The Night Before Breakthrough: From Midnight to the Miraculous

By Shari Pouncey

The Night Before Breakthrough is an intriguing and vivid story that unfolds a window of time of a family that experiences inconceivably vast times of hopelessness but regains love and achieves comeback from the brink of poverty. God shined his redemptive light upon their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524587604

Shari Pouncey

Shari Pouncey is an inspirational speaker and seminar facilitator, who addresses critical issues that impact her constituents’ social and spiritual wellbeing. She is the founder of Women of Focus Ministry, designed to inspire women to reach their destinies. Her column, “The Amen Corner,” appeared in the Fort Worth Black News. Pouncey joined the U.S. Army in April, 1980 and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. While on active duty, she had the opportunity to visit West Germany, Iraq, Korea and Saudi Arabia. These travels afforded her the opportunity to experience new cultures and educated her in Foreign Affairs. Pouncey holds a doctorate from Vision International University.

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Copyright © 2017 by Shari Pouncey.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017903047

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-5245-8762-8

   Softcover   978-1-5245-8761-1

   eBook   978-1-5245-8760-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Unless otherwise identified, scripture quotations are from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the New International Version. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from the Message Bible.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 03/06/2017

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CONTENTS

Foreword

Testimonial

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 The First Night

Chapter 2 The Final Blow

Chapter 3 Beginning of Butterflies

Chapter 4 Prison Palace

Chapter 5 Home Sweet Homeless

Chapter 6 The Darkest Night

Chapter 7 A Long Night Continues

Chapter 8 Cat and Mouse

Chapter 9 For Better or Worse

Chapter 10 Breaking of Day

Chapter 11 Light at the End of the Tunnel

Chapter 12 Divine Breakthrough

Chapter 13 Epilogue Joy Cometh in the Morning

Chapter 14 Help is Here

Chapter 15 Keys to a Fortified Relationship

Chapter 16 Share Your Story

Chapter 17 The Word Brings Life

Chapter 18 Living a Proactive Life

Chapter 19 Steps to Stay Connected to God after Adversity

These pages are inscribed with love

to my companion, Dr. Andrew J. Pouncey Jr.

He beheld more in me than I initially recognized in myself.

The conflicts we have confronted together have conjoined us as a united force to victoriously witness the breaking of day.

Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an undeniable breakthrough.

—Unknown

FOREWORD

This book, The Night before Breakthrough: From Midnight to the Miraculous, has been written from the heart. It is a personal testimony affirming a number of theological themes. As I read through, I couldn’t help but think how many people are going through the same or similar circumstances and are about to lose it.

This book gives hope to families having a loved one living with drug addiction or any substance abuse. It is a book of resilience, of a people who have been to hell and have come back. A book of love, pain, and suffering, but love won over. It is an easy read, written with captivating imagery. Dr. Pouncey has opened a door to her heart and allows us to experience her deepest emotions and passion. She carries the same passion into her ministry. But this book has been written with a purpose: to help those that are suffering now with drug addiction, to give hope to the hopeless, to let the reader know that with God, nothing is impossible.

This book affirms the holistic healing that comes through committed pastoral care and compassionate evangelism. Hats off to the pastor and evangelist mentioned in this book. They obeyed the command of Jesus Christ to fish in the deeper waters.

This book has been written as a resource tool in practical ministry such as urban ministry, pastoral care, and Sunday school study guide. Every chapter ends with a reflection directed through by questions and a scripture reference. I recommend this book to families living with a loved one suffering from mental illness due to substance abuse as an emotional and spiritual exercise. The book ends with helpline/link information of institutions with the expertise to help people living with drug addiction.

Naomi Nyendwa Sengebwila

TESTIMONIAL

Shari Pouncey is a brave, driven, and loyal wife and woman of God. I am grateful to know her and certainly look to her as an example of the type of woman I can become. Her strength and faith are inspiring, to say the least. Her willingness to lay her soul bare and to reveal details of her personal life that most will not, in the pages of The Night Before Breakthrough, are testaments to her love for others. Her love for the reader, desire to free and comfort others and ultimately point them back to the Lord, is palpable on the pages of her novel. She shares what others will not, to provide comfort and guidance to those who are struggling as she once has. Her sincerity and ability to make the reader feel what she felt is uncanny. Her use of words to paint a picture is surely a gift from God. In addition to being a true page-turner (seriously, you will not be able to put this book down!), I am certain that this book will save lives, save marriages, and mend spirits. Even if addiction has never affected your family, as a reader, you cannot help but be inspired by her story and have your faith restored in the power of prayer and perseverance. The Night Before Breakthrough is an inspiring story of faith, loyalty, and love.

Daryl McCoy

Vice President, Urban America

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I am grateful to the Almighty God for entrusting me with this testimony. My prayer is that all who