Healed
From Panic, Abuse, Violence, & Fear
"My life started out rough. I wanted desperately to be loved. My parents gave me everything money could buy, but seldom ever hugs, kisses, or the reassurance of my importance in the family.
"Not finding the love and acceptance I longed for at home, I ventured out on my own, looking for love in all the wrong places. I turned to boys and older men in the neighborhood, thinking they would give me attention. But the attention I received only came in the form of abuse (mostly sexual abuse & sexual harassment).
From there my grades began slipping, I hung out with the wrong crowd, and even became the school bully. I was really afraid of blood, fighting, and getting beat up, it was just one of the many masks I wore to protect myself from further abuse.
"At only thirteen I ran away from home with my older boyfriend. We lived out on the road for over two years, hitchhiking from state to state. Many times I was starving, penniless, and homeless. But thinking that my boyfriend loved me like no one could, I stayed with him. It wasn't enough that I was kidnapped, raped, and nearly killed, but my boyfriend began abusing me too. However, every time when I was in a life threatening situation, I cried out to God, and He miraculously set me free. (Read Lisa's real life story "Run For Your Life")
"But the dating violence and physical abuse continued when I made the poor decision to marry my childhood sweetheart, who, by this time, was addicted to alcohol and drugs.
Now as his wife, I was trapped and tortured in a nightmare of spousal abuse hundreds of miles from my hometown. There didn’t seem to be a way out or any hope. Brutally beaten and stripped of all self worth, I tried to escape.
"Although I finally got away, momentarily, my husband begged me to come back, even crying sorrowful tears, and promising things would be different if I did. Sadly, I fell for his sob story, believing that he loved me and that the abuse would stop. Things were okay for awhile, but then the domestic abuse cycle only intensified.
"This time he nearly killed me.
"Thankfully I escaped. That's when I found the ONE I should have been running to all along--Jesus--and He totally set me free from that abusive lifestyle!
"However, after my marriage to my first husband ended, I plunged into another destructive marriage. Forewarned by the Lord not to marry this man, I decided to go through with it thinking He seemed nice, called me beautiful, opened the doors for me, and even went to church with me. Wow! How could I pass all that up! Besides, I could repent of my disobedience later--God would forgive me, right? Yes, God definitely forgave me, but after seven painful years of marriage I learned why God had told me not to marry this man in the first place--this supposedly Christian husband that I married was addicted to pornography and had molested our three children. (See Book "The Pictures That Destroy The Mind"
Lisa Shares Her Vision On Dating Violence
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"After another painful divorce, I wrestled with terrifying Panic Attacks & Agoraphobia. I didn’t leave my house for over two years. These ongoing phobias robbed me of a normal life, to the point that I was bed ridden...
"Crippled by fear, I nearly died from depression.
"As I lay in my bedroom one night, I turned on the TV. Praise God for Christian television! Joyce Meyers was on. She was talking about all the abuse she had suffered. The more she talked, the more I realized that we had several things in common. We were both abused as children, had suffered through abusive marriages, and had struggled with fear and panic. But, here Joyce was preaching all over the world, in front of thousands of people, while I was still trapped in my bedroom, afraid to even talk to one person.
"Satan knew what he was doing. He was trying to cripple me and keep me from spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But today, thanks to the healing power of God, my mind is sound, I’m delivered from panic and phobia, and I speak out boldly proclaiming what the Lord has done. (This story is told more in depth in my new e-book, "Breaking The Curse.")
"Although there’s a powerful God in Heaven who heals our bodies, minds, and spirits, there are also some really awesome people who make the healing a little easier. John, my current husband, is one of those people. In the midst of my disabling condition, he nurtured, loved, encouraged, and believed in me through it.
"However, the devil nearly destroyed him too. John stumbled into a slight battle with Internet pornography. And to be honest, when I found out, I wanted to divorce him and just run away from the pain and heartache, and never look back. But God showed me another side of this wretched addiction that's destroying couples, families, and even devoted Christians all over the world. With God's help, John overcame his addiction, and I was able to forgive him, and our marriage has never been more loving and intimate. (This story is revealed in "Coming Out of Sexual Addiction" & our marriage book, "She Said, He Said, God Says".)
"Now, together, we put Christ at the center of our lives. We've graduated from the International School Of Ministry with a degree in Christian Ministry. And today, we share our personal, life-changing testimony at various churches, schools, and organizations. We’re excited about the call on our lives and enjoy speaking to groups of all ages.
Currently we're touring Michigan with our new program Take A Bite Out Of Abuse, and feel led to take this message all over the entire United States. We are also praying and believing God for an RV so we can have a roof over our heads while we travel with our four grown kids and two dogs."