Welcome back to Walk by Faith, Life Lessons, and Love After Abuse. This week, I want to share a story—not just mine, but a story that might reflect parts of your own journey. It’s about the sacred art of establishing healthy boundaries, a process woven with threads of faith, healing, and self-discovery. I remember a time when saying "no" felt like a betrayal—not just to others but to myself. My heart carried the weight of believing that my worth was tied to how much I gave, h

The reflections of a domestic violence survivor.

I want to start by acknowledging your incredible strength and resilience in surviving through the challenges you have faced. It takes immense courage to confront and overcome fear, especially when it comes from the trauma of abuse. I want you to know that you are not alone in this journey, and there is support available to help you face your fear head-on. The first step in facing your fear is acknowledging that what you have experienced is real and valid. It is not your fault

Domestic abuse is a harrowing reality that affects countless individuals around the world. If you find yourself trapped in an abusive relationship, it is important to remember that you are not alone. In this blog, we will explore ways to find the strength to break free from the cycle of abuse, provide resources for support, and offer words of encouragement to empower you on your journey towards a brighter future. You Are Not Alone: First and foremost, it is crucial to underst

When someone sins against you, your knee-jerk reaction is to seek revenge; however, when someone comes to you genuinely repentant and seeking your forgiveness, what do you do? Typically how this goes is that they first confess to God because they recognize they have sinned. And then they ask God for forgiveness which He will give because He is a loving and sovereign God. Some individuals will even take it a step further and seek your forgiveness and try to make things right.

One of the tremendous traps we fall into is complaining and grumbling. If we are not doing it out loud, it seems to be an ever-present temptation in our minds. Complaining not only can become habitual, but it is not healthy as it leaves us feeling unhappy. Faultfinding or murmuring about yourself and even others is an attitude you do not want to nurture. Complaining can do nothing for us except to ruin a good day. Every day God allows us to wake up and participate in lif

Even if you do not have the slightest idea what God’s will is for you at this point, you can, with great confidence, begin thinking in faith. Each day that we wake up, we get another chance. Every day we receive brand new mercies. You have a fresh start. Another Day with God! You have a renewed mind with new possibilities. You do not have to allow old memories that have held you down to affect your New Day. Allow me to make a suggestion. Think of all the positive things abou

I am sure that the thought of giving up on things that become too intense to handle has crossed your mind at some point. You participate in the cycle of life quite a bit, whether self-driven, serving others, or engaging in events. And, yet, at times, become so overwhelmed that you find yourself walking away from the plight. I want you to know - You do Possess The Strength to Win! We have all been in some turmoil that has caused fear and defeat. The matters at hand are lookin

When you understand God’s love for you, it is one of the most important truths you will ever know with certainty. In these times, we must walk with this comprehension of His profound love for us, especially as we go through our many tasks and life’s situations. As days in the first month of our Lord's year, 2021, are quickly passing us by, many events meet our pathway, demanding our attention and emotions. Every day is not sunshine, and all news is not good news. There are ro

Have you ever found yourself feeling overwhelmed in your thoughts? As you prepare for the days ahead, are there many possibilities running through your mind? Each of us is given free will and presented with various options and ways of performing things. You lean into faith for confident decisions. Still, at this point, you are perhaps becoming frozen in your steps. Wow! This fear is rightfully understandable; however, unfounded with what you already know about our SOVERIGN Go

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” ~Vernon Mclellan~ What a year 2020 has been! From a global pandemic, toilet paper crisis, and everything in between, it’s easy for us not to give 2020 a second thought as we find ourselves starting a new year. While we’ve had a chance to slow down, rediscover hobbies and spend more time with loved ones, it goes without saying 2020 has been full of unexpected challenges and hardships

Here we are. In a matter of hours, we will arrive on the eve of another year that will go down in history as one of the most trying times we could have ever anticipated. Still, God’s power has preserved every last one of us! In the sight of God, every second is sacred, every minute is meaningful, and every hour is precious. Whether it has meant living quietly in the solace of your own space or doing stupendous work alongside others, we must receive His provisions with prais

Many of you have heard or perhaps used the phrase "A Delay is Not a Denial." I know I have! But what does that mean? The first time it resonated with my Spirit is when my pastor said it during one of our many heart-to-heart conversations. I was in seminary working on my Master of Divinity at the time, and she was my mentor for Field Education. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, Field Education is a required course where a young seminarian is assigned to a ch

Although there are many variations in the naming convention – Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Domestic Abuse, and several textbook definitions – advocates such as myself understand that domestic violence is all about obtaining and maintaining power and control over another. It is simple as that yet complex in and of itself. Domestic violence is about Power and Control. That IS a FACT. It was NEVER about you! Or your fault. It was not about the dress you had on,

I can remember so clearly the years that I was going through some of the most challenging times in my life ~ I had just left my abuser. I was struggling trying to fight through the Family Courts and Social Service systems to protect my children. My life seemed to be a constant climb up a cliff that, at any moment, I would no doubt fall off of, never to be found. Still, it was during these times that God sent one special woman to my life. A beautiful angel that would always t

It has been a tough year, right? As if times were not already challenging, here comes something that none of us anticipated – COVID 19. When the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2019, and we all yelled HAPPY NEW YEARS, we never imagined that 12 months later, we would be living through one of the most spiritual and emotional challenges ever to be recorded in history. For goodness sake! It was January 1, 2020, and we proclaimed the survival of another year. We made our New