There are only two ways to live your life. One is that nothing is a miracle. The other is that everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein
Dear Friends,
This Christmas is a time for encouragement, wisdom and uplifting messages for all of us. No matter our situation, we all need light and hope for the future year. We wish you, our stalwart, hard working, and dedicated friends of CCSF, a very Merry Christmas and God’s blessings throughout next year!
This month’s e-newsletter includes:
Holiday Bill of Rights
“Learn from This” – A true story
Signs You Are Healing
With great expectations for the new year.
Stop the Abuse, Heal the Family, Change the Future
Email: ccsf.hope@gmail.com
Website: https://www.ccsfhope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristianCoalitionforSafeFamilies
Christian Coalition for Safe Families December 2021
Holiday Bill of Rights
From National Network to End Domestic Violence Facebook post 11/28/21
This holiday season, I , _________, reserve the right to:
- Choose how I want to spend the holidays
- Do only what feels right
- Let people help
- Feel however I feel
- Talk about it – or don’t
- Take care of myself
- Hold onto hope
“Learn From This”
The dear friend of CCSF’s founder wrote this. It is a true story.
During the Christmas holidays, I was walking through a colorfully decorated mall, I stopped at the sight of a man holding a laughing infant up so she could see herself in a mirrored display. Other package-laden shoppers pushed on by as I stood enjoying the sweetness of the baby’s smiles and squeals of delight at seeing herself in the mirrors. I sensed a thought within me quietly saying, “Learn from this!”
Later at home, warming my hands around a steaming cup of tea, I reviewed the scene in my mind’s eye and wondered why it had attracted my attention. Yes, this was my first Christmas season with our family separated. My husband was working over a thousand miles away and the demands of a full-time job left me little energy for the children and household chores. There never seemed to be enough money for the doubled living costs, and now Christmas meant extra expenses. Yes, I was more than a little disheartened by my situation. What could it possibly mean, “learn from this?”
Propping up my throbbing feet, I thought of a favorite Scripture, Isaiah 46:4: “You who have been borne by Me from birth… I have carried from the womb; even to your old age I will be the same… I will bear you! I have done it and I will carry you; I will deliver you.” Suddenly, I knew! He was telling me through His word and through the example I’d seen in the baby’s delightful manner a pure trust in her daddy’s holding her and the fun they were having together. It was an attitude that Jesus wanted of me!
My trusting and resting in His Word turned into my own personal joy a few days later when He delivered me of my holiday expense problems through an unexpected Christmas bonus check of $500. Not only that, but He carried away more of my financial distress when I received a memo from my boss telling me that I was receiving $100 a month salary increase.
“Jesus, thank You so very much for Your special way of carrying me through difficulties and delivering me out of my troubles. You never cease in giving. Thank You for reminding me how to remain in a receiving, trusting attitude.”
Donna
Signs You Are Healing
From Northwest Family Life and crazyheadcomics
You have accepted that you’ve gone through something difficult.
- You welcome support
- You are learning to manage your emotions
- You feel safe in your relationships
- You feel more in control of yourself
- You don’t feel ashamed of your trauma
- You can set, enforce, and communicate your boundaries
- You can recognize and cope with your triggers
- When something goes wrong, you don’t automatically blame yourself
- You feel comfortable expressing your needs, feelings & opinions
©2021 Christian Coalition for Safe Families
Christian Coalition for Safe Families 