The Resurrected Life:

If I was to say to you that your life as a Christian should be one that testifies to The Resurrection, what would your response be?

It could be, “Seriously? How’s that when I’m not one of the eyewitnesses…I believe in Jesus isn’t that enough?”

Yet I’d have to say that the Bible says much more: James says that our faith without works is dead…that even demons believe - and shudder! Read more here: James 2:14-26.

Now this obviously has nothing to do with the free gift of salvation which is NOT received by any merit or work of our own! Indeed we can come to the cross, seeking forgiveness and new life through Jesus, JUST AS WE ARE in all our sin and filth…because He cleanses us by His blood…FREELY…this is the meaning of grace!

No amount of good deeds can ever cleanse us from ourselves!

So let me ask you again…Does YOUR life testify to The Resurrection?

If this question is confusing just stay with me a little longer…because you may be someone who has been to church but has no idea what I’m talking about because all you’ve heard is, “Just believe”…and that’s okay, just hang on and you’ll follow along.

You see Jesus was the first to rise from the dead for all eternity. He appeared to hundreds of witnesses, for 40 days and told them (before ascending into heaven) to wait for the gift of the empowering Holy Spirit BEFORE going out and proclaiming the Gospel…that being; forgiveness of sins and eternal life was available to ALL people of ALL nations through Jesus Christ alone!

Jesus told His disciples to BAPTISE believers – as baptism represents drowning to the old, former life, and rising up to the NEW RESURRECTED LIFE that is promised to all believers because of the seal of the blessed Holy Spirit living within them!

You see, the RESURRECTED LIFE BEGINS NOW when one is re-born; filled with the Holy Spirit! As believers we must be reborn to be able to faithfully proclaim – we must be empowered by Him!

Are you empowered by Him?

Does YOUR life testify to the resurrection?

So how will we know?  Scripture says, ‘Test yourselves to see whether you are living the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realise that Jesus Christ is in you?...’ Read 2 Corinthians 13:5.

Now, it’s actually very simple; we will know Jesus is in us if we are like him and live our lives for His glory.

Personally I don’t think focusing on any one particular gift to TEST is the right approach, because that may lead to us comparing ourselves to others, and not JESUS! We must look to Him! Jesus said people will know we are His disciples by our LOVE…for God is LOVE!  He also said we cannot bear any good fruit for His Kingdom without being a branch connected to Him, the True Vine!

Jesus said those who belong to Him, hear the Word of God and obey it. You see, people OBEY HIM because He is the living Word of God which is why Jesus also said those who LOVE Him will obey His commands…

Yet do we know what Jesus was like?  Do what He taught?  Do we know how He loved?

If we don’t know scripture we are so less able to examine ourselves…So let me ask you again, for it is a question we all need to ask ourselves.

Does Your life testify to The Resurrection?

Let me finish with a helpful illustration…

There was a local prostitute.  

She hated her life.

She had an alabaster jar of ointment…a really expensive, extravagant gift probably given to her from a wealthy client. She knew who she was…a despised whore but she wanted out…she wanted more. She’d heard Jesus was in town and she knew He was a man of God from all the miracle stories.

Maybe He could set her straight?

So she entered brazenly into a wealthy religious teacher’s home, whom was hosting Jesus for dinner, in a likely attempt to outsmart Him. She did not care about the looks from the learned men. 

She had reached her precipice…

Tears began streaming down her face, so she kneeled behind Him as he sat for dinner. Unable to speak while weeping, she began to wipe His feet clean, now soaked in her tears, with her hair…she then kissed His feet and to anoint them with the expensive perfume.

The religious leaders scoffed, thinking, ‘If Jesus was a prophet He’d know the woman was a whore!’ Yet Jesus basically said she showed such amazing love because her sins, which had been so great, were now forgiven…

This woman’s story is still in the Bible today because it testifies to a Resurrected Life!

A sinful woman approached Jesus and became transformed forever….a transformed life! She then went on to become a disciple…no longer a prostitute…freed from her life of sin!

If someone was to write a eulogy for YOUR life would they say YOU kissed Jesus’ feet?  I hope they would of me…for this is a true RESURRECTED LIFE!

In His love...Seek Jesus and be transformed today! START living a Resurrected Life NOW!  Melanie.

REPENTANCE:

Today I want to talk about Repentance because it is such a precious gift from God to us and a very real and important part of a Christian’s life.

