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 5
    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 5
    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 5
    Ebook176 pages2 hours

    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 5

    By Angela R Edwards

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    BATTLE-SCARS: Hated. Isolated. Abused. Violated. Those WERE some of the difficulties endured by the authors of "God Says I am Battle-Scar Free." LOVED! CHERISHED! RESPECTED! PURIFIED! Those ARE the promises of God used to convey how those same people feel today. In this fifth installment of the Battle-Scar Free series, 15 individuals—women and men—pour words of encouragement into the lives of the readers. Their transparent testimonies are captivating, with each word purposefully penned to speak to the hearts, minds, and souls of others who are victims or survivors of abuse in any form. For many contributors, their healing is just beginning; for others, it continues to this day. Despite the obstacles they faced, they discovered the power within to reveal their painstaking processes that led up to their survival. These individuals defeated their enemies—and you can, too! God has kept you for such a time as this. God's heart desires that we be loved by others...not abused by them.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPearly Gates Publishing LLC
    Release dateJun 9, 2019
    ISBN9781947445611
    God Says I am Battle-Scar Free: Testimonies of Abuse Survivors - Part 5
    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

      Hot Young Widows Club

      Jun 3, 2020

      Hot Young Widows Club
      8 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

      BOOKMARK THIS read…listen…stream

      Oct 27, 2020

      Emotional Resilience In the Age of Rage, Feels & Freak-Outs Ralph De La Rosa • Shambhala Spiritual bypassing, a term first coined in psychology, refers to misusing spirituality or wisdom teachings by zeroing in on their “feel-good” aspects, while min

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Spectrum of Love

      Aug 28, 2020

      The Spectrum of Love
      8 min read

    • Article

      Finding The Words

      Jun 2, 2023

      Finding The Words
      5 min read

    • Article

      Finding The Words

      Jun 3, 2023

      Finding The Words
      5 min read

    • Article

      Can A Medium Cure Grief?

      Feb 6, 2022

      Can A Medium Cure Grief?
      7 min read

    • Article

      Pillow Talk

      Aug 26, 2022

      Pillow Talk
      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Mar 10, 2023

      D ear 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 k

      8 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

      The Abuse Of Boys

      Mar 22, 2023

      The Abuse Of Boys
      2 min read

    • Article

      UNLEASH YOUR Creative Spirit

      Apr 14, 2023

      UNLEASH YOUR Creative Spirit
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Creative Hero’s Journey: 5 Reasons You Should Write Your Book, Paint Your Picture, Sing Your Song

      Dec 9, 2021

      Estimated reading time: 10 minutes — I used to be a professional disease hunter, a board-certified surgical pathologist. I was the M.D. in a white coat who stared at your skin (or breast, brain or bone, etc.) biopsy under the microscope and let your

      6 min read

    • Article

      Ask Anna

      Mar 2, 2023

      Ask Anna
      3 min read

    • Article

      Ask Anna

      Mar 2, 2023

      Ask Anna
      3 min read

    • Article

      Viewpoint

      Aug 2, 2022

      In your August 2022 issue, I read about Dr Julie Smith and her book Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? and felt compelled to buy it. It’s filled with so many insights and practical examples and, as you read it, you can’t help but think, ‘That’s me!’

      3 min read

    • Article

      Still Here, and Fabulous

      Jun 20, 2023

      Still Here, and Fabulous
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Return Of Empathy

      Nov 13, 2020

      WHEN RESULTS FIRST began to trickle in on Election Day, I’d already been reliving several days’ worth of PTSD from what I’d experienced in 2016. I was still a single parent then, with two young girls safely asleep in the 660-sq.-ft. apartment we had

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Return Of Empathy

      Nov 13, 2020

      WHEN RESULTS FIRST began to trickle in on Election Day, I’d already been reliving several days’ worth of PTSD from what I’d experienced in 2016. I was still a single parent then, with two young girls safely asleep in the 660-sq.-ft. apartment we had

      2 min read

    • Article

      This is The End

      Feb 21, 2020

      This is The End
      6 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 Five

      Compiled By:

      Angela R. Edwards

      Foreword By:

      Pastor Dr. Marilyn M.E. Porter

      Pearly Gates Publishing, LLC, Houston, Texas

      God Says I am Battle-Scar Free:

      Testimonies of Abuse Survivors – Part Five

      Copyright © 2019

      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.

