I received an e-mail from a missionary today who was involved in a church whose pastor used similar tactics with church members as my former pastor. He sent me a link to look at and I realized I could easily replace his pastor's name with my former pastor's name; he said the same thing… Continue reading False Teachers Who Mark and Avoid Church Members
Pre-Court Stuff
I'm in the middle of working on a post and perhaps because of the topic of the post, I'm getting a bit worked up, so I need a diversion. :::::breathe deeply, JA::::::::If anyone is in the Portland area tomorrow and would like to come to the court hearing, you are welcome. It is open to… Continue reading Pre-Court Stuff
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
A Parable of Suffering
* * * I've been excited about this next post and couldn't wait any longer to share it with you! The MSNBC.com article regarding my case brought a number of visitors to the blog. One person was Craig Vick, who also is a pastor. He read the blog and stayed, participating… Continue reading A Parable of Suffering
More Reasons to Bless the Lord
10,000 ReasonsI'd like to use this post to express what we are thankful for as we did a while back. There are a lot of reasons we have to be thankful. What is God doing in your life? What has He taught you recently? What has brought you encouragement?I'll start. I want to share… Continue reading More Reasons to Bless the Lord
No Gossip Allowed in My Church!
*** Great Is Thy Faithfulness Summer and winter, and spring-time and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand… Continue reading No Gossip Allowed in My Church!
Creepy Pastors and Churches Using Creepy Stalking Control Tactics
* * * There have been a few stories of spiritual abuse in the news lately. A kind reader sent me this article from The Christian Post: Spiritual Abuse: Shepherds – or Fleecers – of God's Flock? This article starts by discussing the abuse of gaining members' funds through… Continue reading Creepy Pastors and Churches Using Creepy Stalking Control Tactics
Spiritual Abuse Blogs: Christ-Honoring?
Flowers in my neighborhoodThis has been an interesting week or so, none like we've ever had before on this blog, that is for sure. (If you are just coming to the blog for the first time, we had some great discussion in the three previous posts which are linked at the bottom of this post.) … Continue reading Spiritual Abuse Blogs: Christ-Honoring?
The Big Elephant: Contend for the Faith or Not!
Note to Fred Butler: My husband and I discussed this post at length, gave me his approval, and also said that if you want to call him, he knows you have our number. Here is the big reveal. What is the big elephant in the middle of the room that so many pastors and… Continue reading The Big Elephant: Contend for the Faith or Not!
How Far Will We Go to Contend for the Faith?
* * * Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been waiting for this response from Mr. Butler for a while. He has now addressed the issue and I would like to open it up for discussion. I was concerned that we wouldn't hear from Fred again and that the questions might remain… Continue reading How Far Will We Go to Contend for the Faith?
All-Blogs-Are-Not-Created-Equal Rant
I moderated and subsequently posted a comment earlier this morning and this is only part of the comment. I have family issues to tend to today and will be out of the house for much of the day, so I will only be dealing with this part of the comment, but you can be sure… Continue reading All-Blogs-Are-Not-Created-Equal Rant
I Would Love Some Feedback
** So many of my current readers already know this story, but there are new people stopping by, so please bear with the repeat. I had posted negative Google reviews of my former church, but they were removed. My Google review was based on my personal experiences at the church and expressed my opinions. This… Continue reading I Would Love Some Feedback
Going Back to Church? Some Thoughts to Consider
Admin note: An earlier post (Happy Tears), we discussed going back to church after abuse: what helped, what to look for, what to avoid, etc. The list was compiled and so I am posting it here (in order to have a link) and will also post a link to it in the "Helpful Resources" tab… Continue reading Going Back to Church? Some Thoughts to Consider
Glad You Asked!
Muckraker asked great questions yesterday and I'll address them on this post. MuckrakerJune 16, 2012 5:51 AM Julie Anne: What does it mean "reviews are slowly being removed"? Who removes them?? Google? The church requests it? Or demands it with some kind of legal pressure?I thought the whole point of online reviews is that "customers"… Continue reading Glad You Asked!
And the Winner Is?
One of my "informants" passed along this information. Even while reviews are slowly being removed, it appears that BGBC just might be the most "Google-reviewed" church in the States, currently at 933 reviews. If someone finds out otherwise, please let me know.And next behind is Westboro Baptist with 713 reviews:Edited to add: I keep… Continue reading And the Winner Is?
Godly Pastor? What Does That Mean?
* * * I looked up "godly" on public domain images and this image showed up in my search - lol! * * * I copied this May 31 comment into my file of "draft" posts. For some reason, it was overlooked in the comments section on… Continue reading Godly Pastor? What Does That Mean?
The Fingerprints of a False Teacher
During the week the media found out about my lawsuit, I got an e-mail from Ken Garrett who is a pastor of a church in Portland, OR (about 20 minutes away from my former church). Ken pastors a church named, Portland Grace Bible Church. My former church also is Grace Bible Church, but with a… Continue reading The Fingerprints of a False Teacher
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
All Smoothies are Good, Sermons Suck
** Admin note: This is part of a series of posts that are a bit, well, unconventional. To fully grasp the message and emotions of the series, please be sure to read from the beginning: It's the Same Message No Matter How you Mix it!. *** We like a lot of smoothies in our home. … Continue reading All Smoothies are Good, Sermons Suck
Mixing Up the Message Yields the Same Results
** We have a Vitamix blender. It is no wussy, weak, machine. This is a manly machine. It is probably our most-used kitchen appliance. The one shown in the picture below is 12+ years old. It is used many times a day. I like to make smoothies. Here's a recipe I want to try: 1… Continue reading Mixing Up the Message Yields the Same Results
Spiritual Sounding Board 