<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Dented Fender Ministry]]></title><description><![CDATA[Equipping you with tools for when life happens]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 19:00:29 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thedentedfender.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Eliminate the Hurry: Part 2]]></title><description><![CDATA[What if the life our souls long for isn’t found in accomplishing more, but in abiding more deeply? When we begin to eliminate hurry, we make room to recover the sacred rhythm of simply walking with God.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/eliminate-the-hurry</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7642e0d14623d43d41644d</guid><category><![CDATA[Boldly Shine]]></category><category><![CDATA[Intentionality]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 20:51:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_ecdd956326ff497b8d09786b9fe82c3c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Scaffolding Spiritual Growth]]></title><description><![CDATA[What could words like scaffolding and metacognition possibly have to do with your faith?  More than you might think.
]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/scaffolding-spiritual-growth</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a6cb9e35cf1d22b8d75da9a</guid><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><category><![CDATA[Consistency]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:29:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_06ffb907700742e0bd4747161027cd3c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Learning to Live Unhurried]]></title><description><![CDATA[What if the fruit you’ve been praying for isn’t waiting on you to work harder—but to stay closer to God?]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/learning-to-live-unhurried</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a6330acb998215cecb81a2b</guid><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><category><![CDATA[Intentionality]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><category><![CDATA[Consistency]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:51:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_9486f34ad88c4ae5a2a017ea26a9630b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The God You Are Reaching For]]></title><description><![CDATA[What if the God you have been reaching for has been reaching for you all along?  He is faithful in the darkness, present in the laughter, and near through every dip and turn. This reflection is an invitation to recognize His presence in the suffering, the joy, and everything in between.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/the-god-you-are-reaching-for</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a579438ebe12eb9f28d348a</guid><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 22:54:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_fb2da787ae7b4db586ac1ff5b3b5a945~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[In-Between Seasons]]></title><description><![CDATA[What do you do when the life you knew no longer fits, but the next season has not yet come into focus? The in-between can feel uncertain, but it may also be the place where God is healing, reshaping, and preparing you for what comes next.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/in-between-seasons</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a518f03c549c55b35af8815</guid><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:39:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_de9b52f558b34120a07c32230531b353~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When You’re Tired of Being Strong]]></title><description><![CDATA[When you’re tired of being strong, God isn’t asking you to pretend you’re fine. He’s inviting you to bring Him the weariness before it turns into giving up.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/when-you-re-tired-of-being-strong</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a481ef5fd494c5f10d657d8</guid><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><category><![CDATA[Anxiety & Depression]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 20:54:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_acedb76c1026456eaa296beb93c1cedd~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_941,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Story Are You Believing?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sometimes the hardest part of a trial isn't the circumstance itself—it's the story we begin telling ourselves about God. What if your setback isn't evidence of His absence, but the very place He's strengthening your faith?]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/what-story-are-you-believing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3f3219ad71d3b6876965d0</guid><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Anxiety & Depression]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 2026 02:24:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_e9c979258aee48f283ac41d1855f33b8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Stand Firm]]></title><description><![CDATA[Standing firm is not about having perfect balance or complete confidence. It is about trusting God enough to take the next step, even when the bridge beneath you feels unsteady.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/stand-firm</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a366452bfacb36e354177d5</guid><category><![CDATA[Divorce]]></category><category><![CDATA[Loss]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><category><![CDATA[Consistency]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:13:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_c8076a28765a42268959456de1828777~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Mary Giesen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Something Worth Insisting Upon]]></title><description><![CDATA[The battle has always been fought in the mind. It's as if Paul is looking straight at me and saying, "Girl, it's time to change. Let go of the guilt, the shame, the fear, and the need for control. Stop defining yourself by broken worldly systems. Change your thinking."]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/something-worth-insisting-upon</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2d2abb8d10dcf62892ee0d</guid><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:18:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_7c370622a45a4e1684cea8bb76f75d6e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Don't Lose Your Flavor]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have life's disappointments and distractions begun to diminish your distinctiveness? Discover what Jesus meant when He called believers to be salt in the world.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/dont-lose-your-flavor</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a208d0a345fdf6c4251ceb0</guid><category><![CDATA[Consistency]]></category><category><![CDATA[Intentionality]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Boldly Shine]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:44:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_41e63012eb1e4b8d9a09ecded7ffeeb4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Release What No Longer Serves You]]></title><description><![CDATA[Holding onto what is merely good can prevent you from embracing what is truly great.