Greg McDonald - Embracing the Journey: A Christian Parents Blueprint to Loving Your LGBTQ Child

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Praise for Embracing the Journey

This book is filled with extraordinary levels of love and pain and humility and learning and grace and hope. Greg and Lynn McDonaldand Greg Jr.have laid bare their story to give us a healing gift. May it be widely read.

John Ortberg, senior pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

Every Christian parent of an LGBTQ child should read this book.

B. T. Harman, creator of Blue Babies Pink

This book is great for parents, pastors, LGBTQ people, and anyone who wants to know how to move gay from a long list of issues to a compelling story about a community and people group we need to know better and love generously. I pray this book and these people inspire you as much as they have me.

Alan Chambers, author of My Exodus: From Fear to Grace

Writing with both confidence and vulnerability, the McDonalds have given us a much-needed resource that will help not only Christian parents of LGBTQ children but also the children themselves. For parents, Embracing the Journey provides a thoughtful guide to reconcile their faith with the reality of having an LGBTQ child. Children will benefit from seeing the journey from the other side, learning how to better appreciate the steps their parents may take.

David and Constantino Khalaf, authors of Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage

It is terribly sad but obviously true that when conservative Christian parents discover that their child is LGBTQ, the default reaction is faith-based rejection. It takes a journeya hard, brave, grace-filled journeyto move to a place not just of acceptance of the child but transformation of the parents and of their faith. Greg and Lynn McDonald have taken that journey. Their story is told in a riveting way here. This book should prove a compelling resource for many parents who are somewhere on that journey. More: I believe this book will save lives.

Rev. Dr. David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University, and author of Changing Our Mind

The osmosis that will occur from reading this brave story will make you more like Jesus because of how passionate, honest, truthful, compassionate, and Christlike the McDonald family is. Theyre building bridges of relationship, and we all could use more like them!

Clay Scroggins, lead pastor, North Point Community Church, and author of How to Lead When Youre Not in Charge

An excellent resource... Greg and Lynn have created the book that LGBTQ people will be handing to their parents, asking them to read it so that families can be healed and the lives of LGBTQ people may thrive in relationship with God.

Kathy Baldock, executive director, Canyonwalker Connections, and author of Walking the Bridgeless Canyon

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Copyright 2019 by Greg McDonald and Lynn McDonald

Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV).

While all the stories in this book are true, some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Howard Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Howard Books hardcover edition March 2019

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Interior design by Davina Mock-Maniscalco

Jacket design by Christopher Lin

Jacket illustration 123RF

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: McDonald, Greg, author. | McDonald, Lynne Lorraine, author.

Title: Embracing the journey : a Christian parents blueprint to loving your LGBTQ child / Greg McDonald, Lynn McDonald with Beth Jusino.

Description: New York : Howard Books, 2019.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018032334 (print) | LCCN 2018052033 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501195693 (eBook) | ISBN 9781501195686 (hardback)

Subjects: LCSH: Parents of gays. | Gay menFamily relationships. | LesbiansFamily relationships. | ParentingReligious aspectsChristianity. | LoveReligious aspectsChristianity. | BISAC: RELIGION / Christian Life / Family. | FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / Parent & Adult Child. | RELIGION / Sexuality & Gender Studies.

Classification: LCC HQ759.9145 (ebook) | LCC HQ759.9145 .M33 2019 (print) | DDC 306.874dc23

LC record available at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lccn.loc.gov_2018032334&d=DwIFAg&c=jGUuvAdBXp_VqQ6t0yah2g&r=VLLwScFhq9g5kj6m7mvdZkSQKElssXlHhCgJv-2hn0_QhgQ6fft8ZGRVAsiOB8IP&m=XcnhkbRH0xzL330OEShtuf0k034dxnWfSfUPheof3r4&s=0ur9aKkvPJ5jdK6G0hUI_nCJ14uwwi2DulPPizxzETU&e=

ISBN 978-1-5011-9568-6

ISBN 978-1-5011-9569-3 (ebook)

To Greg Jr. for being so patient and so filled with grace

To Connie and Matt, who have been so supportive of our journey

To Ed Dobson, who departed prematurely and whose wisdom and counsel put us on a trajectory to bring healing and restoration to our family

Throughout this book, we use the phrase LGBTQ to refer to the broad community of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioningessentially, all those whose sexual orientation or gender identity falls outside the majority experience.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you. My entire life you have stressed the importance of good manners and social etiquette with me. When I was little, you taught me to say please when I asked for something and thank you once I had received it. Now that I am a fully grown adult, I realize that I havent always used my manners when communicating with you. Please allow me to properly thank you for everything you have done for me, and everything I know you will continue to do.

Thank you for sharing our familys story with others.

Thank you for your honesty.

Thank you for building bridges between the LGBTQ community, their families, and God.

Thank you for your boldness to speak out against the things that you refuse to accept.

Thank you for your bravery.

Thank you for making me stubborn. If I wasnt stubborn, I doubt that your ministry or this book would have ever happened.