"Beautiful, Beautiful Linda, Well done!  I am so thrilled you have redeemed this place of pain.  May God anoint this book mightily to call others to freedom and bring healing and strength to so many captive daughters!" Lisa Bevere, Bestselling Author/Speaker "Fight Like a Girl & Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry"

"Linda has opened up the most intimate areas of her life to reveal the pain and hurts that so many of us choose to lock away for life. Because of her courage and healing through the Lord, she has made it possible for so many sexual abuse victims to release their pain and find hope in Jesus Christ.  I could never imagine the full scope of what this beautiful lady had to endure, but I applaud her for her ministry to one of the most undisclosed atrocities of modern times.  If you have been abused, you have found a friend and a confidant in Linda Fossen! A must read book!" Pastor Will Fillingham, Storehouse Family Worship

"When I first met Linda Fossen in May 2005, it was clear that she had been traumatized by destructive events that had occurred earlier in her life and that the consequences of these events were continuing to haunt and affect her daily functioning.  Her physical, psychological, spiritual and emotional health were directly impaired by these traumas and it was under those circumstances that we began to work together to explore, understand, confront, and eventually begin to resolve her childhood sexual abuse issues in intensive individual psychotherapy.

Linda’s journey through painful examination of her own fractured childhood, confrontation of unbearably excruciating early memories of violation and abuse, and courage to eventually become a survivor and let go of the trauma that had strangled her emotional health for many years is an inspiration to those everywhere who have struggled privately and alone with childhood sexual abuse.  Her courage and determination to reach out to others who have suffered similar pain and bring this epidemic problem out of the darkness and into the public forum continues to be a central part of Linda’s important journey, one which I have been honored and privileged to be witness to.” Jeffrey L. Leichter, Ph.D., L.P. Licensed Psychologist

"Your book freed me!" (anonymous survivor)

"You are so valuable in opening the eyes of people to those who want to keep their dirty little secrets alive within the confines of the closet where they do their evil deeds against the innocent. I am so proud of you! Move ahead with the speed of a champion - kick the evildoers, defeat their next move against their innocent victims. You are gaining an army behind you as you bring awareness to the public. Oprah needs to host you. Dr. Phil needs to invite you on his show. With just those two power shows, you will be in so many living rooms, bringing further awareness, scaring the predators with your knowledge of how they come to seek out their next victims. Congrats, Linda!!!  You are as wonderful in person as you are as an author!!! Keep on moving forward, you are a fantastic woman who in her time of suffering has created a powerful antidote to abuse. (anonymous survivor)

"Your book is amazing me with every turn of the page!"

"(Out of the Miry Clay) is a hard book to read and I have read countless books when I needed recovery. There were not a whole lot of books about sexual abuse from a Christian prospective...My heart goes out to the little girl who was so innocent and helpless who was groomed for self-abuse and hatred for what happened to her. My heart goes out to the little girl who grew up into the woman who had so much courage to face the demons from her past and write from her heart and from her soul damage to bring awareness to other wounded souls. You, my dear friend had to understand from deep within your heart that this story had to be told even if it meant separating from your family including your father who brutally betrayed your soul.  Bless you!  You are truly a warrior." Barbara J. Hansen, Author “Listen to the Cry of the Child” (www.listentothecry.com)

"I am reading your book, Out of the Miry Clay.  It is excellent and honest.  I showed it to my daughter who counsels sex offenders and she was overwhelmed.  God bless you, dear Linda.  You are a good writer and connect beautifully with your reading audience. Soon we will see you on 20/20 and Dateline."  (D.M. Denver, CO)

Linda, your faith in our LORD truly amazes and inspires me!  I love you! (anonymous survivor)

“All I can say is WOW –what a traumatic childhood and how miraculous to have the healing you have had to be able to even write this book!  It was like you could read my mind when you were writing – certain things would go through my mind with ‘my opinion’ about something and then you would write a paragraph almost acknowledging what I was thinking.” (anonymous)

