Launch Your Well Being

A Vision is Coming into Focus

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:02:56 GMT

I’m excited! A vision I’ve had for a very long time is coming to pass! But first let me tell you about the call: In my retirement from active ministry in a church, my call is to reach out to people who have been spiritually abused in their church and to walk with them while they search for their healing. Part of that call involves offering online and in-person events on various aspects of that kind of journey. Part of it involves writing this blog. But that’s not the whole vision.

Here it is: To continue to blog, and to offer online courses, memberships, and original books, and to offer in-person several-day retreats. I could happily create each and all of these entities for the rest of my life. I’ve learned that because of the crazy world we live in, that all of that needs to be offered inside the protection of an LLC. So that’s the legal structure.

I’ve been taking online courses myself, in order to learn what I need to know to help bring all of this into being:

1. An online extensive course on giving multiple-day retreats called “Retreat Blueprint” by Sheri Rosenthal.

2. An interview with Jack Canfield, author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books, on how to edit a book I’m creating. The exciting news here is that when my book is published, he will send a video he made of our interview to all his followers (over a million people), and he will write an endorsement for the book! I’m beyond excited!

3. A course from HeartMath.org that will certify me to teach/coach heart coherence and resilience techniques online and in person.

And all of this has been brought to my attention to sign up for serendipitously! In the world of my kind of faith, that means the Lord is leading me through all these learning situations, as a threshold to cross over into the time and space when they will have become part of the foundation upon which I create, teach, coach, and lead. And so, now, can you feel my excitement? It sizzles!

On this blog, I will continue to write on the subject of spiritual abuse, but I will also write on the personal journey to finding healing and wholeness in Christ. Some of what I write will come from having read other authors. Some of it will come from my own experience. And from time to time, I’ll share one of my poems with you. Watch for further news and developments that I’ll share with you from time to time.

Thank you so much for being one of my special readers. I appreciate you more than you know.

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Rooted in the Faith of My Ancestors

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:03:52 GMT

In the mid 1990’s, I traveled to Wales quite a few times. After all, it is the country of my ancestors that I feel closest to. All I have to do is cross the border from England into Wales on board a coach, to know in my bones that I’m home. I and my siblings know that we have descended from centuries of Welsh bards. In our day, we are still musicians and poets and creative writers.

On one of my trips there, I drove through the Rhondda Valley, which is where many of the Welsh coal mines were in the early 20th century. While there, I felt the Lord’s hand on me so strongly and directing me so completely, that I knew I was in safe hands. The Rhondda Valley today is lush and green. But when the coal mines were thriving, the hills of slag took over.

I also knew that in the days of the mines, the miners and their families were deeply religious. They sang hymns on the way to the mines before dawn, and sang them again on the way home each evening. Most of them were not members of the Church in Wales (Church of England.) They were of the so-called “dissenting faith,” and their churches were called chapels. And I knew that in our day, much of the small chapels (along with the mines) have closed, and that therefore they no longer sing hymns together.

My favorite Welsh hymn is “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.” The words were written by William Williams Pantycelyn, a Welshman who lived in the Rhondda Valley. His hymn is one of the ones that the miners would sing to and from work. The tune that was written that we sing his words to, is called “Cwm Rhondda,” which means “the Rhondda Valley.”

While in the Rhondda Valley, I found the home he lived in (which is named “Pantycelyn”). I got of my car, walked up to the house and knocked on the door. A friendly woman answered the door. I told her who I was and why I had come. She invited me in and served me tea and scones, while telling me that she is an ancestor of William Williams, and that the house has been in their family for generations. She told me where he is buried. I was thrilled beyond words. I drove to his tomb and sang his hymn.

Needless to say, I felt a poem coming on. I named it “Cwm Rhondda.” Enjoy.

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Cwm Rhondda

		No voice in the street sings sweet songs now
		Nor hymns swell up from womb of earth.
		Next door but one, barren chapel stands
		Taunting bitter echo from hollow colliery below:
		“Hear me!  Hear me, Great Jehovah!”

