DAY THIRTEEN: The Biblical Significance of Sixteen Days

Today is day thirteen of The 16 Days Campaign, and I would like to share the biblical significance of the number 16 and, specifically, 16 days.

I do not find this topic mentioned anywhere else, that I have seen in the 16 Day Campaign, and being a follower of Christ, I believed it important that someone shares how powerful the number 16 is, and specifically how 16 short days can change the world.

There are 16 qualities of Love, according to 1 Corinthians 13

• Love is patient
• Love is kind
• Love does not envy
• Love does not boast
• Love is not proud
• Love does not dishonor others
• Love is not self seeking
• Love is not easily angered
• Love keeps no record of wrongs
• Love does not delight in evil
• Love rejoices with the truth
• Love always protects
• Love always trusts
• Love always hopes
• Love always perseveres
• Love never fails

Some sources say that the number 16 literally means love in The Bible. (God Counts, W. E. Filmer http://www.asis.com/users/stag/godcount.html)

There were sixteen prophets in the Old Testament and sixteen apostles and evangelists in the New Testament.

King Ahaz reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:2, 2 Chronicles 28:24). He was by far the worst idol-worshiping King to have reigned in those days. And yet, his son, Hezekiah, rebuilt the Temple of God and restored hope and faith in his kingdom in the first month of his reign. It only took sixteen days to restore the temple (2 Chronicles 29:15-17).

What took 16 years for his father to destroy, this God-empowered King Hezekiah restored in only 16 days.

God is so powerful. He can accomplish anything, including restoring our families and communities to health.

My prayer for you today is that you have the faith to know it is possible, that domestic violence can be eradicated from our homes, our communities, and from our world.

In His Holy Grace,

Jennifer Joy

DAY TWELVE: Loving a Child Out of Despair

Today is day twelve of The 16 Days Campaign to end domestic abuse and violence against women.

What You May See If A Child Is Having Trouble

When children witness abuse or violence, their whole world is shaken. If they see it on a regular basis, it can damage their psyche long-term. The following are some of the problems that might be seen in children in unsafe home environments.

• Sleep trouble, nightmares, bed wetting
• Aggressive behavior or angry outbursts
• Hyperactivity
• Hyper-vigilance (excessive worry about danger)
• Excessive worry for the safety of loved ones (especially the loved one being abused)
• Withdrawal from friends and regular activities
• Emotional numbness
• Trouble concentrating
• Acting out what they have witnessed

The dynamics displayed in a family where domestic violence is prevalent make for an unhealthy living environment for children. Children learn that they must protect the “family secret.” I had to protect such a secret, and it taught me to lie. It also taught me that I could not reach out for help because of the shame this secret held. Children who grow up in such homes often develop social, emotional, and psychological and behavioral problems. This traumatic childhood will find its way to the surface, disrupting the survivor’s life from childhood and far into adulthood.

Children will often feel they are powerless, hopeless to ever have a better life. They may be confused about what is going on and also confused about their own feelings of shame, guilt, self-blame, and anger toward their parents. These children fear abandonment. They fear letting others into their personal space. They fear confiding in others because they fear that confidant might turn it all against them, tell the parent, or something worse—the State—because no matter how bad it is at home, that’s all these kids know.

These children may act out in school, get in fights or be otherwise aggressive; or they may become passive, apathetic, depressed, and they withdraw into themselves. They have very rigid defenses that are not always based in logic.

In essence, these hurting children withdraw from life, and every contact with another human holds the potential to be painful or dangerous.

As they grow up, these children may isolate, or they may act out sexually, having short, explosive relationships.

If we offer these children our love and compassion, we can effect powerful change in their lives. After a hurting soul first experiences agape love, compassion from a stranger or loved one willing to step up, her heart begins to be able to soak up the goodness in life, instead of being cut constantly by the badness.

We can help these children by making sure we reflect trust, respect, and love in all our relationships. We can greatly increase their self-esteem and promote independence by providing an emotionally and physically safe place to stay. We can demonstrate healthy love by setting boundaries and limits, being consistent, and by having clear expectations.

Encourage and support their interests. This can be especially important to help them switch from being consumed with personal safety, to being open to new experiences.

Before a child can share her story with an adult and begin healing, she needs to know she is in a safe place to do so. There must be a relationship of trust between the adult and the child.

