Here is an atricle from Fox News about how Georgia is changing their sex offender laws. It’s important to know what your states laws are, and how / if they plan on changing them. Georgia is now allowing some sex offenders to pratically live where ever they want to, some to petition to be REMOVED from the sex offender registry, and more.
To get to the article go to this link Georgia Forced to Soften Famously Strict Laws Against Sex Offenders
I would like to share this song with you. This is one of the songs that I held onto very tightly during the time right before court all the way until court was over; and this song still means a lot to me to this day.
The song talks about how he wishes that he had the strength to get out of the boat onto the crashing waves (a reference to when Peter stepped out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus who had called him out onto the water where he was), and to have the strength to stand before a giant. And how the Waves and the Giant are calling out his name, and they laugh at him; reminding him of all the times that he’s tried before and failed…saying “boy, you’ll never win, you’ll never win”. I felt like this was me not just facing the court system, but also facing Jon and his lawyers. I had District attorneys tell me that it would be almost impossible to get a guilty verdict, and one even told me that he wasn’t sure if he believed me or not. Then in court I had to face Jon who the whole time looked at me with such a hateful and revengeful look on his face, and had to deal with his lawyers who had the audacity to try to get me to say that I thought that I was Jon’s child bride!!! THAT MAKES ME SICK!!! I had stepped out of the boat onto the crashing waves, and was facing my giant. Thank you Lord for the strength that you have given me!!!
BUT! there is a VOICE OF TRUTH that “tells me a different story; the VOICE OF TRUTH tells me do not be afraid. The VOICE OF TRUTH says this is for my glory”. This part of the song was Jesus reminding me that I was speaking the voice of truth, and that as long as I was speaking the truth that all would be ok, and for me to not be afraid. And I do give God ALL THE GLORY for giving me the guilty verdict in court. Let the Lord be glorified for what he has done for me!!! The next part of the song says that out of all the voices calling out to him that he will listen to the voice of truth…amen and amen to that!! Always! Always! Listen to the VOICE OF TRUTH that is Jesus Christ!
This part of the song is great too, “I will soar with the wings of eagles when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me”. It’s so hard to describe the feeling that I had when that guilty verdict was read. At the start of court I had no doubt in my mind that Jon would be found guilty…it didn’t even enter my mind that there was any way possible he would not be found guilty. But during the jury’s 14 hours of deliberation I started to worry and to wounder, and started to feel as though my victory was being taken away from me. I heard God asking me if I still trusted Him; my response to Him was, “Of course Lord. I still trust you”. And what a great victory it was that the Lord gave me!!!
The closer that I get to the end of this month (August) the more that I can feel my anxiety level going up. I feel as though evil is being let loose upon the streets to find its next target. For me it’s not a question of if, but of when Jon will make his next move. And I feel as though I should be there to stop it. I don’t really think that Jon will come after me and my family…although…that doesn’t stop me from worrying about it. I also worry about the games that Jon will try to play with his Parole Officer. I hope that his Parole Officer is smarter than him to catch him in his games. I know how Jon works. I have lived through the nightmare of having to survive living with him, and with that comes an understanding of how his mind works. Jon will try to get away with things. It will be small things at first and over time it will turn into bigger things. I’m very worried about the mind games that he will play with people. Notice that I didn’t say “try to play”, but “to play”. Jon always plays mind games with people. There are at least two things that are apart of Jon being able to breathe: 1. lying and 2. mind games.
Imagine a dark black box, and evil is contained in it. And now that box has been opened to let that evil once again roam free. I am speaking of course of my ex step-dad Jon. He was let out of prison yesterday. I don’t feel like his punishment fit his crime. In some ways I feel a little betrayed that he was let out. I know that he has served his full sentence, but it still feels like a betrayal that they would let someone like him out. I do not feel like I was his first victim, and I don’t think that I’ll be his last. The hardest part is knowing that I have done all that I can to stop him, and I don’t think that it will be enough.
Yesterday a friend of mine told me that I should pray for his soul because only Jesus can change a person like Jon. As the truth of that is sinking in…I’m starting to realize that if I truly want to stop him I’ll have to pray for him to get genuinely saved. She is so right…Only Jesus can take that kind of evil out of a person. I’ve worked so hard at forgiving Jon, and sometimes that means doing my best to forgive him daily. I still have some anger towards him for all that he did, and for all that I feel he will continue to do. I can’t say it enough right now…Jesus is the only one who can change Jon. JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN CHANGE JON!!!! Jon has such a depraved heart and mind that I know that he will not seek God out. This means that I’ll have to pray for God to continually put people in Jon’s path to such an extent that no matter where he turns he can’t get away from them. This is such a hard step for me. I’m perfectly content with knowing that as of right now…Jon will go to hell when he dies. It’s not easy for me to give up wanting Jon to receive the full wrath of God that he has so rightly earned, and deserves. And even now as I write this I am remained that each and every one of us has rightly earned and deserves the full wrath of God outside of Jesus.
Dear God,
I pray that You heal me of all this anger that is within me. That You help me to just let it go, and to truly and fully forgive. That I may live my life free from worrying about what Jon may be doing to others. And that You free me from the desire to see Jon receive Your full wrath. For outside of Jesus we all have earned and deserve Your full wrath. Help me to remember that.
I ask that You, O Lord, place people in Jon’s way that would lead him to You. I ask that there be such an abundant amount of people in his life that live for You, O Lord, that Jon cannot escape Your presence through them. Only You, Jesus, can change a man like Jon. Only You can change the depravity of his heart and mind. I pray that these 2 years that Jon has spent in prison have softened his heart, and not hardened it. Lord, I pray that Jon gives his life fully to You, and that he holds NOTHING back from You. You know my heart Lord, and how hard it is for me to ask this of You. But it is my desire that no one else be harmed by Jon like I was. And I realize that You are the only one who can change a man like Jon, and take all that evil out of him.
In Jesus’ name I ask these things. Amen.
I’m posting some older posts of mine so that you can see the progress that I’ve made, and how the abuse has affected me. You’ll be able to tell that it is a older post by it’s label and title which will have the date of the original posting.