My Thorn, My Destiny, the forthcoming memoir by Dr. Elise Saulsberry, is a raw and inspiring journey of faith, resilience, and authenticity. From the quiet ache of church pews to the fierce wrestle of identity, Dr. Saulsberry opens her life with unflinching honesty and grace. This transformational story is more than a memoir — it’s a powerful testimony of how God turns pain into purpose.
There comes a moment in every believer’s life when we look back and realize the very thing that caused us the most pain has also been the thing that pushed us closest to God. For Dr. Elise Saulsberry, that painful thing had a name — a thorn. Not the kind you pluck from your finger and toss aside, but the kind Paul wrote about in Corinthians. A thorn that follows you, wrestles with you, speaks to you when the church refuses to, and ultimately becomes the very reason you begin to seek God earnestly for who you really are.
Dr. Elise Saulsberry
The Silence of the Sanctuary
Dr. Saulsberry’s journey begins where many of ours do — within the four walls of the church. As a little girl sitting in polished pews, she felt God early. The sermons stirred her spirit. The music moved her soul. But she also learned something else — sometimes the place meant to heal you can unknowingly harm you.
Messages cloaked in righteousness left wounds of shame. Silence around identity left her questioning her worth. She found herself asking the kind of questions believers aren’t always allowed to ask publicly:
Why did God make me this way?
Does God still love me if the church struggles to?
Where do I belong when the sanctuary feels like a courtroom?
Rather than turning away from God, she clung tighter — determined to find the truth of who He created her to be. And in that pursuit, she began to understand that faith is not tested in the light of acceptance — it is forged in the shadows of being misunderstood.
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A Message for the Ones Still Wrestling
There are countless believers silently carrying their thorns: Women told to shrink their voices. LGBTQ+ Christians told they don’t belong in the house of God. People burdened by spiritual shame. Those who love God but have been wounded by His followers. Dr. Saulsberry writes for all of them — to remind them of what religion sometimes forgets to say:
You are not a mistake.
You are a masterpiece in motion.
You are a reflection of God’s creativity.
Your identity is not your curse — it is your calling.
The Destiny Revealed
Toward the end of her memoir, she invites readers to reimagine their own thorns: What if the thing you prayed for God to take away. Is the very thing He plans to elevate?
What if the rejection that broke you
is what God uses to open new doors?
What if the destiny you fear
is the destiny you were born for?
This is where My Thorn, My Destiny shines brightest — not as a story of survival but one of divine intention. It is an anthem for believers who dare to trust God with their whole truth.
If you are tired of hiding the parts of yourself God handcrafted with purpose…
If you’re still healing from the wounds of church hurt…
If you’re searching for a faith that makes room for every piece of who you are…
Then My Thorn, My Destiny was written with you in mind. Let this book be your companion on the path to wholeness.
Let these words remind you that God’s love is not conditional — it is complete.
ORDER TODAY: My Thorn, My Destiny by Dr. Elise Saulsberry
Preorder Link: www.DrEliseSaulsberry.com/mythornmydestiny
Inquiries & Media Requests: info@drelisesaulsberry.com
Follow the journey on Instagram at @DrEliseSpeaks
