David’s Slingshot is a new blog we recently added to our blogroll (found on the side menu bar). The anonymous victim who started the blog kindly wrote a synopsis of the blog for us. May you and your children be encouraged!
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David’s Slingshot came about as a result of a desire to give encouragement and hope to women, and especially children, who have experienced domestic violence. My children’s eyes were completely opened to the true character of their narcissistic father after I filed for legal separation. In his efforts to hurt and control me through them, he began to psychologically abuse and terrorize them to a degree he had previously directed primarily toward me. They expressed their fear and pain and desperation through poems, art, music, and letters. Some of these they sent to people in the legal system whom they thought might believe and help them. I saved copies of as much as I could, and decided to share all of it through a blog, hoping God would use my kids’ words and art to help others in similar circumstances feel validated and to realize they are not alone.
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A Cry For Justice 
This is a truly amazing blog, so thank you for sharing it with us! Reading the children’s letters and seeing their artwork brought me back to the pain and suffering that my four daughters and I experienced at the hands of our “giant.” Our story is similar in that their “dad” was emotionally, verbally, and spirituality abusive, and physically intimidating. Our story differs in that when I chose to leave and protect myself and the girls, the giant was able to gain control and manipulate them against me. I became the enemy because I was breaking up the family. I literally could do nothing to change their minds to see the truth, although I tried. There was also a letter writing campaign, but it was directed by the giant aiming hurtful things against me. Only by God’s grace was I able to come through. As bad as it was for me, my daughters were held captive by the enemy for many years. Underneath, they really did love me and want to be with me, but they were not free to express these desires.
I’m thankful to our Heavenly Father, and happy to report that God has restored the years the locust has eaten. Through time, effort, love and forgiveness my daughters and I now have the closest relationships I could have ever hoped for. They are all in their 20s now, and doing well in life. Although the road to their individual healing has been difficult, they have had each other to work through their issues. I feel bad for kids going through these situations when they are the only child.
I’m sharing the David’s Slingshot blog with my daughters – I think they will be helped by it. Many thanks to the anonymous mom and her children for starting the blog sharing their stories for our encouragement.
As I have children, I have often thought about how few resources there are for them. This website is so well done, but it is so sad that it has come about because of the pain the mother and children have been through. Thank you for your courage in putting on the web a glimpse into your heartbreaking story, and I pray God carries you all through. Your children are amazingly articulate.
Reblogged this on Speakingtruthinlove's Blog [Internet Archive link].
Reading and seeing the cries of their hearts is heard and seen by the One who said:
A friend of mine left her husband and the church’s Christian school kicked her daughters out because the mother was not submissive to the pastor’s mandate that she return to her abusive husband. She was supposed to meet with the deacons and give an account for what she had done (leaving the man who threatened to kill her and her kids). She refused and had already left the church. She just wanted her daughter to finish out the school year.
Hi Standing Strong, allow me to give you a belated ‘welcome’ to the blog. And here is our New Users’ Info page which gives tips for how to guard your safety while commenting on the blog.
My daughter divorced after 20 years of active coercion and manipulation. He isolated all of them, my daughter and her three kids. He hated me because I loved them and would take the children places, stood against what was going on. I took my daughter to local domestic violence center on several different occasions. She felt she had made a vow to God to be married, and of course, her husband told her she had to submit to him. His mother said the same thing.
The court appointed guardian said the kids should try to accept their father and spend time with him. They never listened to these kids. They didn’t see the children until a few days before the court date, a similar experience as the dear sister on “David’s Slingshot”. My granddaughter drew a picture of her father pulling her older brother up the stairs by his hair. It is so moving to read the pleas of the children and the artwork that is on this blog. I can surely relate, and my heart goes out to all parents and grandparents who have experienced the same. The court systems in NYS are not interested in how the children are being treated, unless there is a broken arm or leg, something they can document. Do they have food on the table? Clothes to wear to school? The guardians check the boxes and encourage the children to accept their parents.
How lightly we treat the pain that these kids are going through. Is it because people, and court appointed guardians don’t comprehend, or don’t care? Emotional abuse isn’t even considered. Hopefully, through these blogs which are standing against evil, there will be an awareness of the need for sensitivity to the needs of the wounded spouses and children.
Thank you for adding this blog to the website. It’s heart wrenching. My middle grandson was such a beautiful child. He was so isolated and mistreated by his father that he gets easily overwhelmed in social situations, has a diagnosis of PTSD, has quit high school although he is extremely bright, has been hospitalized for depression and anxiety. He is an awesome young man. I still remember seeing him through the window, jumping up and down in his little coveralls, (which I had made him), when he saw me pulling up in the car, so precious. For years he wanted to live with me, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Wake up church! Stop calling good evil and evil good. Wake up court systems. How can anyone say that there is no abuse unless there’s proof of broken bones, or bruises? How can we be so callous? How can the bar be set so low for the protection of our precious children; How can the voices of children be ignored? What about broken hearts and broken spirits? God help us.