Hello Everyone! I have been wanting to post my hello and presence as a lurker to this site for the past few months, so here I am! I hope I am doing this right- I have no idea what an avatar is and I've never posted on a forum before. Rita is the only one I really ever read, actually! Just a little about myself- I became a true follower of Christ in April 2008, in the dark of night, lying in my bed. I had become lost, lost, lost and far from the Christian upbringing I had known. I rejected Christianity sometime a year and a half earlier, during the dark days of breast cancer treatment at age 29- diagnosed while breastfeeding my 18 month old son. Looking back, I don't even know if I could even have been a real Christian before that, even though I professed Christianity. Since then, the Lord has shown me the difference between "Christianity Inc." and being a follower of Christ. Now, oh, How I love Him! I love His Word- I will follow Him anywhere- He is Savior in every way that I can comprehend in my little human heart and brain. I love His narrow and true way that leads unto life. You see, that night that he saved me, I was so broken beyond repair. I don't think anyone could have been so broken, dis-illisioned and despairing as myself; I was truly, truly at the very bottom of deep darkness in my heart. I had fallen so far from the joyful, sweet, loving mother and wife and daughter that I once was.. I became so jaded and worldly and self-centered... and dead inside. My life functioned properly on the outside- it's the internal world that is the real one. Inside, everything was wrong. Earlier that day, I had received and email from my Mom that had info about some interesting planetary alignment that she thought I would like to read... well, it had a link to the sight that I followed, which was all about the nearness of the rapture! I read and read all day- freaked out and scared and I KNEW it was true. So, strange, that although I had rejected everything Christian, I just knew this was correct. That night, after putting my precious son to bed, who was/is my world and especially at that time, my whole point of living- I saw him sleeping, so perfect, so innocent, and I knew I was so far away from that innocence, that child-like freshness. I knew He would be taken from me in the rapture, and I would rightly be left behind. I was crying and crying and didn't know what to do or say. Then, I heard so clearly in my spirit, for the fist time, my name- so loving and so full of authority, say, "Melanie, Do not be afraid". His words immediately shattered my darkness, and I was no longer lost! It was LIGHT and LOVE and TRUTH and LIFE!!!! He was the only One who could have saved my from that pit- not Buddah, not Muhammand, not ANYONE else. From that moment on, I followed Him, He even revealed himself to me shortly after in a dream and told me He was my Kinsman Redeemer- I had never heard of this term before and looked it up after my dream! Since then, He has continued to shepherd me and love me and guide me, faithfully, everyday. And guess how the Lord gives us the desires of our hearts? After all that cancer and treatment and warnings about my health... I am all clear and now am currently 6 months pregnant with another beautiful son! Thank you Jesus! Just wanted to share some things this morning... Bless you all! Melanie

Email: elijahsmommy@gmail.com

Praise God Melanie, God bless you. Thank you so much for sharing this. It is wonderful.!!!!!!

Email: mariacallison@hotmail.com

HALLELUIAH!!!!!

So glad you decided to come out of Lurkersville Welcome sis

Welcome,little sis! So glad you found Our Lord and Savior and the "bestest" forum on the internet!

YSIC,
Mary M

Email: mcamary73@comcast.net

Melanie . . wow, what a dear testimony!! Bless you, bless you for sharing how the Spirit brought you close to Jesus and His saving Grace!!

Wonderful sharing, Melanie!! God so lovingly drew you to His Light, out of the darkness, and gifted you with precious humility . . thank YOU, JESUS!!.

. thanks for sharing your heart, your gratitude of love to Jesus Who has captured your soul!!! . What a Gracious God and His saving Mercy!!!

So glad you have joined this family dear sister in Christ!!!

Here's A Big R.I.T.A. Welcome Wagon Greeting to you sister Melanie.

We're so glad you are here and, thank you for sharing your testimony with us.

Praise the Lord for the way He was reaching out to you and, God Bless your for the way you responded to His loving call.

We're very glad to see you jump in and join this fellowship for the wonderful refreshing of the Blessed Hope.






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And sister Melanie, here is your RITA Welcome Wagon
bouquet.



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ybiChrist's Wonderful Love,
Joe

Email: jpcarr@att.net

Melanie, What an awesome testimony, God is so good to us. Welcome to RITA!! Your testimony is a real encouragement for anyone that is praying for their family members to return to the Lord, or to get saved. I am so happy for you and your family. So thankful for you that your cancer was healed too!! God bless you and yours!

