Journey Toward Faith: Finding the Way Forward is the second book in a memoir series addressing resilience and emotional healing. Ben Thieu Long and Darleen Long (pseudonyms) were raised with a strong Christian foundation by their devout mother. However, their father had lost his faith while serving in World War II and turned to alcohol to cope. His subsequent behavior vacillated between benign neglect and periodic outbursts, leaving anxiety, fear, and self-doubt in its wake. This family environment left the children damaged in ways they neither recognized nor controlled. This book chronicles their journey to recover and reestablish their faith.

Darleen cautioned, “Deep secrets don’t stay buried. They eventually return without warning, and we are defenseless in stopping that process.” Ben protested, “I just want to be free of that torment.” “You do understand my concern, don’t you?” Ben stammered, “What are you saying?” “Don’t ignore the pain and bury your secrets. You’ll never be able to put them deep enough. Ignoring traumatic experiences is only a short-term remedy. Ultimately, they will return as a delayed but amplified self-punishment.” Ben shook his head and moaned, “You mean like an unwanted reopening of Pandora’s box?” Darleen excitedly replied. “Exactly! You said it yourself, and not that long ago. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to go back and face our demons.” “I did say that, didn’t I?” Ben looked down at his hand clasped with Darleen’s. “I remember you saying I’m never alone in that battle. And then you quoted that verse, ‘Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world’.”

Born in Chicago, Ben Thieu Long (pseudonym) retired after a forty-year career in human resources, with expertise in conflict resolution and change management. Ben’s life journey has not always been positive. As a teen, he earned the Boy Scouts’ coveted God and Country Award, but also endured abuse from his father, a World War II veteran struggling with alcoholism. After three years in college, Ben entered the Army, served in Vietnam, and returned a disillusioned young man. He worked for ten years on an auto assembly line but left to follow his calling to help others. In the course of his work, Ben found his way to spiritual restoration and his faith. Ben has earlier published a 13-volume series entitled Thirteen Moons over Vietnam. The stories are based on his service with the military police and highlight the moral, emotional, and spiritual effects of war. Darleen Long (pseudonym) contributed stories about her journey toward faith. She has retired after a career in government, business, healthcare, and the legal profession. Also born in Chicago, Darleen's trials and tribulations, in Michigan and later in Arizona, still shape her realistic yet hopeful outlook on life.