RUN WITH IT

Run with it
Let your life come fully and positively to life. You are here on this
glorious day, so make the very most of it.
You have passions and interests, so pursue them. You have dreams and
desires, so get busy and fulfill them.
You have unique perspectives and opinions, so express them. A magnificent,
fascinating universe surrounds you, so experience it.
There are people about whom you care deeply. So give them your time, your
attention, your love and fellowship.
You've already experienced yesterday, so don't live it again today. This is
a day to bring new and interesting and meaningful substance into your life.
On this very day you have the priceless opportunity to live. Take that
opportunity, right now, and run with it as far and as high as you possibly
can.

Please follow us on our other social network pages
www.soundthealarmoutreach.com, www.facebook.com/soundthealarmoutreach, I
have my own personal twitter page www.twitter.com/ataraestes.

Plenty to choose from to listen to our STAO Radio station on
www.blogtalkradio.com/staoradio TBA and www.birdhouseradio.com M - F 6am
CST - 7am, Hot Hitz Radio every Sunday Morning at 8am. We bring real talk
and great music for your listening pleasure. Tell a friend.

What you pay for.....

What you pay for
You get what you pay for. So look at each opportunity to pay as an
opportunity to enrich your life.
When you seek to get something for nothing, what you usually end up with is
nothing worth having. It is by investing yourself in life that you're able
to reap life's best rewards.
In the effort, in the commitment, in the price you pay is the value. Don't
cheat yourself out of that value.
Be willing to pay the price, and you become able to enjoy the reward. Be
willing to invest your time, effort and resources, and you'll be capable of
creating real, meaningful value.
You get what you pay for, so it makes sense to give your best in every
situation. Pay the price, with authentic gratitude in your heart, and enjoy
life's greatest rewards.

Share our site with family and friends and help us grow to the next level.
SOUND THE ALARM!!!

Always a Way

Always a way
Changing conditions may change the path to fulfillment of your dreams, or
even the nature of that fulfillment. Yet the essence of your underlying
purpose remains the same.
What could have been, can still be. At its deepest level, no dream is ever
rendered impossible.
There is always a way to live the life you choose. There is always a way to
express your own beautiful, most authentic vision.
Dare to dream, and dare to live with the confidence that your dream will
come true. When it means enough to you, there is a way for it to come
about.
Plan and execute your approach. And if the plan happens to fall short, know
that there is most certainly another way.
Don't hold yourself back with limiting thoughts about how it might or might
not happen. Push yourself forward with enthusiastic, positive expectations
and actions, and bring the dream to life.

As we quickly approach the holiday's be mindful of those who may not have.
Come together to make the holiday's joyous for everyone!!! Thank you for
your love and support continue to share with family and friends about our
mission. Tune in to www.blogtalkradio.com/staoradio and follow us on
www.soundthealarmoutreach.blogspot.com and www.soundthealarmoutreach.com.
Once again I thank you.

Great Courage

Great courage
You have great courage. Use it.
Whenever you feel fear, you are also feeling your potential for courage. Go
ahead, feel the fear, and then let that courage of yours spring to life.
The fact that you can feel the fear means you also have the courage to get
beyond it. Otherwise, the fear would serve no useful purpose.
Put that fear to good use by allowing it to ignite your courage. Put that
courage to good use by utilizing it to move toward positive, meaningful
objectives.
Feel the fear and know it means you have the courage. Learn from that fear
and then step forward with all that courage.
The beginning of courage feels like fear. Follow through on that feeling,
let the courage come, and with it you will achieve great things.

Support us by following us on www.blogtalkradio.com/staoradio,
www.soundthealarmoutreach.blogspot.com, and www.soundthealarmoutreach.com

Your Greatest Opportunity

Your greatest opportunity
Don't wait for later to do what you love and to love what you're doing.
Life is made richer in increments of now, and this very moment is your
moment to fully live.
Keep reminding yourself how much of a privilege it is to be where you are
right now. Keep working to make the most of that unique privilege, and use
it to lift all of life ever higher.
Stop making excuses about why you can't. Start making grand fulfillment out
of the goodness you have.
Discover how immensely thankful you can be that this moment is here. Enjoy
how enthusiastic you can be about fulfilling this day's most glorious
possibilities.
Now is when you can get the most out of life by putting the most into life.
Now is when you can find maximum enjoyment in being authentically you.
Do what you love and love what you're doing. Your greatest opportunity is
now.

Sound the Alarm Outreach want to thank you for your support!!!

Act on it!!

Act on it
Even the best idea is only an idea. To give it value, act on it.
Even the most ambitious intention is only an intention until you begin to
act on it. Once you take action and put some commitment behind it, then you
begin to transform that intention into real value.
Most of the world doesn't really care about what you think you'll do or
what you plan to do. To make the world take notice, take action.
Very few people care about what you think or how you feel. What will give
you credibility and influence is what you actually do.
By all means, think and plan and dream. Then stand up, step forward, follow
through and do.
Zero in on an intention that has real meaning for you. Then act on it,
persistently and enthusiastically, and bring it fully to life.

Make a difference and follow us on STAO Radio
www.blogtalkradio.com/staoradio.

Enough Time

Enough time
Make time to do your dream. Make time to live the richness.
Make time for what's important by remembering how truly precious your time
is. There is always enough time when you give sufficient value to your
time.
Complaining that there's not enough time merely wastes more of your time.
Instead of being resentful about what you must do, be appreciative of what
you can do.
Is there something you're doing that doesn't seem like it's worth the time?
Then you can either stop doing it or find ways to put more meaningful value
into it.
If there's something you're doing that's not important, consider how you
can make it important. Put more real value and meaning into your efforts,
and the time you give to those efforts will be time well spent.
Appreciate each moment as it comes, giving your authentic best to it. And
you'll have plenty of time to live the life you truly wish to live.

Tell someone about our mission and tune in to our next STAO Radio
Broadcast!

Give the Value

Give the value
You can't fully enjoy life if you're always expecting someone else to live
it for you. The value of each experience is directly related to the value
you are willing to put into it.
Instead of seeing your efforts, your obligations and your responsibilities
as burdens, see them as opportunities. When you feel resentment or
frustration brewing, choose to replace those feelings with gratitude and
enthusiasm.
The way to truly enjoy life is to continually give your own unique beauty
and value to it. The way to truly enjoy life is through your efforts, your
commitments, and your authentic creativity.
Every day puts you in a position to give of yourself, so make the most of
the opportunity. In every moment there are real, beneficial things you can
do to lift your whole world.
To the extent that you do so, life becomes more meaningful, more fulfilling
and much more enjoyable. Even the complicated, frustrating, and
uncomfortable tasks add immensely to the enjoyment when you remind yourself
of the purpose behind them.
Make the effort, do the work, and give the unique value that's yours to
give. Enjoy the matchless satisfaction of living each moment to truly make
a difference.

YOUR WORLD IS A MIRROR

Your world is a mirror
Your judgments about other people say more about you than they do about the
people you're judging. The reason you can detect the weaknesses and
insecurities of others is because you have experienced those same
weaknesses and insecurities.
Similarly, the reason you're able to see beauty in others is because that
beauty lives in you as well. The positive possibilities you see for others
are, in many ways, your possibilities too.
It's very helpful to think of the world outside of you as a mirror.
Whatever you see beyond you in some way reflects what is inside you.
The most powerful and effective way to improve the world around you, is to
improve yourself. The best way to bring real value into your life, is to
create real value for others.
What you admire and appreciate and support in others, grows stronger within
you as well. When you seek to understand, you will be understood, and when
you listen thoughtfully, you will be heard.
Your world is a mirror, so choose each day to show it your best, most
loving and supportive face. And you'll be delighted with the face you see
looking back at you.

