top of page
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
Advent Reflection #3
Advent is a time of waiting. We are waiting for the birth of our Savior. We are waiting for our gatherings and our loved ones. We are waiting for miracles. Let me be honest: waiting is HARD. Yes—hard. I’ve been waiting for a miracle for years. And if I’m honest, it’s exhausting to wait for something your heart aches for. Others have gotten their miracles, others have seen the physical healing they asked God for. And I sit. Waiting for mine. And sometimes it hurts in a way tha
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 4, 20252 min read
Advent Reflection #3
Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for the birth of our Savior. We wait for our gatherings and our loved ones. We wait for miracles. And let me be honest: waiting is HARD. Truly hard. I’ve been waiting for a miracle for years. And if I’m honest, it’s exhausting to keep hoping for something your heart aches for. I’ve watched others receive their miracles—watched them celebrate the healing they prayed for. And I sit here. Still waiting for mine. Sometimes it hurts in a way th
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 4, 20252 min read
Advent Reflection #2
If I’m honest, I didn’t expect my Advent reflection to begin with something being taken from me. There is a kind of violation in having your car stolen that is hard to put into words. It wasn’t just a vehicle disappearing—it was my sense of safety, my routine, my independence, the familiar rhythm of my days. It was the security I thought I had in my own home. In a single moment, what I relied on was pulled out from under me, and it left me feeling exposed in a way I didn’t ch
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 2, 20254 min read
Advent Reflection: Part 1
I often spend Advent reflecting on the year — not just on what happened, but on the things that shaped me, softened me, and stretched me in ways I never expected. Advent always feels like a holy pause, an invitation to look back with gentleness and ask, “Where did God meet me this year? Where did He grow me? What did He heal that I didn’t even know needed healing?” When I look at the photo of the girl on the righ, I see 2006. Seven-year-old me. Little Kelsay — tender, terrifi
Kelsay Parrott
Dec 1, 20254 min read
Overcoming Eating Disorders & Anxiety in the Face of the Holidays
A Letter to Anyone Who Feels “Too Much” This Season The holidays have a way of magnifying everything— not just the beauty, not just the joy— but the pain we’ve learned to hide so well. Or so we thought we were hiding it. This season is supposed to feel warm and magical, filled with love and laughter and belonging. But the truth? Sometimes the lights feel too bright. Sometimes the rooms feel too crowded. Sometimes the expectations feel suffocating. For me, one of the hardest p
Kelsay Parrott
Nov 27, 20253 min read
Thanksgiving: More Than a Day
Thanksgiving shows up on the calendar every year with its familiar rhythm — food, family, traditions, photos, and a thousand little expectations. When you live far from blood family, like myself, every year brings something different. But this year, I can’t pretend that gratitude feels simple or tidy. Because the truth is… I’m learning that real thanksgiving — the kind the Bible talks about — is messy. It’s uncomfortable. It’s a discipline formed in the trenches, not around a
Kelsay Parrott
Nov 27, 20255 min read
Become That Person
I was sitting at a Friendsgiving on Wednesday night when I casually said, “I’ve only lived here for three years.”Everyone at the table froze and said, “Wait—what? Only three years??” Their reaction caught me off guard. Not because three years is nothing, but because it has felt so short. Yet somehow, in that short span, I’ve become a part of their world in a way that feels… permanent. Natural. Familiar. And as I sat there, something in me whispered: I’ve never felt this befor
Kelsay Parrott
Nov 22, 20254 min read
A Newly Warmed Welcome
To every single new person joining this space — welcome. Truly, from the depth of my heart… welcome. I don’t take lightly that you’re here. You could be anywhere else, yet somehow your path crossed with mine, and that means something. It tells me you are searching for hope, for connection, for understanding — or maybe just for a place where your story won’t feel “too much.” My prayer is that this becomes that place for you. Healing a Burned Soul was born out of my own ashes —
Kelsay Parrott
Nov 18, 20253 min read
Be Authentic and Let God do the Rest
