by Elisabeth | Jul 1, 2022 | abuse, emotions, healing, pain
Some people have hurt me in my life. Some long ago. Some recent. Some repeated. Some just once. Here’s what I recently wrote in my journal: Holy Spirit, please soften my heart towards — and — and —. I am carrying anger, sadness and fear towards each...
by Elisabeth | Jun 24, 2022 | abuse, emotions, faith, friendship, healing, heart, pain, wholeness
Several years ago, I was walking along the beach with someone I loved deeply. And she said to me, quietly, I have a secret. Okay, I said. I want to tell you but I’m not sure I should, she said. Okay, I said. We were both quiet. Then I said, nothing you tell me can...
by Elisabeth | Jun 10, 2022 | abuse, difficult marriage, faith, pain, wholeness
I have two equally-weighted fears when it comes to my ministry. One is that there is a woman out there who I don’t reach, and she languishes physically or emotionally or spiritually when she doesn’t have to, either in her difficult marriage or in her divorce or as a...
by Elisabeth | Apr 29, 2022 | Church, friendship, pain, redemption
I spoke at a retreat a ways back and though I touched on quite a few points in the two talks I gave, one of the topics I broached was one of my sin stories. I think I have this thing with just telling complete strangers all the details of my life and then letting...
by Elisabeth | Jan 21, 2022 | abuse, difficult marriage, healing, pain, wholeness
I think most people think of abused women as mousy, as cowards, with black eyes hidden under thick make-up, as – as harsh as this sounds – fools or, worse yet, just plain idiots. Because who would willingly stay in an abusive marriage? What kind of woman wouldn’t be...
by Elisabeth | Oct 8, 2021 | difficult marriage, divorce, pain, wholeness
A few years ago, I found out that a former member of one of my private Facebook groups – who left because she wasn’t feeling as supported as she felt she needed – took her life, leaving behind two children, family, friends. I’m not sure what to do with...