Repentance is such a precious gift:

‘For He knows how we were made; He remembers that we are dust.’ Psalm 104:13

Living as Christians is a battle against our flesh and spiritual forces which seek to destroy us and ultimately our precious relationship with God.

Yet if we stumble our Heavenly Father loves us so, to convict us of our sin, and lead us to repentance…for indeed repentance is not just a once off event we do only once at conversion.  Scripture does not teach, “Just say this prayer mate and you’ll be right…”

Repentance is such a precious gift:

‘This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.' 1 John 1: 5-10.

We are not to deliberately sin, indeed we are to walk as Christ did, but when we stumble we can call upon Jesus our advocate and intercessor:

‘My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked.’ 1 John 2: 1-6.

Repentance is such a precious gift!

I have found there have been times when I have stumbled in my Christian walk and lost a battle with my flesh very soon after something wonderful has happened with me and God…

This has caused me grief that has been almost unbearable until I remember the Lord is leading me to repentance. I understand the enemy has attacked me and I may have lost this round but not the whole battle because of Jesus who has won it for me. I know the Lord, because He loves me, is convicting me and growing me.

‘Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance; for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment!’ 2 Corinthians 7: 9-11.

When I repent, and by this I mean saying sorry to God and really, really meaning it and spending time seeking what Jesus has to say to me…what freedom and release I experience!  I feel His amazing love for me as His daughter, and the accuser is silenced because Christ’s righteousness is imparted again to me.

To finish I want to have a short look at the word REPENT:

R ~ Repentance leads to Christ’s RIGHTEOUSNESS being imparted freely and undeservingly to us.

E ~ Repentance means an EARNEST apology and asking for forgiveness through Jesus Christ – because forgiveness is only available in His Name because of His sacrificial atonement on the cross.

P ~ Repentance is a PRECIOUS free gift, freeing us from the condemnation our sins rightly deserve.

E ~ Repentance ENABLES peace.

N ~ Repentance NEVER condemns.

T ~ Repentance means an 180 degree TURN away from sin to again face God and walk in His light…so yes, we need to learn from our mistakes.

Repentance is such a precious gift!

In His service, Melanie.

My Heart Overflows!

Have you ever felt the LOVE of God tangibly in your everyday life?

Do you know what I mean?

Because I know I have felt His awesome love when I was re-born and that I can’t help but shed tears when I see images from movies like ‘The Passion’…when the reality of the brutality of Jesus’ sacrificial atonement is made afresh in my mind. And honestly I need this, as a simple Australian woman, who has had no contact with the Imperial Roman Empire or Judaism apart from text books and movies! 

But then there are some special times in my ordinary life where God makes Himself felt in such a tangible way that I am left almost speechless…breathless and so loved afresh due to no merit of my own – and I know He does it simply to let me know I am His!

I often think of the scripture in John that says if all of Jesus’ works were written down there would not be enough books to contain them;

Now, there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written. John 21:25  (Good News Translation)

And I believe this still continues in the lives of those who love Him today.  This is not to say that Jesus is some god-like genie and gives us all we want! Or that there is no hardship for Christians!

Rather that even amongst our struggles and the hardships for walking the path less trod; He is active in our relationship with Him…our love is never one-sided…rather we only love Him because He loves us, and He loves us so abundantly we could never out-love Him or even come close!

Today a miracle has happened and I have once again experienced His unmerited love and favour in my life…and I know this is simply because I am His daughter and He loves me…it almost brings me to tears as I write this.  I am choosing to not give details here, as I want to savour this precious moment privately. Yet I also feel my heart overwhelmed with gratitude that I must somehow express something…so I have chosen to do a re-write of Psalm 45!

Here is a link to the original Psalm 45.

My Heart Overflows:

My heart overflows with gratitude to my Lord;

I address these verses to my King;

My keyboard is like the pen of my heart.

My Lord is the King of Kings;

Grace He's bestowed to me from His lips;

He is blessed forever.

With His sharp sword, He will return in all His glory.

In Your majesty You will ride in victorious;
          for the cause of truth and to defend the right;
          Your right hand will deal with Your enemies.
Your arrows are sharp
          in the heart of the Your enemies;

          the wicked will fall under You.

Your throne, O Jesus, endures forever and ever.
          Your royal sceptre is one of equity;
            You love righteousness and hate wickedness.

You have anointed me with the oil of gladness beyond my acquaintances;

my robes are all fragrant with blossom and musk and gum tree.                     From my Aussie home my guitar makes You glad;

we Your daughters are your ladies of honour;
    

Hear, O women, consider what I say and listen;

forget your people and your father’s house,
Leave it all behind for the love of Jesus.

