RADV Article: What If Tomorrow Never Comes?
There is a question that has stayed with me for years: What if tomorrow never comes? We all live as though there will always be another sunrise, another chance to make things right, another opportunity to tell someone we love them or to finally make the change we’ve been putting off. But life doesn’t come […]
RADV Article: Through the Lawyer’s Eyes
When survivors walk into a courtroom, they often see fear, uncertainty, and hope. They hope the truth will be enough. They hope the judge will understand. They hope justice will finally begin. But from a lawyer’s perspective, the courtroom is a very different place. Attorneys are trained to work within the law, not emotion. They […]
RADV Article: Even in the Cracks, a Flower Will Grow
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11 Have you ever stopped to look at a flower growing through the cracks of a sidewalk? Think about what it had to overcome. There wasn’t rich soil. There wasn’t anyone watering it. It was surrounded by concrete, stepped on, ignored, and exposed to the […]
RADV Article: Breaking the Trauma Bond
One of the hardest truths for survivors to understand is this: Missing someone who abused you does not mean you should go back to them. That feeling doesn’t mean the relationship was healthy. It often means you are experiencing a trauma bond. A trauma bond forms when periods of fear, manipulation, control, and abuse are […]
Sunday Morning Prayer
Heavenly Father, As we begin this Sunday, we come before You with grateful hearts. Thank You for giving us another day, another breath, and another opportunity to choose love over hate, peace over anger, and hope over despair. Today we lift up every survivor of abuse. Wrap them in Your protection and remind them that […]
RADV Article: Every Choice Is a Payment
Life has taught me something I wish I had understood much earlier. Every choice we make is like making a payment. Some payments are small. Others cost us more than we ever imagined. But every decision is an investment in the life we will eventually live. When I look back over my own life, I […]
RADV Article: One Day at a Time
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34 (NIV) If you’ve lived through abuse, worrying about tomorrow can become second nature. “What if they find me?” “What if I can’t make it on my own?” “What if the court doesn’t […]
RADV Article: I Turned My Pain Into Purpose
There was a time when I thought my story would always be defined by what happened to me. Like many survivors, I carried pain that no one could see. I questioned my worth. I wondered if anyone would ever understand. There were days when it felt easier to stay silent than to relive the hurt. […]
RADV Article: Not All Cops Are Bad
There are survivors who have had painful experiences when they reached out for help. Some felt dismissed. Some weren’t believed. Some walked away feeling more alone than when they made the call. Those experiences are real, and they deserve to be acknowledged. But we also need to be careful not to let one painful experience […]
Before There Was RADV
Chapter 3: John Doe I don’t remember every detail of that night. Trauma has a way of taking pieces of your memory. What I do remember changed my life forever. I remember leaving the bar. I remember being dragged outside. I remember being on the ground. Then the kicks started. Over and over again. After […]