Hi ladies! On my way home from work the other day, I thanked God for all that He's done in my heart and realized that regardless of  the circumstances that wound me, when I go to Him with an honest heart, tell Him how I really feel (no matter the intensity of the emotion), and then spend some quiet time with Him; healing always comes. Always. Sometimes quickly, other times slowly. But always and with freedom.

Isaiah 61: 1 tells us that Christ came to bind up the broken-hearted and set captives free. He cares about your today.

When I began confessing how I felt about a past betrayal, Christ comforted me. And in the midst of comforting me, I became aware of my destructive reactions to the betrayal. I didn't like what I saw. Yes, it was only natural for righteous anger to follow the betrayal, but my anger was not confessed and quickly turned into something unrighteous: I expressed my pain by screaming at my children, who did nothing to hurt me. Make sense?

When I came clean (got honest with) God. He cleansed me. That's when healing really began, and my feet were firmly placed on the road to freedom. Freedom from feelings that were expressed at all the wrong times, with all the wrong people, in all the wrong places. 

Take some time today and ask yourself: How do I really feel about [fill in the blank], and do those feelings own me? If yes, consider telling God. He knows anyway. He's waiting to heal you, beautiful you. But He will wait for an invitation--the idea of that is healing in and of itself. Christ will never bully you.

"Promise me you'll always remember:

You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem,

and smarter than you think."

said Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

Ask God who you were created to be, then let Him show you. You won't get the answer over night. It will unfold in spite of your circumstances and when it is all said and done, whether or not the people around you ever become who they are created to be, you will be beautiful, free, healed, you. God is able to do more than we can ask for or imagine. Never stop hoping for yourself or the ones you love. Never. Place your hope in Christ, seek Him with all your heart, do what He leads you to do, and detach from outcomes.

Bless you.

Over twenty years had past since I read the Bible. At age fourteen, on the heels of multiple years of sexual abuse, I left my church more wounded than I was when I first arrived. I was done being a Christian.

Twenty-three years later, a few hours prior to my first session of group therapy for my horrible past, I noticed a Bible sitting on the table next to me. I stared at it for several minutes before succumbing to the power of its own silent gaze and picked it up. I surveyed the leather cover and ran my fingers over the thin, fragile pages and allowed them to fall open to the book of Isaiah.

"The sun will no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon
give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an
everlasting light,
And your God your glory.

Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.

Also, your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.

A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.

I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time."

Isaiah 60: 19-22

I held on to that Scripture as if my life depended on it. And truthfully, there were days when it did. Healing took time. More time than I wanted it to, but my days of sorrow did come to an end. Yours will too. 

I pray for you. I don't know your names, but God does. Do you have a Scripture to hold on to come hell or high water? If not, this one is ideal for women seeking freedom.

Hi Ladies!

Today I added a video clip page, you'll find the new link in the red box. Topics include:

• forgiveness
• why healing takes time
• marriage after abuse and addiction
• inviting God into your pain
• childhood secrets

I hope they encourage you and get you thinking, hoping, praying, and believing that all things are possible through Christ!

Blessings, women of faith!

It's July and I'm "spring" cleaning. I came across the "2003 personal care card" I made in group therapy for survivors of sexual abuse. Here's what it included:

Overall Statement:

Believe more deeply
Hold your face up to the light
Even though for the moment you do not see it

Affirmation:

• I will rest in the unseen arms of my higher power (Today I would say Savior. Higher power is just where I was at the time)
• I search to find meaning in even my deepest pain
• I have the courage to compassionately detach from others when necessary
• I give myself credit for what I am doing to heal
• I know what I feel (this was big for me because I was usually numb)

Supportive friends:

I had three phone numbers I could call during an emotional crisis.

Comfort I can give myself:

• sleep with a stuffed animal (I had a stuffed monkey named George that I slept with as a child. I still have him and when the memories got overwhelming, I took him off the shelf and slept with him. My precious husband would bring him to me if I forgot.)
• take a bubble bath
• buy a box of crayons and color
• paint
• journal
• garden
• exercise

*My counselor encouraged us to keep our cards with us at all times. It may sound weird, but it helped. It got me focused when I felt like the world was caving in on me.

Somehow I went from keeping that card with me at all times to not realizing it was tucked away in an old journal. It's been years since I thought about it. We can and do heal (repeat three times out loud).

"Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He [she] who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his [her] sheaths with him [her]." Psalm 126: 5-6

It's a promise. Cry, it's only right to, but keep moving forward. You're doing great. Keep one hand in God's and reach out to encourage someone else when you can (bear seed for sowing) and your harvest will come. God is faithful. Bless you today, sweet daughters of the Most High.

Will you make yourself a personal care card today?