Challenges Won't Stop Me with Melony Brown

Challenges Won’t Stop Me: a resilient conversation with Melony Brown to help you survive and thrive 

Challenges are inevitable, but you can survive and learn to thrive amid them. Build the skills you need to shout, “Challenges won’t stop me!” Melony Brown knows all about challenges and she doesn’t let them stop her. Listen in as she shares her resilient wisdom and resources to help you overcome challenges in your life.

 Get the book Challenges Won't Stop Me: An Interactive Survival Guide for Overcoming & Thriving:  https://amzn.to/3j7U62r

 Take the Overcomer Quiz at http://jouneyonquiz.com

 Connect with Melony: https://melonybrown.com

Connect with Teresa: https://teresajanzen.com

 Melony Brown Bio:

Author, speaker, and host of the Challenges Won't Stop Me podcast, Melony Brown seeks to equip and empower women to overcome life's tough challenges. The mountains are always calling her, and she heeds the call as often as possible. 

 Challenges Won't Stop Me:

https://www.amazon.com/Challenges-Wont-Stop-Interactive-Overcoming/dp/B0BD55T5YK?&linkCode=ll1&tag=teresajanzen-20&linkId=fb821e0a045249d081462cbb01692d30&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

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Teresa Janzen Bio:

Teresa Janzen, M.Ed., lives life full and free. An international speaker, author, coach, and host of the Radical Abundance podcast, she inspires audiences with tales from her travels and travails. Teresa is married to Dan and together they bridge cultures and continents serving primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and North America. 

