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GraceFilled Community
The GraceFilled Community Podcast is a place where faith, connection, and community come together. We explore meaningful conversations with guests who share their unique insights, experiences, and stories to inspire and empower others. Each episode offers listeners practical wisdom for living out their faith, creating belonging, and building community. Whether you're looking for spiritual growth or ways to connect deeper with those around you, the GraceFilled Community Podcast provides valuable content that enriches both your personal and spiritual journey.
GraceFilled Community
The Unexpected Path: Finding God When Life Changes Course
Melissa McLaughlin shares her journey from classroom teacher to Christian writer after chronic back problems forced an early retirement that shattered her sense of identity and purpose. Through this unwanted life change, she discovered her true identity in Christ and found a new calling to help others through devotional writing.
• Growing up with a brother with special needs developed Melissa's compassion and influenced her career in special education
• Back problems throughout her life culminated in surgery and eventually forced her to leave her beloved teaching career at age 50
• Losing her job led to an identity crisis that ultimately revealed how she had placed too much worth in her work
• Through Scripture and prayer, she found her voice again during a time of physical limitation and emotional struggle
• The experience inspired her first book, "In Dark of Night, When Words Fail, Voice of Jesus, Pray for Me"
• Her husband's support through her career transition showed her that "he loved me more than I loved myself"
• Health limitations redirected her teaching gifts toward writing devotionals, blogging, and creating Bible resources
• Her second book, "The Whole Bible Devotional: Seeing Jesus in Every Book of the Bible," makes Scripture accessible for busy readers
• Even painful trials can draw us closer to Christ and deepen our faith in unexpected ways
• Our true identity must be rooted in Christ rather than career, abilities, or achievements
Connect with Melissa McLaughlin, read her weekly devotionals, or learn more about her books.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/melissa.mclaughlin.79069/
Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/MMcLaughlinsong
Website: https://www.melissamclaughlin.org
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My name is Nicole Cater, your host, founder and servant leader of Gracefield Community. I want to thank you for tuning in to Gracefield Community Podcast. This is a safe space, a place in which we just share stories of how God has touched individuals' lives all across the world and how they are now impacting the kingdom of God. Thank you for tuning in. Blessings to you. Hello Gracefield Community Podcast listeners, I am so excited for you guys to join us once again for another powerful episode of Gracefield Community. I'm so excited for today's guest. I truly believe that I mean every time, we just have awesome conversation. When you talk about the goodness of God, I mean it's just good, right, it's just good conversation. So I am overly excited to have Melissa join us today. Hello, melissa.
Speaker 2:Hello Nicole. Thank you for inviting or allowing me to be with you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Oh, it is my pleasure. I'm so excited to talk about life faith and your journey, you know, before we get started, because I'm like ready to dive in, I'm like let's go Like, just tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely so. My name is Melissa McLaughlin and I grew up out in the countryside in Pennsylvania and climbing trees and just having fun outdoors. I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home with loving parents. I have an older brother, who's wonderful, and I have a younger brother with special needs. He has developmental delays. So that has really had an impact on me and on our family and continues to have an impact on me today, because no matter what we're doing or where we're going, there's always this sensitivity to my brother's needs and how is this environment or this situation going to work for him or how might we need to adapt things? So that's just been a beautiful really a beautiful part of my life being able to always be thinking about someone else and their needs. But also he brings a lot of joy to our lives and I also think that having my brother really impacted my decisions for my profession.
Speaker 2:When I went to college I got a degree in teaching elementary education and also special education Then later went on to get my master's degree as a reading specialist. So I just loved I still love learning and so teaching is a good match for me and I always loved the kids teaching. So I met my husband my last year of college. He also was a teacher. He's now retired. He was both a math teacher and an art teacher. So we shared that part of our lives together, the professional teaching part of our lives, and we also have three children who are wonderful, and just so there were a lot of blessings you know that I have to thank God for. And just so there were a lot of blessings you know that I have to thank God for.
Speaker 2:But there was a big twist in the road. I had always had back problems, really almost my whole life. And then I don't know, I might have been I might have been about 35, maybe 40 years old, maybe no, it was in my thirties. I ended up having to get back surgery and I was gratefully able to return to my teaching position. At that time I had, you know, medication and treatments and physical therapy and back braces and all kinds of things that helped me. You know I still had to be very careful, but I was at least able to return, you know, to my teaching job.
