LatterHouse Decor

AS A SURVIVOR, I FOUND THAT IT IS NOT ALWAYS PHYSICAL ABUSE THAT’S USED AS A MANNER OF CONTROL. I LEARNED IN COUNSELING THAT VERBAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE ARE ALSO FORMS OF VIOLENCE. NO ONE WANTS TO USE IT TO DESCRIBE THEIR MARRIAGE OR RELATIONSHIP. IT’S FAR EASIER TO ADMIT THAT WE HAVE A "BAD RELATIONSHIP" OR THAT "OUR RELATIONSHIP HAS PROBLEMS." BUT WALKING AWAY FROM AN ABUSIVE ENVIRONMENT AND MOVI

NG INTO A PLACE OF PEACE WAS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS I'VE EVER HAD TO DO. I ASKED MYSELF A QUESTION: “WHAT WAS KEEPING ME FROM LEAVING A CONTROLLING AND MANIPULATING ENVIRONMENT?” THIS ABUSE HAD BECOME A PART OF LIFE AND FEAR GRAPPLED ME. CONDEMNING THOUGHTS OF FEAR HELD ME BACK FROM GETTING OUT AND MOVING FORWARD. MY THOUGHTS WERE, [I CAN’T MAKE IT ON MY OWN WITH A SMALL CHILD.] BUT I KNEW THAT I COULD NOT LET ANOTHER DAY PASS AND ALLOW MY LIFE TO BE HELD BACK FROM FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. SO I MADE THE DECISION TO GET OUT AND BREAK THE CYCLE OF ABUSE. AS I SHIFTED GEARS TOWARDS PEACE AND WHOLENESS, I BEGAN VOLUNTEERING WITH THE DECORATING MINISTRY AT MY LOCAL CHURCH. I STARTED RECEIVING DÉCOR PIECES FROM THE MINISTRY THAT WERE NO LONGER BEING UTILIZED TO DECORATE THE CHURCH. AT THE TIME, MY NEW BEGINNING ONLY OFFERED A WHITE CANVAS, BUT I FOUND THAT THESE SWEET DECOR PIECES, THAT WERE GIVEN WITH LOVE, TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF MY TRANSITION AWAY FROM ABUSE. BEAUTIFUL COLORS OF LIFE BEGAN TO DWELL THERE. THIS IS HOW LATTERHOUSE DÉCOR WAS BIRTHED. GOD GAVE ME THIS VISION TO GO AND DO FOR OTHERS WHAT HE FREELY GAVE TO ME. I FOUND IT SO AMAZING HOW IN HELPING OTHERS, GOD HAD SOMETHING FOR ME TO DISCOVER TO MOVE HIS KINGDOM FORWARD. HAD I NOT GONE THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN MY TRUE CALLING. GOD MAKES “BEAUTIFUL THINGS” OUT OF THE DUST AND I HAVE RISEN ABOVE THE ASHES OF DESPAIR AND I HAVE COME OUT GOLDEN.