If you have been in Christian circles for any length of time, you have heard it said, “Nothing happens to a child of God, unless God allows it.” Other times you’ll hear, “There’s a reason for everything.” This suggests that tragedy was allowed for good. My ExPerience The suggestion that nothing would touch me without … Continue reading Finding God Amidst Trauma: Was He in It?
It doesn’t take long before victims ask themselves this question: “God, if you are all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere as I have been taught, where were you when I was hurt? No loving earthly father would allow bad things to happen to one of his children if he was capable of intervening! Why … Continue reading God, Where Were You?
In U.S. churches, pastors are generally highly esteemed, and in some places almost idolized by their congregations. Therefore, to question pastoral actions or lack thereof, teachings, or approaches to ministry can be frowned upon. Those who make waves may ride them right out the front door! Many parishioners experience church like ducks swimming serenely on … Continue reading Is It Ever Right to Make Waves at Church?
It is human nature to desire for judgment to immediately fall on those who harm us or those we love. This is especially true for survivors of sexual abuse. I once led a support group of sexual abuse survivors comprised of several leaders in the church. Without exception, everyone longed for their abusers to be … Continue reading Is “Calling Down Fire” Really Necessary?
It important to know the difference because abuse survivors can be hurt or even retraumatized by behavior that resembles Christ at first glance but upon further examination has little in common with Him. This is one of the primary ways that the enemy of our souls keeps us from truly getting to know the Lord … Continue reading Is It Christlike or Just Religious?
A friend asked recently why I had not posted in my blog since April 2021? Events that shook my world in the fall of 2021 immediately came to mind, along with the resulting pain of spiritual abuse that accompanied them. It began when a close friend confided that she saw online that our church’s newly … Continue reading The Costly Impact of “Cheap Grace”
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?
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
When I was a child, I had a recurring dream of snakes in my bed! Often, I begged my parents to let me sleep in their bed, or I slept with the covers pulled tightly over my head. As an adult, when I finally understood why my childhood bed wasn’t a safe place, I realized … Continue reading What I Learned from Snakes in My Bed
Restored Destiny 