<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Restorative Hope Ministries]]></title><description><![CDATA[Empowering survivors of human trafficking to develop essential job skills through training and employment programs grounded in compassion and kindness]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 21:36:29 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.chairsyndicatema.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Most Unforgettable Lunch of My Career | Human Trafficking Awareness ]]></title><description><![CDATA[What began as a celebration became the beginning of my journey to awareness about human trafficking. Some moments never leave you. Most of us can point to a handful of moments that quietly divide our lives into before and after. Rarely do we recognize them while we're living them. They begin like any other day... a meeting on the calendar, a celebration with colleagues, lunch around a conference table. Only years later do we realize God was using an ordinary moment to begin teaching us...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/the-most-unforgettable-lunch-of-my-career-human-trafficking-awareness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7326e5277d47c355d31e98</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 12:23:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dce401_7114b8274db845c29ab8557d175adaa2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_696,h_462,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[67: What a Viral Trend Reveals About Identity, Purpose, and Belonging]]></title><description><![CDATA[Everyone is saying it. Almost nobody can explain it. What a viral trend reveals about our search for identity, belonging, and something that lasts. If you've spent any time around kids and teens lately, you've probably heard someone say "67." Not sixty-seven. Six. Seven. If you're confused, don't worry. Most adults are. In fact, after spending far too much time researching the trend, I'm not entirely convinced the kids know exactly what it means either. That's part of the joke. The phrase...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/67-identity-purpose-belonging</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a28144a579005354a9e8d4b</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:16:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dce401_c062c63bc31f41029cb9a6abfabef387~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Do I Do Things I Know Are Wrong?]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Story of Betrayal, Faith, and Real Transformation There’s a moment from my past that still comes back to me… not loud, not dramatic, just enough to remind me who I used to be. It didn’t happen in chaos. It happened in a quiet, ordinary setting… the kind where nothing looks wrong from the outside. But something was already off. Boundaries had been softened. Lines had been crossed long before the moment itself. A friend trusted me. And I slept with her boyfriend. Even writing that… I don’t...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/why-do-i-do-things-i-know-are-wrong-faith-transformation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e775060294e8c3f3edf742</guid><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:16:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dce401_818f4c66747744cca703321401b9aeac~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Call No One Wants to Receive: Facing Childhood Sexual Abuse with Truth and Courage]]></title><description><![CDATA[I got the call again… and before she even finished the sentence, I knew. There is a tone in a mother's voice when something has gone terribly wrong — a weight that words cannot carry on their own. This time it was a friend I have known for over a decade, telling me that her daughters, one a teenager and one an adolescent, had been hurt… not once, not twice, but over time, repeatedly violated by someone they knew, someone they trusted, someone the family knew. And in that moment, everything...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/childhood-sexual-abuse-truth-and-courage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69bae1ca23f9a3655ef0aa0a</guid><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:50:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4639dcbe83254a808b3f890b5d7471aa.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The War Between Good and Evil: You Cannot Stay Neutral]]></title><description><![CDATA[Over the last six months, since launching this ministry, resistance has pressed hard. A broken leg. A near fatal fall off a cliff. My husband tumbling off a ladder. My love one attempting suicide. Estrangement with my in-laws. Technology failing when work must move forward. A car stuck in the snow and a flat tire on the way to serve. Individually, each event could be explained. Together, they forced reflection. I am working to bring survivors to Christ. This means I am walking with women who...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/the-war-between-good-and-evil-you-cannot-stay-neutral-with-spiritual-warfare</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699c6f906a57e93c1858fb5a</guid><pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:48:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_0e50ba11dcfb4706925724da3b0cace2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Angel Rescue: My Near Death Experience]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last week, during a blizzard, we almost died. My husband was driving his blue Chevy Colorado with winter wheels through a snowstorm to get firewood on our way to our cabin. Our two cats were in the back. Everything around us was whitewashed. We were in an unfamiliar industrial area, trying to follow signs to get out safely after loading a barrel of firewood into the truck. It looked like we simply had to drive downhill to reach some construction vehicles ahead. Then my husband stopped. He...