I grew up in a hyperreligious environment that left me with an erroneous idea of God and what Christianity was really all about. After marriage, I changed churches at the instance of my wife.

After a relocation, we joined a church that preached God's love and his forgiveness, not a God that is actively looking to punish. In retirement, I started a business to generate disposable income I could use to help others.

The business failed miserably and wiped me out financially. God and I went to war! We battled for years.

With the help of other Christians, much Bible study, and prayer, I started to come back. As I deeply studied the Bible, I began to realize that most of what I thought I knew about God was wrong.

I found a God that was, in many ways, the polar opposite of the one I knew. I began writing essays, which expanded into thesis-length, and ultimately, a book.

The book is an extension of my learning. It was over a year in writing as I learned and rewrote that the book became what it is.

I cannot help but believe that mine is not a unique story, but that there are many others out there who, for one reason or another, have developed a terribly distorted vision of God. My prayer is that God can use this book to help those people to discover his love, grace, and understanding.

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