		Coal black hills chill bleak eyes
		To see earth’s rape, all naked.
		The Rhondda Valley weeps with pain,
		Scars despair from under ground:
		“Heal me!  Heal me, Great Jehovah!”

		Vast void within shields shock of miners’ ruin.
		Rape of soul, so deep the grief:  United purpose stands no more.
		William Williams, Pantycelyn, pleads from heaven above:
		“Come, Rhondda People – Sing!  Sing my hymn till day is done --
		“Guide me!  Guide me, Great Jehovah!”

		Our Lady of Penrhys keeps quiet watch,
		Prays with patience o’er wasted land:
		“To eyes of faith, God’s beauty rises yet,
		How green this Paradise, my valley.
		Vigil!  Vigil!” summons Mary.

		“Comfort, comfort these my people,”
		God calls me to His Beloved night and day.
		My whole life proclaims, “Here am I. Send me.
		Your love heals my wound for their sake.
		Send me!  Send me, Great Jehovah!”

© Dorothy Gremillion 1997

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Is It True that Christianity is About Being Perfect?

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:03:20 GMT

Many churches are wonderfully loving and accepting of everyone. That’s what I experienced when I first walked into St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. There was no hidden agenda in the atmosphere that whispered in your ear when you least expected it – a hidden agenda that said, “But watch out, because you never know who hasn’t REALLY followed the 10 Commandments. You never know who isn’t perfect. Maybe it’s you.” A welcome from a place like that is reserved, at best. Even when they’re teaching that God is love and that he forgives.

Don’t get me wrong. I grew up in a wonderfully loving church and in a wonderfully loving family. I don’t remember not knowing that Jesus loves me. That God loves me. And that my Daddy loves me. So, when I walked into St. Michael’s that day as a young adult, I was surprised to learn that I was accepted fully and completely, just as I was. I didn’t have to somehow reach perfection before full acceptance. The contrast was what made me aware that my earlier experience, even though seemingly happy, was less than whatever this was.

When we are fully accepted exactly the way we are in exactly, precisely this moment, and every moment, we begin to understand the goodness of the loving God. The forever loving God who fully accepts us exactly the way we are in exactly, precisely this moment, and every moment, for our entire life.

When I experienced that kind of ongoing acceptance at St. Michael’s, I was suddenly free – free of the burden of being perfect. I was accepted and forgiven and loved. Let me say that again so that maybe it will sink in. I was accepted and forgiven and loved! Because they knew God who is love. They knew that they were accepted and forgiven and loved. And I was free! Free to love them, and to love God in ever deeper and deeper ways. It wasn’t about perfection. It was about faithfulness and authenticity. That’s the way church is supposed to be. A community of genuine companionship and acceptance, loving and serving the God who loves us that way, serving Him with gladness and joy.

Now, picture this: Suppose there’s a particular church member who believes that the church she attends is like that. And all is going along swimmingly well, until...until the new pastor arrives on the block. A new pastor who believes that God’s authority resides in him, and he has the view that everyone on staff needs to offer their resignation, so that he can re-hire them under his authority. Well, if that’s not enough of a bombshell, then what if he sweeps in and actually fires one or more of the faithful members who have happily served on staff for many years.

I’ve seen it happen. That particular kind of abuse didn’t happen to me. But I personally know of three faithful and gifted people (three different churches) who were fired. I’ve seen their hurt and bewilderment, their disbelief and shock, their anger and feeling of utter disrespect. And then comes the awkwardness of knowing they can’t be at that church – (their beloved church) – any more.

They’ve not only lost their job and income, they’ve lost their community, and so they feel isolated, like they’ve been cast into exile. The loneliness is poignant. The wound is deep. Their pain is one of the reasons I write this blog. The spiritual abuse that happened to me was different, but the wound is the same. In my journey toward healing, I have felt and still feel the call to reach out to people who’ve been wounded in their faith community, to walk with them, so that they know there is someone who fully accepts them and loves them exactly the way they are in exactly, precisely this moment, and every moment. And then maybe, just maybe both of us will become aware of the forever loving God who fully accepts us exactly the way we are in exactly, precisely this moment, and every moment, for our entire life. It’s called GRACE. The Grace of God will reside in our hearts, flowing toward him and each other.

