Newer Blog

I don’t use this blog much anymore. However, if you’re interested, please feel free to visit my other blog, http://readingwritingandlife.blogspot.com/. 

I am still very passionate about helping those victims of relationship violence, so this blog will stay open. There might be occasions when I still write posts, but for regular posts, visit my other site.

Thanks for reading!

Around the Next Corner

During National Novel Writing Month a couple of years ago, I wrote a novel about a family affected by domestic violence. It was pretty good, but I lost it in the big computer crash of 2010. It was upsetting, but I figured there was a reason for it.

Night after night, when I went to bed, the story of Piper Phillips continued to play over and over in my mind. Finally, one night, I got up at midnight, pulled out my laptop, sat in my old comfy rocking chair for three hours, typed furiously, and Around the Next Corner was reborn.

I finished it, edited, sent it to three friends for review, and changed some things based on their suggestions.

Then, I submitted it to a publisher. They immediately offered me a publishing contract, but I had to pay a fee, which I couldn't pay.

So, I sat on it for a few months, mulled it over, and submitted queries to a few agents.

Rejection after rejection came, which I hear is "normal."

So, what do you do with a story you really want to tell? I can tell you what I did. I published it on Amazon Kindle. You see, this book doesn't revolve around me at all, but it tells a story about a girl who gets involved with an abusive man and what happens because of it. It also revolves around the love and support of family.

I hoped by writing this book it would help someone in an abusive relationship and know that she can have a good life.

Changing Your Thought Process

It's been almost 2 years since I wrote on this blog. Intensely personal, it was painful at times reliving the memories of the past. But one thing is true... If I would not have changed my thought process, I might have ended up dead.

Yes, I'll admit that it took a very long time to recover from the emotional wounds that he inflicted on my life. The dreams are few and far between now, and I'm grateful. I relinquished my power to him for too long, and it resulted in giving me a broken heart, along a physical ailment that flares up when it's cold outside.

HOWEVER...

To say I'm grateful I had enough courage and strength to get out of that relationship doesn't even begin to describe how I feel today.

The Last 20 Years

I have come a long way since those days.  More than 20 years has passed by since I was caught in this life.  Sometimes it seems like yesterday, and other times, it seems like a lifetime ago.  In fact, sometimes it seems that I am talking about someone else's life instead of my own.

My husband and I have been married for 20 years this August.  Because of this time of my life and his former life, we have not always had the most healthy relationship. We are much better than we used to be, though!  I recently heard that what happens in your life is 20%, and what you do about it is the other 80%.  That is so true.

What is your reaction when trouble comes?  It WILL come.  James tells us this in the first chapter.  We are to consider it "pure joy" WHEN we face trials "of many kinds."  "For the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you will be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  He also admonishes us to ask God for wisdom if we need it, and He will give it to us if we believe and not doubt.  In 1:12, he says this.  "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." (NIV)  I want to be that person who stands. 

God has been faithful to me always.  I have not always been faithful to Him.  I have been better about this over the years.  Now, I can look back and be 100% sure that God has always loved me and has a plan for my life.  When I stepped away into that life of hurt, lies and violence, I could have died.  That was not God's plan for my life, though, and He steadily pulled me out of the muck and mire and gave me a place to stand.  Psalm 40:2 says this, "He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along." (NLT) 

That is the real story of my life.  And I am grateful that He has used what the enemy of my soul meant for harm to make me into the masterpiece of His heart. Ephesians 2:10 says this: "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (NLT)

Thankful doesn't even begin to describe how I feel today.

You Never Know What is Around the Corner!

