Beauty from Ashes

Melissa’s story is a powerful example of how God’s love, grace, and redemption can transform pain and bring beauty from ashes. Her journey addresses several difficult and prevalent issues in our society, including surviving rape as a teenager, undergoing multiple abortions, experiencing the loss of a child, battling alcohol and prescription drug abuse, engaging in promiscuity, and enduring physical and verbal abuse. Through her faith in Christ, Melissa was able to overcome her past, and God’s incredible power healed her broken heart.

For 16 years, Melissa was running from the Lord, desperate to numb her pain and brokenness with alcohol, pills, men, and every other coping mechanism. However, after an encounter with the Holy Spirit, Melissa found herself on her knees, surrendering everything to the Lord. She realized she could no longer keep going around the same mountain and knew she couldn’t stop on her own.

Now a wife and mother to her three children—Gabby, Zachary, and Evan—and stepmother to her husband’s eight, Melissa loves to share how God has given her purpose through her pain. What Satan intended to destroy her has instead fueled her passion to help other lost and broken women find their identities in Christ and give them hope for their futures.

Through Anchor House, Melissa now uses her skills as an entrepreneur, HR professional, and life coach to help women discover their true worth and purpose.