God, Spirituality and healing

There is a lot of God and mention of Spirit in my memoir.

Must one believe in God or belong to a particular faith in order to heal?

 Absolutely not.  What is important is to believe in someone or something greater than you, a force that you can turn to when you are out of options, a higher power or source that keeps you hoping and seeking a better tomorrow. 

I identified with a higher power that I referred to as Mother, Father, God, Spirit Creator and Universal Truth.  My belief system gave me the strength to endure my experiences and keep moving forward.   I believed in whatever helped me feel better, even if it was my own illusion. sea 206887 640

I certainly had my issues with God throughout my life, times when I could not understand why a so called omnipotent and omnipresent God would allow such unfair, and unexplainable, dis-heartening and evil events to occur.  But throughout the years, through all the darkness, I came to realize that God, Creator, and that universal energy, that many called God was not responsible for the evil, ill humans, outrageous devastating occurrences, but instead, was credited with the sense of hope and possibilities that kept me going when I felt beat down and defeated by life.

What keeps you moving forward and hoping for a better tomorrow?

Do you identify with a higher power greater than yourself?

Share you thoughts and let me know if there is way I can support you on your journey.

Be Well, Be Blessed

Santa

 

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022