This book makes you feel not alone in whatever it is you are going through. I loved the way the author went through each line of Psalm 23!

Wonderfully written with accessible information, KJ is guide who helps people learn the beauty they carry inside them as the beloved of God.

K.J. has an incredible way with words. This book touched me in ways a lot of other books haven’t. Both a book of prayers and a treatise on suffering, this book resonated deeply with me.

KJ's writing is poetic and powerful. This is a book that I couldn't put down. It's perfect for anyone who has been hurt of disillusioned in their Christian faith.

12/10. 100/10? Basically, so. damn. good.
This book tenderly and deeply wrestles with finding courage in the wilderness, framed by KJ’s own story of church abuse and trauma. It’s not a blaming book. It’s not an explaining book. It’s not a “telling you what to believe, think or do” book. It’s not a “walk away from Church” book or a “the Church is still good” book. It is a beautiful, bible based, deeply theological, neuroscience and therapy informed story of rediscovering courage and a Good Shepherd.
KJ extends her hand and words with generosity and wisdom, offering insight and practical applications to Truths that challenge shame and softly remind you to be present and be found. Her words powerfully yet gently guide us toward the Shepherd with grace and wisdom.
Her words are, somehow, prayers, soothing like a balm. They challenge and champion. They validate and nudge. They prophesy hope.
I personally love a deep dive into theology and neuroscience, and I need to then make it practical to make it real. KJ does just that.
She embodies hope and courage, taking the reader on what she describes as a “long walk”, exactly how I imagine Jesus and I in the famous “footprints” poem.
There’s so much generously packed in this book that I’ve taken extensive notes, and I still need to re-read it to process all its goodness.
This book is for those who’ve been hurt by the Church and now find yourselves in the wilderness. It’s for those who want to stay out and those who might one day like to step back in. It’s for those who see things happen that aren’t the best and don’t know what to do because you know Christ’s Church is His beloved bride. It’s for those who just need a reminder that there’s a Good Shepherd chasing you down. If you’re unsure if it’s for you, I’d say that it is.
KJ sets a table for each of us, a sacred space to heal and hope again together. KJ, I have found a kindred spirit in the safety of your words and wisdom (when it’s been impossible to find in an unsafe church and unsafe body) and I can’t thank you enough.
(Thank you also for being so generous with your words, time and whole self as part of The Fold (advanced release copy readers).)

As a fan of the author's first book, This too Shall Last, I was excited to read The Lord is my Courage. While there are a couple of similarities, namely the weaving of neuroscience with faith. I found the books to be unique. This book is written for people who have experienced spiritual abuse and/ or trauma. One of the things I really liked is the short chapters. It is set up well to read slowly and a little at a time in order to process what may come up for the reader in each chapter. The author writes quite a bit about the positive role others played in the aftermath of her experience which is beautiful. One thing I would have liked to have seen is encouragement for people who may not have a community or other people during the aftermath of their experience.

Reader: it is gold. I mean it. It is a book worthy of your investment. I highly recommend owning the book if you can. I am SO excited to have the hard copy in my hands now so that I can highlight, underline, and annotate to my heart’s content. No joke - there are some pages where I just wanted to highlight the whole thing on my kindle. People I would recommend this book to: everyone. Seriously. But to be more specific: if you’ve been wounded by a local church, church leader, or people in the church - this is for you. If you’re in vocational ministry or you support people in vocational ministry - this is for you. If you invest a lot of time into a church - this is for you. If you suffer deeply or chronically - this is for you. KJ Ramsey is a gifted communicator. Her words are an ongoing balm to my soul. The Holy Spirit (wind!) is with her and moving through her in this book. Let KJ Ramsey show you the beauty and gentleness of our Good Shepherd.

I’ve put off writing a review for The Lord is My Courage because it impacted me so deeply that I’m having a difficult time putting it into words. But, perhaps that’s all I need to say.

If you feel overwhelmed, hurt, anxious, depressed, abused, traumatized, etc. I encourage you to read The Lord is My Courage. K.J. Ramsey writes as a professional expert and as someone who has needed courage herself. She writes with kindness and grace, so careful to care for her reader. Truly, my life has been changed because of the kindness I found in these pages.

