tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70411682600410323682024-03-05T09:43:26.409-05:00Le Chrysalis Christian CenterMaryMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03700976273153747682noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-18483518728418977572016-08-17T10:24:00.000-04:002016-08-17T10:24:22.185-04:00Getting Married - The Feelings of a Domestic Violence SurvivorI sit here, racing through my mind are all of the things I have to do before Saturday when I get married...<br />
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I'm excited to get married to my fiance, along with that though are so many thoughts about finally getting to the day when I can shed of yet more of my abused past...I finally get to get rid of the last name of my past abuser that has reminded me often of that time! I will no longer be that victim, that wife, that ex-wife...I will no longer be connected through name with my abuser!<br />
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This in itself is not understandable fully to those that have not been through Domestic Violence...yet I know that there are many out there that have who will understand the euphoria that I feel at this time! And the introspective thoughts and feelings that I'm feeling at this time as well...<br />
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I could have changed my name at any time to my maiden name...yet that again is someone of the past that I did not want to take on again. It feels like chapters of my life finally being closed!<br />
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Purple is the main color of our wedding...not only is it my favorite color but it also is there in honor of the color of Domestic Violence Awareness. Butterflies and crosses are our theme...symbolizing not only the resurrection of Jesus, but also the resurrection that He has brought to us through His selfless gift of His life and death and resurrection. <br />
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The butterfly...the cocoon...the metamorphosis into the butterfly each one of us can be! There's been times that I feel I've become that butterfly, yet there's been many times I feel that I'm still in that cocoon, transforming, being molded into the butterfly that has yet to emerge. Getting married, that, I feel, is yet another transformation within that cocoon and I can't wait to emerge soon into that butterfly! Ooohhh, so much that I would love to accomplish!<br />
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I can't wait until Saturday...I have decided to make all of our items for the tables and for our friends and family that will come to support us. While making these items, I have plans on using them again after the wedding towards DV Awareness. DV Awareness, I feel, doesn't have to be all about the pain and the suffering that many of us go through while being abused, but also about the fact that it can be overcome!!! The cycle can be stopped!!! Us "Survivors" can have happiness again!!!<br />
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I plan on giving a speech at our reception...please pray that I can get through it! I HATE talking in public! LOL I want to share with them these feelings and more...I want them to understand why this day is not only important for me as a "Survivor", but also for my fiance as a past addict! Oh the road we have traveled to get to this day! Talk about Amazing Grace!!! It is only by the Grace of God that we are making it to this day!<br />
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Sisters, don't give up!!! If any of you are sitting there reading this and you have not come to a place of living again, know that you too can make it! If I can, anyone can!!! We aren't supposed to live with inglings of the past, and through time, as if in a cocoon being transformed, you too will have parts of your life better left behind shed from you!<br />
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For those of you that are Advocates or supporting someone that is going through or has been through Domestic Violence, Support is soooo important! None of us have all the answers...None of us can take that mantel from the victim to transform them into the butterfly we all know they can be...Yet all of us can Support those going through their transformation to become that butterfly they are yet to be! It can take years...it can be nerve racking...believe me, I've met other "Survivors" and one thing we all hold on to dearly is independence. This sometimes hurts us more than helps us, yet, every one of us truly appreciate the Support of a patient friend who doesn't give up to us and loves us no matter what mistakes we may make.<br />
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I just wanted to share some of these feelings with you...and pray that it reaches someone that needs to read this. I know I'm not the first to remarry after abuse, and I have to wonder how they felt through this time? Did they tear up when they think/feel the euphoria of the transformation? If you have gone through this time please, share your feelings! It is soooo important that we share our triumphs and not always the bad!<br />
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God Bless & Keep You Safe! Thank You for supporting me through the years...you also play a part in my Transformation!<br />
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~Angel Hugz~<br />
TracyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-27537584689305952862016-03-20T17:49:00.000-04:002016-03-20T17:51:23.108-04:00Beauty for Ashes...Freedom from Shame<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At church today, we had a wonderful guest speaker, Ruth Puleo, who gave such a wonderful message that I have to share it with you today. After the service, I asked Ruth Puleo if she would talk with DV Survivors if I could get a group together, and of course she said she would. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Her message was a message of freedom from the shame of abuse, from sin, from everything that the devil has fed to you to keep you down. That God has soooo much more in store from each and every one of us, and that too often we are kept from what God has in plans for us because we are kept back because of shame that we feel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">She shared a story of a family with 14 children who's father/husband was a violent drunk. He would drink and beat his wife and children, and run after them with a hatchet telling them that he was going to kill them. The wife called her Minister, Ruth Puleo's father, to come because she believed he was going to kill her and her children that night in a drunken rage. The Minister went, and prayed over the man and rebuked his wicked ways, and the man would hear none of it. He stated that he didn't have to stay and listen to any of this, and he walked out of the house in a huff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He walked down the walkway out the front door with the Pastor and wife watching him, and he stopped dead at the end of the walkway and stopped, and turned, ashen, and walked back towards the house fully sober. He asked them who had put the man in the white suite and the sword at there in the driveway?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After this, he turned his life to God and became a board member at his church and did many good things in the name of the Lord and abused no more. He had been Scared Saved!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">How many of us have, or have had, abusers that need this awakening?? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Without knowing, Ruth Puleo confirmed what we were taught in Sunday School today. We are going through John Bevere's "Good or God", and he was sharing how we don't have as much as God wants us to have because we don't ask...that He has so much in store for us, so much planned for us, yet we don't reach our God given potential because we listen to the world, not Him!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">God takes what we can't do...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Luke 13:10 - 13</span><br />
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<span class="verse v10" data-usfm="LUK.13.10" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">10</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="LUK.13.10" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;"></span></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="LUK.13.11" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">11</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="LUK.13.11" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;"></span></span><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="LUK.13.12" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">12</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, </span><span class="wj" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #cc0000; cursor: pointer;">Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="LUK.13.12" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;"></span></span><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="LUK.13.13" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">13</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This, if Jesus can do this for the woman that was inflicted with an infirmity, what will He do for you if you'd only reach out to Him?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ruth Puleo also shared Acts 14:8-11</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="reftext" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #0092f2; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/14-8.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;"><b>8</b></a></span><span class="btext1" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px;">In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked.</span></span><br />
<span class="btext1" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;"><span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/14-9.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;"><b>9</b></a></span><span class="btext1">He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be heal</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="even" style="padding: 7px; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="20%"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/14-10.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;"><b>10</b></a></span><span class="btext1">and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.<br /><span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/acts/14-11.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;"><b>11</b></a></span><span class="btext1">When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"</span></span></span><br />
