PODCAST EPIS.1

The speaker begins with a prayer asking for protection against those who call good evil and evil good. They discuss the symbolism of gladiola flowers representing hope and strength. The importance of finding love, acceptance, and strength after experiencing abuse is emphasized. Trusting in God's guidance and support is necessary to return to holiness. Joining recovery groups and having open communication with others is encouraged. The speaker shares their personal testimony of abuse and finding faith in God. They stress the importance of finding a community of believers for emotional support. The speaker also mentions non-profits and online resources for help. They plan to continue sharing their testimony in future episodes. Welcome to Faithful Hope, my name is Lori Young. I'd like to begin by saying a prayer. Lord Jesus, evil is such a harsh word and yet your word uses it often to describe the opposite of good. While we are all capable of sin, I ask your protection against those who call good evil and evil good. Guard us from those who scheme against righteousness and from those who twist truth into lies to accomplish their evil. Angels hover ever near to eradicate fear and fight against dark spiritual forces, helping us to cast down every imagination and thought that our enemy tries to use to involve Satan. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Have you ever wondered with why gladiola flowers have a striking appearance to love? They represent hope and strength and remembrance. All who have experienced abuse in any way or have in the past thought you were unworthy, unloved, depressed, feel broken, please join us in finding love, acceptance and strength. God's intention for you and for me is to be a people of great joy. Hope is built on faith. Hebrews 11 says, faith is confidence in what we hope for, the evidence of things unseen. We need to trust in God's guidance and support. God wants us to be returned to his holiness. He gives us the courage to work, to struggle and to succeed. He also gives us the comfort we need to give him control over our lives and to surrender to him. Take part in conversation with recovery issues and exposing yourself to others who share similar problems. To learn more about your own issues and have a sounding board for matters that may arise in your life as you experience your spiritual pilgrimage, they can be used as a way out of self-destructive behavior, as a way in which to learn new behaviors and as a way to establish a closer relationship with God. As you take steps used in conjunction with experiencing feelings, talk openly with whoever you may choose, enjoy life one day at a time and develop healthy relationships. Meeting together in a group can be a powerful and transforming process. Individuals can learn to be close to others by giving as well as receiving comfort and support. Communication outside of your usual element. It's important to meet with someone. Use a telephone. Email them. Text them. There are other ways to socialize and support one another outside the regular meeting in your regular time. So, I would like to pray over us once again. Lord, I ask that you protect our minds. The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. O God, set our minds on you. Let us not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what your will is and which is good and acceptable and perfect. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. You know, two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up, but pity one another who falls and has no one to help them up. In Hebrews 10, 24 through 25, it says, And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. One of the most important things you can do if you have been in an abusive relationship is to find a community of believers. It can be hard to do this, whether you currently go to church, haven't been in a long time, or just now starting on your Christian walk. But if you'll let yourself be known, you're likely to find there are many people who want to pray for you and help you. Emotional support is vital when recovering from domestic abuse. There are also non-profits, Bible-based groups online and in local communities. An online resource is listed at the end of this article. Now, today I had planned to read my testimony. This will probably take up two episodes, so I encourage you to come back and listen to podcast number two of Faithful in Hope. Anyway, I would like to share my testimony with you. In 1970, at the age of seven, I was molested by my sister's husband. In 1974, it came to light for my parents that he had been molesting me. They had gone to my sister's house and there was a huge fight, which ended up with everyone going to jail. My mother was charged for attempted murder because she hit him over the head with a lamp. My brother-in-law was charged for molesting me. In the process, my mother was offered a deal to drop the charges on my brother-in-law and she wouldn't go to prison for attempted murder. She accepted the terms, which created a hatred and an anger in my whole being. I felt that I had been betrayed by my mother. Nine years old, wanting to find healthy love, I was baptized. After spending time with a young girl in elementary school, she asked me to go to church with her. I enjoyed living within this dysfunctional family, but when I turned 15, I went to visit my aunt and uncle in Michigan. They were truly blessed in the Lord, following His Word and Spirit and in truth. It showed me the direction that I should go, accepting the Lord into my heart again and spending time with Him, reading His Word, praising Him. I often would walk in the woods praying to Him and admiring His beautiful creation. All through my pain and joy, the Lord has always been with me. Now He is using my aunt and uncle as His messengers. It was during this time that I learned about the Holy Spirit, how kind and gentle He is, how He would guide me and give me peace and joy in the Lord. It was during this time that I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. I rarely spoke in tongues except for my set private prayer time. I returned to Ohio, but during my visit with my aunt and uncle, I met a young man. At the time, my spirit was saying, At the time, my spirit was saying, A few months later, this young man came to visit our family in Ohio. Unknown to me until later, he was there to see me. As we spent time together, we fell in love rather quickly. I was so caught up in my feelings that I wasn't listening to anyone. About that time, I wanted to stay with some Christian friends in Michigan for the summer and was granted permission from mom and dad. I ended up staying a year and a half, attending school, having Bible studies in church with this family, while still having the opportunity to spend time with my boyfriend. I was having the time of my life, learning how the Holy Spirit works within me, guiding me and directing me through this life. It was truly a beautiful time in my life, which came to an end way too soon, and I had to return home to Ohio. My boyfriend would come to visit often, making a five-hour drive just to see me. He would come about every other month, but that wasn't enough time for me, for us to be together, so I decided on my own to run away. With him, and we eventually