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I had great fun talking with my friend Stef. She tells us what it was like growing up in Fiji as a Missionaries’ kid! And shares how years later she thought she was marrying the right person but then 2 months into her marriage her world fell apart as she knew it. We talk about the challenge of holding a God-dream in your heart, feeling as though we have been disqualified from those dreams ever happening or like we are stuck waiting. Stef is learning what it means to be content and to give your dreams back to God. Also I love a good love story and we hear this fun one of how she met her now husband and fell in love with him in 1 week! “Ultimately it did define who I was and it did set me on a course to have a heart for Missions.” “When everything fell apart, I fell apart.” After she separated with her first husband she went through a stage where she just shut God out. “God healed my heart.” Isaiah 61 Worked for Destiny Rescue “If all I do now is just raise a family and just live on the Sunshine Coast will Jesus be enough and will I still be in love with the person; the one who gives us the dreams not just the dream?” “At the end of the day it’s not the dream that matters, it’s your relationship with the dream giver.” God’s timing is everything If you loved this episode please share it with a friend! Connect with Stef on instagram @stefanie.aguina  Connect with Mel on instagram @mel_lynam

Can you imagine living on an island and being faced with a category 5 typhoon? That is exactly what happened to John and Christine and their 2 daughters. 1 year ago John and Christine and their daughters Chilli and Asha were living on the island of Siargao in the Philippine Islands, when a category 5 typhoon tore through, devastating homes and lives. Surviving the storm was just the beginning, what followed in the days and weeks after would take a bigger toll on them and the community as they rallied together to rebuild their island and their lives. While many people were waking on Christmas day to find beautifully wrapped presents under a decorated Christmas tree, this family  were waking to a shortage of food, water, and no electricity. But instead of focussing on what they were going without, this family got to work helping the families around them and just wait until you hear what they did for some of the other kids living on the island on Christmas day. John and Christine share their incredible journey from the storm to rebuilding. No means of communication 35 degree days, no shelter, no water, no medical help “By the time that roofs were blowing off, it still had more to give.” “Everything was destroyed.” “Even though it was a horrible situation we still had peace and strength and not everyone had that.” - Christine “When you’re living with a Kingdom vision and you know what is to come it makes the problems here on earth not so bad.” - Christine “You have to surrender to the moment that you’re in but knowing that God is in control of it.” “You can fall back on those promises that God has given you in your life.” “Are we going to be helpful or burdensome?” - John “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” - John Connect with John and Christine on instagram @nissi_missions Connect with Melanie @mel_lynam Thanks for listening xx

Ericka is an extraordinary human being. She is a freelance writer, author, podcaster, wife and Mum of 2 young children. She is passionate about the church, and about building up and equipping women in their faith. Today we talk about what could be considered a controversial topic which is alcohol, and what Ericka’s relationship wth alcohol has looked like and what it might look like to have a healthy vs unhealthy relationship with alcohol. It’s a topic that so many people differ in opinion about. We look at what the Bible says and there no judgement here, just a conversation between friends, which includes you. We pray that you will be blessed. @worthyourtimewomen - podcast @ericka_andersen - instagram www.erickaandersen.com for more resources Recommended book by Ericka - This naked mind by Annie Grace The Luckiest Club - online community Find me on instagram @mel_lynam

Glenys is a mother of five and author of the recently published book, ‘When God joins the dots - a series of Divine Appointments.’ She has spent over 26 years as a missionary in Papa New Guinea and Cambodia, with a beautiful heart for the poor and for children. Today Glenys shares with us some of the stories that are in her book and how no matter what she has had to walk through, God’s grace and supernatural strength have always been there for her. Also joining us today on this episode are some beautiful native Australian birds that do interrupt a bit at the end of our conversation so I apologise for that but I’m sure that you’ll just feel like you are sitting in Glenys’ backyard with us. “Be on the lookout for divine appointments, because you never know what God is doing when He brings somebody across your path. That that may lead to something amazing.” inspiringjourney22@gmail.com to get a hold of a copy of When God Joins the Dots. Proceeds go towards supporting Missionaries overseas. Connect with me on Instagram @mel_lynam

