Monday, December 17, 2012

Who'da Thunk It?





Thus, I heal therefore I blog; I blog therefore I heal. ~Brad Sargent









A new milestone:  300,000 blog hits


Thank you for reading, for walking this journey with me, for learning along with me, for spreading the word about spiritual abuse.  It's not a pleasant topic, but it needs to be discussed.  I could never have imagined this nearly 9 months ago.  I thought my story would be over with the conclusion of the lawsuit, perhaps not.  




Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been,Thou forever wilt be.


Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
(Refrain)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
(Refrain)













photo credit: ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser via photopin cc

19 comments:

  1. Maybe it's significant that your count surpassed 100,000 on May 21 – your day in court - sometime between 9:00-9:45 AM (Pacific Time), and that now you've gone over 300,000 on the week following the public launch of a pseudo-survivor blog that capitalized on your blog's name, to their shame.

    At any rate, congratulations, Julie Anne, and thank you for sticking with blogging on topics related to freedom from legalism, overcoming spiritual abuse, and positively pursuing Christ in the midst of misunderstanding and suffering. It may not be a ministry that you ever envisioned, but you certainly seem to be growing into it and with it. Thanks for being a blessing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think the pseudo-survivor blog has come to bite him in the arse. The unintended consequence of trying to "set things right." If he would have ignored the Google comment in the beginning or been willing to be open to discussion, it would not have gone this far.

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  2. A traditional hymn is so superior to anything else.

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  3. 300,000 hits! i'm guessing about 800 of them are mine. anywho, yeah, i've been singing that hymn ever since Tammy Carter posted her Kyrie eleison.

    i hope you and your family are resting well dear Julie Anne.

    thanks for being such a blessing!

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  4. Congratulations. Thank you for your compassion and honesty. I'm proud to know you.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Craig. A lot of blessings came out of this difficult situation and you are one of them.

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  5. Congratulations, JA! You are one of the coolest blogger chicas I know! :-)

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  6. Congratulations, JA!

    Your blog was the first and only one I have commented on. You always seem to keep your cool, even when people push back a little. And you know when to hit that DELETE button if you really need to. Good job. Keep up the good work. Always be a wolf-watcher.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sheep-Dog: I'm honored. I love that you have also been a contributor here and that Pastor Ken was able to the video you shared here with his congregation. Isn't that cool? He loved the illustration the sheered sheep provided and so did I!

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  7. WOW! You are such an inspiration! Not just the number, but the grace and dignity in which you walk...thank you!
    I have recently become aware of an organization by the name of A.R.M.S. which is a support type group for abuse, thought you might want to put out the word for those who are ready to get help working through the pain.
    Not sure if there are any charges, but know it is available in your former city.
    Thanks again for all you have done in my healing process

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment and for your recommendation of ARMS. I had never heard of it before. It looks like it deals with domestic violence. I'm going to bookmark it. Thanks!

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  8. Congratulations, Julie Anne! You are such an encouragement to all of us survivors of our own little Church Gulag! So glad we met, and amused at the way we met! Blessings, Ken

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ken. Are you sure "amused" is the right word? LOL It is kind of funny, but also sad :(

      I hope you and yours are well! I'm so thankful we met, too, not only for your friendship, but because you have helped me so much in the understanding of the topic of spiritual abuse and consequently, the knowledge you have passed along to me has reached many, many more because of blogging. Thank YOU!

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  9. It never ceases to amaze me that that are so many wounded people through their local churches. When they are alone and without support, it is great to be able to refer them to a good blog to connect to others who have ‘been there’ and fully understand.

    I am so glad that I can recommend your blog to others. It is a place where people can hear other people’s stories and to support one another. It is a place where pastors can come and get a better understanding of how God’s people are devastated in so many churches.

    Your blog exposes the darkness but does not get stuck there. You provide a place to ‘heal in community’ and a place that points to recovery and a better way of ‘doing church’! Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Barb. After the lawsuit, I initially contacted 3 strangers on the internet and you were one of those strangers that I now call friend. Thank you so much for all your support these past months, on the blog and behind the scenes. It has been so helpful to me.

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  10. from just eight minutes of listening to this YouTube video, i think her perspective is worth sharing: Spiritual Abuse: What is Spiritual Abuse? 1/7

    for a good laugh or cry you may want to first check out this three minute piece featured on her channel: SHELLY SPEAKS WITH "PASTOR" JOHN ABOUT HIS SERMON LAST SUNDAY

    ReplyDelete

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