The system fails our children and our families when they expect a child (or even an adult) to walk right in and spill the beans. Just because the social worker or police officer says, “you can trust me,” does not make it believable. The child’s history needs taken into consideration and the authorities (and all of us) have to realize the child most likely has never experienced a trustworthy relationship. It takes time, patience, and a monumental amount of love and compassion in some cases, to break through that wall of fear and distrust.

My prayer for today is for the children. I have great travailings for them. I pray that the children in your world know love and trust.

In His Grace,

Jennifer Joy

DAY ELEVEN: The Normalization of Sex and Violence in Our Families

Today is day eleven of The 16 Days Campaign. Today is the day we need to consider Raising The Bar.

When I was in my early twenties, I was asked by a coworker, “If you don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, what do you do for fun?”

“Plenty,” I replied.

It was not a matter of me being a snob or even a devout Christian back then, because I really wasn’t.

It was a matter of choices, however.

I never criticized my friends or coworkers for their choices, their lifestyle, but at the same time, I simply held myself to a higher personal standard. I simply had chosen a different path.

Please do not take anything I say as judgment or criticism. I am only offering a viable solution to a very serious problem in our society. Sex and violence are everywhere in what we watch, listen to, and surf. If we are to change the status quo, we must each make that decision on a personal level. It never works for a society to set standards. For instance, if you tell a three-year-old that she cannot have any cookies, she will want those cookies all the more, and she will try to get them without you knowing. We need to personally make the decision to not allow this glut of sex and violence into our homes and into the lives of our children.

Don’t get me wrong. I like a first-run Hollywood movie just as much as the next person, but I have also been known to walk out of a movie theater, when the language or nudity or violence gets to be too much for me.

Far be it for me to tell anyone else what they can and cannot watch or listen to. As for me, I don’t care if it does have a catchy beat or flashy visuals, I must hold myself to the standards I desire in my life.

All I ask is that you pay attention to the messages that song or video or movie is portraying, and then ask yourself if it lives up to what you want in your life. Is that particular message THE message you want to send your children out into the world with?

My prayer for you today is that evil will not seep into your life, unannounced, through the media available in your home.

In His grace,

Jennifer Joy

DAY TEN: New Relationships

Today is day ten of The 16 Days Campaign to end domestic abuse and violence against women. Having past the halfway mark, I would like to offer a day of hope for survivors. Today I will present lists of early warning signs and red flags and also steps women can take to guard against abuse in new relationships.

Having gotten out of an abusive relationship is mighty reason to celebrate. Congratulations on your success, if you are a survivor. These lists will help you determine whether a new interest is worthy of your love. However, they are only lists of red flags and not written in stone. As such, use your God-given intuition to guide you in choosing your next partner more so than lists. They are meant as guidelines because as you yourself are healing, you will recognize that others also have the ability to change and improve. Their past does not necessarily predict their future, as I’ve been trying to show you that your past does not have to predict your future, either.

You are a strong, beautiful person and deserve to be in a strong, beautiful relationship. In the beginning, set aside those lustful “new romance” type feelings so that you can really get to know the other person. Please do not hop from relationship to relationship, from bed to bed, as this does not help the situation. I do not say this from a Christian perspective so much as from someone who has been there and done that. This is a plea to let the new relationship grow before adding sex into the mix; for sex confuses the issue, especially if a child results from the encounter.

Red Flags

• Alcohol or drug use
• Record of getting into fights or destroying property
• Chronically unemployed and not seeking work
• Speaks disrespectfully to other women in your presence, especially his mother or sisters
• Name calling, put downs, or vulgar comments about you or others
• Physically rough with you or with animals
• Anger issues
• Plays the blame game frequently
• Starts to control where you go and who you can see
• Forces sexual intimacy when you are not ready or do not want it
• Cheats or has multiple partners, lengthy list of “conquests”
• Takes advantage of your good nature
• Takes money or other belongings from you and sees it as a right to do so
• Unwarranted accusations of flirting or cheating
• Does not pay attention to your interests, opinions, or feelings
• Things always have to be his way
• Silent treatment
• Lies
• Stands you up for dates or other obligations
• Disappears for days at a time without appropriate reason
• Expects you to dress and act a certain way, doesn’t let you be you
• Threatens suicide if you attempt to break up
• Says he cannot live without you
• Mood swings
• Compares you to former partners

 

Some questions to ask yourself about the relationship

• Do you feel tied down?
• Do you feel like you have to check in or get his permission?
• Are you afraid to speak your own mind or bring up certain subjects?
• Do you believe you are difficult to love?
• Do you believe if you could just love him enough, everything would be okay?
• Do you cry often?
• Are you depressed or generally unhappy in this relationship?
• Do you worry about how to please him or how to keep him happy?

