I grew up dreaming of big family holiday gatherings. The ones we saw on TV and in magazines. I was born last into a family of 7 older siblings. Maybe it’s in my blood. But because of my parent’s choices, I grew up without them. Raised mostly as an only child. Once married, I thought I’d finally see those family…
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The Greek term translated ‘widow’ (chera) means ‘bereft’ and conveys a sense of suffering loss or being left alone. The term does not tell us how a woman became a widow and, therefore the cause is not limited to a husband’s death. – John MacArthur (Caring for Widows) Twice last week, at separate times, I heard the same question out…
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Christmas is just days away. The decorations were up early this year. They’re beautiful. And we’ve been joyfully listening to Christmas music since November 1st. There is a happiness in the air that has been missing the last few years. Maybe, many, many years if I am honestly admitting to how bad things really were. Especially during the holidays. Now…
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Recently, during some college courses, I wrote a paper on domestic violence. This 35-page thesis educated me even more than my abnormal psych classes and experience combined. Reading the Warning Signs and Red Flags on The National Domestic Violence Hotline (click all the tabs to learn more about “Emotional Abuse,” “Sexual Abuse & Coercion”, and “Financial Abuse”) brought back some painful memories….
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I’ve been actively speaking up against domestic abuse (violence, batterers, adulterers, etc.) for the last two years. Speaking up against sin that is the abuse at the hands of a husband. Adultery is included in that abuse definition. It was two years ago, this week, that a friend and fellow homeschool mom was killed, along with her teenage son, by her…
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You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” – Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life I grew up hearing how I “made” my mother mad. (Blame?) You know what? I probably did some things that would provoke anger in…
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Most toxic people have undiagnosed personality disorders – narcissists, psychopaths, and sociopaths. They are the conscious abusers of this world. But I’ll just call them “toxic people” today. One big red flag that you are dealing with a toxic person is the sign of projection when you try to share your feelings or hurts. Toxic people have little to no…
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Statistics put out by the CDC, say 1 in 4 women have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime. One in four is a lot of women. And domestic violence doesn’t know race, religion, financial status or educational choices. It’s pretty universally spread across the board, in the human race. I know homeschooling families are affected as…
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The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. – Exodus 14:14 NIVBe still, and know that I am God! – Psalm 46:10a NLT These are some of my favorite verses over the last few years. For the most part, I remember these two verses well… as I do have them memorized. I also keep Psalm 46:10…
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Have you seen the phrase on the internet that says… “Dear what doesn’t kill me… I’m strong enough… thank you!”? I know I have. And I laugh every time because it really resonates with divorce journey. Truth be told… I am not stronger. I am weak! I remember it like it was yesterday. The day that I realized just how…
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