Childhood Abuse

Learning To Be Loved After Childhood Trauma

I happened to marry a guy who had a childhood completely free of abuse. When we were dating, I began sharing my story with him and I watched him look at me in shock. Beautifully, even though we had such different childhood experiences, we both wanted the same things out of life, agreed on howContinue reading “Learning To Be Loved After Childhood Trauma”

Human Trafficking Is Closer & More Prolific Than We Realize

A woman sits in her living room, comfortably chatting with new friends from church. Over cups of decaf and cookies, and between the sounds of their children playing tag outside, they chat about music, homeschooling, and their favorite movies and books. “My friend is writing a book right now. It’s about human trafficking. I justContinue reading “Human Trafficking Is Closer & More Prolific Than We Realize”

People Are Usually Fine With Boundaries…As Long As They’re Temporary And You Don’t Actually Mean It.

Let’s get right to it. Even in the most dysfunctional families…those families where the cops get called to every gathering…family members generally accept boundaries, so long as they’re temporary, and don’t last longer than what the group deems acceptable. Your brother might punch you in the face and you might not talk to him forContinue reading “People Are Usually Fine With Boundaries…As Long As They’re Temporary And You Don’t Actually Mean It.”

The Stories We Tell & The People Who Wound Us

I’m very careful about the stories I tell here. Primarily, because I know that sharing my stories will harm people I love dearly. I stick to generalities. Don’t give names. Rarely even refer to specific people. NEVER give descriptions.

What If We Loved Our Children So Much It Changed The World

I know this in my bones: It’s easy when you grow up a certain way to declare that NEVER will your children suffer the same tragedies. And maybe they won’t. But they will suffer.

When Christians Go No Contact

But, if I made a good choice, dare I even say, a wise choice…then it’s fair to ask myself what I’ve gained and what I’ve lost for the better.

Cuties: Violence, Sexuality, and The Stories We Tell

On August 2, 2020 I discovered child pornography on FB in less than a minute. My cousin, a childhood sexual abuse survivor, had heard about the pedohila page in a support group she was in for survivors like her. She was rightly upset. When she told me I didn’t believe her. I thought, “She’s justContinue reading “Cuties: Violence, Sexuality, and The Stories We Tell”

6 Signs Your Abuser Hasn’t Changed At All

I’m gonna drive right into this list, but before I do, I want to preface it with something to keep in mind. Remember, that you can read all the blogs and watch all the YouTube videos, but at the end of the day, only you know your story. And each video and blog is fromContinue reading “6 Signs Your Abuser Hasn’t Changed At All”

Child Abuse Is The Social Justice Issue We’ve All Been Overlooking

I listened to a podcast today that talked about how, in the Bible, there is no concept of separate justice issues. There is only JUSTICE and INJUSTICE. Preach! When you start talking about injustice, child abuse doesn’t really jump to the forefront of your mind. Because it hides in plain sight, and like a deadly bacteriaContinue reading “Child Abuse Is The Social Justice Issue We’ve All Been Overlooking”

In Response To Mothers Day: God Will Write a New Story in You

I’m not gonna lie. Mother’s Day this year was rough for me. I’m still learning to sort through all the wounds of the past, to sift through what is real and what isn’t, to let the right things go, to dive deeper where I must, to allow God into the pain.