By the way, did you know that God loves you in exactly, precisely that way, for all of eternity? His grace and love flows to you, and you, and you.

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A Symptom of Spiritual Abuse

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:03:42 GMT

Spiritual abuse in faith communities causes many symptoms in those who are on the receiving end. Not all spiritual abuse survivors experience all of the symptoms, thank goodness. But we can experience a cluster of them.

Today I want to write about the symptom of feeling disoriented and off-balance. Here, our faith in God and our faith in church and in the goodness of people have been our mainstay. That faith has seemed like it’s our bedrock that nothing can damage.

But then comes the shock – learning that not everyone in church qualifies for our category of “goodness of people.” The perpetrator could have been the pastor, or it could have been lay people who have been given some kind of authority. If we’ve been naive in our belief that the church is perfect, and now we know it isn’t, that shock can profoundly set us back in what we had believed.

It can actually make us feel disoriented and off-balance for days and days, perhaps weeks and weeks, or months and months. In this state, our emotions are in a mess. Those emotions could include confusion, anxiety, bewilderement, disrespected, mortified, insulted, outraged, betrayed, isolated, broken-hearted, grieving, appalled, excluded, sickened…

Well, do I need to continue? It’s no wonder we feel disoriented and off-balance. Did you experience that symptom when you were spiritually abused?

I have another question for you: In what part of our being do you suppose all those swirling emotions inhabit? Is the swirling mainly in our spirit? In our soul? In our body? Of course such trauma layers stress upon stress in our physical body. But our soul that is more intangible within us is also affected. In fact, I believe that’s where our emotions are – in our soul.

What do you suppose “lives” in our spirit, in the deepest part of us, the place where God’s Holy Spirit breathes in us? Again, I believe our conscience lives there. So does our intuition. So does our inmost place of prayer.

You are free to disagree with me, of course. But indulge me for a minute and visualize what I just said about our spirit, soul, and body. And I ask again, “Where in our being do you suppose all those swirling emotions inhabit?

Do you think the “swirling” disorientation and sensation of being off balance affects all three? Hmmm….

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There is Spiritual Abuse in Churches

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:03:39 GMT

There is spiritual abuse in churches. That’s a fact, shown by many research results, books authored by the recipients of such atrocities, and an increasing number of others coming forward to tell their stories.

Here are a few examples of the different kinds of spiritual abuse:

1. Repeated offensive comments directed to one or more members either in privat…

What is Forgiveness?

Dorothy Gremillion — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:02:28 GMT

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In Luke 11:1-4, Jesus’ disciples had just asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They must have been thunderstruck when he included those words in his answer to their question: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus told them to ask the Father to…

How Long Does the Wound from Spiritual Abuse Last?

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 20 May 2026 11:03:40 GMT

Life has a way of confronting us with difficult challenges. Suffering spiritual abuse in a church is one of those times. When we’re thrown into an intolerable situations, our emotions play havoc with us. The shock of such behavior from the perpetrating Christian that we trusted is devastating. It’s like a storm has hit, destroying everything in its path…

Forgive our Abusers? Surely Not, Lord...

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:03:24 GMT

In Acts 6-7 there’s a compelling story of forgiveness. It’s the story of Stephen, a man among the first deacons of the church. Whenever I think of ultimate forgiveness, I think of Stephen. So here’s his story:

After the Holy Spirit descemded on the disciples on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, the number of people who were converted to being a Jesus-fol…

Transition into Something New

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:03:12 GMT

I’m in transition. I know that the Lord is in charge of it, and that I’m willing – so here we go… As most of you know, I’m a retired Episcopal priest, although the word “retired” should be in quotes. For about the last 15 years, I’ve continued to serve churches in part time capacities, such as interims and supply clergy on Sundays when needed.

