Surviving Turbulent Times

The days in which we are living are uncertain. Sickness, social unrest and economic disruptions are hitting hard and close to home. Life can be grueling. During hardship and difficulty, it is easy to become overwhelmed. But losing hope and wanting to quit only make things worse. How is it possible to continue on with a good attitude? By trusting God.

I have had to learn to trust during extreme pain and turmoil. Several of my children have gone before me to inherit the kingdom of Heaven. I have also undergone much pain from abuse. But I have learned that I can’t look back. I can’t dwell on the valleys and shadows that have cropped up in my life. It hasn’t been easy and I still find myself feeling the pain, especially when more pressure and difficulties have erupted around me. Such as the times in which we are currently living.

I have found that hope springs eternal. It is in the deepest wells of our hearts that we will find spiritual empathy and compassion-a tiny glimmer of hope that grows within as we focus on things of eternal perspective. Things such as mercy, grace, love, and growing from our pain into better and more accomplished people. This is only possible with our Father-our eternal comfort and provider of love and light.

Conflict Summons Change available here.

It has taken me a long time to come to this state of acceptance. But it is a welcomed change from the bitterness and anger that has ravaged my soul in the past. It is easy to become angry when we are attacked and when we lose things that we love and hold very near and dear to our hearts. It is difficult to foster a sense of acceptance in times of great angst. But that which is of value is that which takes time and resolve to bring forth.

Knowing we haven’t lost is critical when we look at the bigger picture and see that God provides our comfort and saves our loved ones so that we can unite once again beyond Heaven’s gates. It is more of a sense of being than a state of living. It is a perception and awakening of hope and possibilities of good to come. It is true that united we stand-not just together with others around us but also within our hearts and being. A house divided against itself cannot stand. And when we see and feel so much pain and bitterness, we become divided against ourselves, our inner essence and truth.

We were created to be love and light, not pain and darkness. We were created to know truth and to walk our destined paths. We cannot do this when we are consumed in bitterness and depression. I encourage you to journey within-to find that tiny place deep inside your heart that whispers, “It will be okay.” And grasp hold of that voice or feeling. Feed it love and respect. Water it with hope and prayer. You can find the strength to continue and the courage to hold on. You are a gift and you’ve been given a gift, a destined truth that only you can fulfill. Find it, believe in it and reach for it. Have faith that it will happen. As you do these things, you will be led to a more peaceful and promising future-your destined reason and purpose, your goal to achieve. Then you will be able to hang tough when the valleys come. Fight the good fight of faith with prosperity and intention. Choose to live with grace and purpose!

Why Abuse Is So Hard To Heal From

In my books I speak about abuse I suffered as a child. I don't go into detail but I do explain how much abuse hurts. And how wonderful it is to heal and be able to move on. One of the reasons why I wrote these books, which are entitled Breaking The Silence and Poetry and Ponderings, is because abuse is such a difficult thing to recover from. Why? Because it is a taboo subject. Back when I was victimized, people just didn't talk about it. Especially sexual abuse. Victims of abuse feel as though they can't tell anyone. Not only because the perpetrators threaten them but also because it's not a topic you can just talk to anybody about. That's why I'm grateful that in recent years it has been looked upon in a more open way. Victims are beginning to share more about these types of things, which is a powerful step not only for them but for society as a whole.

Another reason that I wrote my books is because victims feel alone and helpless. When somebody invades your personal space, you are threatened on a level that can't be described in any way but terrorizing and dehumanizing. When I was victimized, I was terrified of those who had their way with me. I was a child and I felt like I had nowhere to turn. It is extremely difficult to have someone not only invade your space and body but also your mind. All of those factors go into many forms of abuse. Victims are victimized on such deep, personal levels that they feel 'boxed in' and unable to defend themselves. Particularly when those victims are children.

Victims also have a reaction that is defined as 'learned helplessness'. They feel like they've been ostracised so they continue operating and living in vicious cycles instead of hoping to break free. That is why victims need a voice. Especially children. It is so difficult to make a child understand that what is going on is not their fault. They take on the blame and shame and hold it inside themselves, growing up with a warped mindset that they're lesser people because of what happened to them.

I am so grateful for places like RAINN. It is becoming more accepted to talk about abuse and victimization. This is what we need for people to heal and understand that not only is what happened NOT their fault but also that they have the right to seek happiness and have hope to be able to heal from the trauma. It is only with a societal mindset of understanding and openness that abused people will be able to adopt the fact that they are worthwhile and what happened to them does not define them. Before anyone can heal, they must first accept what they've experienced and realize they have the right just the same as anyone else to find peace and freedom.

Changing Core Beliefs

The first question you may have is, "What is a core belief?" Well, a core belief is something you've grown up with. Something you believe defines you as a person or defines the world in which you live. Many times core beliefs aren't easy to identify. They hide in our subconscious minds and sabotage us when we try to make changes in our lives. Core beliefs are things you learned to believe as truth when you were a child. Core beliefs are set up by the age of six when a person's personality has formed. Therefore, it is hard to come to terms with them-even to figure out what they are- without doing a lot of introspective work.

Many people dive into the topic of self healing with gusto. They read books, think a lot about what they've gone through and meditate. These are all great things to do when you're looking to make changes. But finding core beliefs is digging into your self talk at a fundamental survival level. It is stripping everything in your life, personality and belief system down to the core to find out what really makes you tick. The things you find at that deep personal level are your core beliefs.

Let me explain. Recently, (a year and a half ago), my youngest child passed away. It was devastating. It threw me into a state of questioning about my very existence. It made me realize that everything I thought I knew was a facade-a man made explanation for how the world worked and what went on behind the scenes spiritually. It also caused me to come to terms with the fact that I had a lot of changing to do. I went on a quest of sorts to examine my life and my theories of living. That quest brought me back to my childhood-to the time when I was in the birth to six stage. Once I began meditating and looking deeply into what made me tick, I began to realize things about myself that I had never paid much attention to:  the core beliefs that directed my behaviors and reactions. That was an eye opening journey!

Never did I realize the impact my core beliefs had on my existence. It seems to be something we overlook because they are so deeply buried under everything we've been through. Prejudices we've inherited from our families, false beliefs we've clung to as truth because of what we've been told, observations we've made because of who we've been surrounded by when we were young-these are the core beliefs I'm talking about. These beliefs have profound impacts on us because they are our built in survival instincts, whether true or false, surrounding how we live and what we do. And much of the time they're wrong. For instance, I was molested by extended family members from the ages of two to twelve. I thought I had dealt with the issue fully but I realized I had not. I still was internally waging war with a core belief that I was not safe. It is strange how we can gloss over such important issues as easily as wiping a dirty table. We figure as long as we can't see the dirt the problem is over. That couldn't be more untrue! If you're feeling dis-ease about anything in this life, it's time to do some deep, heavy introspection until you come to the belief system behind it. Because you will find a core belief to blame for every dis-ease you encounter. If you want to be a ninja in the game of life, it is up to you to find the underlying cause for every case of dis-ease you feel. And when you become your life ninja, you will find it. And it will free you! That is why it is so important to dig deep into your subconscious. Every lie you expose will bring you more glorious freedom! And isn't freedom and peace what you really crave deep down? Along with meaning and purpose?

I think those are the most important attributes that every person strives for. If you identify every false core belief, you will find yourself building more and more prosperous attributes in every aspect of your life. So be a ninja and begin your journey today!