Today's guest blogger is Karen Pickering, founder of Lytroo Retreat to minister to women who have been sexually abused. It is an opportunity to talk to Biblical counselors who can help you shift your focus from your painful past to a hope filled future. She is a certified Biblical Counselor with IABC. You can read more of Karen's writing here.
Proverbs 31:8-9 “Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”
What are you doing to prevent sexual abuse? If your response is, “That’s not an issue I have had to deal with…”, think again. One in three women and one in 6 men have been abused or assaulted. It is in our neighborhoods, schools and churches. 90% of abuse cases are caused by someone the victim knows well. Often the abuse is happening right under our noses. It is caused by people we know and trust. In order to prevent the abuse we need to look for patterns. We need to teach our children to avoid certain behaviors that are common among those who would victimize them. I have made some lists that are on my resource page. If you have contact with children at all I would encourage you to print it out.
One of the newest threats to our children and teenagers is the internet. More and more our children are gaining easy access to content that is way beyond inappropriate. Anne Marie Miller has written an excellent article that I feel is a must read. It is on my resource page.
For those who are struggling with the fall out of sexual abuse or assault I would recommend the Biblical Counseling Coalition three part post. It can also be found on my resource page. In addition, Lytroo retreat will be held November 1-3, 2013 in Wisconsin. It is a small group setting where women can get the help they need to deal with past hurts. Click on the Retreat Information tab to get more details.
I’ll ask you again. What are you doing to prevent sexual abuse? We as Christians must determine to be proactive. This affects all of us. It is time to join the battle.
I Peter 5:8 – “Be sober of spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour;”
Karen moved from North Dakota to Wisconsin in her 20′s. She volunteers at the Seed of Hope Center in Hartford and West Bend, WI and also spent three years as a Hospice volunteer. She is a wife, mother and grandmother. Her passion is discipleship. Karen is friendly, caring and reserved with a determined spirit. She has been known to spend all day at auctions and enjoys music, cooking, travel and a good cup of tea.
Labels: Guest Blogger