Tag Archives: sexual abuse

Reasons for Hatred with Author Hadassah Thomas Martin (J.E.Thomas)

 

About The Book

ReasonsBookCover[1]

About The Book 

This a story based on true events. It’s about two best friends who were separated during their childhood. The spotlight then zooms in on Hadassah; during their adult reunion, she divulges the painful moments of the sexual abuse, murder and death that occurred in her life during her adolescence. It is a story about an ordinary person faced with extraordinary trauma and how she came to forgive and learned to embrace wholeness. 

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About The Author

 

 Hadassah Thomas Martin is a high-spirited woman of faith who was born in Los Angeles and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She trained with Precept Ministries and became a certified trainer in “How to study the Bible”. She is also an active member of the Fellowship of International Christian Word Of Faith Ministries (FICWFM).  She is the founder of “Keep It Real Ministries” which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to conduct local bible studies which teach people how to continuously live in the reality of God’s Word; regardless of their experience. 
Being an “at risk youth” herself, Hadassah has overcome insurmountable obstacles. She is a bright light to women who have suffered abuse and a vital assistant in producing overcomers.
She has a passion for people and teaches youth, men and woman how to fight to win!  
As a true worshipper and Intercessor, she boldly believes that NOTHING is too hard for God! 
In spite of the multiple challenges we face, she believes the greatness which is inside us all, can be extracted, developed and targeted to reach its designed purpose.  
Her Focus: to express qualities that bring inspiration to others. Her motto is “We Always Triumph!”
Her inspiring influence, and her down to earth, “Keep It Real” style are certain to leave an indelible impression.

 Interview with Author Hadassah Thomas Martin (J.E. Thomas) by Linda Fegins

What do you do when the you are betrayed by the one who is supposed to  protect you from harm’s way? Author Hadassah Thomas Martin’s book Reasons for Hatred shares  a story of  how one can overcome great pain and obstacles to walk in peace and  in love  by the power of the Holy  Spirit. The book has a a message of forgiveness for others and forgiveness towards ourselves. Forgiveness has the power to close painful chapters of our lives. It also has the power to  allow one to be free of the past and to find a life of  healing and destiny.

 1) Describe yourself for our visitors.
I am recently married (2 Years). I am the mother of two amazing adults. I have three
spectacular granddaughters. I love reading, studying and teaching God’s word. I enjoy serving God’s people. I enjoy spending time in prayer and worship. Although I am not a gifted singer, I love to sing. I love to dance and I love to laugh and play. I enjoy learning. I have worked for Social Services for the past 26 years. I am excited about God and lastly what most people don’t know and probably would not believe about me is that I am really an introvert by nature.

2) How do you find time to connect with God?
When I get up, I start my day with prayer, the Word, intercession and worship. I have a place where I meet with God regularly. There have been times I have missed my appointment with God, but I always acknowledge Him first thing in the morning before I get out of bed and give Him praise. I play worship music and the Word on CD in my car and worship God while driving to work. I also talk with my heavenly Father throughout the day about any and everything.

3) What inspired you to write this book?
In ministry, I have met hundreds who have been abused or deeply hurt; they either cannot forgive or they refuse to forgive. While privately praying on their behalf, I would ask God to please deliver them as He has delivered me. Through prayer and through the encouragement of others who had heard bits and pieces of my story, I felt led to pen my experiences with the struggle of un-forgiveness.

4) Who are your favorite authors and why?? Favorite books?
I don’t feel I have favorite authors, I like so many. I do have multiple books by Smith
Wigglesworth, Kay Arthur, Dutch Sheets, Myles Munroe, John Maxwell, Watchman Nee and so many others. I also love Jane Austen.
As for favorite books; three books that immediately come to mind are: This Present Darkness (Frank Peretti), the Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis) and The Shack (William Paul Young). I predominately read spiritual and self-improvement books.

5) Tell us about your journey to publication.
I self-published and it was my first journey ever with publishing of any kind. So, being unfamiliar, it was a good learning process. There were many steps in the process, instructions to be followed and much going back and forth until things were just right. The people I worked with were very patient with my naïveté and I had to exercise patience during the process. The result was product that I created and am quite satisfied with.

6) Tell us about your current book?
My current book is a story about one woman’s personal struggle with hatred and her journey to forgiveness. The story is set around the relationship between two best friends who were separated during childhood. Upon their adult reunion, Hadassah, who is the main character, reopens the tragedies of her adolescence, divulging every painful moment and her journey to forgiveness. It is a story about how she triumphed against tremendous odds.

7) How did you come up with ideas for this book?
The ideas came from my own life experiences.

8) What valuable lessons do you want readers to learn from your book?
I want readers who have been abused or mistreated to learn that they don’t have to let the pain of  their past keep them stuck in time. There is a way to healthily move beyond their injuries so that they can live a wholesome life and live it to the full. I want them to witness the experiences of a person who went through hell, but who overcame; and to know they can overcome also.