These lists are adapted from the Domestic Abuse Project (http://www.domesticabuseproject.org)

Even with all the red flags and warnings, the bottom line is that if we want better in our relationships, it has to start with getting better ourselves. If you cannot afford counseling or you cannot spare the time for a support group, I highly recommend reading self-help books. Become a voracious reader in your spare time, instead of watching television. If you take public transportation, read on the way to work. Read during your lunch break. Read while waiting for the doctor or other appointments.

A word of caution, however, not all self-help books are created equal. If one does not resonate with you, set it aside and start another one. I have often found that the ones I have cast aside, later become great allies. Or they end up in the goodwill box.

Her is a short list of books I have found helpful over the years:

• The Bible — find an easy-to-read version especially if this is new for you. The King James Version is not the best place to start. I heard of but have not yet read The Voice Bible, which is written in novel format and is said to be very easy to read.
• Who Moved My Cheese? By Spence Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard — A quick read but very helpful in dealing with change in your life.
• Broken body, Wounded Spirit, by Celeste Cooper — A devotional for chronic pain sufferers, but it has an interesting perspective for all of life’s challenges.
• Messy, by A.J Swoboda — Finding beauty, meaning, purpose, and joy in a messy life.
• Sifted: God’s Scandalous Response to Satan’s Outrageous Demand, by Rick Lawrence — Excellent biblical perspective on why we go through such trying times.
  Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top, by Jeanette Levellie —Humorous reminders of God’s handiwork in our lives.
• Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow — A woman’s guide to finding contentment.
• Love Must Be Tough, by Dr. James Dobson — Straightforward advice for building relationships.
• Boundaries, by John Townsend and Henry Cloud — Setting healthy boundaries in your relationships. In fact, I would recommend any of the books by these two authors. They have helped me tremendously in sorting through my past and my relationship issues.
• Living, Loving, and Learning, by Leo Buscaglia —I would also recommend any and all of his books. He was the first author who really resonated with my soul and began to teach me about love, while I was still in an abusive relationship years ago.

This is just a short list of my favorite self-help reads.

My prayer for you today is that you could hear that special message that will reach deep inside to unlock your full potential.

In His Grace,

Jennifer Joy

DAY NINE: Loving a Sister Out of Despair

Today is day nine of the 16 Days Campaign to end domestic abuse and violence against women.

Today is also my father’s birthday, God rest his soul. Happy birthday, Daddy. I miss you.

 

We all have our own story to tell. We all experience events from our own unique perspective. Two people can live in the same family, have the same parents, and yet their stories can be drastically different. As an example, two sisters can attend the same school, have the same teachers, and yet because one struggles with dyslexia and the other does not, the first sister will not have pleasant memories of childhood, while the second sister will look back on those years as the best of her life.

Everyone’s perspective of a situation is different, depending on her unique background, circumstances, and even just what mood she woke up in that morning. I myself have been chastised by relatives because they held to the belief that my childhood was near perfect, and yet I suffered horribly at the words spoken directly to me by my parents, those words not overheard by the other children in the family, or even by the other adults who should have been there for me. As I stated, each person experiences life events in their own unique way. It does not make either perspective wrong, nor does it make it any easier on the abused one to deny that her story is accurate in her own heart. She knows what she has went through, and outsiders do not. God knows what she has gone through, and humans do not know the extent of her pain just by looking in from the outside, and especially not by denying her pain and suffering.

Discrimination and judgmental attitudes happen in the best of families and abuse happens in the best of family situations.

If you have a sister, a friend, a child, any loved one, crying out to you for help, please do not judge her tears and pain. Believe her. Help her end the abuse cycle in her life.

If you see a sister or friend or loved one sinking into a hole of despair, reach out to her. Maybe too many have judged her pain in the past. Maybe she no longer knows how to reach out to you. Maybe she fears you will slap her hand and her heart for the effort.