Kylie together with her husband Shane and their four kids live on the Gold Coast. She is a Mum of teenagers, a carer for her parents and a Chaplin for Queensland Police Service. Kylie and Shane’s story of creating a family is both beautiful and heartbreaking, with six miscarriages along the way. Kylie shares her own experience of dealing with the grief of losing her babies and the very unique way that Kylie and Shane dedicated their babies to the Lord and honoured their memories. We talk about how men and women grieve differently and having patience for each other and giving yourself permission to be yourself. Kylie has some real insight into grief and also some beautiful truths to comfort, encourage and bring you hope. The main message that we want to share with you today is you are not alone. If you have someone in your life who is walking through the painful journey of miscarriage right now I would encourage you to please share this episode with them. I know it will be a huge blessing to them. Even though she had her baby, she was still grieving the baby she had lost. Grief never leaves you. It comes in waves and it’s unexpected you just have to allow it to wash over you. you can’t fight grief. “I would picture them a lot. I would see their faces.” “I knew they were real, I knew they were there, I knew they existed, I knew their names.” “It’s hard to process this journey of loss because they were real, they are gone, and they are now in a better place. And it sounds cliche to say that, but I know that I know that it’s true. I know that they’re alive, I know that they’re in Heaven, and I know that I’m going to meet them one day.” “My children have grown up knowing that they have six siblings that they will meet one day in Heaven.” Did you ever feel mad at God? “I was on my knees banging my fists on the ground” When asked how she resolved her feelings of why and anger “I just gave myself permission to be myself.” Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” “I had the revelation that His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts and that I had to trust the eternal picture.” You’re not alone. "God longs to give us the desires of our hearts. He created us to have family. It’s His desire that we desire a baby. He put that in us." "He has it all in his hands." “What I know about God now that I have experienced all these things, is that He loves me.” Psalm 91 "It’s all for a purpose. Some of it I will not find out until eternity."

Kirsty is the founder of The Home Chronicles, a blog which is an expression of the home in relationships, food and DIY. She is also a Pastor and together with her husband Nick are the campus Pastors of Hope Centre, Ipswich.  In this conversation Kirsty gives great advice for where to start in decorating your home on a shoe string budget, she gives us some great time management tips, and Kirsty also shares some quick and easy “go to” recipes that are regularly on her family’s menu. We find out what inspires Kirsty’s decorational style and what motivated her to start painting? Friends, we also do go a bit deeper. As Kirsty says, a shadow over her childhood is domestic violence. We don’t go into any details about what happened but we do talk about what it is like now as an adult, learning new habits, and growing into a healthy human being who has come out of that kind of environment. And Kirsty also shares with us her concept of ‘the art of fighting well’ within the context of a marriage.  Now just before we go into this conversation I do want to let you know that this will be my last episode for a while. I’m taking a 6 month break to rest, draw closer to God and allow Him to breathe fresh vision into my heart. But I am looking forward to returning with some more great interviews. So right now, enjoy this conversation with the gorgeous Kirsty Emery! *Recorded in September 2020 so COVID-19 outbreak in Ipswich is now under control.*“The poor man pays twice.”“Some people can be a bit precious about design rules but I think you’ve just got to buy things that you actually love and things that build memories.”“Taking ownership and having to fight real hard and then go, ‘I refuse for this to be my life. I’ve found Jesus, He has promised me an abundant life so I am going to pursue His truth.” thehomechronicles.com@thehomechronicles@kirsty_emery Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Hey thank you so much for joining me today. Our guest is Bek Cunningham. She is a Mum, a Pastor, a Nurse and an Entrepreneur. In our chat today Bek tells us how she met her husband and how he really was NOT marriage material when she met him, how she came to be called to ministry and what that has looked like in different seasons of her life, including while looking after a really sick child. We also talk about where our identity comes from and how God showed Bek the importance of getting our home in order so that we can minister out of a strong and peaceful place. She is a great woman of faith and wisdom and I know you’re really going to love this conversation with Bek Cunningham.Bek says of a season in her life - “My identity was challenged because my capacity was different. I wasn’t outworking ministry how I anticipated that I would…” “To eliminate stress from the home - that was my call to ministry in that moment.” Everyone’s call is to point people to Jesus. The call to ministry is not about being behind a pulpit. We are one prayer away from changing someone’s life. Don’t underestimate your value or the things that you think are small but all pieced together, that’s what our call is.  