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/angel-rescue-near-death-experience</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6987e74040d7c5baf3accb2e</guid><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 01:55:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_2ba941965f104424b8e758d2d0cb1dbe~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Empowerment: More Than Just Rescue]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why Empowerment Matters I would love to rescue people. Not in a blood and guts, emergency room kind of way. I would probably pass out. Spiritually, emotionally, physically? Absolutely. The desire to step in and help runs deep for most of us. There is something compelling about imagining the moment when danger ends and relief finally settles in. Experience has taught me something important, though. A moment of safety does not stop life from continuing. Real life begins immediately, often...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/from-rescue-to-real-life-helping-our-kids-and-survivors-thrive</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6970451094cdfced734e8ad0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:36:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d482ac534bc6488692c5431a707f6d09~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Happy Birthday to a Former Gang Member]]></title><description><![CDATA[January 2, 2026 Would you have believed it if I told you I joined a gang? If you met me today, that sentence might feel hard to reconcile with who I am now. An active Christian, a professional businesswoman, an engaged community member. The founder of a nonprofit rooted in restoration and hope. Someone who speaks about faith, dignity, and healing with conviction. And yet, this is my story. Birthdays slow me down. They turn memory into a mirror and invite questions that cannot be avoided. Not...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/happy-birthday-to-a-former-gang-member</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69572467341984d007c30ad1</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2026 02:21:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5e4ebe6edd50441480b429d0a71e7f4f.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It’s Not About "Nobody’s Girl." It’s Happened to Almost Every Girl.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Melissa - Age 15 Virginia Giuffre’s book Nobody’s Girl  tells a story the world finally paid attention to because of who was involved. Powerful men. Wealthy women. Global elites. But the most important part of her story has very little to do with Epstein. It has everything to do with what happened before  him. Virginia writes that her father sexually abused her starting at a very young age. Before trafficking ever entered her life, her body, boundaries, and understanding of love had already...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/it-s-not-about-nobody-s-girl-it-s-happened-to-almost-every-girl</link><guid isPermaLink="false">693f12799e9e3b349191de98</guid><pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 20:07:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dce401_642ba7b95a484cceaab7cf2e52b94a07~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_528,h_960,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Happened to You? A Story That Might Explain More Than You Realize]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was nineteen years old with a two-year-old boy on my hip, trying to hold my world together in a crowded Rhode Island city. The old, large house I rented was extremely close to neighbors on three sides. I had multiple roommates, a toddler, and the kind of exhaustion that only young motherhood and survival-mode living can create. Being that close to neighbors means you don’t just hear  their lives, you feel them. You absorb their arguments through the walls, their storms that seem unnatural,...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/what-happened-to-you-a-story-that-might-explain-more-than-you-realize</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69266fa7e4b8554da14ed521</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:43:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_a20df7aabea0420a89225bf2ca09fc9a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Where Broken Stories Become Beautiful: A Day in the Life of Restoration]]></title><description><![CDATA[When people ask what my role looks like as Executive Director of Restorative Hope Ministries, they expect strategy meetings, budgets, planning, and program development; those things are real and necessary. However the true heartbeat of my days is watching God take the broken pieces of a woman’s life and quietly, faithfully rebuild something truly beautiful. Every week on my way to the restorative safe home, Living Hope Farm, managed by Beauty from Ashes Ministry, I pray Matthew 5:16... a...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/where-broken-stories-become-beautiful-a-day-in-the-life-of-restoration</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691bbe604885233fabd5a2fd</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 01:35:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_ed558759eb1447b28d067c5e1f94e22c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ The Enneagram: A Pathway to Self-Discovery and Stronger Relationships]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have you ever noticed how two people can face the same situation yet react in completely different ways? One feels anxious while another stays calm; one takes charge while another steps back. What if you could understand why ... not just what people do, but what drives them beneath the surface? The Enneagram  offers a fascinating way to explore those inner motivations. It helps us uncover the patterns that shape how we think, feel, and relate to others, giving us language for the parts of...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/the-enneagram-a-pathway-to-self-discovery-and-stronger-relationships</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6912585c4d01cb460b627f6b</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:36:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_07bc16ec01624071b3013c7bf0ba753a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[On the Streets of Skid Row: The Battle Between Darkness and Light]]></title><description><![CDATA[Woman living in Skid Row                             Credit: News Dog Media “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” — John 10:10 The Illusion of Freedom When I was a kid, I loved the band Skid Row.  