“Reading your book I feel that I can relate to you, feel a bond with you in Jesus.  I feel that you are a safe person.  Thank you, thank you, thank you” (anonymous survivor)

"Just want to say thank you so much for having the courage to write this book.  It is like transforming...I feel validated for the first time in my life! . . . WOW!  Over and over again I saw 'me behavior' jumping out of the pages." (anonymous survivor)

It's just so good to get all of this out!  It's so amazing to know that I am known and understood by someone on this planet!   I thought for sure I would leave earth with hardly a soul knowing anything about me." (anonymous survivor).

"Thanks for sharing the truth when others try to hide it.  It makes all the difference in the world to those who are hurting." (anonymous survivor)

"I read your book - the whole book last night - couldn't put it down! WOW, messed with me big time...what an amazing story...what an incredible testimony.  WOW again! (P.B. Texas)

"All pastors and Christian workers should read this. Really sobering to realize the abuse going on in Christian homes and especially in homes of conservative Christian families." (D.G. Canada)

"I am sitting here literally crying - ready to bust--wanting to give you a hug. I love you; I love all that you are doing, all that you represent, all with a huge, great big loving non-judgmental heart for Jesus.  And you just love, love, love.  You have so much to give, and you just give it all.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!" (anonymous survivor)

"This book propelled me into another deeper phase of recovery - in an unexpected way!" (anonymous survivor)

"I started reading your book today and could not put it down.  What an amazing story.  I'm spreading the word to all my friends and family to buy your book.  No, I will not loan them mine or I will never get it back. My husband has been reading it for several hours now and will not give it back to me so that I can finish reading it.  It would be a shame if the fight over the book caused us to break up after 38 years of marriage."(DL-Colorado)

"I highly recommend this book.  This is a frank book not to be read by children but it is a powerful first-hand book dealing with a secret within the evangelical community.  It is not only some Catholic priests but also some Evangelical pastors who have victimized the innocent.  Most Catholic priests and most Evangelical pastors are good at their calling but if there is one bad one, it is too many.  As pastors and priests, we must read books like this, if not only to be aware of the issue, but what it does to the victims, their spouses and future.ot; Father John Beyers, M. Div.

"Out of the Miry Clay was hard for me to read, but I found it reveals at least three important but often over-looked realities. 1) Abuse often starts simply, but when left unchecked will escalate.  Linda well depicts the sexual abuse inflicted on her by her father.  By his acts he poisoned their family relationships for all time - almost destroying her.   2) Linda's story shows how an abuser considers no one except themselves and their own gratification.  They have no regard for their victim and the destruction they are wrecking on another human being.  3) Secrets, when kept in the dark stay as grievous wounds, they must be revealed to the light before they can be healed and become scars.   In this well written book, Linda shares her struggles through the years with relationships, with faith and with forgiveness.  At the end of the book Linda has included a wealth of information addressing sexual abuse." Marilyn Stewart, Author of "Child of the Outback" and "Footprints & Fragrances in the Outback"

"Thank you so much for the gift of your story! I admire your steadfast perseverance and your pursuit of God's heart. I cried tears of anger, joy, sorrow and worship when reading your book. God bless you for your courage!" (anonymous)

"Thank you for speaking in plain language about painful things.  One hears the statistics about sexual abuse and knows it is rampant but realizing that a happy fun-loving kid like you was enduring hell and I had absolutely no idea, puts a finer point on it...When reading I kept remembering how much I liked you in grade school and how terribly bright, funny and cute you were.  I am so happy that you've found that little girl and brought her to the life she deserves.  Many thanks to you, Gary and God!" (V.P. Canada)

"Its a great book that speaks truth and healing.  I recommend it to every believer and non-believer.  Be blessed.  It's the next New York bestselling book of our time. (C.T. Kenya)

