The Grey Range - Episode 17 w/ Mel Siggelkow - “Rising Above”

You don’t have to look too hard to see that there’s something wrong with the world. Tent cities and hopeless addicts have become part of the urban landscape in every North American city, but I think we all share the uncomfortable knowledge that it goes deeper than that. Few people these days need to look very far from themselves to encounter addiction, or mental health issues. None of us need strain the limits of our imagination to find some kind of trauma, or distress, or fear inside of our own lives that we would like an escape from. We all have demons. Some of us more than others. Little voices that remind us of things that happened to us, or things we have done that fill us with shame, and hate, and anger. Sometimes those voices shout. Sometimes those voices scream into the emptiness of our hearts that we are worthless, defiled, and tainted beyond redemption. It can get to the point where we believe them. Where we run away, either out into the lost places of the world, or into the spaces between our thoughts, and seek to drown them, or numb them, or just forget for little while that we are broken creatures. Sometimes we get lost in our escape and we can’t find our way back. We become the unmoored ships, floating between dark alleys and roadside easements, city parks, and shelters. Society ignores us like ghosts, because we reflect the reality in which they, too, exist. The part of each of us that we do our best to ignore. The part we run away from. To the bottle, to the needle, to the pipe, to the grave.
But there is hope.
Real hope.
There are people like Mel Siggelkow and the staff at Rising Above Ministry, who have taken on the mission of not only helping the homeless and the addicted find a way out from the depths of their despair, but to restore them to their lives, broken, but healing, and one day, whole again.
Mel Siggelkow is a Executive Director of Rising Above Ministry, a faith-based addiction center here is Grande Prairie, AB. Mel and his family moved to the Peace County, originally so that Mel might take on the responsibilities of traditional pastoral ministry, but as their church grew, they soon found that their own destiny was intertwined with that of the local itinerant community. From this, Rising Above Ministry was created to serve the homeless and the addicted, not just to get them a bed, or get them sober, but to restore their dignity, offer hope, and recovery into a new and productive life.
Rising Above does more than preach the Gospel. They live it, through service to our community. Their philosophy mirrors one I have come to believe myself, that no human being is disposable, and that we need everyone. Everyone has a part to play in the success of our relationships, our families, and our community.
Rising Above is doing great work.
May God bless them, and those like them.
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
The Book of James. Verse 1:27
BSB
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"Mel Siggelkow began Rising Above in 2007 as a ministry through the Church he was pastoring in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Mel says, “seeing people break free from destructive patterns is the most rewarding and fulfilling work I have ever been involved with.” Mel and his wife Liz have been married for over 30 years and have raised three amazing kids. Both Mel and Liz were raised in strong Christian families and were modeled a lifestyle of compassion. Those seeds have grown and the passion to help people is what keeps them so engaged with a ministry like Rising Above."
If you, or someone you love is in need of treatment, or addictions counselling, or if you wish to donate or provide support to their programs, you can reach Rising Above through their website at:
Rising Above Ministries - Welcome (risingabovegp.com)
They are also on Facebook and Instagram at: @risingabovegp
The piece I read on this episode, "Fireflies" is available in my collection, "Children of The New Unknown". If you want a copy, you can pick one up on Amazon. a.co/d/bm6e0YC
You can find the podcast on social media as:
Facebook - @thegreyrangepodcast
Instagram - @greyrangepodcast
X (Twitter) - @greyrangemedia
The Grey Range Podcast is available on CZcams, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
My stalwart co-host, Lucas Orich, is on IG as @lucasorich, on X (Twitter) as @hobo_withashotg, or he can be found behind the gun counter at Barton's Big Country in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
He is also Training Director for Barton's Back Alley Range, offering firearms courses and safety training. Hit them up and get some top-notch training and experience!
Come see.
- DJR

[@CreativibeGP]

Thank you for this great episode and great topic, as authentic as usual! 🤘

[@thegreyrange]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@chrystle902]

Great episode!

[@thegreyrange]

Thank you! 🙏❤️