Check us out on Instagram: @mel_lynam @fromdaydotshop @bek_cunningham @abravelife - The Charity that From Day Dot Shop partner with Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Christina is a working Mum, author, podcaster and Christian Entrepreneur Coach. She shares with us how she came to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, and the resulting persecution and relationship breakdowns that followed. I love how Christina says, “Even though there were difficult things, peace stayed with me…I couldn’t turn back.” Christina’s journey is one that includes divorce, secondary infertility, adoption, single parenthood, and being a working Mum and entrepreneur.  In this episode she talks about how to keep your business and parenting centred on Christ, clarifying your God-given purpose and vision for your life, looking after your relationships and the importance of having godly mentors.  This really was such a great conversation so here it - introducing Christina Weber. Who am I serving? Am I serving God or being a people pleaser? “I always had that peace but it was painful.” “I can’t turn back. I can’t not be all in.” Her journey of secondary infertility resulting in adoption of her daughter.   “It’s not what you’re doing in your business or in your life, it’s who you’re being.” Salvation story and resulting persecution and relationship breakdown Adoption Infertility Podcasting How to keep your business and parenting centred on Christ.   - 3 hour morning routine, mass, podcast, prayer, bible study, accountability group. See’s herself as God’s instrument. Need to be a pure vessel of the Holy Spirit. Having those spiritual practices and structures in place. Review the day at the end of the day. St Ignatius night examine. Conversation with God.  Clarifying your God-given purpose and vision for your life. Looking after your relationships  — What’s the end game? What kind of adults do you want your children to be? What kind of marriage do you want? That has to be a part of your planning and what you do everyday.  Parenting Launching her oldest son into College and adulthood while navigating divorce. The importance of having godly mentors and advisors in your life. “I am doing a disservice to my clients to not go into my day fully grounded in Christ.” Proverbs 10:22 When you’re really aligned and your whole focus is serving God and others, it becomes effortless. Proverbs 22:6  It’s such a short time and if you miss the boat you don’t get a 2nd chance. She really feels great about the focus she did on her kids. Don’t deal with it later - later they’ll be gone.  “You do not have to be perfect to produce great kids.” Check out Christina’s podcast show, Christian Biz Owners on Fire: https://www.christianbizownersonfire.com/podcast/ Mel’s instagram - @mel_lynam   Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Amy is a mental health and women’s body image advocate with a Bachelor of Psychology with honours. Her personal experience with Scoliosis and living with chronic pain, has left Amy resilient, and compassionate toward other people and their suffering. On today’s show Mel and Amy talk about Amy’s own struggle with body image and something called Self Compassion - what that is and how it can help us to establish a healthy body image.  Amy also shares what it is like living with chronic pain and how having a Heavenly mindset has helped her to cope with it.  With over 5 years of university under her belt and a passion for mental health, Amy gives her tips for maintaining mental health during the uni years.  As a child with Scoliosis she was never comfortable with or even in her own body. However Amy describes her journey as one of overcoming rather than of limitation.  Self Compassion helps with body image. What it is: Self compassion - Treat yourself as kindly as you would a friend. Mindfulness - being aware of your thoughts but not in an overly judgemental way. Self kindness - to yourself, not being super critical Common humanity - realising that a lot of people face struggles and I’m not the only one. Recent research shows that an appreciation for nature creates an appreciation for ourselves as a whole. “Faith is more than just a feeling, it is more than where you are at now.” How do we teach our children realistic ideas of a normal body? Pain is as much mental as physical.  “He taught me about trusting in Him even when it doesn’t feel right and having that Heavenly mindset and looking above where you’re at in this moment.” “Trusting in his plan and his purpose.” “A journey of overcoming rather than a journey of limitation.” “God carries you through stuff. He doesn’t just let it be a block in your journey, in your path.” Tips for mental health as a student: Time management Self care - knowing yourself, taking care of yourself, when to put up boundaries and say yes or no, self discipline.  