HAPPINESS

"Happiness is a journey, not a destination; happiness is to be found along
the way not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it's
too late. The time for happiness is today not tomorrow." Paul H. Dunn

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

Within YOU

Within you
Within you there is peace. Know it, feel it, love it and let it grow.
Throughout you, there is love of life's beauty and goodness. Keep that love
at the front of your awareness, letting it guide your thoughts, perceptions
and choices.
Around you, there are possibilities. Life changes with every moment, so
pick the possibilities that will enable those changes to uplift your world.
At the heart of you, is a unique and beautiful purpose. In your feelings,
your interests, your preferences and passions, that purpose makes itself
known, so you can follow it.
Surrounding you, is a universe overflowing with magnificent beauty. Let
yourself be positively, joyfully and thankfully amazed at the endless
wonder and possibilities.
Flowing through you, is the energy to live, to love, to make a difference
and to experience unique fulfillment. Make good and purposeful use of that
energy, and make this the most vibrantly rewarding day yet.

Thank you for your support!!! Please go to our main website
www.soundthealarmoutreach.com and follow us on our online radio broadcast
S.T.A.O Radio - You Can Live Again - www.blogtalkradio.com/staoradio.

You don't have to

You don't have to
You don't have to prove anything to anybody. You don't have to live in fear
of what others might think.
You don't have to continue holding on to the negative habits and thought
patterns that have held you back. You don't have to keep living under the
outdated assumptions that have closed your eyes to some of the best
possibilities.
You don't have to weigh yourself down with anger, resentment, fear or
frustration. You don't have to settle for less than the very best you can
be.
You can live, you can give, you can love and achieve. You can take this
very moment, with whatever it may hold, and transform it into a positive,
enriching, fulfilling experience.
You can feel the truth and beauty of your authentic purpose, and take
action to follow that purpose. You can let go of all the burdens you've
imposed on yourself, and live this day with a powerful, newfound
appreciation for all you have.
You can choose right now to meet each challenge with positive passion and
enthusiasm for the best, most meaningful possibilities. You can choose,
again and again, to truly live life on your own best terms.

Choose to do

Choose to do
In this moment, choose to do. On this day, choose to make real and
meaningful progress.
It will take some time, effort and persistence. And in return, you'll earn
yourself some lasting value.
It will challenge you, and frustrate you at times, and make you a little
uncomfortable. Yet it will also bring you the satisfaction of a job well
done.
You may not always get it perfect, but always you can give it your best.
Choosing to work your way forward is not the easiest choice, yet it will
ultimately prove to be the most valuable one.
If you're tempted to let the excuses of the moment hold you back, project
your thoughts into the future. Imagine how silly those excuses will seem
five years from now, and how thankful you'll be that you ignored them.
The opportunity of today is worthless unless you act on it. Act on it,
choose to do, and you'll soon be enjoying the many rewards of your efforts.

Feeling Positive

Feeling positive
Don't feel guilty about what you've failed to accomplish. Feel energized
about what you now can achieve.
Stop feeling remorseful about the time you've wasted. Start feeling
enthusiastic about the time that's now available to you.
When the setbacks come, you won't do yourself any favor by feeling sorry
for yourself. What will help is to direct your feelings into being more
determined than ever before.
There's nothing to be gained by feeling envious of what others have
accomplished. Choose instead to feel inspired by their examples.
It doesn't help anyone for you to feel bad about those who are less
fortunate than you. Instead, make meaningful use of your own good fortune
so that it has a positive and powerful impact on many other lives.
For every reason to feel negative, there's an even better reason to feel
positive. And from those positive feelings come positive and valuable
results.

The Choice is Clear

The choice is clear
There is no way around it. If you wish to live a rich and full life on your
own terms, you must take responsibility for it all.
The choice is always clear. You can choose to be responsible for what you
can control, or you will end up being dependent on what you cannot control.
Responsibility is not easy, yet it is certainly the most positive choice.
For when you do the difficult work of responsibility, you earn the rich
rewards of a life well lived.
Freedom, competence, excellence, effectiveness, independence, quality,
wealth and fulfillment are all earned with responsibility. Take unequivocal
responsibility, and you open yourself to unlimited opportunity.
Seeking pity, blaming others and looking for shortcuts will put you
increasingly at the mercy of negative factors beyond your control. That's
not what you want.
Instead, step up and take responsibility, in every moment, in every
situation, for as much of your world as you can embrace. When it comes to
your life, you're the person who can live it best.

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month - A Proclamation

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, 2010

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

In the 16 years since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA),
we have broken the silence surrounding domestic violence to reach thousands
of survivors, prevent countless incidences of abuse, and save untold
numbers of lives.  While these are critical achievements, domestic violence
remains a devastating public health crisis when one in four women will be
physically or sexually assaulted by a partner at some point in her
lifetime.  During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recognize the
tremendous progress made in reducing domestic violence, and we recommit to
making everyone's home a safe place for them.

My Administration is committed to reducing the prevalence of domestic
violence.  Last year, I appointed the first-ever White House Advisor on
Violence Against Women to collaborate with the many Federal agencies
working together to end domestic violence in this country.  Together with
community efforts, these Federal programs are making important strides
towards eliminating abuse.

The landmark Affordable Care Act also serves as a lifeline for domestic
violence victims.  Before I signed this legislation in March, insurance
companies in eight States and the District of Columbia were able to
classify domestic violence as a pre existing condition, leaving victims at
risk of not receiving vital treatment when they are most vulnerable.  Now,
victims need not fear the additional burden of increased medical bills as
they attempt to protect themselves and rebuild their lives.

Individuals of every race, gender, and background face domestic violence,
but some communities are disproportionately affected.  In order to combat
the prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault in tribal areas, I
signed the Tribal Law and Order Act to strengthen tribal law enforcement
and its ability to prosecute and fight crime more effectively.  This
important legislation will also help survivors of domestic violence get the
medical attention, services, support, and justice they need.

Children exposed to domestic violence, whether victims or witnesses, also
need our help.  Without intervention, they are at higher risk for failure
in school, emotional disorders, substance abuse, and perpetrating violent
behavior later in life.  That is why my Administration has launched the
"Defending Childhood" initiative at the Department of Justice to revitalize
prevention, intervention, and response systems for children exposed to
violence.  The Department of Health and Human Services is also expanding
services and enhancing community responses for children exposed to
violence.

Ending domestic violence requires a collaborative effort involving every
part of our society.  Our law enforcement and justice system must work to
hold offenders accountable and to protect victims and their children.
Business, faith, and community leaders, as well as educators, health care
providers, and human service professionals, also have a role to play in
communicating that domestic violence is always unacceptable.  As a Nation,
we must endeavor to protect survivors, bring offenders to justice, and
change attitudes that support such violence.  I encourage victims, their
loved ones, and concerned citizens to call the National Domestic Violence
Hotline at 1 800-799-SAFE or visit:  www.TheHotline.org.