"I never thought I would read a book that would blow me away more then Benny Hinn's 'Welcome Holy Spirit', it's my favourite book ever. Then Linda blessed me with a copy of her book when I was feeling lost.  This book has challenged and moved me so much.  I would like to see this book in every Christian bookstore in the world!  God bless you Linda, you are an incredible inspiration to me.  XXX." (T.G. - Spain)

Wow! I feel like I'm walking on holy ground just reading your incredible story...Your book should be in every church library right now! (A.M. Canada)

"Out of the Miry Clay is an understatement of what Linda Fossen came out of. This is an enthralling book that opens up the eyes of those around us in need, especially in the church.  This book will help uncover many hurts and set people free.  It is amazing what God can do, when we let him. This book will help you and others get free from the hurt of the past." Joan Hunter, President/Founder of Joan Hunter Ministries; Author of "Healing the Heart" and "Healing the Whole Man"

Thank you so much for blessing my life with your story.  God has used you to help the hurting heart within me.  What a debt of love I owe to you my friend.  May you be blessed beyond your wildest dreams! (anonymous)

"What a gripping story of God's grace!!!  Thank you for sharing so openly and deeply from your heart. It's most obvious that God has brought healing to you or you would not have been able to write your story for others to read. Bless you, sweet sister, as you minister to others." (anonymous)

"PRAISE GOD THAT HE HEALS US FROM THE INSIDE OUT.  Praise God that you got your voice to share your story and you will help thousands upon thousands of young women who have been sexually abused...You are using your pain and ashes to bring glory to God and healing to the world. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU...go give it all you've got! (anonymous survivor)

“As someone who spent many hours during our teen years at Linda's house, this book was incredibly painful to read, but it compelled me to finish in one sitting. Linda has bravely laid bare the pain and shame that accompany abuse suffered at the hand of one who is trusted to protect us and be our spiritual guide. She has written a book that offers hope for healing and living with true joy for anyone who has suffered childhood shame and secrets. Not content to just expose Christianity's dirty secret, Linda has an insightful call to action guide for those who work with children to help detect and prevent abuse.” (Patty Germaine)

"You are a courageous and loving woman Linda. You may not have any "children" of your own, but you have birthed life to many through your story." (anonymous survivor)

"Thank you for having the courage and insight to address a delicate and often hidden issue in the religious community by having Linda Fossen on your program. It's never popular to keep people accountable, but she does just that in addressing the Christian community and abusers in a firm, matter of fact way without her own wounds impacting the message. I love the "I am whole" concept because it truly demonstrates the restorative power of Jesus and allows the past hurts to help, not hinder the message. Her genuine message, desire to help others heal, and commitment to helping parents and those who work with children prevent abuse are what take her message to the next level.  I've known Linda and her family since high-school (we attended the same church) and have been inspired by her love and commitment to Jesus and the joy she demonstrates even during trying times." (anonymous)

"I told my girls if they want to understand me to read your book because you have told my story so perfectly... wow I never realized that there was another person that experienced so closely what I did.  Even things said or situations experienced were like you were actually telling from my past. I was at the doctor's office yesterday and I started your book... tears were streaming down my face... Thank you for your honesty and forthrightness on this very painful topic." (anonymous survivor)

"My daughter works with sex offenders. She told me that she intends to read the parts that tell about the pain, the distrust, etc. to those offenders in order to see if they can empathize with their victims"

Thank you for sharing your story!!! You are the HERO I've been praying for!!! (anonymous survivor)

"God bless you and keep using you - thanks for sending such a precious book (Out of the Miry Clay) to me." (anonymous-Pakistan)

"I just finished reading your book Out of the Miry Clay.  Words cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for you writing and sharing your story. It is an amazing story of the grace of God and His healing power.  I had to read it in shifts because I felt so much of your pain.  I desire so much to feel the absolute freedom you speak about and I know that is what God desires for me also. As God is indeed using your story to heal so many, my prayer is God will use mine as well. Thank you so much for your courage.  I learned so much from your book and it provides hope that God will continue the healing process in my life." (Anonymous survivor)

