The Good Mess helps readers embrace the imperfect moments in life
“In giving away their lives and story, Debbie and Elaine provide a God-breathed guide for your own journey.” – Charlotte Gambill, International Speaker and Author
(Dallas-Fort Worth, TX – February 20, 2024) Gateway Publishing is pleased to announce the release of The Good Mess: Finding Beauty in Imperfect Moments by Debbie Morris and Elaine Fisher.
Every day we are faced with a choice: we can chase the perfect life, or we can embrace the imperfect and see what God does. In a culture often fixated on perfection and Instagram-worthy lifestyles, pastors Debbie and Elaine are a breath of fresh air as they seek to see beauty, purpose, and hope within the messy and less-than-perfect circumstances in their lives.
In this thirty-six-day devotional, Debbie and Elaine, who are the wife and daughter of renown pastor and bestselling author Robert Morris, candidly share funny personal memories and poignant reflections about their mother-daughter relationship, their upbringing, parenting, married life, ministry, expectations, seasons, healing, friendships, grief, and even giant sticky messes on the floor. They weave biblical truth, raw transparency, and years of ministry experience to create a deeply encouraging work.
Each page feels like the reader is sitting down with a friend to share stories and simply talk about God and life. Debbie and Elaine encourage readers to “take a deep breath, laugh with us, and learn from our experiences, however messy they are.” Their unique perspective spans generational lines, so young adults, parents, and empty-nesters alike will find wisdom and strength within their words.
Above all, Debbie and Elaine wrote this book to help readers experience God’s presence within every situation. They write, “We pray for you to experience supernatural courage and strength in the days to come, whatever struggles, pain, monotony, chaos, or confusion you may face. We don’t have all the answers, but we know the One who does!” As Debbie and Elaine open their lives and detail their stories, we begin to see that every mess is an opportunity for God to do something beautiful.
Grammy-nominated and Dove Award–winning artist and worship leader Kari Jobe Carnes has known Debbie and Elaine since she was a child. She says, “I’ve seen their love for God and their love for others. This book is such a beautiful expression of who they are, with stories and truths that are as relatable as they are profound. You’ll discover there isn’t a mess God can’t handle, and there isn’t a moment He can’t bring about something good. No matter what season of life you’re in, this book will encourage you just as it has encouraged me. Debbie and Elaine, thank you for writing this!”
Debbie and her high school sweetheart, Robert, have been married for forty-three years. They have three adult kids—Josh (married to Hannah), James (married to Bridgette), and Elaine (married to Ethan)—and nine grandchildren. Her family is the best thing about her life! Robert and Debbie founded Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, in 2000, which has since grown to more than 100,000 active members. Debbie led the women’s ministry at Gateway for many years and is the visionary founder of Pink Impact, a Gateway women’s conference. Her heart is to help women understand who they are in God so they can discover their destinies and experience victory in life. As a wife who witnessed God turn her marriage around, she delights in encouraging women to believe God can and will do the same for them. She currently serves as an executive pastor but takes every opportunity to live the grandmother life (they call her Gigi) when she can! She never thought she’d write a book with Elaine about their family and experiences, but God had other plans . . . and she’s so glad He did!
Elaine and her husband, Ethan, have been married for thirteen years, and they have four kids: Adde (10), Kate (8), Preston (7), and Jackson (5). As a pastor’s kid, Elaine always had an awareness of the Lord, but she didn’t develop a personal relationship with Him until she hit rock bottom at nineteen years old. Ever since, she has been passionate about helping people by sharing authentic revelation from the lessons she is learning along the way as God writes her story of redemption and freedom. In 2019, she and Ethan moved to Houston, Texas, to plant Gateway Church Houston, where she is on the executive team and serves as a teaching pastor. Elaine is an engaging communicator and has been a sought-after speaker at churches, conferences, and on television. Elaine sees it as a great honor to write a book with her best friend, and she is so grateful that her mom didn’t give up on her in the early days because today their friendship is such a gift.
For more information, to receive a copy of The Good Mess, or to schedule an interview with Debbie Morris and Elaine Fisher, please contact:
Available now at Amazon, GatewayPublishing.com, store.gatewaypeople.com, and all eBook retailers.
Contact: Peyton Sepeda, 855.712.5774, publishing@gatewaypeople.com