Time management tips - know how you work, always allow extra time, set yourself deadlines. Follow Amy on Instagram @amyjdewet Follow Mel on Instagram @mel_lynam Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Emily Higgins is a mother of 5, together with her husband Ben is the campus Pastor of Life Church North in Brisbane, a healing evangelist, and author of a beautifully written blog all about Life, Motherhood and Leadership so once you’ve listened to this episode, go check out her blog at emilyhiggins.com.au   Emily’s faith is one that has been through the furnace - several times and as a result it is a beautiful thing to behold. When she was just 15 years old Emily was in a horrendous accident that nearly killed her. Years later when she was in her 4th pregnancy, Emily received the difficult news that her identical twin baby girls had TTTS, which is a life threatening condition. Unfortunately one of her babies died unexpectedly just weeks before birth and the other was born prematurely but clung to life.  So yes, Emily gets the highs and lows of faith and continues to trust and put her hope in a loving God. She puts it all so beautifully here in this conversation so grab some tissues as I introduce you to my friend Emily Higgins.  “There’s nothing like how near He (Jesus) draws to us when we’re in such pain.”“God designed His church to be a loving, supportive community…and receiving help, and knowing that I was strong enough with people and not by myself… that was ok.”Visit Emily’s blog for beautiful posts about Life, Leadership and Motherhood - emilyhiggins.com.au Follow her on Instagram - @emilyhiggins Follow Mel on Instagram - @mel_lynam Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Jane lives in Brisbane, is a mother of 4 young children and works part time as one of the directors of a program through Hope Centre Services called Mimi’s House.  Mimi’s House works with schools to support vulnerable children, teaching them important life skills to help them with their social, emotional and physical development. It is doing so much good in the City of Brisbane and I was so inspired by this program that I wanted to sit down with Jane and talk about how it works, how these kids lives are being changed and perhaps God has placed a seed in your heart, an idea or a dream and it is our prayer that today as you listen to this conversation that that seed will be watered, that idea or dream will be coloured in a bit more and you will be stirred up and inspired to step out and take steps towards doing what the Lord has placed on your heart to do We also talk about marriage, parenting and the juggle of work Mum life. We start off by sharing some stories of the biggest messes that our kids have made. About Mimi's House:Give them tools to help them engage in life and in school. 56 kids in program, 6 different partnership schools. 8th year. Around 320 children have passed through their doors. Spend a lot of time working on skills where they don’t give up through fun little activities. Often their confidence is so low they don’t want to give it a go. Encouraging them to give it a go. Teach the children that there are adults outside of their family that they can trust.  Consistent trustworthy adults. These children just learn that there are people in their world that are safe. They create a safe atmosphere. A sense of calmness.  A lot of these children haven’t learnt to play. Play-based teaching. Teach about trust and identify hopefully 5 people in their life that they can trust. How to be a good friend. What to do when your body is getting angry - techniques.  Working on the thinking and belief system that they have of themselves for eg. “I belong.”  They do a unit around Master Chef, teaching them simple meals to make at home.Mimi's House:https://www.hopecentreservices.org/mimis-houseInstagram - @hopecentreservices Follow me on Instagram - @mel_lynam Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Sarah-Jane the founder of Christian Women in Business, an online community and Conference and podcast that equips, builds up, inspires and strengthens Christian women around the world in business.Sarah-Jane Meeson is also an automation and online business extraordinaire. She serves business owners through consultations, online workshops, and automation services through theautomationgirl.com.  Today we talk about her 4 top tips for time management, we discuss setting up healthy boundaries and how knowing your worth in Christ Jesus can make a huge difference and actually amplify your business.      Times that SJ has felt like giving up was brought on from her burning out and not managing herself very well.  Advice for if you’re in a place where you feel like giving up.  Time management tips Say no to things.  Only focus on a couple of things. Pick your top 3 things in your life that you want to work on right now. My priorities are… Have routines. How do I start my day so it sets me up for success? “Routines breed freedom.” Get rid of all notifications and distractions. When working put it on do not disturb. When that computer is off you are doing your family time. “Post and go”.  Knowing your worth as a Christian Woman in Business. Sometimes you feel like you need to give away your products and services for free. That’s not valuing what God has given you. Know your worth in Christ. He has given you something of value that He is trusting you with. Knowing it’s ok for you to charge for what you are offering and God wants us to make money.  “He wouldn’t have given you the idea if He didn’t think you could do it.” The law of business - you make money and you spend money.  God loves you and He created you. Your business is God’s business and your business.  The worker deserves his wages. Protect your time.  “At the end of the day when I’m called for judgement, I want to know that I said yes to the right things that God wants me to.” Know your boundaries and protect them. Connect with Sarah-Jane:www.christianwomeninbusiness.com.auhttp://theautomationgirl.comInstagram: @sarahjanemeeson                  @theautomationgirl                  @christianwomeninbusiness                  @theautomationtribeConnect with Mel:Instagram: @mel_lynamSubscribe so that you don't miss any new episodes! Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