Quite possibly, she has been abused and with abuse comes a loss of trust. Even though you may judge yourself to be loving and compassionate, she does not realize that fact. Open yourself to her and show her what she has lost through abuse. Show her that you are loving and compassionate by reaching out to her, by showing her that you are trustworthy. This will go a lot farther for a hurting soul that simply saying, “Well, she never told me,” or, “Why can’t she ask me instead of me having to go the extra mile?”

Ask yourself this, is she worth the extra mile? If you have love and compassion in your heart for her, then I believe she is worth the extra mile. If you can at least manage agape love, then it is worth your effort. She is worth every effort to save.

She cannot ask because she has been hurt too many times and she no longer recognizes a safe person from an unsafe person. She has lost trust and she has lost the hope that anyone could ever help her or love her enough to rescue her.

To change a sister from an abuse victim to an abuse survivor, we must reach out with loving kindness, reaching into her broken places and soothing them with love and compassion and not judgment. It most definitely does take action on our part.

I’ve been there. I know how alone and helpless we sisters can feel when in abusive relationships.

I know how difficult it can be to reach out for help.

To summarize, here is a list of how you can help:

• Don’t be afraid to speak up and let her know you are concerned for her safety.
• Be supportive
• Acknowledge that this is a difficult time in her life
• Do not judge her and above all, respect any decision she makes without making her feel bad about her choices
• Help her develop a safety plan if she does not believe she can leave right now
• Allow her the space and time to make the right decisions, and always make sure she knows you are there for her when she is ready to make that decision
• Encourage outside interests, invite her and her children along in your plans whenever possible
• Encourage her to reach out for professional help or a support group

Also remember that you cannot rescue her. The decision has to be her own; otherwise she will not be able to escape the cycle of abuse.

My prayer for you today is that you reach out to help a sister, a friend, a loved one. When your heartstrings are pulled by a situation, there is a reason.

In His grace,

Jennifer Joy

DAY EIGHT: The Cycle of Abuse

Today is day eight of the 16 days Campaign. We are halfway there. We will end the cycle of abuse, one precious life at a time.

Today’s topic is the cycle of abuse. As I see it, there are several cycles involved in abuse. One being a familial cycle, in that if children witness abuse, they are more likely to end up in abusive relationships themselves (Women mostly as victims and men mostly as perpetrators. Sorry, but it is not sexist or judgmental if it is a statistical fact). Another cycle is hopping from one abusive relationship to another, and this can be very devastating for the victim and any children involved, if she does not learn how to avoid such relationships in the future. More on this topic later.

Another cycle of abuse is the cycle that can happen almost on a daily basis in some relationships. That cycle of abuse goes something like this:

The perpetrator in the relationship will inflict abuse—whether it is mental, emotional, physical, or sexual, it does not matter—the cycle still works the same. During the abuse phase, the perpetrator will oftentimes get angry (but not always, for my abuser was very methodical and controlled in his abuse). There will be a breakdown in communication, and arguments will ensue, even though the victim knows that this will lead to more abuse. She will try to keep the abuser calm, placating him with offers of sex or whatever has worked in the past. The victim and any children involved feel they are always walking on eggshells.

After the abuse phase comes the make-up phase. Whether the abuser accepts responsibility for his actions or not, he will apologize and promise it will never happen again. He does this to calm the victim and keep her tied to him. She tries to believe him, and thus thinks that she should not leave because he “promised” to do better next time, even though he has broken that same promise many times in the past. He may even blame her for his actions or deny anything abusive even happened. These tactics work to confuse her and brainwash her into believing it is her fault or that she is over-exaggerating.

Then there will be a phase of relative calm, and the perpetrator will act as if nothing ever happened. He may continue the make-up phase by plying her with gifts or flowers or being extra nice. This makes his victim believe that the abuse is finally over. She begins to hope again, but in essence, he is setting her up for an even bigger fall next time.

This cycle repeats over and over. Sometimes the cycle can repeat several times in a single day, and other times, it could take months for a single cycle. Oftentimes, as the abuse escalates, the make-up phase and the calm will totally disappear, leaving only the abuse.

Excuses are often made for the abuse and the abuser. They say it is caused by substance abuse or because he is under a lot of stress. Or they may even go so far as to say that the abuser doesn’t know any better or that the victim deserved it.

These are all false. I am especially emphatic that no one deserves to be abused.

