Content by Debra Brown
Shamrocks in the Closet
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown We’d circled St. Patrick’s Day on the 2007 calendar months ago, long before pink and white azaleas bloomed around city squares and yellow pollen dusted everything. Instead, our own shamrocks in the closet changed everything. It happened because a little black cat showed up outside our door the previous December. She shivered in the damp coastal cold, her fur no match for the wind. She fit in two hands at…
More Than Roses
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown Valentine’s Day used to sting a little, even though I was married to a good man. Allen wasn’t unkind, but he didn’t “do” holidays. I smiled when my co-worker received flowers at the office, their scent drifting across her desk. I admired my friend’s necklace and even sampled a chocolate from someone’s fancy box. But then I’d go home to a quiet house and a husband who ignored roses, candy,…
How About That Hair!?
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown Peace lasted three aisles after I handed 4-year-old Meredith the candy cane from my purse to keep her occupied, while we shopped at Kmart on the cold January day. Near housewares, past after-Christmas sales items and new Valentine’s Day displays, Meredith’s candy-cane-crunching screeched to a halt. Her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open. I followed her gaze. Oh, no. A woman strutted toward us in a short red dress, my…
Silent Night
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown Beep. “What was that?” I waited. Allen yawned. “I didn’t hear anything.” I shrugged and went on with my bedtime routine. It had been a full December day, early in our marriage. Back then, the Christmas parade rolled through town in the morning, so we bundled up and waved as marching bands, floats, and Santa himself rolled down Main Street. After dark, we lingered over dinner with friends, laughter spilling like…
When the Table Shrinks
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown The sun cast a warm glow over the Georgia coast as we gathered for the Brown Thanksgiving, but I felt a tug of sadness. The “off year” meant Meredith and Jordan were spending the holiday with his family in San Antonio. I missed them already. “Maybe they’ll be with us next year,” Allen said, mirroring my thoughts as he held the door open for me. Beyond the windows, the river…
Full-Size Moments
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown Give, and it will be given to you… For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” – Luke 6:38 (NIV). Spanish moss rustled in the oaks. A few red and gold vine leaves glowed against the October sky. I checked the pumpkins waiting to be carved and sighed. Most years, I couldn’t wait for Halloween night, with the porch lit, cider simmering, and a candy bowl…
Through the Fog
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown For we walk by faith, not by sight” – 2 Corinthians 5:7. Before the coffee could kick in, we crept along the backroads, the thick fog slowing us down and threatening to turn our Orlando adventure into a no-show. The Labor Day weekend trip to Walt Disney World promised a relaxing escape for Allen, our six-year-old daughter, Meredith, and me. We needed a vacation after the summer of 1996, which…
When the House Settles
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown There is a time for everything, and a season for every purpose under the heavens” – Ecclesiastes 3:1. As the steam rose from the pavement during the August rain, I thought, “I didn’t expect to grieve every time Meredith left home, but I did.” I felt sad when Meredith left high school for college. When she graduated and moved to Asheville, the house felt empty again. But then she came…
Lavender Towels and Lemon Trees
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown Every good and perfect gift is from above…” – James 1:17. “I had dreamed of this cruise for years,” I thought as the summer sun streamed through the jet’s windows. Five days in Barcelona, then sailing the Mediterranean with my daughter Meredith to celebrate her high school graduation. It was my ultimate summer bucket list trip. I’d saved, planned, and Pinterest-boarded each detail. I booked excursions in every port. I…
What Are You Watering?
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown Lately, I’d been feeling the distance. Twelve is a funny age—too old for dolls, too cool for spontaneous hugs, and too busy for long talks with your mom. Our personal connection had felt limited—crowded out by school, friends, and headphones. I missed her. I missed us. So when Saturday rolled around, I asked Meredith to help me plant marigolds—tough little flowers that could handle the summer heat. Not because she…
Answering God’s Nudge with the Written Word
Debra Brown delivered these inspirational comments during the Hinesville First United Methodist Women in Faith Prayer Breakfast on May 17, 2025. How Writing Became My Spiritual Walk Pastor Tony asked me to share how writing ties to my spiritual journey. I’ve always thought writing was my passion, more than a hobby, but maybe a side gig. But after preparing this presentation, it’s evident that God guided me through every stage to my purpose. The Seed Was Planted: In 6th grade,…
Tides of Faith
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown I stepped outside our beachside inn and breathed in the salty air—the scent of summer, joyful memories, and every perfect family vacation. It carried echoes of laughter, long beach walks, and early-morning shell hunts. “Come on, Momma! The sun will be up before we get there,” my seven-year-old daughter Meredith called, swinging her bucket and tossing her towel over her arm. Her flip-flops slapped against the concrete as we passed…
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