When ignorance isn’t bliss. by Bette Nordberg ย 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 grew to include carpooling duties and occasional morning coffee. Though Susan had never known anyone in a violent relationship, it wasn’t long…
Tag: Abuse
Holy Hypocrite: Need a Change?
ย You can have the kind of change Don Cox experienced by confessing the sins that often overtake you and placing your full trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of all your sins (Romans 10:9). Changes in your attitudes and actions can be immediate, as Don’s were. This is especially true when the Spirit has…
Holy Hypocrite
Singing, serving, smiling โ but looks can be deceiving. by Don Cox as told to Muriel Larson ย 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 the slightest resistance to my will, my violent temper could assert itself….
Honor My Mother?
A new adventure of biblical truth. by Betty Smith ย 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. As I reached for the keyboard, I felt my heart quickening. My hand trembled as it hovered over the keys….
Learning to Feel Again
by Beth Swain ย 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 sexual abuse?” There it was. “You mean with me?” I asked, attempting a casual facade. Still, my quivering voice betrayed me. “Yes, with you.” His kind…
Midst Roses and Concrete
Finding forgiveness for the deepest hurts.ย by Shirley A. Reynolds ย On a concrete bench in a mausoleum courtyard, I tried to muster courage. Shaking my fist at the foliage, I said, โIโm not leaving until Iโve emptied my heart of this anger toward my mother.โ Oh Mama, I thought. Why did you use a…
My Daughter Was a Victim of Domestic Violence
A mother’s pain leads to helping others. by Ginger Green as told to Sherri Langton ย 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 Monday, May 13, 1991, there she was — our daughter, Margo, dead at twenty-two….
Rescue of the Throwaway Child: Words to the Wise
ย This life, even at its best, provides a barrage of signals and experiences that tend to tear us down. Sometimes destructive communication comes from those who should love and support us most. At times like these, we may turn to the Bible repeatedly for God’s estimate of who we are. For example, our value…
Rescue of the Throwaway Child
The providence of God in overcoming an abusive past. by Sandra Carlson* as told to Calvin Burrell ย At seven, I walked; at fifteen, I talked; at fifty, I began to live. Everything about my childhood was painful – right from the start. I was born physically and mentally slower than my five brothers and…