I was on an imaginary “walk in the garden” with six other women. We were told to close our eyes and imagine birds singing and…
The day started off like any normal day for me. I met my husband, Jerry,* at our favorite restaurant for lunch. We discussed the children’s…
Sexual abuse is widespread. Some estimate that as many as a third of all girls are molested. And it’s damaging; it brings physical, emotional, and…
Brandon was born healthy and normal on August 27, 1992. When he was five weeks old, his biological father shook him hard enough that his…
Angry, rebellious, and bitter. I hated my husband. I hated my job. I hated people. But most of all, I hated God. I teetered on…
Raging with anger, I struck fiercely at my small daughter. She cringed in terror from the blows. Suddenly, I stopped and looked in horror at…
Not all fathers are easy to honor — on Father’s Day or any other day. One man discovered his desire to punish his father for his abusive behavior didn’t line up with Jesus’ desire for him to forgive.
Fireworks explode all around me tonight. The Nebraska summer air is thickened as thousands of brilliant lights fill the night sky. Despite the excitement, the…
Norm seemed like such a nice guy when we dated. He had a great sense of humor, and we laughed a lot. We went to…
The invitation from Jesus to “Let the little children come to Me” sounds simple, but it wasn’t for one woman whose childhood was marred by sexual abuse. As an adult, she learned how to be a child again in the way that God intended.
“Stop squirming! Hold still while I tie your shoe.” Whack! The frustrated mother slapped the four-year-old across the face. Then she twisted his arm for…
I was twenty when it happened. One evening I was washing dishes in the kitchen sink. The sound of the television in the living room…
When Nita moved in across the street, Susan was delighted to find that her new neighbor was also a full-time mom. Over time their friendship…
In my home, I was the king; my family members were the peasants. At least that was the way I saw things. Whenever there was…
Sixteen-year-old Angela struggled to find the chord among the piano keys. She pressed a combination. The sound made me cringe. “It’s okay,” I assured her….
Relieved, I watched the counselor gather his papers without asking me that dreaded question. Then, as if an afterthought, he asked, “Oh, was there any…
On a concrete bench in a mausoleum courtyard, I tried to muster courage. Shaking my fist at the foliage, I said, “I’m not leaving until…
A sunny redhead, an honor student: Not the type of girl you’d expect to see lying still and pale in a coroner’s room. But on…
Gospel Growth, Gospel Love, Gospel Identity, and Gospel Transformation, published by Serge, previously known as World Harvest Mission. These books/small group study guides are excellent…
At seven, I walked; at fifteen, I talked; at fifty, I began to live. Everything about my childhood was painful – right from the start….
The rage in her eyes skewered me to the floor like a dagger. “No, Mommy, no!” I screamed, my shaking hands covering my bottom. Undeterred,…
My earliest memory is being struck in the head with the butt of a rifle. It was my fourth birthday. My older sister, jealous of…
My dedicated Christian friend, Melissa*, told me, “The memory of that awful experience when I was four has been indelibly seared into my mind; I…
Memory lane isn’t always a pleasant place. For those who have suffered abuse in the home, those memories carry over into adulthood. Read the story of a woman who confronted her past with the power of God and found His peace and healing.
Where do you go when your father takes his anger out on you and your family? One little girl found the answer at a young age and, as an adult, sees God’s healing hand in it all.
Remember the H1N1 flu virus that President Barack Obama called a national emergency in the fall of 2009? Once 1,000 people died from the disease,…