Transcript

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Welcome to Radical Abundance. I'm your host, Teresa Janzen have you ever felt like you encountered challenges in your life? I know that you do because we all do. Or maybe your journey has taken a little bit of a zig and a zag there. Well, today's guest not only knows about those challenges, she knows about overcoming challenges, and that's what we're gonna be talking about. If you enjoy the stories to hear on radical abundance, why not leave a review? It'll help more people find the show and enjoy the encouraging messages. Melanie Brown, welcome to Radical Abundance. Hey, Teresa, it's so great to be with you today. Melony do I detect just a little bit of a southern accent there? Where are you from? Yes, ma'am. I can't hide it., I am born, raised, and have lived in Georgia all my life. In fact, my husband calls me his Georgia Peach. That's right. Okay, wonderful. Well, I love that. I love the diversity of American English. Yes. And I'm glad that you have brought that. To the show today. So excited for our conversation, and we're gonna be talking about overcoming challenges. So I have a hunch that you've had a challeng or two in your life. What is it that really brought this topic to your heart, to the point that you would write about it? You podcast about it. You really have invested your life in helping people overcoming challenges in their life. So where did your story start? Yeah, I have quite a story. Started when I was two years old. I had a stroke that paralyzed my left side and of course left me with. Some re residual deficits. Now, not so much that I couldn't function, I function like any other kid, but I did have some struggles that other kids did not have. Fast forward to my early twenties, mid twenties actually, I started having migraines, which are also neurological. Combining those two. I was very concerned and talked to my neurologist and said, Could these be related? What's going on? Why did I have a stroke at two? And now I'm having all of these debilitating migraines? And it's not that they didn't care, but they just didn't know. And fast forward to my early forties, I started having many strokes, and again, neurological issues. I had a new neurologist by the time that I had my third mini stroke, and I. Please, there's something going on. And he said, I agree. So he said, if you have another incident, then we're gonna do an angiogram of your brain. And that should give us a very clear picture because it's much more detailed than an MRI or an r a. So unfortunately another mini stroke happened, and indeed I did have an angiogram. And it showed that I have a rare cerebral vascular disease that's progressive called Moya Moya. And it's, it's an Asian disease and clearly you, you catch my southern accent, but you also see that I am clearly not Asian. So yeah. And I, I'm odd that that happened. But there you go. And so of course, what do you do when, when you have this disease? Well, he said brain surgery and I. Oh, okay. But at least I was getting an answer, a name, an explanation for why all these things were happening to me. And almost seven years ago, March will be seven years, I had brain surgery and they moved the th a thriving blood vessel from the right side, just above my ear to the part of my brain that had not been receiving. and not good blood flow my entire life. So first incident happened at age two, didn't get a diagnosis until age 45. So that right there is an act of God. Yeah, there is no time way that I could have functioned and not had more serious incidences throughout that time period. My parents from the time that I was two and left the hospital while they were overwhelmed and scared and didn't know. What had happened to their sweet baby? They infused in me and overcome her attitude. They did not let me take a pass on anything. I had to be involved in sports. I had to learn how to ride a bicycle, which took me forever because my balance is horrible. But they taught me, you know, you've had something awful happen to you. but that doesn't define you and it cannot defeat you. So the only thing that they allowed me to get a pass on was typing in high school. At that time, typing class was a required class, and the fine motor skills in my left hand are not good. And so they went to the school and said She's got a really good GPA and she wants. continue on to college, and if she takes this typing class, she's gonna fail. There's just no way. Her hand cannot do those five different keys. They just can't. And so they get, they, the school allowed me to take a pass, which I was very thankful for. I wanted to avoid all the stairs and all of the questions and all of the internal angst that I knew that I would be experiencing. But that is honestly the only pass that I I took because my parents were very determined and then it instilled in me. I wanted to make sure that this didn't defeat me. I had goals and dreams, and I wanted to continue to pursue them. I love the fact that you described it as challenges. Your challenges won't define you and they won't defeat you. And yes, ma'am, that can do overcome our attitude. Thank you for your parents and amen. Yeah, so I, I've looked at your book, which is called Challenges Won't Stop Me. I just love. How you have written this with a theme of a journey or a kind of a hiking theme, mile markers and everything to to mark the path towards getting that overcomer attitude. What inspired you to write a book to share this with other people? Well, over the course of, I guess my life, I've always had people. How do you face all of these things and, and you're, you're smiling and you're happy, and while I know that you have bad days, they're not too many because you just keep going and going and we just, we gotta know why. And so I have encouraged other people who are going through challenges my whole life. Not as a specific ministry, but just because. I knew that these people were struggling and they were hurting and they felt lost and they needed encouragement. And that is definitely one of the gifts that God has given me is the gift of encouragement. And sometimes people honestly do not know what to do. Hmm. And they get in, they get in their head, and of course Satan jumps right in there with them and he is stirring things up and he is. Telling them lies and they're already in a weakened state with their body or their mind or their emotions or their finances or relationships. And it just gets to the point where they just feel defeated and why me and things are never gonna get better. And so, I started a podcast and I interviewed these women who were just like me. They had faced various challenges, could have been abuse, addiction could have been losing a limb for various