Hey Melanie - Bless you little sister - your testimony brought tears to my eyes - isn't it wonderful how the Holy Spirit draws you in and leads you right to where you need to be? It makes us love Him that much more - loving us enough to put us on the correct path - just like a loving father. Glad you're part of the RITA family and hope to meet ALL of you soon.

Welcome Melanie!!! What an awesome testimony!! So glad that you found the love of Jesus Christ!! He is our King and is coming very soon for His flock!!!!!!


GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!
YBIC,
Brandon

Gosh, thank you everyone for such kind words and loving welcome! I feel so blessed! Joseph, I adore flowers- thank you! Charity- it's good to have like-minded and like-bodied friends. I so wonder if i will be having this baby in Heaven... how exciting! I love the names of your children- Eden was one of the names we had for Elijah (our 4yr old) if he was a she! Donna, Melissa, and Shirley, you're words brought tears to my eyes. I can hardly believe that Jesus has done so much for me and yet He now has used me to touch others, just by telling of all He has done!! All praise and glory to Him! I hope that we will surely all be meeting each other soon in person; I do not have a church or much fellowship with other believers, just a few close and special people who are in my life, so it is such a treat for me to have some fellowship here! Thanks for allowing me to share my love for Christ with you!

Email: elijahsmommy@gmail.com

Melanie dear Sister,

How you have brought many blessings to us all here at RITA, your family that loves you and your own precious family.

This is what happens when the lurkers come out to play, everyone grows, everyone loves and everyone gets excited. Our Father would be so proud.

Thank you Mel for coming out of the shadows, all that long ago.

I just had to bump this up

Melanie

After re-reading your first post, I can see how our Lord has brought you so so far.

I am the one honoured, that you call me and see me as your brother

Our precious Lord takes a small piece of clay and moulds it into a beautiful vessel.

I truly love all my brothers and sisters and thank God for each and everyone of you.

Let his love be our guiding light in everything we do and everything that we say until his return

Love ybiC / Paul

I had never read this before, Melanie. What a great introduction post! You sure have a lot of courage. It's one of the things I like about you, sis.

Melanie, I am SO PROUD to call you my sister in Christ!!!

Can't wait to give you that long-awaited "sisters hug" very soon!

I love you very much.

Welcome Melanie ~




I was very moved by your testimony and the awesome power of God moving in your life! Glory to His Name for how He brought you through, and into His Kingdom! Looking forward to your posts

PAUL!! I cannot believe you bumped this up! Thank you for taking the time to read it and for seeing the growth of the Holy Spirit in me. That really encourages me! Huh, I guess that was a blasting first post!

Char, thank you! I felt such a connection w/ you as we were both pregnant and thinking we could be actually raptured in that physical state~ how funny! OMG, I will never forget that hilarious conversation we had not long after that about the pregnant bride wedding dress. I almost died laughing!!!!!!!

TN, I have never considered myself brave. You would not think so if you saw me around a bug, a spider or a bee!

And Kolleen~ you are so sweet! Thank you for the heart-hug! This was my opening post that Paul pulled up from last August. I have been posting on RITA since then, but I don't think we have officially met yet~ so hello and thank you!

Love, Melanie

Oh Melanie! You would not do well in Mexico. The other night I walked into the dimly-lit bathroom with bare feet and ALMOST stepped on a two-inch turanchula! Good thing it was a "small one"-LOL. I woke up Jake and made him kill it.
YUCK!

Oh Come Quickly Lord Jesus, and set this fallen world right!!!

Welcome Melanie,to RITA,Welcome Home,Precious Sister,now your safe in His Loving Arms, We Cannot Wait to Read your Posts!!

Hee-hee! Charity~ I hope you made him kill it twice!! I would be ill with scardiness!

And thank you Yeshua's Lady~ so sweet!

Melanie

Welcome to RITA, from the land of lurking to posting....

Your testimony was beautiful to say the least and has blessed us all. Another part of RITA, which has been ordained from the beginning of time, has been added - and that my wonderful Melanie....... is You.

Welcome

YBIC
Rich

Rich, that was a very kind and loving welcome! I'll take it and I think you should be the official rita welcomer from now on.

Melanie,
Welcome to RITA.
Praise the Lord,you belong to JESUS.
And you will have erternal life.
YEA!YEA!
Bless you,
Star

Dear Melanie, was this your original post? Your testamony was very heartfelt and touching. I can see that your love for Jesus just shines throughtout your entire intro. You're very precious to Him, dear sis.

How thoughtful of Paul to bump it up! It's so much like him to do that.

Anyway, since I didn't come to Rita until December 2009, I would like to give you my official WELCOME!!