Speaker 2:But when I hit age 50, I had a terrible, terrible setback with my back problems and I just thought, well, I'll just go get another surgery. But when I returned to my surgeon, he explained that I wasn't really a good candidate for that because of some different deterioration in my in my back, and so in the end, I unexpectedly took an unwanted, unexpected early retirement from my teaching job. And it was, you know, I was, I was really crushed by that because I felt like, like in one fell swoop I I lost my health, I lost my teaching job and I really felt like I lost my identity, which, um, mercifully, the Lord used that to like peel back some layers and expose things that I was really. I was allowing my identity to be wrapped up in my work, really. And so, while that was removed from me and I'm thinking like God, what am I? What am I supposed to do? Like, how, what am I? How am I supposed to contribute to the world with, you know, my condition and everything? And slowly but surely, the Lord really revealed to me that my identity is in Jesus Christ. You know, I am a child of God, I'm a blood-bought daughter of the King, and that's the greatest identity that I could ever have and it's his finished work that matters, you know, not so much any work that I'm doing, you know, and any work that I may be doing, it's because of whatever gifts or opportunities that he has blessed me with. So it's just all his grace and just like really walking and living and breathing in his grace and learning to do that in new ways. So it was really like learning my life all over again in a way, right, but it was, the Lord was going deeper with me, and so I'm grateful. You know, no one's ever grateful for pain and suffering or loss of their health or their job or anything, but God can bring so much eternal good out of these earthly trials that, wow, I couldn't have even imagined, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it was during that time of really being more bedridden and not able to do things that I normally would have done in the past that I I was really crying out to God. I felt like I didn't lose my faith by his grace, um, but I did really lose my voice to pray and I just was crying out to the Lord Like, why aren't you healing me? Um, you know, what am I supposed to be doing? Just really feeling lost and a lot of despair. And slowly but surely, the Lord really brought me to his scriptures, to learn to just read them as my prayer and from that I wrote my first book, which is called In Dark of Night, when Words Fail, voice of Jesus, pray for Me. So that's really what happened. It was through his scriptures and the Holy Spirit, you know, illuminating those scriptures, that God really restored my voice and enabled me to pray again, but in a fresh and more powerful way, because I was really just allowing his word to flow through my words.
Speaker 2:I wrote that book just to really try to help other people that might be going through a really dark or difficult season to really cling to Jesus, because those are the times when people can lose their faith Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. So that's when I wrote that first book to try to help others who might have gone through a situation like that. And then, also during that time is when I started, some people had said to me hey, you really, you have a way with words. You really should start a Christian blog. So I started a Christian blog around that same time and have been writing, you know, weekly devotionals, and just continued that writing journey. So I, when I started out as a teacher in the public schools, I never, ever, ever, imagined myself writing books, having a Christian blog and not being a teacher, but I still feel like that heart of a teacher is still in me and the Lord is using that now to be able to be a teacher for the faith through my writing. So you know, god, just nothing ever goes to waste with the Lord.
Speaker 1:So true, so true. And I I want to kind of go back to a few things that you said. I'm like there's so much like good in what you stated. Right, you know, I do believe that it is through our life, those trials, those things that happen here on earth, those tragedies that it does often force us to focus more on the eternal things, right, right, so we know that that's what we should be centered around on a day to day, like that's what we should be focusing on. I think so easily we come away from like focusing on the eternal because we are living in this world, currently on earth. But again, it's to your point, like when you go through tragedy and you realize the thing that maybe you have placed value in in this earthly aspect, does it compare to what is the necessary like eternal, wise, right, wow?
Speaker 2:So true.
Speaker 1:Yes, and so you know, it makes me think about, you know, so often there's this concept of like eternal rewards, right, and as you were speaking of just giving into the schools and teaching and how you're making an impact there, you know there's eternal rewards for the impact that we make. You know, also for the kingdom, right? And so one of the questions that I'm curious about, because you stated you were a Christian before this occurred, right, yes, okay, and so when you say that you did not lose your faith, let's talk a little bit more about that, because I have a testimony in two sets where I did step away and get angry at God. So tell me a little bit more about your process of not losing your faith.
Speaker 2:Wow, I would love to hear your testimony. Wow, I would love to hear your testimony. You know, I really I really just want to give God the glory for that. I don't feel like I really was anything special, I just I just kept clinging to Jesus with whatever little thread I had left to cling to him. I didn't really understand what God was doing. It didn't make sense. I had worked so hard for those degrees and I loved teaching and felt like the Lord was using the gifts that he gave me, so I really didn't understand. I couldn't make sense of it. I couldn't understand why I wasn't receiving healing and I don't really know how I didn't turn away from the Lord. I just, I guess there, I just knew that that in the end he's my only hope.
Speaker 2:The verse is I believe it's Matthew where Jesus says to his disciples are you also going to turn away from me, because so many had turned away? And Peter said no, where else can we go? Only you have the words of life. So there are moments in our lives where we're really there's not a lot of other things to cling to in our faith except that, like I knew, jesus was my savior. He's the creator of the world, and he's the one I'm going to meet in the end and stand before and receive my welcome into heaven.
