverbs 15:29, Isaiah 38:5, John 11:41-42, Acts 10:31, 2 Corinthians 6:2, 1 John 5:14-15

God sees us: Genesis 16:13, Genesis 29:31, Deuteronomy 26: 7-8, Deuteronomy 32:36, 1 Chronicles 21:15, Nehemiah 9:9, Job 34:21,Psalm 11:14, Psalm 33:13, Psalm 138:6, Lamentations 3:50, Jonah 3:10, Matthew 6: 4, 6, 18, Matthew 9:2, Matthew 9:22, Matthew 9:36, Mark 2:5, Mark 5:38, Mark 6:34, Mark 9:25, Luke 5:20, Luke 7:13, Luke 13:12, John 5:6, John 9:1, John 11:33

God is with us: Genesis 26: 3, 24, Genesis 31:5, Numbers 23:21, Joshua 1:9, Judges 6: 12, 16, 2 Samuel 7:9, 1 Kings 11:38, 2 Chronicles 13:12, 2 Chronicles 20:17, 2 Chronicles 32:7-8, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 46:7,11, Psalm 91:15, Psalm 118:6-7, Isaiah 8:10, Psalm 41:10, Isaiah 43:2, 5, Jeremiah 20:11, Jeremiah 46: 28, Haggai 1:13, Haggai 2:4, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 28:20, Luke 1:28, Luke 13:33, John 14: 17, 20

I refer to the map (God’s Word) and the binoculars (taking your focus off your struggles and focusing on God instead) in this episode. Those are two of the pieces of essential gear that I discuss in my book, Challenges Won’t Stop Me: An Interactive Survival Guide for Overcoming & Thriving. 

My book is available on Amazon. Additionally, an autographed copy is available at www.melonybrown.com/merch.

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WARNING: This interview contains descriptions of violence and sex that are not suited for children below the age of 12. Please watch episode 74: "He Loves Me but He Hits Me: teen dating violence didn't stop her with Dee Dee Said" before
watching this episode. In that episode, Dee Dee shared her story of being in a
teen dating violent relationship. 

This episode is a valuable resource for any adult who lives with, teaches, mentors, or interacts with a tween through college aged young adult. 

Listed below are a few statistics taken from Dee Dee's book, "It Doesn't Start with a Punch: My Journey through an Abusive Teen Dating Relationship": 

* 24% of teens aged 16 to 18 said they feel pressured to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. * Data from the 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 9th through 12th grade students found that 10% of females and 3% of males have experienced forced sex. 
* Approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls will experience an abusive relationship. 
* A 2021 survey by Common Sense Media found that in 2019 teens spent almost 7.5 hours per day watching TV, movies, and online videos, playing video games, and visiting social media sites. (James Steer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, explained, "Children's screen time has wide-ranging implications for their social and emotional development, how they form relationships, how they identify themselves, and how they are exposed to hate speech." 
* A 2005 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that 12 to 17 year olds who are heavy viewers of sexual content are twice as likely to initiate sexual intercourse over the next year as those that saw the least amount. 
* Pediatrician Dr. Todd Huffman stated, "The sexual content in much of the media today's teens attend to is frequent, glamorized, and consequence free." 
* The Congressional Public Health Summit in 2000 reported the following measurable effects of exposure to violent entertainment: more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts; can lead to emotional desensitization toward violence in real life; feeds a perception that the world is violent and mean; and may lead to real-life violence. 
* In the summer of 2009, of the songs on the top music charts: 69% referenced sex at least once; 49% contained sexual lyrics; 41% contained profanity; and 31% referenced drugs or alcohol. 
* Females who watch music videos are more likely to tolerate sexual harassment. 
* Boys who watch music videos begin to treat women as sex objects, which can lead to becoming sexually aggressive with them. 

To learn more, please visit Dee Dee Said's website at buildstrongfoundations.com.

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WARNING: This interview contains descriptions of violence and sex that are not suited for children below the age of 12. 

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. 

My guest, Dee Dee Said, was involved in an abusive teen dating relationship between the ages of 16 and 19; she shares about the raw details in her book, It Doesn’t Start with a Punch: My Journey through an Abusive Teen Dating Relationship. 

While it’s hard to hear Dee Dee describe the emotional, verbal, and physical abuse she endured, she offers valuable insight into the subtle ways her abuser drew her in and kept her fearful enough to not disobey or anger him. As parents, educators, neighbors, and church friends of tweens through college aged young adults, we NEED TO KNOW these warning signs.

A few statistics to be aware of:

·        1 in 10 teens will experience teen dating violence

·        Youth ages 12 to 19 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault

·        62% of tweens surveyed said they knew friends who had been verbally abused (called stupid, worthless, ugly, etc.) by a boyfriend or girlfriend

The National Dating Abuse helpline number is 1.866.331.9474

Please listen to this interview yourself first for your knowledge. Then, I do encourage you to invite a tween through college aged young adult to listen to it with you. Have a conversation after listening to Dee Dee’s interview together. 

