The Book of Restoration and Hope

By Mrs. Moriah Johnson

In life sometimes we feel like we cannot make it because of the obstacles we face in our everyday life. Some of our obstacles may be drugs, abusive relationship, or having to live with people other than your parents. All these things have an effect on our lives one way or another. Sometimes we feel like giving up and saying what the use of living. What we dont know is that we have so much to live for. I come to tell you that nothing is too hard if you put your mind to it. While reading you will see that I have faced many trials and tribulations, which changed my life in many different ways. Some situations have been so detrimental to the point of almost losing my life. However I have overcome each one of them with the help of God and people that truly love me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462033782

Mrs. Moriah Johnson

Autobiography of Mrs. Moriah Johnson When I think about my life, the obstacles and pasts events that I faced as a child, the overwhelming joy and peace of my current life; the future plans and goals, my focus and theme is one of gratitude to God and the people who were influential in supporting me during the perilous times. I was born June 1, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois. My parents are Kathy and William. I have four brothers David, Kenon; Craig and Julian, both deceased; and three sisters Leanna, Dee, and Alisha. We, my siblings and I, had a difficult time during our childhood. My parents had problems that were difficult for them to overcome therefore we were placed in foster care. We transitioned from one foster home to another; from one abusive pattern to another. It was difficult but we always had faith that one day our situation would get better. When I was five my grandmother took me to church with her, the name was New St. Haven Church, there were people who took me under their wings and loved on me. I have so many moms and dads, sisters and brothers; it fills my heart with joy when I remember the support and love that bridged the gap and brought light during the dark times of my life. I knew there was a formula that would allow me to walk in the path and destiny that God had planned for me. I studied and heard the word of God which increased my faith; I was commissioned as an ambassador for Christ and was ordained as an evangelist in May, 2005. I then realized that I could do anything; there were no barriers except the one that I would allow so I decided to enroll in Johnson Junior College to get my Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. I completed the program and received my Associates degree in December 2004. I decided to beat the odds. I did not want to be a statistic and have children out of wedlock so I waited for God to send me my husband and He did. In October 2006, I married the love of my life, my husband and friend Malcolm. We have two beautiful children, Heaven, two years, and Larenz, 9 months. Wanting to make a better life for my family I decide to go back to school. I enrolled in Phoenix University in their Business Management Program and graduated in June, 2009 with a Bachelors of Science in Business Management. I enrolled in Walden University in November 2009 and am currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Management and Leadership; with a tentative graduation date of March 2012. My life, past and present is a mixture of bitter and sweet. I realize that all of the obstacles and successes that I faced was not for me but to shares with and be a testimony to others who are or will have a similar experience. I am qualified to write about my life as a testimony; there are valuable returns on trust, faith, and perseverance. I want to encourage others by my life example; continue to press toward the mark of a higher calling in Jesus Christ, as I did. “Don’t give up!”

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Inspiring Words

Thanks and Gratitude

Chapter 1

Growing Up (Childhood Life)

Growing up as a little girl was not easy. We were a family of eight, four girls and four boys. I was the oldest girl in the family, but I have a brother who is older than me. We were from the North Side of Chicago, where we stayed in a one bedroom apartment.

When I was five years old, Kathy and William fought a lot. All I could remember was William coming home from jail one morning. I would get out of bed and go in the living room and he would be there. For my age, I was a very mature girl. I loved to wash dishes and also help William cook at times. He was a great chef. My siblings I and would destroy the house on many occasions. One day we came home from school, and wet the couch with buckets of water this was really fun. My sister Alicia and brother Craig got in trouble, but not me. They would always ask why I did not get in trouble. I knew the reason why but was afraid what people would say.

One night all of us were getting ready for bed, we had bunk-beds that we slept in. My oldest brother David and younger brother Craig slept in the bottom bunk. Alicia I and slept in the top bunk. That same night a family member came in the room and woke me up. He told me to come with him. I did what I was told because I trusted and really loved this man. So he took me in the room and began to talk to me and he told me to take off my clothes. At that time I was only five years old and did not know what was going on, therefore I did what I was told. He grabbed the Vaseline and rubbed it between my legs and also on his private part. I did not know what to expect, suddenly there was a knock at the door. He told me to answer it and it was someone for Kathy, however she was not there. He called me back in the room and began to molest me, afterwards he sent me back to bed. My brother David was not sleep and he knew everything that happened. Kathy did not come home until the next morning and my brother David tried to tell her what happen but she said he was lying. Kathy told my brother David that something like that would never happen he must be mistaken. After that the situation was never brought up again.

Things started to get bad for the family Kathy and William separated and we moved to the West Side of Chicago. When we did moved everyone went to Flora house. Kathy sisters and brothers and all of their kids were staying there also. This house was not the best house to live in to me it was very haunted. There were many evil spirits floating around. The kids did not feel comfortable at all in this house. Also we did not feel comfortable around some of our family members. We were all being molested. Kathy and her sister were never around therefore whatever we did, we did it on our own. As kids, we had to take care of ourselves because our parents were not around. It was so hard our parents would always leave and sometimes they would be gone for weeks at a time. We would have to go search for something to eat, I think we were so happy that it was an apple tree that grew in our front yard. When we did not have anything to eat we would go pick apples.

My brother David worked at a barber shop down the street from our house. He would bring us food home when he got paid. Our favorite meal was ramen noodles this is something that we ate every day. We were tired of eating it but that’s all David could afford to buy. There were times when we did not have food and we had a coat at our house that was long. This coat had a big hole in it. Me, my sister Alicia and brother Craig use to take turns wearing this coat. When we were hungry we would go to the store and steal food just to have something to eat. One day we went to the gas station that was around the corner from the house this time it was Alicia turn to steal. We had never got caught but this particular time she did my brother Craig and I ran. It was really funny to us as kids but she was crying like always. The man in the store let us go without calling the police. I can say now Thank you Jesus but we all could have gone to jail. I tell people when you are desperate sometimes you don’t know what you would do and this is what we did. Was it right, no but we had to eat and this is how we ate.

Well it was time to move again because the house we were staying in got burned down and we ended up being separated again. My two brothers, Julian and Craig moved with my aunt Joyce. I moved with my best friend, her sister