Speaker 2:Because of him, in the end, I don't really have much else, and so I think I just was able to cling because I I didn't have anything else to cling to. There certainly wasn't anything in the world to cling to. I had no self-reliance left because I didn't have. I felt like I didn't really have a lot to offer and what else. I just felt like what else could I turn to except just to cling to the Lord through that. So I really just see that as his mercy and grace, you know, helping me hold hold on to the Lord and not totally get angry and shut him out. So that's I don't really have. I don't have any great words of wisdom about that great words of wisdom about that.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, that is great words of wisdom right there, because I mean there is a reality that there are things that earthly will just not satisfy, which we know like our ultimate satisfaction comes from Christ alone. Right, and so when we find that those earthly things do not satisfy, that should be the thing that we do is to turn to Christ, right, you know, I think about even in, let me see, because I tell our listeners all the time like I will quote scripture, but if you ask me where it is, I'm like wait, hold on.
Speaker 2:I'm the same way.
Speaker 1:Yes, but in Philippians 2, all the way down at verse 25, it starts talking about, like, someone that Paul had developed right and he had sent him out to the Philippi right and on his path there he became ill, almost to death. And Paul has to encourage the people and if you guys are reading this, it's Philippians 2, verse 25 through 30. Paul has to encourage the people to still receive him, because Paul says, hey, like, while I'm, essentially Paul was in prison and he's like well, I'm here, he's coming, but I need you to receive him. Well, and one of the things, if you look at the context of it and the historical background of it, is because people often thought that when something bad happened, there was something that caught, that, there was a sin that that person did that caused that Right. And so you know, in this case, like and I'm going to say the name, but I'm probably going to butcher it, because normally if I was going to like actually preach a message on this, I would listen to the name first and like, get it in my head, right, I understand Epaphroditus, epaphroditus, yes, so Paul is sending him and he tells the people, like, receive him, therefore, in the Lord, with all gladness and hold such men in esteem because for the work of Christ, he came close to death, not regarding his life to supply what was lacking in your service towards me. And so what he essentially is, you know, speaking if we look at the historical context, like this man, because of that time, you know, people did not want to receive him because the thought was what did he do to become sick? He was on his way to do something for the Lord and it was interrupted. He became sick. So, like, what did he do? What did he do to cause this? Even when I think about the man that was lame and they said like, oh, what did his parents do? Like, what did he do? And Jesus said it's not because of his sin, right.
Speaker 1:And so, in this same concept, I think what has happened in my experience is, growing up in the church, there was this communication that, like, if something bad happened, you needed to look at yourself because you caused this to happen. Right, and so in my husband and I's case, you know, we were youth pastors and most of our listeners if you listen to us at any time, some may know our story. But we were youth pastors and we lost our first child and it was a tragic loss. And in that I remember sitting like okay, what did I do? Because that was the message that was taught to me for so long, that there was something that you did.
Speaker 1:And so I remember just being angry at the Lord, like I thought I was doing good for you, right, and again, looking at the works versus relationship. Looking at the works as like I have to earn this ability when we're never going to do enough to earn right, like we sit in a space of grace because he loves us and he had grace to even save us. But when there's that lack of understanding, then often we can find ourselves like losing faith because we don't have a proper understanding of his love, his grace and relationship. And so when I asked the question that leads to exactly what I went through was having been taught that sitting in a space of like okay, was my faith not strong enough that I not confess enough, like what occurred that Lord, like you still allow this child to be taken Right and then having to come 360 was sitting with the Lord, when I exactly what you said in those dark moments when I didn't have prayers but just sitting and saying like this is all I know to do because I don't know anything else to do.
Speaker 1:There's nothing else earthly that's going to fill this void that's inside of me and this hurt and pain, and literally sitting believing, and I know that it's the intercession of Jesus Christ to the father that rescued me, wow, wow. So all that to say, like you know, as you talked about your book, and remind me the title again, because the title stood out to so much yeah, the title is um.
Speaker 1:In dark of night, when words fail, voice of Jesus, pray for me yes, and so I mean, even when you just said that title, I just immediately felt like that's what it is right, like when you're just in the dark we don't have the words right. I remember thinking I can't't even seem to pray in my heavenly language. I was just so torn and broken and there was there was some anger there right, and just knowing like it is the intercession of Jesus and community. That's why I think it's important to have community as well, because when I don't can't pray, don't know what to pray, knowing that there are people around me that love me in his love, that will pray for me.
Speaker 2:Amen, amen to that, amen to that. Wow, what a powerful word. Thank you for sharing that scripture and bringing that to light. I I I have never really heard it brought to light in such a way and I really appreciate that. Very powerful, very powerful. And you know, it's hard to reconcile our good and merciful, gracious God with the suffering that we do experience in this life. And we know, of course, that the Bible is very clear on this, that God does not cause temptations, but he does allow trials because they purify us for the eternal blessings, you know. So, of course, his desire is always for us to draw closer and closer to him. And you know, it's almost hard to even speak about it because of the pain that people may be going through or have gone through, and it just doesn't add up, you know, when you think about a good God. So sometimes, for myself, one of the verses that I cling to is Romans 5, 8,.
