I was so sad when I read your post. You know the old saying, "You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family." That is certainly true in your case. But, I also know it would be extremely hard to cut ties with family. You are such a kind and loving person who has posted here for a long time and I can only imagine what torment you go through. I am so sorry.

You will be shown the right thing to do. All you have to do is listen. Here are a few lines from a song: "This is my Father's world. He shines in all that's fair. In the rustling grass, I hear him pass. He speaks to me everywhere." Just listen.

Paulette G.

Hi! I feel sad for you, that your family treats you that way. I know sort of what you share. My family is similar in a lot of ways. I didn't cut all ties, just the umbilical cord, so to speak. I found that I had to start being strong, now that I'm an adult and have my own family to look after. So now when they talk negatively or put myself or my family down I tell them to stop and explain what they are doing, then I leave or get off the phone. You really don't need to cut all ties, just don't let them use you as their scapegoat. Slowly learn to stick up for yourself, (it is possible to do this in a loving manner). As for friendships, you can meet people that can be as loving and caring as family should be, you just need to know when a frienship is unhealthy you can cut the ties. You are not living your life to be abused. You should live your life to enjoy it, and be free.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I lift Jasmine to you now in prayer, please cover her in your love and protection. Show her the changes that need to be made in her life. Please bless her and show her how special she is to you, how you created her as one of your children, that you love and cherish her. Lord, be her Father and heal her wounds. Send your Holy Spirit to minister to her soul. Lord, have people come into her life to form good healthy friendships, people she can rely on as if they were "family". In Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

Heavenly Father, I lift this dear sister to You and ask that you minister Your Life to her in a way that she may know and reflect just how important and precious she is in your eyes. We sever the ungodly soul ties between her and her relatives that keeep her in bondage. We ask for Your your peace, freedom, acceptance, healing and understanding to pour over her and we loose her from every wicked voice that taunts her, permanently and completely. Thank you Father, in Jesus name.

Jasmine, the first step towards beeing freed from the pattern of abuse yourself is to recogize your freedom from it. Trust that as your spirit increases in the fullness of God, you will learn to weed it out of yourself. You will have no room for this sort of darkness, really. Please don't be afraid. Fear has been hammered into you and it will keep you a prisoner if you let it.
It is fear that will keep you isolated and alone, but I trust that there is much more to you than the pettyness that you've been shown. Have mercy and compassion for them, forgive them, but if you need to distance yourself for a while until your emotional healing is complete, then do whatever it takes to be free and free indeed. Then go back and show them the love they've never known.

Many blessings to you, sweet Jasmine.

P.S. Here's the name of a book which helped me tremendously when I went through emotionally derived chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia:

Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and Environmental Illness. Alternative Medicine Guide
by Burton Goldberg- editor of the Alternative Medicine Digest

I recently bought a copy for a friend and got it through the net.