This episode is a pot of gold. And what I mean by that is I have gone through some of my favourite episodes and pulled out some really powerful, profound moments, interesting stories and put them together here for you in this one episode. These are some of the moments that have impacted me the most. And I thought that in celebration of the year that has been, it would be good to go back and have another listen to them. Ep:1   John and Christine Carby Ep:4   Marieka Hazard Ep:16 Debbie Hill Ep:19 Evalyn Parsons Ep:15 Stacey McBride Wilson Ep:20 Lisa Schroder (@lisamajdesigns) Ep:29 Emma Lorrie Cooke And there we have it. 7 excerpts from 7 conversations that really impacted me in this first year of podcasting. I am looking forward to this next year and have lots of great guests lined up and coming your way, including women from all sorts of walks of life. If you have any suggestions of someone you would like me to interview or you would like to share your own story with us, dm me on instagram @mel_lynam or pm me on Facebook. Friend, let me tell you that you are a valuable daughter of God and He wants to see you living life to the full in every area of your life. He is faithful and we can see that in our own stories, and in the stories of others. I hope you are being encouraged, I hope you are being inspired, and I hope that you are being equipped to live out your calling every day of your life. Talk to you soon. Mel x Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Hannah is a high school teacher and Mum to 3. In 2017 Hannah was pregnant with their 2nd child however, at the 20 week scan they received devastating news that the baby had a life-threatening disease. Hannah takes us through that journey of faith, believing for a miracle, and the loss of a child. She tells of how they came through that traumatising experience with their faith still in tact, how they moved forward, and navigated marriage as two people grieving in their own way yet together. Yes it is a sad story about the loss of a child however it’s not just that. It is also a story of resilient faith, and how a couple found strength and peace in a loving God. I know that you will be inspired and encouraged. At their 20 week scan baby Ezra was diagnosed with Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) Very few survive outside the womb. 1 in 25,000 babies born with ARPKD.  Hannah says of their story, “We just were guided so much by God’s peace in that time. That was just our foundation.” Prior to falling pregnant Hannah went through a season where she felt like she could not get enough of God. She constantly craved His presence. She now looks back and sees that as the Lord preparing her for the journey she was about to walk through. “I was able to stand quite firmly even despite the questions and the struggles and I suppose the fear of losing a child. I felt like God was just strengthening me all through that journey.”  Some scriptures that Hannah held onto were: Psalm 139:5 (NLT) “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” Psalm 71:6 (NIV) “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.” “I just knew that I had to be raw and real and say God this is how I’m feeling.”  The Holy Spirit ministered to Hannah with Worship. One song was Bethel song - You can just rest. “He won’t always answer that question of why. That’s where our faith comes into it.” How did they go back to life after their baby’s death? Both took time off work.  Went away for a weekend childfree and did some fun things to have some light hearted moments and take the pressure off.  How did you navigate how you and your husband grieve differently? Kept the lines of communication open, kept checking in with each other. “How are you doing today?” “How are you doing with Ezra?” Spending time with God separately. They’d work things out separately and then come back together. Prioritising time together. Maintain intimacy and connection. Talking about Ezra and the milestones that Ezra would be going through right now. Talking about him and keeping him in your conversations.  It doesn’t upset her at all when people bring Ezra up. It’s quite soothing and healing. They celebrate his birthdays.  We talk about how 3 year old big brother Seth went.  How did they feel falling pregnant with their 3rd child?  “God is not confined to statistics.” We just went in praying and believing that this baby would be healthy. They knew that it was a risk but chose to trust God. Thankfully their 3rd child Marlie was born perfectly healthy.   