Today I received Renee Altson’s book, Stumbling toward Faith, I was excited. I love new books, the feel, the smell. I carefully turn it over and read the back, it starts out “i am working out my salvation with fear and trembling, I am at war with doubt and fear and uncertainty, but ultimately i do believe that there is something good and beautiful that still exists.” I said within myself, I reasonate with her. I think we will connect. I go to the next few sentences on back page…”raped by her CHRISTIAN father” (oh no I think to myself!), rejected by CHURCH LEADERS (ohhh, yeah I’ve been THERE!), abandoned by her addicted mother (Lord, how much more!)…further along…”this disturbing, beautiful narrative will unsettle your understandings and assumptions of what it means to live as a believer in christ.” I think to myself, this book will raise some of my own issues with the church but most importantly, it will identify with some of the questions about God that I have struggled with for years even while in the midst of, even now, doing the work of God…still like Renee believing that good and beauty still exist…this will be an interesting book to read…this is day one and I begin that journey.