Substance abuse and stress do not cause domestic violence. They may increase the intensity, but they are not the cause. An abuser has learned to use these tactics to get his way, to stay in control. He makes the choice to abuse. He is not an innocent victim of his lifestyle.

Furthermore, just because an abuser comes from an abusive past or he witnessed it in his family growing up does not give him the right to claim that he “doesn’t know any better.” Everyone can learn to do better. Everyone can grow beyond their past mistakes and/or family history.

It is all a choice. He can continue to choose to abuse, or he can hold himself to a higher standard and work to improve not only himself but his relationships.

People may also say, “If it were really that bad, she would leave.”

I can say from personal experience that leaving isn’t always easy. I believed I had nowhere else to go, partly because he told me no one would ever want me and partly from my family history. I believed no one would help me get free. I had lost all hope. Plus I had a twisted sense of respect and honor (started in my childhood and spurred on by my abuser), and believed I had to hold my tiny family together and take the abuse for the sake of stability for my kids.

Sometimes, leaving can be dangerous. He may threaten to kill her or to take her children from her—he could also threaten to kill someone closed to her. The most dangerous time for many survivors is when she finally takes a stand and attempts to leave. Even so, it is possible to leave and it is possible to have an actual loving, caring relationship—free from abuse—in the future.

As bystanders, family members, and friends, we must do all we can to believe her. We must believe what she says is true, even if we do not understand why she won’t or can’t leave. She most likely does not feel safe enough to leave, or else she has lost all hope of a better future and needs a compassionate soul to unconditionally love her and to help her get free.

Once free, the best thing an abuse survivor can do for herself is to not jump right into another relationship; for this can lead into the lifestyle of being a victim. She needs to trust that she does not need a man in her life to take care of her. She needs to allow herself the time to heal and to learn how to find a better mate, next time around. If she does not give herself time to heal and grow personally, then she will inevitably end up right back into another abusive relationship (or back with the original abuser) and this next relationship is often worse than the first one, because she has already been beaten down, “primed” for the abuse to happen again.

These may sound like harsh words, but they are spoken in love from one abuse survivor to another. This cycle can be overcome.

My prayer for you today is one of compassion. I pray that if you are a victim, a compassionate angel will step up, take your hand, and lead to a better life. And I pray that if you are a family member or friend, you will be that compassionate angel for your hurting sister or friend.

In His Grace,

Jennifer Joy

DAY SEVEN: The Culture of Fear

Today we are ending the first full week of the 16 Days Campaign. Has it been a struggle getting through all this, so far? Have you feared what other shoe might drop in your own life?

“There is no fear in love.” 1 John 4:18

Did you know that the opposite of love is not hate?

The opposite of love is fear.

All that I have presented up to this point in The 16 Days Campaign, aside from my day of thanks, reflects a sense of fear in the lives of the victims and children involved in domestic abuse and violence.

Rather than speak directly about the fear, today let’s take a different tact and speak about the love which is available to all of us, and also a bit of my personal testimony about love conquering fear.

The first love I want to talk about is the love that gets us into the most trouble. It is eros love. This love is more in the sense of being in love, as opposed to sexual desire; although, sexual desire is part of eros love. This love is more concerned with what we can get out of the relationship, true, but at the same time, it promotes the desire to submit ourselves to another, the one we love. This is romantic love, if viewed in its purest sense. While being a very profound experience, it can lead to evil (such as sexual addiction, violence, and pornography) as well as leading to a fully satisfying marriage relationship.

As such, we must take care to keep our eros love pure, respectful, and self-sacrificing rather than self-serving. This is not to say we should submit ourselves to abuse, however; for we must maintain love and respect for ourselves as well as for our partner.

The second is philia love. This is basically a brotherly love, friendship at its deepest sense. It is love between friends and represents one of the strongest bonds between people. According to C.S. Lewis, it is a love that is freely chosen but not necessary for the survival of the species.

And then there is the greatest of loves, agape love, which is a deep caring or godly love for someone even if you do not know them well or approve of their behaviors. This is the God level of love. This is unconditional love. Although it is at the God level, people can and do reach this level all the time. If you can show compassion for your enemy, then you are demonstrating agape love. Moreover, if you can put your differences aside and work on a solution together, amicably rather than fighting incessantly, this too is agape love, because you are putting the needs of the other, the needs of the whole, and the search for an honorable solution before your own needs. Setting your own comfort aside to help another is agape love, and it is a very good and honorable thing to do.