<span class="btext1" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;">What this brought to my mind is that we have Jesus inside of us...we are charged to not only go out and spread the Good News, but also heal!!!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Luke 9:1-2)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Lord Jesus Christ has given you All authority and power on this earth in His name! John 14:13 states, "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." Many Christians are waiting endlessly for the Lord Jesus Christ to move on their behalf. He already did two thousand years ago on the Cross, when He paid the price in full with His precious blood for you. He gave you all His power and authority to be released on this earth in His name. And if that is not enough He gave you access to the Father God Almighty's power through the name of Jesus!</span></div>
<span class="btext1" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(John 16:23-24)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This means that those of us that have gone through Domestic Violence, and have received true and total healing from God, need to share it and heal others that haven't received it yet!! OMG, the healing that comes from Him is so awesome and frees you so that you can do His work that He has set you to do, whatever that is!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ruth Puleo's message was the facts that Jesus saved us from the shame of failure in the Garden of Gethsemane...the shame of abuse with the Crown of Thorns He wore for us...the infirmity and weakness in us with the Whipping Post he endured...and the shame of sin when He hung on the Cross...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We ARE FREED!!!! The shame doesn't belong to us that have been abused!! Let the abuser carry that until they themselves are healed, it IS NOT OURS TO BEAR!!! Jesus bore it already for us!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We are kept from what we can become, what God has planned for us, because we listen to that shame that has been wrongfully put on us! We CANNOT live in shame of our abuse! LET IT GO!! Instead, use what we have gone through for the Good of God, and help those that are coming out heal as well! Guide them! Show them! So many don't know that they can be totally transformed through the healing of Jesus Christ...transformed from that caterpillar in the cocoon into that butterfly! Let's show them!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">~Angel Hugz~</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">Tracy</span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-74667565461126967902016-03-07T06:48:00.002-05:002016-03-07T06:48:23.057-05:00When You Think You Can't Handle It"When you think you can't handle it, God's already got a plan for it!"<br />
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I heard this on K-Love this morning, and I didn't want to forget it and I didn't want to keep it to myself, so I'm sharing it with you! Maybe someone else needs to hear it this am, I know I did!<br />
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I hope ya'll have a Blessed Day!!<br />
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God Bless!<br />
TracyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-14367836536638860712016-02-24T12:26:00.000-05:002016-02-24T16:24:46.190-05:00I Sit Here in Awe of Our God....I sit here, feeling, praying, in total awe and wonder of all that God does<br />
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Just the feeling of complete peace that He has brought to my life...through all the trials and tribulations...both past and present...NOTHING is too big for God! There is NOTHING he can't handle!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Isaiah 40:31</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.</div>
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So often I feel so tired...tired of dealing with the world...tired of feeling ill...tired of just being tired! I fight against it...fight to do what I feel is wanted/needed of me...and I've found that it is not even my fight! He has already fought all of this for me, for us! <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Corinthians 12:9-10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest in me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.</div>
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Lately I've really been feeling the Glory of God stronger and stronger, and feeling that I'm finally seeing more of what God has in store for me...for my family...for what He wants of us and how he wants us to live. The peace of this is unbelievable! He is guiding me, guiding us, and bringing so many things into our lives for this, His Purpose!<br />
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I can't do this in my own strength! More and more I'm seeing that all I need to do is sit back and watch His wonders working in my life and enjoy the ride!<br />
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From being a Victim of Domestic Violence, to being a healed Overcomer of Domestic Violence is nothing short of a Miracle brought about by our Lord! There is no way to be fully healed without Him in your life! He is the Redeemer! He is the Healer! He is the one that will deliver us from all of our trials and tribulations! <br />
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You are NOT what you have been through!!! You are NOT a label! YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!!! There is NOTHING that comes BEFORE or AFTER this!!! HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END, not only of the earth, but of us as well! For He is in every one of us!!!! We ARE HIS!!! And He holds us within His hands....God's Got This!!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.</div>
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This is not something that I even understood fully a year ago...a few months ago...it is something that I learn and grow with Him every day!<br />
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My prayer for everyone out there is that they feel the Healing Love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that they receive the Peace in their lives and the healing touch that only He can provide...<br />
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~Angel Hugz~<br />
TracyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-53782631981745418672015-07-26T20:25:00.001-04:002015-07-26T20:25:16.414-04:00Meaningful Message from For King & Country…<p>Last night my family and I went to the Delaware State Fair and had the privilege to go to the concert of <a href="http://www.forkingandcountry.com/">For King & Country</a> and <a href="https://www.castingcrowns.com/node">Casting Crowns</a> with some wonderful friends from church along with our Pastor and his family.</p> <p>For those of you that have seen either of these groups in concert I don’t have to tell you that they are AWESOME!!! For those that haven’t, you have got to go and see them! They are worth your time and definitely worth the ticket price, and great for your family and group to attend! The groups give you such an uplifting it’s incredible!</p> <p>To give them praise, although they truly deserve it, isn’t why I wanted to write tonight. I wanted to share something that Joel from For King and Country said that truly touched me and really has much to do with what Le Chrysalis is all about.</p> <p>I wish I could quote word for word, and if anyone has a video of him speaking these words please please please share!!!! I’ll do my best to share from my poor excuse of what I call my memory…</p> <a name='more'></a> <p>Joel called out to the men in the audience after sharing what For King and Country meant, why they named themselves what they did. The nights of old, shivery and the like. Old Will Wallace…had the men go “Ha!” Poor guys! lol </p> <p>Then he got serious. Told the women that they deserved to be treated with respect. “Ladies, do not let your boyfriend or husband dishonor you. You should be honored and respected as princesses. Men, you need to respect and honor your girlfriend or wife and we need to get on top of this situation.” Joel shared that the band members believed strongly in family.</p> <p>Ok, I wrote the above with the help of my daughter and my fiancé so please forgive if not the exact wording, but the meaning is clear. They have drawn the line, and Le Chrysalis truly applauds them for this!</p> <p>If we as Christians cannot get a handle on the abuse and domestic violence that is running rampant even within our own church congregations…how are we to expect to make a dent in the abuse and domestic violence that non-Christians are going through? </p> <p>The lines are drawn…and we for one are accepting For King and Country’s challenge and feel that it is a conformation on what God has been laying on our hearts for some time now…it’s time to truly challenge Christians to take a stand against the abuse and domestic violence that is not only happening in our communities, but is happening in our churches as well.</p> <p>Thank You For King and Country for using your unique positions to help get this message out!! Us Survivors of Domestic Violence and Abuse truly Thank You and God Bless each and every one of you and your families and safe travels!</p> <p>~Angel Hugs~</p> <p>Tracy</p> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-73368224173072155242015-06-13T11:46:00.001-04:002015-06-13T11:49:57.879-04:00When Getting Into Any Form of Relationship… 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 First!<p>I started this about oh…two weeks ago? Sigh…unfortunately life got in the way and this was thought of of course when I couldn’t finish it…so finally have the chance to do so!! I still feel this is worth sharing and worth telling, and feel that maybe the wait was needed because now I have more to share then I would have the night I was writing this…</p> <p>Riding home from a school concert tonight K-Love caught my attention with something they were talking about…Kelly was talking about how we too quickly let people into our hearts, mostly those of us who happen to be single and looking for someone to fill that void.</p> <p>How even when we aren’t looking for a boyfriend, but when talking about friends, how we too quickly let people into our inner circles, into our hearts.</p> <p>How true this is!!! </p> <p>Kelly then shared a conversation between a Mother and a daughter that was applicable to this, and really brought this issue into perspective…I want to share this here because this really is something we could all use in our lives!:</p> <p> </p> <blockquote> <p>1 Corinthians 13:4-6</p></blockquote> <a name='more'></a> <blockquote> <p>4Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.</p></blockquote> <p>She told her daughter to put the boys name that she likes in every sentence, making the sentence about that boy, and if it was true to him, then it was a good choice. By doing this the daughter did bring to mind that he was a bit of a bully, and at times wasn’t very nice.