Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 2
    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 2
    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 2
    Ebook141 pages1 hour

    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 2

    By Angela R Edwards

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Battle-Scars: Pain. Heartache. Devastation. Loss.

    Those WERE some of the emotions felt by the authors of "God Says I am Battle-Scar Free".

    JOY! VICTORY! RENEWED SELF-ESTEEM! SURVIVOR!

    Those ARE the words used to describe those same authors today!

    In this second installment of the Battle-Scar Free series, new testimonies of strength against all odds are shared. With each painstaking memory penned herein, the healing process began - and remains a work in progress. For those in like-circumstances, may these testimonies one day inspire and lead you to become Battle-Scar Free.

    Be ENCOURAGED!
    Be EMBOLDENED!
    Be EMPOWERED!

    No longer shall God's children be subjected to a life He never intended. God loves us more than we could EVER love ourselves. He desires that we, in turn, be loved fully by others...NOT abused by them.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPearly Gates Publishing LLC
    Release dateJul 4, 2016
    ISBN9781945117282
    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 2
    Author

    Angela R Edwards

    Pearly Gates Publishing, LLC (PGP) is a Christian book publisher based out of Houston, Texas. The vision of PGP sprang to life in early January 2015 after God gave Angela Edwards (CEO) the mission to bring to the world authors whose desires encompass keeping their God-given inspiration in their literary works. Founded in February 2015, the business has continued to blossom into a sought-after publishing house for both current and up-and-coming Christian authors worldwide. PGP’s youngest authors are ages eight and ten, and the oldest is 72. Pearly Gates Publishing, LLC is a low-cost publishing option for those individuals seeking to spread their messages of empowerment, inspiration, and education. Since its inception, PGP has produced numerous Amazon Best Sellers – with two making the coveted number one spot. A variety of topics from PGP’s authors include (but are not limited to): Faith, Bullying, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Autism, and Domestic Violence. The Battle-Scar Free Movement – an all-out effort to ERADICATE domestic violence – is a product of Angela’s past victimization. What started as a call to abuse survivors to co-author a book entitled “God Says I Am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors”, it has since grown into a movement of individuals who are lovingly known as Trumpeters for Change. Change begins with one: One thought – One person – One action. Change begins with YOU!

    Read more from Angela R Edwards

    Related to God Says I am Battle-Scar Free

    Related ebooks

    Relationships For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Turning Toward Life

      Apr 1, 2020

      Turning Toward Life
      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Aug 27, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      8 min read

    • Article

      Joy Mendoza

      Jul 3, 2020

      Joy Mendoza
      3 min read

    • Article

      “Will Polyamory Fulfil Me Or Ruin My Marriage?

      Nov 3, 2020

      Q I’m in my mid-30s, have been with my husband for 20 years and we have two young children. After being a mother and wife for all this time, I feel I’ve lost myself. The other day, I heard a story on the radio and thought ‘I want to kiss a woman’. I’

      4 min read

    • Article

      Surviving Storms: A Q&A from the Heart with Mark Nepo

      Sep 5, 2022

      Estimated reading time: 7 minutes — I am excited to share that my new book, Surviving Storms: Finding the Strength to Meet Adversity, will be published this September by St. Martin’s Essentials. It is a book that has taken three years to retrieve an

      5 min read

    • Article

      I Killed My Wife. Now I Want to Help Prevent Domestic Violence.

      Oct 4, 2019

      “If I could save one man from doing what I did, then I will have found a calling for my final years.”

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Most Powerful Words

      May 28, 2021

      The Most Powerful Words
      6 min read

    • Article

      In Witchcraft There Are No Spectators: The Millions Interviews Amanda Yates Garcia

      Nov 15, 2019

      I don’t believe we should be grateful for adversity. But we can be grateful to ourselves for the strength we find to make it out of the underworld alive. The post In Witchcraft There Are No Spectators: The Millions Interviews Amanda Yates Garcia appe

