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Pain Demands to be Felt
We’ve all heard the phrases. “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” “Pain has a purpose.” “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” They sound powerful. Clean. Motivational. But lingering pain? Pain that stays for days… weeks… Pain that doesn’t leave when you pray once or rest one night? That kind of pain isn’t poetic. That pain doesnt have a one liner that can heal it completely. As I write this, it’s the middle of the night again. This isn’t the first night it has woken me.
Kelsay Parrott
Feb 213 min read
From Dust... To Grace
I felt a pull. A pull to tradition. A pull to recenter. A pull to come back to the basics. So tonight, I went to church for Ash Wednesday. A simple worship, sermon, ashes, and communion. Nothing crazy, nothing wild. Just traditional. Chills went through my spine when the Reverend touched my forehead and said the words, “You are dust, and to dust you will return.” I felt that truth deep in my bones. Not in a heavy way. Not in a hopeless way. But in a grounding way. A humbling
Kelsay Parrott
Feb 183 min read
The Sacred Tone of the Record
There is a sacred hush when the needle touches the groove, and the past rises, soft and insistent, into the room we occupy yet also beyond it. A song begins, and suddenly we are elsewhere—in a moment that existed decades ago, carried by a voice, a melody, a heartbeat. These moments are more than memory; they are a reality that stretches beyond where we are right now, a connection deeper than the daily rush, a pulse that holds us together, a quiet community drawing near throug
Kelsay Parrott
Feb 172 min read
Voices of Change
There is something sacred about a voice. Not the polished kind that fills auditoriums. Not the kind that trends or echoes across platforms or becomes a faded audio file. But the trembling, ordinary, human voice—the one that cracks when it tells the truth. The one that whispers and yells. The one that changes in the moment. Your voice carries more power than you think. Every word you speak carries power—more than you may ever realize. Every whisper, every pause, every tremblin
Kelsay Parrott
Feb 166 min read
A 1940s Perspective
Dear Friend, This weekend, I found myself at a 1940s dance in Gettysburg with a group of friends. We dressed in the style of the era—polished shoes, pressed dresses, crisp suits—and danced to music that once carried people through war, uncertainty, and long nights of waiting for news from the front. We laughed like we had no troubles at all, yet all around us, history whispered its weight. The machines that once carried soldiers, the stories tucked into every tune, the air it
Kelsay Parrott
Feb 155 min read
This is my Why
This is my why. People ask me, “Why are you so passionate about helping others?” This is the answer. That little girl in the photo is me — little Kelsay. Smiling. Bright. Full of wonder. Carrying more pain than most could imagine, yet still choosing joy. Even then, God was writing a story I didn’t yet understand — forming purpose from pain, calling light out of ashes. Tonight, the pain was loud. My leg burned down into my toes, the nerves beneath my scars screaming like fire.
Kelsay Parrott
Feb 113 min read
Like a Railroad Line
A line from Soul on Fire has been echoing in my heart. A little girl asks John, “If you could go back and stop it from ever happening, would you?” I sat with that question longer than I expected. Would I change it? Would I choose a different story if I could? Would I ask God to spare me the pain and suffering of every situation? As I kept pondering, the question widened. What if I had pursued being a doctor? When I was in elementary and middle school, I dreamed of becoming a
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 264 min read
26 Lessons from 26 Years: Part 3
Parts one and two reflected God’s love and the lessons it has taught me along the way—truths carved into my life in quiet moments, in painful seasons, and in the spaces where I could only pray and trust. This final part is where those lessons settled into my bones. These are not theories or ideals—they are lived realities. They are what remained after the dust settled, after the wounds began to scar, and after I realized that survival was no longer the goal—living was. I pray
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 215 min read
26 Lessons for 26 Years: Part 2
Here we go with part 2 of this one. Here is the recap 1. Treasure every moment—big or small 2. Not every good opportunity is obedience 3. Pain is not proof that God is absent 4. Gratitude is a form of seeing 5. God does not ask us to earn His approval 6. Letting go is sometimes an act of faith 7. The past holds wisdom the present often forgets 8. Small victories are still victories 9. Rest is holy resistance 10. Truth without love is noise 11. Waiting is not wasted time If Pa
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 205 min read
Part 1: 26 Life Lessons
In turning another year older this week, I felt God ask me not just to look back—but to name what He has done. These are not polished lessons, I am far from having it all together. They were carved into me through joy, loss, endurance, and grace. Some were learned gently. Others were learned on my knees. This is Part 1 of 26 lessons from 26 years. 1. Treasure every moment—big or small Life does not wait for us to feel ready. It moves forward—quietly, relentlessly, beautifully
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 196 min read
Felt Forgivness
Forgiveness is a choice. It’s a daily choice—a moment-by-moment decision to remind yourself, when the enemy tries to speak, that you have let go and given it to God. The Bible tells us we must forgive… so why is it so hard? I’ve been tempted many times with unforgiveness—both in my past and even in my present. One person comes to mind who I once couldn’t even stand to hear their name. Now? I can hug them, talk with them, laugh with them like they never hurt me. But walking th
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 135 min read
Choosing Health is not a Lack of Faith
I’ve started noticing the signs again. Not good ones either. The pain. The tightness. The quiet but persistent reminders that something in my body isn’t right. The constant concern in the back on my head that I try to ignore but it remains like a smoke detector that never shuts off. Symptoms I once prayed my way through, symptoms I believed were behind me, have found their way back into my days—stealing rest, dulling joy, and making it harder to simply be. As someone with Ch
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 43 min read
Stepping Into 2026
An Open Page, A Willing Heart A new year always feels like an open page—one filled with hope and dreams, goals and intentions, prayers whispered and promises yet to unfold. For me, 2026 doesn’t just hold big goals; it carries even bigger dreams—dreams planted by God long before I ever had the courage to name them. There is something deeply sacred about beginnings. About slowing down long enough to reflect, to breathe, and to ask the Lord, “What are You inviting me into next?”
