Renee Yohe

I got to go hear this lovely woman share tonight.

She is seriously one of the most beautifully real people I've ever heard or met.

[If any of you have not heard of To Write Love on Her Arms, you should read Renee's story]

She shared so openly tonight, and not just about the TWLOHA story. She spoke about how there is hope, not in the notion of perfection, but in rising every time we fall. She said:

"People didn't connect to my story because I was perfect. It was because I was transparent."

And this girl means it. I bought her book tonight, Purpose in the Pain, and opened it expecting to get a glimpse of her story... The entire book is a facsimile of her journals over the last few years. I was amazed at this woman's vulnerability. Who publishes their journal? She was so honest tonight and it convicted me. How authentic am I? Where do I need to be more transparent with my heart?

I am so excited because she is releasing an EP, under her band name "Renee and the Translators." Plus, next year, "Renee" the movie comes out. So excited to see where Renee's story goes next :)

I am beginning to realize that people you love can break your heart without even knowing it...

and it hurts!

But in the midst of the pain, the heartbreak, and the questions... I have begun to wonder if I have ever broken someone's heart unintentionally? So, I just wanted to say...

If I have ever hurt your heart, I am so sorry. I didn't know how fragile love was.
I wasn't aware of the pain my words, my actions, and my responses could cause.
If I have ever left you offended or have ignored you or, worse, have rejected you--can you ever forgive me?
I should have told you a long time ago... I love you! Is it too late now for me to say that, because I really do love you. I never ever ever wanted to hurt you! I love you!



"Pain is very real... but hope is also real... God is in the business of redemption... The vision is better endings. The vision is the possibility that we are more loved than we'll ever know. The vision is Hope, and Hope is real... We were made to be lovers in bold and broken places... God makes things new, He meant hope and healing in the stars..." - TWLOHA

a daughter's heart

Lately, God has been putting such a burden on my heart for different women's issues lately: abuse, cutting, domestic violence, trafficking, etc. I know Papa wants to restore and renew! So... i thought I would blog about just a few different things that have lately come to my attention

This makes me so proud of my school! Recently the Greek Community put together an even called "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes." The event drove nearly 200 college guys to buy size 14 high-heels and make a 1 mile march against domestic violence! Check out the full story at the link above.

I recently saw a music video my Red Jumpsuit Apparatus called Face Down. It's a song about domestic violence. The lyrics speak for themselves: "Do you feel like a man when you push her around?"

Another music video--one of my favorites--is by a group called Between the Trees. The song is The Way She Feels. It's a song based on and featuring Renee, the girl who inspired "To Write Love on Her Arms." For those who haven't already read her incredible story, you can read it here.

One final video, and this one is hard to watch, is an domestic-violence awareness video that Keira Knightley and Joe Wright (Director of Pride and Prejudice and The Atonement) collaborated on. The video is graphic as it shows Keira getting beaten up but offers such an incredible, unforgettable message.

This blog may be a sort of "downer," but we have to wake up! So I invite you to take this little journey and see if it touches your heart and perhaps gives you an answer. Please leave comments with your thoughts on these issues!