reasons. Divorce, the, the gamut is just amazing of the women that God has allowed me to intersect lives with because they too. Understand what I'm talking about with wanting to just share how they've overcome. It's, it's about a mindset. It's definitely about a very connected relationship with God and allowing him and trusting him to navigate those hard parts. In all honesty, I'm sure you've experienced this yourself, when we're in challenges, there's, there are some things we can do, but there are a lot of things that are just completely out of our control. And that's where God steps in and we just have to trust that he's gonna do that. And so I've interviewed between my, my written blog and my podcast, I've interviewed over 135 women Wow. Who have shared the same. Type message that I have. They talk about, of course, their journey of overcoming that they really focus on the strategies that they've used, the lessons that they've learned, the habits that they've incorporated, and that helps those who are struggling and maybe aren't ready to talk about it or admit it. But it also helps for all of us to just learn from each other how God has. Been in our lives and while he may not take away the challenge, cuz my challenge, my moya is not going away, even though I had surgery, I still deal with it every single day. It's sometimes very mild or almost non-existent. And then other times it's very challenging. But the encouragement and inspiration is definitely so valuable whether you are going through a struggle yourself or you're not. And so it just kind of naturally rolled into wanting to write about it and to. And, and, and to get it in the hands of people who need it, who need that inspiration and encouragement, and maybe even those who don't know God to pick it up and, and read it and say, I I don't know God. And I never even considered asking him to be with me while I'm struggling and, and see how. inviting him and trusting him to be part of your journey, won't magically fix it or completely get rid of it, but on the other side you can say he was working and I am overwhelmed with where my life is now. Right. Well, I love the fact that you talk about being together and taking a journey together, and the fact is, is. Your journey of Moya Moya isn't something. Really, all of us can travel with you, but we can all understand having a challenge to overcome. And even though yours was a health challenge and, and someone else's, could be a financial challenge or a relationship challenge, the challenge is the same and the techniques. to overcome it. Not that the challenge is the same, but it's No, no, no. I get you. The feeling is the same. Yeah. And the, and how you can overcome it may have a common solution. And I love the way that you've written your book because it really gives a feeling of going along with someone and it, I feel like when I'm reading it, I feel like actually your. In my journey together with me, and I know you've, you've subtitled it, an interactive survival guide for overcoming and thriving. You know, radical abundance is all about living life full and free. Not, not getting by, not just sometimes you have to muscle through, but what we're getting towards and working towards is that full and free life that Christ has promised us. Yes, and I love, like in Ecclesiastes four when it talks, two are better than one. And if one person falls down, it's like when you're on that hiking trail, if one person is really struggling, they have someone there to help pull 'em along. Yes. And that's how the body of Christ is and encouraging. And I do feel like the book is interactive. You've done that really, really well and thank you. Yeah. And it is an encourage. So I'm, I'm enjoying it. I'm still working through it because I haven't done the whole thing yet, but I am enjoying as far as I have gone so far. So I encourage people, if you are, are, are going through a challenge or know someone who is, this would be a great thing to pick up. And I love the idea of challenges. Won't stop me. Melanie Brown's book, challenges Won't Stop Me, is available on Amazon, and you can find a link in the show notes. So, Melanie, along that same line, so we have a a book that's a tool and an interactive guide on this journey of overcoming challenges. I know that you podcast as well, and your podcast has gone through a recent rebrand from. Zigzagging one, what it was before. Tell us about the new name of your podcast and how we can find it. Well, it's gonna be called the same name as the book, because while zigzagging one talks about our zigzags and how we face them. and it has been a wonderful four seasons, and I have Teresa. I have interviewed some of the most amazing women. So if your listeners are interested in going back, there are 58 episodes that are titled Under the Zigzagging one podcast. they're still gonna remain there. It's just going through a name change and we are plowing right ahead because it is so important to get it out there. But the new name is Challenges Won't Stop Me, and that's what the name of the book is. That tells exactly the theme that I've been carrying all along. But that name now really encapsulates it because, , the women that I've met that have gone through these challenges that I call overcomers, that's their mindset. That's my mindset, and it's, it's interesting how people think. This whole mindset thing is a little wishy-washy. I'm, I'm not trying to talk about a mindset that goes with the culture. I'm talking about the mindset that Christ. and has asked us to have that solid word feel filled mindset of that God is with me and believing all of the things that he says about us. And that includes that you will face trials. Mm-hmm.. But he says, I will be with you. And I promise you there may be have been times throughout. Lifelong journey that I didn't feel God there, but he's been there and I see it, especially on the other side when, when the challenge is when I'm through it. And that's one of the things that I talk about in my book is the importance of having a travel log and. Remembering and, and seeing where you were and the struggles that you had, maybe dumping everything that you feel, I am angry, I am frustrated. Why is my life like this? Dump it all out in your travel log and then continue writing as you go through that challenge. Noting the people, as you mentioned, the people who were part of that, how they encouraged you, how they supported you and lifted you up in prayer. And then talk about. The things that you see that you are learning. Cause challenges really are a lot about our growth. And so you should be able to write down many things that you are learning about yourself and how you are growing. And then on the back end you can reflect. And it, it, it