I had plans to post about something else this week but I thought let me hold off. This is only because I want to share about an event I was privileged to be a committee member and volunteer for. The first annual Royal Summer Tea that took place yesterday August 24, 2013.

My heart is called to pregnant teens and women who have experienced abortion in the past and need assistance in understanding that grace applies to them as well. One of my spiritual mothers introduced me to a ministry a couple of years ago and I have been volunteering there ever since. The organization is called His Nesting Place and they run a pregnancy center and home for unwed mothers as an alternative to abortion. They live life to save the lives of the unborn. (His Nesting Place on Facebook)

Many people feel some kind of way when hearing about pro-life ministries. I must admit that has been me at different points in my life BUT when I am able to experience first hand the lives that are saved (both child and parents) by this ministry, there is no way I can be mad at what they stand and fight for…LIFE. They have been in operation for over 30 years and have housed thousands of women and their children since opening their doors.

Yesterday the first annual summer tea was held in Rolling Hills Estates in one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever been in, in my life. God really blessed His Nesting Place with absolute favor as the owner of the home opened up her beautiful garden in order to put this fundraiser on. 

With over 120 guests in attendance His Nesting Place was able to raise funds and spread awareness about the issue of abortion in America. I feel that the testimonies that were shared by a few of the young women there were touching and resonated with the spirit of everyone in attendance. Which made me feel that I should reach out to my readership on the issue. 

Even though abortion is one of the procedures performed most on women in America it is still a super touchy subject. I just want to hit on it long enough to tell you that: 

1) There are always alternatives to abortion no matter what the situation is. 

2) God has given you the gift of free will! As you exercise it make sure that you are properly and fully educated on the decisions of abortion, parenting, and adoption both in the natural and in the spiritual. 

3) Men or women, if you have had an abortion in the past and are having difficulty dealing with it, whether it happened 2 days ago or 37 years ago, you are not the only one. God wants you to know that there is restoration for you. The guilt, anger, sadness that may be associated with it no longer has to be. Silence surrounding your abortion choice can be the loudest pain in your life. If you are ready to talk about it with someone please do! Not only can you contact me at the His Nesting Place Pregnancy Help Center or through my private practice www.YouCanTherapy.com but you can also find a network of counselors throughout the US and internationally via www.SaveOne.org. 

Freedom is yours if you want it! You have to take the first step…Repentance. That can happen strictly between you and God! Then, if you’re ready there are plenty of people, including myself, ready to help!

Love, 
 Mel

Last week I posted a blog entitled “Sometimes We Have To Be Reminded” which talked about the importance of praise no matter what we are going through. As a result the daily devotions this week were all focused on giving us ammo for our praise. (check them out daily devotions!) My whole intention was to provide any reader with just one reason to praise even if they felt like there were none. So I thought, 

It was soooooo hard for me to praise God and even do the things I love to do this week no lie! I was good until the moment I pressed send on the blog post at midnight last Sunday. I was already super exhausted after making sure I had a couple of my projects done on time and ready for release, one of these being Let Him Lead which, is available for download right now! Download Now!!!  so when I plopped down in bed I didn’t think too much about the minimal attention I gave to God in our devotion time that night. Bet if I would have taken the time I would have been a little bit more aware of what I was about to come up against.

Sunday while getting ready for church I was doing fine until I realized I would be late. It was a steady struggle from that point on. I ran into my Pastor in the parking lot, he was in such a good mood and praise-filled it automatically let me know that I was NOT lol…I literally had to force myself into praise mode and force myself to remain there. Once I was in, I was in but when I was out it took that same fight to get back there. All this and the only thing that happened was me being late…not exactly a storm! This was just the beginning of a week of fighting for my peace, strength, joy, and ability to praise.

While I hope last weeks daily devotions were helpful for you, they were surefire reminders for me that 

Earlier this week I spoke with a friend who after strict obedience and preparation still felt as if she ran into the glass window I talked about in last week’s blog Encourage Yourself. 

It sucks when we work hard, trust God, and move in him but things don't work out the way we planned. In these moments hearing sayings like: everything happens for a reason and find the purpose behind the pain don’t always make us feel better immediately. And that is ok! 

I think many people believe because we are Christian we are not allowed to have human emotions. Untrue! It is perfectly OK to have emotions other than joy. It is even ok to let your feelings out. How many times in Psalms do we hear David cry out and express his negative feelings about his situations to the Lord? Did Jesus not ask for God to “take this cup away from” him? I think it is awesome they were able to freely share their frustrations but I also admire their nevertheless not my will, but yours be done mentality that followed. Are you able to add the but God to your hurtful situations? Lord I hurt tremendously, but you are still able. Lord I feel defeated but your word says I am more than a conqueror. Lord I am angry with you right now but I know that your love flows beyond my current emotions and endures forever.

Have you ever had a back and forth conversation with yourself that goes around and around? It’s like spinning a bottle, a complaining moment (flesh) turns into an empowering moment (spirit) and it 

When you are finished reading today's post download a copy of my newest e-guide "Encourage Yourself: My rant turned e-guide"! The link is at the bottom of the post =)

In December I left my job with a very stable community mental health agency in Long Beach Ca. This leap of faith has caused a whirlwind of events and emotions that are molding me into a completely different person than I was 5 years ago when I began working there. As I follow my long lost dreams and attempt to find who I am and what I need at this point in my life, I am grateful that God remains unchanged and kept/keeps his promises.

A couple months back several doors opened for me that put me in great position for exposure, a new course of financial stability, and what I perceive as a joyous course for my life. Two months later I still have not walked through those doors. Matter of fact I’m pretty sure I was duped—Like the bird that thinks a door or window was open and flies *smack* into the glass. That crash stuns you for a bit 

This is a 3 part series:
Part 1: There’s a war against the mirror. I’m my own worst enemy!
Part 2: I’m a hazard to myself
Part 3: I wanna be somebody else

I wanna be somebody else

“It’s bad when you annoy yourself, so irritating, don’t wanna be my friend no more, I wanna be somebody else”

Watch your mouth, watch the company you keep and:

Dare to be you!
            I will admit to losing myself as I mirrored others in some form or fashion throughout life, many times without recognizing it. I would begin to imitate what was around me, especially if it was appealing. It often lead to greater feelings of insecurity and failure, not only in that arena but even trying to step back into my own shoes.

Rejecting ourselves and attempting to take on the role of someone else only delays our ability to walk 

Clowns…for some people they create smiles, laughter and take them back to those fun childhood memories. Then you have the individuals who avoid clowns at all cost because they evoke fear, tears and maybe an occasional nightmare that more than likely stem from some freak childhood event.

It’s crazy how one thing can bring about such different emotions in people. Our perceptions that were created and sustained by past experiences are so vital to our now it’s ridiculous. We unknowingly carry so much of our past with us daily simply due to the fear of dealing with it. We avoid it just like those terrifying clowns. Maybe they will go away! But no, they come up over and over again, others might not know what’s going on but we do.  We work hard to avoid it causing us to miss out on certain opportunities, relationships etc while it simultaneously affects our mental, spiritual and physical health in a negative manner.

Today, I encourage you to take a step towards defeating your past clowns one by one (past abuse, violent relationships, lost relationship, lay offs, substance abuse, sin you are ashamed to speak of etc). Just as David did the lions, bears and Goliath, we too can conquer our clowns! (1Sam 17:35; 49) This