</p> <p>Too often we don’t have boundaries, or if we do, we don’t keep to them. There are times that we meet someone, and we want to be friends with them or really like them, but they do this…and they sometimes do that that really hurt our feelings. Yet, we take this! Why? </p> <p>As survivors of Domestic Violence, we know violence. We understand violence from our partners…yet we too often dismiss those “red flags” we see early on in our potential partners and/or friends. We NEED healthy relationship skills! We NEED to set boundaries, and demand that no violence or abuse will be tolerated by us. We NEED to see ourselves as someone that loves others, and DESERVES to be loved in return!</p> <p>Recently I spoke at a local shelter, sharing my story…and one thing I told those women was this…</p> <p>“If you wouldn’t leave your child with the person that you are wanting to date, or even a friend…then why would you want to have any kind of relationship with them?” Put it in the perspective of your child, or pretend you have one if you don’t at this time…too often we will be “Mama & Papa Bears” when it comes to protecting our children from even a mean look or word…yet we take it ourselves! </p> <p>Hmmm…something to work on…</p> <p>~AngelHugz~</p> <p>Tracy</p> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-27389770941987852522014-10-13T09:21:00.001-04:002014-10-13T09:22:13.241-04:00Do you feel an Abuser can Truly be a Christian?<p>Let’s be real here, we have Christians that are abusers within our churches and within our communities. This is nothing new, yet it seems that it’s yet another topic that so many don’t want to talk about. We have abusive Fathers, Mothers, Husbands, and Wives wearing the “Mask of Christianity”. We have ministers that are abusing and even killing their wives. We have Pastors who abuse their wives and children; we have Priests that molest young boys… <p>This isn’t anything new! This is a societal issue; we have abusers in all facets of society! There are abusers who are doctors, lawyers, political officials, police officers, judges, clerks, waiters, waitresses, trash truck drivers…so why is it such a surprise we have them as Christians as well? 1 in 4 (this is what the common statistic states as of today, although I truly believe it’s more like 1 in 3) women are affected by abuse, and this doesn’t even touch the men that are abused (1 in 7) as well! How many people sit in your church every Sunday? How many do you see shopping at Walmart, in the mall, or on the roads daily? How many are abuse victims? More importantly, how many are abusers? <p>Colossians 3:19 <p>19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.</p> <a name='more'></a> <p>Let’s face it, having abusive Christians just makes those of us that are trying to lead Christian lives look bad. How can we state we are Christians attempting to lead a clean life when we have abusers hiding in our closets? How can we as Christians or as humans even, stand by and let abusiveness continue knowingly? How can we continue to let Abusers hide behind the name of Christ? How can we not reach out to those that are beaten down by their abusive mate? <p>Proverbs 22: 24-25 <p>24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. <p>Abusers are well known as master manipulators and wear many masks so that they can continue to do what they want to do. Wearing a mask of a Christian isn’t a huge step for them; it makes them look good on the outside doesn’t it? This we all know…the question I’m posing now is: Can Abusers Truly be Christians? <p>First, let’s look at what a Christian is supposed to be. A Christian is supposed to be someone that attempts to follow the life and footsteps of Christ. A Christian is supposed to be someone that follows the teaching of the Bible set forth by God. A Christian is supposed to love and treat their neighbor (this means wives and children as well) as they themselves would like to be treated and loved. A Christian is supposed to be someone that loves everyone no matter what their faults, and treats everyone as Jesus would treat them. <p>1 Peter 3:7-12 <p>7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ <p>In reading through that, I don’t see one line an abuser can claim! Abusers don’t follow within the footsteps of Jesus Christ, they don’t even come close! Abusers do not follow the teaching of the Bible if they are manipulating, controlling, mentally or physically harming another human being. Abusers don’t love or treat others as they would like to be treated or loved. In my mind, Abusers cannot be Christians! <p>Psalm 11:4-7 <p>4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. 5 The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. 6 On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. 7 For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. <p>Ok, so they can claim that they are a Christian, but just because I claim to be a nuclear physicist doesn’t make it so! I don’t have the qualifications, and neither do they have the qualifications to call themselves Christians! Just because someone sits on the seats of a church every Sunday; says the right words at the right times; and makes the right movements at the right times; gives over 10% in tithing every week; doesn’t make them a Christian! <p>Abusers claim to be many things, they wear many masks, and unfortunately being a Christian is one of them. Too many women and children are being hurt by “Christian” abusers, and too many are turning away from God and Christianity because of it! Too many families are falling apart to “Christian” abusers, and too many women and children are paying the price because of it. Too many “Christian” abusers are posing themselves, and believe me, others are looking on and watching, and too many Christians are standing by and letting it happen. <p>Psalm 34:12-22 <p>12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; 20 He protects all His bones, not one of them will be broken. 21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. <p>So the question stands: Do you feel an Abuser can Truly be a Christian? So many Survivors struggle with this same question, and I’d like to get the feelings and responses from others on this topic. Too many Survivors are damaged because of “Christian” Abusers, too many feel alone and don’t understand how a Christian can abuse them, mostly if they are a Christian themselves and following the teachings of God. Too many women turn away from God and from the church because of their “Christian” Abusive spouse, and often because of the way the church and other fellow Christians handle the situation when the victim approaches them with it. Please, respond with your feelings and information on this blog so that we can in the future refer those Survivors that are dealing with just this issue (believe me, there are a lot of them) to this wealth of information and healthy discussion. Together, we can make a lasting change in their lives… <p>May God Bless You and Keep You Safe! <p>~Angel Hugz~ <p>~Tracy~</p> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-91968136887387982512014-10-01T10:06:00.001-04:002014-10-01T10:47:51.648-04:00Forgiving Our Abusers<p>This is such a touchy subject, and something that is so hard to do…</p> <p>Last week I was speaking to a friend of mine and she was asking about some of my past…she is not a survivor of abuse yet works for abused children so understands to an extent what abuse is like. She was surprised that I have been able to forgive my abusers like I have, and that really got me thinking…</p> <p>So many of us really struggle with forgiving our abusers, I know I did! Let me tell you, it wasn’t something I did over night, and honestly, the end result I don’t even think I did myself…</p> <p>Matthew 6:14 (NKJV)</p> <p>14<font color="maroon">“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.</font> 15<font color="maroon">But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.</font></p> <a name='more'></a> <p>Many of us have read this and cringed…I know I’ve read this in the past and had to say “yeah, right” in my head many a time. Forgive someone that beat on me? Forgive someone that raped me? Forgive someone that lied to me over and over? Forgive someone that hurt me so bad I didn’t know if I’d even live? Yep!</p> <p>There’s a lot of healing that has to happen for us to be able to forgive, but I truly believe that we can’t complete our healing until we have forgiven our abusers. It’s a step in our healing process that has to happen! It’s hard, but it can be done!</p> <p>I think what really helped me in being able to forgive my abusers is understanding why they abused. They were over stressed and un-supported and were doing the best that they could with issues I didn’t understand as a child… Mental issues that I couldn’t see and had no way to understand the signs of… Unknown addiction and past abuse that was still dictating how someone was living today… Not excuses, not reasons to abuse, but they certainly contributed to why my abusers abused me. Understanding they “why” of the matter helped me understand that it wasn’t me. There wasn’t something wrong with me. I wasn’t an abuser magnet. I didn’t have “abuse me” written across my forehead…</p> <p>Being able to forgive my abusers and let go of the past abuse lifted such a weight from me! Going through all the different abuses I’ve gone through and able to say, “Yes, I forgive that” is such a blessing! I can look back and it doesn’t hurt! I usually never think about the past abuse, yet I haven’t forgotten it totally. I don’t feel I ever will, if I did, could I still state I’ve learned from it and can make sure it’ll never happen again? Hmm…something to continue healing on maybe?</p> <p>Looking back…I never made a conscious decision such as “I’m going to forgive so-and-so for this and that…” it truly just happened! Going through the healing process… learning about forgiving… understanding how important forgiveness is not just because we need to forgive and are told to forgive but because it’s healthier for us and better for us over all… understanding more about abuse and why it happens… learning more about myself and becoming stronger within myself and understanding and knowing myself… all of this believe it or not works towards forgiveness! Words don’t hurt anymore (or at least a whole lot less) when you know without a doubt they have no basis of truth! “You’re fat and ugly and no-one could ever love you but me” doesn’t hold as much weight when you’ve healed and love yourself, know you are loved by God, your children and others, and find yourself even liking how you look! Healing!</p> <p>Wherever you are in your healing process, know that you’ll get there! Have patience with yourself! Don’t ever listen to anyone that tells you that you should be over something already! You will get there when you are ready to get there within your own healing process! </p> <p>The hardest thing for us that have been abused is going over and over within our minds the abuse that we’ve been through. Too many times this brings us pain and brings back the feelings of abuse even years later. If you find yourself doing this, start telling yourself after each even that “I forgive” that event! Ok, so you’ll be lying to yourself at first lol You’ll so feel anything but forgiveness at the beginning…but little by little you’ll start feeling better and better and find yourself actually forgiving those events that have happened to you! </p> <p>We all heal differently, find something that works for you! Pray that God will give you the peace and wisdom within your quest for healing and He will! The most important thing during this process is staying connected not only to yourself but to God, and when you become overwhelmed giving it to Him to hold…His shoulders are sooooo much bigger than ours! He can handle it! Don’t overwhelm yourself, you don’t have to heal overnight, and quite frankly, you can’t. Yet over time you can get there!