Assaulted by Joy: The Redemption of a Cynic. This item is unavailable.Assaulted by Joy: The Redemption of a Cynic

When the author made a commitment to the Lord at age seven, he believed the Christian life would be simple. Over the years, his beliefs about God were challenged by painful and confusing experiences in church as a teenager, the death of a beloved friend in college, and bouts of doubt and despair in graduate school. He married the girl of his dreams, yet he was still not happy. Then came the quadruplets. And the author thought God had gone nuts. He was terrified of the disruption that one child would bring to his life, let alone four. God, however, knew exactly what he was doing. Assaulted by Joy follows the growth and spiritual renewal of a self-proclaimed 'jerk' who discovers the inescapable tension between joy and suffering. Each chapter recounts events---from the suspenseful to the heartbreaking to the hysterical---that teach lessons about God, life, love, marriage, and the assaulting joy of being a new father.

Stephen W. Simpson has a PhD in clinical psychology and an MA in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. The author of What Women Wish You Knew About Dating and coauthor of What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew about Sex, he teaches psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary and also has a private psychotherapy practice. Stephen and his wife, Shelley, live with their four children in Southern California. www.assaultedbyjoy.com