Speaker 2:But God demonstrates his own love to us in this. While we were yet sinners, christ died for us. So the ultimate bad in my life, both outwardly and within, jesus took that upon himself and pay the penalty. So I can cling to that, so that even if I have like tears streaming down my face, I can still say the Lord is good and his mercy endures forever, because I'm looking at Jesus on the cross for me and the whole world, really for any who will receive him by faith. And so there's, even when I can't see anything else, I can see Jesus. Yes.
Speaker 2:So, and the other piece too, when I think about suffering and just trying to make sense of that, is to remember that you know, god did. God is outside of his creation, he's holding all things in his hands, but he, he didn't hold himself back from creation. He actually stepped into our suffering and stepped into our pain and walked with us and then took that upon himself to bring the ultimate healing for all eternity through the cross. So there is, we can find comfort even through our suffering, and we do know that the greatest good that God could ever bring about is, of course, bringing us to faith in Christ and then from there just drawing us ever closer and then from there just drawing us ever closer, and I, unfortunately, I think that the trials do bring us closer to him. I wish there were another way, I wish there was another teacher, but trials, unfortunately. I think they help really just shake off and break off all the things that we cling to in this life so that all we're left with is Jesus, and that's when we realize he is all I really need. And it's hard to really come to a real soulful understanding of that unless things have been broken off of us. So it's not pleasant, but it is beautiful, I think, when we think about how. I think it's romans 8, 28. You know god's working all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes.
Speaker 2:And then the next verse the good that god is working is actually to carve us into the image of christ. So when we think about that, god is trying to carve us into the image of Christ. When we think about that, god is trying to carve us into the image of Christ, that to look like Christ, that's going to be painful but it will be beautiful for all eternity. And so when we can, you know, just really cling to the Lord and allow him to minister to us in our suffering and in our sorrows and our pain. He can bring about things eternally in our relationship with him.
Speaker 2:And just and our ability then, because we become wounded healers, we can. We can help people find Christ in the suffering in ways that we couldn't have if we hadn't gone through it. I think it also gives us like a greater compassion for those who may be struggling with faith or struggling with sorrows or disappointments. It really does give us spiritual gifts that we just wouldn't have had without the trials. So, god, all I can say is God is good and he can bring about good from the worst of situations. And when we look to the cross we see the greatest good out of the worst situation.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely, I mean, and even I think about, like first Peter, four and 12, like it says, we love it. Do not be surprised at the fiery trials when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening, but rejoice in, so far as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice in and be glad with his glory is revealed. And so I think that even for us to understand and, like you said, the empathy factor, right, like my suffering is nowhere near equal, like I'm not crucified on a cross, I haven't been beaten, I'm not even crying blood, sweat tears, knowing that I'm about to go through this level, right, and I always say like he chose me, knowing all the times that I will betray him, the times that I would stand against him, the times that I would betray him, the times that I would sin against him, the times that I would deny, like he still chose to go through all of that for me. And so, when we go through these trials, and we go through which the bible does tell us, we will have trials and tribulations, right, um, I like to say, like you did sign up for this right, but when we go through this.
Speaker 1:You brought up a great point. It allows a certain level of empathy that comes through a level of compassion. When I think about all of Jesus' miracles, they first started with compassion, and so that tells me that it's deep compassion, that's a deep factor that we need, like we need to be able to have compassion, and when I look at even you know, I find the people that are the most forgiving are the people that needed the most forgiveness, the people that love the most, are the people that desire the most love, right, the people that give the most love to be given into right. It is just the aspect of how we build compassion and empathy, and trials do lend that to us.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. So this is such a good conversation, I want to let me like, let me really back in.
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Speaker 1:So let's go back to your back, right? So let's go back to your back, right. So when I'm thinking about you sitting there and you deciding to even write this book, when you've had this unexpected life change like what led you to choosing to write this book, and then I understand there's another book that follows right. So tell me a little bit more.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, actually at that time, around that same time, we were doing a home Bible study in our home and we were using a book. That was where we were seeking God's will for our life, and one of the activities or discussion questions in the book was to pray about and ask the Lord, you know, how would he have you use your gifts? And it could have been anything. It could have been at your job, in your family, in your home, with your church, whatever. You know. Just, we were praying and after praying I just felt like I was just kind of coming out of having survived that trauma and founding, found the um lifeline of scripture for prayer for myself. You know, I had collected scriptures. I had them on post-it notes in my closet, you know.