9) What’s next for you?
Currently, I am working on my second book. It will be the sequel to my current book. It will also incorporate another story about how God used Hadassah in the life of her father’s murderer, which will also be based on true events. I also plan to write a book about loss and grief, and a book about how God answers prayers.

10) Where can visitors find you online?
Visitors can email me at: hadassah@hadassahinspires.com; they can visit my website at:
www.hadassahinspires.com; connect with me on Facebook at: Hadassah Inspires or Twitter
@HDASAHinspires.

11) When did you begin to realize you wanted to write?
To be truthful, it was not a realization that I wanted to write. I have always written; in journals, poetry, term papers and essays. I even wrote a screen play once. Writing was just something I did as a form of expression.

Order your copy

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Reasons-Hatred-Story-Based-Events/dp/1432793772/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354406976&sr=1-1&keywords=reasons+for+hatred+by+j.e.+thomas

 E-Book: http://www.amazon.com/Reasons-For-Hatred-Events-ebook/dp/B00A443WAW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1354406976&sr=1-1

 Barnes and Noble link:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reasons-for-hatred-j-e-thomas/1113752391?ean=9781432793777

Link to purchase book on my website:
http://www.hadassahinspires.com/Reasons-For-Hatred.html 

 Email Address: hadassah@hadassahinspires.com

Author Website www.hadassahinspires.com

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Beyond the Closet Door Sharon Jenkins -April is Child Abuse Awareness Month

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/QYq_wSxM6NI

Why I’m an Advocate for Child Abuse Prevention

By Sharon C. Jenkins

“As the closet door closed and the darkness consumed her, she lost all hope of escape.  What had she done that was so bad that caused her to warrant this prison sentence? This little mischievous girl had made the mistake of misbehaving.  Her punishment: Eternal darkness – or so it seemed. In this place one minute seemed like an hour and an hour a day.  Would anyone come to rescue her from this lifeless tomb? (Satan and his imps had set the stage for their wicked plan to trap this child who had escaped death once.  But not again, this time it would be a slow and consuming death of hopelessness and despair.  Their dark weapon of choice, fear …” Taken from “Beyond the Closet Door”

 

The “Boogie Man” was real to this little girl, as real as the adult who sentenced her to an inordinate punishment in the darkness of a closet.  Somewhere in the midst of this tragic event, the little girl lost the sense of security she needed to feel safe and unfortunately, she had trouble recovering even as an adult.  Long after her maturity erased the possibility of a “Boogie Man”, the fear remained.  I am that little girl.

God gives us the gift of procreation to build His kingdom for righteousness sake on the earth. Children are a by-product of that gift and should be treasured as one of the most precious entities on the earth.  In America we have forgotten the value of a child.  Child porn is as available on the Internet as access to your bank account.  Sex trafficking of minors is on an all time rise, worldwide and the current economic woes of our nation are an ever increasing factor that contributes to child abuse within our neighborhoods and within the bedrooms of our own homes.  So what does a fallen world do about the thief label “abuse” that methodically robs the innocence of both little boys and girls worldwide?  We become an informed community, we empower parents to be better parents, and we fall in love with children again as a nation and do whatever is necessary to “rescue” them. 

Let’s look at some statistics: 

  • A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.  (Can you imagine how many incidents of abuse are not reported?)
  • Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse.  More than three out of four are under the age of 4.
  • 90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members.
  • Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.[1]

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has an organization called Child Welfare Information Gateway.  This organization connects child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.

Their research has found that successful interventions must both reduce risk factors and

promote protective factors to ensure the well-being of children and families.

 The following protective factors are linked to a lower incidence of child abuse and neglect.  These factors are relevant in all socio-economic groups and cross all cultural boundaries. They are: 

  • Nurturing and Attachment – Bonding of the parent with the child in the early developmental stages.
  • Knowledge of Parenting and of Child and Youth Development – Educating parents on how to successfully raise children and empowering them to do so effectively.
  • Parental Resilience – Teaching parents how to bounce back after crises and enabling them to seek support if necessary.
  • Social Connections – Eliminating the isolation that often comes with the risk factors associated with abuse.  Having a social entity that fosters relationships in the community.
  • Concrete Supports for Parents – Having social and community agencies that offer dependable, reliable, and effective support for parents that are accessible.[2]

 

As a child abuse prevention advocate, I admonish you to take an active role in your community to prevent child abuse.  When we value children, we value our future.  Become a “rescuer” in your community.  For more information about this topic visit www.childwelfare.gov, I care and so should you.


[1] National Child Abuse Statistics, Childhelp, www.childhelp.org

[2] Strengthening Families and Communities Resource Guide 2011, www.childwelfare.gov.

 

About the Author

Sharon Jenkins shares her very personal story of how she went from victim to victor over abuse. The book Beyond the Closet Door… is centered on her closet experience as toddler and how this experience of neglect has shaped every life experience she has had since then. She chronicles its effect from that point through her adulthood. This book is not about blame but perseverance. The silent scream of abuse continues to cry out in this nation and as an advocate for the abused she has made it her personal mission to help others child abuse adult victims “stop the hurting.”