Hannah has encouragement for any other Mum right now who is walking through a similar journey right now. The feeling of empty arms when you leave the hospital without your baby. “Through God’s healing he can bring such peace and comfort to your heart.”  “Be real with Him. Don’t shy away from having those hard conversations with Him and just pouring out your heart to Him. It helped me for sure.” Hannah chose to do a 30 days of gratitude challenge and post them on Instagram.  Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Rebekah is a full-time Mum and the Children’s Director at her Church. She lives with her husband Nathan and their 5 children in Brisbane. On today’s episode Rebekah shares with us her story of adopting their 5th child, Zion Tong from China. They said it couldn’t be done, that as Australians it would be too hard to adopt a child from China. Rebekah and Nathan found a loop hole and after a faith-stretching journey they finally have their boy in their arms. We talk about the crazy dreams that started everything and the power of ‘just trying’. Rebekah walks us through every stage of the journey - from meeting Zion, raising money, jumping through hoops to get him, and then the challenges of the first few months of adoption. This is a story of perseverance, overcoming faith and love.  Three years prior to visiting China, Rebecca had dreams about China and babies that had been thrown away. Felt really drawn to China.  “Sometimes we are in a waiting season and those can be really challenging.” “Three years of waiting and believing that if God had a plan that it would happen.” They had 4 little kids and it didn’t make sense in that season. Her husband Nathan at the time of the dreams wasn’t on the same page yet.  We had always been told from the beginning, you’re Australian, it’s too hard to adopt, you can’t. They were told by the Australian immigration officer that it would be like jumping through rings of fire.  “I just wanna try.” That was their go to for all of those challenging moments - we’ll just try. “Adopting one child won’t change the world but for that one child the world will change.” “There were those moments where God was like, “I’ve got it.” Money came in from unexpected places. God continued to confirm so that even though it was stressful, they knew God was in control. The scripture that Bek says really sums it up is Psalm 139:1-10 “O Lord, you have examined my heart     and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up.     You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel     and when I rest at home.     You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say     even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me.     You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,     too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit!     I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there;     if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning,     if I dwell by the farthest ocean even there your hand will guide me,     and your strength will support me.”  “It’s just knowing that God has a plan and in my humanity He’s still able to be strong and help things come to pass.”  “Wow God, you always knew. I think we forget that about God…that He knows the outcome.” What it was like in the first few weeks after adopting Zion Tong. He wanted to go home. Grieving. How they involved their 4 children in the adoption process.  “He (God) is able to do far more than we can ever imagine.”  Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Today I’m talking with Pastor Emma Lorrie Cooke, who together with her husband Jared are the Campus Hillsong Pastors of Sunshine Coast South. After 8 years of a previous marriage, at the age of 30, Emma found herself single and divorced. We talk about what led to that divorce, what steps Emma took toward healing and restoration, and how she dealt with the shame that she felt. Emma gives really great encouragement for anyone else walking out that journey. We also talk about what it’s like pioneering a church with 2 small children, and then we spend some time on a topic that is perhaps not talked about enough and that is miscarriage, which sadly Emma had to also walk through a couple of times. But God is good and Emma testifies to His goodness in her life so grab a cuppa, or settle into that task or workout, because you’re gonna be so blessed. Here’s my conversation with Pastor Emma Lorrie Cooke.  “You feel robbed of time.” “Here I was suddenly single celebrating my 30th birthday and it wasn’t how I expected my 30th to be.” But God isn’t constrained to time.  Took 3 years to be restored from divorce.  Do you get to a point where it doesn’t hurt anymore? Absolutely. Zero pain attached to story. “I have to remind myself that I actually lived that life.” Puts that to the supernatural aspect. That’s the power of God.  “When you put your life in God’s hands and you give him full reign to restore you…that day will come when you do feel restored.” You are left with scars and consequences.  “Keep trusting Him and keep moving forward and live by His Word.”  Apply His Word and live by it.  “God I’m a basket case if you don’t help me.” Resolute thinking is what made the process quicker for her because she just threw herself at God and His ways and His time.  