About
Living Real provides a platform for real people to proclaim the greatness of God through real life experiences.
From the Editor
Hello! I’m so glad you dropped in. Let me take a moment to share with you why Living Real Magazine exists. As Christians, I believe we have the unique privilege and awesome responsibility to “show and tell” how great our God is. The best way to do this is to live for Him in every area of our lives. Whether at home, church, school, work, or play, our lives should consistently and intentionally reflect Jesus Christ. We need to be consciously aware of the fact that people are observing us and taking note of how we respond in all of life’s circumstances.
Living Real Magazine was created to provide a platform for real people to proclaim God’s faithfulness and greatness as they grow up in their faith through real life experiences. I hope as you peruse our website and articles that you’ll be inspired, challenged and encouraged to live out your faith in Jesus every moment of every day.
Thanks again for stopping by!
Keeping it Real,
Melanie Shull
Founder / Editor in Chief
The Living Real Story
In 2005, after most of her life being spent ministering through music, Melanie Shull began to pray for God to expand her borders of influence for Him. Through reading His Word and praying, she knew He was telling her it was time to leave a singing group she had been singing with for about four years. Because she had been faithful in sharing her personal faith story through music ministry, she also felt God leading her to write.
With an unclear, but undeniable passion to put words to paper, Melanie headed off to her first Christian writers conference in 2007 at the suggestion of a good friend. Melanie says,
“The only thing I knew when I arrived was that I had come to hear specific direction from God as to how He wanted me to honor Him with this newfound desire to write.”
For the entire weekend, Melanie tuned her heart to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit the the best she knew how, knowing that through seeking His face and praying He would speak clear direction about this yearning in her heart. Because of her faith, obedience, and making herself available to the working of the Spirit, her prayers were answered far beyond anything she ever dreamed or imagined.
On the last day of the conference, as she was putting her luggage into the back of her Envoy, she still had not received an answer. Then, a still, small voice, as clear as a cloudless, blue sky, spoke these words into her heart:
You are going to start a magazine, and you’re going to call it Living Real - Real Life, Real Faith, Real People.
Melanie was ecstatic, but also scared to death. She knew nothing about how to write articles, much less about how to publish a magazine. She had no clue where to begin. In awe of the task placed before her, she received the challenge with great enthusiasm, and all the way home she sang and gave praise to Jesus. She had her answer.
After returning home, God began to unveil how He had been orchestrating this call on her life for years through His networking of people already involved in her life. From the designers to the printers, to the sponsors and the writers, God had prepared every little detail to fall into place. Because of her lack of knowledge or experience with this type of endeavor, Melanie says she can never take any of the credit. All glory goes to Christ, and Christ alone, because Living Real was His idea.
In October of 2009, Living Real Magazine hit the street. 5000 copies were printed and distributed through the midlands of South Carolina. Today, God continues to affirm His call on Melanie’s life, and is expanding Living Real’s readership through print copies, the website, social media, and speaking events. Ephesians 3:20 (CSB) says it best:
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us - to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
