The Lord Is My Courage: Stepping Through the Shadows of Fear Toward the Voice of Love

I liked it.

This book is so encouraging and was truly a "word in due season" for me. I read it when I was going through some challenging times and reading about the author's trials and how God was faithful to her along with the exposition of Psalm 23 gave me so much comfort and love it brought me to tears. I really can't recommend it enough and will be reading her other books as well.

I read KJ’s first book during quarantine in 2020. I literally underlined almost every word. So when I heard she had a new book coming out, I was excited. But given the subject matter, I was also more than a little apprehensive. This is not an easy read. I have experienced a lot of church hurt as well as various other traumas. Reading this book broke me wide open. It also healed and restored me. I believe God brings the right book at the right time. I knew I needed to read this book, I just didn’t know how much. This book tells the full, ugly truth. This familiar psalm took on new meaning and revealed new insights. It helped me understand both fear and courage in a completely new way.I preordered the book at the end of May. I received an advanced digital copy and access to a private Facebook group. This group became a refuge. It was a safe place. I did not feel judged or condemned even when I shared painful and ugly parts of my own story. I also got the opportunity to read other people’s stories which made me feel less afraid and alone. KJ has been unfailingly kind and generous with the people in the group. She taught us some grounding techniques that were incredibly helpful. I can assure you KJ is the real day. Even though I have never met her in real life, I consider her a kindred spirit. There are many nuggets of wisdom to unearth and ponder. This is one of my favorites “Grief, fear, and anger can be fuel in the fire of redemption, but we are over hear dousing it with all our churchy expectations to quickly jump from hurt to hope and pain to praise”If you are struggling with church hurt or any type of trauma, you need to read this book. If you are wondering “where do I go from here?” This book will help you. Well done KJ. I know the Lord will use this book to change a lot of lives. Just as He has used it to change mine. This book is a gift!

There aren't enough words for how I feel about this book. It has been one of the most healing and eye-opening reads for me.If you or anyone you know or love have been through "church hurt" aka spiritual abuse, if you or anyone you know are in the process of "deconstructing" or any other term, rather than moving to judge or condemn them—recommend this book, then read it for yourself.Hear the personal story of why some who profess a belief in Jesus feel they have no choice but to walk away from an institutional church in order to find a firm footing in their faith.When those called to shepherd ultimately abuse their power, it's no surprise that those we call "sheep" don't feel safe. KJ guides us through Psalm 23 one grace-filled phrase at a time, offering deep insights into the Good Shepherd who knows and identifies with every hurt we feel and experience, who comes after each one who is lost or has wandered off, and who provides everything we need.In the face of fear, we are offered a new brand of courage through her words. Her unique take integrates scripture, ancient and contemporary wisdom traditions and quotes, and polyvagal theory from a trauma-informed therapist's point of view. This is not a how-to book from a clinical perspective, but a deeply personal journey from someone who has walked their own valley of the shadow of death and seen the other side. And it's beautiful.By diving into the original languages and etymology of David's words, KJ offers a deeper look at what he might have intended, and a richer understanding of how Jesus fulfills the most famous Psalm. No matter how new, outside, or seasoned in any faith you may be, this book provides light, hope, understanding, and courage.

Where to begin! This books was like a gentle, wise, encouraging friend standing with me and validating my experiences, giving me words for feelings and thoughts I was still processing, explanations for why my body acted the way it did sometimes, laying out a path towards next steps, and especially uncovering and pointing to the embodied true Shepherd for who He really is. These words encouraged my hope to see beyond my earthly experiences to how good Jesus really is.The chapters are short, and I started reading through them so fast because it was that good. Then I realized at that pace, the book would be done far sooner than I was ready for. So I slowed down to a chapter each time I read. Then, as I could, I gave unhurried time to ponder, journal, pray, rejoice, or whatever came that particular day.It’s not just for those who have endured trauma - although it is especially for those who have. It’s a beautiful weaving of Psalm 23, and her story, and her expertise as a trauma therapist explaining more about how we experience life on this earth in a human body. The author shares her story vulnerably throughout, and also shares in a way that I related it to mine even though our experiences were different in ways. It allowed me to dig into some deep parts of my own trauma while feeling not alone and also feeling hopeful that God was working something in it. I could actually sit with the pain and dark without overwhelming fear. The very familiar Psalm 23 came to life. And I saw who Jesus is more clearly through it all.It’s a must read!

