How to Help a Friend in an Abusive Relationship: What You Need to Know About Domestic Violence (Hope for the Hurting, #3)

"After years of visits to emergency rooms, reconstructive surgeries, dislocated shoulders, and more black eyes than I can remember, I finally filed felony assault charges against my husband only to drop them when he agreed to pastoral counseling. But during the counseling session, the pastor continually avoided the issue of spousal abuse so evident within my marriage. Instead, he seemed to focus on what my role was as a wife. He told me to submit to my husband and try not to 'set him off.' The pastor also indicated I was expecting too much of my husband. Yet in all our counseling sessions, the pastor never told my husband about his biblical responsibility to love and care for me, his wife. And not once did the pastor ever reprimand my husband for his violence, ask him to step down from his leadership position, or refer him to a batterer's program. I left those counseling sessions feeling empty, believing God did not care for me at all...[Removing an eye patch which revealed a badly swollen eye and bruised face she asked], 'I truly hate him for hurting me like this, but what if I really do burn in hell for breaking up my marriage? And I ask you, could hell be any worse than having to live like this?'"
Such first-hand stories of abuse are hard to comprehend, yet are more common than most people realize. Domestic violence kills more than four and a half million women every year in America. It continues to be the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15-44 in the U.S. And a national crime survey has labeled the American home at night the most dangerous place to be and the most likely setting for homicide to occur.
"How to Help a Friend in an Abusive Relationship" is not just another tedious psychological study about relationship violence. While readers will find factual information on domestic violence, they will also discover more than forty insightful, practical ways to save lives. In addition, an entire chapter is devoted to providing biblical answers to this perplexing plague destroying families. Will you be a friend to an abused woman? If so, this book is for you.

Donna has spent much of her adult life writing something for someone. Therefore it seemed logical to combine her writing experience with her love for people, Jesus Christ, and His Word.
As an indie author, Donna's books include the non-fiction e-book series entitled, "Gripped for Glory." This series contains biblical biographies of individuals who transformed their world by simply sharing their stories of His glory. Through the aide of Personal Application questions, each of these short works encourages public evangelism making this series a great resource for small group bible studies. Several more biblical biographies are planned for this series.
By far, Donna's favorite books are found in her Christian youth speculative fiction series entitled, "Divine Commissions." Filled with exciting real-to-life adventures of ordinary people, epic struggles between angels and demons, good and evil, and right and wrong, this collection chronicles the stories of Eli and Jasmine, servants of the Most High God, as they intervene in the affairs of mankind to save souls.
When she is not pounding the keys in some form or fashion, Donna loves hanging out with her grandkids, patio gardening, walking, dining with friends, watching old movies, sharing the good news of God's love, praying and serving the saints of God.