Because He is your Lord, bow to him;

People will know you are favoured,

Even the rich, yet they will not have what you do.

The Christians are dressed in clean white robes;

They will be caught up in the clouds and joined with the King.                     With joy and gladness they are led along

as they enter the banquet hall.

In the restored earth You, O King, shall be with Your sons and daughters;
          You will make them princes and princesses in all the earth.

I will proclaim Your name to be celebrated in all generations;
          and Your people will praise You forever and ever.

Melanie.

So how am I going as a Christian? The 15 point checklist!

How quick are we to judge others before prayerfully considering our own Christian walk or character? Now I’m not just asking YOU this question…I need to ask myself it too! Because we all probably know the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, right?

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control.

And if we’re honest we usually can spot when someone is lacking one or more of these attributes…even ourselves.  Yet how often do we ponder on the 15 points mentioned only verses earlier to let the Holy Spirit speak to us about ourselves? Please know I am NOT trying to make you feel bad, as this is only something I’ve recently done myself.

I believe God reminded me today that I am responsible for my own choices and actions – that I must focus on myself before worrying about other Christian’s walks…He reminded me of how we all as INDIVIDUALS need to seek forgiveness and a restored relationship with God through Jesus Christ…that this free gift is available to ALL as The Lord DOES NOT take any pleasure in the death of the wicked, or hold others accountable for the sins of others; even their children. Read Ezekiel 18.

He reminded me that I must FOLLOW HIM…regardless of anyone else’s journey.

That I must be CAREFUL to not think I am something special compared to others…I must test my OWN WORK, being gentle with others and NOT sewing seed for my flesh! He reminded me again of the 15 point checklist in Galatians 5:19-21 for me to consider…actually for us all to consider as children of the Kingdom of God – for I believe it is a character checklist that we all will WANT to strive for out of our love for Christ, now living lives dead-to-our-flesh and alive-in-Christ!  I have been convicted personally by this list on more than one occasion and it has not been a cause of great remorse, rather gratitude that I can then pray, ask for forgiveness where I’ve fallen short, and also ask for help and strengthening in the area/s.  I urge you to prayerfully consider this list too, letting Jesus speak to you…

The works of the FLESH are:

 (Sorry if this is blunt, but I am trying to keep this post short and HONEST!)

1. FORNICATION:  Okay, so are you having sex outside of marriage? This is fornication. If you are in this situation, put simply, your flesh is number one before God and God does not tolerate this. God expects purity from His people and scripture defines the only pure sex is between a married man and woman.  I’m sorry for this bluntness but God expects to be number one and this requires sacrifice. When you give up your flesh for God, He will step in and meet every deficit and grow you so much closer to Him than you could ever imagine.

2. IMPURITY: Leading on from the last point is impurity or contamination.  This can be a variety of things like even one’s thoughts.  Impure thoughts that are crude, smutty, lustful, corrupt, degrading, undignified – bad thoughts contemplated long enough lead to the action! Cut them off by prayer in Jesus Name.

3. LICENTIOUSNESS: This means lacking moral restraint, especially in regards to sexual matters. You know the person who thinks they’re okay with their sexual behaviour because they haven’t gone ALL THE WAY…well this point says otherwise. If you’re in this situation, please don’t feel condemned, just repent and don’t do it anymore!  This point also means going beyond customary limits…you know those old-fashioned ways…this is why deep down our conscience tells us we’re not acting right anyway, regardless of culture.

4. IDOLATRY: This is having anything else as number one before God.  It can be an actual statue or false-religion idol in a place of prominence or things like our job, money, clothing, jewellery, shoes, a hobby, sport, people, family, friends…I could go on and on. When God is number one our lives actually have such a better balance and we have more love for others than we could have imagined and it keeps growing…He is just so good!

5. SORCERY: Yes, this makes the checklist and covers witchcraft and any modes of seeking information or advice from other sources than God and His people. Like astrology, numerology, mediums, tarot card readers, spirit guides, spiritists, white-witches and so on… These people serve the enemy…simple! And God does not mince words on this topic…just do a google search on scripture and witchcraft or consulting mediums…much teaching is available…people who claim to know no better have simply not read scripture for themselves.