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 44 min read
New Years Resolutions... NEVER
We all know the list—the resolutions we write with confidence on January 1, the promises we make to ourselves with the best of intentions. This year will be different. New year, new me. No more excuses Heck I think I have started the resolution of "Dieting and losing weight" every year for the past 10 years.... oops. We’ve all said it. And yet, so often those words fade—not because we didn’t care, but because willpower alone was never meant to carry the weight of real transfo
Kelsay Parrott
Jan 14 min read
A Victorian Christmas: The Sacred Weight of Wonder
In the Victorian era, Christmas was not a spectacle—it was a theology lived slowly. The season carried weight, meaning, and reverence. It was shaped by Scripture, ritual, and an unshakable belief that God had entered human history in the most unexpected way. Christmas was not celebrated to escape hardship, but to proclaim hope in the midst of it. Victorian Christians observed Christmastide, the twelve holy days beginning on December 25 and ending on January 6, Epiphany—the ce
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 21, 20254 min read
Year Reflection
This has been one of the best years of my life. I can’t say it’s been easy. In fact, it’s been the complete opposite. It has been so hard—beyond hard at times. There were times I wanted to just give up, felt the weight of the world and wanted to crumple. There were financial burdens that made it difficult to make ends meet, and ones that still continue. I never intended to lose nearly $40,000 out of nowhere or to find myself fighting my way out of more debt because of other p
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 20, 20254 min read
Advent Reflection 7
Tonight, Pastor Steve talked about Divine Interruptions, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. As I reflect on this year and step into the Christmas season, this message feels especially close to my heart. Divine interruptions are those moments when life doesn’t just change direction—it feels like it gets completely derailed. When what you planned, prayed for, or expected suddenly isn’t what unfolds. When God interrupts your story in ways that feel confusing, inc
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 13, 20255 min read
Advent Reflection 6
A Poem reflection on the First Christmas. THE FIRST CHRISTMAS In the lowly stable, No one could have thought That the first feast at His table Would be the first offering brought. It was not pretty, as the stories often seem— It was messy and dirty, just like you, just like me. Yet out of the womb, hope overwhelming gleamed: The Savior of the world… how could this be? Mere teenagers, now parents of a King— Frightened, and yet held in perfect peace. Mary and Joseph, cradling t
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 10, 20252 min read
Advent Reflection #5
Most of Mary’s life was ordinary. Daily tasks. Familiar streets. Predictable rhythms. Nothing about her circumstances suggested that heaven would come knocking on her door. She was just a lowly, average woman. And yet, on an unremarkable day in an unremarkable town, an angel stepped into her world and everything changed. Luke tells us: “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’” — Luke 1:28 It wasn’t the timing Mary expecte
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 10, 20252 min read
Advent Reflection #4
Advent is a season shaped by waiting—holy waiting, hopeful waiting, sometimes weary waiting. It’s the quiet inhale before the joy of Christmas morning, the slow kindling of light in a world that can feel so dim. I know I’ve written a lot about waiting, but it is truly the piece of Advent I often miss the most. Every year, Advent asks me to pause long enough to notice the subtle ways God shows up. This year, my reminder came months before Advent ever began. On Good Friday—one
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 4, 20253 min read
Sensitive Content:
As a trauma pastor and survivor, I find it essential to alert readers to sensitive topics, ensuring they feel safe and aren’t caught off guard. A simple warning can prevent harm, so please approach this content mindfully. If it may be sensitive for you, consider reading at a safer time or skipping it altogether. If something causes distress, please seek help from a licensed counselor, pastor, or trusted friend. Note that it’s impossible to warn for all triggers, so please advocate for yourself and assess the content before engaging. Thank you for understanding and for helping create a safer environment for all!
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