Ginny and Me: Reflections of What God Can Do is a deep personal story about my troubled relationship with my mother, who lived with a severe mental illness. Ginny, died unexpectedly at Christmas season, and buried later on Mother's Day weekend. My story addresses how God carried me, and several social issues including mental health, child neglect and abuse, domestic violence, loss and grief.

Abuse is damaging. It comes from cycles of abusive behaviors learned and repeated through generations. Because of shame and embarrassment, many people do not speak about the cruelty they...