*** Tools to Help Protect Children from Pedophiles and Sex Abuse *** After reading, A Betrayal at Home, an article on incest and child sex abuse, I became angry - angry about trusted individuals who should have been loving and protecting precious children, but instead silenced and victimized children by abusing them sexually, sometimes destroying their lives emotionally… Continue reading There is a Pedophile in My Family: The Tools I Gave My Children to Protect Them from Harm
Category: Julie Anne’s Personal Stories
My Personal Mental Health Story: When Christians Say Potentially Harmful Words to Someone in a Mental Health Crisis
*** Mental Health, prayer, Bible, professional counseling, harmful advice *** A friend found this quote and was very disturbed by it. When I saw it, I was equally disturbed...no, make that horrified, because it brought me back to a very difficult time in my life when it was said to me by well-meaning Christians: *** ***… Continue reading My Personal Mental Health Story: When Christians Say Potentially Harmful Words to Someone in a Mental Health Crisis
Mark Dever’s New Book and Pastors Who Use Language to Control Their Members to Not Connect with Others Outside of Church-Approved Groups
Mark Dever, 9Marks, and other pastors using language to control and coerce members to not engage in outside activities without church endorsement Mark Dever's parachurch organization, 9Marks, is advertising a new book written by Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop. The book entitled, The Compelling Community: Where God's Power Makes a Church Attractive (9Marks), is due to be released… Continue reading Mark Dever’s New Book and Pastors Who Use Language to Control Their Members to Not Connect with Others Outside of Church-Approved Groups
The Lingering Pain of Spiritual Abuse
The pain of her leaving caused me to go deep and question the character of God which was being tainted by a man and his crude ideas, perpetuating a church of hate and discord against anyone who didn’t agree with him and his pure doctrine ideologies.
Some Pastors Think They Get to Control the Details of Your Lives, Even the Colors of Clothes You Wear
*** Pastors who use their assumed position of authority to control personal lives. *** for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Hebrews 13:17 *** This is finals week at school, so in the interest of time, I'm going to resurrect an old post from March of… Continue reading Some Pastors Think They Get to Control the Details of Your Lives, Even the Colors of Clothes You Wear
Restoring What the Locust Has Eaten: Two Years of Blogging Milestone Today and Gratefulness
** Two years of blogging, two years of growth, hope for those hurt by church abuse ** ** In Joel, God talks about restoring what the locusts had eaten. Today marks exactly two years since I began blogging. As I reflect on the 2-year anniversary date of my initial blog and begin my 3rd year of… Continue reading Restoring What the Locust Has Eaten: Two Years of Blogging Milestone Today and Gratefulness
Why Does Calvin’s God Feel Abusive to Me? I Didn’t Choose This!
* * * The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103:6 I have never, ever connected so deeply with someone else's spiritual experience as I have recently with reader, Oasis. The tears . . . . oh, the tears. This deep, gut-wrenching, sobbing pain is… Continue reading Why Does Calvin’s God Feel Abusive to Me? I Didn’t Choose This!
Motherhood and Failure
* * * I read a really good article this morning and it is timely for Mother's Day tomorrow. Are Women Really Saved through Childbearing? During the anguished time when a woman from my church was trying to conceive, she asked for prayer from a Christian coworker. "She flat out… Continue reading Motherhood and Failure
Drew Marshall Show Interview
* * * I had been asked to post the link to the interview I did a couple Saturdays ago, on Canada's #1 Christian talk show, The Drew Marshall Show. Click on the SoundCloud clip (orange play button) at the bottom of the screen to hear the interview or listen direction from… Continue reading Drew Marshall Show Interview
Live Interview on Drew Marshall Show This Saturday and Update
* * * I am a little bit excited about an upcoming interview on the Drew Marshall Show tomorrow, Saturday, April 20, 2013, at 2PM ET. Evidently, the Drew Marshall Show is the most listened to Christian talk show in Canada. Is that right, eh? Feel free to tune in. It sounds… Continue reading Live Interview on Drew Marshall Show This Saturday and Update
Crushed in Spirit
* * * I am really struggling emotionally and spiritually - stuff related to the effects of abuse, including spiritual abuse in my personal life. It is messing with my head and wreaking havoc on me right now. All I can do is cry, and cry, and cry out to God.… Continue reading Crushed in Spirit
Julie Anne: Uncovering the Abuse I Enabled
My teenage daughter went to a winter retreat a few weeks ago and this picture was taken from the church van by the youth pastor’s wife. The snow is pretty evident in the picture, but directly ahead down the road is a valley, but you cannot see the valley because the clouds are covering it.… Continue reading Julie Anne: Uncovering the Abuse I Enabled
Julie Anne’s Experience at High School Summer Camp
This is a brief diversion, but something I've been wanting to share for a while. You may remember the last week of July when we found out we won the court case, I was at a high school summer camp serving as a counselor. I wanted to share a little bit about that remarkable experience.… Continue reading Julie Anne’s Experience at High School Summer Camp
A Personal Note From Hannah’s Father to Fred
Thank you Fred for the apology - here. However the error has not yet been run to ground.Now would you kindly follow through with that same stream of humility and post a sincere retraction apology on your own Hip and Thigh blog where the error took root? It grieves the church to perceive GCC leaders… Continue reading A Personal Note From Hannah’s Father to Fred
Hannah’s Personal Story in Her Own Words
Readers: I've had this post in my "draft posts" for quite some time, but the time to post it is now and I will explain more about that very soon. You'll see why it is important to hear from her own words. I shared my perspective of Hannah's story in the most popular blog post,… Continue reading Hannah’s Personal Story in Her Own Words
The News and My Thoughts
As many of you know, I have been at a Christian high school summer camp as a counselor since Sunday. We had been expecting the results any day, so I had my smartphone which is really pretty much useless when you are in a remote area. There's one spot out by the flagpole where I… Continue reading The News and My Thoughts
My Story – Key Blog Posts
*** I began this blog in Feb. 2012 after noticing that the Google reviews I had posted of my former church were being removed. Days after the commencement of this blog, I received a legal summons suing me and three others for defamation to the tune of $500,000. The story of spiritual abuse needs to… Continue reading My Story – Key Blog Posts
Survival Strategies for Hyper-Authoritarian and Repetitive Sermons
* * * I'm a little bit surprised if you are still reading my blog. The last three posts were rigged to make a point and I took you on a ride without your permission so you could understand first-hand what it felt like. I tricked you and purposefully kept the… Continue reading Survival Strategies for Hyper-Authoritarian and Repetitive Sermons
Support
Thank you to the visitors who have searched to find my blog. I am overwhelmed. It has really touched my heart. Not only has it touched my heart, but the hearts of a multitude of families who have suffered silently from this experience. They have been reading of your support not only in… Continue reading Support
In Honor of Hannah
* * * Today, I'd like to honor someone very special to me - my eldest daughter, Hannah. When Hannah told me she was leaving home so abruptly that very sad day, she told me that she couldn't set one more foot in that church. It was killing her. She knew… Continue reading In Honor of Hannah
Spiritual Sounding Board 