Speaker 2:Just, I just I felt like I went into survival mode for scripture prayer and I thought, wow, I, I, I, just, when I prayed about this question of seeking God's will for what would he have you do with the gifts he's given you, I just felt like, wow, maybe I should try to put this into a book because it might help someone else who's going through the, you know, a dark night of the soul. So it was actually. It came out of a Bible study where we were praying about what, what, what is God calling you to do, how to use your gifts for him at this time. So again, that was also God's mercy, because that was the timing right about the timing, you know, soon after I had taken the early retirement and I was more homebound and bedridden and just really kind of rebuilding my life in a way in the Lord. So that Bible study occurred at that time.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So you can see how God works things out so beautifully. It's like sometimes, when you look at things, like he's working a million miracles all throughout and they're all interwoven and incredible. But usually I can't see that. So I'm looking back and I see, wow, look at how that lined up with that oh yes, absolutely, he is amazing.
Speaker 1:I always say God is a God of details because he is amazing at putting these details together and then, like you said, later we look back and we're like, oh, that's how that puzzle piece came together and that's how that worked together.
Speaker 1:So you know, probably because I'm a person that's huge on community, even in what I'm hearing you say, is the first thing I heard was you were having group in your home, and so you know, I know the powerful impact that that has with community. My husband and I, we have a marriage small group in our home. We have I have a women's small group, we have teens like in a group, and so just how, when you're in community, I think it also challenges you, like you said, like you were in community doing the small group and you guys were, you know, given this like question that pulled this out of you and, and so I think one of the things I want to ask I did pick up that you did say you're married, yes, okay, and so, as we talk about community and even with the aspect of going through that journey, um, interesting, how did, how did the journey? Um, I almost want to say like, how does your husband respond? How are you doing this journey together?
Speaker 2:You know, he really was instrumental in me doing what was best, because I, I I think if it were left up to me, I would have worked until I was hospitalized or in a wheelchair or something. Actually, at my first surgery the surgeon said to me at my follow-up he said listen, if you don't live differently, the next time you come to me you might go out of my office in a wheelchair. And I did not want to be a burden to my family and I did not want to be a burden to my family.
Speaker 2:Right. So I knew that if I could still function, even on a lesser level, that would be less of a burden than if my husband and my children and my family were, you know, helping me live life in a wheelchair. So that stuck with me. So when this setback happened, with my back and I, I didn't want to leave my job. For so many reasons I really didn't, and I'm sure I know that a lot of it had to do with pride and, again, my misplaced identity and just clinging to the security of the paycheck of the job. I mean it, it wasn't all bad, you know, I did love my job too, but it just I just I wouldn't have. I think I would have worked to my own detriment and to the detriment of my family.
Speaker 2:And I remember when I was praying about it, talking to my husband about it, when it really came to a head and I had to make a decision, one of the things that he said to me is you're more important than the money you make.
Speaker 2:And it just meant so much to me that he said that to me because you know, we were going to go from two incomes to one income and so we didn't know what that would look like or how easy it would be to pay the bills or anything like that. But that's what my husband said, so he really helped me filter through all of those other things to come down to what's important and and to lay aside any security in money. You know, not that we want to be foolish, right, it can be foolish If you, if you continue in a job that could harm you and then so ultimately, I didn't want to. I wanted to honor my husband and what he was saying and what he said, just like it just overflowed my heart really and, um, just helped me reset my perspective. And I didn't want, after my husband had said those words to me, I didn't want to continue working and end up in a wheelchair and cause my husband more burden. Yes.
Speaker 2:When he had already told me you matter more than the money, right? Yes, so he was really just a wonderful support, both with his faith and just being a good husband, but in that moment he really was one of the critical things that helped me really. Let go, yes, let go of these dreams that I thought I had, that I thought were good and where I thought God was taking me a new place, a place I didn't really want to go, um, not a place of my choosing, um, but to just really release and and um, and god brought something so beautiful out of it. You, you know. So I'm very, very grateful for my husband and just have you know it's such a blessing to have a Christian marriage.
Speaker 2:Um, if, if you, if for anyone who may be listening who is not married, god can bless you as a single in a beautiful way, and I don't want to ever make it seem like Christian marriage is. God is may not be calling everyone to that, yeah, but in my case, the Lord blessed me with my husband and it has been a beautiful blessing through good times and tough times and yeah. So you know what I don't? There aren't many people who have asked me that question, so it's very interesting that you would have the insights to even think about that. It makes me want to ask you how was your husband in the suffering, the moment, the loss of your child, and how was that for you and your husband?
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely, you know. So that's one of the reasons that led me, of course, to asking, because, so to give some context, we got married at 20. So we got married. I like to say we were babies, like we were still developing right, and we did not have as much support. We have both kind of been raised in the church, but more of an aspect of like earned works in a sense, and so when we suffered that loss, we were not taught how to grieve properly. And so he did what he thought was best was allow me to have my space to grieve and do what I needed to do, and he just ran to I need to make sure I consistently provide and work right. And so we got to a point where we had to learn, like, how we were both improperly grieving and not doing this together. And so we, over time, learned the understanding of how each of us may respond to our own trials and tribulations differently, but the impact that it has as a married couple to come together and to support each other. And the reality is that we have found we just celebrated 20 years of marriage. So, mind you, this, this occurred our second year of marriage.