Last night, I went out for a quick bite with a good friend. As we talked about life and people, he mentioned something someone had said to him: “Watch out for you. Kelsay isn’t as innocent as she tries to seem.” I won’t lie — that one stung deep. It felt like someone had pierced a place in my heart I thought had already healed. Immediately, my mind wanted to know who said it and why. The words replayed over and over until they started to echo in my thoughts: Am I really being
Kelsay Parrott
Nov 13, 20255 min read
Rise Again
A poem about World Burn Congress! There’s a place where hearts collide, where broken wings relearn to glide, where scars aren’t marks we try to hide— they’re proof that we survived. It’s called the **World Burn Congress**, friend, where ashes fall but stories mend, where endings learn to start again, and pain becomes our teacher, not our end. We come from near, we come from far, each carrying our battle scar. But side by side, we start to see— there’s healing in our unity. La
Kelsay Parrott
Nov 12, 20252 min read
Called and Confirmed
Let me set the scene. It’s Wednesday night worship at my church. We’re jamming, we’re celebrating, we’re taking communion, and we’re ordaining a new pastor. At the end, Pastor Josiah gets up on stage. Now, Pastor Josiah is someone I really look up to. He’s my age, but he carries this fire for ministry that I’m drawn to. He simply says, “We’re talking about calling tonight.” Then he opens the altar for anyone who feels God calling them—deeper into relationship, into purpose, i
Kelsay Parrott
Nov 5, 20253 min read
Scars on the Soul
It’s National Scar Appreciation Day, and for the first time in my life, I can honestly say I’m thankful for mine. That sentence didn’t come easily. It has taken years — years of tears, prayers, anger, surrender, and growth — to reach a place where I can look at my reflection and not see tragedy, but testimony. My scars once felt like punishment, but now I see them as purpose. Every mark tells a story. Some came from the flames — the day that changed my life forever — but ot
Kelsay Parrott
Oct 22, 20253 min read
The Enemy Will Attack
Since September, I’ve been helping lead a group called Freedom. It’s a ministry that’s all about helping people step into the abundant life God has for them — the kind of freedom Jesus already won on the cross. It’s holy work. But it’s also front-line work. And when you’re on the front lines, the enemy notices. The truth is simple: The enemy will attack! The spiritual warfare has been real — even before I said yes to leading. For a while after committing, things calmed down.
Kelsay Parrott
Oct 7, 20253 min read
A Desprate but Peaceful Prayer
The first day of International Burn Camp felt like a dream. Every laugh, every story, every shared smile pulled me deeper into the magic of being fully, unapologetically myself. My extroverted heart was alive, thriving, soaring. I was meeting new people and connecting with those I knew, I felt right at home. And then, in the quiet chaos of the day, it happened. I reached to adjust my necklace, tangled in my hair, and my chest sank. The cross pendant — my pendant — was gone. I
Kelsay Parrott
Oct 6, 20253 min read
The Power of International Burn Camp
In honor of International Burn Camp, hosted by the International Association of Fire Fighters ------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is a power here, a power stitched in courage and flame, where scars are not endings, but maps of survival, roads leading us back to each other. There is an honor here, an honor that humbles the heart, to be chosen, to be gathered, to stand in the circle of the brave and call one another family. There is a
Kelsay Parrott
Oct 3, 20251 min read
Faith beyond the Fire
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a deep desire to connect with the firefighter community—not only because of their courage in the face of danger, but because of the hope that can be found beyond the flames. That calling weighs even heavier on my heart now, as Pennsylvania has just endured the devastating loss of seven souls in house fires in a single week. Each life matters, and each tragedy reminds me why this mission is so important. As a burn survivor, fire has been
Kelsay Parrott
Oct 2, 20252 min read
What an Honor
This week, I had the honor of attending International Burn Camp, hosted by the International Association of Fire Fighters. This is a burn survivor leadership camp that sends one camper and one mentor to Washington DC for a week of touring, adventures, leadership building, and community building. Every time I’m surrounded by this community, I am reminded of its power—but this week felt different. This was the icing on the cake, the dream fulfilled that my younger self never st
Kelsay Parrott
Oct 2, 20252 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!
bottom of page