Same Mel. New Chapter: The Story Before Everything Changed

E08 — Who Is Mr Gershom Brown? Meet My First Guest!Content Warning: This episode touches on childhood experiences, parental loss, bereavement, family relationships and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Some subjects may be emotionally difficult for listeners. Please take care of yourself whilst listening.It’s a special moment on Oh Mel!After three years of planning, talking about it and intending to bring guests onto the podcast, I’m finally taking that step. And who better to welcome as my very first guest than my husband, Gershom Brown?But who is Mr Gershom Brown?Beyond being my husband, who is the man? What is his story? Where has life taken him, what experiences have shaped him, and what makes him the person he is today?In this episode, we get to know Gershom as he shares something about his background, life experiences and personal journey. We also explore our relationship, childhood experiences and the impact of parental loss.Although we share the experience of losing a parent, our stories are very different. Gershom knew his father, whereas I never had the opportunity to know mine. We reflect on these different experiences and briefly revisit Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a subject we explored in Season One.We explore how childhood experiences can influence the adults we become, our relationships, our understanding of family and the way we navigate life.This is more than an interview. It’s an opportunity to get to know the person behind the relationship and to hear two different stories that share a common thread.Welcome to a new chapter of Oh Mel, where we continue to have honest conversations, share real experiences and look towards brighter tomorrows.Email: [email protected]

E07 — When Life Won’t Give You a Break: Grief, Faith and the Fear of the UnknownContent Warning: This episode discusses grief, bereavement, emotional distress, anxiety and the uncertainty associated with having to move home. These topics may be difficult for some listeners. Please take care of yourself while listening, and pause or stop whenever you need to.In this short, personal episode of Oh Mel!, I’m opening up about another unexpected challenge in a season of life that already feels incredibly heavy.As I continue to navigate life after losing my son, Wesley, I’ve now been told that I need to move house. Alongside the grief, I’m facing the overwhelming reality of decluttering, preparing to leave my home and trying to work out where I’m going to go next.Having never owned my own property, I find myself reflecting on the desire for stability, security and somewhere I can truly call home. When I moved into my current home, I believed the Holy Spirit had directed me there, so being faced with leaving brings its own questions, emotions and uncertainties.I’m sharing my honest thoughts about feeling overwhelmed, feeling hard done by and trying to hold on to my faith when I cannot see what lies ahead.I also want to explain that if there is a pause between episodes, or it takes me longer than usual to release the next one, this is why. I’m navigating another significant life change while carrying the weight of grief, and I need to give myself the time and space to work through it.Thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support as I take things one step at a time. Sometimes life brings more than we feel equipped to carry, and it’s okay to acknowledge that.Get in Touch with Oh Mel!Whether you have a question, a suggestion for a future episode, would like to share your story, are interested in being a guest, or simply want to reach out and touch base, I’d love to hear from you.📧 Email: [email protected] you for being here, for bearing with me and for allowing me the grace to navigate this weighty season of life.This is Oh Mel! — real people, real moments, real life.

E06 — The Phone Call That Changed My Life: The Day Wesley DiedContent Warning: This episode discusses the sudden death of my son, Wesley, following a fatal road traffic accident. It includes themes of traumatic bereavement, death, grief, panic, anxiety and emotional distress. I share my personal experience of receiving the phone call, desperately trying to find out what had happened, driving to the scene and being confronted with the devastating reality of losing my son. Some of the content may be distressing, particularly for anyone who has experienced the loss of a child or a loved one. Please take care of yourself while listening. You can pause, stop or return to the episode whenever you need to.In this deeply personal episode of Oh Mel!, I take you back to 12 August 2025 — the day my world changed forever.It began with a phone call from Wesley’s best friend’s dad, telling me that my son had been involved in an accident. What followed was a terrifying period of uncertainty, panic and desperation as I tried to get answers, reach the people who had been with Wesley and understand what was happening.I share the events that unfolded that day, from the calls I made and the instructions I received from the police to the 45-minute drive to Blithfield Reservoir, near Lichfield. I was driving towards a reality no mother could ever prepare for.I talk about arriving at the scene, the devastating news, being told that I would have to identify Wesley, and the emotional turmoil of those moments. I reflect on the calls to family and friends, the shock, the tears, the prayers and the moment when everything felt like a film — except it was real. It was my life. It was my son.As a mother, a woman of faith and a Reverend, I share what it was like to cry out to God in the middle of unimaginable pain. This is an honest account of the day I lost my son, the trauma of those first moments and the beginning of a journey I never wanted to take.Wesley was more than the circumstances of his death. He was my son, he was loved, and his life will always matter.This is my story. This is my truth. And this is a day I will never forget.Thank you for listening to Oh Mel! — real people, real moments, real life.Get in Touch with Oh Mel!I’d love to hear from you! Whether you have a question, a suggestion for a future episode, a story you’d like to share, or you’re interested in joining me as a guest on Oh Mel!, I’d love to hear from you. If there’s a topic you’d like me to discuss or you simply want to reach out, please get in touch. Your thoughts, stories and experiences matter, and I’d love to connect with you.📧 Email: [email protected]