began living together. He would work, and I would clean the apartment and cook dinner and sit around and wait for him to get home. After about eight or nine months, we were struggling because of his work. Soon, he had decided it was time that I return home, so he bought a bus ticket, and I went back to Ohio, where I lived with my sister. Not long after arriving, I began feeling sick. My sister took me to the doctor, and we found out that I was pregnant, three months along. Oh, what a joy, I was so excited. When my boyfriend called me that evening, I told him the news, expecting that he would be as delighted as I was, and that this is our love child. To my utter shock, he began saying awful things to me. He said that he was going to kill me. And I angrily said, if you don't want us, why don't you just say it? And he did. I hung up and didn't hear from him again until my son, Joshua David, was born. He surprised me by visiting us with roses in hand. He told me that he loved me. He told me that he loved me. He told me that he loved me. He surprised me by visiting us with roses in hand, asking and pleading for forgiveness. All those feelings came charging back. It was my first love. No one can replace that kind of love. I told him that when I was better, I would come for a visit. Although I decided to move in with my aunt and uncle who lived in Michigan so that I could be closer to him. To my surprise, my boyfriend had joined the army and soon married someone else. I was crushed and alone with my son. Thank the Lord my aunt was there to speak the Lord's word to me and share in my son the beauty of the Lord. A few months later, my parents moved to Michigan and I stayed with them, which was only about a half hour away from my aunt and the church. It was a great time. My parents began going to church. We all began to feel as though life was good again. About six months later, while attending adult education, my parents moved about 30 miles further north. I met a young woman and we became quite attached to one another. If I would like to move in with her and we could do our homework together. She also had a daughter out of a previous marriage. By this time, Joshua was three years old. So in just four years, you can see how flighty I was. Unfortunately, while staying with this lady, I got involved with alcohol, smoking, marijuana, and doing assets. Furthermore, I met another guy, got engaged, broke up, and that very day found out that I was pregnant again. Well, I'm sure you can guess what I did. Bounced around going to my parents and then my aunt. As time went by, and when I was three months along, my daddy passed away. The loss was painful, not only for me, but also Joshua. Because they had become very, very close. I can remember Josh going to the bottom of the stairs, because my father slept upstairs, calling out to him, Papa, Papa. Only to see he wasn't coming to him anymore. On January 15th, 1985, I gave birth to Jeremiah Daines. When we were released from the hospital, we went to live with his daddy's parents. They were wonderful, giving us the biggest bedroom set up with a crib and a double bed. Joshua slept with me, but later he had his own room. As you can see, I moved around often and frequently. Just with our clothes. A couple months after my second son, out of wedlock, I met a sweet young man who had a job, a vehicle, and was saving his money to get a home of his own, which was a plus for my boys. We spent a lot of time together. We fell in love by October 1985, when Jeremiah was 10 months old and Joshua was 3 1⁄2 years old. We were married. We were very much in love and had a great life, attending church, while still living in the flesh. Sonny became a strong drinker and alcoholic. This caused some tension, but we worked through it. A year later, we experienced the heartbreak of a miscarriage. I was in the hospital for a week. I was in the hospital for a week. I was in the hospital for a week. I experienced the heartbreak of a miscarriage. I felt that this was my baby girl. No way of really knowing, as it was in my first trimester, but it was a strong feeling. I began praying and praying to give my husband a child, and I did. April 30, 1987, Sonny Edward came. Life was bliss again. We were all so happy. Sonny had adopted Joshua by this time. Jeremiah's father wouldn't allow it. And Sonny began attending AA and quit drinking. He had good jobs, living in a beautiful three-bedroom, two-bath apartment. I was working for the Red Cross in L.A., selling Mary Kay cosmetics and going to church periodically. But Joshua went much more often than I did. But Joshua went much more often with my aunt. She became like a second mother to him and a true advocate to me. Joshua had often come home and would tell us where we were sitting and request that we quit smoking. He would also ask me to keep his brothers out of his room so that he could read his Bible. I was so proud of him and often told people he was my little preacher. After he had been through with me, after all he had been through with me, and to see him flourishing with such a joy from the Lord, I could sense the Holy Spirit was guiding his life as he was listening. He would even call the Lord Daddy, where he had called Tony Dad. By the time Joshua was 11 years old, we had decided to give him a waterbed, because he was being so good. As I was setting it up, Joshua asked if he could help. But he was more in the way than he would help. I became frustrated and said, Damn you, get out. Let me do this alone. I felt guilty right away, but I didn't repent or ask for forgiveness. Later on that evening, Tony and I were going bowling for his birthday, which would be the next day. Finally, we were getting a night out, which was few and far between, and we were excited. So we all packed up in a car with overnight bags to stay with my sister-in-law, who we spent a lot of time with, playing cards, spending nights and such. She lined up an 18-year-old young lady to watch seven children, who would be all in bed and sleeping by the time we left for the bowling alley. My sister-in-law put all the children down in bed. Bo was the only one still up, keeping the sitter company. Well, I'm going to stop at this point, and I would like to pray for us again. Father God, I come to you today, bowing in my heart, asking for protection from evil. Lord, we are failed moment by moment with the images on television, the internet, the books, the newspapers, that leave us vulnerable to sin of every kind. Surround us with your divine hedge of protection. Encompass us around about with your strength and your might. All who take refuge in you be glad. Let they ever sing for joy, and may you shelter us. Let they ever sing for joy, and may you shelter us. Those who love your name, exalt you, for it is you who bless us, the righteous man, O Lord. And surround us, favored with a shield. Lord, I ask that you protect our minds, Father. The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. Help us by the power of your spirit to think on whatever is true. Whatever is honorable. Whatever is right. Whatever is pure. Whatever is lovely. Whatever is good repute. If there is any excellence, and if anything is worthy of praise, let our minds dwell on these things. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.