Speaker 1:But in that I tell people. You know there is, there's a reason why the two of you are together, right. Often when I'm I'm weak, he's strong, and when he's weak, I'm strong, and we can pull our that together and go before the Lord together. And that's why I think transparency is so important in a marriage, because you know, if you're struggling in one area, not only if you know, not only can I support you in that area, but I can pray for you, which is the greatest gift that we can give Right. And so, unfortunately, we've learned a lot of our lessons, not doing them properly and coming out of it like oh Lord, okay. Which is why we do so much of marriage work and we do many marriage, small groups and biblical counseling and so forth is because that did lead to a lot of challenges in our marriage, not understanding that we both were essentially hurting and trying to grieve separately and not coming together with the Lord in it. And so I love how you said that he responded.
Speaker 1:You know now, currently, right after we've learned right, one of the things that we immediately stop and say like okay, lord, show us, where is this coming from, where are these feelings coming from, where is this response coming from Like, show us where is this coming from? Where are these feelings coming from? Where is this response coming from? Like, show us where it's coming from. We want to deal with the root and we want to come together and attack this together, because two is better than one, right, and so we are one together. But we are two people that the Lord has created with different personalities, different strengths, different traits right, and there's a reason that he brought us together. And so we have learned the power of coming together and really leaning into what each other is communicating in a circumstance.
Speaker 1:And so I find it very often that when I am in a challenge or a decision-making challenge, like you said, or in a trial challenge where I'm feeling like what is happening here, that he tends to come in and really put perspective into it. Right, but I also. One of the reasons why I asked is because, as we was talking about relationship with God and how trials do draw us closer, when I look back and I tell people like you know, we have it often right when people look and they're like, oh, I want a marriage like yours, I'm like I don't know if you want to go through all we went through to get to what you see today. But there's a reality that as you go through things together, you actually become closer. Even in hearing you say how your husband responded, I seen from you just the love and the gratitude, like it was all over your face. If you are listening, guys, if you go back and watch our YouTube, you will see it on Melissa's face, like just the joy and the gratitude and even the thought of how he responded.
Speaker 1:And there's a reality that, like love grows right, Like it grows. And it is through circumstances like that, when we lean into each other, that our love can grow and we can value even greater that individual. Not that you didn't love him before, not that you didn't value him before, but it goes to a different level. And so does our relationship with Christ, like when we go through trials like that, and he's there with us and he helps us in it and he brings us through it and we come out on the other side and we're like Lord, if it had not been for you, my love for you has changed, my faith in you has changed. My faith in you has changed. That is how we grow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Amen to that, Amen to everything you've said. I just had two thoughts as you were speaking. One was that my husband's response to me in that moment to me showed me that actually he loved me more than I loved myself. And then the second thing, which you've I mean you certainly are well aware of this, but I just recently had somebody remind me of this Like if for a Christian marriage, if Christ is at the center and we're like two points on either side, the closer we're growing to Christ, the closer we're growing to each other, and it's really everything that you just said really reflects that.
Speaker 2:You know, and wow, I mean the trials that refine us and deepen our relationships with each other and with the Lord there's. You can't put a price tag on it and you really can't even put words to it. It's, it's really a gift from the Lord. I don't understand it all and I don't want to try to explain for someone who may be hurting, but, as you said, when you, if you can cling to the Lord and just release to him as he brings you out on the other side, I promise you there will be blessings from him, Eternal blessings.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. It's one of the things that I'm huge on is just giving it to the Lord, like giving it all to him. You know, I remember a time where I was like I, like I said, grew up in the church and grew up with a very legalistic aspect, so it was like you do not say certain things, like you do not say this to God, right, and I'm reminded that he is the God that opened the earth and swallowed, like you do not do this. And when I was going through that time, I mean it was the most challenging time I'm actually saying the secondary, it was challenging time of my life and being able to just give it all to God. And I remember thinking like I was at a point like if you strike me down, it's okay, I'm okay with that too, right now, like, and then almost like waiting, but then receiving his love and receiving his grace and being able to sit and recognize like I can have candid conversations with you.
Speaker 1:That's what you want, which is what we want in a relationship. Like when I think about my husband and I. I don't want a relationship where he feels like everything has to be pretense because I'm not having an authentic relationship, and that's what God wants with us, like he just wants us to come with our authentic selves that he already is aware of, so that he can be with us in it. Right, okay, so I have to talk about. I see, and I know, I happen to know, but I want our listeners to know. Let's talk about this whole Bible devotional. Lord knows, I love the word, I love Jesus Christ, who is the word, so I want to know about it. So where did the whole Bible devotional come from?
