A blog to educate, bring hope, and healing to all forms of abuse, bullying, and violence. We don't put a band-aid on abuse/bullying we offer complete healing and restoration to victims, bystanders, and bullies. Bullying is a behavior not who a person is.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Why Wait? Make Money Now & Stop Abuse
#1 Advertisement. Companies that excel Advertise. They use all their resources; websites, blogging, twitter, facebook, myspace, generating timely press releases, sending out flyers and business materials, etc.
#2 Stay Current. Companies that excel in the business world Stay Current. They keep up on current trends, changes, and what's happening in the world.
#3 Meet Needs. Companies that excel in today's economic crisis Meet Needs. They plug their products and marketing into the needs of the people as well as the needs in the business industry.
#4 Target Audience. Companies that excel in today's competitive world have a Target Audience.They target a certain people and business in broad spectrum and work on reaching them and meeting their needs.
#5 Create Something New. Companies that excel and advance Create Something New. They take an idea that has already been done and put a spin or a twist on it to create something new, exciting, and current. Everyone wants the new more updated version of everything. It's human nature.
#6 Show Don't Tell. Companies that excel have a unique way of Showing Instead of Telling. They use short well-written articles, graphs, pictures, charts, and important statistics to draw readership attention which then in turn generates business and traffic. Traffic equals sales.
#7 Spend A Little, Get A Lot. Companies that excel invest in training and learning programs. With the little they spend to either get trained on how to write excellent blogs/articles or by choosing to hire a freelance writer, they save time and make even more money. Articles that use key words will draw traffic to your site, and traffic equals money for you or your business.
Why listen to me? I'm just an abused, runaway, 7th grade drop out, right? Actually, yes, I quit school in the 7th grade, I did runaway, I was horribly abused, went through two abusive marriages, nearly died many times, and my children were sexually assaulted by their biological father.
Yet at 26, a single mother of three I got my GED, went onto college, maintained a 4.0, made the Dean's List, graduated with an Associates Degree, landed my first publication in Guideposts for Teens Magazine (which is no beginning market), won the Writer of the Year Award (twice), had more than 500 articles/stories published in 35+ magazines, have five books on the market, teach writing at schools, conferences and online, founded two non-profits, helped more than 200 needy/abused families and pets, developed the curriculum for Abuse Bites our Anti-Bullying program (pre-K thru High School), became an Award-Winning Certified Pet Therapist & Dog Trainer, and now am the Healing Projects Specialist for the Bully Police USA.
I'm not bragging. I'm simply saying if I can accomplish all of that after not even graduating from high school, surely anyone or business owner can too. They just need the WRITE tools and the ability to never give up no matter how hard or long the journey becomes.
Writing is the most important thing to having a business. If you are a good writer, you can draw attention to and virtually sell anything. So I'm offering a four week online interactive writing workshop entitled "How To Get Published" for only $50 to help any individual/business owner who wants to take the initiative and really get their business off the ground. Writing Workshop
And the really great bonus is this: All of the money we take in will actually go to stop abuse, bullying and violence all over the USA in memory of our dear son, Brian, who passed away a few months ago. His Story
Monday, October 25, 2010
1$ in CHANGE to Stop Abuse, Bullying, & Violence
I am asking everyone around the world, every city, state, country, and nation to donate/give $1 American Dollar to the cause so we can use your spare CHANGE to CHANGE the world & Stop Abuse, Bullying and Violence.
We will use this money to travel all over the USA/World to educate others on how to get safe from abuse, bullying and violence. Every penny is tax deductible.
Our son Brian was bullied all his life. He lived and died forgiving his bullies. After he died we found a CHANGE jar he'd been saving. We knew right away we were supposed to collect CHANGE to be the CHANGE for him and others who are bullied. RIP Brian 6/27/88 to 8/10/10.
Our son Jeremiah was nearly bullied to death. Our son Robert was a cutter and had 2 nervous breakdowns due to abuse. Our daughter Melissa was nearly choked to death in school and labeled "gay" because she chose not to date and save herself for the right man.
Please consider taking the $1 CHANGE CHALLENGE TODAY and tell all your email buddies, FB friends, and Twitter followers. We need your support to STOP ABUSE, BULLYING & VIOLENCE. Can you give just $1? If not, give what you can, pass this on, pray for us and our mission, and leave it in God's hands.
You can donate online @ http://www.takeabiteoutofabuse.com/change.html. Or send check or money order payable to: A Time To Heal
CHANGE to STOP ABUSE
PO BOX 1582
Owosso, MI 48867
Thank you for partnering with us!
