At the age of 18, Carla van Raay entered a convent to devote her life to God. By 35 she was earning her living as a prostitute. As a child, Carla van Raay experienced a trauma that changed her forever. Burdened by the weight of this terrible secret, all she wanted to do was survive. Life as a nun promised refuge from the outside world. Carla hoped to find love and understanding within the convent walls. Instead she became enmeshed in a complex system of regulations that drove her to the brink of madness. Finally released from her vows, she escaped back into the 'real' world. A hasty marriage and separation left Carla with a daughter to support. With few professional skills to rely on from her years as a nun, she turned to another age-old profession - prostitution. She worked as an escort to learn the ropes, then struck out on her own, setting up a massage service. God's Callgirl was born. When eventually the seamier side of the business began to assert itself, Carla embarked on a journey to uncover the dark secret of her past.

"Public speaking with credibility and confidence through authentic connection."--Provided by publisher.

Most of us have lived through painful, humiliating or traumatic experiences, leaving us haunted and conditioned by reactions that trap us in ongoing cycles of feeling hurt and hurting others. And on the wider political scale, we have obviously yet to learn the art of responding well to the hurts of terrorism, exploitation, or more local conflicts of interest. Either we resort to reciprocal violence, or claim too readily the status of innocent victim. The book begins by looking at three predominant negative responses. It then draws on a variety of traditions from the author’s own Buddhist Christian perspective, exploring how deep meditation can help take us beyond the negative narratives of hurt. The author finds ambivalent but broadly positive images in childhood innocence and the tragicomic fool, and urges the importance of a radical and unconditional forgiveness of self and others that is grounded in both Buddhist Emptiness and the risen Christ. By these means, the habit of accusation that so easily dominates self and society can give way to humour and mutual wonder.

Healing from Abuse: A Practical Spiritual Guide is a balm for the soul. The path of healing is awesome, yet the author, who has advanced along that very same journey herself, maintains that everyone who takes it up is somehow given the power and support to make a success out of it. This book is presented as a part of that support and that empowerment. In its pages the reader is introduced and gradually made familiar with the Spirit of their inner being, the reality so easily ignored and yet so powerful once engaged. The Spirit Within is not confined to any religion - it is within all of us, whether we know it or not, and nothing we can do or experience can get rid of it. To heal means taking back the power to love and to received love, that great purpose worth living for. It is this love that will restore self-worth and self-esteem from the ground up and from the inside out.

Yemi Adebiyi, a poet, salesman and public speaker, is also a marketing consultant in the Imaging industry. The son of a farmer from Igbole Ekiti in Nigeria, he attended Notre Dame College in Ekiti and Abeokuta Grammar School. He had a successful selling career with General Oil Limited, Ess-ay Holdings Limited, Daily Best Industries and Banksway International Limited in Nigeria. Yemi is currently the Kodak Brand Manager with CKC Investment Limited, Lagos Island, Nigeria. He lives in Ajasa, a quiet suburb near Lagos.

When many Christian readers think of the heroes of the Bible, they think about how "good" they were. They forget that...Rahab was a harlot. Jonah was a rebel. Moses was a murderer. Sarah was a doubter. Peter was an apostate. Esther was a diva. Samson was a player. Jacob was a deceiver. And yet these eight men and women are among the Bible's greatest heroes. Dr. Tony Evans uses these prominent Bible characters to illustrate the truth that God delights in using imperfect people who have failed, sinned, or just plain blew it. These are men and women whose actions-or reactions-were not consistent with God's character-and yet God met them and used them in the midst of their mess. Readers will be encouraged about their own walk with God as they come to understand that He has them, too, on a path to success, despite their many imperfections and mistakes.