Publisher's Synopsis
"Definitive...honest reflection.... Readers will be gratified by its conclusions and novel assertions...particularly relating to meaningful relationships...which lends it distinction and is refreshing." - The BookLife Prize (Publisher's Weekly)
College media instructor Karl W. Beckstrand has lived abroad, interned for Congress in D.C., and earned a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in conflict resolution. He was a technical recruiter in Silicon Valley, a Stanford Hospital chaplain, and a Spanish interpreter for Angel Flight (aviator nonprofit). But his relationships were far from satisfying. Today, he enjoys profound lasting ties.
Are you or someone you love wrestling with faith and LGBTQIA questions? Regardless of marital status or sexual orientation, every person has God-given needs for love and true union, including connection with those of one's own sex. While long-term relating bliss can be elusive for just about anyone, there are more kinds of connection than we know, happier than the sparse paths the world often signals.
Has anything taken God by Surprise? God doesn't simply tolerate "queerness," it is--expressed attentively--part of His plan for our joy. God can help us fulfill our needs while honoring His will; and loving, generous feelings can replace discouragement, isolation, even addiction.
Beckstrand shares scriptural keys for transforming relationships and creating deep, lasting bonds. These principles apply to gays, heterosexuals, married people, singles, women, and men. He offers insights to bolster confidence in God's love for each person and His designs for differences. "I hope all who feel attraction to their own sex--or any potentially isolating distinction--can learn its positive purpose and most fulfilling expressions, that each person can feel self-love, God's love, and profound love with others." Chapters include:
- Either/Or?
- Is It All about Sex?
- What's Good About Attraction to Your Own Sex?
- Is Fluidity Real?
- Are Competing Desires Healthful?
- Is Mixed Orientation Marriage a Happy Option for Some?
- Authentic Identity - The Key to Happiness
- How to Not Miss Out
- Close Beyond Imagination
Get these concise concepts plus information on relating with a gay loved one, suggestions for coming out (or not), how to support families of LGBTQIA people--and anyone who might be questioning God's love for them--plus online bonus material. Ideal for counselors, this is the hard cover version of, God Adores You: Beyond Either/Or Thinking to Your Most Fulfilling LGBTQIA Life (ISBN: 978-1951599225). A secular version of this book is titled, Abundant Paths.
Beckstrand is the best-selling author of 27 books and winner of a 2016 International Book Award (reviews by Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal). 55,000 words, 260 pages, 8.5"x5.5" hard/soft cover, ebook, and audiobook, PathsPress (Premio Publishing, worldwide rights (c) Sept. 2022), libraries, and all major book distributors. LCCN: 2022937790; FAM056000, FAM051000, SEL046000, FAM021000, YAN032000, YAN048010, YAN051110, HEA042000, FAM029000, BIO031000, BIO018000, BIO026000, FAM030000, OCC011020, SEL032000, SEL041040, YAN051240, SEL008000, FAM006000, OCC019000, FAM038000; JBSJ, 5PS, VFVG, YXHL, VS, QRVP7, YXBD; Hard ISBN: 978-1951599157 (eISBN: 978-1005507831)
