Happy New Year everyone! Today is a day we often think about new beginnings as we plan for the future. However, those of us who have been impacted by sexual abuse often feel so weighed down by the wounds inflicted upon us yesterday that it’s hard to imagine a better tomorrow. The holidays often bring … Continue reading The Journey from Impacted to Becoming Impactful
Many of us think of sexual abuse as an unpardonable sin. Its effects are so far-reaching. We have been told repeatedly that abusers can’t change, and recovery means acknowledging that fact while no longer permitting what happened to control us. We hold on to the hope that change is possible for us, but we believe … Continue reading What if the Improbable Was Somehow Possible?
Anger is a very interesting emotion, especially in the life of a sexual abuse survivor. I have met many survivors whose reactions were defined by anger; it seems to be the only emotion they were in touch with. Others don’t allow themselves to feel anger, as if it is somehow bad. The question is what … Continue reading Can Anger Lead to Breakthrough?
Father Knows Best was a popular television show when I was a child. It was about the Anderson family whose dad offered sage advice whenever one of his children encountered a problem. The image of a caring father who acts in the best interest of his children is an anomaly for victims of sexual abuse … Continue reading How Knowing God as “Father” Informs My Understanding of Prayer
Sexual abuse victims find many reasons to hide: shame, fear, feelings of inadequacy, etc. Over time, hiding can become a way of life. But, what if the things you believe about yourself are not true and the way you see yourself is inaccurate? What might your life become if hiding were no longer necessary? The … Continue reading What If Hiding Is No Longer Necessary?
For many years Mother’s Day was difficult for me. I had a hard time picking out a card for my Mama. For reasons I didn’t understand, I shied away from ones that talked about how great she was or how she had always been there for me. I searched for more generic cards that simply … Continue reading Remembering Mama and How Mother’s Day was Restored for Us
What is the first thing you do with a beautiful flower? If you’re anything like me, you smell it. Why? Because we expect flowers to smell good! Many flowers produce a pleasant scent to attract pollinators that aid in their reproduction. In II Corinthians 2:14-15, the Apostle Paul says that Christians produce a fragrance too: … Continue reading The Impact of Sexual Abuse on the Fragrance of Life
“I love you” are words many of us have heard most of our lives, but what do the words really mean? Who helped to shape our understanding of those words? These are questions I have been asking myself lately as I ponder how sexual abuse influenced my understanding of the meaning of love as a … Continue reading What does “I Love You” Really Mean to a Survivor?
This week’s post is shorter than usual, but I trust it will encourage you as it has me. In 2018, I am reading the Bible through chronologically. I finished reading Leviticus recently. I must admit it isn’t one of my favorite books. Nevertheless, I noticed something in Leviticus that comforted me because it revealed God's … Continue reading Don’t Look the Other Way!
The day my heart shattered was one of those moments frozen in time, much like 9/11. She was in her late twenties when she told me about the molestation that occurred 15 years earlier. She shared it in snippets over the following year with each revelation cutting deeper than the last. How could this be? … Continue reading Repressed Memories: Why Didn’t I Remember Sooner?
Restored Destiny 