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The Dented Fender Tools for When Life Happens

In Florence, Italy, I walked past Michelangelo’s unfinished statues on my way to see the David. Like bodies trapped in s...
10/20/2026

In Florence, Italy, I walked past Michelangelo’s unfinished statues on my way to see the David. Like bodies trapped in stone, some were ruined by just one wrong cut. They’re called The Lost Souls.

Sometimes life’s setbacks leave us feeling like those statues: stuck, unfinished, past repair. But God isn’t Michelangelo. He doesn’t make mistakes, and He knows how to turn our brokenness into a work of art. 🌟

What’s one broken place in your life you’re trusting God to transform?

Using What’s Broken to Boldly Shine is available on Amazon.

Last weekend we gathered to celebrate the life of my niece, Erica Marie Scully. It was a day full of tears, laughter, an...
10/14/2026

Last weekend we gathered to celebrate the life of my niece, Erica Marie Scully. It was a day full of tears, laughter, and so much love.

Through all of these past weeks, your prayers, cards, texts, and emails have held me up. I wanted to share my heart with all of you, so I put it into words.

My latest blog, in honor of Erica:
https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/a-time-to-weep-a-time-to-heal

I am so very blessed to have you in my life.

Friends,I'm back. Thank you for giving me the time and space to grieve my niece and to be with my family. Your grace, yo...
10/12/2026

Friends,

I'm back. Thank you for giving me the time and space to grieve my niece and to be with my family. Your grace, your kindness, and your prayers carried us through, and I felt every one of them.

Grief doesn't wrap up neatly, and I'm still finding my footing. But I'm grateful to return to The Dented Fender and to the work we do together here. I've missed you.

Let's pick up where we left off.

With love,
Barb

08/21/2026

Friends, I am stepping away from The Dented Fender for two weeks following the unexpected passing of my niece. She was 34 years old and so dearly loved, and I want to give this time the space it deserves.

I will be back on September 8th, rested and ready to continue the work we do together here. Thank you for your grace, your kindness, and your prayers for my family during this time.

See you soon,
Barb

“The invitation of Jesus has never been to run faster, but to remain closer.”That line from this week’s blog is worth si...
08/13/2026

“The invitation of Jesus has never been to run faster, but to remain closer.”
That line from this week’s blog is worth sitting with.

Our lives can become so full of responsibilities, noise, goals, and even good things that we slowly lose the quiet spaces where our souls remember how to abide.

A few minutes of silence before the day begins.
A walk without the phone.
Lingering over Scripture instead of rushing through it.
Simply sitting with God without needing to accomplish anything.

These aren’t just ways to slow down. They are ways of making room for relationship.
Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” — John 15:4

What might change if, instead of trying harder to produce fruit, we focused more intentionally on staying connected to the Vine?
Read Eliminate the Hurry, Part 2 of our two-part series:https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/eliminate-the-hurry

Do you ever finish one thing—and immediately feel the pressure to move on to the next?Another task. Another goal. Anothe...
08/13/2026

Do you ever finish one thing—and immediately feel the pressure to move on to the next?

Another task. Another goal. Another thing that needs your attention.

Somewhere along the way, many of us have started equating being busy with being productive—and being productive with being faithful.

But what if constantly hurrying is actually keeping us from the very thing our souls need most?

Jesus didn’t tell us to run faster. He told us to abide.

In Eliminate the Hurry, the second and final blog in this two-part series, Marla Waldron shares what she’s learning about slowing down, creating rhythms that make room for God, and staying connected to the Vine rather than constantly trying to produce more fruit.

Maybe the next faithful step isn’t doing more. Maybe it’s remaining closer.
Read Eliminate the Hurry: https://www.thedentedfender.com/post/eliminate-the-hurry

Sometimes showing up is an act of courage. You don’t have to arrive with everything figured out. You don’t have to feel...
08/08/2026

Sometimes showing up is an act of courage. You don’t have to arrive with everything figured out. You don’t have to feel completely ready. You simply have to take the next step.

Maybe this August, that step is joining us at Fill My Cup—a place to breathe, be encouraged, connect with other women, and make room for God to meet you right where you are.

August 14–15 | Bergamo Center
There’s still time to join us. 💜
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/fill-my-cup

08/04/2026

Even the speaker needs to fill her cup. Susan Cordrey gets real about why she's coming — and what she can't wait to share with you.

Maybe this is for the woman who keeps pushing her own soul to the bottom of the list.Fill My Cup is a weekend to pause, ...
08/03/2026

Maybe this is for the woman who keeps pushing her own soul to the bottom of the list.

Fill My Cup is a weekend to pause, breathe, worship, and receive what your heart may not even know how to ask for yet.

Come as you are. There’s room for you.

August 14–15 | Bergamo Center | Centerville
thedentedfender.com/events

How do scaffolding and metacognition relate to your faith? Barb Lownsbury connects these ideas to Ephesians - showing ho...
08/01/2026

How do scaffolding and metacognition relate to your faith? Barb Lownsbury connects these ideas to Ephesians - showing how God provides support through Scripture, prayer, and community while teaching us to monitor our thinking. Read the full devotional and try the reflection questions this week: https://wix.to/gL56QLR

What one practice helps you grow spiritually? Share below. 🙏📘🗣️


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3 E Orchard Avenue
Dayton, OH
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