To learn more about Dee Dee, please visit buildstrongfoundations.com

Order Dee Dee’s book, It Doesn’t Start with a Punch: My Journey through an Abusive Teen Dating Relationship, on Amazon.

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Do the enemy’s attacks and lies drip, drip, drip throughout your day? What’s your response? Do you ignore them and hope they will go away? Or do you fight back?

I invited Sandy Storm back to share the strategies she uses when she finds herself on the front line of a spiritual attack. 

Sandy explains why we can’t be passive and let those drips accumulate. Instead, we must actively engage by using the warfare strategies God gave us. If you listened to Sandy’s story interview on episode 72, you know this warrior not only comes face to face with spiritual warfare in her personal life, but also as a human trafficking abolitionist. This girl means business!

Sandy referred to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. It says, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

And Philippians 4:8-9. It says, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

I shared Ephesians 6: 10-18 (the armor of God). It says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

You’re going to want to remember the wisdom Sandy shares, so grab a pen and paper or start a new notes page on your phone. Put these effective strategies into practice whenever you encounter spiritual warfare.

Want to learn more about Sandy? Please visit authorsandystorm.com.

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WARNING: Today’s episode contains graphic content about human trafficking and could be a trigger for people who have experienced abuse or violence at the hands of another. 

January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention month. It is difficult to hear the atrocities of human trafficking and its impact on human lives. My guest, Sandy Storm, shares the numerous challenges she faced throughout the twenty years she was exploited and dehumanized, she also shares how during those difficult years, she believed God had a plan for her life. 

Could any good come from someone so broken? Yes!!! 

Sandy cried out to God, handing him her broken life. He graciously exchanged her brokenness with salvation wrapped in His unfailing love. Her healing and restoration led her to the realization God made her a new creation. Filled with this life-changing news, Sandy drew close to Him. 

Remember Joseph’s reply to his brothers? He said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish the saving of many lives.” God whispered the same words to her and said He preserved her during those horrific years, so she could be a part of the solution to ending human trafficking. 

Thus, Sandy is a modern-day abolitionist and serves as the Director of Strategic impact for Deliver Fund, a non-profit whose mission is to keep communities safe by bringing human traffickers to justice. Her experiences and knowledge make her a powerful warrior who IS helping to destroy the darkness in our world.

Her three novellas based on her experiences – Becoming Navi, Hello Navi, and Goodbye Navi – are available on Amazon. 

To learn more about Sandy or connect with her, visit her website at authorsandystorm.com. 

If you are interested in learning more about Deliver Fund’s efforts to end human trafficking or joining their prayer team, please visit deliverfund.org.

If you are being trafficked or know someone who is, the Human Trafficking hotline is 1-888-373-7888. All calls are confidential.

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It's January. It seems everyone makes New Year's Resolutions that include trying a new diet, exercising more, and quitting a bad habit. By far, people resolve to get healthier.

64% of people who make New Year's resolutions fail after just one month. Why? They set unrealistic goals and didn't keep track of their progress.

On today's episode, Susan Neal joins us again to share four strategies for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She's clear that these strategies aren't about a diet. They are lifestyle changes that will be maintained for the rest of your life.

Maybe you're not interested if that's the length of the commitment you must make. Hold on, please. Susan doesn't just share four strategies; she also shares the benefits of consistently maintaining each strategy. An unexpected bonus for you is that Susan explains how our bodies react to sugar and gluten. If her explanations don't convince you to consider your sugar and gluten intake, I don't know what will!

Instead of making New Year's Resolutions that are unrealistic and you forget to keep track of your progress, follow Susan's healthy lifestyle strategies and experience tangible outcomes in your weight, energy level, happiness, and desire to pursue your dreams.

Learn more at susanuneal.com. Her books are available on Amazon:

• Christian Study Guide for 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates: Healthy Eating for Healthy Living with God's Food 
• 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates: Healthy Eating for Healthy Living with a Low-Carbohydrate, Anti-Inflammatory Diet
• Healthy Living Journal: Track Your Healthy Eating and Living Habits for Improved Health and Well-Being
• Scripture Yoga: 21 Bible Lessons for Christian Yoga Classes
• Solving the Gluten Puzzle: Discovering Gluten Sensitivity and Embracing the Gluten-Free Lifestyle
• Yoga for Beginners: 60 Basic Yoga Poses for Flexibility, Stress Relief, and Inner Peace

Want to build or maintain a 'challenges won't stop me' mindset? Check out my book, Challenges Won't Stop Me: An Interactive Survival Guide for Overcoming & Thriving, on Amazon.

Visit melonybrown.com for resources to empower and equip you to overcome & thrive!

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