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/how-to-release-what-no-longer-serves-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a19eb1169f69d4475afd3c3</guid><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Intentionality]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 19:50:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_e53b99a0216c4c7b9e4b2262006a3eba~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shine Stories: Pain Does Not Get the Final Word]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sometimes what feels like breaking is actually the beginning of becoming.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/shine-stories-pain-does-not-get-the-final-word</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a10683b2b5c18841b964697</guid><category><![CDATA[Boldly Shine]]></category><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Loss]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 15:12:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_0e58bbc67619469096d2010c8ac9cdb7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shine Stories: The First Step Toward Freedom]]></title><description><![CDATA[I’d never been through that kind of pain. It took my breath away from the inside out, leaving me hollow and empty, gasping for air and answers.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/shine-stories-the-first-step-toward-freedom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a05d7255c9a06229caab124</guid><category><![CDATA[Boldly Shine]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Divorce]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><category><![CDATA[Loss]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 12:47:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_317c598af8fc40858e58c80530e4e370~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shine Stories: One Step at a Time]]></title><description><![CDATA[I did not need to solve my whole life at once. I just needed the courage to take the next step with God.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/shine-stories-one-step-at-a-time</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fc87ebff1f325557298fc1</guid><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Friendship]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Divorce]]></category><category><![CDATA[Boldly Shine]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 13:00:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_7e3e253e5d7d4833b013e94c978ac22e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shine Stories: Light in the Tunnel]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have learned that I cannot continuously give away pieces of who I am to appease other people. The priority has to be, first and foremost, “I am God’s child, God’s prize possession,” and I have to accept who God tells me that I am. The tunnel did not get the final word; God did, and God’s truth became the light that led me forward.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/shine-stories-light-in-the-tunnel</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f500131c42168c48f89375</guid><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Plan]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Boldly Shine]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 19:51:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_e82cc2f140be4a82a34ec2b2351f0990~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Grief Comes Back Around]]></title><description><![CDATA[Grief does not always ask permission before it returns. It can come back around when we least expect it, not because we have failed to heal, but because love does not disappear just because someone is gone.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/when-grief-comes-back-around</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ec136c04fc81dfe25a80b2</guid><category><![CDATA[Loss]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:19:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_52dcb919b4964e72a3399b81b9b17c64~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Keep Running]]></title><description><![CDATA[The call is not always to run faster, but to keep running. Even a slow, halting step forward is still faithfulness.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/keep-running</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e311030c8d230c9e8ec358</guid><category><![CDATA[Consistency]]></category><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Anxiety & Depression]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 05:20:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_8c258c299a4444e387cbf560051067f0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Being the Victim Keeps You From Healing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Freedom began when I stopped asking only who hurt me and started asking God what he wanted to heal in me.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/when-being-the-victim-keeps-you-from-healing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69da5080515c02011a0e94e5</guid><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Boldly Shine]]></category><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Divorce]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Intentionality]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:04:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_061001786e884fd3ada7f634775558e3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Hope Seems Impossible]]></title><description><![CDATA[Maybe hope isn’t meant to feel strong all the time. Maybe hope, in its truest form, is quieter than that. Smaller. More stubborn.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/when-hope-seems-impossible</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d01bc1462bc80100bfa416</guid><category><![CDATA[Bravery]]></category><category><![CDATA[Anxiety & Depression]]></category><category><![CDATA[Loss]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category><category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:28:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_063e3644b36b438caa7075b7a97b331c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Marla Waldron</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When the Enemy Knocks at the Door of My Thoughts]]></title><description><![CDATA[My defeats don’t define me; Jesus alone defines me, and he calls me his beloved. Without qualifiers.]]></description><link>https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/when-the-enemy-knocks-at-the-door-of-my-thoughts</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c6d1ccdd6da1f8275e69b9</guid><category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category><category><![CDATA[Anxiety & Depression]]></category><category><![CDATA[How to Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Connection]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tunnels]]></category><category><![CDATA[Thinking]]></category><category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category><category><![CDATA[Consistency]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:47:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d469bd_7428e6d0a839448186862476a207895f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barb Lownsbury</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>