      7 min read

    • Article

      No Posse? No Problem

      Aug 31, 2021

      No Posse? No Problem
      4 min read

    • Article

      Transforming Fear Into Hope

      May 23, 2022

      Transforming Fear Into Hope
      4 min read

    • Article

      BOOKMARK THIS read…listen…stream

      Feb 14, 2023

      How to Change What Power Sounds Like, Starting with You Samara Bay • Crown “To speak with the full wingspan of your voice requires some technical know-how as well as a certain flex of the permission muscle,” writes Samara Bay in this book that delive

      6 min read

    • Article

      Lilly Dancyger: There Are So Many Different Ways to Be Angry

      Dec 3, 2019

      The editor of Burn It Down talks about the stabilizing benefits of women’s anger, the slow pace of change, and why it’s important to take up space on the subway.

      8 min read

    • Article

      Q&A

      Nov 23, 2021

      Q My younger sister has a dodgy boyfriend. It took us a while to realise as a family because we never saw her on her own, but we’ve since discovered she’s been paying all their bills and that he physically attacked her. A few months ago my brother an

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Spectrum of Love

      Aug 28, 2020

      The Spectrum of Love
      8 min read

    • Article

      Finding Grace At Christmas

      Nov 30, 2023

      Finding Grace At Christmas
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for God Says I am Battle-Scar Free

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      God Says I am Battle-Scar Free - Angela R Edwards

      God Says I am Battle-Scar Free

      Testimonies of Abuse Survivors – Part 2

      Copyright 2016

      Angela R. Edwards

      All Rights Reserved.

      No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any electronic system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise) without written permission from the publisher. Brief quotations may be used in literary reviews.

      Verses marked KJV, NIV, and NKJV are used by permission from Zondervan via Biblegateway.com.

      For information, contact:

      Pearly Gates Publishing LLC

      Angela R. Edwards, CEO

      P.O. Box 62287

      Houston, TX 77205

      Pearly Gates Publishing on the Web

      Published by Pearly Gates Publishing LLC at Smashwords.

      This book is available in print at most online retailers.

      Dedication

      God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 2 is dedicated to the memories of loved-ones all over the world – women, men, teens, and young children – who have lost life’s battles at the hands of abusers. Those who are no longer here with us are the ones who are truly ‘Battle-Scar Free’.

      No longer do they suffer in silence.

      No longer do they have to cry out for help.

      God has given them a peace that rests with their souls – away from the torments and pains of this Earthly life…a peace they should have known while here among family and friends who loved them.

      May their memories live on from generation to generation and from friend to friend.

      Let us never forget. Let us never keep silent.

      Let us march in unison in their memory and sound the alarm: Domestic violence and abuse will not be accepted as the norm!

      Acknowledgements

      First, giving all praise, honor, and glory to God our Heavenly Father. Thank you, Lord, for guarding the hearts and minds of each of us who made a transparent contribution to the composition of God Says I am Battle-Scar Free. It is through the use of our voices – coupled with the guiding light of the Holy Spirit – that we pray we can effect change in the lives of both the abused and the abuser…one life at a time.

      To each of the purposely-unnamed contributors who submitted their stories of strength, survival, and encouragement for others, your servitude does not go unnoticed. Your willingness to share intimate details of your life with people unfamiliar to you speaks volumes about the heart you have to make a change and break the cycle of abuse. It begins with you, and I thank you for your resounding YES! as this project was being birthed. GOD chose you for a time such as this, and I am grateful for you.

      To the women of the Star of Hope Mission’s New Hope Program in Houston, Texas who made contributions to this project: You ladies ROCK! I am truly appreciative of your openness during the Domestic Violence classes I facilitate at Star of Hope – which some of you have allowed to topple over into this mission. I have NO doubt your stories will have a lasting impact in the lives of the readers, just as they have had in my own. My prayer is that you stay the course and remain about the business of allowing God to help you while you help others.

      To Marlowe Scott: Thank you for sacrificing your time and investing your energies with being my second set of eyes as we worked tirelessly to ensure this book lives up to the expectations of the Pearly Gates Publishing audience.

      Last, but not least, we extend a collective THANK YOU, LORD for your whole armor and for the healing that has taken place through the telling and sharing of our stories. We ask, Lord, that you bless the readers and keep your loving arms around them as they, too, begin to lay claim to their FREEDOM away from abuse in any form.

