Blogs

I’m the founder and president of Thistle Farms, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Nashville that helps women heal from sex trafficking and drug and alcohol addiction. Thistle Farms owns five houses in Nashville where women seeking freedom from the sex trade, prison and addiction live rent-free for up to two years with access to free medical care, counseling, education and job training. More than two thirds of residents have remained clean and sober for at least two and a half years after moving in.

It’s not her real name, but I’ll call her Norma. Her husband was a pastor, a pastor with a violent temper that was continually vented upon his wife. The physical abuse was so brutal her neighbors could hear her screams.   One of her neighbors, who was also a pastor, was moved with compassion for…

Last night I found a depressing post on my FB site. Steve Gray, a friend of mine who makes short term mission trips to third world countries, told of a region of India where he ministered at a few months ago. It was been locked down because of COVId 19. There is no work &…

This article is by Darkness to Light   Does your family have inside jokes, daily rituals, or unspoken schedules? Have you ever thought about the unique way your family talks to each other, approaches conflict, or solves problems? How do you deal with unexpected stressful situations, like social distancing? The ways we routinely interact with…

An E-mail Sent To A Local Pastor Who Had Proclaimed “We’re Not Comfortable Addressing This Issue . . .”   God’s Beloved:   I realize that God has given me a zeal for a ministry that most of the saints do not share; in fact, it is very unpopular in most church circles. More than…

Today’s pandemic has shaken our world. The economic world is shaken, with many people not being able to go to work. Our social lives are shaken, having to stay apart. With all the fear and uncertainty, many people’s emotional well-being is shaken. In life, we all have these times where things shake us to our core—an unexpected illness, a lost loved one, a job layoff. All the stability we were used to is no longer there. It’s easy to get discouraged and wonder why it happened and whether things will ever return to normal. But here’s the key: The shaking is not there to stop you; the shaking is there to shift you.

A Short, Yet Profound, Testimony From One Of My Workshop Participants. You have brought truth into my life in ways that you will not realize. I greatly appreciate your ministry. You brought truth to my life in a time when I truly needed the support that your ministry brought. I was abused, verbally and physically by my Mother. If you had not brought out the fact that verbal abuse is actual abuse, I would not have chosen the treatment that I now seek.

The people of Israel wandered around in the desert for 40 years, making what should have only been an 11-day journey much, much longer. Why? Was it because of their enemies, their circumstances, or the trials along the way? Or was it something entirely different that prevented them from arriving at their destination? 

Watching one person who you love and who is supposed to love you violently abuse someone else you love, you depend on and who loves you is terrifying. It shatters a child’s belief that they can be safe in their home or in their skin. A parent who is being abused is very stressed, and is unlikely to be able to function as well as a parent as they otherwise would.

I have become increasingly concerned as I have lamented the failure of ministries to protect their members from the sexual predators and perpetrators of domestic violence in our society that I may appear to be disillusioned with Christ’s church. Although I have grieved over the church’s failures, I have fought to keep from getting cynical over them by keeping focused upon Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.