I have not always managed to attain this level of love in my relationships, and I have asked Our Lord’s forgiveness in this matter. My past was so shattered that for a long time, I did not even consider myself worthy of love, let alone worthy of agape love from another human being, and so those who had hurt me in the past, I allowed to continue to hurt me by not setting our differences aside and working on an honorable solution. Please don’t take this to mean that I did not care for the ones who were hurting me. I loved them very deeply and I tried to be in relationship with them, but every day my heart was being broken repeatedly by their deeds and their words spoken to me and against me. I eventually had to make the heartbreaking decision that it was best for my own health to pull back. Because I was seriously ill at the time, I was being told by my doctor, my husband, and others who truly cared about me, that I needed to get the stress out of my life if I ever wanted to heal. Otherwise, they warned, I was on the brink of being hospitalized because I kept getting sicker instead of better, despite valiant efforts where my medical treatment was concerned.

Because of the grave state my own health was in, I allowed my anxiety to reign, and I grew to fear any contact with the people who were hurting me and spreading lies about me. I lost out on working toward closeness and closure with a very dear loved one because he passed away without ever acknowledging the depth of my pain and illness and also the extent of my heartbreak from what he was saying to me and about me. He died without ever really knowing who I am, without him ever putting an end to the lies and hurtful words he was saying. I did not know how to make him stop, even though I tried my best to stay in relationship and to make him understand how much I loved him despite me being unable to physically be there for him (because of the severe extent of my own illness); but when I pulled away from the relationship, it seemed to only antagonize him further into more hurtful words.

This person was an alcoholic. Alcoholism is one of my challenges in relationship. It can tear a family apart, and because of my family history, I have never been able to deal well with an active (or dry) alcoholic. I am not nor have I ever been an alcoholic, but I have been surrounded by alcoholism my entire life, and the culture of fear I grew up in colored so many of my decisions, throughout my entire life. I feared becoming addicted to alcohol and so I have been very careful not to fall into that trap, but more devastating was my fear of becoming addicted to pain pills because of my familial connection to addiction. Because of this fear, I suffered needlessly in pain, crying every night in severe pain, because I did not want to become addicted. I was denying myself comfort; I was denying myself the self love that could have soothed so many of my fears. I did not love myself enough to accept that I deserved to be pain-free just as much as the next person. I also did not trust in Our Lord enough to know that His love could help me out of this cycle of fear and ultimately keep me from addiction.

I did fall into addiction for a short time. This is difficult for me to admit. Before my healing took place, my pain was so severe, I could not stand it anymore. I finally asked my doctor to prescribe something a few months before we left on our mission. Then I turned to these drugs to soothe not only my physical pain but also my emotional pain. It became a vicious cycle, where I would cry myself to sleep because no matter how much morphine or Vicodin I took, the pain never left my body, and I would wake up a few hours later with my whole body shaking because I was in so much pain. It had been years since I had a good night’s sleep, and even though I now had the drugs to combat the pain, my body was so devastated, so ravaged by the illness and unrelenting pain for so many years, that no amount of drugs was going to soothe it.

I finally got to the point that I prayed for deliverance, for an end to it all. If God wasn’t going to give me divine healing, then I wanted to be dead because I could not take any more pain. I stopped taking all my meds, even those for the Lyme disease and adrenal insufficiency and my myriad of other issues, and I fasted for two days, trusting that God would deliver me one way or the other.

I continued to trust day-by-day for a week, setting aside my fears that the pain would never end. I had to let go of the fear that was keeping me in bondage to my pain. Then we enlisted the help of a very mighty prayer team, when my husband asked if our pastor at our new church here in Beaumont could pray healing over me.

It was amazing. I was released. From the illness. From the fear. From the worst of my pain.

I still have pain, but it is not like it used to be. I am old and I am fat and it is winter. Those are three strikes against me at this point. It will take time to get my body back into shape, but I am continuing to trust in Our Lord, and my fear of the pain is gone.

Even though I was raised in an dysfunctional alcoholic home and grew to fear just about everything and I grew up not feeling loved or even wanted, God set me free from all that.

My prayer for you today is that you would ask God to heal you of your deep-set fears.

In His Grace,

Jennifer Joy