For severa…

The Parable of the Gift

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:03:09 GMT

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We play a game, God and me.  This is how it goes:  

	He gives me a gift (an idea) and says to me, “What would you make of it, my love?”    

	“A gift!  What would I make of it, you say?”  

I take it in my hands,
add a bit of this,
take away some of that,
add a different color there.

When I’m quite sure I’ve thought of everything I can think of, I pac…

Have this Mind Among Yourselves

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:01:53 GMT

One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is Phil. 2:5-11, which begins with these words: “Have this mind among yourselves, that you have in Christ Jesus.” Even before I quote the whole passage, I’m led to contemplate how can such a thing be: To actually live my life with Christ’s Mind inside my skull, instead of the way my mind would be without …

Help! What's Happening to My Church?

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:03:18 GMT

In retirement as an Episcopal priest, I’ve served quite a few very small churches, one Sunday here, another Sunday there. In all of them that I’ve served, they’ve lost a significant number of members. The remaining members, everywhere I’ve been, worry about their church, and rightly so. Most of these churches are in small towns. In one of those towns, t…

Alleluia!

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:01:17 GMT

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Here’s my Easter poem. Enjoy!

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                                             Alleluia!
                  Congregation to read the lines in bolded italics.                                      


Mary Magdalene:	Alleluia!				 
 			Reach out and hold
			The Risen Lord!
			Touch me not yet, say…

The Passion of Christ

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:02:34 GMT

Here is part of a sermon I preached a few years ago on Good Friday.

Good Friday is a time when we remember and reflect on the Passion of Jesus – everything that happened during that week in Jerusalem until his death, and the horrors of the crucifixion. In many of our churches, on Good Friday, the church is dressed in its most somber and stripped down au…

Ode to Unknowing

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:02:17 GMT

This week I’ve decided to share one of my poems with you. I wrote it almost a year ago. Here is my “Ode to Unknowing.” Enjoy.

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They say that we should know.
Know all manner of things
from sunup to sundown
and throughout the night.

Book learning, life learning
people learning, people doing
the learning that they know

But to what end is all that
learning …

Dark Night of the Soul

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:00:59 GMT

Many authors through several centuries have attempted to describe what happens when we have an interior experience that is disorienting, that feels like our spiritual sight/insight has gone dark, and the whole situation is painful. St. John of the Cross¹ named this experience the “Dark Night of the Soul.”

A true Dark Night of the Soul is different from b…

Future-Back Thinking

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:59 GMT

I’m currently reading books and taking courses on how to be an online entrepreneur. You might ask what does that have to do with spiritual abuse, spiritual growth, wholeness, or personal well-being? You’d be right to ask. Here’s my answer: the more I know what online tools are available for me to use in and beyond “Launch Your Well-Being,” the more peop…

Life Events Render Us into Someone Different

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:01:55 GMT

While I was praying a few weeks ago, a phrase came to me:

“Rendered by life events. Transformed by Christ. Empowered by the Holy Spirit.”

I began thinking about that word “render” -- a very particular definition of “render” -- to “render fat”. Do you know how to render fat? I don’t know how. Our forefathers and foremothers had to know, if they wanted fat …

What is the Season of Lent All About?

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:01:48 GMT

In a way, Lent is all about Jesus, how he stayed strong in the Lord throughout his lifetime. He rose above the struggles and temptations in the Wilderness to accept the call to be the Messiah. In a way, Lent is all about Jesus, who consistently showed us the depth of God’s love for us. Yes, in a way, Lent is all about Jesus, who walked through the days …

The Profound Simplicity of Peace

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:00:22 GMT

This week I listened to and watched the Buddhist monk speak in the National Cathedral in Washington DC. He spoke after he and his fellow monks had walked in peace, radiating peace, spreading peace while walking all the way from Ft. Worth to DC. Here is a man who has let go of whatever it takes in order to have peace in his heart.

He explained how to prac…