Broken Wings Network Online Support

The Broken WIngs Network has received many calls and emails from family members, concerned friends and interested supporters asking for an online support group. 

After hearing from the wonderful folks at Peace 4 the Missing and Project Jason, we checked out their web sites and were thrilled to find a plethora of help and outreach groups for those trying to cope with a missing, murdered loved one.

If you are looking for others to connect with who understand the journey,  visit their site and let us know what you think!

 www.peace4missing.ning.com

www.projectjason.org

An Unprotective System Leads to the Murder of Two Innocent Little Boys

Records further indicate that the estranged husband violated orders of protection 57 times.

Please sign Petition

Deaths of 2 missing Illinois boys, father being investigated as dou...

 

Chicago Tribune Story Click here to read

This front page story in today's Chicago Tribune details tragically what happens when "the system" ignores warnings from abused wives about the dangers of unsupervised visitation with violent ex-husbands.

Having been there myself, and luckily having obtained supervised only visits from the courts in my case, I am so worried about the lack of vigilance on the parts of so many courts these days. Regan Martin's case in point.

Sending support,
Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins
www.illinoisvictims.org

There's no I in T E A M

Sometimes we all have the tendency to get so involved in something, so consumed by it, that even this very good in theory and initial intent cause might also threaten to divide the very supportive of community around us...

Reasons for conflict are often trite and petty...to be passionate about something is to also risk exposing a deep part of yourself as well.  By doing so, making ourselves vulnerable, our senses are heightened and our "hot poker stick" responses increase...thus even our very own "team members" become the likely targets of potential "lash-out" negative reactions...perhaps they didn't say something correctly or made a mistake or whatever, I don't know...

However, even though this may be somewhat understandable...that doesn't excuse the action...it's not okay to disrespect the very ones among your own network just because you're sensitive and they are there.  

In order to maximize any community/network's potential to produce positive results there must be a sense of acceptance, safety and upmost...loyalty.

True loyalty to one another allows the other to fail sometimes, it's okay...we all do it...

Without true loyalty we allow negativity among ourselves, members of the same team, to lead us..which is obviously just so tragically destructive and ridiculously counter productive of the very reason why we all are on the same team to begin with.

We don't all have to agree, that's okay...it's good...it's interesting, enlightening, etc.

But, for us all to truly be a team, one unified team, there cannot be any place whatsoever for self-seeking manipulation of the team's very essence, it's core.  

Those whose motives are based upon dividing the one team into many separate mini-ones via some juvenile approach of senseless drama must be clearly recognized and subtly called out.

The entire purpose of a team is that we are better together.  All together, we're stronger, we can do greater things, make a much larger impact, create significant change.  While separately scattered about we become lost, our visions reduced to easily glanced over clutter.

CALL TO ACTION - PLEASE FORWARD

LinkedIn Myra Spearman has sent you a message. Date: 3/31/2009 Subject: CALL TO ACTION - PLEASE FORWARD Hello Everyone:  Today, I spoke with Illinois State Representative, Robert Pritchard. He is a long time proponent of abating domestic and family abuse. He needs to hear from everyone. I asked him to author legislation called, "Duncan and Jack Law" which would only allow "Supervised Visits" to non-custodial parents who have either  1). Violated Orders of Protection and/or  2). Received a Guilty Conviction stemming from domestic and or family violence.  Before ordering visitation, a judge needs to make sure that there was no abuse in the home. If abuse is determined, the non-custodial parent should either be granted Supervised Visitation or No Visitation Previlidges at all. Please email him and let him know that you're in support of this legislation or similiar legislation.  bob@pritchardstaterep.com  If you have something better to add please feel free... anything helps...  Duncan and Jack are the 2 little children that lost their lives this week at the hand of their father. You can read the story at:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/ news/local/chi-missing-boys-dead-31-mar31, 0,3316104.story

Abusers are Control Freaks

Domestic abuse is about control and power, usually a man getting and keeping control and power over a woman. To simplify it, someone who commits domestic abuse is a control freak, and for the sake of argument, we are going to use the pronoun "he." An abuser can't feel good about himself unless he feels he is in total control of a woman and the relationship.