Received counselling for a year because “I was determined, this isn’t going to be baggage in my life. I’m not going to be destroyed by this. God, if you are the restorative God I know that you are, you’ve got another life on the other side of this.” Go get help. Unravel your thinking so that you can understand yourself better.  How she coped with the shame. Psalm 34:18 God is close to the broken hearted, to those who are feeling pain. He brings them close. The only shame that is attached is from the enemy. “The enemy loves to attach shame to our life situations that seem to society are a failure in life.” The enemy loves to attach lies to pain but God’s heart is always open.  She loved being in a safe church, a safe Christian environment that didn’t punish her for what she was going through. Being on a roster and a part of a team really helped pull her to church. Promises she held on to were Jeremiah 29:11 and He won’t leave me or forsake me. Printed out who I am in Christ. Had to confess over her life.  The label of divorce can be really binding for someone’s life. That’s just society and our own minds, not God.  Miscarriage and Infertility 2nd child after 2 miscarriages.  “You have no idea if you just hope one more time and you stir faith one more time you actually give Heaven the ability to perform a miracle in your life.” Follow Emma on Instagram @emmalorriecooke Hillsong Sunshine Coast South @hillsongsunshinecoaststh  Follow Mel on Instagram @mel_lynam Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

“Put more faith in His ability to speak than in your inability to hear.”  Vicki is an Aussie-Italian preacher and Prophet from Sydney, Australia. She is sought after by churches and conferences across the globe - also consulting in her capacity as a prophet with church leadership teams, businesses and boards.  For me it was a huge honour to be able to talk with her about what prophecy is, what its role is in the Church, what the difference is between having the gift of prophecy and the office of prophet. We also talked about how God speaks to us and Vicki has some great advice for any listeners who are struggling to hear from God. Then my favourite part is toward the end of our conversation when Vicki shares with us what God is saying to the Church in Australia in this season.  So grab a coffee, get comfortable and enjoy this conversation with Vicki Simpson.  Also available to watch on The Full Life Podcast Youtube Channel  www.vickisimpson.com Instagram @vickisimpson Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Hi welcome to another episode of 5 minutes with Mel. I’m all about helping you to connect with God and live the Full life that He has created you to live. Today is the first time that I am recording an episode onto my podcast and onto a video for youtube so if you enjoy watching your podcasts on video go check it out! Let me start by reminding you that God is not far off in some distant land and you have to make a really big effort for Him to hear you, no. God is here with you right now. He is closer to you than the air in your lungs and the Word of God tells us in 1 Peter 3:12 That “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer.”  I want to tell you that God’s phone is never engaged or turned off. And then secondly, you do not have to make a really big effort to hear Him.  John 10:37 “My sheep hear my voice.” That’s Jesus speaking about us.  So He’s not far away, He hears our prayers, we don’t have to struggle to hear Him and He is speaking to you already and you may not even know it.  There are some obvious ways that God speaks to us Such as Dreams, Visions, through a prophet, a friend giving us a word, through a sermon where something really jumps out at you and resonates in heart.  Here are some less obvious ways that God speaks to us and if you aren’t aware of them or looking for them, perhaps you’re missing it. Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

Carlie is a Pastor, counsellor, mum of 3 teenage girls and wife to Darren. She is totally passionate about people and listening to them. She is one of the most in love with Jesus people that you will ever meet and really exudes His love and grace and joy. On this episode we have such a good conversation about parenting girls. Some of the topics we cover are - parenting in the younger years, the importance of having open and honest conversations, social media, phones, clothes, boys, peer pressure, friends, alcohol, building self esteem, and we even have some tips in there for parenting boys too. Now I do have to let you know that some of the words we use may not be appropriate for little ears when we start talking about boys so I would recommend you do listen to this episode when there are no little kiddies within earshot. Parenting is very personal - as you know - and a lot of people hold different opinions about how to parent our children. Carlie is sharing out of her own experience, faith and values. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything that Carlie says, I love love loved this interview and personally received so much out of it for my own parenting journey. I definitely plan on coming back to this episode years from now to remind myself of her golden advice. So if you find something that Carlie says doesn’t sit well with you for your family then that’s ok, put that aside. I know that Carlie would agree with me when I say keep what you want to keep and put aside what you don’t want. Now without any further adieu, here is my conversation with Pastor Carlie Clark.   