blows my mind every time. I had a very unexpected turn happen last Thanksgiving and after I had gone through my recovery period and I sat down to reflect on it. God was I. It was amazing. It was amazing. Well, I love that you talk about writing down the challenge, the feelings and everything. Because if we ignore it or stuff it or deny it, it doesn't make it so it didn't happen and that it just magically goes away. It's there, but acknowledging it, getting it on paper, but then writing down the things that you learn that you know are true will help you when you're in that time. When you lose connection with everything. Yes. And you can look back and say, oh yeah, I remember that time when I was going through that time and look at, I felt those things that was very real. And look where God has brought me. And you know, that's what God did with Israel, the, the children of Israel all the time. Remember when? Yes. And always encouraging them to remember. We can see that in the Bible and look. other people of faith who have gone through challenges and how God has been with them. That's one of the reasons we have the Bible. But we can read a book and listen to a podcast and see people in our modern context also. Yes. That have gone through challenges and God has been with them because we're not promised an easy flat path. Are we ? You know, No, and I'll be real honest I'm not really sure that the. Mysterious straight path with no challenges or obstacles. I, I, I, I just, we've been sold a bunch of lies because while you may think that you don't want challenges and no one invites challenges or would volunteer for challenges, but that's where we grow. and it's, some people are like, well, I don't wanna grow . Yes, you do. Yes, yes, yes you do. Yes you do. And But growth pains are not all that fun,. No, no, no, no, they're not. But where I am now as far as the growth that I have experienced in my relationship with God in understanding who he is and. Will for our lives and what, what an amazing gift Jesus is. I wouldn't trade that for anything. Right. I just would not. And that came through those struggles. There's just no other way to say it. When I was recovering from brain surgery, I. Once I was at the point where I could focus right? A little bit, but, but I studied and, and worshiped and. He just fed me so much during that time and I was busy at that time. I was teaching full-time. I had two kids at home. I didn't have a lot of time to study. Now, I did study before my surgery, but that was a gift to have that recovery time and to just soak in his presence, and I gained so much growth during that time.. Well, it's true that our in the challenges. We love those mountaintop experiences where everything's wonderful. That's not what moves us to the next level. It takes a, just like a plant needs a little bit of manure to proud up. We need a there all that's funny. Yeah. Well, Melanie, if someone is listening to this podcast right now and saying, man, I am going through it right now. My path has been zigzaggy, or I am in the midst of a challenge that I just don't know where to even begin. To overcome, what would, what's step one? What would you encourage them to do? Run to God. Hmm. And I know that sometimes is hard because when we are facing a challenge that is hard, whether it's, as you said, health or finances, or an abusive relationship or any number of things, you're angry, you're frustrated. Mm-hmm., you just feel lost. That's the very reason why you need to run to God. He is gonna greet you with open arms, and that is honestly where you start. That's where your journey of overcoming starts is looking at God and saying, I need you. I cannot get through this challenge without you. Hmm. Yeah. Just acknowledging that I, in my own power, I can't do it. Here I am lord. You know, just, it's not that you have to come to God with it all together or without solutions. Just come and., acknowledge that I don't even know what to say and just rest in, in the Lord or cry or whatever it takes. Yes. I love that. That's a great first step. And then I really hope that people can find encouragement in the body of Christ. Yes. And what, whatever that looks like today, you know, it could be a church, but a lot of people aren't even connected to a church. It could be just one friend. It could be a podcast, it could be a book, but whatever. Find something that is nurturing and we'll speak into you and I'm gonna put links to your website where people can get the book and reach out to you. What, but tell us too. I'll put that in the show notes. Tell us, how can people reach out to you, Melanie? Well, my website is melanie brown.com and I'm gonna spell it because mom and dad, while they were amazing with helping me be an overcomer and have that mindset and attitude, They have made it such that I have had to spell my name my entire life. So yeah, I know the feeling.. Yes, I know you do. I know you do. So it's m e l o n y and then brown, like the color.com. Melanie brown.com, and you'll find all of the written overcomer stories there. Links to all of the podcast episodes. And I wanted to tell you about this. I have a journey on quiz where it's a short 20 question quiz that your listeners can take. Then take even five minutes. But it gives you an idea of the kind of personality that you have when it comes to challenges, and it is, it was fun to make, but it also is very revealing and it always leaves us knowing that., while we are good at life, maybe we still need God for every part of our journey, whether we're having a challenge or not. That's that's amazing. I, I didn't see that on your website. I am going to go head over to your website as soon as we're finished and take that quiz because I would like to know, I'd like to know more about myself. Yes. And I think that can be really helpful to know what kind of overcomer I am, or if the, and. How I can be a better overcomer. I'm hoping that's what I'll find out. Yes. So you can go to journey on quiz.com or you can find it on melanie brown.com. Wonderful. Thank you for that resource. Well, I cannot believe how our time has just flown by today. Melanie is, and I wanna give you an opportunity. Is there anything else that you want to leave our listeners with today? Well, I have enjoyed this, Theresa. I, I feel a kindred spirit with you Absolutely.. I definitely want to make sure that the listeners hear that God is with you, whether you feel him or not, and if you will. Trust him to be your master navigator while you're going through your challenges. I believe that you can boldly and confidently say, challenges won't stop me. I love that. Thank you, Melanie, and I wish you a radically abundant day. Well, thank you, Teresa, and I will say that right back at you. All right.