</p> <p>When we hold onto our past abuse, we give power to our abusers without realizing it. Sadly, most of the time we aren’t even with our abusers any more and I can guarantee you our abusers aren’t thinking about us or caring how we’re feeling! Take the power back!</p> <p>I pray that you find peace, healing and a smooth path towards Forgiveness!</p> <p>Keep working towards healing Sisters!!!</p> <p>~Angel Hugz~</p> <p> ~Tracy~</p> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-29855754610753713402014-09-15T10:18:00.001-04:002014-10-01T10:33:42.091-04:00Thinking Back…<p>I've been thinking back a lot to my past abuse. Not dwelling on the abuse itself or getting upset by it at all…just thinking back and looking at my situation and realizing some key facts about my abuse in the early 90's with my husband and my abuse later in the 90's with my boyfriend… </p> <a name='more'></a> <p>There was abuse earlier in my life, and past boyfriends that abused me, but these are the main 2 I've been thinking about and really looking at since I remember them better than my earlier abuse. <p>I see that with my abuse with my husband, everything went sooo fast! I met my husband, and shortly after meeting him moved in with him. We shared the same birthday, different year, so that was a sign right?? That meant that we were meant for each other yes?? Yeah…NOT! <p>I wish I knew then what I know now…I wish I knew the signs of early abuse, the signs of an abuser bringing you in. I was totally oblivious to any early signs, I've been through other abusive relationships and this one was different! He said he loved me! He apologized when he upset me! He might have pinched me here; or yelled at me there; or went out in a rage and have that rage turn towards me when I tried to help. He always apologized and gave me gifts to show how sorry he was! This was different right? <p>Looking back…I see so many signs that should have red flagged me into not marrying him(we married at the Justice of the Peace…yet within that marriage he even stated 'Under God', God was involved within our vows, yet not within our lives), not staying with him at all. Not only did I stay, not only did I marry him, but I had a child with him. Oh, he was so enraged when he found out I was pregnant!!!! He couldn't have children! There was no way, he was exposed to Agent Orange and he was sterile! (btw, he was never exposed to anything…his story on being in the military and everything he did within it was a lie…his own invention in his mind…) His rage towards the fact that I was pregnant and him punching me in the stomach several times while I tried to curl into a fetal position to protect my stomach should have woken me up! <p>Of course, the fact that I was now living in the middle of no-where on a mountain in Virginia sort of had a part in this…I had no-where to go! I was estranged from my parents and family…I didn't have any friends at all at this point…I was stuck and he knew it! At that time I wasn't even working! <p>Thankfully, the baby came out fine…he wasn't in the least happy to have a son! Oh, he took pictures with him and smiled, and always smiled and showed him off when we were in public or with his Mother…but at home he didn't want anything to do with him and was very upset when he had to change his diapers. In fact, when he did, he would pull on our son's privates while cleaning him and make him cry. This was every time he cleaned him…and this is a point that I never really thought about other then it upset me that he did that and I thought he did it because he was hoping I would stop asking him to clean him so he couldn't do it anymore…. <p>The yelling; the isolation; the financial deprivation; the head locks; the head going through a wall; the bruises; the punches; the rapes (unbeknownst to me at the time, there was much more to this than I knew which I'll share another time); the abuse…I was a mess! I was alone! I had no one to turn to or talk to or anything but him! <p>I was raised a Roman Catholic…I even went to private school until 7th grade…and yet, God was no-where in my situation! I didn't cry to Him…I didn't feel Him with me (although now I see that He was there all the time)…I was totally alone! My husband believed that 'the Bible was the greatest work of fiction ever created by man' and believed that God was just a made up creation of man and there was nothing to it. <p>When I got out of the abusive situation, a lot happened…a lot of bad things until I moved back in with my parents whom I barely knew anymore…yet through it all I didn't turn to God… in fact I was sooo mad at Him for everything that I didn't even want to hear His name! <p>During this time of being mad at God, I would have people walking up to me in the store and out in public, asking me if I knew God and trying to give me a pamphlet or wanting to tell me about God. I would feel rage build up every time this happened, which was 3 times. 3 times I denied wanting to hear about God and feeling enraged that they even came up to me to talk about Him. 3 times God sent an Angel my way, and I turned them and Him away out of anger… <p>Then I got with my next abuser…the lies, the financial issues when he stole money and we couldn't pay rent or get my son a Christmas…finding out he was addicted to Pot and Cocaine when I didn't even know he did drugs (there were signs, yet again, I didn't know them to realize what was going on). The physical abuse, mental abuse, financial abuse…and at first I didn't have God with me…but I finally found Him again! <p>I can't remember when I finally started crying out to Him because I couldn't cry out to anyone else. I didn't want anyone else to know what was going on because I didn't want to share how bad it really was. I was ashamed…I didn't want anyone to know that I got myself into yet another abusive relationship. Everything on the outside to everyone was fine, was happy even! Inside, within our relationship, it was anything but. <p>I got pregnant, and we had a baby girl. At first, he didn't want to believe it was his, but he got over that. The drugs continued, the abuse continued, yet this time was different… <p>My faith started to grow…I started talking to God more…I started standing on the truth that He was always with me and that He was there for ME! Little old me, sitting in a broken down rental with 2 children and an abusive boyfriend. He was there for ME!!!!!!!!!!! That fact, that bit of knowledge that He would even be there for insignificant Me just really mind blowing! <p>I talked to my boyfriend about God, about what he believed and we shared our beliefs…He believed in God, but he lost Him over the years, just like I did but for much different reasons. We started sharing more and more about God…the abuse got less…the drugs got less…we started going to church and reaching out just a little and were accepted! That meant so much to me…the fact that people we don't know would accept us just as we were and were there for us! <p>Broken down, beaten, tossed aside by society, and we were accepted by Christians who were so much better off than we were!! We were living in sin…we were sinners and we were accepted and guided in the churches that we went to during our moves and times! (unfortunately, we ended up moving a lot due to him continuing with drugs and losing jobs and us loosing homes) <p>Yet, through the last abuse I was NOT alone! I had strength that I've never had before because I KNEW HE WAS WITH ME THROUGH IT ALL!!!!!!!! What a difference that made!!! Not only was I accepted, but so was my boyfriend. Accepted by those that we feared would look down on us, we feared even being around! It meant so much to him that he was accepted by people that were good, that didn't want something from him...that didn't want him to do something or be something before being accepted. This changed our lives!!! <p>Looking back…I remember the fear, the pain, the heart ache, the feeling of being totally alone during my earlier abuse…and I never have to feel like that again! I don't have to cry all night long and feel like I have no one to turn too or cry too. I don't have to sit in not only the pain of the latest abuse, but the pain of feeling like no-one cares and the feeling of shame… <p>Looking back…I can see such a difference in having God in my life! In our lives! Yes, there were still bad times…but I wasn't alone! I cried out to Him, I learned to share with others what was going on so that I didn't have to go through it by myself and receive help…just learning to receive that help was a mountain of its own! <p>Looking back…I just know that my first abuse was horrible in so many different ways…and I don't want anyone to ever feel like that! It's HORRIBLE!!!! I'm tearing up just thinking about how bad it was without Him in my life, and the tears aren't for me, but for those that are going through that right now, and I know it's many… <p>The fact that I'm NEVER alone, that He is ALWAYS with me is such a comfort! The fact that He loves ME no matter what changes so much within me! This is what victims need to know! This is something that NEEDS to be shared to victims! <p>Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ…love on those that you feel are abused or broken! The Love of Christ can truly change their lives and save them not only from abuse, but from themselves as well! <p>Looking back…I'm so thankful for those first Christians that reached out to me and my family…I'm so thankful that there were those that took the time to invest in our lives to help guide us towards Him. I just pray that this happens more and more and more victims are saved…</p> <p>~Angel Hugz~</p> <p> ~Tracy~</p> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-60270051561542026912012-10-17T05:58:00.001-04:002012-10-17T05:58:52.932-04:00We as Christians need to step out & help support in the healing...<div><p>1 in 3 women experience DV in their life...1 in 3...how many women sit in your sanctuary on Sunday morning? How many women do you incounter every day? </p>
<p>Just because church is full of Christians...it doesn't mean that the have been able to escape being touched by DV. In my church I can think of a few women who have gone through DV, & can think of one who's Mother was killed by his Father, & a few others that grew up in DV & abuse, & yet another who is going through a DV situation right now...& do you know that the ones I talked to about it didn't even know it was DV Awareness Month?</p>