The Abuse Bites Team
www.abusebites.com
Monday, October 11, 2010
Education Key to Stop Bullycide & All Forms of Bullying
Thursday, August 26, 2010
How To Stop Bullying
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Brian—He Lived and Died Forgiving His Bullies
Brian was many times misunderstood by his peers, adults, and even his teachers.
Born with Asperger's Syndrome, he had his own unique way of communicating. He had to touch, smell, and taste everything around him. I remember when he was really little going into Meijer's shopping and he closed his eyes and ran his hands through rows of clothes on either side and then came to grips with a woman's pregnant belly and began feeling that too. Thankfully the lady just laughed it off and saw Brian for who he was a very unique and explorative child.
Instead of reading children's books, Brian read the dictionary and Bible mostly. The morning of his passing he read the first chapter in Ruth. So intelligent, there wasn't much he didn't know. People thought he was weird or wasn't paying attention most of the time, even his teachers complained, but he always knew what was going on, and even more. He saw the world through God's eyes.
Although he was bullied by others since his feet first hit the ground, he loved who he was, learned to forgive them, and focused on helping others who were hurting.
Due to a congenital heart defect and only two chambers in his heart, Doctors said Brian wouldn't live to be a year old. Yet with prayer, love, and faith we watched him overcome every obstacle in his way. But Brian was the one with the most amazing faith. One that is rare to find. Because every time he faced surgery, couldn't breathe, or nearly died, he looked at me and said, "Mom just pray."
No matter how sick he was, how bad he hurt, or what he had to go through, he rarely complained. When I'd ask, "How you feeling Brian?" he'd reply with "I'm good!" and stick his thumb in the air with a bright smile.
It didn't take much to cheer him up. Mostly he was the one doing the cheering! Born with a great sense of humor, he always had the ability to make everyone, especially nurses and doctors laugh. A practical joker of sorts, he was always pulling a fast one on someone. He loved to poke fun at new techs, nurses, and doctors.
He loved many things in life. The Lord Jesus was top on that list. He'd given his life to the Lord at a very young age and seldom wavered. Next would be his family and dogs. He loved Snickers, Baby Ruth, and Wanakiya. They loved him just as much. The day before Brian passed, Baby Ruth would not leave his side. And any time he had to be away from home in the hospital, a visit from therapy dogs always made his day. When he was home and well, he enjoyed going on pet therapy visits to cheer others up.
Brian also loved to cook, and was one of the best. The morning he went home to be with the Lord, the house smelled so yummy it took me away from my computer. I knew he was up and asked what he was making. He said, "The usual." It was one of his delicious hamburgers. He cooked steaks, potatoes, and made some mean macaroni and cheese. And he brought me breakfast many times to my computer. But his all time church favorite is when he would cook hotdogs on the grill for all the players, family, and friends.
Brian loved to serve others, help others, and heal others. It didn't take any persuading for him to jump on board when there was a mission to accomplish. He helped the family teach pet therapy, he helped in parades and other events, and kept the dogs under control during Take A Bite Out Of Abuse presentations. He was passionate about stopping bullying, abuse, and violence and helping others so they wouldn't hurt like he had. That is why when the kids found a jar of his change that he'd been saving and brought it to me, God immediately gave me the idea of using the slogan be the CHANGE FOR BRIAN to raise money to stop abuse, bullying and violence in our country.
He was great with the little money he had and always tithed, bought pizza for everyone, and always managed to save some too.
He wanted a job more than anything. Each summer since the age of 13 he worked in the Baker College Summer Youth program. He worked in the kitchen at the hospital, cleaned the schools and grounds in Corunna, and even worked at Oak Hill Cemetery. Nothing he did was easy for him. He'd underwent several heart surgeries and near death experiences from 13 on. He was even placed on the heart transplant list after receiving a mechanical aortic valve and pacemaker at 16. Yet, he persevered, and graduated with honors from Owosso High School in 2007.
As soon as he graduated he put applications in everywhere. But with his underlying conditions and our tough economy, he never got a paying job. But he worked. He worked harder than most young men his age who are healthy. Any time the family was planning an event, he was right beside them every step of the way, packaging candy for a parade, toting boxes, packing the van, you name it, he did it.
If you never got to know Brian, you missed out. He was one of the few people that are real in the world. He never judged, never had a bad word to say about anyone, and always thought positively. Even the many times he faced death, he'd say, "Mom don't worry, I'm not afraid to die. I know where I'm going."