I came back to town after that trip very refreshed and hopeful for my future.  I had some messages from Don on my answering machine, but I deleted them. I wasn't interested in my life being the same as it was before I left.
I just knew there was someone out there for me.  I had a feeling that he wasn't in my town, but he would be coming for me sometime.
I was still going to college part-time and working full-time.  Things were going pretty well except for the occasional phone call and/or visit from Don.  
I probably should have continued in counseling, but I didn't see how it would do any good.  I went a few times early on, and I didn't feel that the counselor really cared too much for what happened with me... I felt that I was just another $70 visit.  
So, deep inside of me, there were these gaping wounds that I was covering up.  I tried to ignore them, but as you know, they never really go away.  Yes, sometimes they are healed, but the scars remain, even if they are faded.
My sister and brother-in-law came over for dinner on April 12th.  He put some mini-blinds up in my apartment for me, and I made dinner for them.  We talked about my life and what had changed.  I told them that I thought I would be fine without anyone special in my life.  I was getting used to being alone, and it wasn't so bad.
Two days later, I met him.
I went to church that morning, and there was this really good-looking guy sitting next to my parents.  So, I went over and introduced myself to him.  I am usually not that bold, and I couldn't really believe I did it!
We didn't talk again until that night, but it was the day that changed both of our lives.

Sometimes, You Just Gotta Believe

For the first time in a very long time, my life was taking on a sense of "normal." I still dealt with my insecurities and longing for someone to share my life with.  But I began praying for forgiveness and mercy.  And God showed up for me big time!

Even though I didn't feel like it some of the time, and even though my heart had been broken into a million pieces, I was still moving forward and trying to do the right thing.  My life was being transformed little by little, even though I still slipped up occasionally.

That fall, I moved out of the apartment complex and into an apartment on the second floor of a two-story four-plex.  It had two bedrooms and was very similar to the one I had lived in a couple of years earlier.  I didn't have the nicest things, and I didn't even have a color television.  But it was MY place, and I didn't really worry about much when I was living there.  If anyone was walking up to my apartment, I could hear it and be prepared.

Don showed up there one night very drunk, and I took him back home to get him out of my hair.  He called me later and blamed me for the problems he and Cindy were having.  He beat her up again, and he tried to blame it on me.  He said it was my fault.  I think this was the first time that I didn't let him get to me.  I knew it wasn't my fault.  I told him to stop calling me, and to please leave me alone.  In fact, one night, Cindy called me, and I told her that he was calling me and asked her if she could make him leave me alone.

1991 started, really with no fanfare, but on a good note.  The time was getting nearer when my life was really getting ready to change.  I felt in my heart that something was going to change, but I didn't really know what.

At the first of February, I went on a ski trip with my friends and pastor from church.  I was so relieved that I wouldn't be home for several days, and Don couldn't call me and tell me how pitiful his life was.  I couldn't be drawn into his misery if I was gone.  There were no phones to call out, and he had no way to call me, either.  He didn't even know I would be gone.

As I stood out on the balcony on a condo at Breckenridge, looking out at the snow-covered mountains, I made the plea to God that I had never made before.  I prayed that if He would please just forgive my mistakes, would He please give me another chance with His choice for my life.  I would wait for the man who was meant to be with me this time.

After I prayed, I felt peace come upon me like I had never had before.  And I knew that God heard my prayer and was going to answer me.

We had such a great time on this trip.  I really enjoyed being gone from home.  On the long drive home, I sat in the front seat of the van and talked to my pastor about my life and all of the things that had happened.  He had great words of encouragement for me, as he always did.  He was very close friends with my parents, as we had all known each other for so long.

Unknown to me, God was working on my behalf.  A man 1,500 miles away had just lost his job and began a traveling job, which would lead him directly to my town, to my church, and into my life.

Transferring Your Emotions to Someone Else Does Not Help!

My friends, J & S, who set me up with K on New Year's Eve, had another friend, S, who lived in my apartment complex.  In fact, he lived right across the parking lot from me.  We sat and talked a lot.  He had recently been divorced, too.  He was going to ride with me to look at the new place that my friend had found for us to live in.  He came over early on New Year's Day, and we went to see it.

It was nice having a guy friend who didn't really expect anything from me.  He was single, but there were no indications of romance between us.  A no-pressure relationship.  Just what I needed at that point.

Even though Don was still calling me, I tried to stay away from him as best I could.  I tried some counseling, but it wasn't helping me.  I should have contacted another counselor, but I didn't.  I just stopped going.