This month -- and throughout the year -- let each of us resolve to be
vigilant in recognizing and combating domestic violence in our communities,
and let us build a culture of safety and support for all those affected.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of
the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2010 as National Domestic
Violence Awareness Month.  I call on all Americans to speak out against
domestic violence and support local efforts to assist victims of these
crimes in finding the help and healing they need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October,
in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

The Minute

This minute

This minute is the most important one, because this minute is the one you
can use. There is so much you can do in this minute if you'll simply allow
the best possibilities to unfold.
Let go of the regrets and guilt and resentment you've carried with you from
other times. See how foolish it is to be held back by fears about days that
have not yet even arrived.
Think of all the good things that truly mean so much to you. Give your
focus to those things, and make use of this minute, right now and right
here, to expand on that goodness in your world.
Don't be concerned about what might or might not be, or what others might
or might not think of you. Live instead from your authentic center, and
make this minute one that adds value to your experience.
Though you may have good excuses for holding back, use this minute to move
forward. Though the effort will not be easy, your life is worth the
trouble.
This minute is filled with promise and possibility. Right now is when you
can transform it into real and lasting value, so do.

Again, thanks for your support

Atara Estes

What is LOVE

What Is Love?



Love is a state of Being. Your love is not outside; it is deep within you.
You can never lose it, and it can never leave you. It is not dependent on
some other body, some external form.

In the stillness of your presence, you can feel your own formless and
timeless reality as the unmanifested life that animates your physical
form. You can then feel the same life deep within every other human and
every other creature. You look beyond the veil of form and separation.
This is the realization of oneness. This is love.

In an Instant

In an instant

Life can change in an instant, so do everything you can to make that work
in your favor. Choose to use this instant to change your world for the
better.

Life can change in an instant, and you can be the one who changes it. Even
the small, positive actions have beneficial consequences that stretch and
multiply far into the future.

This is just one small moment right now. Yet it is an opportunity to have a
positive impact, and after it will be another such opportunity, and
another, and another.

The power you have is in this instant, right now, ready for you to make use
of in a positive way. The influence of what you do today will quite
literally shape the future, in ways that go far beyond anything you can
imagine.

It's natural to look at life from the perspective of what has been, yet
there's a much more empowering perspective available to you. Focus your
energy on visualizing and feeling how life can be when it is at its best,
and use this instant to live in that direction.

From moment to moment, from instant to instant, life changes, and in that
change is limitless opportunity. Now is your chance to seize that
opportunity, and to bring great value to life in your world.

Atara Estes
www.soundthealarmoutreach.com
www.blogtalkradio.com/staoradio


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Power of your thoughts

Power of your thoughts
The focus of your attention enlarges and expands whatever you focus upon.
That can either hurt you greatly or help you immensely.
Your complaints, for example, give more power and presence to whatever you
complain about. Your love, on the other hand, gives more substance to
whatever you love.
Put the focus of your attention not on what you wish to avoid. Instead,
constantly direct your attention toward where you would like your life to
go.
Your unceasing thoughts have great power. So frame those thoughts in a
positive way that will put their power to work for you.
The more you think you are, the more you are. What you do flows surely and
steadily from what you think, so keep your thoughts focused on your dreams.
Give life to your best intentions by giving the power of your thoughts to
them. Make your dreams real by keeping them constantly in your thoughts.

Tune in every Sunday morning to www.blogtalkradio.com/staoradio or call in
to listen 323-693-3008. Share your thoughts and show your support to make
a difference.

Follow us on www.twitter.com/ataraestes or www.facebook.com/page/sound the
alarm outreach (S.T.A.O) We would like to hear from you. To stay current on
STAO events go to www.soundthealarmoutreach.com.

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LOVE IS THE KEY

All negative thoughts and feelings are simply love under pressure. Every
action you take and every word you speak is an expression of love. Anger,
sadness, greed and guilt are just contracted forms of energy that
originally came from love, yet were contorted by the mind. If you look
closely, you'll find that everything in this Universe comes from love.
This may be a radical idea to digest and religiously implement in your
personal belief system, yet I invite you to try on these new prescription
"love glasses" for a week or two. The slightest change in ones perspective
can dramatically shift everything!
"He that sees the Self sees the Divine. All that you see depends on the
seer. Apart from the seer there is no seen." ~Sri Ramana Maharshi

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Power to Live

Power to live
You are much more powerful, creative and effective than you give yourself
credit for being. You are worthy of the best in life because you are able
to give your very best to each day.
Start that fortunate process in motion. Open yourself to the positive
possibilities of this day and work to bring the best of them to reality.

Whatever good, valuable and meaningful things you can imagine, you can
create. Though it requires effort and commitment, you are absolutely
capable of making it happen.

Remind yourself that this moment is not merely happening to you. It is
happening through you.
You can make it happen in a way that brings great richness to your world
and fulfillment to your life. You can choose to be a positive force by
directing your potent energy into those things that truly matter.
Right now, you have great power to do great things. Step forward in truth,
sincerity, and authenticity, and put that power to use.

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Be better

Be better
If your life could use some positive momentum, make some. Make the choice
and take the action that will bring some real, new, positive value to this
day.
You don't have to wait for things to get better. Because you can take it
upon yourself to be better.
It doesn't matter what else might be going on. There is more than enough
goodness within you to make a real difference when you give some of that
goodness to the world around you.
Just one authentically positive action can change the whole dynamic of your
day. Think of how much more effective you'll be with some positive momentum
on your side, then get busy and do something to put it there.
You are never at the mercy of random circumstance. You can transform any
circumstance, any situation, any event by virtue of how you choose to see
it and to live it.
Take this day and live it in the best way you can imagine. Establish some
powerful, positive momentum and let it carry you in the direction of your
greatest dreams.


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What is easy

What is easy
Easy is overrated. Though easy is nice and convenient, it is not essential.
Many good, valuable and worthwhile things are not easy. Unfortunately,
perfectly acceptable options are too often overlooked simply because they
are not easy.
Life is not always easy. And yet life is very much worth living, and very
much worth the trouble and effort it often requires.
If you only seek the easiest way, you'll miss out on the best way. If you
avoid what is not easy, you'll deny yourself great richness.
When you expect everything to be easy, you'll have to lower your other
expectations. Many of life's greatest treasures are so valuable precisely
because they are so difficult to attain.
Go to the trouble, make the effort, and take on the difficult challenges.
For out there beyond the comfort of what is easy, you can create and
experience the magnificence of what is great.


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CHANGE OF FOCUS

Don't waste your time complaining about what brings you down. Instead, get
yourself away from it in whatever way you can.
If you're in a negative pattern, break the pattern by establishing a new,
more meaningful, positive and empowering one. Doing what you've always done
will continue to get you what you've always gotten, and to get a change you
must make a change.
Reach inside and reacquaint yourself with what you truly care about. Your
authentic purpose is far more important than keeping up old habits or
superficial appearances.
This is your life and this is your opportunity to do something positive
about it. You are far more powerful than you've allowed yourself to be.
Decide to use that power in the service of what is most important to you.
Though a Change of Focus will initially be frightening and uncomfortable,
you will soon feel you're right where you belong.
The beautiful possibilities are calling. NOW is your moment to Focus your
life upon, and to allow, what really matters.