"I could not put this book down. It kept my curiosity and interest because it is written in a most compelling way. She tells the raw reality of having had a twisted father who imposed his lusts mercilessly.  As an abuse victim, I had to read until I finished the book. It is heart wrenching yet shows such victory in spite of horrible misuse of power" (anonymous survivor) "I knew this author when she was the little girl she speaks of in this book. My love for her has grown as she has been painfully honest about her past....To me, the greatest miracle of this book is not simply that Linda is not a bitter adult, but that her image of God was not ruined by a man who became a Christian right around the time that his worst habits of abuse began! Thank you, Linda, for going ahead with TRUTH--it is, after all, what sets us free. And you're a classic example of that to us all."  (Stephen M. Spaulding)

"This is a book written by a lady of courage. Her boldness to plainly speak of a topic that others only speak of in hushed tones will inspire you and reach to the depths of your soul.  God's marvelous plan of redemption is so clearly stamped all over this author's character that you will marvel at his ways and his grace. "Out of the Miry Clay" by Linda Fossen is a gift to the muddy world. I can only imagine how very many need to read this book. You will be inspired to reach deeper, aim higher, love more boldly. Thank you Linda, from the depths of my heart." (anonymous)

"In order to tell you about this book, I have to first tell you about its author Linda Fossen. She is a married, middle-aged woman who currently spends most of her time ministering to women who are in prison and particularly helping them and others heal from childhood sexual abuse. Linda has a heart of compassion the size of Texas and a strong commitment to see others set-free from the pain and wounding that sexual abuse causes. She ministers the love of Jesus Christ by getting in the trenches and loving women just the way they are -- and just where they are, including behind bars. In my eyes, this makes her a front-line champion for Christ -- as I'm sure many of the women she has helped would attest.

Her book, "Out of the Miry Clay," is the story of her own life as a child victim of sexual abuse -- and later as an adult victor in Jesus Christ. She shares the struggles, life situations and healing processes that women face as they seek to overcome their abuse and does so by allowing us into a very candid, honest and personal view of her life, feelings and experiences. She takes us on an incredible spiritual journey of how God restored her to wholeness and used her experiences to make her into a vessel of healing for others. This book is an incredible tool for women who may be struggling to identify the source of pain in their lives, which may stem from childhood sexual abuse, and it gives them the courage to overcome.

After reading this book, I passed it along to a friend who was in her own healing process from childhood sexual abuse. She described the book as being one of the most powerful books she had read on the topic, and it ministered to her in ways with which she could identify. She later visited Linda's website and received even further encouragement, and I can testify that more healing came for her because of this.

For those of us who have not experienced sexual abuse, it is well worth reading. Many of us have people in our lives who have been sexually abused, and this book is a great tool for gaining better understanding. It is an excellent book for those in ministry to women.

Linda's real message in writing this book is to make the church aware of the childhood sexual abuse taking place within the church. Her own abuser was her pastor father, and she shares how the church actually served as a means of captivity in terms of her ability to reach out for help -- and was a sanctuary for her abuser. She desires to teach churches and ministries how to change this and become more vigilant and aware -- and to understand the scope and magnitude of the problem (she has encountered many, many women through her ministry who were abused by others in church ministry).

I cannot say enough about Linda's courage and the impact she has made in the world on behalf of childhood abuse victims. She provides an incredible amount of hope for those who seek to be made whole and have their lives transformed from ashes into beauty. We need more people like her in the world." Making It Home Magazine, Susan R. Williams, Editor

