A true-to-life, third-person narrative exploring love, deception, spiritual abuse, and healing.
Sarah’s Story on TOMFAW.com is a reflective, diary-style journey based on real experiences. Written in a third-person journaling style, it offers a safe and thoughtful space for readers who are navigating spiritual abuse and healing in their own lives.
Names, locations, and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy. Events are told from Sarah’s perspective — shaped by her memories, emotions, and interpretations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
This collection is not offered as factual reporting or professional advice, but as a companion in reflection and recovery. Each post invites you to step into the narrative, consider your own journey, and find hope. All entries in the series are displayed on this page for you to read and follow along.
Subtle Signs of Spiritual Abuse in Relationships |
Spiritual abuse rarely starts with shouting or ultimatums. Often, it begins quietly — in subtle comments, twisted scripture, or “forgiveness” offered when no wrong was done. These moments can feel confusing, even surreal, these are the subtle signs of spiritual abuse. For Sarah, it was the text message from Robert that said, “It’s okay, I […]
The Demon of Confusion: A Real Conversation
Sometimes Truth is Stranger Than Fiction This is one of the last real, unedited conversations between Sarah and Robert. It includes references to a black Verve jacket (pictured below) — a piece of women’s clothing that showed up in his home among Sarah’s things but wasn’t hers. That moment sparked the exchange. The words may […]
Peace Muddled by Condemnation and Judgement
Navigating out of Spiritual Bypassing, Control and Manipulation There is a particular kind of ache that comes when the name of Jesus is twisted into a weapon. It doesn’t feel like ordinary pain. It cuts deeper because it touches the place where trust was meant to live. When someone cloaked in spiritual language—whether a street […]
Discovering the Love is Conditional
A Gift or A Chain Sarah remembers the early days of her relationship with Robert as open and safe. Their conversations felt honest and vulnerable — the kind where weaknesses could be shared without fear. She believed that this rare openness could be the foundation they would build on. But the relationship began to shift. […]
Conversation Analyzed
What follows is a genuine exchange, preserved as it happened—only minor typos corrected. Brief, trauma-aware reflections after each section have been added to help you notice subtle dynamics: when reassurance becomes control, when spirituality masks avoidance, when projection blurs truth, and where self-differentiation breaks through. Read slowly, and listen to your own body as you […]
When a Person uses Scripture to Hurt
A Journey Through Spiritual Confusion and Oppression There’s a particular kind of disorientation that comes when the language that is meant to give life is used to tear you apart. When someone who speaks the name of Jesus quotes Romans 8 — and somehow, it breaks Sarah instead of building her. When the one who […]
When the One Who Praises Wounds You
Some betrayals feel especially disorienting—not because of what was done, but because of who did it. Spirtual abuse in the church can come with a unique confusion, that takes time to heal from. He prayed. He prophesied. He quoted Scripture, wrote worship songs, and was referred to as a man of God.He said the name […]
Are We Family? Coming Soon…
Coming Soon — Sarah’s Story Writing this blog has been part of my healing — and healing, as I’ve learned doesn’t happen over night. It’s a process. Right now, I’m still in the middle of writing all this. I’ve written only two chapters. I’m giving myself time to process each piece before sharing it with […]