What Breaks Your Heart?

Years ago, God laid these two questions on my heart.  The first was “Linda, what breaks your heart?”, and the second was “how are you going to use that to glorify me?” My husband, Merrill, and I would pray and pray over these questions for years. We both felt God calling us to work with individuals, couples, and families who needed HELP and who have lost HOPE, but we weren’t exactly sure how.

Leaps of Faith
Those two questions prompted Merrill and I to take leaps of faith WAY out of our comfort zone including a new ministry position and church home years ago. Answering that question led to Merrill and I adding to our family and adopting three more children who were students in my husband’s school building. Three years ago, Merrill and I took another giant leap of faith leaving our full-time jobs in the school and church world to start a new faith-based coaching organization called Rock Solid Families. All of those moves were a result of answering those two questions: “What breaks your heart?” and “How are you going to use that to glorify me?”

Mama Scar
For our special guest on this week’s Rock Solid Radio podcast, Scarlet Hudson, answering those two questions for herself meant quitting her full time job in the corporate world to fight the ugly world of sex trafficking and bringing the HOPE of Christ to the marginalized women on the streets of Cincinnati. Scarlet Hudson may be the CEO and founder of the faith based non-profit Women of Alabaster, but to the women she ministers to, she’s “Mama Scar”. She spends her days feeding, housing, and loving on women who struggle to even love themselves. Don’t miss this week’s episode of Rock Solid Radio as Scarlet shares how God broke her heart for what breaks his. Put yourself in Scarlet’s shoes. Would you be ready to answer the call like Scarlet did?

How about You?
How would you personally answer those two questions today? Not everyone is called to adopt three children or serve in the prostitution ministry, but the Lord IS calling ALL of us to do something. So take some time to really ponder and pray over these two questions. “What breaks your heart?” and “How are you going to use that to glorify Him?” But be careful what you pray for. Chances are the Lord wants you out of your comfort zone too!

Click HERE to WATCH the full episode of Rock Solid Radio- Sex Trafficking with Special Guest Scarlet Hudson-Episode 141

Click HERE to LISTEN to the full episode of Rock Solid Radio- Sex Trafficking with Special Guest Scarlet Hudson-Episode 141

Never Say Never

When my husband and I started at Rock Solid four months ago, we were in bad shape. We had let years and years of resentment grow and fester in our hearts. As a woman, I had forgotten why we were even together and didn't think there was anything worth saving. We had tried therapists in the past, but neither of us had given it a 100%. With our previous therapists, I always felt I was right, and my husband always felt attacked. I didn't see a way out other than divorce.

That is when God put Merrill Hutchinson and Rock Solid Families in our lives. From the very first session, we both felt heard. Merrill showed us that we were BOTH causing damage not only to each other and our relationship, but to our kids as they watched our bad habits. Merrill helped up see how we needed to bring God into our marriage, or we weren't going to make it. Over the course of a few months, we were given the tools on how to handle conflict and how to communicate with each other. Without the Lord and Rock Solid Families, we would not have made it. Since coming to Rock Solid Families, my husband and I are closer than we ever have been before.

Don’t you just love seeing what God can do with two willing hearts? How he transforms our lives and our relationships into something that honors Him? At Rock Solid Families, we don’t claim to have all the answers, but we trust in a mighty God who does. With every client, we try and lean into His power and seek His wisdom. We don’t always get it right, and there are definitely times we miss the mark. After all, He’s God and we’re not. But when we humble ourselves and surrender our way for His; there’s no telling what God will do. Hearing stories like the one just shared with us confirms that God is still in the life changing business.

The apostle Paul understood better than any of us how God’s power was made perfect in OUR weakness. No fancy words. No magic pills. Just the power of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the one who created us in His image. So NEVER SAY NEVER when it comes to His power at work in your marriage and in your hearts. As Paul says, No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

We are committed at Rock Solid Families to spread that message of HELP and HOPE with everyone we work with. That is why we do two weekly podcasts and videos on the topics of faith, family, and personal wellness. Rock Solid Radio and Strong Dads are two programs we write and record weekly to help spread that message with our community and abroad. We are blessed to have listeners from all over the world. You can find both on YouTube and most major podcast platforms like Spotify, IHeart Radio, Apple and Google Podcasts. Don’t know how to find those? Just go to our website, rocksolidfamilies.org. It can all be found there too. We are committed to putting tools and resources into the hands of those ready for change. We are passionate about helping to build more strong and healthy individuals, couples, and families. When an individual gives up or a family falls apart-everyone loses. Help us help others, but sharing this blog or one of our shows. And remember, no matter how bad things may seem right now, NEVER SAY NEVER, because with God all things are possible! (Matthew 19:16)