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Pathway to fulfillment

Pathway to fulfillment

Life is not about just getting by. Life is about reaching ever higher,
building one achievement on top of another, and creating real, meaningful
value in each moment.
A common stone on the ground does a great job of just getting by. You, on
the other hand, are destined for much more spectacular things.
Yes indeed, you will most certainly encounter a whole lot of challenges
when you make the effort to raise your world even a little bit higher. The
good thing is, you are superbly equipped to thrive on those challenges.
If life seems unfulfilling, it's not because of the challenges or
limitations that stand in your way. It's because you refuse to see the
exceptional opportunities that those challenges represent.
This is your precious and unique life, and it is absolutely worth all the
trouble and effort you must go through to make it great. Within you at this
moment are beautiful dreams, and you can begin to live in the direction of
those dreams whenever you choose.
Let go of the false security of just getting by, and get yourself focused
on a purpose that will bring your life gloriously to life. Your very own
pathway to fulfillment is just one quick step away.




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What if They Don't Believe

What if They
Don't Believe?





TODAY'S SCRIPTURE


"What if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God
without effect?"
(Romans 3:3, KJV)


So often, people allow the opinions of others to hold them back and water
down their dreams. We have to realize, there will always be critics and
naysayers in life. One of the most important things you can learn is that
other people don't have to believe in you in order for your dreams to come
to pass. Other people don't set the limits for your life — you do. It's not
what others say about you that affects your life, but what you say and
believe about yourself. In today's verse, the apostle Paul is saying, "It
doesn't matter if other people don't believe. Their unbelief is not going
to keep me from believing in my dreams." When God puts a promise in your
heart, it's not up to other people to bring it to pass, it's up to you! You
don't need everyone to validate you. You have to follow the voice of God
for yourself and allow Him to order your steps.


Today, know that God sees the hidden treasures inside of you. He wants to
bring those treasures out and make your dreams reality. As you get rid of
the old, defeated thoughts and replace them with what God says about you,
you will remove the limits so you can live the abundant life God has in
store for you!





A PRAYER FOR TODAY


Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to see Your goodness in my life.
Help me to see myself the way You see me. Help me to see the plans You have
for me so that I can be empowered by You to fulfill my destiny. I love You
and bless Your name today. In Jesus' Name. Amen



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DID YOU KNOW

Intimate Partner Violence

The Department of Justice found that women ages 16 - 24 are the most likely
victims of intimate partner violence (US Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Statistics,
October 2001).
As many as 1 in 5 couples in the United States experience at least 1 episode of
partner-to-partner violence.
Women are more likely than men to be repeatedly abused, injured, or die as a
result of partner violence.
Women are more willing to disclose violent episodes than men. Women who are
assaulted are 9 times more likely than men to report it to the police and 5 times
more likely to tell a friend or relative.
35-50% of victims of intimate partner violence are male.
It is estimated that in this country a woman is severely assaulted by her male
partner every 15 seconds, and a man is severely assaulted by his female partner
every 14.6 seconds.
About 8-10% of male-to-female partner violence is reported, while only 1-2% of
female-to-male partner violence is reported.
The majority of victims murdered by their current or former intimate partners are
either estranged, separated, or in the process of leaving the relationship.
Every 9 seconds a woman is assaulted in the United States, usually by her male
partner.
32% of college students report dating violence by a previous partner and 21%
report violence by a current partner. National Center for Victims of Crime, 2006.
61% of female homicide victims were wives or intimate acquaintances of their
killers. NCADV Violence Policy Center Annual Report, 2004.
About 1 in 320 households were affected by intimate partner violence.
Female victims are more likely to be victimized by intimates than male victims.
In 2005, of offenders victimizing females, 18% were described as intimates and
34% as strangers. By contrast, of offenders victimizing males, 3% were described
as intimates and 54% as strangers.

Of females killed with a firearm, almost two-thirds were killed by their
intimate partners. The number of females shot and killed by their husband
or intimate partner was more than three times higher than the total number
murdered by male strangers using all weapons combined in single
victim/single offender incidents in 2002.
The Violence Pol'y Ctr., When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2002
Homicide Data: Females Murdered by Males in Single Victim/Single Offender
Incidents, at 7 (2004), available at
http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2004.pdf

Teens

18-24 year-olds comprised only 11.7% of the population in 1998 and 2002, but were the
majority of victims of violence committed by a boyfriend or girlfriend (42%).
Matthew R. Durose et al., U.S. Dep't of Just., NCJ 207846, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and
Acquaintances, at 11 (2005), available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fvs.pdf
Approximately one in five female high school students reports being physically and/or
sexually abused by a dating partner.
Jay G. Silverman et al., Dating Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Associated
Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy, and
Suicidality, 286 J. Am. Med. Ass'n 572-579 (2001).
In a study of eighth and ninth graders, 25 percent indicated that they had been victims
of dating violence, including eight percent who disclosed being sexually abused.
Vangie A. Foshee et al., The Safe Date Project: Theoretical Basis, Evaluation Design,
and Selected Baseline Findings, 12 Am. J. of Preventive Med. 39 (1996).
In a survey of 232 high school girls, 17.8% of the participants indicated that they had
been forced to engage in sexual activity against their will by a dating partner.
David R. Jezl, Christian E. Molidor & Tracy L. Wright, Physical, Sexual & Psychological
Abuse in High School Dating Relationships: Prevalence Rates and Self-esteem Issues, 13
Child & Adolescent Soc. Work J. 69 (1996).
Among female students between the ages of 15-20 who reported at least one violent act
during a dating relationship, 24% reported experiencing extremely violent incidents
such as rape or the use of weapons against them.
P.Y. Symons et al., Prevalence and Predictors of Adolescent Dating Violence, 7 J. of
Child & Adolescent Pediatric Nursing 14 (1994).
Girls who reported that they had been sexually or physically abused were more than
twice as likely as non abused girls to report smoking (26% versus 10%), drinking (22%
versus 12%), and using illegal drugs (30% versus 13%). In addition, 32 percent of girls
who had been abused reported bingeing and purging, compared to 12 percent of girls who
had not been abused.
Cathy Schoen et al., The Commonwealth Fund, The Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health
of Adolescent Girls (1997).
In a study of 724 adolescent mothers between the ages of 12-18, one of every eight
pregnant adolescents reported having been physically assaulted by the father of her
baby during the preceding 12 months. Of these, 40 percent also reported experiencing
violence at the hands of a family member or relative.
Constance M. Wiemann et al., Pregnant Adolescents: Experiences and Behaviors Associated
with Physical Assault by an Intimate Partner, 4 Maternal & Child Health J. 93 (2000).
Physical aggression occurs in 1 in 3 teen dating relationships.
Sarah Avery-Leaf & Michele Cascardi, Dating Violence Education: Prevention and Early
Intervention Strategies, in Preventing Violence in Relationships 82 (Paul A. Schewe
ed., 2002).
Fifty to eighty percent of teens report knowing someone involved in a violent
relationship.
Maura O'Keefe & Laura Trester, Victims of Dating Violence Among High School Students, 4
Violence Against Women 195 (1998). See also Family Violence Prevention Fund, The Facts
on Teenagers and Intimate Partner Violence,
http://www.endabuse.org/resources/facts/Teenagers.pdf (2006); and National Center for
Victims of Crime, Teen Dating Violence Sheet, http://www.ncvc.org/dvrc (2004).

