There are moments in life when we look back and realize that God was working long before we understood what He was doing.
When I registered Abuse Journal on October 5, 2020, I thought I was creating a website to encourage other survivors of childhood abuse and domestic violence. As a self-taught website developer, I enjoyed building websites, but I had no idea how deeply this journal would shape my own healing journey.
Outwardly, it became a place to share hope with others. Inwardly, it became a place to confront the darkness through honest reflection.
My father always told me not to tell your business in public. I learned early to keep secrets, never to name the abuse or uncover the painful truths buried beneath years of silence.
For forty-six years, the fear of being seen and the fear of others discovering my deepest wounds followed me everywhere. I learned to survive, but the burden of fear, guilt, and shame became heavier with each passing year.
Writing changed that.
This journal became a quiet place where I could release painful memories, reflect on them through the eyes of faith, and slowly begin making sense of my past.
At the time, I didn’t realize that every journal entry was another piece of the story God was helping me uncover. Each reflection was a remnant of the past, brought out of the darkness and into the light. Those remnants became an important part of my healing journey.
My Story: The Secret Darkness
Writing my memoir, The Secret Darkness: Overcoming Abuse and Finding Freedom, became another part of that truth-telling journey.
For a long time, I believed the manuscript was nearly finished. Then, after stepping away from it for a season, I realized something surprising.
Many of the stories I had written here belonged in the memoir as well.
Healing rarely happens in a straight line. Memories return. Understanding grows. What once seemed disconnected slowly begins to fit together.
As my writing mentor often says,
“All writing is rewriting. Trust the process.”
Those words proved true.
My time in the Writers Guild helped me become a better writer, but even more importantly, it taught me patience with the creative process.
Discovering the Remnants
During a creative break from writing, I found myself returning to something I had loved as a child—the beauty of nature.
Creating handmade journals, crafting, and spending time outdoors reminded me that healing doesn’t only happen through words. Sometimes God restores us through beauty, creativity, and quiet moments of reflection.
That season eventually gave birth to The Remnants Journal.
The name carries special meaning for me.
Just as the remnants of painful memories became part of my healing, God also uses the remnants of our lives—the broken pieces, forgotten places, and difficult seasons—to create something beautiful.
The Journey Continues
Today, Abuse Journal remains a place of hope for adult survivors of childhood abuse and domestic violence.
What began as a personal journal has grown into a resource filled with personal stories, faith-filled encouragement, practical insights, and honest reflections for anyone seeking healing and Freedom.
Alongside new writing here, I’m grateful to continue sharing my story through my books, including Abuse Journal: Reflections of a Survivor’s Healing Journey and The Secret Darkness: Overcoming Abuse and Finding Freedom.
Healing isn’t about forgetting the past.
It’s about learning to live beyond it.
The journey continues—one step, one story, and one reminder of God’s grace at a time.
Thank you for walking this journey with me.
L.M. CARLETON Rescued by Grace
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