<p>As I stated on the LC Blog, DV feeds off isolation & the lack of information. The lack of support...the lack of understanding...our society the way it is set up is perfect for DV to breed...is perfect for Satan's playground...</p>
<p>As Christians we have a duty to reach out to those who are hurting...who are in pain...who need help. Isn't that who Jesus went out & sought everywhere He went? Not only those that needed physical healing, but those who were hurting from within! </p>
<p>How many survivors are being blocked from truly understanding the full Love of Our Father? How many are struggling, even as Christians, that they are alone? How many out there could use someone to reach out to them & let them know that not only are you there for them, but that God is ALWAYS with them & they are NEVER alone in their pain?</p>
<p>1 in 3</p>
<p>Is your church reaching out to these during this Month...during DV Awareness Month? If so, let us know how! If not, why not? Why are we as Christians allowing Satan to win this battle? Why are we as Christians allowing those affected by DV to continue to suffer alone? </p>
<p>I as a Christian Survivor of DV will not let it continue to be so in my Church...in my life. Are you willing to do the same?<br>
</p>
</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-90770372675451886402012-08-14T14:16:00.001-04:002012-08-14T14:16:46.204-04:00Stepping out in Faith…<p>I’ve found myself struggling with what to post on this blog…I know that this blog is needed, that so many survivors struggle with their beliefs, so many struggle through their healing…</p> <p>We started this blog so that we can share what we’ve been through, what we’ve learned, in hopes that it would help someone else that may be struggling through by themselves…yet have found myself struggling as to what to post, how to post, yada yada yada…</p> <p>So, I’ve come to the realization that I’m just going to post what God brings to mind for me to do so! I’m taking me out the the equation, I’m just holding myself back at this point. I’m going to let God work through me and share the messages that need to be shared…</p> <p>I’ve been struggling with the thoughts of I’m not qualified, I don’t have credentials or credits or classes or whatever in order to do anything worth it to anyone…but I’m finally realizing that I was wrong! God picks us and guides us to do what He wants us to do! He picks those that are perfect for the job, he doesn’t just pick out of the elite, the professionals, he picks those that have something inside them that is needed for the message to be delivered. He picked fishermen to become apostles, why wouldn’t he pick me to carry His word to those healing from DV??</p> <p>So, I’m putting me behind myself, I’m stepping out and will be sharing what I feel lead to share without worrying about who may say what. This is what I feel God is demanding of me, and this is what I will do…I will step out in faith in hopes that what I share will touch someone and help them through their healing…</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-42116699378873151302012-07-16T12:42:00.001-04:002012-07-16T12:42:31.176-04:00My Hope is in God…<p>Grabbed off FB: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Women.of.Jesus">Women of Christian Faith</a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SfQ76xqvuSN9yDYbqrO_WRn8rier2_z6Y29QaaW1n2oSL1mQeVAibrPbwPG_kADlw2mYEcOvLOPUnl1Gi_CG0OI9nYoWr0lr071qfqRHjItOqqghn6tG7oiU0IGv1JRAZK8GhbPWYzVV/s1600-h/432120_320132868023950_1655029899_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="432120_320132868023950_1655029899_n" border="0" alt="432120_320132868023950_1655029899_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTzWg2SW-JMqzlWQR7MiY_q4-xIDwihfoOpmqwluyH8wV0rWrm9xBjQ-YSP8sikJMuZRbagiD-LoP9dxeNNOFFnQy4gusJ6zzY7vw6DB4uqcbEtyJOrI_q7ncKPdkIVOOWt-BeX8B0RXf/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a> </p> <p>The Lord has made known to me the path of life;he fills me with the joy of his presence, with eternal pleasures at his right hand. (Psalm 16:11)</p> <p>When my soul is feeling down, I do not rely on my feelings. I remember my hope is in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5-6)</p> <p>Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ~Colo 3:2</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-13402146762967612892012-05-22T12:43:00.001-04:002012-05-22T12:43:25.623-04:00Words that describe the Devil<p>There is a reason for sharing this…</p> <p>About a month back I went to a women’s conference where she shared different words from the Bible that described the Devil, and it really dawned on me…those words can also describe an Abuser! Read through and let me know what you think!</p> <p>Father of Lies, Son of the Morning, Deceiver, Miserable <p>Genesis 3 (Revelation 12:9), the Serpent<br>Matthew 4, the Temper<br>John 8:44, a murderer from the beginning and the father of all lies<br>John 10:10, a thief<br>John 12:31-32 (2 Corinthians 4:4), the ruler/god of this world/age<br>Ephesians 2:1-2, the prince of the power of the air<br>Ephesians 6:16, the wicked one<br>1 Peter 5:8, a roaring lion<br>1 John 3:8, a sinner from the beginning<br>Revelation 9:11, Abaddon (destruction) and Apollyon (destroyer)<br>Revelation 12:9, the great dragon and deceiver of the world <p>Satan is the source of the knowledge of good and evil which is defined by law, the creator of sin, sinner, crime, criminal, and therefore, evil. Law, which is our source of the knowledge of good and evil, is a restriction of the freedom God granted all life forms, and is the creator of rule, power, and authority which are defined as the enemies of God at 1st Corinthians 15:24-25.</p> <p>Revelations 12: 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-31992803454122669522012-05-15T06:52:00.001-04:002012-05-15T06:52:07.158-04:00Added “Empowering Christian Women” to our Helpful Sites List!<p>I’m actually pretty excited about this! I’m always on the hunt for great sites and resources for Christian Women, and I’m so excited to have found this one this morning and just had to link it up immediately and share it with you!</p> <p><a href="http://www.empoweringchristianwomen.com/" target="_blank">Empowering Christian Women</a> is a blog that has been going 5 years strong, has a lot of great articles that I can’t wait to dig into (read a few, and I’m hooked!), free kindle books listed (definitely going to be downloading a few of those), and a lot of great information!</p> <p>I really feel this will be a great resource for Christian Women who have gone through Domestic Violence and Abuse, and I hope that you are blessed with what they have to offer!</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-73447708007815311282012-04-25T09:50:00.001-04:002012-04-25T09:50:08.123-04:00God Centered Actions<p>A thought I’d like to share with all of you from my Bible reading this morning. I’m still working through the <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/life-application-study-bible-devotion" target="_blank">Life Application Study Bible ® Devotion</a> on <a href="http://www.youversion.com/" target="_blank">YouVersion</a>. This was today’s reading:</p> <p><em><strong>Matthew 6:3-4 </strong><sup>3</sup> But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:<sup>4</sup> That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.</em></p> <blockquote> <p>It's easier to do what's right when we gain recognition and praise. To be sure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with no thought of reward. Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity (Matt 6:4), prayer (Matt 6:6), and fasting (Matt 6:18). Those acts should not be self-centered, but God-centered, done not to make us look good but to make God look good. The reward God promises is not material, and it is never given to those who seek it. Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving sacrifice. With your next good deed, ask, "Would I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?"</p></blockquote> <p>That is a good question to end on, something to think about and take into prayer for the day.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01881811826700897207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-834795348123887132012-04-17T21:08:00.001-04:002012-04-17T21:08:45.095-04:00The Eagle’s Flight<p>I really needed to read this today… Isn’t it amazing that there’s times when we really need to hear something, and there it is, supplied for us? I’ve fallen behind on my daily readings, been sick and tired of being sick and tired, and just have been downright lagging behind on everything. Reading this builds me up, shows me that it’s ok, that He’s there to give me the strength that I need that I don’t have within myself. How often have we lagged behind? How often have we been through circumstances that we just don’t have the strength to get through by ourselves? Reach out, know that He is willing and able to give you that strength when you are in need!</p> <p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/lifetime-guarantee-devotional">Lifetime Daily Devotions</a></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>28</strong> Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.<strong>29</strong> He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.<strong>30</strong> For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.<strong>31</strong> But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.</p> <p>Isaiah 40:28-31 <p>The Eagle's Flight <p>Do you not know? Have you not heard?<br>The Everlasting God, the Lord,<br>The Creator of the ends of the earth<br>Does not become weary or tired.<br>His understanding is inscrutable.<br>He gives strength to the weary,<br>And to him who lacks might He increases power.<br>Though youths grow weary and tired,<br>And vigorous young men stumble badly,<br>Yet those who wait for the Lord<br>Will gain new strength;<br>They will mount up with wings like eagles,<br>They will run and not get tired,<br>They will walk and not become weary.