Tracy Lindsey Melchior Born Again Christian

As an extra, Tracy Lindsey Melchior has had roles in soap operas such as "The Bold and the Beautiful," and "Ane Life to Live," appeared in "Beverly Hills Cop 2," and done commercials for Nike and Coca-Cola. Several years ago, she became a Christian, a transformation that gave her a new sense of purpose. Forth the way, Tracy realized she'd broken all 10 commandments in her life, literally. (Asked about often nigh "One thousand shalt not kill," the answer is: She had an abortion, which she sees as murder.) Through her new book "Breaking the Perfect 10" and speaking gigs, Tracy hopes to advise young women on avoiding promiscuity and making moral choices. She spoke with Beliefnet by telephone from her home outside of Los Angeles, as her son played in the groundwork.

Breaking all 10 commandments doesn't sound easy.

It wasn't exactly a listing of things to exercise. It was one of those things I hadn't even realized I'd done. Information technology's scary that other people may fit that mold and not realize it besides. It's not that difficult to do, actually. As I look back, it's non that I was what people would depict as a "terrible person." But in our society it really isn't that difficult to do because so much is permissible in our society. Yous tin justify so much in our civilization. Well-nigh people are surprised about the killing--abortion, the taking of a man life--and that one is done on a daily basis in our social club. So it may surprise some people that they may accept broken all ten, if they really went through information technology and were real honest with themselves.

At what signal did you realize you'd broken "the perfect 10"?

I came upwards with the book'southward title before I knew what I was going to do with the book. I got an opportunity to write the book, and I knew my passion was that line between being a believer and existence in Hollywood and trying to find the balance so you lot can serve both. And the 10 Commandments came to listen. Equally I was continuing to brainstorm, I thought I could talk nearly how I broke each commandment, and I'd thought I came to an obstacle with Number 6. I was like, "I've never killed anyone, so I couldn't do that part of the volume." And all of a sudden a wave of sadness came over me when I realized that in fact I had. And that was when I knew I needed to write that.

How did you go from someone who bankrupt commandments to i who follows them as a Christian?

You can merely become and then long thinking yous can be self-reliant and self-serving and nevertheless make yourself happy. When I realized that everything I was doing was bringing me the contrary of what I wanted, I got to a dead-end street. Sometimes when y'all've got nowhere to get, information technology's a expert place to be, then you lot're forced to confront your demons and wait yourself in the mirror. You've lost everything, y'all've been stripped of everything. And when I got to that bespeak, I knew I needed to do something unlike.

Tracy goes religion shopping.

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I was lucky plenty to be in therapy with a brilliant therapist who told me that I had no foundation for u.s. to build on. He encouraged me to find a religion and to starting time exploring unlike religions to detect a foundation to give me some sort of comfort and peace.

So did you get religion shopping?

I didn't explore a lot of them existent deeply. But I did enquire questions of friends of mine who were Jewish and friends of mine who had more than of a New Age philosophy, and [explored] a picayune bit about Buddha. There was an enormous amount of people surrounding me at that fourth dimension who were Christian, and it made sense to me, the more I learned near it. I felt peaceful the more I learned about information technology. Religion isn't but about whether information technology works for y'all, just to me, it was the one that gave me the most peace and made the nearly sense. There were things in Christianity that I discovered were innately in me already only I didn't have annihilation to base them on. Christianity and the Bible gave me a basis for things I was already feeling.

When you first started having this realization that Christianity is the i, what did you practice?

It took me a while to fully commit. And quite honestly, I feel like I am always committing further. I'1000 condign more and more mature in my faith all the fourth dimension. What I started doing was going to church, first of all, and that'due south what actually changed me--finding a pastor who spoke to my heart in a vernacular that I understood and was deeply moved by. The other thing was listening to Christian music. That was huge for me. Music has always been very powerful for me, and it really was instrumental in opening upwards my soul.

What did you lot listen to?

By and large just church building music--worship songs nosotros sung in church. "Ocean Floor" [past Christian rock band Audio Adrenaline] was ane of my huge favorites. I love Jeremy Campsite and Steven Curtis Chapman. I love it all.

How did this transformation in your life affect your career?

I was in a place where I was ready to give up my career. Non just fix, only willing to. My feet were starting to be pointing more toward serving God, serving others, than serving myself. Acting felt likewise much like serving myself. Merely I didn't call my agent and say, "Don't send me out ever again."

My pastor said in church building one time, "If you're not certain what y'all're doing with your life, simply pray to God. Say, 'I'1000 your loyal servant, please use me.'" I started praying that prayer all the fourth dimension. I knew I was passionate about teenage girls and how lack of parenting can lead to a promiscuous lifestyle. I kept praying to God to use me to help other girls. And shortly after that, I got booked on the Aaron Spelling lather opera "Sunset Embankment." Which was ironic, because it was the biggest task I ever had. As soon equally I was prepare to give upwardly acting, I hired God equally my agent, and I started working more than I always had.

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How was a lather opera role the reply to your prayers about helping girls?

The biggest demo for that show was 18-24-yr-old girls. The bear witness gave me a platform to achieve them. It gave me the credibility that comes with beingness on television. It exposed me to those girls and gave me admission to them [to speak to them exterior of the show]. If you've been on television--it's sad simply true--it gives y'all instant credibility. God didn't put me on a soap opera or give me a certain amount of glory for my own ego. I know I accept to use it to serve Him.

Y'all mentioned trying to serve your faith and being in Hollywood. How did y'all manage that?

I encourage people who want to live a morally elevated life and want a career in bear witness business [not to abandon Hollywood]. It would behoove the earth if we did take people out at that place who were brave enough to stand up to offensive cloth. Considering our social club was built on Christian values, and I experience like a lot of time, when you have Christians on idiot box or in movies, it's in a negative low-cal. It's getting better, but information technology would be nifty to have more believers in Hollywood who are saying, "That's offensive. That'south blasphemy."

I've been very lucky every bit far as being on lather operas. As for beloved scenes, God has protected me. I've non had love scenes. I've had to kiss other men. I've had many conversations and tried to observe out how God would view that. Information technology'due south not erotic to me, it's not a turn-on, and it's not a betrayal. Merely I won't do love scenes. I'll change words that I experience are inappropriate, like "G-D." I won't give God a final proper name, I won't requite Jesus a center proper name.

Have you establish a customs of Christians in Hollywood or do you feel solitary in that style?

I have been impressed with how many people are Christian. When "The Passion of the Christ" was released, I was at an audition with nigh x other girls, who all looked just like me, of course. The auditions were running well-nigh an hour behind, and one of the girls looked at her picket and said, "Shoot, I was going to go to see 'The Passion of the Christ' this evening, and I am going to miss information technology." That started a whole dialogue, and out of 10 of united states of america, four of u.s. were believers, versus the vi that weren't. And I thought, information technology's almost an even split. I was encouraged by that.

People look at Hollywood as a sort of den of sin. Practice y'all see it that style, or as more of a balanced place?

That's non completely out of line for people to see it similar that. Yous accept wealthy men, with commonly lustful minds, who accept most of the power in Hollywood, and so y'all take every immature girl who is starving for attending and affection--and usually male attention specifically--and that'southward Satan's playground. That'south the perfect formula for everything we hear that goes on.

But at the same time, in one case you actually get in there and you start knowing the people and the faith, they're no different than anyone else. They're no different than the pilot and the flight attendant who are having an affair. You just hear about it more considering it's Hollywood.

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Source: https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/books/2005/08/i-hired-god-as-my-agent.aspx

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