As baby, her parents used marijuana to sedate her. Her father was shot during a drug deal. Her mother abandoned her and her sister. As an adult, her infant son endured heart surgery. It would be understandable if LaDonna were upset with God. “But God is good”, asserts the 24-year-old Texan. This is her extraordinary journey, guided by tragedy and faith.

“I came from a physically and mentally abusive background. I spent the majority of my life in some form of addiction - drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, stealing, lying, cheating - if it was wrong, it had my name all over it. Deep seeded depression was a way of life for me.
Every relationship I was in […]

“There is a situation in my life that I have yet to mention to my closest family members. I’m afraid of their reaction; I fear that it’ll crush their dreams and expectation of me.  I ask God to forgive me for not being true with my close ones
I came to Florida in 2003; I was […]

“There have been major ups and downs in my life, and the only time I’ve been ‘up’ is when my relationship with God was strong. He has always picked me up when I’ve fallen; and when I was down for a long time, He allowed me to recover and come back stronger. I am where […]

I was so upset. I knew what was coming so I ran from the house fighting the emotion welling up in my chest and throat. I jumped into the car with one of my aunts and said, “Please take me with you. I can’t stay”

My mother was breastfeeding me, and she was often high or drunk. She didn’t realize until it was almost too late that I had lost a lot of weight and was very ill.

My parents would want to party or do something. And if I started crying and became a nuisance, they would inhale Marijuana and cup their hands around my face and exhale the smoke until I breathed in enough to pass out. You do that long enough to a baby, instead of feeding it, and you will kill it. Not to mention, the brain damage that could cause.

“No one would think I had a belief set just by observing me. I was raised Christian, and say that I am one, but I really don’t think I am at all. I’m not agnostic and I never do organized prayer. Don’t get me wrong - there is a higher being. I […]

“I know God exists because: my husband has the strength to go on after losing his 4-year-old daughter to cancer; I have the strength to go on after being beaten and abused in a previous relationship; and we both have the courage to not be afraid to trust after all of our hardships. Religion is […]

“My stepmother used to beat my sister and me and starve us. She called me stupid constantly and always made sure I knew I was worthless. She stuck my sister and me in the basement for days on end while her own kids were well fed […]”

What experiences defined your beliefs? “First, trying to understand why I was abused as child, why family members hurt me in a way so horrific that it will affect me the rest of my life. I was taught God does things for a reason and we don’t understand - that wasn’t good enough. […]

“I can’t believe in the g-d I was raised to believe in; s/he just couldn’t be cruel enough to dose me with so much emotional pain early in life.”
What defined your religious beliefs? “Mental and emotional abuse by a stepmother who is devout Baptist.”
Surprise aspect of my beliefs? “I am superstitious. For example, I won’t […]