<br>Isaiah 40:28-31 <p>Do you not know? <p>Haven't you learned this yet? I have tried so many ways to teach you the simple truth of resting in My strength. You are too strong to need Me. As long as your strength endures, you will clutch it to your breast. No. You do not know yet. <p>Have you not heard? <p>It cannot be that you have never heard this. Perhaps you've never been ready to receive it, but surely you have heard? <p>The Everlasting God, The Lord, <p>The Creator of the ends of the earth, <p>Does not become weary or tired. <p>The Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who created everything in the heavens and the earth, isn't like you or me. He doesn't get tired. He doesn't know what it is to be weary! Too often we make God out to be like us. Temperamental. Impatient. Difficult. Pressured. <p>No. We mustn't make God like us. We are like God--and are becoming more and more like Him as He works within us. <p>His understanding is inscrutable. <p>We can't begin to comprehend--even slightly-- how deep His understanding is of each of us and everything that concerns us. I need that: understanding. Understanding that doesn't scold or condemn. Understanding that doesn't preach to me. Understanding that listens and tries to see things from my point of view. Understanding that speaks softly. <p>He gives strength to the weary, <p>He watches carefully, and when He sees us getting weary, He supplies more strength. It's kind of like watering your plants. You watch them carefully, and at the slightest droop you give them a drink. He sees our slightest droop. <p>And to him who lacks might He increases power. <p>He is always ready to empower us. He waits to be asked, but His power is always available to us. <p>Though youths grow weary and tired, <p>You know how kids seem to have an unlimited source of energy? Well, even if one of them should falter, He is there with His boundless, infinite power. <p>And vigorous young men stumble badly, <p>Even if a trained athlete or a very strong young man should stumble or trip badly, He's right there, ready to lift him up and infuse new energy into him. I'm not young and I'm not an athlete, but there's a wide variety of folks in between those two . . . where I fit. <p>Yet . . . <p>I love God's conjunctions. He always gives us a way out or some unexpected hope. <p>Those who wait for the Lord <p>There's the word: wait. How hard that is to do! We know deep within that He will sustain us. We know that His wisdom is far beyond ours. We know that His love for us is the motivator and the restrainer in our lives. But even knowing all of that, "waiting" for Him is something that most of us can't--or refuse to--actually do. <p>Will gain new strength,<br>Will mount up with wings like eagles,<br>Will run and not get tired,<br>Will walk and not get weary. <p>* * * <p>Lord, <p>Not only do I want all of these things, I need all of these things. An endless supply of strength, and not just shoring up the old strength that wears thin. New strength! And like an eagle. . . . <p>Did you know that eagles don't fly in flocks, like other birds do? They fly alone. And they can fly 6000 feet above the surface of the earth. Imagine! An eagle soaring in the upper air doesn't have to worry about tunneling through mountains, or fording swollen rivers, or losing his sense of direction and getting lost in the dense forests. <p>Me? Like an eagle? How wonderful! Soaring in the upper air all by myself, looking down on the scary things but not fretting about them. That could be me. . . . And Lord, to keep on--day after day after day--and not give out, whether it's a hectic "running" day or a "walking" busy day. You sustain me. <p>As usual, Lord, I realize that the choice is mine. <p>Would You teach me, please? <p>Teach me to wait?</p></blockquote> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-32945869403520346282012-03-07T10:47:00.001-05:002012-03-07T10:47:58.166-05:00Does It Really Work?<p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/lifetime-guarantee-devotional">Lifetime Daily Devotions</a></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>7</strong> Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.</p> <p>1 Peter 5:7</p> <p>Does It Really Work? <p>This is a comment from someone who was hurting intensely--in a different way than you are hurting, perhaps. These are the results as she carried through on 1 Peter 5:7. She read it. She believed it. She acted on it. <p>Dear Anabel <p>Yesterday's note about tying up the package was just great, Anabel. I thought of every concern and fear about the disastrous situation I was in; what the consequences might be, both positive and negative; the kids, me, my husband; the years behind and the tragic events of those years, the uncertainty of the years ahead . . . so many dreams, so many hopes, so many unknowns. <p>I boxed it all up (in my mind), put everything in, wrapped it, and tied it securely. Then I actually drove down to the beach. I met Jesus in a very secluded spot, gave it all to Him, and He walked off with it. <p>I remind myself that He has it and I am not to fret about it. When I do get uptight, I close my eyes and I see again the picture of Jesus walking away from me with that wrapped package under His arm. Relief springs up from within and I find myself rejoicing . . . way down deep. <p>HE WILL BE AS REAL TO ME AS I <p>ALLOW HIM TO BE. <p> </p></blockquote> <p>I love this way of looking at it!! I’ve shared before how I’ve given all my baggage to God because He has much broader shoulders then I do and can carry so much more, but I really love how this visual can make doing so so much easier! </p> <p>It’s hard to give up all your problems to Him, we always want to hold onto it and stress, fret, and worry about those things that we so want to give to Him, but are so used to worrying about ourselves. Don’t worry if you do this at first! We all do! lol It takes practice to be able to let that all go and come to peace with your situation. </p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-81074185723151822832012-03-04T13:33:00.001-05:002012-03-04T13:33:00.526-05:00Spiritual Growth<p>I’m going through a course called “Soul Care” from <a href="http://christiancourses.com" target="_blank">Christian Courses</a> and today I came to a lesson where the discussion afterwards was about “An ongoing controversy in Christian circles centers on whether a look at the realities below the waterline is really necessary for true spiritual growth.” Thankfully I was within the group that was to argue the point that you do indeed have to look below the waterline. I feel compelled to share this here…</p> <p>While working on this I had to get a turkey in for dinner, and God shared with me an analogy that I am still sitting and laughing about, thanking Him for the insight and comic relief... <p>You wouldn't bake a turkey without knowing what's in it first would you? When you get a turkey from the store, they place the bags of the "extras" within the cavity of the turkey, both front and back you may say. These need to be dealt with and taken out of the turkey before cooking it or quite frankly, the turkey just won't taste so good now would it? You wouldn't want to present this turkey at a Thanksgiving feast after having cooked it with these "extras" still included would you? You take the extras out; they are not wanted when cooking a turkey! Not only that, but what if that turkey is still frozen, doesn't it take longer to cook? Don't you have to put the heat on lower to give that turkey time to thaw out so that you can then put the spices and dressings on and crank the heat up so that it can finally get cooking? <p>It's the same with us! We all have "extras" stuffed in hidden places within us. We all have undesirables that need to be known at least of ourselves and dealt with before we can proclaim ourselves presentable and ready to be baked. We all have things to work on within ourselves, the realities that we all face below the waterline that we have to deal with while we thaw out and get ready to get baking and grow spiritually. Just as we wouldn't want to present that turkey at Thanksgiving after cooking it with the "extras" still in, we wouldn't want to present ourselves with our "extras" still in when we come to our time of judgment. We have to look at the realities below the waterline so that we may know what they are and work on clearing them out! <p>We are all vessels of the Holy Spirit. We are all striving to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that it can work through us. If we are stuffed with "extras" how is that leaving room to be filled by the good things? It takes up room that we need to be filled by the Holy Spirit and inhibits us from Spiritual Growth! When you are filled with these "extras", when you are filled up by undesirables, what comes out when you get bumped? What comes out when you go through a rough time or hit a bump in the road? These "extras" do indeed affect us, and instead of the Holy Spirit coming out of us when someone cuts us off at the intersection, those "extras" have a tendency to flow out instead. Instead of feeling at peace that God is with you and that even if you are facing a difficult situation God will indeed see you through, if you are filled with doubt and worry instead of peace of mind, how can you grow spiritually? What are you filled with? What comes out of you when you get bumped? What thoughts go through your mind when you are going through troubling times? <p>If you are having issues yourself with past abuse, rape, anorexia, cheating, whatever the case may be, this indeed hinders your spiritual growth and becoming more Christ like if they aren't dealt with affectively. If you are having feelings of inadequacy, if you are going through a tough time in life and just aren't dealing with it very well, if you are questioning your belief in God and how He is working in your life, how can you grow spiritually? These are all realities that are stuffed within us, hiding from plain site, that do indeed need to be dealt with before we can grow spiritually! <p>If we look inside ourselves and find ourselves questioning our Christianity, small questions that we hide because we want to look "Christian" to the outside world, how are we to grow spiritually? Questions such as "Where was God while I was going through the abuse?" "How come God didn't help me not have to go through my job loss?" "Why did God let me get cancer?" Small questions that are indeed big, things within ourselves that stops us from growing spiritually. If we go to church on Sunday because we're supposed too, if we wear the mask of Christianity because that's what we feel others expect to see; if we say our prayers, do our devotionals, and go to church because we feel that's what good Christians do, how are we growing spiritually? <p>As looking below the waterline pertains to Soul Care, and actually helping someone and supporting them through their issues to grow spiritually, they first have to have an understanding of what realities they are dealing with and how they pertain to themselves and their feelings towards God. Too often people blame God for their troubles. Too often people turn away from God because of what they are going through instead of turning towards Him and giving Him their troubles so that they can affectively live through Him. These realities that are going through deep inside hinder their spiritual growth! <p>James 1:23-25 "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." <p>In order to follow this, we have to look inside ourselves at the reality of what we are doing and if we are indeed following Christ so that we may grow spiritually. If we don't look in that mirror, if we don't look what's going on deep inside us and at the realities of who we are and what we are doing and going through, how are we to then grow spiritually? <p>Galatians 5:16-18, 24-26 " So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law...Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." <p>Galatians 5:19-23 "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." <p>The message is clear, if we are filled with things within us that go against what is needed to achieve Spiritual Growth, we've got to look deep inside ourselves so that we can insure that we are not doing those things that area against the Spiritual Growth that we are striving to achieve. Some things listed are plainly evident and easy to see, right out there on the surface; but others such as envy are sometimes buried deeper and need a closer inspection. Without us consciously understanding and seeing the realities under the waterline within our own lives, we would be fooling ourselves into thinking that we are indeed ready to grow spiritually and will struggle with being able to do so. Would you want to show up at the time of our judgment with those "extras" still stuffed inside you? Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-85021179448766437162012-03-01T12:32:00.001-05:002012-03-01T12:33:30.471-05:00Mosaic<p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/fostering-hope">Fostering Hope</a></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>12</strong> And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.</p> <p>Isaiah 58:12</p> <p>MOSAIC<br>At 16, she clearly had more street smarts than most people do at twice her age. On the surface, she was really kind of a mess to look at. Her skin bore the evidence of darker days, as superficial scars covered her wrists and thighs. She had hoped that causing pain on the outside would alleviate the pain on the inside, but that only worked for a little while. She also sported a couple of not-very-well-done tattoos and several piercings that I could see. She grinned a little and mentioned that there were others, but I left that subject alone.</p> <p>I wanted to know more about her. Her parents were drug addicts; high on whatever they could buy or steal most of her life. At age 7 she was living with them in a tent by a lake, and it was at that age she learned to smoke by sneaking leftover cigarettes when they were passed out. By 10 she was an alcoholic, and by 13 had used almost every street drug known. At some point she could no longer self-medicate her reality, and she began to think about ending her life. By anyone's standards, her life was a pile of shattered pieces. Then she met this boy. A really good boy. Who told her she was smart. And funny. And beautiful. And who believed in her. One by one, with patience and care, he began to glue her life back together. Piece by shattered piece. Until she was off drugs. And alcohol free. And in a GED program. And thinking about the future, and marriage, and being a mom someday. 'My life is a mosaic,' she told me. 'There are a lot of pieces, but now they fit together to make a picture.' Not just a picture. A masterpiece. A beautiful work of art.<br></p> <p>PRAYER FOR THE BROKEN: Thank you Father for Your amazing love. Show these kids that whatever they have brought in with them to that shelter or foster home, You can wipe it clean. Show them there is love for them, healing for them, and hope for them. Help them feel Your amazing grace. Amen</p></blockquote> <p>WOW, just wow! I’ve often thought of myself as a “Humpty Dumpty” that has fallen off the wall and have had to slowly piece myself back together once again, but I so much like this outlook much better! lol</p> <p>How many of us have had to piece ourselves together again? Grabbing our self esteem from here, our ability to trust from waaayyyy over there, and have had to slowly piece ourselves together like a Mosaic? Many of us have, and I truly feel like it says above, that each and every one of us are a masterpiece just waiting to be finished.</p> <p>Let’s add to the prayer above. Let’s pray for all those that have gone through abuse, domestic violence, rape, bullying, all and every type of demeaning and degrading styles of harm there are out there. Pray that they will feel the Love not only from Our Father, but from all of us that are out here to support them through to their healing, their piecing together. Lord, give them the strength they need to get through, and open their eyes so that they may see your Love for them, whether they are pieced together or not. Amen</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-42189893945547996342012-02-29T11:31:00.001-05:002012-02-29T11:31:54.124-05:00Chronic<p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/fostering-hope">Fostering Hope</a></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>9</strong> The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.</p> <p>Psalm 9:9</p> <p>CHRONIC</p> <p>In medicine, some health conditions never go away. They irritate and nag and keep you from functioning at full strength. They suck the energy out of you. Some life conditions do that too. She was 17, and counting the days until her birthday when she could be 'out on her own'. She was going to move in with a friend, she told me, and try to get a job, although she had only completed the 9th grade so far, and thought that being employed at a fast food restaurant was her best option. She answered my questions in a somewhat robotic, monotonous voice, and she seemed almost able to predict what the question was before I had asked it. Until I asked about her family. Then the robot vanished. Her voice shook, and her eyes filled with pain. Lots of it. First in foster care at age 2. Back and forth between the system and home until she was school-age. Parent's rights terminated. In several foster homes. Then adopted. Until it got hard. Then back into foster care. Now, almost on her own. But with no hope, no future, no life. Just pain. Chronic, long-standing pain. An aspirin won't fix that. Only one thing will - love. Massive, overwhelming, unconditional love. And she hasn't found that yet.</p></blockquote> <p>OMG how I know about chronic illness, and how much it just drains you! I never saw a connection to that and how our life conditions can do the same, but thinking back, I can see it plainly…</p> <p>I’ve met many woman that have not only gone through Domestic Violence but through child abuse as well, and the on going abuse throughout their life has just drained them so bad! Not knowing anymore who to trust, or if to trust anyone anymore. Not knowing if they can be loved for who they were, many times not knowing anymore themselves who they are anymore. It not only just drains the life out of you, but drains who you are!</p> <p>There is no quick fix for that. There is no magic pill any doctor can prescribe that will make it go away. Healing can happen though, again nothing quick, a lot of work involved and a lot of baby steps, but it can be done! Finding a support system while healing is so crucial. People around you that will be there through the good times and the bad. Friends that will support you even in your lowest days. Sometimes this is hard to find, and when all else fails, just remember that you can reach towards God for that unconditional love that you may not be able to find. </p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-40098984364669326462012-02-17T17:12:00.001-05:002012-02-17T17:12:16.355-05:00When the going gets tough…<p>The tough need to turn to God</p> <p>With the economy it’s only getting tougher out there. Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Rape, Violence, break ins, crime is on the rise. So many are having it tough to just get through the week, much less be able to plan for the future at this point. A future that can’t be set in stone for we don’t know what may close or downsize next. The future is unpredictable, but one thing we can all count on is that God is there for everyone that turns to Him.</p> <p>I’m not just saying this as a quick fix, I can look back at times of troubles that I’ve gone through both by myself, then as a single mother, then as a family, and it’s harder to go through these problems without Him by your side. Being able to talk to Him, to share or give over your burdens, fears and stress; to lift these all up to Him to carry is such a peaceful blessing! </p> <p>I can think back to crying alone at night, with no one to turn too, no one to listen, no one that I felt would understand what I was going through. Being alone, totally alone like that is one of the hardest things I had to go through. Being able to turn to Him at any time and know that He is there for me, to know that He’ll give me the strength to overcome whatever I’m going through is such a blessing! </p> <p>It’s hard to hand it all to Him, to stop worrying, to stop stressing, to not look at the bills piling up and wondering how they are going to be paid, to look at your children and not worry and stress how you’re going to feed them. These are all concerns that are very important, and lifting these all up to Him to bare may seem alien to so many. To be able to give up these concerns and not try to control them but giving it to His control is so hard to do, but it can be done! The result is such peace even during the storms that you are going to make it through, even when your mind is telling you it’s impossible, everything is possible with God on your side!</p> <p>If you are going through tough times, know that you aren’t alone! Not only are so many others going through tough times as well, but God is there for you. Turn to Him, speak to Him, pray to Him, lift up your troubles to Him! It’ll take a lot of faith and even practice to finally give it all over to Him without wanting to grab at least bits and pieces back for yourself to stress over, just know that it takes time to give over to Him full control of it all, but I can promise you the end result is so worth all the effort!</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-76994674810294232502012-02-14T12:59:00.001-05:002012-02-14T12:59:18.608-05:00REDEMPTION<p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/fostering-hope">Fostering Hope</a></p> <blockquote> <p>9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.</p> <p>1 Peter 2:9-10</p> <p>REDEMPTION</p> <p>Through the thin walls, she could hear the screaming of her step-dad. Cursing. Crashing. Drunken rage being taken out yet again on her family. She wished she could disappear. Wanted to die. That seemed so much more peaceful a place. But not an option - not to her. Her eyes swept across the tiny bedroom, searching for something to relieve the pain. She reached for a nearby wooden pencil. Its eraser was long gone, and the bent metal end provided an avenue for the escape she was so desperate to find. The aluminum cut into her skin, etching the first letters of a message - HATE - onto her side. Tears from the pain of the cut mixed with tears from the pain in her heart and rolled down her cheeks. Then, her soul quieted, as her heavenly Papa gathered her into his arms and held her close. His voice, His truth flooded her mind, and spilled out onto the worn notebook lying beside her bed. 'I know you, I love you. I liberate you, I light your path. I provide you with friends and a way out when you are stuck. I'm your healer and your guide. You are valuable, you have a future. You are my precious daughter' The pencil, a tool Satan meant for evil, God used for good. The same pencil that started off destructive, making temporary imprints in her flesh, God used to carve a permanent note of redemption on her heart.