About the Author

I grew up in a blended family near Detroit, Michigan. At times I feel like our family started the “it’s cool to split up” trend because we actually pulled off looking fairly admirable to the outside world at a time when nuclear families – one mom, one dad and two and a half kids, was the standard. All or most of my parents/stepparents (3 of each) would gather regularly for family birthdays and holidays. They were “nice” people and incredibly good at displaying that they all got along simply great. Listening to their stories was a favorite past time of mine, especially when the drinks were flowing. I remember sitting on the stairs of our overcrowded home and looking through the stair rails at the smoke-filled rooms, listening to the laughter and trying to figure out what was so funny.

Underneath the masks of laughter and camaraderie, lay the fruit of our family’s generational struggles (adultery, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, codependence, pornography, and sexual abuse). Since I began my healing journey over thirty years ago, I have learned that those were some of the roots of the fruit in my life (I fluctuated regularly between passivity and overreacting, self-forfeiture, self-denial, emotional distance, irrational fears, a critical spirit, and shame, to name a few).

I have since discovered that there is a way to rid ourselves of those generational fruits. We have a God who wants to take an axe to the poisonous roots in our lives and replace them with seeds that will allow us to to flourish. Therefore, much of the work I do is in helping people recover from growing up in dysfunctional family systems (we all grew up in them) through tending to the stories of their lives and walking with them as they learn what it feels like to flourish and connect in healthy ways in a broken world.

Through the brokenness, there were many moments and privileges that I had that were unique. One such privilege was the opportunity to travel to over thirty countries and across much of the United States. The exposure to so many diverse cultures and religions allowed me to explore truth and faith in a way many people do not get to. I am a people watcher and a truth seeker, so as I traveled, I was always trying to figure out people’s stories and what made them “tick.” This included what they believed about God. I was not brought up in church, and in some ways, I think that has helped me to learn with an open mind, especially from people who have not walked the same paths as I have.

I have been married for over forty years. I believe the words from “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd sums up a good part of what our marriage looked like for a long time, “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year. Running over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fears.” God patiently walked with us, waited for us to turn to Him and is still at work teaching us healthy love. In all the ruckus of trying to live life together, God gave us the joy of being blessed with seven children, and eleven grandchildren. God also walked with us through our deepest sorrows, as we lost three children to miscarriage and our youngest son, died in a drowning accident when he was nineteen months old, which as you can imagine, impacted all of us greatly.

I have had the privilege of being a teacher for over 35 years for both children and adults. I am currently a Licensed, Trauma- Informed Biblical Counselor in Brighton, Michigan. This gives me the sacred honor of entering into the doors of peoples’ hearts, and sharing with them, for a brief time, their fears, their heartaches and even their joy. Through the years, my love for hearing other peoples’ life stories has continued to grow, especially when I discover time and time again Jesus is not only the author of our faith, but He is also the perfecter and healer of our souls.

Through all of the ups and downs of living in this fallen world, my struggles through heartache, difficult relationships and hard questions, I have found the way to lasting healing and joy in the deserts and storms of life, can only come through inviting Jesus to walk with me and teach me to understand my life through the lens of scripture. I have also had the wonderful experience of seeing Him do this repeatedly with others. This workbook is the accumulation of my teaching and counseling through the years, as well as my personal life experiences and the grace of God.

I will continue to share other bits of my journey with you as the study unfolds. I am praying for you to gain strength and courage to open your heart in each step of this study. I am confident that when you persevere, your faith will grow, and you will begin to heal and walk in joy, filled with hope.

May grace and peace be yours to the fullest measure, 

Kim McDonald

"Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord." Psalm 27:14