Content by Debra Brown (Page 2)
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…
Confidence Reborn
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown “April showers bring May flowers and fill the world with beauty and joy,” I thought as the heavens opened up with a downpour when I pulled in behind the office. While I sat in my car, waiting for the rain to subside, I couldn’t help but think about the one thing that had once brought me so much joy but now filled me with dread: writing. I’d lost my confidence…
And On The Seventh Day
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown The sun emerged from behind clouds, warming my spot in the driveway. I opened the car door, ready for a full day that promised to spill into the night. I earned my busy badge by enjoying the fast-paced life as a working mom, busy marketing professional, and wife of a business owner and mayor. It never occurred to me to take time to breathe. I’d start early in the morning…
The Sister
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown “It’ll be fun,” my daughter Meredith said. “We can discover our family origins.” So, we ordered Ancestry DNA kits as Christmas gifts. The results were fun until I received a private Facebook message a year later. I’d felt emotional on the dreary November day, the day after Dad’s birthday, 7 years after his death, and the day before Mom and Dad’s anniversary. It was 2018, the year Mom died, so…
The Christmas China
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown The moody January sky cast shadows through the window on the glass of the china cabinet where my friend Joyce and I stood, staring at the contents inside. “Meredith’s generation is less attached to things,” Joyce said. “It’s not a reflection on her childhood. It’s not a reflection on how she feels about you or Allen.” I nodded. “But she doesn’t even want the Christmas china she’s used since birth,”…
The Christmas Lesson
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown Christmas usually meant a time of light and joy for our family. But one year, it seemed to be Dad’s winter of discontent. Christmas officially started the day after Thanksgiving at our house. The wreath went up, Christmas cards were mailed, and we decorated every room with holiday cheer. Mom baked goodies for us to put in gift tins for presents. We enjoyed the spirit of giving. Like every year…
Feast Mode
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown When I married Allen, I had few cooking skills. My culinary repertoire leaned toward sides: salads and steamed or roasted veggies. I had recipes for no-bake desserts and simple casseroles for family gatherings. Allen grilled, and I made a side. Done. Our routine contrasted with how my mom and mother-in-law Willa thought we should do things. Willa often chided me about my lack of interest in the kitchen. She wasn’t…
Scattered Pennies
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown My heart raced when I noticed shiny pennies glistening against the pavement near my car. I looked around as my rational mind said, “Calm down. You’re safe. You haven’t experienced a stalking incident in decades.” But my rational mind didn’t help me get groceries into the car or drive home as my Charleston stalker memories returned. He’d used pennies to terrorize me for years before I married Allen and moved…
Tell Me More
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown “What’d I say?” my husband Allen asked me. Ugh. “I was listening,” I said, aggravated, rattling off verbatim what he’d said while I finished cooking dinner. I plated our food and hoped he wouldn’t share more of the tedious minutia of his day. I had enough of my own. I prided myself on multi-tasking. I handled family responsibilities, work duties, freelance projects, and constant deadlines. No matter what, I’d get…
Long Road Home
The Unlikely Messenger: A Slice of Life with Debra Brown The excitement had dimmed since the weekend trip to NC for Meredith’s dorm move-in and the start of her first year of college. We’d worked toward that move-in weekend for months – but in reality, we’d planned it since her birth. We spent the summer handling the final details on her college-bound to-do list and checked off items. I smiled when anyone said to Meredith, “How exciting! You’re flying the…