6. ENEMITIES: So this weird word covers feelings or an internal reaction that makes a person basically toxic against others.  It’s okay to be against something and to even take sensible steps to fight for justice but this type of opposition is poisonous.  It is opposition which presents itself in hatred, loathing, bitterness, abhorrence, malice, feuding, conflict, hostility, rivalry, revenge. It’s when a person forgets the grace God has extended to them and to live in humility; extending understanding, forgiveness and grace to others.

7. STRIFE: Are we someone who causes or starts arguments?  Are we a troublemaker? Do we feed off drama? Do we bait others or manipulate situations to stir up trouble and get our own way?  Even our own spouse? Enough said.

8. JEALOUSLY: This is where your flesh convinces you from irrational fear that you could lose something to someone else. You may be jealous when your spouse is chatting to another person for example. You may be jealous of a new friendship your child has made as you’re afraid your relationship with them will suffer. You may be jealous of a new co-worker due to their talent, afraid they may surpass you at work and this could result in you treating them poorly, jeopardising your witness! God does not want you to live a life of fear, rather one of joy and trust in Him!

9. ANGER: As stated anger is okay…it’s normal. God gets angry but never sins…that should be our benchmark!  Do we treat others with respect when we are angry…our spouse, family, friends or kids?  Sometimes repenting is even necessary to those close to us whom we’ve lashed out upon when angry…even if the anger was justifiable, as we still need self-control during times of anger.

10. QUARRELS:  Yes, this is listed separately as we may think, “Well I don’t punch people when I’m angry!”  But anger does not produce God’s righteousness.  God blesses those who work for peace – they will be called the Children of God. Scripture basically says in proverbs it’s better to live alone than with a quarrelsome wife…and in 2 Timothy it states The Lord’s servant must NOT be quarrelsome! Yes, some food for thought here! This is not to say some complaints aren’t legit…but perhaps you need outside help if you can’t work them out maturely.

11. DISSENSIONS: This is disagreement, contention or quarrelling but more so in regards to an organisation…yes, so this would include church. Are you humble, do you submit to the authority above you in church within reason? When struggling with those above us in church we have a choice to speak out hastily or self-examine and perhaps speak privately with a trusted, more mature Christian for counsel.

12. FACTIONS: Logically this follows dissensions…because dissensions can ultimately lead to factions.  Rebellion, disunity, falling-out and breaking away into a smaller group are not results of godly character.  The enemy wants to cause division within the Church…don’t become a pawn in his plan. Yes we should not stay under submission to someone who preaches heresy; does not uphold scripture; or is obviously a hypocrite, but for other matters of disagreement we should take our time to discern what God is saying or trying to teach us in this situation.

13. ENVY: Yes that other person may be better looking than you…have more money than you…have a great marriage or kids…have a great career…is always smiling...has a talent you wish you had!  SO WHAT?  God looks at the heart remember? How’s your heart?  Are you somehow envious of your pastor?  Work on your own relationship with God; let Him remind you of how special you are to Him and mould you into the person He wants YOU to be! I should note ancient authorities add ‘murder’ to this point…remember Cain with Abel?  Envy is dangerous!

14. DRUNKENNESS: Once upon a time this would have been so obvious but sadly not anymore…especially in Australia where a gathering (or Barbie) isn’t usually complete without an excess of alcohol and getting ‘smashed’ to have a good time! We also all know what getting drunk leads to…less self-control, uncontrolled emotional outbursts and abuse of one’s body or others.  Other scripture says it okay to drink but NOT to get drunk.  Alcohol can destroy lives as many alcoholics will testify to – and in today’s day and age we know this will also extend to street drugs like Meth.

15. CAROUSING: This is the binge drinking or drunken stupor partying. The ‘pub-crawl’ – so this covers those of us who think it’s okay if we drink heavy only occasionally to ‘have a good time’. Scripture says getting drunk is an unrestrained fleshly indulgence. We need to be led by the Spirit and not our flesh.

Feel free to print this post out as I know it is long so that you can prayerfully come back to it in quiet times with The Lord. In His peace and grace to you, Melanie.

STOP Existing START Living!

When I look around these days I sometimes feel so different.

I know I am a creative, artistic person, yet that’s not what I mean…

Rather I see so many people with such potential, living lives of existence rather than purpose; however I also ‘get it’ because that’s how I once was too.

Now I’m not saying I am some super-perfect-got-it-all-together-stress-free woman!

Only that now, I live my life in the will-of-God and my life now has meaning and purpose.

