Living in Freedom & Confidence
"In him (Christ Jesus) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." – Ephesians 3:11 niv
I am obsessed with taking photographs. I love photographs and I always have. I love to decorate with photographs. I love being surrounded by images of loved ones or places I have been. I have hundreds of photos from my wedding. Countless photos of my children. However, from my first semester of college I have…
Rapists aren’t strangers lurking in the shadows down dark allies. They are seemingly everyday people, people you know. I wonder how many rapists I know? Daily, how many do I encounter?
Last Thursday, while I was worrying about my final studio presentation, out having lunch with my boyfriend and his father, a woman was raped. She was raped in broad daylight, in my parking garage on campus, by a repeat offender.
About a week ago, I had a dream that really bothered me. I dreamt that I had been raped, but none of the rape was in the dream, only the knowledge that it had happened.
It has been slightly over three years since that devastating day. This year, as this not so pleasant anniversary passed, I found myself plagued with memories. Memories would pop into my mind at different points during the day. Words he said to me. Even the rape itself, replayed in my mind. I would see a…
Spring Semester of my sophomore year also marked the beginning of a very significant friendship for me. I woke up late one Sunday morning and in an effort to expedite getting ready, I skipped doing my hair. I put on a straw sunhat and a sundress. During the greeting time at church an older couple…
Fall Semester of my Sophomore year was when I began to unraveled as I faced the reality of being raped. Spring Semester was when I began to get help and face my rape. During this difficult time, I hid away both emotionally and physically. There were days I couldn’t bring myself to get out of…
It has been fifteen years since I wrote and delivered that letter. I wrote a copy of the letter in my journal at the time. I reread it for the first time in preparation to share my story. As I reread the letter, every single promise and resolution I made has come to fruition. As…
Three days after my last chance encounter with my rapist, I left to study abroad for five weeks. After I had admitted to my parents I was suicidal, in a rather ingenious move by my father, he signed me up for an Architecture study abroad.
Joseph’s story challenged me to consider forgiveness as a means towards healing and wholeness. I was so angry! I was bitter! I hated not only my rapist, but honestly all men. He had not only raped me, but led me to believe sex was a terrible awful experience. I believed it meant a man’s pleasure…