I know where Brian is today, in heaven in the arms of Jesus. I do mourn for our great loss, but not for him, because I know he's happy, healthier than he's ever been, and totally free, but mostly I mourn for those who have never accepted Jesus and are still bitter and unforgiving of their bullies.
It's time we make a CHANGE in our lives, a CHANGE in our communities, have a CHANGE of heart and be the CHANGE for Brian to stop abuse, bullying and violence http://www.takeabiteoutofabuse.com/change.html.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Let's Call "Pornography" What It Is!
A lot of people say, "It's okay to look as long as you don't touch."
Wrong! Dead wrong!
My x-husband was addicted to pornography. Our minister and every marriage counselor we saw seemed to look at me as the one who needed to give more. I obviously wasn't meeting my husband's needs or he wouldn't turn to porn.
NOT!
He was addicted to pornography! He had the problem! He needed help! But since I was always getting fingers pointed at me, I stayed with him, thinking if I gave him more, loved him more, etc, he would change.
HE DIDN'T!
He had affairs! He gave me a venereal disease! But worse—He molested our three small children!
DON'T FOOL YOURSELF PORNOGRAPHY IS ABUSE!
*I share our true heart wrenching story in my book, "The Pictures That Destroy the Mind" how I had to fight for the safety of my kids, how I got them back after my ex kidnapped them, and how I reclaimed my relationship with God even though others in the church didn't help or support what I was going through.
Jesus clearly stated that "to look at a woman/man with lust in the eye is committing adultery." Matthew 5:28 Pornography is adultery. Pornography is sin. Everyone sins. Get free today!
GET HELP FOR YOUR FAMILY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
*Another book God led me to write "Coming Out Of Sexual Addiction" will help those who are struggling with porn to heal.
Statistics on Pornography's Effect on Families and Marriages
47% percent of families said pornography is a problem in their home (Focus on the Family Poll, October 1, 2003).
The Internet was a significant factor in 2 out of 3 divorces (American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in 2003 - divorcewizards.com).
Pornography Addiction and Industry Statistics
As of 2003, there were 1.3 million pornographic websites; 260 million pages (N2H2, 2003).
The total porn industry revenue for 2006: $13.3 billion in the United States; $97 billion worldwide (Internet Filter Review).
U.S. adult DVD/video rentals in 2005: almost 1 billion (Adult Video News).
Hotel viewership for adult films: 55% (cbsnews.com).
Unique worldwide users visiting adult web sites monthly: 72 million (Internet Filter Review).
Number of hardcore pornography titles released in 2005 (U.S.): 13,588 (Internet Filter Review).
Adults admitting to Internet sexual addiction: 10%; 28% of those are women (Internet Filter Review).
More than 70% of men from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month (comScore Media Metrix).
More than 20,000 images of child pornography posted online every week (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 10/8/03).
Approximately 20% of all Internet pornography involves children (National Center for Mission & Exploited Children).
100,000 websites offer illegal child pornography (U.S. Customs Service estimate).
As of December 2005, child pornography was a $3 billion annual industry (Internet Filter Review).
"At a 2003 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, two thirds of the 350 divorce lawyers who attended said the Internet played a significant role in the divorces in the past year, with excessive interest in online porn contributing to more than half such cases. Pornography had an almost non-existent role in divorce just seven or eight years ago." (Divorcewizards.com)
Christians, Pastors and Church Pornography Statistics
A 1996 Promise Keepers survey at one of their stadium events revealed that over 50% of the men in attendance were involved with pornography within one week of attending the event.
51% of pastors say cyber-porn is a possible temptation. 37% say it is a current struggle (Christianity Today, Leadership Survey, 12/2001).
Over half of evangelical pastors admits viewing pornography last year.
Roger Charman of Focus on the Family's Pastoral Ministries reports that approximately 20 percent of the calls received on their Pastoral Care Line are for help with issues such as pornography and compulsive sexual behavior.
In a 2000 Christianity Today survey, 33% of clergy admitted to having visited a sexually explicit Web site. Of those who had visited a porn site, 53% had visited such sites “a few times” in the past year, and 18% visit sexually explicit sites between a couple of times a month and more than once a week.
29% of born again adults in the U.S. feel it is morally acceptable to view movies with explicit sexual behavior (The Barna Group).
57% of pastors say that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation (Christians and Sex Leadership Journal Survey, March 2005).
Statistics on Women with Pornography Addiction
28% those admitting to sexual addiction are women (internet-filter-review.com).