Sadly this isn’t a message the majority of our young people are hearing any more…

Our young people are fed garbage, like…do what makes YOU happy…have sex with as many people as you like or of different gender, experiment…life is short, live it up…we are so much more culturally advanced than ancient civilisations…yes, you come from apes and before that goop…no, there are no absolutes…life is about survival of the fittest but don’t cheat on your test…saying no is boring…dress modestly at school, but it’s okay to show your body if you’re a model and get a pay check…fight for equality that suits YOU…you’re only an adult when you can drink me under the table son…just get an abortion it’s your body…there is no god…there are many paths to finding god…you are a god...no we don’t want others to live drug dependent lives or in poverty or for our world to have human trafficking, but whatever you do don’t take away our internet PORN…kids should be safe from sexual predators, but let’s lower the age of legal sex…who has the right to say who one can love, so we’d better legalise incest and polygamy and marriage to animals and inanimate objects…those bible-believing Christians should be gotten rid of but Hitler was totally wrong…let’s have freedom of speech as long as it suits what the government asserts…do what we say and don’t ask why…our morals come from society not the Bible so there’s no need for scripture in state schools…violence is okay as long as it’s animated…I could go on and on…

And while the results are so blatantly obvious…an epidemic of depression and anxiety, obesity, drug and alcohol addictions, prostitution, sex and porn addictions, eating disorders, sex outside of marriage, pregnancy outside of wedlock, massacre of the unborn, educated people who cannot think for themselves, excessive selfish lifestyles from greed, Christian persecution, divorce, lazy adults, disrespectful kids, increased violence, massive personal debt, dirty filthy cities and homes…

Yet many would rather bury their head in the sand and remain apathetic.

I’ve read recently of the similarities between ancient Rome and the west.  Bill Muehlenberg, in Christian Persecution and the War of Worldviews stated:

“No one who is even halfway awake today can fail to see the tremendous similarities between ancient Rome and the West today…Consider our modern secular state: It too has a new untouchable religion: secular humanism. It too sees as a grave threat anyone who will not bow to its religion. It too sees social cohesion and conformity as very important values, and it too sees the recalcitrant Christians as troublemakers, rebels and threats to the security of the state.” 

This article has spurred me to think more about our culture here in the west. And as I went to Greece and Turkey on a Biblical tour January 2014, seeing the ancient Roman/Greco cities/culture, plus studying the New Testament it is even more apparent of what was then being very present now. Stay with me on this because it really isn’t all that tricky…

Although so many people today believe we here in the west are so advanced…I have to wonder do they even know history?

Okay so yes we have more electronic technology but there is much lost ancient knowledge, things we cannot reproduce.

How many of us can recite from memory anything more than our cell phone number?  Have you seen the ancient architecture and infrastructure? The ancient Romans and Greeks were smart people…they were not simple, barbarians!

The Greeks loved to talk philosophy and were renowned for their love of knowledge…intellect was cool…a man who couldn’t deliver a decent speech was looked down upon…hmmm, wonder what they’d think of our school kids today?

Anyway, back to my point…these ancient people weren’t dumb, or even less spiritual than us. Some were seeking the truth and knew there was more to our human existence than just flesh and bone, even if they were lost with their myriad of false gods…the worship of imposters…demons.  They even worshiped sex…yep  truly…they had temples to Aphrodite the goddess of sex and fertility and had temple prostitutes working to serve!  The Romans were no different – they had the collections of false gods and stories…the same, simply with different names; Aphrodite was simply called Venus by the Romans and so on.

Sex worship really is just an extension of self-worship, where one lives to serve their own flesh which is why emperor worship is totally a logical next-step.  Today in the west, we simply have celebrities in place of an emperor (yes, this includes the glamorous politicians)!

Let’s look more closely at us compared to Ancient Rome.

Today, we have so many lost, spiritual people who think they’re so much smarter than what the Bible says. The New Testament says the Greeks thought they were wise and God’s wisdom being so much higher, was considered foolishness by many.  Read it here 1 Corinthians 1: 18-25. Today it is exactly the same for many who are not taught the truth or to think…God’s perfect, holy righteous way for us to receive forgiveness for our sins and restoration into relationship with Him is considered foolishness.

And this is why we still see people just existing and not truly living.

