Sometimes we believe we had a choice in the abuse. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Klara sent me an email over the holiday break sharing her story.

This discussion addresses the many real problems and heart issues with moving into the holiday season without your family of origin.

We discuss what it felt like for us, we share stories of starting the journey of healing by moving away from families of incest, and what new traditions we created and how we've made it through.

I'm taking a break from this podcast. I will return in January of 2025 restored, refreshed and ready to go.

Blessings to your holiday season and the New Year!

Protect | Prevent | Empower - PPD Kids

Sonni and Bob Wilson join me in this episode t discuss their nonprofit. Sonni also share her story of abuse growing up and how empowered her to move in this direction to help.

They work with churchs on policy and procedures on how to watch for predators in church environments. They hope to bring technology for facial recognition so pedophiles cannot move from church to church unnoticed.

Latarsha has joined me before. She gave birth to her father's child in her senior year at 18 year olds. She raised him keeping the secret hidden until she was about 40 years old (you can listen to her entire story in an earlier episode).

In this interview we talk about how she "knew the church" but didn't have the intimacy with Jesus that she needed. She stepped away from ministry to catch the spirit of God and moved deeper into relationship with him.

We all need to remember that God didn't hurt us, the Spirit of Religion did.

Join us for this beautiful conversation.

The interview with Priscilla Bordayo sparked questions and I heard from many of you. Emily and I discuss many of those questions and reactions. Unscripted and raw we go through the emotions left after listening to the Priscilla episode.

God indeed wants to keep us from harm a safe distance away from those that sexually abused us.

Teachers like Joyce Meyer and Beth Moore promote a form of absolution to sexually abusive parents. I would argue that absolution is not theirs to give.

My thoughts recorded here . . .

Priscilla works for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice and does a lot of advocacy work. She will have @RealTalkKim at her conference for sexual abuse survivors in the next month.

Priscilla shares her own story of her childhood sexual crimes that began at the age of 8 with her cousins. At 12 years old she was raped by her father who pastored a small church in Texas. She tells her sister of the rape and the twin sister hides in her room and witnesses it with her own eyes. Later, Priscilla lied when they were removed from the home to protect her father.

We discuss:

Does forgiveness still protect her father if he is not held to accountability?

In families of incest these matters of forgiveness must be taken very seriously, with wisdom, to keep the children in the family safe.

Break the family code of secrecy!

Joeann is the author of Taking a Different Path, Finding Joy in the Journey. Joeann shares how her sexual abuse started at the age of 5 and continued until 11 or 12. What residual changes lasted, how do emotions take a backseat and how to we find the strengthen to believe ourselves and stand up and fight for ourself.

Join us for this lively discussion where we talk about our sexuality, pornography and so much more.

Clip discussing the greatest gift of family toxic change -- making a brighter future for the next generation!