Stop Running is the honest, unflinching story of a man who spent decades running — from pain, from faith, and from the hard work of staying. Part memoir, part testimony, this book invites readers into a journey of redemption that is as raw as it is hopeful.

Joseph M. Moro grew up learning to run before he learned to stay. Childhood trauma, a father’s rage, and a fractured family taught him to disappear when life got hard. That pattern followed him into adulthood: sabotaging relationships, walking away from jobs, packing a van and driving across the country with no goodbye.

But God wasn’t finished with his story.

Through the steady presence of mentors, a patient wife, and a God who refused to let go, Joseph learned that the only way to break the cycle was to stop running. His story unfolds across decades and states — Wenatchee, Seattle, Ohio — through moments both heartbreaking and beautiful:

Sneaking food with his sister when his father refused him dinner.

The day he nearly ran from love — and the woman who kept showing up anyway.

Sitting at Michael and Janis’s kitchen table, learning by example what faithfulness looks like.

The “buying my chairs” moment, when love turned into partnership.

Losing houses, vehicles, and pride — and discovering hope wasn’t gone with them.

The call no parent wants: children’s services at the door, the fight to protect his kids, and the police photo that broke his heart.

The long drive back to God, ending in a prayer that felt like electricity.

In the pages of Stop Running, you’ll find a testimony of faith rebuilt brick by brick — and practical encouragement for your own journey. Whether you’re wrestling with marriage struggles, recovering from childhood wounds, fighting to protect your family, or just trying to figure out where God is in your story, this memoir reminds you: staying is possible, redemption is real, and God never stops chasing you.

With themes of fatherhood, Christian marriage, trauma recovery, and spiritual renewal, this memoir speaks to anyone who has ever felt like giving up — and offers hope that your story isn’t over.

If you like Christian memoirs that are honest but not hopeless — books by Max Lucado, Bob Goff, or Lysa TerKeurst — you’ll find this story deeply relatable. It’s a call to stop running, start rooting yourself where God has planted you, and trust that He can redeem every mile you’ve wandered.