Wendy Saxton didn't have the privilege of being raised in a strong Christian home. Instead, she was raised in the strongholds of abuse and addiction. As long as she can remember, if she wasn't creating some sense of security for herself, there was none.

At age thirteen she accepted a classmates' invitation to church, hoping to fit it somewhere. Their modest environment quickly became a safe haven and she accepted Christ as her Savior, though her circumstances at home didn't change.

A year later, her sense of security unraveled.

She witnessed devastating compromises of integrity in two beloved pastors. Too young to separate their actions from the unfailing love of God, she resolved that Christians are hypocrites. Wendy went back to being godless, where at least she knew what to expect. She vowed never to speak to Jesus again.

Twenty-three years later, she was the poster-child for hopelessness. Wounded by years of sexual abuse and devastated by the choices she made in the aftermath, she was at last, too weary to hate. It was just her, the pain, and the willingness to speak the J word.

She whispered, "Jesus . . . who are You? Never mind what I've been shown. I need You to show me who You are, and who was I supposed to be before thousands of unwanted touches?"

Peace over took her, she was not alone. Wendy's prayer marked the beginning of a passionate relationship with Christ. Some days she studied her Bible. Other days she threw it across the room. Jesus loved her the same both days.

Wendy learned valuable lessons as she healed: She learned that heartbreaking circumstances cannot overshadow the redeeming love of God. That it's okay to be mad at the Father; He's big and He can take it. And that more often than not, healing is a slow and steady climb. But she wouldn't change that if she could. It was on that journey that she discovered how beautifully her hand fits in her Saviors'.

Wendy has a message for women bound to perpetual heartache and trauma: "He never minimizes the circumstances that break our hearts. We do, when we deny Him access to the pain."

Her memoir, The Jonah Chronicles, is a candid re-telling of her fight for freedom from the effects of abuse, betrayal, and religious rejection.

She is the founder of The Medicine Place, an on-line women's ministry. Using her own experience as a platform, she addresses complex women's issues such as abuse, betrayal, co-dependency, and addiction.

Wendy lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband, eleven-year-old son, and two very spoiled Labrador Retrievers. Including two grown sons who are easily lured with home-cooked meals.

For more information about the author, visit www.wendysaxton.authorweblog.com