Known locally as The Master Communicator, the author is proficient in communicating the plight of the abused child in this revelatory book. Ms. Jenkins is a motivational speaker and workshop facilitator. She is also the co-author of another inspirational book, Songs of Three Sisters, and an avid contributor to local magazines and newspapers. She is current a writer for Beauty Come Forth E-Magazine.

About the Book

Sharon C. Jenkins celebrates the demonstrated power of faith to heal adult child abuse victims. All sufferers of child abuse deal with emotional issues in the aftermath of their oppression, whether it is physical, sexual, verbal, or mental. This work of nonfiction furnishes the breath of life for hope found within the resurrected soul touched by Calvary’s cost and empowers them to find purpose for their once shattered lives

Book Review by Linda Fegins

Author Sharon C. Jenkins’s book Behind the Closet Door: Christ’s Rescue from Abuse is a creative, yet biblically based ,  and compassionate   tool to aid in the healing process for those who have suffered physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

 Ms. Jenkins describes her dark hours of abuse as well as shares the various stories from other real life persons who had the courage to describe their tales of abuse and fear without making the reader feel overwhelmed by the ugliness of this evil. She wisely has woven biblical scripture of hope and healing after each story. She focuses on how God loves those who have been victimize, that they are worthy of love and good treatment and how God can heal the hurt and help them overcome the negative effects of such abuse. Significantly she provides ample space for the reader to journal. In the journal section, after a chapter, she asked questions to allow those who may have suffered from abuse to write their story or to share their deep-seated pain.

April is National Child Abuse Month. If you know of a child that is being abused please contact your local authorities and or your local child abuse hotline. If you have been abused or know of someone please seek the Lord and pray for nothing is beyond the reach of the Lord, but take action by getting the spiritual and secular counseling necessary and read this book. The journaling aspects of the book will be helpful.

 

Purchase the Book Online at:

Amazon.com

BooksaMillion.com

BarnesandNoble.com

 For More Information 

 Visit the author online at:  www.sharoncjenkins.com

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“Who I’ve Become is NOT Who I AM” by Sonya Visor


Take Off the Mask Blog Tour
Who I’ve Become is NOT who I AM, is Sonya Visor’s first non-fiction book. Her passion is to minister to the people who hide behind masks. Sonya’s calling is to break and destroy the yokes of bondage, releasing the power of God into the lives of others by the preached Word and prayers of deliverance. When you can find the strength, to step into who you truly are; you can find the strength to BE THE (Tru U). TruU Ministries is the women’s ministry that God has charged her with to help other’s become free.
Sonya shares her heart with her husband, Pastor Tony Visor, who she calls her better half, for nineteen years. She and her husband have ministered effectively in the city of Racine together at NCC since 1999. Sonya is blessed to love two sons, Jason and Tony, Jr. Visit her online at sonyavisor.com.

About the Book
Who are you when nobody’s looking? It’s time to take off what hides who you truly are…the mask! Are you tired of going around family, friends and church folk with a frozen smile and a broken heart? Unmask your true identity and learn your real name as pastor’s wife and playwright Sonya Visor cuts to the heart with dynamic testimony of sexual molestation at a young age.
BEING SILENT GAVE POWER to the hands that touched her life. Can hands meant to protect you also have the power to crush your identity? YES! But when we stop allowing a mask of shame to hold us captive with CLOSED mouths, WE CAN let Jesus be real in our lives.
Discover who you have become and embrace who you really are in a book that goes past the pews and what other’s think about you — to bring glory to God by being transparent and transformed. It’s time to take off your mask and let the true you show up!

Book Review by Linda Fegins
Initially I was not enthused about having to read this book. However, Sonya Visor’s passion for helping hurting women and men to be healed, delivered and freed from captivity by taking off the mask shines through and demonstrates the glorious healing power of Jesus. The book is more than a story about having suffered the trauma of sexual abuse, remaining silent and hiding one’s pain and true self by putting on a mask to hide secrets. It’s about overcoming the silence of shame and gaining freedom from the societal and self-imposed yokes of bondages that cause one to put on a mask to hide the wounds and shame, to pretend that all is well. Paul Laurence Dunbar said
“We were the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes:”

Sonya gives real life practical examples of the different masks many wear for many reasons. Her descriptions such as Ms. Gucci, Mr. Do Good , the Bethany’s and others will make you laugh and say “ I know about that one” or identify with the pain of cover up and silence. She encourages one to take off the mask and to be transparent so that Jesus can heal you internally. The book is lined with practical and spiritual pointers of how to take off the mask, how to remain free and daring to be true to yourself. The book will encourage readers to seek true freedom by discovering their true identity in Jesus and unmask the true you.

We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,–
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

Sonya challenges you to take of f the mask, to be transparent, transformed and let the true you shine through.

A Message from Sonya
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taD1hkwGWME&hl=en_US&fs=1]

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/TakeOffTheMask

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