We have so very much to be thankful for, even in our darkest hours of despair. When we face heartbreak and regret, pain, sickness and sorrows, the devastation of our families, the endless fear factoring of the media, the financial woes and unknowns of these days, we can follow the wisdom of the saints who’ve…
There is much chatter today about the Narcissistic Personality Disorder and how it impacts the family, especially concerning domestic abuse. In a nutshell, these people have “an excessive degree of self-esteem which can be considered a form of emotional immaturity. They are often a danger to the mental health of those around them, due to…
Some people LOVE roller coasters. They stand in long lines waiting to climb aboard. They crave the thrill of the ride –the anticipation as the car climbs that first long hill, the adrenaline rush as they reach the top of the track and then that racing straight down feeling, everything out of control and crazy….
As I was thinking this morning about Hope, I remembered that dear old poem by dear old Emily Dickinson: “Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all. And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm…
Hurricane Ian is coming ashore in Florida as I write this post. I am praying for several people, loved ones in the Ft. Myers area who are already seeing the record-breaking storm surge and hearing the nightmarish screaming winds. I pray the Lord will bless them and keep them safe today and tomorrow and in…
I was reminded today that the Jewish High Holidays begin later this month. Rosh Hashanah (also known as the Jewish New Year, also known as the Birthday of the Universe, also known as the Feast of Trumpets) falls on sundown of September 25th and continues until sundown of September 27th. Immediately after Rosh Hashanah, follows…
The Bible has much to say about our tears. The women in our support group this past Monday evening also had much to say about tears. One woman is learning to grieve and cry. After years and years of putting up with harsh words and emotional abuse, wearing a happy face to cover up her…
“I feel sorry for him. He had an abusive childhood.” “He said he’s sorry for hurting me and it’ll never happen again so I guess I will stay. I can forgive him one more time.” “I feel physically sick at the thought of leaving him. He can be very kind sometimes.” “He makes me feel…
At FOCUS Ministries, we often receive phone calls or emails from people who ask, “My friend (or my sister, cousin, daughter, granddaughter) is in an abusive marriage. What should I do?” Good question! We often get the same question from pastors and church staff. What should we do? What should we say? What is…
Little Wife’s little knees were shaking. Her little hands were shaking. Her tiny little voice was shaking. “Ma’am, could you please speak up?” asked the judge. Little Wife looked over her shoulder to the court advocate who had helped prepare her statement and other court documents. The court advocate nodded to Little Wife to…