defeated lives! I want people to learn that life will challenge them
from time to time, but with the right tools they can challenge it
back! That's what I did to take back my life! It works!
take time. Forgiveness is really a decision: you can hold on
to what someone did to hurt you, you can keep your anger,
resentment, and thoughts of revenge--or you can choose to
embrace forgiveness and move forward. I choose to release
and move forward.
remembrance of painful things lessens over the years. I like
to encourage people like myself who have been through
difficult or horrific things in life to use whatever pain they may
experience to use that pain to propel them to their purpose!
You may never forget, but let the pain of the past motivate you
to do more. To make a difference by helping others that might
be experiencing the same thing. Trust me; there are others
who have gone through similar experiences. Use it for good to
help others get their lives back on course!
their father did not define who they are. Some people can
be very cruel and tend to throw everybody into the same pot
when something like this happens. Well, I told my children
very confidently and clearly that these were the choices
their father made, not them. They have nothing to be
ashamed of. They have their lives to live, lives full of their
dreams and endless possibilities. Just make the best choices
possible, always.
They were children/tweens, not even quite teens when this
happened, and they had to grow as individuals while all of this
was at the forefront of the most important years of their life.
People go through the forgiveness process differently and
I have been the one to guide my children with the help of
God. My goal was to keep their life as normal as possible. And
while we may have had some bumps along the way, my focus
and drive was to help them reach their dreams and goals, to
this. The years haven't been easy, but I'm happy and proud to
say that I will have all three in college this upcoming school
year! What a blessing!
have known what was going on; however, until you are faced
with a situation like this, you never really know what you
will do. People think they know, but you don't fully until you
live it. I realize now that there were signs and indicators that
were present that I ignored. Had I addressed those warnings,
followed my heart, called someone of wisdom and influence
and talked to them about concerns, maybe things would
have been different. I don't think we will ever know. But the
biggest regret I have is not paying more attention, opening
up my eyes and doing something about what I thought might
be happening.
dialogue briefly, but since we are divorced and my children
are older, other than discussions concerning our children,
there's really not much to discuss. He's made his choices and
moved on and so have I. I'm in such a place of peace now and
have such great responsibilities that have been entrusted to
me. I prefer to focus on my future, the future of my children,
family, congregation, and community.
silent, I've been working. I have spent the time working very
hard and definitely rebuilding life! Those around the country
may think I disappeared, but those around the community I
live in have watched from a distance as I've worked to rebuild.
My silence was used more in a very useful way. It gave me
opportunity to quiet my spirit man and walk through the
healing process, for me to find a productive way to help my
children heal to keep them on course, to rebuild a hurting
church, to learn how to use a new creative voice, to be able to
hear and clear my thoughts, and for us to be at peace. And to
get a new, redefined plan from God on how to use this horrible
situation for good.