Inside My Battlefield

Upon the release of her long-awaited memoir, My Battlefield: A Life Broken and Made Whole, Joyce sat down to discuss her new book, the inclusion of never-before-shared experiences, and why now is the time to release the incredible true story of her life.

Q: You’ve shared your story many times before, but this memoir includes things you’ve never spoken about publicly. What led you to include more of your story now?

Joyce: I really wanted people to know that I truly do understand the experience and impact of sexual abuse—and everything that comes with it. Not just the obvious pain, but the way it shapes how you see yourself, how you relate to others, and how you move through life. I included many details I’ve never shared before because I want people to grasp just how deeply God can reach into a life and bring restoration—not surface-level change, but a complete transformation of the heart, mind, and life.

When you really see where I’ve come from, you begin to understand the depth of what God can do. Jesus has changed my life completely, and I wanted to share my story in a way that makes that unmistakably clear.

I’m also naturally a very open person. I’ve always been willing to share my life and how God has helped me overcome certain things, and I see that as a gift He’s given me. I share so openly for one reason: so others who have been hurt can realize they don’t have to stay wounded. Healing is possible. If my story helps someone believe God can do the same for them, then it’s worth sharing—even the parts that are deeply personal.

Q: Why is this the right time in your life to release your memoir?

Joyce: I really just felt like it was time. There were earlier moments when I could have written it, but I kept sensing, It’s not time yet. Now, I truly believe this is God’s timing.

By His grace, I’ve not only overcome one of the biggest battles of my life—being sexually abused for many years—but I’ve also seen God bring good out of something that was once unimaginably painful. Even after the abuse ended, there was still a long internal journey of healing. I had to learn how to think differently, how to relate to people, how to trust, how to love, and how to allow God to heal what was broken in me. Now I can look back and see how He walked with me through every season of my life.

I don’t just believe God heals and restores—I know He does, because I’ve lived it over decades. Pain shows up in all of our lives in different ways, but the message is still the same: God is able to redeem it. And I believe there are people who need that reminder right now.

Q: Why is this book important? What do you want readers to understand from your story, and how do you hope it will help them?

Joyce: More than anything, I want people to walk away with hope.

I want them to know they don’t have to stay stuck in their past, because God is always ready to heal them.

I used to look at my life and think, If only that hadn’t happened to me… But over time, I came to a place of healing where I couldn’t even say that anymore, because I’ve seen what God has done with it and how He’s used my story to help others.

One of the biggest shifts for me was learning not to live with a victim mindset. I’m not a victim or a survivor—I am a child of God who has been healed and made whole. I love Isaiah 61:7, which says that God will give us a double recompense for our former trouble. That means there is something good on the other side of what we’ve been through. Sometimes, to get there, you have to let it hurt. When you begin facing things you’ve buried for a long time, it’s painful—but it’s the kind of pain that leads to healing. And you don’t have to go through it alone. The Holy Spirit will comfort you and walk with you through the process.

There were also choices I had to make. I had to stop feeling sorry for myself. I remember telling God, “I have a reason to feel this way,” and He gently spoke to my heart, “You have a reason, but you don’t have a right to stay there because I’m willing to set you free.”

I had to learn that God’s truth is greater than the facts of what happened to me. The facts were real—but it was the truth of God’s Word that set me free, and it’s the same truth that still sets people free.

God can take what was meant for harm and turn it into something good. He can use even the darkest parts of your story for His purpose, and He can take your pain—whatever form it comes in—and use it to help bring healing to someone else.

Q: Who do you hope will read this memoir?

Joyce: This book isn’t just about the abuse I experienced. I also share what it was like to step out into ministry at a time when very few women were doing that—while raising young children, building a marriage with Dave, and walking through my own healing at the same time. It’s really the story of a whole life and all the ways God has worked through it to bring me to where I am today at 83 years young.

I believe this book is for anyone who has ever been hurt by life or by other people—and that’s most of us. It’s for those who have gone through things they never should have had to endure. It’s for the person who wonders if they’ll ever feel whole again, or anyone carrying pain they don’t quite know how to put into words.

It’s also for people who may have heard me speak over the years and want to understand more of the story behind what I share publicly. And it’s for anyone who is still hoping—maybe even barely hoping—that God can really heal them.

I hope you’ll read it for yourself, or perhaps you’ll think of someone you love who needs it. Either way, I want you to know this book was written with you in mind. My hope is that it helps you feel less alone and gives you the confidence to believe that healing is possible—because it truly is.

No matter what you’ve been through, please know that God loves you. He is still writing your story, and if you could read the chapters ahead, you would see that they’re full of hope, healing, and many good things.