Speaker 2:Well, interestingly, this was another kind of trial that the Lord or actually I would say in my case, because sometimes our trials come because of our own, our own poor choices, or it can be something outside of ourselves or something that someone else has done, but in this case, um well, I had first read through. I'm going to back up a bit. I had first read through the Bible myself, from beginning to end Genesis to Revelation when I was about 16 years old, and I certainly didn't understand everything, but I made it through and I felt like I knew the Lord better and it really, you know, deepened my relationship with the Lord.
Speaker 2:And I just continued to read either parts of the Bible, books of the Bible, or read again through the Bible, beginning to end, from that time on really. So when my kids became teenagers they were about that same age I thought, oh, I'd love to do this with my kids. So I said, let's read through the Bible together. Everybody was on board, they were excited and we dug in. We got going and then, you know, this happened or that happened. We kind of fell off and we were like, okay, let's get started again and this. That went a few times and we finally just the whole thing fell apart. We lost momentum and I just didn't have it in me to keep us going on it and I just felt so disappointed by that. I felt like I had let my kids down, I had let God down, let myself down as a mother. So I just really had this like deep disappointment about that, that I hadn't helped them experience what I had experienced when I was a teen. And I feel like God planted even then because I was still working then God planted a little seed in me so that after my first book was self-published and I was still working on my blog, I just felt the Lord nudging me to work on this second book.
Speaker 2:So my goal with the second book, which is called the Whole Bible Devotional Seeing Jesus in Every Book of the Bible. What I did was I you know there's 66 books in the Bible, so I took an excerpt, a representative excerpt, from every book of the Bible. So there's 66 readings and I wrote a prayer to go with each of those. But I should actually just say this the goal of the book is to make it easier, more doable, more accessible for people with today's busy schedules to get a sense of the Bible as a whole and to understand how Jesus is woven through the whole Bible. So the book, actually it has three basic components.
Speaker 2:It starts with a non-academic, simple Bible summary, but that gives you like an overview of how Christ is the word from beginning to end, and then, so that you can go from that big picture view then to look at each of the 66 books one by one. And again there's just excerpts for each of those 66 books, so it can be done like a daily reading. There's just excerpts for each of those 66 books, so it can be done like a daily reading. And then the prayers also help highlight how Christ is really interwoven into that scripture and it also helps the reader then not just take this on an intellectual level, but actually read and connect with the Lord while they're reading the scriptures. So that's really the goal of the book is to make it more doable for people to experience representative texts from Genesis to Revelation and to grasp Jesus throughout the scriptures and the fullness of who he is.
Speaker 1:Yes, Okay, I am so excited right now, let me tell you, I'm like about to. Will we log off? I'm like I need this because I am in that stage. I have three teenagers. I have a 60 year old and twins that are 14. And so we do have. We actually have twice a week where there's a weekly Bible study time. As a family, we come together.
Speaker 1:But those daily devotionals have been the thing that like, okay, we start and then, and more so, I will even say even like the checkups, like we start, and then I'm like, oh, a week later, like are you guys doing your devotional right, right? So you just, first of all, thank you, because you just encouraged my mama's heart right now, like I'm not the only one right through this struggle and uh, too, I'm like there, that sounds like an amazing resource to help us in this, and so thank you. I mean I know you didn't write the book specifically for me, but thank you, you're welcome For really coming out of that and seeing how you can help someone else, and I mean that's a prime example to me of just the tightest woman wanting to pour into someone else, from your experience.
Speaker 2:So thank you so much welcome, you're welcome, and all praise to the lord.
Speaker 1:Yes yes, absolutely okay. So I'm looking at the time and I'm like I can't believe it. Like where did the time go? I feel like that happens every episode. I'm like, oh my goodness, all right. Well, before we close out, there's one of the things I actually wanted to mention is you have an amazing blog. I actually was. As I was going through just preparing to have this chat with you, I read about a garment of praise and I had looked at trees of righteousness. I'm like this is good. So tell us about the blog. What had you start doing this blog and how can people be connected with the blog?
Speaker 2:Yes, so the blog is my name, my first name and last name, so it's melissamclaughlinorg, and I'm just going to spell that in case there's anyone listening M-E-L-I-S-S-A-M-C-L-A-U-G-H-L-I-Norg, so you can visit there and check out my writing, my resources, and there's also a little box on there If you'd like to sign up and become a subscriber. It's free, and then you receive right into your inbox and email a weekly email with a devotional. Sometimes they're a little more Bible study oriented, sometimes a little more devotional oriented. I also sometimes really focus just on scripture, prayer or occasionally also a poem. I do love, you know, christian poetry. The poetry actually takes a lot of time, so I can only do a poem every so often. Okay, so every once in a while you'll get a poem in your inbox, but, yes, so I'd love to have anyone follow me there. There's also a contact page there If you wanted to connect with me. It'll come right to my email and you can ask questions or ask for prayer. I'd be happy to pray for anyone or just stay connected there.