OH MEL!!E05— Same Mel. New Chapter: The Things We Don’t Talk AboutContent Warning: This episode contains discussions about suicide, suicidal thoughts, grief, bereavement, death, mental health, trauma, abuse and the impact of difficult life experiences. Some of the topics discussed may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. Please take care of yourself while listening. You can pause, stop or return to the episode whenever you need to.In this episode of Oh Mel!, we’re having some of the conversations that aren’t always easy to have.We’re talking about mental health, grief, death, suicide, abuse, trauma and the experiences that can affect us emotionally, mentally and spiritually. These are difficult subjects, but they are also subjects that need to be talked about honestly, responsibly and without shame.I’ll be sharing reflections from my own life and experiences, but this isn’t about pretending that there is one simple answer to complicated situations. Mental health is complex. Grief is complex. Trauma is complex. And when we’re talking about suicide, there is rarely one single explanation for why someone reaches a point of suicidal crisis or dies by suicide. We’ll also talk about what happens to us when we’ve experienced abuse, loss or trauma, and how those experiences can affect the way we think, feel, relate to other people and understand ourselves.This episode is about having the conversation.It’s about bringing things that are often kept in silence into the light, while remembering that behind every statistic, diagnosis, experience or difficult story is a real person.If you have lived through some of these experiences, I hope you hear something that reminds you that you are not alone. And if you haven’t experienced them personally, perhaps this conversation will help you understand someone else a little better.As always, Oh Mel! is about honest conversations, real experiences and brighter tomorrows.If you’d like to contact me, share your experience, ask a question or simply let me know what you took from the episode, you can email me at:Email:[email protected] listen with care, look after yourself, and remember that you don’t have to finish an episode that becomes too much for you.

E04 | Same Mel. New Chapter: Where I Am Right Now⚠️ Sensitive Content NoticeThis episode includes discussions around mental health, depression, emotional distress and suicidal thoughts. Please take care of yourself while listening.Sometimes you don’t have the energy to explain everything.Sometimes you’re simply not okay.And sometimes the most honest thing you can say is, “This is where I am right now.”In this short and very personal episode of Oh Mel!, I wanted to step away from the timeline for a moment and speak from where I am today. I’m recording this episode from bed while feeling unwell, emotionally drained and depressed, and I wanted to share the reality of that rather than pretending that everything is fine.This isn’t a polished version of me. It’s not a motivational speech. It’s simply an honest conversation about what it feels like when life, emotions and mental health become overwhelming.As someone who speaks openly about faith, healing, trauma, ministry and personal growth, I also believe it’s important to acknowledge that being a woman of faith does not mean you never have difficult days.Sometimes you pray and you’re still tired.Sometimes you believe and you’re still hurting.Sometimes you’re helping everybody else while you are struggling yourself.And sometimes you simply need to be honest about where you are.This episode is a short check in with the real Mel, before we continue the story.How are you really doing?That’s the question I’m asking myself, and maybe it’s one you need to ask yourself too.If you’re listening and you’re struggling, I hope this episode reminds you that you don’t have to pretend to be okay all the time.Email: [email protected] Mel! A Real Life Podcast.Honest Conversations | Real Experiences | Brighter Tomorrows

