Showing results by publisher "AudioBook Network" in Relationships

When a person is physically abused, it can be easily identified as we see the scars, bruises, the black eye, and signs of broken bones. However, what about when a person is being mentally, emotionally, and/or verbally abused? The signs are not so easy to spot; we do not recognize the symptoms because we do not know what to look for. Mental, emotional, and verbal abuse leave scars on our minds, our hearts, our emotions, our feelings, and our thoughts about ourselves and others.

From the early beginnings of a relationship to the monumental moment of walking down the aisle, there are “five steps” we all take, whether or not we are familiar with them. Understanding these five steps could be the key to establishing a lasting relationship. In Five Steps to a Good Relationship for Christian Singles, author Reed Calaway breaks down the nuances and progression of each of the five steps we take toward a committed relationship. He offers unique explanations of every season a relationship will experience prior to the decision to invest time and emotions into a person.

Our news media seems to have daily stories of individuals who have been abused by clergy, church leaders, and even church organizations. Countless numbers of formerly faithful people avoid church because they were abused, while others, who are not religious participants, avoid experiencing faith communities because of what they have been hearing in news stories. How do clergy, church leaders, and congregations help in the healing of these abused people and assist them to move beyond the pain of abuse toward healing and even forgiveness?

Caught between family demands, social groups, and ostracized as a member of the religious “Holy Rollers,” the author of American Robot: A Cultural Chameleon Rising Above Race & Religious Traumas balances on precarious razor edges of sacred edicts, genetic mental illnesses, and toxic social stress. Parental physical abuse and rigid mental programming add to repeated cult behavior–modification strategies.

How would you react to that question if your grandmother asked you that question from her nursing home bed? That is the question that led me on a quest to find out if I really was adopted or if they were ramblings or confusion of my grandmother who thought I might be someone else. The quest led me on a journey to find out more about my family and what it really means and, in turn, learn more about myself and find who I really am.