Nicole W. CooleyAuthor of Into the Light: Rape, Abortion and the Truth that Set Me Free
Help, I'm Hurting!
I am not a counselor – but I hope my story will encourage you to seek the healing and restoration available through faith in Jesus. Here are a few books and organizations that were helpful to me on my journey. Begin with the Creator of your heart – God made you and He knows best the direction for your individual healing. Click on the pictures next to the descriptions for links to online bookstores and related information. - Nicole
The Bible
For readable accuracy and study, I recommend the New American Standard Version or the New King James Version. For best readability, the New International Version and the Living Bible are good choices. If you’re hurting, start in the Psalms. The words of others who have also suffered and struggled are a balm to the troubled spirit. Pray for understanding before you read. Then read every day. Even if you only read a few verses or have a matter of minutes. The Word is a critical channel through which God can speak to you every day in a personal way as no book ever written has the power to do.Committed to Freedom Ministries
Offers retreats, seminars and curriculum to help abuse survivors overcome their past by providing biblical tools of freedom. Highly recommended! Every Man's Battle
By Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stocker, Waterbrook Press, 2000. I recommend this one for wives, too. The more you understand about pornography and its addictive power, the more you can help your spouse. I believe the man who raped me was in the later stages of a significant pornography addiction. What we think about, we will eventually act out if sin is left unchecked.Focus on the Family
A great organization that can direct you to books, counselors, and other support. They have counselors on staff able to provide initial help. Their website also has a wealth of information on the sanctity of life as well as many pro-life resources including the "Choice of a Lifetime" video in which I was featured.Forgiven and Set Free
By Linda Cochrane, Baker Books, 2000. I completed this helpful Bible study book through a small group connected with the Colorado Springs Pregnancy Center. The study deals specifically with the issues related to recovery from a prior abortion.Her Choice to Heal - Finding Spiritual and Emotional Peace after Abortion
By Sydna Masse and Joan Phillips, Cook Communications, 1998. This book provides a wonderful starting point to the healing process. I personally benefited from many of the suggestions in the book. An updated version will be released in December 2008. Sydna's organization, Ramah International, hosts seminars and provides online training for women and pregnancy centers.Life's Not Fair, But God is Good
By Robert Schuller, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991. The first book I read after the rape. Also the first to minister to me and offer real hope. One question from the book, "Why not you?" jolted me out of my pity party. If not me, then someone else just like me. I'd later learn there were other victims just like me. "BUT GOD" makes all the difference to turn our tragedies into triumphs for His glory!L.I.F.E. Living In Freedom Everyday
This excellent resource is by Valerie Bixler. Contact Paraclaysis, Inc. (719) 210-9744 to order. This study explains in depth the various strongholds and also teaches the forgiveness model used by Chaplain Bixer (her husband), which enabled me to be free of the destructive feelings and judgments from my memories.
Lord, Heal My Hurts
By Kay Arthur, Multnomah Books, 1989. This is one of my absolute favorite Bible studies on healing. The truths presented in this inductive study method are pulled from the Bible and become internalized. Excellent! Lord, Is It Warfare? Teach Me to Stand is another study that I highly recommend.Motherhood Interrupted
This website contains a wealth of information to help the post-abortive woman and those wanting to understand her. The book, by the same title, by Jane Brennan is a treasure trove of stories of post abortive women, an excellent source of hope.National Memorial for the Unborn
A former abortion clinic located in Chattanooga, Tennessee that was turned into a memorial where children can be remembered and honored. There are also links to other memorials located across the USA.
Silent No More Awareness Campaign
Co-founded by Georgette Forney and Janet Moranna. Women across the country are speaking out about how abortion negatively affected them. Join us! Their informative website also has information on post-abortion healing and resources.Victims and Victors
Edited by David C Reardon, Julie Makimaa, and Amy Sobie, Acorn Books, 2000. The personal stories of rape and incest are inspiring. Research concerning rape and incest victims and their response to abortion or birth is thoroughly discussed. Also see the listing for the Elliot Institute, the parent organization for research and pro-life initiatives. Who Switched Off My Brain?
Dr. Caroline Leaf has appeared on Life Today with James and Betty Robison and on the Harvest Show explaining her fascinating research on the brain. She teaches that "thoughts are real and have an anatomy....they have a structure in your brain and occupy space." On the cellular level, groups of related thoughts look like trees in the brain. Good "trees" have healthy "buds" on the end of its branches, while bad "trees" holding negative, fear-based memories, have "spikes" or "thorns". These thorns, when triggered, excrete negative chemicals into the body which, over time, can result in illnesses. Through awareness of our thought life, its impact on our bodies, and our ability to analyse new thoughts, God has given us the power to reject these damage-producing thoughts. Furthermore, with God's help, we can change bad memories into good ones, defeating our mental "strongholds" once and for all. Click on the book to go directly to Dr. Leaf's website.
Purchase Into the Light
To purchase Into the Light now, click on the image above.
Know God Personally
"It is not enough to know about God. It is not enough to know about the Bible. You must know both intimately and thoroughly to avoid the pitfalls in this life. Ignorance of the wealth of truth found in the Bible will not protect you. We are created with brains, and with some education, the ability to read the Bible for ourselves. God expects no less of us. As you learn for yourself, the gems you feed your spirit will guide you into truth."
From Into the Light page 186