My friend, M, and I were still going out to the bar each weekend.  There was this guy there that I thought I liked.  Looking back, I seriously wonder why I would.  I think I was just desperately wanting someone to care about me.  He and I were just friends, but at times, I believe he led me on.  That should have been okay for me, but because of my past, I wanted to believe it could be something more than it was.

This was before the Internet really became widespread, but I got involved with a singles meeting singles deal in a magazine, too.  I had a date with a very nice guy, but it was when I was started to become more ill than I had ever been in my life.  That winter/spring was horrible for my health, but I was working two jobs and going out when I could.  My average hours of sleep each night was probably four.  Maybe.  The night I went out with him (it's terrible, but I can't even remember his name), I was so sick that I couldn't even hear him when he was talking to me, and my voice was almost gone.  Not a good scene.  He did call me back, but I told him that I just couldn't go out with him again because I wasn't over Don yet.

I had a lot more heartache during those months, too.  And I did things I would not normally do.

My roommate and I started not getting along.  I don't think it was her fault, but I tried to blame it on the difference in our beliefs about abortion and a bunch of other stuff.  It was me trying to make excuses to get out of living there.  I wasn't there much, and I spent most of my time at the other end of town, and I wanted to move over there.

Strangely enough, Don helped me move, along with my other guy friends.  Strange.  Weird.

He was now living with Cindy at her duplex, and I didn't see much of him.  However, he did call me on the phone, though.  And I did see him occasionally.  For some reason, he wouldn't let go of me, and let me live my life.

After I moved into the new apartment, there was a strange peace coming into to my life.  I didn't go out much anymore, and I was really trying to get my life together.  The new apartment was in the same complex, actually right across the sidewalk, as my very first apartment.  It was like my life was coming full circle. 

It was also strange when I found out that a couple of my friends were actually interested in ME, not my friend.  Of course, I was not interested in anything other than a friendship with them, and that is what we had developed. 

That summer, I spent a lot of time with ME.  I started seeing things about myself that I had forgotten.  Even though Don was in and out of my life, especially when he was drunk, he didn't have the 100% power he used to have in my life. 

He did show up at my apartment drunk in the middle of the night once, parked his motorcycle on my doorstep and passed out.  After he left in the morning, my dad called and asked if he was at my apartment because Cindy had called my parents and told them that she thought he was with me.  I said he wasn't there, but I didn't offer that he had been there.  I was pretty hacked off, though.  I told both of them to stop dragging me into the middle of their fights.  It was coming to the point where I didn't want any part of it.

I think I was starting to get over it in some small way.

I was going to go out of town for work, and  Don agreed to keep the dogs.  He was the dog-sitter when I needed him to be.  We were almost becoming friends more than anything else.  The fact that he was with Cindy wasn't bothering me too much anymore.  That's not to say that there weren't times when I felt guilty that I left him because there were those times.

The day I was getting ready to leave and take the dogs over to their house, he called to let me know that he had been in a terrible motorcycle accident that would have left him dead if he hadn't had a helmet on.  When I did see him, he looked horrible.  But I didn't feel guilty then.  He was making these stupid decisions, and I was actually thankful that he wasn't my husband any longer.

One day that summer, I decided to go back to my old church again.  A lot had happened in the 6+ years I had been gone, and many people knew about what had gone on in my life during this time.  And they prayed for me.  I think they probably didn't believe anymore that anything would change for me.  Imagine their surprise when I showed up at church that first Sunday morning!  It was great.

And I also enrolled in college part-time.  I was going to begin pursuing my dream of becoming a teacher!  That was so exciting to me because my life had been on hold for so long.  I felt like I had been waiting for something to happen, and all those years had passed by with nothing to show for it.

I had sold my truck that spring, finally, so I didn't have to work two jobs.  That was also helpful to my life.  I was still working at the insurance company, and I was a better employee after my divorce and move.

I spent my time trying to get good grades in my classes instead of wondering if and when Don would call me.  I was letting go little by little.  Unfortunately, he still had a way of emotionally abusing me when he wanted to.