Author Turns Abusive Childhood into Work of Praise

LONGWOOD, FL (PRWEB) November 4, 2005

It could be your cousin, the next-door neighbor, the leader of a Bible study, or the guy working in the office down the hall. It’s a sad fact, but many Christians struggle with emotional problems from childhood trauma and abuse. Often they don’t want anyone to know about it, or if they do, they don’t know who to talk to. Curiously, some things are still considered taboo for Christians to talk about. Christians don’t suffer with depression and anxiety—or do they? Christians don’t suffer with suicidal thoughts or attempts to take their own life—or do they? Christians don’t take more pills than they need, drink alcohol, or have promiscuous relationships to numb the pain of life while trying to find love from someone, somewhere—or do they? Will they know they’re not alone?

In her book A Life of Agony and Praise (October, $15.99, 1-59781-575-6) author Deborah E. Willis opens up and shares her personal experiences with every one of these situations—and she wants readers struggling with the same issues to know they are not alone. For Willis, growing up as a preacher’s kid meant enduring a cruel irony, because her father preached the gospel but provoked his children to anger and ruled his house with fear and trembling. The result was a very strict, chaotic, and violent home where she suffered firsthand child abuse and trauma.

In a compelling, readable style, Willis talks about the difficulties of living as a mature adult in today’s world after growing up in a terrible Christian home. She gives a snapshot of some of the most agonizing moments she experienced in her adult life. These moments were a direct result of the conditioning, trauma, and abuse she suffered as a child. She speaks frankly about suicide and how the pain of her past haunted her ability to function as a “normal” person in the present and gave her no hope for her future. Willis states, “Some people benefit from seeing a psychologist and are able to effectively work through their psycho/social issues. My issues and the stuff I was dealing with were beyond the help of a psychologist/psychiatrist. The Holy Spirit, through compelling me to write this book, literally became my counselor. He helped me to recover lost memories from my past, process the pain and grief caused by childhood trauma and abuse, and begin the real process of healing my mind, heart, body, and spirit so that I could begin to live as a healthy Christian adult in today’s society.”

Willis doesn’t leave readers in the valley of her life, however. Her writing helped her expel those demons from the past and illustrates how the hand of God, although at times invisible, was always there, working to bring her from a life of agony to a life of praise.

Deborah E. Willis grew up in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. She graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a B.A. degree in psychology and as a Distinguished Military Graduate. After spending eight years in the Army as a signal officer, she returned to school and studied marriage & family therapy at Chapman University in Washington State. She graduated with honors with an M.A. degree in marriage & family therapy and a graduate Certificate of Gerontology. She currently works as a marriage & family therapist for the Mental Health Division at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Xulon Press is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with more than 2,500 titles published to date. Retailers may order A Life of Agony and Praise through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors.

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