Psalm 50:23

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;

to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!

But how should I offer thanksgiving in the midst of all the craziness and devastation? Am I to be thankful for what is easily among one of the most horrific experiences of my life? Am I to rejoice in the face of wrong? Am I to smile through the pain?

Yes!! Because it is ONLY in recognizing the sovereignty and patience of God can we see His hand in our lives – not because things are going our way. No…everything seems so out of control (from our perspective). God, however, is sovereign over ALL. His timing is PERFECT. His grace is sufficient. I either trust Him or I don’t. There is no in-between.

The ONLY way to glorify Him is to be thankful that He has delivered us from the hands of the enemy; He has made a way where there seemed to be no way; He has parted the Red Sea for us – despite the deafening roar of the rising ocean waters, must walk through. And – we will behold His salvation, His redemption, His restoration.

Psalm 23:1-4

It is easy to fear poverty, homelessness, and financial ruin when you unexpectedly lose a loved one or finally escape a violent/abusive relationship. It is the goal of your abuser to render you helpless. This is exactly why they manipulate your finances and personal relationships in the hope that you will have no recourse and nowhere else to run to. But the Word promises us this: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL LACK NOTHING (Provision)

After enduring the turmoil and chaos of living a duplicitous life – a smiling face for the world to see but utter dread of life behind closed doors; after learning to tread on eggshells lest you tip the scales ever so slightly and ask for even more trouble – all you want is PEACE. A place where you can REST and live free of FEAR. God’s promise to lead us to such a place and restore our soul is what I cling to. HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES; HE LEADS ME BESIDE STILL WATERS; HE REFRESHES MY SOUL (Restoration)

I find myself fighting this Goliath on my own – but am I alone? Never!! HE GUIDES ME ALONG THE RIGHT PATHS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE (Guidance)

Fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of doing the wrong thing, fear of saying too much, fear of not saying enough, fear of looking to the left, fear of looking to the right – this is the nature of life with a narcissistic abuser. You just know that there will always be something wrong – you just don’t know what it will be this time. I am tired of living in FEAR – so I have chosen not to hide behind fear. I will fight!! EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE DARKEST VALLEY, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; YOUR ROD AND STAFF THEY COMFORT ME!! (Protection)