Posts by Shelly Brown

What if the Christmas story you need most isn’t wrapped in perfection—but found in the quiet mercy, kindness, and grace of ordinary people?
Scott Kirk, author of Twelve Stories for Christmas, for a heartfelt conversation about the kind of Christmas stories that reach beyond nostalgia and sentimentality into real life.
Scott’s collection is not built around picture-perfect holidays, flawless families, or tidy endings. Instead, these stories reflect real people carrying real burdens … grief, loneliness, regret, disappointment, longing, and the ache of empty chairs against the backdrop of the Christmas season.
Together, Shelly and Scott talk about why Christmas can be both beautiful and heavy, how small acts of kindness can soften a wounded heart, and why stories have a way of helping us see God’s grace in places we may have overlooked.

What if the person you’re tempted to overlook is the very person God wants to use to open your heart?
In this episode of At This Table, host Shelly Brown welcomes Michael Dunn, author of His Name Is John Whitman: A Life Shared, for a heartfelt conversation about evangelism, compassion, suffering, and the kind of steady love that can soften even the hardest heart.
Inspired in part by Michael and his wife’s years of homeless ministry, His Name Is John Whitman reminds us that people are not interruptions, inconveniences, or problems to pass by. They are image-bearers with names, stories, pain, and eternal value.

Have you ever felt like you were trying so hard to move forward, but something from your past kept tripping you up?
In this episode of At This Table, host Shelly Brown welcomes Susie Lewis, author of The Great Trade: Exchanging Fear, Shame, and Guilt for Freedom, for an honest, hope-filled conversation about hidden pain, healing, and the freedom Jesus offers.
Susie shares how fear, shame, guilt, and childhood dysfunction affected her marriage, motherhood, ministry, and identity. From the outside, she looked like a faithful Christian woman serving in the church and raising her family. But behind closed doors, she was battling anger, remorse, and the painful cycle of promising, “Tomorrow I’ll do better.”
Together, Shelly and Susie talk about the God who sees, the courage it takes to bring hidden pain into the light, and how Jesus invites us to trade ashes for beauty, mourning for joy, and bondage for freedom.

What if a child’s simple curiosity about a tomato, a caterpillar, or even a case of the hiccups could become a doorway to noticing God’s love?
In this episode, host Shelly Brown sits down with Sharon Fox, author of Scooch the Curious Caterpillar, a sweet and whimsical children’s book about a curious caterpillar, his best friend Todd, and the unexpected mystery of hiccups in a tomato patch.
In this sweet story, Scooch and his best friend Todd discover that even something as silly as hiccups can lead to wonder, laughter, and a deeper awareness of God’s love.
Sharon shares the real-life moment that inspired the story, why curiosity matters in a child’s faith, and how Scripture is woven throughout the book in a simple, memorable way.

What happens when a curious little sheep wanders a little too far from the Shepherd who loves him?
In this episode, host Shelly Brown sits down with Paula Pasqua, author of The Adventures of Sheldon the Sheep: Sheldon & The Shepherd, a sweet and faith-filled children’s book about a curious little sheep with one black ear who loves to wander.
Paula shares the heart behind Sheldon’s story, including how a childhood writing disappointment stayed with her for more than fifty years, how God brought this book to life during COVID, and why she chose a sheep to help children understand deeper biblical truths in a simple, memorable way.
Through Sheldon’s adventure, children are gently introduced to themes of listening, obedience, consequences, rescue, and the loving care of the Shepherd. Paula also shares powerful real-life sheep stories, the biblical meaning behind the Shepherd’s staff, and why she believes children can understand the gospel when it is shared with clarity and love.
This conversation is especially meaningful for parents, grandparents, Sunday school teachers, children’s ministry leaders, and anyone who wants to help the children in their life know Jesus as the Shepherd who calls, rescues, carries, and loves His sheep.

What if the very thing you’re hiding is the thing God wants to heal—and use to help someone else find freedom?
Some conversations deserve another listen. Not because they’re new, but because their message is timeless.
In this special encore presentation of At This Table, Shelly Brown sits down with Redemption Press author Sherry Hoppen for a deeply honest conversation about addiction, surrender, recovery, and redemption.
For more than a decade, Sherry lived a double life. On the outside, she was serving in ministry, raising a family, and doing all the things people expected of a faithful Christian woman. On the inside, she was fighting a secret alcohol addiction that she desperately wanted to overcome.