# Free Indeed ## Posts - [Grace to Sin?](https://freeindeed5.com/grace-to-sin/): I once was told by a fellow mom that she thought that God had special grace for mothers. This woman was and is also a leader in ministry at her church. I remember thinking to myself what nonsense this statement was, thinking “where in the bible does it say that?!” In actuality, the bible says something very different. One of the characteristics we see of God consistent throughout scripture is he is impartial, unchanging and perfect in His judgements and there is no favoritism or uneven scales when you and I go before Him. Romans 2 speaks of God’s righteous judgement […] - [Self-harming Tendencies after Abuse, Part II](https://freeindeed5.com/self-harming-tendencies-after-abuse-part-ii/): In my previous post I touched on the distortion of God’s perfect design that childhood sexual abuse victims experience towards their bodies and views of self. Self-contempt and self-harming tendencies are not of God, but I believe are key tools of the evil ones to keep their subject in bondage. I experienced severe forms of self-contempt that manifested as eating disorders for nine years of my life starting when I was about 13 years old. I once heard someone diagnose a friend’s eating disorder as a “vanity disorder….” Although vanity may be a tool in some stage of an eating disorder, […] - [Self-harming Tendencies After Abuse, Part I](https://freeindeed5.com/self-harming-tendencies-after-abuse-part-i/): Ephesians 5:29 “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church…” Psalm 139:14 “I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” In God’s perfect design we were supposed to have an innate sense of being “fearfully and wonderfully made” and to have a natural love and care for our own body. This in and of itself is not sinful but rather how we were created and a picture of Christ and his care for the church. Those who have been sexually abused as children often (or perhaps always) have had this innate sense […] - [For His Glory](https://freeindeed5.com/for-his-glory/): For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by home we cry “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15 Joseph was sold into slavery by those who were supposed to love and care for him… I was sold into slavery to fear by the very ones who were supposed to love me by God’s perfect design… but now God says I am no longer to be a bondservant to men, but a bondservant to Christ, who instead of giving a spirit of slavery to fear as men give, […] - [He Ran to Me](https://freeindeed5.com/he-ran-to-me/): I once saw a book sitting on the shelf of someone I cared for that was about life after marrying a “prodigal son,” apparently giving advice to spouses of such terribly labeled people. If you have been in church circles long enough you have surely heard prayer requests for all the “prodigal sons,” usually referring to adult children who were raised to know better but then went off into drugs and alcohol or some grossly sinful lifestyle. What if these conceptions are completely missing the heart of the parable? In the parable it shows one of the most beautiful pictures of […] - [Love of the Truth](https://freeindeed5.com/love-of-the-truth/): I believe we are living in a time of increasing deception. One of the first signs of the end times mentioned in the bible is being led astray (Matthew 24:4) Deception is clearly a characteristic of Satan “…the father of lies” … (John 8:44) and unless we are lovers of the truth, we will be counted with those led astray unto condemnation. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 lays out a terrible fate for those who “refused to love the truth and so be saved” … “who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” … they are given over to the […] - [Trusting Him](https://freeindeed5.com/trusting-him/): If my ailments and struggles have made me more reliant on God and kept me close to Him, then I thank and praise Him- in that He in His infinite loving wisdom allowed what only He could know would draw me ever closer to Him. I have met many people over the course of my life who spend all their life, their time, money and energy, seeking to “fix” their bodies and to control every aspect of what may disrupt their very delicate sense of balance. I have read books on these types of methods of dealing with the aftermath of […] - [No Longer a Victim](https://freeindeed5.com/no-longer-a-victim/):   One of the ways an abuse survivor is kept crippled in their walk as a follower of Christ is in accepting a state of victimhood. This is something I have seen so clearly in my own life and the life of other victims is how victim mentality and self-pity can stunt any growth spiritually and often render the person powerless in their walk with Christ. A person in a victim mentality will never see their own sin, or at least not in any seriousness compared to the sins of others. I see this as one of the greatest hinderances to […] - [By Faith](https://freeindeed5.com/by-faith/): Do we walk by faith, or by sight? Do we let ourselves ride the waves of our emotions in discerning difficulties, of what is good and what is evil? Are we led by our sensual wisdom? Or are we led by God alone in faith, do we “lean not on our own understanding” but in ALL our ways, our emotions acknowledge Him? We will never see clearly to do and say what is right and of God in the midst of trial if we are controlled by our own emotions. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile […] - [Thoughts & Emotions](https://freeindeed5.com/thoughts-emotions/): Many of the following posts will have to do with thoughts and emotions in particular, as these are areas that those with childhood sexual abuse experience much damage due to the trauma during developmental stages. This is an area of struggle and a battleground for every Christian, but is magnified in some ways for the victim. By God’s grace every Christian is called to take their thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) regardless of the depths of struggle, this is war worth fighting if we are to abide in Christ. I say this knowing the fragmentation, the […] - [Source of Power](https://freeindeed5.com/source-of-power/): Witchcraft is relying on any power other than God… with many of the “fixes” I have encountered, methods for dealing with the ongoing effects of childhood sexual abuse, there is one aspect of these solutions that stands out to me that helps me decide whether I as a follower of Christ should engage with such methods. The aspect I see is every fix, every solution, every healing seems to come from one of three places. Either the healing comes from God, myself, or some other “force” or entity or “energy” or power. I would suggest that the methods I have seen all […] - [Set Free](https://freeindeed5.com/set-free/): I once came across a video relating the story of the amazing transformation of a large dog, crippled with fear, cage-bound and unable to function normally. This was a video without words, just clips showing the progression of the story. In the beginning of the video a woman was taking a large dog home, but the large dog would not move a muscle, he was in a lying position with head down and wouldn’t move, as if frozen with paralysis. It was obvious the dog had been badly abused. She had to drag him on a blanket to the car. The […] ## Pages - [About](https://freeindeed5.com/about/): This blog does not exist to present any quick-fix or step-by-step guide to fix what is broken… this is a humble attempt to share lessons I have learned while seeking to live a life pleasing to God through Christ after the shattering damage of childhood sexual abuse. My hope is to help in any way possible to point others to the one true hope, the truth, the life, the person of Christ Jesus, who I believe wants to be all in all to the abuse victim and lead them on a journey of love and life and freedom… to gently draw […] ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/freeindeed5.com/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)