Overwhelmed

This will be my shortest blog yet. (You didn't know that was possible did you?) I just want to say, I have been overwhelmed by the encouragement I have received on my latest posting. But, even more so, I have been amazed by the private messages and emails from people (men and women) telling me that something that I said has given them the courage to face certain relationships in their lives that are painful and need to change. I will say, quite happily for me, none of these have actually been with a marriage partner.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support and encouragement to keep talking. This is an issue that I am passionate about, to the core of my being. I thank God that I have the freedom (and I might as well thank all the soldiers that are fighting for that freedom) to speak out. I thank God that Dawn encouraged me to start this blog and that already it is making a difference, people are stopping to think, and engage on this topic of domestic violence.

My whole blog will not always be about abuse. I am also going to chronicle the painful parts of divorce. This is something that no one should choose unless they have very good reason. I can say that I examined every angle, counted every cost I could think of, and prayed at every step before I made the decision I made. Ultimately, the issue was forced and I was left with no other option. But, I had thought it through and prior to the final act of violence, had made the decision to keep trying to work out the other issues in our marriage. AND YET, there are costs that I did not even know I had to count, there is pain that I did not have any way to anticipate. There is also, and incredible amount of good that has happened and is happening. This will be a blog about healing, about forgiveness, grace, freedom, life, and as always, there will be a lot of smiling.

Thanks for walking this road with me. I am truly honored to have you here.