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@audreycfrank To read Part One: When You Are the One Suffering From PTSD, click here. Part Two: When Your Loved One Suffers From PTSD When a loved one suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, life can be very fragile. Some individuals hide the trauma, disappearing deep inside themselves and refusing to talk about it. Others lash out at the people who love them the most. PTSD is unpredictable and painful. Caregivers can experience secondary effects… Read More

@audreycfrank Part One: When You are the One Suffering from PTSD "Don't trigger me!" one teen said to another as they dissolved into laughter. The phrase has become casual and funny in popular culture, but underneath the laughter there is a kernel of truth. For those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a trigger can come unexpectedly, throwing them into a tailspin of fear and anxiety. [tweet_box design="default" float="none"]Recognizing the signs of #PTSD and… Read More

@audreycfrank Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 He told her he was not attracted to her anymore, did not love her, and had wasted the past five years of his life married to her. He wanted a divorce. She recoiled in shock, the unexpected declaration taking her completely off-guard. But… Read More

@audreycfrank I was alone with the mountain. From my vantage point Mt. Kenya seemed to reach to heaven. I had not made it to the top with my teammates. An hour earlier we had risen in the darkness and begun the final ascent, hoping to catch the sunrise from the highest peak. Halfway up, altitude sickness gripped me and floating black spots blocked my vision. My guide quickly brought me back down the rocky trail.… Read More

@audreycfrank The author wishes to thank To Write Love on Her Arms for the inspiration for this post.  Yesterday marked the last day of World Suicide Prevention Week. But for some of us, we will fight to prevent it all year long. One organization that offers hope in the fight against suicide is called To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA). In honor of this week, they launched the "Tomorrow Needs You" campaign. I received… Read More

@audreycfrank She just had a feeling. It was that mother-gut, knowing feeling that words just can’t quite explain. Such a feeling is weighed and measured in units of anxiety and apprehension, intangible but real. Something was wrong, and her son was trying to hide it. Climbing the stairs, she said a quick prayer. Lord, please reveal whatever I need to know. As she opened the door to her son’s room, he quickly slid something under… Read More

@audreycfrank The billowing saffron colored melhfa blew around her small frame like a mystery. And that suited her, for that’s what she was the first day I laid eyes on her. An enigma, a puzzle, a silent beacon of courage pressing against the crowds outside our hospital gates. I did not understand her yet. But I would, and knowing her would teach me more than I could have imagined. Two hours later it was finally… Read More

@audreycfrank Sometimes life, like a neglected garden, becomes overgrown with weeds. As I write this, I am staring out my window at what was once a carefully tended, intentionally planned garden of perennials. I designed the garden with the goal of creating a burst of beauty and color when looking out any of my home’s eastern facing windows. Sitting at breakfast, I could see butter-colored confederate jasmine blossoms, pink knockout roses, slender lavender blooms, orange… Read More

for David, and myself Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7) In the past week, I have Googled everything from sparrow photos, tossed broccoli salad, what causes insomnia, and where to find a halal sheep farm near me. More than revealing my… Read More

@audreycfrank We are desperate for rest. It was this great need that drove me to plan a vacation with my husband and three children to a remote national park this summer. No technology, just sand and sea. We unplugged for eight days and tried not to go nuts as we rediscovered how to do much of nothing. Over that week the many bumps and bruises caused by blind busyness were healed and hearts were renewed.… Read More