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Despite being faced with the hardships of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of her future, Melissa Hughes never expected that a simple video of her kids' sledding would spark an unexpected journey of spreading hope and connection to millions of people. How did Melissa's simple act of sharing her story lead her to such an extraordinary journey?\nIn this episode, you will be able to: \n1. Discover Melissa Hughes' unexpected path to TikTok stardom and the lessons she learned along the way. \n2. Navigate the hurdles and culture shock of living abroad with resilience and adaptability. \n3. Embrace vulnerability and faith in times of adversity to foster personal growth. \n4. Utilize social media as a powerful tool to create connections and fight loneliness. \n5. Delve into diverse religious perspectives and traditions during Holy Week for a richer understanding.\nMy special guest is Melissa Hughes.\nIf you're feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and disheartened by your attempts to connect and create meaningful relationships, then you are not alone!\nHave you heard the myths that social media has no positive impact, or that it can actually increase loneliness? Or that it is impossible to use social media responsibly? Parents who seek connection and inspiration, don't miss out on this opportunity to hear the truth from Melissa Hughes about harnessing social media for positive impact and combating loneliness.\nThe key moments in this episode are:\n00:00:00 - Introduction\n00:03:39 - Accidentally Going Viral on TikTok,\n00:05:54 - Coping with Culture Shock,\n00:11:08 - Coping with Unexpected Challenges\n00:13:55 - Wrestling with Faith\n00:15:20 - Faith and Testing,\n00:16:37 - Nashville School Shooting\n00:21:38 - God and Suffering,\n00:25:13 - Walking Through Suffering,\n00:27:04 - Using TikTok for Good,\n00:30:30 - Using social media for good,\n00:32:55 - Engaging with followers,\n00:36:19 - Overcoming mental hurdles,\n00:41:01 - Traditions and teaching kids,\n00:43:23 - Holding lament and positivity,\n00:46:12 - Welcome and Invitation,\n00:47:24 - Commemorating Holy Week,\n00:48:16 - Exclusive Patreon Episode,\n00:49:37 - Invitation to Patreon,\n00:50:08 - Closing Remarks,\nCoping with Unexpected Challenges\nLife can often present unexpected challenges, and it's crucial to learn how to cope with these situations. Developing resilience and adaptability can help individuals navigate challenging times more effectively. Embracing vulnerability, accepting one's emotions, and finding support from others can go a long way in overcoming adversity. By understanding that setbacks and hardships are a part of life and can often be the catalyst for personal growth, individuals can move forward with an optimistic and empowered mindset. In the discussion with Melissa Hughes, she shares her personal experience of coping with adversity during her time living abroad in the UK with her family. Facing challenges such as a car accident, adjusting to a new culture, and trying to maintain her faith amidst difficulties, Melissa highlights the importance of giving oneself permission to feel a wide range of emotions and seek support. Through these experiences, Melissa ultimately grows stronger and more confident in her ability to navigate life's challenges."Mountaintop experiences are for sights and inspiration, but the fruit grows in the valleys." - Melissa Hughes\n"Create content that sets your soul on fire." - Melissa Hughes\n"I feel like Jesus would be on TikTok. He'd be praying for people through the screen." - Melissa Hughes\nMelissa Hughes is a TikTok influencer, international speaker, and best-selling author.\nShe has been booked twice on The Kelly Clarkson Show and featured for the New York Times Best Seller \u201cPrimal Scream\u201d on NBC. She has over 240,000 followers on TikTok with over 11 million likes. She is also a best-selling author of the book She Can Laugh along with a children\u2019s book called, \u201cMommy Loves You When\u201d. She has also done missionary work in the UK for several years with her husband and two children.\nIn this episode, you will be able to: Discover Melissa Hughes' unexpected path to TikTok stardom and the lessons she learned along the way. Navigate the hurdles and culture shock of living abroad with resilience and adaptability. Embrace vulnerability and faith in times of adversity to foster personal growth. Utilize social media as a powerful tool to create connections and fight loneliness. Delve into diverse religious perspectives and traditions during Holy Week for a richer understanding.\nGod and Suffering The question of why suffering exists and how it relates to one's faith in God is a deeply complex and personal issue for many. Understanding that suffering can lead to personal growth and finding solace in knowing that God is compassionate and supportive through difficult times can bring a sense of peace and help individuals navigate their experiences. During her conversation with Lori Adams-Brown, Melissa Hughes reflects on her experience with suffering and the impact on her faith. Melissa discusses a passage from the book of James that helped her realize that God is present during times of suffering, and He is big enough to help her through her struggles. Melissa's story of grappling with the issue of God and suffering offers insight and encouragement to others on their journey to make sense of their own experiences.\nWrestling with Faith Faith can be a great source of comfort and guidance, but it can also be the source of doubt or uncertainty. Struggling with one's faith is normal, and questioning one's beliefs can often lead to a deeper relationship with one's spirituality. It's essential to be honest with oneself and explore these thoughts and feelings, as this can help individuals find meaning and direction in their spiritual journey. Melissa Hughes shares her experience of wrestling with her faith, particularly during challenging times. She openly discusses the doubts and questions she faced and how it felt like she was betraying God by doubting Him. Melissa's honesty and vulnerability highlight the importance of remaining true to oneself and being willing to ask difficult questions on one's faith journey, even if the answers aren't immediately clear.\nUsing TikTok for Good TikTok is a popular social media platform that has the potential for making a positive impact on people's lives when used responsibly and thoughtfully. Creators have the opportunity to connect with a wide audience, share ideas, and spread positivity. By focusing on creating content that is authentic, relatable, and meaningful, individuals can utilize this platform successfully to make a difference. Melissa Hughes's experience as a TikTok influencer, with over 240,000 followers on the platform, demonstrates how the platform can be utilized for good. Initially sharing content related to motherhood, Melissa now strives to inspire and uplift moms, in particular, mompreneurs, by helping them find joy and energy in their daily lives. Melissa emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself, creating content that speaks to one's passions, and focusing on making a positive impact.\nFind Melissa on:\nTikTok: @Mhughes79\nhttps://linktr.ee/melissaleahughes\nFor those who are different and want to make a difference\n*****\nBecome a patron of this podcast, and enjoy free merch. Join other patrons of this podcast at Patreon. \n**********\n\ufeffThe A World of Difference Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Missio Alliance.\nJoin us to discuss this episode, previous episodes or for other thoughtful conversations at our Facebook group. We'd love to have you stop by and share your perspective. \nStay In Touch: Connect on Facebook and Instagram with thoughts, questions, and feedback. Rate, review and share this podcast with anyone that would love to listen. \xa0 Find Us Online: @aworldof.difference on Instagram A World of Difference on Facebook, Linktree,on Twitter at @loriadbr or loriadamsbrown.comLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating. Click here to review\nBecome a patron of this podcast, and enjoy free merch. Join other patrons of this podcast at Patreon. \nMentioned in this episode:\nDo you want to go deeper?\nJoin us in Difference Makers, a community where we watch and discuss exclusive content that truly makes a difference. Give us $5 a month (the price of a latte), and join in on the conversation with our host Lori and others who want to make a difference. 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