</p></blockquote> <p>And yet, so many still state that children are not affected by Domestic Violence, oh how wrong they are. How can a child that sees and hears the violence not be affected by it? Just because them themselves don’t carry the physical bruising that the world can see? Yet, they do carry the scars and bruises deep on the inside that are hidden, and that many of us know and understand can at times be harder to heal then the physical bruising.</p> <p>I was a cutter as a teen, I can understand cutting and why someone would turn to it. It’s a release, it’s a visual that you are indeed hurt and bleeding and that the hurt you are feeling is warranted (ever heard the saying “You’re ok, you’re not bleeding”?). So many try to make cutting into such a worse light, for so many cutters it’s them trying to make sense out of the emotions and hurt they are feeling, it’s their expressing that hurt in a way that isn’t healthy. Thankfully I stopped cutting long ago, but I know adults that still do it, and I pray that they and others that cut find peace and another outlet for their pain and head towards healing. Like any addiction, cutting can be hard to stop, but it can be done! Turn towards God for strength and healing, turn towards those that lift you up and don’t put you down, turn towards a healthy, happy life and those cuts will heal…</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-75481571948704990892012-02-13T15:35:00.001-05:002012-02-13T15:35:39.380-05:00YOU CAN FLY<p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/fostering-hope">Fostering Hope</a></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>58</strong> Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.</p> <p>1 Corinthians 15:58</p> <p>YOU CAN FLY<br>I love to fly. I always choose a window seat right over the wing, near the jets so I can best hear the roar of the engines and watch the wing shape change as we take off and land. But I always find myself doubting that it will even work, that the plane can even get off the ground. There is too much weight. People. Baggage. And it starts too slowly - those first few feet of movement are painfully slow. But the thing about a plane is, it was made to fly. It was shaped in a specific way, and it was equipped with engines that are capable of producing tremendous thrust, if they are fueled properly. Once it gets in the air, it seems like it could stay there forever with very little effort. Foster kids come weighed down too. With lots of baggage. I was molested, so now I don't trust men. Or I use my body to get what I want. I was physically abused, and now I believe I am to blame for whatever I get, so I move from abusive relationship to abusive relationship. My emotional needs weren't met, so now I suck the life out of others, desperately trying to fill up my own soul.</p> <p>It is easy to believe that a kid carrying that kind of weight won't be able to get off the ground. But the truth is, they, like all humans, were made to fly. Born for it. But they need fuel. They need us to provide the thing that powers them. Encouragement. Expectation. Opportunity. Love. Hope. Without it, they are grounded. With it, if they can get off the ground, they might just fly forever. Are you willing to fuel someone's hopes and dreams? Willing to mentor? To tutor? To help a kid dream then help them achieve that dream? Are you willing to help someone fly?</p></blockquote> <p>I LOVE this reading plan! </p> <p>I love how the writer put this, and even though this is dealing with children, the same thing can be said for the adult survivors of all types of abuse. Our wings get clipped and we don’t know that we can even fly much less remember how after going through hell. We all need help to find our feet again and to become steady once again, to find ourselves and learn who we are once again before we can even think about learning how to spread our wings and fly. It takes time, but healing is possible, flying is possible! </p> <p>I shared this even though this is more of a message to Advocates and those healed enough to help others, because it also puts to mind that advocates are needed! It’s so hard to get through healing from abuse alone, quite frankly it sucks having too, and I truly feel that Survivors really need to reach out and help those that are going through what they went through now. Those of us that have been through the abuse know and understand the full picture and can be of such a help to those that are out there now struggling through it! So, if you are a healed Survivor, and you are willing and able to reach out to your brother and sister survivors, please do so! If you don’t know how, contact us! We’ll help steer you in the right direction.</p> <p>For the Survivors out there still struggling through your personal hell, know that there IS hope and that you CAN heal and that you are NOT alone! So many have gone through the abuse and have healed, you can too! Hang in there, reach out, and know that someday you will heal and you will Fly again!</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-6049736184755031672012-02-11T09:19:00.001-05:002012-02-11T09:20:36.033-05:00Healing Touch<p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/fostering-hope">Fostering Hope</a></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>33</strong> But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,<strong>34</strong> And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.</p> <p>Luke 10:33-34</p> <p>HEALING TOUCH<br>People go the doctor to be healed. To get relief from their pain. But I don't always know how to heal. Don't always know what to say or what to do. She was 14, with thick auburn hair that fell in unruly layers around her face. She was beautiful, but rough. Even in her short years she had experienced her share of hardship, and it showed, in the stiffness of her posture and the edge in her voice. I found out that she was in 8th grade, and liked math but didn't want anyone to think she was a nerd. She had a brother but didn't get to see him much. She was not a stranger to foster care - had slept in other people's homes off and on for as long as she could remember. Said she'd learned how to fold towels 'correctly' 10 different ways.</p> <p>As she talked, she waved her arms and I saw them. Words carved across her knuckles. Others over the back of her hands and up her forearms. HATE. WORTHLESS. CRAZY. Scabbed. Fresh. Evidence of pain that extended much deeper than the wounds that marked her skin. She seemed surprised when I touched her arms, gently massaging antibiotic ointment into each line, grieving with each stroke. How do I fix that kind of pain? How do I speak life to someone who has only known death? I don't always know how to heal. But I do know how to touch, how to provide the most basic of human contact. So do you. Are you willing?</p></blockquote> <p>I know I had some trouble figuring out how to blog onto this blog, I don’t know bible passages by heart, I don’t feel that I speak like I guess I thought someone should that is doing this, and then I realized…God gave me the gifts He did for a reason and all I had to do was share myself here…what a revelation! So often we don’t know how to help, don’t know how to help someone heal, just don’t know what to do. Sometimes it’s that smallest action though that truly can make a difference! So often it’s not in the saying but in the doing and the actions that come out of it.</p> <p>I used to cut, I know how deep pain can go, I know how it is to put a mask on so that the outside world would think you’re just fine while you are dying inside. Reach out to your friends, to your Pastor, your teacher, your whoever! Even if you can’t tell them you are hurting or in pain, spend time with them, the likely hood is they already know but don’t know how to help…</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7041168260041032368.post-32980621449826610062012-02-09T13:04:00.001-05:002012-02-09T13:05:02.653-05:00THE OVERCOMER<p>From <a href="http://www.youversion.com/">YouVersion</a> Reading Plan: <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/fostering-hope">Fostering Hope</a></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>2</strong> He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.</p> <p>Psalm 40:2</p> <p>The lady looked older than me, but it turned out she was a couple years younger. She had 6 kids - the first was born when she was only a kid herself. They had been in foster care for several years. But were now back with her, and soon DHS would sign off on her as a mom. At that point in the conversation, perhaps a normal person with manners and social grace would have just stopped - congratulated her and bowed out of the conversation. But I couldn't help myself. I was compelled to know the whole story - to know HER. She had been on drugs - first painkillers, then marijuana, then meth. The guys she hung out with were mean, but they supplied her drug habit.</p> <p>Eventually it caught up with her, and the kids were picked up. She was devastated, but she was also addicted. For two more years she was unsuccessful in her struggle against it. Then she began to break free. She went through rehab - ALL the way through. Then a half-way house. Then outpatient counseling. Then she found a job. Then she got an apartment. Then she got her kids back. What? How did that happen? These stories don't usually have a happy ending. What was the key? My parents believed in me. My friend believed in me. My counselor believed in me. My new boss believed in me. 'You are an overcomer!' I said. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled.</p> <p>When we begin to see people for who they were created to be, instead of who they are on the surface, it is easier to believe in them. And when WE believe in them, it is easier for them to begin to believe in themselves. I want to believe in people. In their potential. In the possibilities of their lives. In the awareness that a bad decision is not the same thing as a bad person. In the knowledge that we all make mistakes and none of us is perfect. In the hope that the future can be different than the past.</p> <p> </p></blockquote> <p>How often have we been told that we can’t do things, only for that to be proven true? Looking back I know that many of the things I wanted to do I stopped doing because I was told I can’t, it’s impossible, that wouldn’t work. How often has this stopped you from doing what you dream of doing? Have you continued to let it stop you?</p> <p>Believe in yourself when no one else does, believe that you can achieve the impossible, believe that you can get to where you want to go and overcome the obstacles along the way. Believe in yourself when no one else is around, and along the way you’ll meet up with others that will believe in you as well. Turn a deaf ear to those that put you down, that don’t believe in you, what they say doesn’t matter, show them that you are an overcomer and that you will obtain your dreams!</p> Le Chrysalishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18122809648550326120noreply@blogger.com0