Children







Each year an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to violence
against their mothers or female caretakers by family members. (American
Psychological Association, Violence and the Family: Report of the APA
Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family,1996)
Studies show that child abuse occurs in 30 to 60 percent of family
violence cases that involve families with children. (J.L. Edleson, "The
overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering." Violence
Against Women, February, 1999.)
A survey of 6,000 American families found that 50 percent of men who
assault their wives, also abuse their children. (Pagelow, "The
Forgotten Victims: Children of Domestic Violence," 1989)
Research shows that 80 to 90 percent of children living in homes where
there is domestic violence are aware of the violence. (Pagelow,
"Effects of Domestic Violence on Children," Mediation Quarterly, 1990)
A number one predictor of child abuse is woman abuse. (Stark and
Flitcraft, "Women at Risk: A Feminist Perspective on Child Abuse,"
International Journal of Health Services, 1988)
The more severe the abuse of the mother, the worse the child abuse.
(Bowker, Arbitell, and McFerron, "On the Relationship Between Wife
Beating and Child Abuse," Perspectives on Wife Abuse, 1988)
Some 80 percent of child fatilities within the family are attributable
to fathers or father surrogates. (Bergman, Larsen and Mueller,
"Changing Spectrum of Serious Child Abuse," Pediatrics, 1986)
In families where the mother is assaulted by the father, daughters are
at risk of sexual abuse 6.51 times greater than girls in non-abusive
families (Bowker, Arbitell and McFerron, 1988)
A child's exposure to the father abusing the mother is the strongest
risk fact for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the
next (American Psychological Association, Violence and the Family:
Report of the APA Presidential Task Force on Violence and the
Family,1996)
Male children who witness the abuse of mothers by fathers are more
likely to become men who batter in adulthood than those male children
from homes free of violence (Rosenbaum and O'Leary, "Children: The
Unintended Victims of Marital Violence," American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, 1981)
Older children are frequently assaulted when they intervene to defend
or protect their mothers. (Hilberman and Munson, "Sixty Battered
Women," Victimology: An International Journal, 1977-78)
In a 36-month study of 146 children, ages 11-17 who came from homes
where there was domestic violence, all sons over the age of 14
attempted to protect their mothers from attacks. Some 62 percent were
injured in the process. (Roy, 1988)

WE MUST SOUND THE ALARM!!!

STAO RADIO

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FILL(FEEL) YOUR AWARENESS

Feel that way
What would your life be like if you were living at the most meaningful and
fulfilled level you can imagine? If you want to be that way, then choose to
feel that way.
Your desires are yours because of the way you expect they will make you
feel. Yet no matter what your outside situation may be, your inner feelings
are yours to choose in any flavor, at any time, in any circumstance.
By choosing the feelings that resonate with your dreams, you give real
substance and life to those dreams. By deciding to feel that way, you
become that way.
Though it may seem sometimes your feelings simply come over you, that's not
the way it happens. Whatever you feel is what you have, by habit or by
intention, chosen to feel.
So instead of feeling hopeless, decide to feel empowered. Instead of
feeling angry or bitter, frustrated or fearful, choose to feel determined
and effective.
Allow your most positive, affirming feelings to fill your awareness. And
ride along with those feelings as they find real expression in the
substance of your life.

Continue to SOUND THE ALARM!!

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I believe God wants you to know

Dear Friend, I believe God wants you to know...
...that normal is not something to aspire to, it's something
to get away from.

Jody Foster said that, and she was right. Never settle
for normal. Never. Normal is not natural. Extraordinary
is natural. Who do you think you are, anyway...?

What will you do today that is extraordinary? Plan it.
Think it through. And do it. All the angels in heaven
are waiting. And even if you 'fail', it will have been an
extraordinary effort. That qualifies as extraordinary.

Love, Your Friend....Atara Estes.

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In the Words of A Song!

In The Words of A Song!


Yesterday, I heard a song that blessed my soul.  The words of the chorus
were:


"As good as God has been to me, I can't afford not to praise His name. As
good as God has been to me, I'm Gonne give him the highest praise.
HALELUYA, HALELUYA, give Him the highest praise."


     It was obvious to me that this songwriter had a testimony.  He had
some hard places to get through.  He had some lonely days and sleepless
nights.  He had some impossibilities that were made possible.  In the midst
of it all, he found the answer.  Give God the Praise!


     Many of us are looking for answers to questions that really don't
matter in the grand scheme of living in God.  If we would take that same
energy and just give God the praise, those answer, questions, concerns,
matters, desires, problems, etc.—would not matter as much to us.


     Time and time again, God has given you something to praise Him for.
Time after time, you've missed it.  If you have your health, you have a
praise.  If you have your mind, you have a praise.  If you can move under
your own strength, you have a praise.  You have a job, food, clothing,
breath, and life, you have a praise!  Even if you don't have what you want,
you have what you need so, you have a praise.


     The Bible says to let everything that has breath, praise the Lord.
That includes you.


     Praise God today!  Now is the acceptable time.  As good as He has been
to you, you don't have a right not to praise Him.


 Angela B. Allen Copyright @2002 Words of Encouragement


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Find a way to Praise

Greetings everyone,

Today we wonder how long these storms will really last in our lives. Have I
done anything wrong to have this turmoil to come into my life? When the
storms just keep on raging in my life what am I to do?

Well I have been asking myself this exact same question. Is there really an
answer to all of these dysfunctions that has taken place in our life? My
body is sick, my mind is confused, and my spirit is weary. Enough is enough
and I just can not take this anymore.

Don't fret my friend. God is there with you in the midst of it all. God is
a healer and he can heal your body. God is a mind regulator who can give
you peace. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we
shall reap, if we faint not.

These life obstacles will come our way. It is only in how we handle them
when they surface unexpectedly in our lives. No one said that you have the
answers to every situation but know that trouble do not last always. You
cry today and smile tomorrow. Let Go and Let God!!! Yes it is hard no one
said it would be easy but you have a friend that will give you strength to
make it through another day.

So my friend be encourage in well doing because your season to rejoice is
upon you. It is just a minor setback right now. Learn the lesson and apply
it to your journey box. I love you all very much. Keep praying for me and I
will do the same for each and everyone of you.

Praise your way out of your troubles. You do not have to wait for the
battle to be over you can shout now!!! Ask him for the wisdom. The Holy
Spirit is waiting to give it to you and only you.

Be blessed just as you are!!! Get radical for Christ he is raising up true
soldiers for his army.

Here is a Happy Smile for you!!


Sound The Alarm Outreach!!!


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Enlighten the World

The secret to enlightening the world around you is to enlighten the world
within you.  By learning how to love yourself deeply and completely just
the way you are, you tap into the infinite divine power
of Grace/God//Source.  When you are living 24-7 in this state of positive
mind, connected to Source, an enlightened world must truly show itself to
you. As this understanding spreads to your family and friends, it will
move like a wave across the planet, creating an enlightened world around
you that is a pure joy to live in.

 "One individual who lives and vibrates to the energy of optimism and a
willingness to be nonjudgmental of others will counterbalance the
negativity of 90,000 individuals who calibrate at the lower weakening
levels while one individual who lives and vibrates to the energy of pure
love and reverence for all of life will counterbalance the negativity of
750,000 individuals who calibrate at the lower weakening levels."  ~ Dr.
David Hawkins

Here is 1 powerful step you can take today to create an enlightened world
around you:

1. Drop Judging Others and Raise your Consciousness.  Stop wasting your
time judging others, and finding fault with their level of emotional and
spiritual evolution.  If you spot it, you've got it.  What you see "out
there" is what is energetically being felt on your inner world.  If you
focus on how poor people are, you simply feel deeply impoverished on your
inner world.  It's vital that you focus all of your energies on the
positive aspects of people.  These will then show up with yourself.  As you
go through your day, notice what kind of energy are you sending out towards
people.  The more you can embrace and express the beauty and love that
resides at their core, the easier you'll feel it within you.  The world
around you will reflect what is happening inside you.  Each time you
allow the divine, all loving and empowering energy of your Divine Self to
be seen in others, you literally shift the vibration of this planet!  Do
this enough and there will be more love, compassion, and harmony
circulating through the planet.