      Amen and Amen.

      ~ Angela R. Edwards ~

      Preface

      Everything in life has a season. There’s a season for flowers, fruits, and vegetables to grow. There’s a season for animals to mate. Many relationships – both personal and romantic – have seasons as well. There’s also a season in life when it’s time to be FREE from the pains of the past.

      God Says I am Battle-Scar Free has been published for a season of renewal and release. For those authors who have included their testimonies herein, each has come to the realization that there is a need to not only tell their story, but to share it in a way that lets others know: They are not alone.

      The stories shared here are real. There are no aspects that are falsified for the sake of ‘selling a good book’. While reading, you may find yourself cringing, crying, and yes, even shaking your head in agreement (and even disgust) as you come to relate on some level to the former plights of the authors.

      God Says I am Battle-Scar Free is a work of literary art compiled by GOD first and me second. For you to have your hands on this writing at this moment in time means it is your season! Your season for what, I personally do not know – but the Spirit of God does…and that’s ALL that matters. Get your FREEDOM today, my Brother- and Sister-in-Christ!

      ~ Angela R. Edwards ~

      Contributing Author & CEO of Pearly Gates Publishing LLC

      Foreword

      There is so much shame attached to the willing submission of being mistreated, degraded, devalued, or dishonored. Shame is the pit of darkness abusers slither into each time they strike with their venomous deeds.

      I am a doctor – and I have fallen prey to the conniving methods of an abuser.

      Another might say, I am an attorney who fights for the rights of those affected by domestic violence, but I, too, have hidden bruises and tear tracks in my makeup as I struggled through many cases that make me sick to my stomach. I, too, have been brutally beaten by the one I call lover or husband…or perhaps wife.

      The one that breaks my own heart the most is, I am a minister of the Gospel, and I show up on Sunday morning still grieving from the words that cut me like a knife. I fought my way out the door this morning to show up and bless the people of God. They need encouragement, but the truth is that in my spirit, I can still hear the loud boom of the words bitch and whore playing over and over in my head – yet I am preaching a powerful sermon on LOVE, which is the thing I know the least about in this moment.

      The many faces and voices of the abused are finally exposed and acknowledged in yet another Battle-Scar moment of truth and transparency.

      When asked to pen the opening of this healing balm – appropriately titled GOD Says I am Battle-Scar Free – I found myself pondering a bit about the leader of this great movement: THE Trumpet for Change. What compels a woman to boldly and unashamedly expose the darkness of abuse by shining a halogen light on it – without engaging in the fear of what others might say or think of her genius and her greatness for having succumbed to the tricks of the crafty abuser? My conclusion is quite simple: Her heart, her love for justice, and a spirit that desires healing to flow through all who would partake of the words shared in these pages; a woman who thinks it not robbery to give freely and excitedly of her time at the Star of Hope Mission in Houston, Texas where she facilitates their New Hope Program for survivors of domestic violence – all while she yet battles with the memories of living amid the horror of abuse.

      Let me tell you a secret: I walked through the tar pit with my Sister. I knew of the foul plans that were often set out as traps before her. Were it not for the grace of God, I am afraid to think of what may have happened on countless occasions. That’s not THE secret, though.

      The secret is that all while bearing witness to her struggle, I didn’t realize I was on the same wheel of dishonor, devalue, and degrade as she. Now, my IQ would force one to believe that I could not be so idiotic as to fall into the arms of one who had no real understanding of the value of my existence. See, like many – perhaps even you – I didn’t recognize that withholding money and depriving me of my needs is financial abuse. I didn’t know that repeated infidelities with other women and passing diseases on to me were sexual abuses (yes, there’s more to that thing than all out rape). I didn’t know that being called degrading names and him trying to convince me that my very existence was somehow wrong were mental and emotional abuses. I had never been hit, so the scars were hidden and deeply engrained into my psyche. Even now – some years later – those early abuses have made me vulnerable to right-now abuses.

      The secret is that abuse is NEVER a secret!

      The people who love you know and suffer silently with you because they don’t want to

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1