Cultivate conversation around the dinner table, never eat dinner in front of tv. Nothing is out of bounds to talk about.  Social media - “If you put enough trust, honesty and communication into your relationship it’s not really an age thing it’s where are they at…on their maturity level…each child is very different.”  Relationship with JesusCarlie always wanted to focus on demonstrating a relationship with Jesus over teaching rules. “Love sets the boundary.” “As much as I talk about Him (Jesus) I make sure it’s in an abundant and grace-filled way and not in a law giving way.” Peer pressureHave the conversations with them the whole way through. Healthy self esteem, love themselves. Do you think good thought about yourself? That is the most important thing. Carlie would talk to them about drugs.  Self esteem. Pick their gifting. Tell them who they are. Identity. That content “Do you know who you are? You’re so good at this…” Really notice those things that they’re different with and point them out. Tell them they’re pretty, especially Daddy. Compliment them on what their gifting is Mental health Teenagers suffer the most from isolation. They need that support from their peers. She has never used taking their phones as punishments because they need to stay connected. She wants her kids to talk frustrations out with their friends and sisters, even about Mum and Dad. Boys need to hang out. AlcoholIt is very different for each household. Carlie and Darren let their daughter taste alcohol at 15 or 16 so they don’t like it. But don’t want it to be a big ‘hidden treasure’.  Sibling rivalry It’s part of growing up. It has no bearing on their relationship later on. It’s jus part of being little. We all do that differently. It got to the point when she let them sort it out. But if turned into something huge stepped in. “What’s it like experiencing you?” “What was it like for them?” Just accept it’s what they do.      Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)

In 2018 I had my third baby, Mila Grace. She was beautiful, she slept well, fed well, had a gorgeous smile and because she was my third I felt fairly confident that I knew what I was doing. Now something that you need to know about her name is that Mila means ‘Gracious’ so essentially her name is “Gracious grace” and I think about that scripture that says that God gives us grace upon grace. I totally believe that God knew what he was doing when he helped us to come up with that name because oh my goodness we need a lot of grace for this child but I want to talk to you about that year. Because that year I fell into a deep dark hole and I felt like I was drowning. I had no idea how I had come this place and no idea how to get out.  No, I don’t think that I had post natal depression because my symptoms didn’t match. But I will say that I had plenty of symptoms of anxiety. I was in this paradox loving having a baby, just enjoying her so much but feeling so very overwhelmed and out of control. I felt like I could never catch up on the laundry, the house was so messy, I was worried about finances, there was a family drama happening, I was sleep deprived, and I realised that my thoughts were going to a very unhealthy place. There was this one day that I was at the shops with my 3 girls who at the time were about 4, 2 and 5 months old. I had just gone to the toilet and come out and my 4 year old announced that she needed to go to the toilet. “Why didn’t you go when we were in there?” I snapped at her, made a big deal about it, turned around and went back into the toilets. While I waited for her I looked at 2 year old Eva and had 2 simultaneous thoughts. The first was “She has such beautiful eyes” and the 2nd thought was, “I don’t deserve to be their mother.” I felt guilty and I felt trapped.  So I asked for help. I called up a friend who has been diagnosed with anxiety and has had to live with it for years. We sat down, I was honest and vulnerable, I told her I was struggling and she gave me great advice about putting together a weekly schedule and planning out everything that needed to be done like groceries and laundry and meal plans. Oh my goodness did that help me! I sat down with a friend who has 4 teenage children and asked her for advice on how to get by. I told the girls in my weekly Church connect group that I was struggling.  I saw a Psychologist. Slowly, I was able to get myself out of that dark hole but I could not have done that alone. Friend, I want to say that you do not have to have it together all the time. And it is ok to admit to someone when you do not. We are not meant to do life alone, or covering up our struggles. That’s why we have friends and family. If you need help, please reach out to someone and ask for help. If I had not reached out for help I really think I could have ended up having a nervous breakdown - a genuine medical one. Friends and family are gifts from God. They are meant to be utilised and called on for advice, wisdom, a shoulder to cry on, prayer, meals, baby sitting, washing. We are meant to ask for help, it’s a very healthy thing to do.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”  Support the show (http://paypal.me/thefulllifepodcast)