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Mammamel
08-11-2007, 05:02 PM
I have been reading some stuff written about PH over the last year. Most of it is not kind so I will not bother to say where to find it. Please no PMs, it is time to put the last year to rest and move on with life.
Some of you here are “old timers” you have been with PH from its beginnings as the HBHW message board. You knew how it began and you hung on through the good times and the bad. You held your ground when stuff got dirty. You didn’t jump and run, you may have ducked and covered but you came out ready to support the site.
The last year hit us all and it hit hard. We lost many decent members, some admitted they just couldn’t take it anymore; the bitterness was just too hard to swallow. Some left us with a nasty taste, showing us how bad it could get, and those I am glad to see gone personally. Some made excuses and just sort of slithered off. Some just flat disappeared. Now please understand, those who left because they felt their time was better spent tending their families, I support 100%. PH is a web site; choosing family over PH is a no brainer in my book.
However, some stayed. Some decided we could pull out of this slump.
Some did hurt me when they left, they had claimed to be by my side and then they left, they had claimed to care for me as family, and now won’t even answer an email.
Once it became known I was sick, those who left and claimed to love me and PH did not even attempt to help us through. My illness, though I tried to keep it off site really, did hurt PH, because I could not even manage to control small issues anymore.
Some bad, awful decisions were made, some in my name others actually by me. Still all of you hung on. Waiting for the day when I regained control and began to fix issues others said I didn’t see, or didn’t care about.
Ladies, I saw and I cared. With tear filled thoughts I saw my hopes for a God filled site begin to crumble. I was paralyzed though, so all I could do was watch as friendships I cherished melted away to ashes. The more I tried to fix the worse things seemed to get. Mean while, even though I tried not to admit it, even to myself my illness changed me. I see things differently now. No, it is not because I had cancer, I honestly do not consider myself a cancer survivor. Because what I had to handle is not even close to what an actual cancer patient must deal with to survive.
Still, the anemia almost killed me. That began a process of thinking that is still evolving. PH did for a time become a hard place, a place of fear. While the rumors began way before anything was amiss (giggle, I was supposedly a banning queen, banning anyone who disagreed with me) things did get bad.
I apologize for what some have seen as my lack of action, or blindness.
It is my goal to take PH down its true path, as a site for women who wish to study, not debate and argue over, the scriptures. A place for Christian women to build each other up, with no worry over having to “prove” how right they are. I want coverers to feel safe as well as those who do not. I want SAHMs to know they are appreciated and welcome, and WAFHMs to know the same.
Ladies we are all women who claim Christ, as such we need to become like Him. He was forceful and direct but NEVER rude or hurtful.
It has been suggested in the past that I dump the “religion” rooms, the Bible study rooms and focus solely on frugality. What exactly is frugality? Is it not doing the best you can to be the best steward of what God has blessed you with? To me frugality with out God is like ice cream with out a freezer, a sticky mess.
No I do not intend to add new rules, unless they become totally needed. I do plan though to work on the tone. MY tone specifically and I hope that will carry through to the rest of the site. I am finally finding the inner lady I ought to be, and I hope you will continue to share the journey with me.

Jester
08-11-2007, 05:45 PM
Mel, I am an old timer, although I've usually stayed on the fringe. Maybe you don't know, but, when things got rough on the board, many of us discussed our problems on private messages and forged tighter bonds there. Even though you might not have known, PH continued to be a place for Christians to help one another. I want you to know because you provided the meeting place.

I pray that you continue to gain strength, regain your health, and that the Lord keeps working through you, even when you don't know He is doing that.

HisEllieMae
08-11-2007, 05:58 PM
Oh Mel, the genuine love from your post is quite apparent. Bless you for the dedication you give for our benefit. I am not an old timer, either, being a member for just a year now. The changes in the way I live my life have been incredible and I truly believe it all started here.

I pray your health is on the mend. I pray you are able to continue this site on the path you envision in your heart ~ I for one, look forward to the journey with you. You put the home in PrairieHomemaker.com.

Many blessings to you, Mel.

gerrie
08-11-2007, 06:29 PM
Beloved Mel, [yep, I used the same endearment as I do with my Beloved husband, for you are my daughter], I have been here----------I don't know, kinda mid timer I guess, but I don't know how I can get along without PH at all. This is my place, my family, my ministry and my joy. Love you kid. Blessing, Gerrie

GrammyGoo
08-11-2007, 07:18 PM
I didn't want to post Mel. Being a Newbie and all. but I am going to. I am new to PH only a few months. I don't know what happened perhaps I am blessed not to. But what I hear in your post is your heart .

I have found here a place of friendship and fellowship with women of faith, faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in God. Women who genuinely care for each other and who have welcomed me with warmth and love , the kind of love Jesus said when he said

Joh:13:35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I see that love here.

I have seen heated debates and misunderstandings, but what I have seen more of is the love. I am learning here, I am growing here, I do get sharpened here. I do feel welcomed and cared for here, and feel I can speak in love here .

Thank you Mel for all that you have done in keeping this site together. It is a Blessing and you may never know until eternity how many life's have been touched.

Love & Prayers for you,
Blessings, Ella aka Grammy Goo ........ GG for short

majenica
08-11-2007, 08:30 PM
Mel, I may not have been here from the beginning, but I plan on being here for the long haul! I really appreciate what you do for us and this site. This "home" has really helped me to take a closer look at my walk with God, and also to find some awesome friends! I pray that your health gets better! PrairieHomemaker has been such and awesome BLESSING to my life! Thank you!

chimicole
08-11-2007, 11:39 PM
Mel~
I am a newbie here (very new) but I love to come here and read of all the studies nad covering (and not covering) and the Bible studies. I'ts a family here, and I hope to someday be accepted into the fold as a full time part of the family! :)
This place is awesome and so are you... don't change what works, and follow your heart. Let the Lord lead.
Love, Julie :)

anne
08-12-2007, 03:25 AM
You do a great job here and I keep you in my prayers. Our computer is broke and I very rarely get online anymore, but when I do this is the first place I visit!

