Under The Banner Of Heaven or Abuse?

Under The Banner Of Heaven or Abuse?

Watching the hit series, Under the Banner of Heaven, take liberties to correlate pervasive domestic abuse with uniquely Mormon religious beliefs has seemed to strike an unexpected chord with society at large. Except it’s not unexpected at all—at least not for those...
Christ Kept His Scars–And We Can Too

Christ Kept His Scars–And We Can Too

“How beautiful you are he said a tapestry of scars.” -Atticus When I was in college, I flew home for the summer. I packed up everything I owned into my luggage and when I arrived at the airport, my bag was over the weight requirements, forcing me to remove...
Is Being Headstrong And Unruly A Bad Thing?

Is Being Headstrong And Unruly A Bad Thing?

Three years ago. It happened. I have replayed the events in my mind a thousand times. Even doing trauma work (a lot of it) to disentangle them from the gray space where they seem to be stuck, bouncing around like ping pong balls that never stop. I was injured, harmed....
Who Mary Is To Me: A Survivor’s Story

Who Mary Is To Me: A Survivor’s Story

“Mother is the name for God in the lips and heart of little children.” -W.M. Thackeray Mary. Her story triggering to me year after year. Lack of consent in the name of a man’s will is triggering for any survivor of assault and abuse. You see, to survivors, it...
Dear Church: Stop The Trauma And Start The Healing

Dear Church: Stop The Trauma And Start The Healing

You may have heard of Trauma-Informed Care. It is all the rage right now and for good reason. More organizations and even faith communities are adopting trauma-informed policies in order to ensure the health and well-being of their members. But it left me thinking: Do...