They blindly believe being a Christian results in no freedom. When they are actually trapped into serving their own flesh – it is their own flesh they are slaves to and the enemy claps his hands over it because they are really slaves to him! Jesus is clear you’re either for Him, or against Him.  There is no such thing as a born-again, Christian hypocrite…If you think you’ve seen one, they’d be a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

There is no freedom in being a slave your flesh…a slave to the devil…there is no peace in this endeavour, even if someone thinks they have peace it is temporary and fleeting and will result in brokenness and addiction because the enemy wants to kill us.

I can testify to this…I know what it is to simply exist with myself as god. Yet praise God forever, as I now live in His freedom!

I am now truly free to worship and love Him as I am forgiven and restored and in this I have found true peace!

My life now has purpose…

I no longer am trapped by addictions…

I don’t spend hours in front of the TV or gossiping about others…

I no longer wake up in the night consumed by anxiety…

I want to repeat that I am not saying I’m some super-perfect-got-it-all-together-stress-free woman!  Or that my life is now without challenges…as now because I belong to Christ I have an enemy who tries to pull me down!  

What I am saying, is I am rooted in the One, who is stronger than the enemy, only temporarily here until Jesus returns.  I am saying that there is a spiritual battle going on - that you MUST decided which side you're on...there is no fence sitting and there are eternal consequences. I am saying, this truth and good news is available to you too…You too can experience a life-changing encounter with God when you give up having yourself as god and step into forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ!

You too can stop existing and start living…call out to Christ and get ready for LIFE!

Need some inspiration here's a song which can do just that...As LeCrae raps (my explanation)...we're dead to ourself and alive forever in Christ which begins NOW!

Happy Mother's Day...Really?

Oftentimes significant days of the year are not so pleasant for many people and this includes Mother’s Day…

I don’t think I’m being dramatic or stereotypical when I say we all have an idea of how special days should go ~ just how that idea has developed in our minds or even if it is right or wrong, in my opinion doesn’t discount the very REAL fact that it is there!

On Mother’s Day we all want the bouquet of flowers, the smelly cheap perfume, a handmade card from the little-ones and the breakfast in bed…this includes many women who may not have children of their own for whatever reason, and the ones whose children are too young and are single…

So today I want to say to you, regardless of who you are and whether or not you have children under your roof today…if you are a woman who:

Loves someone unconditionally from their birth or from when you met them…

Is someone who puts a kid or friend before herself and is the one they can always count on above everyone else….

Is a woman who listens, and just telling her your problems makes you feel better…

Is a woman who even if you fight, you know that she's just looking out for your best interests…

Contributes significantly to other’s lives in their care and wellbeing…

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY…

All of the above statements are taken from definitions of a mother/mothering!

Yet, perhaps you’re a woman who has no child to hug today.

Perhaps you’ve tried for so long yet still not conceived.

Perhaps you’re single.

Perhaps you’ve lost a child or aborted one.

For whatever reason, please don’t think you’re alone…I’m praying for you.

I know what it’s like to lose a child.  I had an ectopic pregnancy in 1997 and a miscarriage at home in 2001.  They were both very difficult experiences for me and I believe both these children of mine are in heaven with God and I will meet them again one day.

I also know what it’s like to be a single mother on Mother’s Day and to have very little money to treat myself when I see other women being spoilt by their husband and kids.

I know what it’s like to hear people say things like, “Oh you do such a good job on your own…you’ve got your hands full…you have to be both Mum and Dad now!”

To experience the wide stepping-away from many who don’t want to help me out with the raising of my children.

Yet I choose to continue to pray, asking Jesus to meet my needs and He does.

I choose to rejoice in the joy I see on my friend’s faces and be happy that they have a decent husband who loves them…decent blokes can be rare!

I choose to simply let myself sleep in, enjoy a soak in the bath and eat the breakfast my boys serve me with a smile on my face.

I choose to say Happy Mother’s Day to my friends who may not have kids of their own in a technical sense, yet love as a daughter and sister and other kids like their own…for it is LOVE that truly makes a woman special and deserve to enjoy a day like today!

For those of you having an awesome day today…I am rejoicing with you, as we all need days of sunshine…but if I can ask one thing of you, don’t forget your female friends today who may be feeling a little left out and remind them that you love them.

For all of us, let's remember when we love like a mother, daughter or sister…really that’s all that counts.

If you’re grieving the loss of a child or your own Mum, I’m praying for you.

Be kind to yourself…tell Jesus about it…take some time out with Him…light a candle in their memory.

To finish, let’s spare a thought today for the kids being raised by courageous Dad’s without their Mum…why not take a moment to pray for these families on a day like today!

In His love, Melanie.