I wrote Unashamed because shame often gets in the way of relationships, and it is so hard to identify.

I wrote Unashamed because I know that God loves the broken and the shame-filled and sent Jesus to set them free.

I wrote Unashamed because I want to believe that this love is for me, too, and I want to be freed from shame and freed to serve by receiving Jesus’ love for me as given through community.

If these longings resonate with you, I hope that reading Unashamed will be the beginning (or continuation) of learning about where shame may be hiding in your life and in your relationships, and learning how Jesus has a lot to say and a lot to offer and to give to those who are learning to be set free from shame.

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From the Foreword by Ed Welch, author of Shame Interrupted and one of my counseling professors at CCEF.

Shame is everywhere.

Whether related to relationships, body image, work, or a secret sin, we all experience shame. While shame manifests itself in fear, broken relationships, and regret, it ultimately points us to our fundamental need as fallen human beings: redemption.

Shame never disappears in solitude, and Heather Davis Nelson invites us to not only be healed of our own shame but also be a part of healing for others. She shines the life-giving light of the gospel on the things that leave us feeling worthless and rejected, giving us courage us to walk out of shame’s shadows and offering hope for our bondage to brokenness. Through the gospel, we discover the only real and lasting antidote to shame: exchanging our shame for the righteousness of Christ alongside others on this same journey.