Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 2814 BOCNEWS.com OCTOBER 2016 he went to jail for terroristic threats and harassment and was sentenced to one year in jail after threaten- ing to kill me and bury me next to my father among other things. Domestic violence is not about the weak against the strong. It is one sided power and control. And the more strength or power the “other side” exhibits, the more volatile the abuser, perpetrator, agitator, pow- er-hungry becomes. I attended a domestic violence support group every Wednesday for a year. This was a part of the process of healing. Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown says trust the process ~ not only did I have to trust the process I had to trust G-d in the process. Speaking of G-d ~ where is G-d in all of this? G-d This seems to be one of those valid questions espe- cially when you are at wit’s end. All up in your flesh. Trying to rationalize the irrational ~ make sense of the nonsense. Listening to other condemning, demeaning, judgmental voices in one’s head instead of listening to G-d’s voice, feeling G-d’s presence. I found myself believing the answer to this ques- tion comes to life through G-d’s promises and my actions. Both happening simultaneously ~ inextrica- bly bound together ~ one cannot manifest exclusively without the other. For 1 John 4:4 states “Greater is G-d who is in me than you who are in the world.” Learning to see G-d in the midst of*** Deuteronomy 31:6b ~ I will never leave you nor forsake you*** Matthew 28:20 ~ I am with you always to the end of the age*** In Genesis G-d says, and I paraphrase ~ I created you to be stewards over my creation ~ to make loving, communal, compassionate, firm, rooted decisions. I was not concerned about the manifestation of evil because Good existed before evil and the stream rises no higher than its source (Anna Julia Cooper) ~ so I knew that my creation would choose Good over evil. And even when they didn’t, I the Lord Your G-d can turn evil into good, tragedy into triumph, mess into miracles, despair into hope, hate into Love… (Genesis 1:27) I made you in my image and like- ness. I did not create puppets ~ (Psalm 139:14) I cre- ated fearfully and wonderfully made human beings with the power of choice and some unfortunately chose evil! Some chose to hurt with their fists ~ Others with their words ~ some hurt using the very words in the sacred text ~ some exploit and abuse the very emotions G-d created ~ others use the blessings of finances, home, family, and security to be the very thing to keep you fearful and in bondage. G-d created the very systems that should bring justice for all ~ to protect you and keep you ~ Yet, the world has infiltrated G-d’s creation and uses them to perpetrate hurt, pain, misused power and control. This intrusion may come in the form of domestic violence. II Corinthians 4:8-9 ~ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ***I am a survivor by the grace of G-d ~ In Isaiah 43:18-20 ~ The Lord said forget the former things for I am about to do a new thing... G-d created us as supreme beings therefore it is difficult to totally erase things from one’s memory. I believe the scrip- ture is encouraging us not to get caught up in the past, good or bad, but to use our experiences to propel us forward which is why I stand before you to tell my story ~ don't get stuck on the good and think more highly of oneself and don't get stuck on the bad and neglect to see the good work G-d has begun in you and will complete! For Philippians 1:6 states I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. To the perpetrator, victimizer, abuser ~ David said in psalm 51:10 create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit*** ~ psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. I pray for the abuser who here right now ~ for, awareness toward healing is for you too! Your power lies in the Almighty and not in abusive, controlling, manipulative, degrading, and aggressive behavior. Awareness is about learning to love yourself so that you can love others in a non-abusive manner; mak- ing the necessary life changes to create a space for this healing and love to manifest. Which brings us to Romans 8:31-39 ~ 31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 G-d who did not withhold G-d’s own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will G-d not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of G-d, who indeed intercedes for us.[a] 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than con- querors through G-d who loved us. 38 For I am con- vinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Your charge for today is the see yourself in the sacred text. To see your story in the scriptures. To see the liberating, encouraging, empowering word of G-d in your life. To seek for you shall find the liberating word of G-d for G-d’s word says where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (not bondage.) A freedom only you and G-d can define and it will take you and G-d to make manifest this freedom. Find your voice in the scripture. Find your peace in G-d’s word. Then look around and use the support sys- tems in the village to allow this peace, strength, and freedom to become a reality. Prayerfully the church is and/or will be that safe space of support toward your freedom. NO MORE ... from page 12 Continued on Page 19