Their songs were loud, rebellious, full of attitude, everything a teenager thinks freedom sounds like. I had no idea what the name truly meant. Years later, I learned that Skid Row  isn’t just a rock band. It’s a real...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/on-the-streets-of-skid-row-the-battle-between-darkness-and-light</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69092843f82473eab6778771</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2025 22:25:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dce401_fe82af3c2f9946e8afbf944276015cee~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Who’s Driving Your Reactions? Understanding the Chimp, the Human, and the Computer Within]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have you ever caught yourself reacting before you could even think? Maybe you snapped at someone and instantly regretted it, or you froze up in a conversation that shouldn’t have felt threatening. Later, you wonder, “Why did I do that?” That moment when, logic disappears and emotions take over, isn’t a failure of willpower. It’s a glimpse into the complex workings of your mind. The Three Voices in Your Mind Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Professor Steve Peters , in his groundbreaking book A...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/who-s-driving-your-reactions-understanding-the-chimp-the-human-and-the-computer-within</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69000718ea8c108faaf824e3</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:19:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4642f1ba5bdd45f4b010813f2c60deb5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Understanding Trauma: Why Healing Takes Time and Compassion]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last week, I completed my Trauma-Informed Coaching 101 Certificate through Light University . This milestone deepened my understanding of how trauma affects people, especially adult survivors of sexual violence and psychological abuse, and reaffirmed why empathy and patience are essential parts of the healing journey. The Hidden Wounds We Don’t See Many trauma survivors look like everyone else. They go to work, raise families, and smile through their day, yet inside, they may carry the silent...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/understanding-trauma-why-healing-takes-time-and-compassion</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f6a61381fa676406650859</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2025 21:32:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_ab83245afdec469898a14d0631aa1db0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Created for Connection: Reflections from Demand Freedom]]></title><description><![CDATA[This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Demand Freedom Conference, hosted by the NH Traffick Free Coalition, and I’m still processing everything I experienced. It was inspiring. The room was full of people and organizations, survivors... advocates, ministries, and community leaders... all standing together for one purpose: to end human trafficking and restore dignity to those who’ve been exploited. I walked away encouraged, challenged, and deeply moved. One of the keynote...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/created-for-connection-not-for-objectification</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68ed690eeed5248a24703631</guid><pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:10:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/42eefbb52e4f4da4b1afad9753976598.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Hidden Faces of Trafficking: Why Escape Is Only the Beginning]]></title><description><![CDATA[When most people hear human trafficking , they imagine kidnappings, locked rooms, or people smuggled across borders. But the truth is far...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/the-hidden-faces-of-trafficking-why-escape-is-only-the-beginning</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68e46a233af439b9bda45769</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2025 01:46:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_507fa46b20b547c8887154eafe4fdda1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Grounded in God: Balancing Work &#38; Sabbath]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why Rest Matters as Much as Work In our culture, rest is often seen as optional, while work is essential. Yet God designed us to need both. Work is a gift; it provides for ourselves and our families, gives us dignity, and allows us to contribute to the world around us. However, rest is equally a gift. .. it  renews our bodies, refreshes our minds, and reconnects us to the One who created us. At Restorative Hope Ministries, we walk with survivors of human trafficking as they rebuild their...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/grounded-in-god-balancing-work-sabbath</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68d835caa9706ca89314bdd7</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2025 13:44:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_40da4d567cd24c1eaef06ba0453bf396~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Embracing My Body: From Survival to True Beauty]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reclaiming My Body For as long as I can remember, I’ve been aware of my body. As a survivor of trauma, there were seasons when it didn’t feel like it belonged to me. Caring for it through fitness and discipline became a way of reclaiming ownership. Staying in shape wasn’t only about appearance, it was about power, strength, and proving to myself that I was in control. But looking back now, I realize I often put too much focus on my body. I believed beauty was something I had to earn through...]]></description><link>https://www.restorativehopeministries.org/post/embracing-my-body-from-survival-to-true-beauty</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68d0c4ca8368cf653eef1694</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:45:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dce401_c47ca60c106e49cd95dfb54cb11682cc~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Melissa Mills</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>