In the last episode, we talked about metamorphosis, transformation and the process of becoming. But after recording that conversation, I found myself reflecting on my own life and asking myself a deeper question: What helped me become the woman I am today?Sometimes we talk about change as though it happens completely within us, but the people we surround ourselves with, the environments we live in and the influences we allow into our lives can have a profound impact on who we become.In this episode, I take a personal look back at my own journey and the people who played an important part in my development. I reflect on Auntie Diane and Auntie Lorna, who came into my life during a difficult period and helped me see possibilities beyond where I was at the time. They came to the hostel, encouraged me to get educated, helped me put a plan in place and supported me as I worked towards getting the qualifications I needed to eventually go to university.That made me think about how pivotal the right people, the right environment and the right influences can be when you’re trying to change your life.Who are the people around you? What are they speaking into you? What are they encouraging you to become? Does your environment help you grow, or does it keep you stuck? And sometimes, are you even aware of the influence that other people are having on your life?This episode is a personal reflection on environment, influence, opportunity, education, relationships, growth and becoming. I’m looking at how the people around us can sometimes see potential in us before we can see it for ourselves, and how one person’s encouragement can become part of the foundation for an entirely different future.Because sometimes your metamorphosis isn’t just about what happens inside you. Sometimes it’s also about who God places around you while you’re becoming.If you’ve ever wondered how much your environment has shaped you, this conversation is for you.I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences and reflections.Email: [email protected] Mel! A Real Life PodcastHonest Conversations | Real Experiences | Brighter Tomorrows

What does it really mean to change, grow and become?In this episode of Oh Mel!, I’m taking a deeper look at the word metamorphosis and what it means to experience genuine transformation. Metamorphosis is a profound change in form or nature, while development is the process of growing and progressing, evolution is gradual development over time, and a process is the series of stages we go through as something changes and develops.But what does all of this have to do with our faith and our everyday lives?Romans 12:2 tells us, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We’re going to unpack what it means to conform, what it means to be transformed, and why the renewing of our minds is so important when we are growing into who God has called us to be.I’ll also be reflecting on a season of my own life, particularly April and May 2025, when I was recovering, processing, growing, stepping further into ministry and discovering things about myself and what God was doing in me. Sometimes we are so focused on what we are going through that we don’t recognise the transformation taking place within us.So I want to ask you: What is your current season developing in you? Are you resisting the process, or are you allowing yourself to grow through it? What have you had to unlearn, release or change? And most importantly, who are you becoming?This isn’t about becoming someone completely different. It’s about understanding that we can remain the same person while entering a new chapter, because growth, development and transformation are all part of the journey.Come and have this conversation with me as we explore metamorphosis, transformation, the renewing of the mind, faith, life experiences and the process of becoming.If this episode speaks to you, I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, your experiences, your questions or even your perspective if you see things differently.Email: [email protected] is Oh Mel! A Real Life Podcast.Honest Conversations | Real Experiences | Brighter Tomorrows

What happens when you look back at the person you used to be and realise just how much life has shaped you?In this episode of OH MEL!, Melinda takes us back — before the ministry, before the podcast, before everything changed.We talk about childhood, identity, relationships, trauma, grief, healing, faith and the experiences that quietly shape who we become.This isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen. It’s about looking at it honestly, understanding it, and recognising the woman who came through it.Because underneath every chapter of life, there is still the same Mel — just with a few more stories, a few more scars, a lot more wisdom, and a new chapter waiting to be written.Real life. Real conversations. No pretending.Welcome to OH MEL!

Welcome back to the Oh Mel Podcast.It’s 2026, and after stepping away from the microphone, I’m back.So much has happened since I last recorded in May 2025. Life has changed. I’ve changed. I’ve experienced things, learnt things, questioned things, grieved, grown and gained a whole new perspective.So this feels like the right time for a new chapter.Same Mel. New chapter.This is a fresh season of the Oh Mel Podcast — a place for honest conversations about life, faith, trauma, therapy, grief, abuse, childhood and adolescent mental health, relationships, upbringing, generational and intergenerational trauma, and the things we don’t always feel comfortable talking about.Whether you believe in God, you’re questioning your faith, or you don’t believe at all, you’re welcome here.I’m not coming back as a completely different person. I’m still Mel. But I’m not the same Mel I was when you last heard me.And I think that’s worth talking about.So, welcome back to Oh Mel.New season. Fresh eyes. New perspective. New conversations.Let’s talk.📧 I’d love to hear from you: [email protected] me your questions, thoughts, feedback or your own experiences. Let’s have a conversation around the podcast — and please feel free to share it with someone who might need to hear it.

🎙️ E27 Set Apart: Why I Share What I Share – Part 2⸻📜In this follow-up episode, I speak openly about how certain spaces don’t always feel safe to share my full story—and how saying that doesn’t mean others aren’t worthy or sacred. I reflect on how my own words can sometimes hurt or cause misunderstanding, and I take time to unpack that.This is about honesty, self-awareness, and healing—not just for me, but for anyone listening who’s ever questioned their place in someone else’s story.⸻💌 Contact & Feedback:I’d love to hear how this lands with you.📧 Email: [email protected]💬 Please comment, like, and share if this episode speaks to you.