Tag: Home and Family

When looks deceive. by by Donna Swanson   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 butterflies arcing across the sky. We were told a figure was walking toward us: Jesus, smiling and reaching His hand out in…

by Jeannie Moore   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 psychological trauma that may last a lifetime. Children often keep sexual abuse a secret. Sometimes they do so because they don’t have the language to describe…

After years of deception, the ugly truth comes out. by Jeannie Moore    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 program we both were involved in at church. We briefly talked about my classes at the college…

Releasing bitterness and finding peace. by Audrey Hector   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 the edge of insanity and fell deeper and deeper into the black hole of depression. I wasn’t always this way. I…

From rage to joy, hatred to love. by Kay Cherry* as told to Muriel Larson   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 my tightly curled fist, then buried my face in my hands and wept. I’m…

The suffering of Christ gives newmeaning to a suffering man. by Douglas Hainer as told to Marguerite Tustan   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 the attention I was receiving, hit me so hard that I…

Deliverance from the nightmare of spousal abuse. by Kay May with Muriel Larson   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 church together. He professed to be a Christian and even taught a Bible school class. Little…

Understanding past and present influencesto find freedom for the future. by Muriel Larson   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 have relived it again and again. It has profoundly affected my whole life. It is the…

Seeing our worth in the eyes of God. by JoAnn Wray   “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 emphasis. “I said hold still!” The boy looked at his mom, bewildered. I could see his pain clearly….