As I’m writing this, I’m overstuffed with too much delicious food after enjoying time with family.  My favorite combination of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green bean casserole all mixed together.  With pumpkin pie for dessert, of course!  Yes, a food coma!  Why do we do this to ourselves? Giving thanks relationally is part of expanding our joy capacity, an important function in life in general but also in the healing process. 

Recently master/slave agreements and programming has come up for me and I thought it would be a good thing to chat about.  While this definitely is a part of mind control, it often infects religion, culture, marriage and more.  In the cult, even though one is supposedly the “master” the reality is they are also being controlled by another master.  Everyone is enslaved.

A lot of the time I feel like I have the best job in the world!  Ken and I just finished a beautiful prayer intensive with someone from our community.  There was such a richness and glory to the reconciliation and healing that True FAMILY brought.  Does every session end this way?  Not always.  Often there are hard things to face and there isn’t the fullness of restoration every time.  At least not yet.  But there is hope.  And that is what keeps me going and many in our community. 

It doesn’t sound like a great title after our honeymoon, but I want to address things that come up even when we “should” be having a good time.  For the life of a survivor, memories coming up do not wait for a convenient time.  But we can find grace with True FAMILY to walk through them. 

I am grateful for this time away on our honeymoon although I miss our community greatly!  I was so out of time and space, I forgot to send a newsletter or blog last week but trust you all understand!  All of us need to take a pause every little bit and experience God’s goodness and rest.  I have to say it is not entirely comfortable for me as I love my normal routine, but it is very much needed.  We enjoyed a wonderful time at the beach as well as visiting friends and family.  Soon it will be back to work.

It is hard to believe Our wedding is this Saturday, Oct 4th, 2025!  I can’t express fully the amazing joy and gratitude I have to God for bringing Ken into my life.  I don’t know any other man who would walk with me through my survivor journey as Ken has.  I did not know there were men who could be as sensitive, gentle and caring in the midst of very difficult things.  I know it is the power of God’s love shining through him.

This coming week is our wedding!  It is hard to believe it is already here!  We want to let you know we will be doing communion together during the ceremony and you are welcome to join us, so have some kind of communion elements ready if you’d like.  On our end here, Reba has been busy experimenting with barley crackers.  Why barley?

I recently came across the work of Bob and Polly Hamp and their concepts regarding how our brain functions.  I can get intimidated sometimes when people explain the amazing science of our brain, but I was grateful for the simple explanations they give of some very complex functioning and would like to share some of this here.  (Although I don’t recommend some of the practices they promote, like yoga and neurolinguistic programming.)

I don’t know if normal people feel jumbled, but it is pretty common for survivors.  I feel like I’m blowing my “lighter” week when I am not in groups.  I had things planned.  Lots of things.  And then… Well, one obstacle after another, not to mention parts and processing.  Then the feeling of moving through quicksand.  It feels impossible.  Does one ever get caught up?

For most in the church, there’s not a lot of teaching on our human spirit and its function with our soul and body.  If there is anything, it is usually how our spirit should “beat” our soul and body into submission.  That is not how God works!

In this week’s Testimony Mountain, Nikki Lyn Pugh shares some of her testimony and the challenges and opportunities available for survivors.  We are learning how closely our body is connected to the trauma we experienced as well as our soul and spirit.  For full healing, we need to address all three, not just our soul and parts. 

No, we aren’t canceling the wedding!  But there’s been a shift for us concerning our move to the land.  It has been an interesting journey to say the least.  We had thought originally that we would be moving in this month to our new home.  However, it appears God has other plans.