I have read twice through, underlined, and dog-eared this book, The Lord is My Courage, by KJ Ramsey. And I find myself returning to certain chapters often. The writing is beautiful and rich with imagery as the author walks us through Psalm 23, incorporating wisdom from brain science, therapy techniques, and her personal story.The author highlights how the poetry of our Shepherd counteracts the story we have been fed most of our lives —that we need to make our own way, prove our worth, and fend for ourselves. Sometimes, as in KJ’s experience, those tasked with shepherding God’s people cause harm instead. We have heard story after story of abuse in churches —reports of powerful leaders protected over the vulnerable ones they have been commissioned to care for. Woven throughout this enlightening re-telling of Psalm 23, is the author’s experience of poor shepherds which stand in stark contrast to the Good Shepherd we find in this ancient poetry.There are many who are the walking wounded from church systems and teachings that minimized, and marginalized. We have been harmed by those who were meant to lead us to healing. “Many of us struggle to feel connected to God not because we lack faith but because we are carrying a heavy burden in our bodies”, says K.J. We have been subjected to rigid rules that keep us bound instead free. This book will be a compassionate friend as you work to heal from the harm you experienced. I appreciate K.J.’s perspective and restraint in telling her story. She is not seeking to drag anyone through the dirt, but to navigate through the dark valleys with her Good Shepherd.This may sound like a heavy book, but I did not find it so, rather it is filled with beauty and hope and reassurances of the very real presence of a Good Shepherd who pursues us in order to bless and care for us. I highly recommend it. This book is also a plea for us to see and acknowledge the wounded among the flock of God. A call to listen to the stories and to use the Biblical account of the Good Shepherd as a measuring stick of sorts for those who lead churches.Over the years, familiarity with the text of Psalm 23, may have stripped it of some of its rich meaning. K.J.’s fresh treatment of this beloved psalm restores the profound comfort it has always offered God’s people. It is a story of courage and honesty, paving a pathway to healing using these ancient and familiar words.

Let me tell you something about KJ. She's one of the most beautiful people you'll ever come across and they don't just happen. She's the one who has known defeat, known struggle, known suffering, known loss and has found her way out of the depths. And therefore she knows the way out of the valley of darkness you or somebody you know is going through. The revelation, the comfort, the relief one gets from reading this beautiful work of hers is a miracle. If you need healing then please help yourself and buy this resource that your soul longs for. You are not regretting this one. Ever.

Fantastic book! Easy read, heartfelt and it resonated with my soul!

i could have highlighted almost every sentence in this book because after almost every sentence i felt seen, heard, and, embraced. i am going to combine two quotes from two chapters because i feel both these lines bring together what i want my life to be about:“my body isn’t a barrier to courage, it is the very place i can most hear God’s voice because I am where God’s love resides and it is thru this indwelling of God where I am being made into a spacious place”…so i can invite others into my spacious place so their human stories can be seen, heard and embraced.thank you KJ Ramsey for writing this book. you seem to embody a gentle fierceness that inspires me to live likewise.please go read this book.

This book is literally breaking me open and healing parts of me I didn't know needed healing. I recently left an abusive church situation and had this book recommended by a friend a few days after. KJ's words have been like a soothing voice in the chaotic moments where I haven't had words to describe what I'm going through. Even when I'm angry, these words are helping me regulate.If you're thinking about reading this book, don't think ... Just get it! So glad I bought a hard copy so I can highlight the heck out of it.