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Its Not So Easy to Leave

 By: smileyone0329
Age: 36-40, Woman

What's Your Story

Its Not So Easy to LeavePosted June 27th, 2008 at 10:38AM

SOUND THE ALARM!!!!


Twenty one years ago, I thought I met the man of my dreams. He was handsome, worldly & very charismatic. Our relationship was intense, exciting & passionate. So when he asked me to marry him, I didn't even think for a second before I accepted. After the wedding, we moved 1300 miles from my family. I was so excited to have this marvelous adventure with my new husband. Little did I realize that this was the beginning of it all. I realize now that moving was his way of making me more dependent on him. I knew no one in this small town in Florida. He knew many. About a month after we moved, I found out I was pregnant with our first child. I lasted six months in Florida. I hated it. I was 19, pregnant & 1300 miles away from anyone that loved me, except for him. I needed my mom. He agreed, reluctantly, to move back to Chicago. After our son was born, his whole attitude changed. His frustration with having to move back here was building. One month after our son was born, I received the first of at least 100 beatings. Our relationship lasted 13 years, total. Every time I tried to assert myself, I was beat down. Not always physicallly. He was a master at emotional torment. Its hard to remain positive about life or have any self esteem when the one person in your life that you depend on keeps telling you what a fat, lazy, slob you are. After a while, you just begin to believe it. That lasted for years. I was so drained by all of his tyrades that I didn't even have the energy to deal with life.






There is a cycle to violence in a relationship. Anyone who has ever been involved in domestic violence therapy will tell you that its hard to get out. It starts with a "honeymoon phase". Life is blissful. He is the man that you fell in love with. Then there is a tension building phase. Little by little the tension builds. Sometimes its not even noticeable until the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Then comes the explosion. Whether it is physical, verbal, emotional or sexual, as much as it hurts, its almost a relief because the tension is gone. The tension can get so unbearable that some victims will even entice the explosion just to get past the tension. I was guilty of that on a few occasions because I knew that once the explosion was over, we could get back to the honeymoon phase again. There is no timeline on how long the cycle takes. It could be days or it could be months or years.






To recount all of the incidents here would not serve any purpose except to sicken those who read this. But there are three incidents that were turning points in this sick relationship. The first turning point was the day I realized that my husband was crazy. He was yelling at me because I had gone out after work with some girls from work for a drink. One of the girls was leaving the company. When I got home, he started calling me all kinds of nasty names. I had had it with his mouth & told him to go crack open another beer. At that point, he punched me in the face & dislocated my jaw. I vividly remember standing there, swaying, thinking to myself "I am NOT going to fall. I am not going to give him the satisfaction". Well, as hard as I tried, I couldn't keep standing. The spinning got the better of me & I hit the floor. Immediately he was standing over me, straddling my body, telling me to NEVER speak to him like that. I saw my opportunity to get away in the way he was standing with his legs spread right above me. I balled up my fist & I KNOW I made contact with his testicles. The man didn't even flinch. I knew, right then & there, that I was going to end up dead by this man's hand some day if I didn't get out. A few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant with our daughter. My opportunity to hit the trail had gone up in smoke.






My pregnancy with her was a difficult one. I had many problems & the doctor had prepared me for the worst. Every test I had came back that she had some sort of serious problem. My husband had taken all of this to heart & was actually behaving himself. He was supportive & protective of me. The day she was born, there were at least a dozen people in scrubs in the OR (she was cesarean). When she was born they whisked her off to the neonatal unit & my husband followed her. As I laid in the recovery room, I asked the nurse just who those three men were that were standing in the corner of the OR in scrubs. She told me "Honey, those were security guards. Your doctor was afraid that if your daughter didn't make it when she was born, that everyone's safety in the OR was at risk". I was shocked. I never said anything about it to my husband. He was pretty self involved because he had just had rotator cuff surgery. When I got home, it was clear there were going to be problems. My husband was no help whatsoever & I was in a lot of pain. Our daughter's crib was in our bedroom. As we lay in bed that night, she began to cry. Having a cesarean makes it difficult to use your abdominal muscles for a bit. I was having a hard time getting out of bed. As I am trying to get myself up, he said to me "aren't you going to get up"? I told him I was trying, but was having a hard time. So he says "Here, let me help you", & promptly kicked me right off the bed. I got up, clenching my stomach, hoping I had not torn the staples holding my insides in & grabbed my daughter out of bed. I took her into the living room, fed her & rocked her back to sleep. Then, as she lay sleeping in my arms, I got up & went to the kitchen. In the kitchen I found his fillet knife he uses when he fishes. I took that knife & my daughter & went into the bedroom. I stood over my husband as he slept with my daughter in one hand & that knife in the other trying to decide where I was going to stab that man. Then I realized if I didn't kill him immediately, he would take that knife & kill me, for sure. That would mean that my children would be raised by him, alone. I decided he wasn't worth it & went out to the living room to sleep with my daughter in the recliner. He never knew that he almost died that night.


Three months later, I lost my job of almost 10 years. I saw another opportunity to run for my life fly right out the window. I became so depressed that in one year I was hospitalized 3 times for breakdowns. The doctors knew my husband was a big source of my depression & panic attacks, but instead of helping me find a way out, they chose to have me confront him while I was in the hospital. I think they thought that if I confronted him while I was hospitalized, in front of a mediator, that I would be safe. That was really a big mistake. He sat quietly in the conference room & listened to what I had to say. But I could see I was going to get the beating of a lifetime when I got home for talking to strangers about what happened in our home. By the time it was over, I had to be sedated because I was so freaked out & fearful. When I got home, I knew I needed to put a plan in order to try to get free. I took my meds & did my therapy. I began to put my ducks in a row. My husband saw me beginning to get better & became aggitated by it. One night, I sat him down at the table & told him I wanted a divorce. I was feeling empowered by my progress towards being better. We argued. During the argument, I went to use the washroom. My 3 yr old daughter followed me into the bathroom, as most 3 yr olds will do. He came to the door, burst through it, knocking our daughter over with the door & kicked me in the thigh as I sat on the toilet. I grabbed the kids & ran for the door. I went to a neighbors & called the police. It was certainly not the first time they had been to our house. They came, guns drawn. They arrested him for domestic violence, told me to go get an order of protection & then told me that my leg looked fine. He obviously hadn't kicked me very hard. It was actually quite the opposite. The muscles were what was bruised so it took about 3 days before the blood came to the surface. When it did, I had a distinct shoe print that was black & purple. Over time, the bruising ran down my leg. It took weeks to disappear.