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2019936739

      Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

      Scripture references are used with permission from Zondervan via Biblegateway.com.

      Public Domain.

      For information and bulk ordering, contact:

      Pearly Gates Publishing, LLC

      Angela Edwards, CEO

      P.O. Box 62287

      Houston, TX 77205

      BestSeller@PearlyGatesPublishing.com

      Published by Pearly Gates Publishing LLC at Smashwords.

      This book is available in print at most online retailers.

      We Resolve…

      To the loved ones in all nations of the world

      —women, men, teens, and young children—

      who have lost the battle on this side of Heaven

      at the hands of abusers:

      On this day, we resolve to honor your memory.

      We will never forget what you endured.

      We will no longer keep quiet.

      From generation to generation,

      we will continue to share our collective voices

      to sound the alarm.

      In your honor, we shout:

      Domestic violence and abuse in any form will no longer be accepted as the norm!

      Acknowledgments

      First, giving all praise, honor, and glory to God our Heavenly Father. Thank you, Lord, for shielding the hearts and minds of each of us who contributed to God Says I am Battle-Scar Free – Part Five. With the collective sounds of our voices and the guiding light of your Holy Spirit, it is our prayer to You that our obedience will effect change in the lives of both the abused and the abuser…one life at a time.

      To each of the Contributors who submitted their stories and other empowering tales of strength, survival, and encouragement: Your servitude does not go unnoticed. Thank you for stepping up without hesitation to share intimate details of your lives to help others break the cycle of abuse and survive another day. Change begins with EACH OF YOU. GOD chose you for such a time as this, and I cannot express my gratitude enough for your passion for saving lives with the use of your written word. I extend heartfelt (((HUGS))) and loads of LOVE!

      To Marlowe R. Scott: There are not enough words in this universe to express my appreciation for your constant presence alongside me on my life’s journey. Thank you for being my second-set of keen eyes as we worked tirelessly to perfect this piece of literary art. Also, I am honored to share the Battle-Scar Free Staple Poem, Abuse is NOT Love, with a new audience. Your craft remains an encouragement to ME and countless others as your words inspire the hearts of victims and abusers both near and far. I love you beyond mere words!

      To Dr. Marilyn E. Porter: Thank you for not finding it robbery to yet again open up your heart to pour words of empowerment into others. Your Foreword is (as always) amazing, transparent, and 100% YOU. Your authenticity makes this book shine a lot brighter. You never cease to amaze me, although we’ve been SisterFriends for over 40 years. I love you, Murl!

      To Tondra Poetic Sense Mosley: I am truly grateful for your willingness to share with us the Closing Prayer for this book. In all of His POWER and GLORY, the Holy Spirit used you to bring it on home. Indeed, we have all donned our Championship Belts and are marching onward toward FREEDOM! You have been a blessing to ME, Sissy, since we first met. May God continue to use your voice, your spirit, and your spoken word in a MIGHTY way! I love you bunches!

      Last, but FAR from least, we ALL extend a LOUD and COLLECTIVE THANK YOU, LORD for Your whole armor. For the healing that has taken place through the telling and sharing of our stories, we THANK YOU, LORD! We believe You will honor our efforts by blessing the readers and inciting change in their lives beginning NOW. Lord, please keep Your loving arms enveloped around them as they, too, begin to take back what the enemy has stolen: FREEDOM from abuse in any form by anyone.

      Amen and Amen.

      ~ Angela R. Edwards ~

      Preface

      God is very purposeful. He gives us precise directions to follow and, when we adhere to them, our lives maintain their purpose. That is the reason why the God Says I am Battle-Scar Free book series is released annually in the Spring. The assignment has not changed in five years, and our lives are enriched all the more as the new season begins.

      Think for a moment about nature. Spring is the season when flowers begin to bloom, trees sprout new life, and Mother Nature goes about the business of transforming the landscape that lies before us into a thing of beauty after a lifeless Winter. Much like the plant life that surrounds us, many relationships—romantic and friendship—often go through a transformational season. The time may come in life when your desire to be FREE from whatever form of bondage is holding you becomes overwhelming and you know you must act. You know that there MUST be better days ahead but are unsure how to reach the mark.