34% of female readers of Today's Christian Woman's online newsletter admitted to intentionally accessing Internet porn in a recent poll and 1 out of every 6 women, including Christians, struggles with an addiction to pornography (Today’s Christian Woman, Fall 2003).
Statistics on Child Pornography Use
9 out of 10 children aged between the ages of 8 and 16 have viewed pornography on the Internet, in most cases unintentionally (London School of Economics January 2002).
Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography: 11 years old (Internet Filter Review).
Largest consumer of Internet pornography: 12 - 17 year-old age group (various sources, as of 2007).
Adult industry says traffic is 20-30% children (NRC Report 2002, 3.3).
Youth with significant exposure to sexuality in the media were shown to be significantly more likely to have had intercourse at ages 14 to 16 (Report in Pediatrics, April, 2006).
"Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent (and obscene) material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions."
- U.S. Department of Justice, Post Hearing Memorandum of Points and Authorities, at l, ACLU v. Reno, 929 F. Supp. 824 (1996).
Statistics on Online Perpetrators
1 in 7 children who use the internet have been sexually solicated - 2005. (Internet Filter Review)
1 in 4 kids participate in Real Time Chat. (FamilyPC Survey, 2000).
1 in 5 children (10 to 17 years old) receives unwanted sexual solicitations online (Youth Internet Safety Survey, U.S. Department of Justice, 2001).
2 in 5 abductions of children ages 15-17 are due to Internet contact (San Diego Police Dept.).
76% of victims in Net-initiated sexual exploitation cases were 13-15, 75% were girls.
"Most cases progressed to sexual encounters" - 93% of the face-to-face meetings involved illegal sex (Journal of Adolescent Health, November 2004).
Stats taken from: http://www.safefamilies.org/sfStats.php
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Freedom From Abuse
Freedom From Abuse
As a child I was neglected. Oh I had plenty of food, clothes, and toys. And I guess my parents loved me, but I didn't feel loved or valued. It was like no one listened to me or wanted to hear what I had to say. They didn't want to be bothered with me.
In my search for love and acceptance in my neighborhood, I found abuse. Boys and men used and abused me, and out of fear I let them.
Driven by fear, horrible insecurities set in. And on top of that I was numb. I had this huge aching hole in my heart.
I tried to fill it with everything throughout my teen years; boyfriends, drugs, alcohol, etc, but the hole just got bigger.
At school I was the odd girl out. I wasn't pretty enough and preppy enough to hang out with snotty rich girls. The geeks didn't want me either.
So I ran away. I ran from one thing to the next. Even one state to the next as I hitchhiked around the USA. I didn't find love and acceptance there either. Nope. I suffered even more abuse. And now I was starving, only had the clothes on my back, penniless, taken hostage, raped, and nearly killed.
For years I was trapped in a vicious cycle of abuse. For years I chose men who abused me. Then it began happening to my children.
That's when I drew the line. I tried to stop it before. I tried to get help. I tried to save my failing marriage that I was always told was my fault.
Yep, it was my fault he was addicted to pornography. It was my fault he cheated. And it was my fault he molested our three children.
NOT! It took awhile to get my head on straight, but, at 26 I finally stopped believing the lie. I finally found the TRUTH and the TRUTH is what set me free.
People can lie to us and tell us they'll change. We can lie to ourselves and try to believe the abuse will get better. Or we can face the truth, that we cannot change anyone, they have to want to get help. Sadly, most people who abuse want to get help, but they're afraid of being judged if they seek it. They're also believing the lie.
Anyone can get free. I know. I did.
As long as you have breath in your body it's not too late. It's your choice. Will you remain a prisoner inside your own home believing the lie, or will you let the TRUTH set you free?
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1
Contact Lisa @ lisafreelife@gmail.com Via Web Sites @ http://www.abusebites.com http://www.runtolife.org http://www.atime2heal.org
Sunday, July 11, 2010
STOP ABUSE
T- Turn from any and all abuse patterns or lifestyles you've been living.
O- Open up to someone and tell them what's going on.
P- Plan a way of escape or to break the cycle of abuse off your life.
A- Act on that plan by taking the necessary steps.
B- Band with others so you're not alone.
U- Use all resources in your community that are available to you.
S- Seek counseling.
E- Escape before it's too late.
Any Questions? I'd be happy to chat with you of how I got out of the abuse cycle. Email me directly @ lisafreelife@gmail.com or check out my websites http://www.abusebites.com & http://www.runtolife.org & htttp://www.atime2heal.org