Speaker 2:I'm also on some social media platforms. You can find me on Facebook, on Instagram and also on Twitter, slash X. I'm on all of those platforms if you want to connect with me there as well. You can also email me directly at Melissa, at MelissaMcLaughlinorg. So yeah, that's my blog I'd love to connect with with anyone who's interested, and I got that blog started right around that same time when I became when I started writing the book the first book coming out of my health problem, my health setback. It came out. I started that about the same time, so it's been going ever since then. I think maybe since 2018, which is about when that happened. I believe the timing is right.
Speaker 1:Awesome. I absolutely love it. I do want to tell you I mean, we have people come on this is what Graceful Community is right People that have been impacted by the Lord and are sharing their stories and how they're impacting others, and I want to tell you that you have definitely impacted me today. So thank you and I pray for our listeners that they have the same response. I'm sure they will. But thank you for all that you are doing for the kingdom and I'm grateful to the Lord that he chose to use you as the gift and the resource. So thank you so much. I do want to ask I know that I happen to know that you have these books on standby. So if you, for our listeners that are viewing our viewers, I guess I would say if you would just hold up the book so they get a chance to see what books that they are looking for. Y'all, I encourage you. I already said that whole Bible devotional. I'm on it right after we log off.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, thank you, nicole. So this was my first self-published book, in dark of night, when words fail, voice of Jesus, pray for me, and that's available from Amazon. And then my second book. This was published by a traditional publisher. It's called CLC Publications. It's a small Christian publishing company and this is called the Whole Bible Devotional Seeing Jesus in Every Book of the Bible, and that's available at Amazon. It's also available directly from CLC publications and other major retailers as well. So, yeah, I hope those books are a blessing. You know, my husband and I pray daily for anyone that the Lord leads, puts, you know, places these books in their hands, that they would be blessed by the Holy Spirit as they read. So I'll be praying for all, all of whoever chooses to read.
Speaker 1:I'll be praying for you, thank you, thank you it's good to know, because I'll be praying for you, thank you. Thank you. It's good to know, because I'm already saying that I'm in your prayers because I'm choosing to read. So thank you.
Speaker 2:You're welcome and I just want to. I'm wondering, nicole, if you have ever written a book, and if you haven't, I want to just encourage you to consider that.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. Interesting enough, we do have a book in the works and so I've written. I've been a part of some collectives with various books and then I have written some very short style ebooks. We are in the process of a book that 2026, I believe, we will be completed, so it's a joint writing my husband and I. Oh wow, what a blessing. Thank you for that encouragement as well.
Speaker 2:What a blessing. I'll be praying for you as your new book comes out.
Speaker 1:Thank you, I appreciate it. Well. Listeners, oh my goodness, what a sweet, sweet time. I hope that you can just feel the love and the enjoyment that Melissa and I had today through. Wherever you're listening, whether you're in the car, whether you are doing the dishes, or if you are viewing and watching us. I hope that you can see the love that we have for you. That only comes from the love that God has for you.
Speaker 1:So, as always, thank you for tuning in to graceful community podcast. I encourage you to stay connected to melissa and if you are in search of community, as you are valuable, you are loved, you are worthy and we want to connect you with community. So, wherever you, we have resources globally that we will connect you with Christian partners and community spaces for you and your loved ones. So if you have any aspects of a need for community, I encourage you to simply email grow at gracefieldcommunitycom Gracevillecommunitycom. Or if you have any questions that we can possibly be of resource to you, whether it's prayer or scripture based, we are happy to connect at Grow. Once again, grow at Gracevillecommunitycom. Listeners, thanks for tuning in, melissa. Thank you again so much. It was a blast it was.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, Nicole.
Speaker 1:Oh, my pleasure. All right, until next time. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Graceville Community Podcast. We would like to invite you to visit gracevillecommunitycom.
Speaker 1:Graceville Community is all about doing church the way Church of Acts did, using five main principles that we see in the book of Acts Sharing resources, as believers pooled their possessions and resources to support those in need, as we see in Acts 2.44. Through hospitality the early Christians practiced hospitality by opening their homes to others, as we see in Acts 2 and 46. By financial aid the church in Antioch sent financial aid to believers in Judea during a time of famine, as described in Acts 11 and 29. Prayer and encouragement they supported each other through prayer and encouragement, as we see in Acts 4 and 24. And finally, spiritual guidance the apostles and elders provided spiritual guidance and teaching to help strengthen and build the community, as we see in Acts 15 30. I would like to encourage you. If any of those areas are areas in which you are in need or can contribute, please reach out to Graceville Community. We are working together across the world with ministries and individuals alike to help bring back the Church of Acts.
