“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book (Psalm 56:8 NLT).” As I was praying about what to share of my story God brought this verse to my mind. I am so overwhelmed at the depth of God’s goodness…

My first visit ever to the gynecologist was after being raped. For whatever reason, visits to the gynecologist became a trigger for me, eliciting all the psychological and physiological responses of being raped for me.  Palpitations. Panic. Queasiness. Crying. Vulnerability. Feeling Violated. Humiliated. Uncomfortable. A constant reminder of a deep inner scar that hadn’t fully healed.  

Below is a list of books that were particularly encouraging to me on my journey toward hope and healing:

Why do bad things happen? I have heard people argue against the existence of God based upon this very thing: “If there is a God, then why does He allow bad things to happen?” Bad things happening in the world don’t discourage or derail my faith. The bad things that have happened in my life…

I know I wrote about “Rotten Responses,” but I felt like this particular response wasn’t a rotten response, just a misguided one. I had a college pastor tell me “I know how you feel,” after I explained how I had been raped.

Starting my sophomore year, I spent every summer in college working at an architectural firm as an intern. It was a small firm. When I began, there were four or five employees and I frequently found myself alone with one other coworker due to meetings.

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father(Romans 8:15 NIV).’” I get fear. From my upbringing of rejection and emotional abuse, to being raped and acting out of duress…

I have loved you with an everlasting love;  Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you (Jeremiah 31:3 AMP). In my life experiences, God has shown up most powerfully amidst my darkest moments. These moments have fallen under two themes in my life: rejection (see “Rejection” and “Emotional Abuse” posts)…

Below are Bible verses that encouraged me as I journeyed toward hope and healing. May they bless and encourage you too!

After I began to accept and process my rape, I read everything I could get my hands on regarding rape. I read books and I also searched the Bible to see what it had to say about rape. As I searched the Bible I came across the story of Tamar.