"The first half of the book left me feeling helpless and angry. How can a father be so heartless and selfish to destroy the body and soul of an innocent child? "If only..." Christian people were actually what they appear to be; "if only" the mother would have faced the deception in the home;"if only" someone would have listened to Linda; if only someone would have stopped this insanity, if only her family would have supported her when she chose to marry the man she fell in love with.  Then I begin to see the hand of God unravel the past to heal and transform Linda. Through unrelenting courage and determination Linda begins to confront the abusive forces of her past, to find hope and healing for your body, and soul.  This is riveting book of a woman who courageously pursued God to find her true self. Linda relentlessly pushed through her pain to find her own healing. But..."Only God" can take the rubble in our lives, our pain, anguish, disappointments, and everything else that we see as lost and hopeless and transform it into radiance. This is a book of HOPE! Only God can transform our soul-take our shame, pain and anguish and turn it into radiance. This book should be classified as REQUIRED READING for anyone who has experienced sexual abuse." Heidi McLaughlin, author BEAUTY UNLEASHED: Transforming a Woman's Soul.

This is a book written by a lady of courage. Her boldness to plainly speak of a topic that others only speak of in hushed tones will inspire you and reach to the depths of your soul.  God's marvelous plan of redemption is so clearly stamped all over this author's character that you will marvel at his ways and his grace. "Out of the Miry Clay" by Linda Fossen is a gift to the muddy world. I can only imagine how very many need to read this book. You will be inspired to reach deeper, aim higher, love more boldly. Thank you Linda, from the depths of my heart. (Anonymous)

"I just finished reading your book and it touched me so deeply. It was horrific to read what you went through but by the end of the book I was so encouraged to keep healing from this.  The whole book touched me but when I read the dedication page I broke down and cried and cried. The sentence "It is okay to break the silence, little darling and cry for help" touched me way down deep in my soul. No one has ever said that to me, and it touched the little girl in me.  Thank you for writing this and giving me hope." (anonymous)

"AMAZING!  One of the best Christian books out there on this subject!" (anonymous survivor)

"Linda Fossen is amazing and her story has helped me so much. I was molested as a child by my father who is also a minster and after reading Linda's book I have a different perspective and it helps greatly to know that I'm not the only one going thru what I've been going thru. God Bless You Linda Fossen !!!!" (anonymous survivor)

"I was sexually abused by my minister father from age 3 - 16.  I had been healing from this but Linda's book helped me gain FREEDOM from that bondage. Praise God for her strength to go against opposition and tell her story for the good of those around her." (anonymous survivor)

"Having known Linda Fossen in elementary school, her tiny face haunted me as I read her story "Out of the Miry Clay: Freedom From Childhood Sexual Abuse" out loud to my husband this summer.  My emotions went from deep sadness, to incensed anger, then to gratefulness to God that He had not let go of Linda!

Well equipped to write on the topic of abuse, Linda experienced it herself "where sexual abuse is never supposed to happen'" - in a "Christian" home.  Linda writes, "statistics suggest that a girl is much more likely to be sexually abused in a rigidly religious home than in a home where there is no mention of God.”  Linda writes her story for those who have suffered abuse inside the walls of a religious home.  She is aware that her story will offend some fellow Christians "who will question my motives in bringing up a subject that has long been taboo within the evangelical church." The church does not want this exposed to the world, but Linda believes that the world reacts to our hypocrisy, not our honesty!!

Imagine being taught, on one hand, that sexual sin of any kind is not a character quality becoming to a believer, but yet on the other hand, being sexually abused by the very person who with his lips, holds this standard high on the street corner!!  Her father, the one God asks to model before her the unconditional love of a heavenly Father, refused to live in character to what a believer in Christ is. Pure!  My heart ached while I read.

"Out of the Miry Clay" shows God to be who He says He is: Our agape loving Heavenly Father.  That Linda would want anything to do with God and the church today has been such a testimony to me!! It proves how far reaching God's faithfulness is and that He will never leave us or forsake us!!

I was saddened to know that Linda's experience at PBI was so negative. Perhaps the unconditional love and grace of my earthly father made all the difference for me while living in the same environment.  It is with deep emotion that I stress how important the role of an earthly father is, in the life of his little girl!!!