That was the final straw. I knew that if I stayed, both of my children would grow up thinking that this was normal. My son would be an abuser & my daughter would allow people to abuse her. The next day, I called him from work & told him that he had until I came home from work to get himself & his things out of the house or he was going back to jail. He left, but continued to terrorize me for a few years. Even divorcing him didn't seem to phase him. He violated the order of protection on 2 occasions & was not charged with a crime. The third time he left threatening messages on my answering machine. He threatened to blow up the house with us in it & beat up our son (he was 12 at the time) for not answering the phone. While the police were at my home taking the report, my ex's brother phoned. He called to tell me that my ex had gotten into his mother's gun collection & was on his way to my home. That was when the police did something about it. He was finally arrested. But even in the court room, he would look at me, wink & blow kisses. The state's attorney used those very actions to show the judge that this man was a danger to me & my children. He was sentenced to a whopping 2 years, was out in 6 months & started right back up where he left off. It took me selling my home & moving in the dead of the night with no forwarding address to get some peace.




In all of this, I had thought I had saved my children. We went through domestic violence therapy through a women's shelter in the area for almost 2 years. During one of our family sessions, my son looked at me (he was 14 at the time) & said "Mom, you have no idea what its like to watch your father try to kill your mother & not be able to do anything about it". Chilling words from a teenager. My daughter is 11 now & still remembers the time "the police came & took Bob away for kicking Mom on the toilet". My son & I have Post traumatic stress disorder. He has other issues directly related to the things he has witnessed. At 20 years old, he seems to find himself in relationships with girls who have behaviors eerily similiar to those of his father. My concern was that my son would be an abuser & he allows women to abuse him. I have shown him time & time again the similiarities between this relationship he is currently in & my marriage to his father. He won't even consider that they are similiar.




Its been 8 years since I got out. Its been an uphill struggle all the way. My ex is back in Florida now & will call or write my mom occasionally since he has no idea how to contact me or the kids. We remain hidden. But every time he comes back to Chicago, he calls my mom & wants to see the kids, which is against the court orders of the divorce. On your average day, I can say, I have moved past it all & am not afraid of him anymore. But when he rears his ugly head, I am right back to where I was in the first months of our separation. I am afraid to turn on lights at night, unable to sleep without nightmares & afraid to go outside, for fear he may see us somewhere.






All I can say is this... If you can't seem to get out for yourself... Do it for your kids. Don't justify that he's only mean to you. It has lifelong consequences for all of you.

You can live again Can you smile 07/31 by AtaraEstes | Blog Talk Radio

You can live again Can you smile 07/31 by AtaraEstes Blog Talk Radio

One Life

One Life

1st I was dying to finish high school and start college…

And then I was dying to finish college and start working…

Then I was dying to marry and have children…

And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could go back
to work…

But then I was dying to retire and now I am dying…

And suddenly
Realizing…
I forgot to live.

Please don't let this happen to you

Appreciate your current situation

Thank God for the good and bad in your life!

Remember that everyday is a day of thanksgiving

ONE LIFE!!

Author anonymous

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Sound The Alarm Outreach - Home

Sound The Alarm Outreach - Home
This website is for us to get involved and SOUND THE ALARM!!

WGME 13 Top Stories - Domestic Violence: A Survivor's Message

WGME 13 Top Stories - Domestic Violence: A Survivor's Message

Real Stories everyday. Get involved and SOUND THE ALARM!!!

Denison Witmer - Hold On

You can live again Can you forgive 07/24 by AtaraEstes | Blog Talk Radio

You can live again Can you forgive 07/24 by AtaraEstes Blog Talk Radio

Help Dr. Phil End the Silence on Domestic Violence

July 18th, 2011 by Dr. Phil



The Senate Hearing on Domestic Violence


Listen up, all you Silence Breakers out there, it’s game time. A very vital piece of legislation that protects millions of victims of domestic violence is now before Congress, and we’ve got to make some noise to make sure it’s passed.

The legislation is called the Violence Against Women Act. It was first ushered into law in 1994 and is now up for reauthorization by Congress. I was recently invited to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a content expert to talk about VAWA, which funds programs that help survivors of domestic violence rebuild their shattered lives. The money from VAWA goes to building vital emergency family shelters and creating domestic abuse hotlines. It also trains police officers on how to better protect victims and prosecutors on how to establish better criminal cases that will stand up in court. And because of VAWA, these women have access to resources such as counseling, financial literacy education, gainful employment, long-term housing options and legal assistance.


In my testimony, I took great care to remind the senators just what is at stake here — every 15 seconds a woman is abused in this country. I did the math for them; during the first hour of that committee hearing alone, 228 women would be beaten, terrorized and intimidated — and by the end of day, three women would be murdered as a result of domestic violence. I also stressed the dangerous, long-term effects that domestic violence has on the more than 10 million children who will see their mothers, sisters or aunts beaten or intimidated this year, and how the violence they are having to endure will cause deeply-rooted problems, including eroding their personalities, mental health and mental fitness, resulting in a host of long-term issues, including alcoholism, drug addiction, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few.

I showed the committee those devastating before-and-after photos of women who had been on our show — beautiful, healthy looking wives and mothers who had been beaten by their husbands or boyfriends. I talked about Audrey, whose ex-husband set her on fire after she left him, and I talked about Sandra, who lost her left eye when her boyfriend found out where she was hiding and attacked her. And I talked about how difficult it’s been to prosecute men who do such acts — and that we have to keep pushing for legislation to make sure that domestic abuse is taken out of the family courts and put into the criminal justice system, or at a minimum, we create a system of sharing information from one court to the other. “Red tape in the system means that red blood will be spilled in the home,” I told the senators.


Needless to say, I also informed them about our End the Silence on Domestic Violence campaign, and I told them about the thousands of you who have signed up to become Silence Breakers, always ready and able to give your time and resources to help.


And as the hearing came to an end, I thought, Boy, we need the Silence Breakers to come through for us right now. This summer, as I’m sure you know, Congress is looking for all sorts of ways to cut the federal budget, and I’m afraid adequate funding for the Violence Against Women Act is in jeopardy. The co-chair of the committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, went so far as to declare during the hearing that reviews of VAWA grants have uncovered problems with record-keeping and unallowable expenditures. “In today’s economic environment,” he said, “we cannot tolerate this level of malfeasance in federal grant programs.”

I agree with Sen. Grassley completely. We need to ensure that VAWA’s programs are held to strict accountability. However, we need to make equally sure that we never turn our backs on women who are in crisis. And make no mistake, this crisis is getting worse, largely due to our economic downturn. Domestic violence numbers spike when people are stressed out over money. One recent report found that some 9,500 women each day cannot get the help they need. They are told there’s no room at the inn.

I worry about those 9,500 women because I know the danger they face. As we’ve talked about many times on the show, nearly 70 percent of injuries and murders in domestic violence cases happen to women after they leave abusive relationships. It’s a phenomenon known as “separation assault.” So they need a safe place. And if the federal government doesn’t step in with the funding, then those women are in real trouble, because right now, states and localities can’t afford to keep many of their shelters open, let alone build desperately-needed new ones.

So let’s keep active, Silence Breakers. Write to your U.S. representative and senator and let them know how important it is that they vote to re-authorize VAWA. Let’s make sure that money continues to flow into the programs that fund safe havens for those women who have made the brave decision to leave their abusive relationships. For those of you who haven’t become a Silence Breaker and want to join our campaign, you can go here to take the pledge.

And, as always, if someone you know is an abusive relationship — or if that someone is you — we’ve got a lot of resources at DrPhil.com to help you or your friend get help.

