Discovering Lazarus -- John Kelly

<p><em>Discovering Lazarus</em> is one man's attempt at finding redemption from his evil way of life. I started my descent into a dark abyss while in my teen years, and it continued until I was thirty-two years old and homeless. I lost everything--my home, my wife, my cars, trucks, and my businesses.</p><p>Self-destruction and exhaustion coupled with financial ruin, despair, and depression led me to a point where I found myself on my knees. I found myself in St. Francis Church in Metuchen, New Jersey, asking for forgiveness from God and praying for a second chance at redemption and a new life. I prayed, "God, I am sorry for abandoning you and living an evil life. Please forgive me and take control of my life and direct it for me. If you won't do this for me, O Lord, please take my life from me and let me die."</p><p>God was listening and heard my pleas for atonement, redemption, and a second chance. He helped me rise up from the ashes of spiritual death, so I could begin to help others in many different ways. I became a nationally-known addiction counselor who, in partnership with my wife, Marilyn, opened several extremely successful outpatient counseling centers in New Jersey. Over a twenty-five-year period, our counseling centers helped thousands of families experience recovery from destructive addictive illness.</p><p>However, it was only the beginning of God's planed journey for me. I also became an international criminal profiler who hunted some of the most evil serial