The abuser will use physical violence, threats of physical violence, isolation, yelling, screaming, and emotional, sexual or financial abuse to attempt to control his wife and in return control the relationship. He will leave both physical and emotional scars as he tried to remain in control and stave off the feeling of his wife being out of his control. And as the economy gets worse, and recession sets in, and jobs are lost, and income falls… the more an abuser takes out his feelings of helplessness on his wife.

Victims of Domestic Abuse 

Domestic abuse happens to women of all ages, races and religions. Her economic or professional status is not an indicator of whether or not she will one day be a victim of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse occurs in the poorest neighbor and the priciest mansions.

Nearly 95 percent of domestic abuse victims are women. Over 50 percent of all women will experience domestic abuse in a love relationship and, for 24 to 30 percent of these women, the abuse happens regularly and over a long period.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Abuse, every 15 seconds a man or a woman becomes a victim of abuse. An abuser may seem gentle, loving, and kind to begin with. A woman might start a relationship thinking she had met her soul-mate, only to discover her mate had no soul at all.

Read more about domestic violence on First Wives World.

Angela Shelton, Uncovering Cherished Laughter Amidst the Journey

Finding Angela Shelton Journey Day 14

Joyful Projection You've been thinking about yourself for 2 weeks!!  Good job!   In order to break old patterns and move into Joy - you have to face some pretty dark things somethings.  Much like removing a sword from your body - you have to see it first to be able to remove it!  Many times we want to ignore the sad or traumatic things in order to avoid feeling them when the trick in moving past them is moving right into the feeling and feeling it!  You feel it to release it and purge it!   The various tasks over the past 2 weeks are reminders for when you are in the dark places or faced with the possibility of a dark place. You can access your Joyful side by practicing little techniques like a dancing contest or a quick "bitch session" to really listen to yourself.  Today feel the Joy.  Feel what it feels like to be past all of these days and into a Joyful feeling.

» Watch this Video   Click To Play You can also watch this on  The Survivor Manual  » Spread Joy Laugh today out loud in public   Just do it.  Laugh out loud.  If you can't do it, go rent a comedy or stroll through a bookstore and find some funny books.  Find something that makes you laugh and laugh out loud!!   Laughter is the best Joy medicine.   When you laugh, you immediately raise the vibration in your body.  When you raise the vibration in your body - you send out waves of good energy to others too so laugh out loud.  And when you do laugh, smile at someone too.  Try it in your car as you're driving.  See what happens.  Shoot someone a Joyful love tap by simply laughing out loud.    We all have a story and we have all been through pain - and we could all use a Joyful reminder sometimes.  Be that reminder for someone today.  You will be doing great service work.   And this exercise is building pathways in your mind for when you are faced with a dark place.  Tomorrow you can listen to a bit of Finding Angela Shelton and see the ways that it applies to you.

» Task Feel JOY!   No matter where you are today even if you are standing in line somewhere, raise the vibration in your body by feeling Joy.    Pretend like you are in love and feel it in your body.  Giggle giggle.   It feels very different than a bitch session. What color is it?    What does Joy look like to you?  If you are so inspired, draw a picture or create a collage.  Make up a dance!  For those who say they do not have the time, think about how much time you have spent on trauma.  Has a panic attack, anxiety, obsession, complaint, or stressful situation ever ruined your day?  How much time did you spend on it?  If you recall, you probably stopped everything and spent time in stress.    If you have time to stress, you have time to feel Joy and create something!   Hint:  By spending time creating something, it dramatically lowers stress and anxiety.

Angela Shelton P.O. Box 39702 Los Angeles, CA 90039 comments@angelashelton.com

P.O. Box 39702, Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA

It's All Going to be Just Fine (even fun)

Para mi Peki...mucho ty's for you...xoxo