Let’s do what we can to create a world where women feel safe. And let’s certainly make sure our daughters and granddaughters don’t grow up in a world that looks the other way or fails to react if they are the victims of violence. This epidemic cannot remain silent!!!

SOUND THE ALARM!!!

The Senate Hearing on Domestic Violence

The Senate Hearing on Domestic Violence This effect our homes and our communities. Get involved and help SOUND THE ALARM!!

You can live again Can you forgive 07/24 by AtaraEstes | Blog Talk Radio

You can live again Can you forgive 07/24 by AtaraEstes Blog Talk Radio Be ready for real topics and real issues. We want domestic violence to STOP!!!

Kirk Franklin- I smile with lyrics

Bible Gateway passage: Psalm 91 - New International Version

Bible Gateway passage: Psalm 91 - New International Version

Sound The Alarm Outreach : Sound the Alarm Outreach

Sound The Alarm Outreach : Sound the Alarm Outreach Check out S.T.A.O Merchandise. We have enhanced our selection so it will make you come back for more.

ShareThis is Powering the Sharing Revolution!

ShareThis is Powering the Sharing Revolution! Sharing Secrets to Deal with Frustration

Domestic violence commercial

Domestic Violence PSA

Today God is First on this wonderful Sunday!! I am Atara Estes the Owner/Motivational Speaker of Sound the Alarm Outreach. I am passionate about S.T.A.O because I am a survivor to domestic violence.

This year, Sound the Alarm Outreach wants to help children, adults, families, and communities affected ...by domestic violence and abuse to find the hope and help they need through programs and services. Sound the Alarm Outreach wants to make a positive impact on someone facing crisis, and I hope you will, too.

Sound the Alarm Outreach is now opened for business you can visit us at www.cafepress.com/soundthealar​moutreach, you also can make a contribution to Sound the Alarm Outreach just by clicking on the website www.soundthealarmoutreach.com and stay informed on upcoming events that Sound the Alarm Outreach is involved in around the world. We hope you will find everything you need and REFER A FRIEND. We are on the road to healing and we can LIVE AGAIN!!! You can request to be added to the facebook group site as well because there is strength in numbers.

Today is also the last day for our WHITE SALE you can get your white and light garments for up to 25% off. Each sale helps Sound The Alarm Outreach business to help families in need. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from repeat customers and referrals. We represent the survivors and for the one's who did not survive. S.T.A.O DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAS TO GO!!!

Thank you for sounding the Alarm with us!

God Bless!!

Sound The Alarm Outreach : Sound the Alarm Outreach

Sound The Alarm Outreach : Sound the Alarm Outreach WHITE SALE!!! SAVE UP TO 25% on WHITE & LIGHT GARMENTS. NO COUPON NEEDED!!! TELL A FRIEND!!!

Sound The Alarm Outreach : Sound the Alarm Outreach

Sound The Alarm Outreach : Sound the Alarm Outreach Take 10% off purchase over $40 offer is good until July 8. Refer a friend to the site. You have just SOUND THE ALARM!!!

The American Apparel Women's T-Shirt I designed on CafePress.com

The American Apparel Women's T-Shirt I designed on CafePress.com

Sound The Alarm Outreach is open for business. Check out the latest Apparel & Accessories. You can now Sound the Alarm with us!!!

Don't Quit

Greetings everyone.....you can be happy and you can heal past the pain. It might take more effort for you to make your day good but what ever you do is don't stop trying take it one day at time. NO one knows your story. YOU must not stop talking, sharing or smiling because someone around you needs you. It's in that one word or smile that can make there day seem brighter then before. Try it!!! Be a blessing to someone on today and watch the seeds you sow into that person's life springs up. Look outside of yourself to help your fellowman and it will in return heal you.




I ask that you all continue to pray for my strength in the Lord that I will be at that ordained place that God has called me to be. Be encouraged on today everyone God is not done with blessing you!! If he brought you to it then he can bring you through it!!!

Sound the Alarm Outreach is on the road to healing!!!!

Boys Teen Dating Violence 60 sec PSA

Kirk Franklin- I smile with lyrics

Healthy Teen Relationships

New Domestic Violence PSA - "It Rarely Stops" (HD)

Streetwork Program: Born This Way

Encouragement

Greetings everyone,

I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other. Romans 1:12

God is not the only One with the power to bless. You, too can build others up by showing them special favor, which is what a blessing really is. One way is through the gift of encouragement. The more you take the opportunity to cheer on and support those around you, the more you'll
experience joy that love can bring. You never know when a simple word of encouragement to a friend or even a stranger will cause a ripple effect that will be felt throughout eternity. Be encouraged, and act on what you've learned. Strengthen others by sharing how much they mean to you and
to God.

We are on the road to healing.

Be blessed,
Atara LivingAgain Estes
Sound the Alarm Outreach
Follow me on Twitter@AtaraEstes
Facebook.group@Sound The Alarm Outreach

Children Now—Talking with Kids

Children Now—Talking with Kids I told everyone that I am sounding the alarm on real issues. Help me break the silence....the children are our future. Talk to your children before everyone else does.

SOUND THE ALARM!!!

Living Again

Greetings everyone,




It has been a minute since I have shared my thought with you. There is so many of us going through in one thing or another it has left us oppressed to say the least. I come to encourage you on whatever it is that you may be facing and let you know that the blood that Jesus shed was for you and me. We were not meant to be beaten and intimidated by verbal or physical abuse. We have to get a hold of who we are and whose we are. I had to get me together so I would not let fear take over my life. Fear leads to depression and depression leads to suicidal thoughts to where you might eventually go through with it if the mind is not strong enough to fight if away.


I have come across not only women hurting in the heart but men are very hurt as well. We must be very careful to what we say and do to people we do not know how fragile or toxin that person maybe on the verge of a blow up on the wrong person to where someone could end up hurt. Pull back and examine ourselves we don't know what other people are going through we are so quick to judge people's action and never really taken the time to find out what caused the reaction in the first place.


I didn't always love myself but I value my life today and I choose to set healthy boundaries for my life in what I let in. If it appears to be negative and I have the control to change it then I detour that mess from which it has come from. However in other situations that may surface that you have no control over and don't know when the pain will stop or when will this test be over that is when you lift up your eyes unto the hills from which comes your help and all of your help is coming from the Lord. If God brings you to it then He is able to bring you through it.


It might not work for you but it has not failed me by calling on the name of the Lord he has been their through those dark nights that no one else is available to hear my cry. In Ezekiel 36:26 says I will give you a New Heart and put a New Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I must say that this happened to me once I was able to forgive those who had hurt me and forgave myself for thinking less of my own worth. I feel so alive today because I let Jesus into my heart and when the storms get to raging in my life I have safety with knowing that Jesus is with me even until the ends of time. I can ride through the storms with Jesus because he sticks closer then any brother. I tried him for myself and I now know what true love is all about.


So be encourage my brother and sister and know that God can touch your heart and heal it and you feel life brand new again. Let him in......I could not forgive without God's spirit. I could not love without God's spirit. I could not give without God's spirit. When God's spirit at work in you it enables you to hear God's voice as he guides your decisions, to see his hands as he moves through circumstances, and to fulfill his plan for you to become the person he created you to be.


""Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from "Loving Your Enemies")"
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


Be good to yourself and to one another!!


Sound the Alarm Outreach


Atara Estes


Looking for a motivational speaker/advocate/educator/singer then email me @ soundthealarmoutreach@gmail.com. I have a mission to keep and a God to glorify.