RADV Article: One Size Doesn’t Fit All
As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus—and Jesus met people where they were. He listened. He showed compassion. He protected the vulnerable. He did not turn away from people because their lives were complicated, and He did not treat every hurting person exactly the same. That matters when we talk about domestic violence. It […]
RADV Article: You Should Be Proud of the Way You Stood
There comes a moment in healing when you look back at everything you survived—and realize you are still standing. Not untouched.Not without scars.Not without days when getting out of bed required every ounce of strength you had. But standing. You endured words designed to make you feel worthless. You lived through fear, manipulation, control, betrayal, […]
RADV Article: When Survivors Ask for Help—and No One Truly Hears Them
One of the hardest things a survivor may ever do is finally say: “I am being abused, and I need help.” Those words are rarely spoken easily. They may come after months or years of fear, manipulation, threats, humiliation, and being made to question their own reality. Before approaching a counter, calling an agency, entering […]
Being a Survivor Is a Badge of Courage
The word survivor carries a story. It speaks of battles most people never witnessed, tears that fell behind closed doors, and moments when simply making it through the day required every ounce of strength you had left. Being a survivor does not mean you escaped without scars. It means the scars did not get the […]
Before There Was RADV
Chapter 6: The Call From Texas Last Saturday, I told you about one of the lowest points of my life. I was homeless. I had slept beside a dumpster. An old friend eventually gave me a place to stay, and I will always be grateful for that. But having a roof over my head didn’t […]
RADV Article: I Am Still Here Standing
“I didn’t know how strong I could be until I started healing from the trauma of domestic violence.” Strength did not arrive all at once. It came slowly—through every painful memory I faced, every lie I stopped believing and every piece of myself I fought to reclaim. I survived the beating. I survived the belittling. […]
RADV Article: You Can’t Start the Next Chapter of Your Life If You Keep Re-Reading the Last One
There are chapters of our lives we never wanted to live through. Chapters filled with fear, betrayal, manipulation, violence, and loss. Chapters that changed how we see ourselves, how we trust others, and how safe the world feels. After abuse, it is natural to keep returning to those pages. We replay conversations, searching for the […]
RADV Presents: The Ripple Effect
Changing Tomorrow by Investing in Today Series #11: Teach Them That “No” Is a Complete Sentence We teach children to say please. We teach them to say thank you. We teach them to share, be polite, and respect others. But there is another word we need to teach them to use without shame: No. No, […]
RADV Article: When Money Becomes a Weapon — Understanding Financial Abuse
Financial abuse does not always look like someone stealing money from your wallet. Sometimes it looks like having to explain every purchase. It can mean being denied access to bank accounts, prevented from working, forced to surrender a paycheck, or deliberately left with bills and debt you never agreed to. It can sound like: “You […]
What Was Meant to Break Me Became My Purpose
There are things in life that you never imagine surviving. Things that change the way you see yourself. Things that steal pieces of your confidence, your trust, your security, and sometimes even your hope. Abuse can do that. It can leave you wondering how the person you once were disappeared. It can make you look […]