      Now in its fifth year of publication, this book has been published to encourage YOUR release and YOUR renewal. You are not alone in this journey called Life. As you read the stories contained herein, you may find yourself experiencing a barrage of emotions:

      Anger

      Sadness

      Pity

      Disgust

      Guess what? It’s okay to feel. I promise you this: By the end of each testimony, you will want to reach through the pages of the book and give a high-five to each of the authors because they found a way to LIVE to tell their stories!

      So, what now? Where to go from here?

      For you to have your hands on this piece of literary art that has been designed by GOD means it is YOUR season! Only you and the Spirit of God know what must be released in order to inspire another. If you are seeking a purpose in life, let SURVIVAL be at the top of your list.

      The pathway to FREEDOM has already been set out before you. Open the door. Walk in faith. Get your FREEDOM today!

      ~ Angela R. Edwards ~

      Compiler | Contributing Author

      CEO of Pearly Gates Publishing, LLC

      Foreword

      The statistics have not changed much since the very first book in the Battle-Scar Free series. In fact, it seems as though the more diligent we become in blowing the trumpet on domestic violence—in all of its abusive forms—the more creative the abusers have come at hiding the signs!

      So, it is for that reason I will not use my words to highlight the disease (yes, by definition, domestic violence and abuse are diseases—a particular quality, habit, or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group of people). Instead, I will use my linguistic skills to shed light on the possibilities of healing and restoration. Life after domestic violence can be difficult. Some might even say it’s impossible. I come today to assure you that it IS altogether possible, my friend!

      I am a woman who believes in only speaking from personal experience. I move in precision with my truth. Thus, there is always someone who can verify that I actually know what I am talking about.

      Healing is difficult, especially when you don’t know that you need it—as many abused rarely realize. We think that because we are still alive (not maimed or have no outward scars), we made it! We survived and, therefore, are healed!

      WRONG!

      Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is most often associated with men and women who have gone to war or have been in a war zone. Sadly, many of our homes in the year 2019 are war zones! But who among us wants to think that where we lay our heads is equivalent to a makeshift Army base in Afghanistan? Who would want to confess that we are living with our very own personally-assigned (by Satan) terrorist? Certainly not ME!

      Before I could begin to heal, I had to confront the trauma of the abuse I had endured in more relationships and with more people that one could imagine!

      Let’s peek at my trauma:

      Age 5 – If you tell your mom that I touched you there, I will kill her! (He did more than touch me there.)

      Age 11 – Girl, you so fine! Come sit on this… (He did more than just sit there.)

      Age 15 – It won’t hurt if you just let me do what I want to do!

      Age 27 – This is MY money! You don’t go to work every day; I do! (I was a stay-at-home mom.)

      Age 37 – You should get used to living in a trailer park because that is where you will be after the divorce.

      Age 40 – You ain’t even really a woman anymore. You can’t have kids! (I had a hysterectomy at age 38 because of the abuse at age 5.)

      You see, ALL of that was TRAUMATIC!

      Verbal abuse. Financial abuse. Sexual abuse. Emotional abuse. Mental abuse. They ALL lead to breaking down the spirit of who GOD created you and me to be! Sadly, there is so much shame attached to admitting being victim of any form of abuse, to the point that they have become acceptable to a point.

      Enduring abuse seems so stupid, so foolish, and so unintelligent, yet the truth is that all of us have had some small door opened that alerted the abuser that we were ripe for the pickin’.

      BUT DID I MENTION THAT HEALING IS OUR PORTION?

      For me, it was necessary for a professional to tell me I was in a state of trauma. No one in my circle knew the depth of the abuse I had experienced. (Had that been the case, surely, I would have received a bootleg diagnosis.) The professional went on to say that my actions and words were similar to those of military service members who had been deployed to a war zone for more than two years! I was hypersensitive to anything that resembled pain, disrespect, or violence—hyper meaning overly aware. One might say I was in a state of paranoia (I am not saying that, though). In response, my physical body was reacting adversely, which is quite funny because physical abuse was the ONLY form I had not experienced. Still, the trauma of all the OTHER stuff was causing me to have a physical reaction.

      STOP!

      GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT!

      Just because the abuse ends and the violence ceases—just as it can do in a war zone—does not mean that you are okay.

      REMEMBER: Healing is our portion!

      I suppose the question here becomes, Are you healed, Dr. Porter? My experience is healing! But here’s the thing: I HAD TO DO THE WORK. I had to make the confessions. I had to feel the stupidity. I had to admit I permitted some things. I had

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1