I have come to realize that when Jesus spoke to Peter concerning forgiveness, He wasn’t giving him a cute little math equation to complete. He wasn’t giving him a rule to follow and a number to which to count that solves all those moments when someone hurts you again and again. Jesus wasn’t even giving him a bit to memorize; so, he could add it all up after the offense, and then, somehow magically, as if rubbing your hands together to get a bit of dirt off, all could be resolved and forgiven in a certain situation or relationship.

No, truthfully that’s not how forgiveness works. That may work for some petty argument , one in which you really shouldn’t have started anyway. That might work for those little pokes and prods that spouses or close friends go through simply because of a difference if personalities or because of individual…

Schematic showing global human trafficking, Author Genetics4good (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported).

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Because human trafficking is frequently hidden in plain sight, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, the non-profit Innocents at Risk, and the Nevada Attorney General’s Office have identified the following warning signs [1]:

Appearance

• Impoverished, with few if any personal possessions.
• Malnourished, with poor physical or dental health.
• Indications of physical injury.
• Tattoos or branding, especially on the neck or lower back.

Demeanor

• Avoidance of eye contact.
• Scripted social interaction or avoidance of such interaction altogether, with individuals not allowed out in public alone.
• Avoidance of law enforcement.

Documentation

• Official identification documents lacking.

Amy’s Quest: A Novel

Amy sucks in a breath and curiosity steps in. “Tom Adkins? What in the world?” She opens the door and standing there, leaning against the wall sucking on a blade of grass, stands Tom with his tanned muscular arms and slender body. Suddenly, memories from years gone by, flood Amy’s mind. She can’t talk. No words will come as she stares at the now man that once was a devil in disguise.

Amy Preston has a quest to fulfill in her young life after facing many challenges throughout her younger years. Follow Amy’s story of rejection, abandonment, perseverance, and determination to find hope and love in a world that seems to have rejected her. Will her deep heart desired quest ever be fulfilled? Will her dreams come true? Find out in the suspense filled pages of Amy’s Quest.

Sue’s new novel is a heartwarming story of…

Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.

Marianne Williamson

One of the wonderful gifts of WordPress is the community of bloggers that support, encourage, and accept each other exactly for who they are. I have found this to be especially true in the mental health community. Five years ago I had the pleasure of meeting my survivor-sister. She’s a brilliant writer who has agreed to illuminate what for many of us survivors is hard to talk and write about. Ritual Abuse. Although we live on separate continents and we are decades apart in age, our bond, our stories, and trauma are very similar. I’m humbled to get to introduce her bravery to you. It is with great pleasure and an honor to share with you, Illuminating the Un-illuminated

The very best way to counter darkness is illumination, and how do you illuminate something? You drag it out of the shadows, and you shine the brightest of spotlights right on…