Many have been taught to see God as a terrifying agent of wrath who spews anger at any sign of imperfection. At the same time, they've been taught that they are inherently flawed and devoid of goodness. Where does that leave us? For Ben DeLong, it left him hiding his skeletons from the monster he believed God to be. This proved to be a perfect recipe for anxiety, depression, and insecurity. But what if God accepts our skeletons? What if he actually embraces them in love? How would that change our outlook? For Ben, it changed everything. This book is about his journey to find what was always true: we are eternally embraced by God, skeletons and all, and he is never letting go. ""We all leave childhood with some 'exit wounds' and internalize them as some form of 'I am not enough.' Since no one can shame us more deeply than those from whom we expect grace, our families and spiritual communities unknowingly and unintentionally can be deeply wounding. Ben's journey reminds us that God's healing grace is immeasurably greater than all our shame."" --Paul D. Fitzgerald & Susanna Fitzgerald, Founders of HeartConnexion Seminars ""Many of us go through painful periods of faith deconstruction. Some of us abandon the struggle, overwhelmed by the pain and disorientation, and settle for either a life of shallow faith or no faith at all. . . . DeLong reminds us that our weaknesses do not disqualify us. Rather, they birth in us a hard-won compassion and open us to receive the unexpected revelation of God's unconditional love and acceptance."" --Stephanie Lobdell, Author of Signs of Life Ben DeLong is a writer, pastor, and IT professional. He holds a master's degree in intercultural studies from Nazarene Theological Seminary. He lives with his amazing wife Irene and their wonderful son in Ukiah, California. Find out more at www.bdelong.com.