SusanAnn
08-12-2007, 03:44 AM
That was such a beautiful post, thank you for it.

I've never been a prolific poster here, and I did get overwhelmed and go away for a while......but I came back, and you know I am so glad and fortunate that I did!

There is no other site like this, I have learned so much here and it has helped me in so many ways, thank you very much Mel.

ilovemykids
08-12-2007, 02:17 PM
I haven't been here too long but I appreciate you and this site. I have changed ny life abit since joining and it has made my good marriage better!!

Thanks, Nachela

Laurie
08-12-2007, 07:19 PM
Oh, Mel, I've been coming to this site for about 1 1/2 years and I've never seen it better. You have put so much hard work and effort into it and it shows. Thank you for all that you do to make this site so much like 'home.'

:bighug:

Laurie
08-12-2007, 07:26 PM
P.S. I really like the Bible rooms! I have learned so much by seeing a topic discussed (even the ones where people disagreed), and it's always making me open my Bible and go study the topic.

Hummingbird
08-13-2007, 06:33 AM
I greatly appreciate this 'online home'. :)

As an online moderator, I've seen so much ugliness on other forums and this place is a breath of fresh air and peace for me. I know that disagreements can and do arise but I love the Christian grace that I see extended here over and over. I see sisters in Christ loving and respecting each other. One thing I SO appreciate about my sisters here is their willingness to take correction. So often we get bound up in our "rightness" and forget that our fellow believers can be valuable tools in our Christian walks. I thank you all for your moldable hearts.

Mel - I'm not an old-timer (ok, I AM 49 LOL) on this site but I sure do appreciate all that you do here. :love0028:

katieanne
08-13-2007, 08:06 AM
I've been on PH for about 2 years!! I've seen several twists and turns. The board imitates life....many stages and experiences. This wonderful place is my refuge in a very "madding" world. Mel, thanks for the time and energy that you and MJ put into PH. I don't post as frequently as some, but read most all topics and take away much.

IN HIS GRIP, Kate

ThursdaysChild
08-13-2007, 10:09 AM
Mel, I'm relatively new here...only since this spring...and I love it here. You work very hard to make it a comfortable place, but not too comfortable. (Love those lively discussions!) I love this place and especially the regligious threads...I came here looking for help with frugality but rarely read anywhere else. LOL I love this site and would hate to see it ever end.

mamanut
08-15-2007, 02:02 PM
Mel, I know how hard it is to carry on when one is sick. Anemia is a hard thing to deal with.
And sick is sick. I don't care if it is cancer, anemia, diabetes, etc. One still has to struggle to carry on with the basic demands of life.
And when we are sick, it seems like our friends, even without meaning to, will let us down and hurt our feelings.
The decisions to leave were the best for those at the time. I am sure they are really nice people, but we just weren't what they needed. Some people feel they need to separate from what they think will test them.
I see a better tone on the board. I know what made it better for me. I am also sad to see a few go because some things got too heated here. I wish they would come back, but it is between them and the Lord. I can just wish them safe journey in this world, and the Lord be with them.
You did so much better than I would have done. You do have a strength about you, and lots of admiration from many people.

prv31wife
08-16-2007, 11:17 PM
I really enjoy this board and the ladies here have been such a blessing to me. I'm glad I found it. I don't even remember how I found out about PH but I believe it is God ordained and I know He is blessing it. How long has this board been around?

Mammamel
08-17-2007, 08:57 AM
First of all thank you all for the encouragement. It is nice to know that for all the folks who are negative, there are some who still want this place!
prv31, I took over the old HBHW message board... 4 years ago.
I agree it was a God thing, when I took over Miss Maggie was about to close it down.
I will never forget, I was taking some tests online, and she popped up a yahoo window and before she said anything else she said, " Mel, if you do not take over the message board, I am going to delete it. I just can't handle it anymore."
I asked for 24 hours to decide, but I became interim admin right away. Beloved and I discussed it and we agreed it was too valuable a resource to just let it disappear.
PH is unique. Women of all Bible based Faiths can meet and share with out fear of being harassed. Beloved and I are happy we were able to take over and help it grow!
We have had our struggles, the day I took over we were in a war, it took weeks to recover from that.
It did cost me some friends. I had been a mod at another site and the owner asked me to step down or leave HBHW as admin. I stepped down and she banned me. Thats cool, I had too much to do to go visit there anyway! We had to rebuild, and I began after a week or so of Maggie reassuring me she did not wish it back before I began changing it to really suit me.
The new slant, of not being religion based was a tad hard on folks at first (under Maggie it had been a Baptist board, but as most know I am not Baptist). I still get questions now on why I allow this group or that to be apart of the site, or even (gasp) moderators. My reply is always the same, God created Faith and THE church, He did not set up any of the modern religions, they all have issues that are NOT Bible based. THE church is made up of people of Faith who follow Christ to the best of their ability, they made a decision to do this. They were not born into it, their parents did not decide for them. At some point they decided to follow God on their own. PH is here to help women study and learn their role in the world, while helping them remain set apart from it.
PH is not for every one.
We understand not everyone will like us. What I don't get is why those who don't feel a need to try and bother us. Too much time on their hands I guess.
Man the memories!