KJ weaves her words with wonder and integrity, stitching together stories of pain and frustration and trauma with threads of grace and truth. In the spirit of the Psalmists, she shares her laments and hopes and offers readers a place to pause and acknowledge places of formation and healing. The pace is easy, and the book itself structures the journey for weary and eager readers alike. KJ offers a healing hand to hold on each and every page.

This book was food for my very soul. So beautiful, kind and caring. K. J. knocked it out of the park.

This books provides language and meaning for those with a desire to make better sense of their stories, especially stories involving spiritual harm. I felt both seen and challenged by this book. It will be one that I return to again and again, appreciative of the constant reminder that I am a beloved child of God. I appreciated the practical resources and tools offered and the ease with which I was able to move through the chapters. I liked how Psalm 23 was broken down chapter by chapter and excavated for full depth and context. I was grateful for the way in which it illuminated and spoke into the sacredness of my own story.

After being hurt by a church I found myself feeling pretty alone in it. People who knew seemed afraid that they would also have a similar experience if it was found out they were spending time with me. As I prayed and talked with God about my experience, I began to realize that what had happened was trauma. This book affirms the things I had been feeling and used those words. It was trauma and it wasn’t okay and I’m not alone. The Lord is My Courage spoke truth to the places of my heart that needed healing and has helped me to be more brave about my spiritual health and to know that it is okay to draw lines of safety and boundaries. I’ll be reading this book multiple times and have a list of people I’ll be sharing this with. Thank you for the gift of this book and the vulnerability it took to write it!

This book is a gift. It takes all of the themes that have been bouncing around my brain for the last few years—church hurt and spiritual abuse, the Gnosticism of the American church, neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology, internal family systems theory and trauma, plus KJ’s own experience of spiritual harm and trauma and what she has learned through her own experience and working as a licensed therapist—and weaves all of these threads together and along the path of the words of Psalm 23. I’ve already ordered multiple copies to give to friends and I expect that I will be enthusiastically re-reading and recommending this book for years to come.

You ever read a book and feel like it’s written just for you and came to you at just the right moment? For me, that was The Lord is my Courage by K.J. Ramsey.

This book is a walk through Psalm 23 from a Christian therapist. But it’s also about spiritual abuse and what happens when the shepherds in our life are not what they should be. And how Jesus is the perfect shepherd even when the human ones here have harmed us.

Ramsey takes us deep into the meaning of the scripture — including eye-opening insights into the Hebrew or the culture in which it was written. It’s well-researched and deep (so many footnotes!).

But what is also refreshing is that she shares from her training as a therapist and a trauma survivor herself. She validates our humanity and physical responses to stress. Instead of denying our body’s responses to trauma, Ramsey teaches the reader to understand what our body is going through and also move into health through embodied prayer and contemplative spiritual practices.

I’d been going through some real hard challenges with spiritual leadership in my life and really questioning my own experiences and reactions. But Ramsey shares so vulnerably from her own experiences that I felt I was being listened to and validated by a dear friend.

I’m so thankful I found this book when I did. I read it slowly over several weeks, often stopping to cry and journal. I definitely recommend this for anyone who has been abused or mistreated by their spiritual community or for anyone on a journey of deconstruction of their faith.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC. This is a book of tenderness and hope as KJ weaves psychological and neurological knowledge with a deep love and exploration of psalm 23. A must read for those wanting to explore trauma informed theology and how the tenderness of God meet us in our brokenness,

I came into this with high expectations because I love KJ’s work and previous book and I was still blown away. I think I highlighted 75% of the book. KJ has a gift for blending beautiful words about all facets of us—mind, body, and soul. As someone who has a background with my own complex trauma, mental health struggles, and spiritual abuse, her words and vulnerability were a balm to the tender places in my life. This is a book I will return to again and again for hope in the midst of life’s valleys. She teaches so much about how our brain and body works. And she points us to our belovedness in God. I will be buying copies to share with friends.