The Mountains Behind: Second Edition

By Robert Douglas Morris

The Mountains Behind: Second Edition is an incredible update to the personal journey of Robert Douglas Morris. This second edition contains extraordinary new content that will move you to and through many different emotions, as you experience the struggles and trials of a man who overcame many of the world’s obstacles while staying true to himself. You will travel with Robert from the streets of Detroit, Michigan, to such exotic locations such as Athens, Greece, while serving in the US Air Force. You will also experience Robert overcoming trials of another kind here at home. You will definitely be inspired, encouraged, and motivated by reading The Mountains Behind: Second Edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532069154

Robert Douglas Morris

Robert Douglas Morris is the CEO and Founder of Robert D Morris Next-Level Enterprises, and Battlefield Productions, located in Arlington, Texas. He is passionate about encouraging people from all walks of life to pursue their dreams despite what past issues they have had to overcome. Robert is an incredibly dynamic, award winning motivational speaker, and the author of “The Mountains Behind” series of books, as well as the poetic companion, “Passages.” Robert served Ten years in The US Air Force, including several years in Athens, Greece, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 Robert Douglas Morris.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-5320-6914-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-6915-4 (e)

iUniverse rev. date:   02/28/2019

Contents

Dedication and Thank You’s

Foreword

Introduction

(Prologue) The Mountains Behind

Part 1   Praise The Lord!

Chapter 1   Lights Out

Chapter 2   The Early Mountains

Chapter 3

Chapter 4   My Teacher, My Angel

Chapter 5   My Father – Part One…

Part 2   Coming Of Age And Heartbreak

Chapter 6   The Bike Ride…

Chapter 7   Are you American?

Part 3   The Job Market

Chapter 8   What is a BMDT?…

Chapter 9   I Need You To Step Up To The Plate

Chapter 10   The Time Sheet

Part 4   Living For God

Chapter 11   My New Birthday

Part 5   Words Of Love And Encouragement

Chapter 12

Epilogue

About The Author

Dedication and Thank You’s

This book is dedicated first to my Lord Jesus Christ. Quite simply, he is my provider, leader, counselor and champion. He is also my great alarm clock who has chosen the appointed time for my awakening and I thank him! Thank You, Lord!

Of all the gifts I received in my life, none can compare to the gift of eternal life. However, I cannot even imagine where I would be without the prayers and encouragement of my wife, Shariee. Through 20 plus years of marriage, we have seen just about everything; from the loss of possessions, to the loss of beloved family members. We are both still in the game of life chasing after dreams, being great parents to our children, and proving God right every day that he could trust us to carry out his purpose, no matter what.

To My Mother, Jeannette Morris, who taught me how to love, how to treat a woman, and how to persevere. She has endured more ills of this world than should be allowed and has still come out a beautiful pearl. Thank You Mom!

To My Father, Robert Rhue, who gave me a piece of advice I carry to this day: Just keep on living. Pop I now know what that means. I don’t know if you even knew how powerful a word that was to me when you gave it to me, but I thank you!

To my sisters Audrey and Michelle (Mikki) Thank you for teaching me all you have. I have gotten from both of you very necessary tools to navigate some of the trials of life. I Love You Both Very Much!

To my brothers: Keith and Randy. Even though you both are no longer physically here with us, you are both so very much missed. I think about you every day and have just recently been delivered from the guilt of feeling I had not done enough for you. God gave me great examples of how to live certain parts of this life when he gave me you as brothers and I thank you both for being you and going before me to show me the way. I will be seeing you both in eternity!

To my Father in law Jimmie Lewis: you were right when you said we were going to go through! I thank you for your teachings… though you are no longer with us physically, I still hear your voice of reason and strong assurance; I know you are watching from above, and I hope to make you proud!

To My Best Friends Keith and Ken Barker: We have been in each other’s lives for over 40 years! (Geri curls, and Bruce Lee Movies) Wow… I am proud and honored to have known you both. We have seen each other though real life together, and I know God is happy with how we have been great stewards of this friendship; I pray your families experience nothing but greatness in health and prosperity.

To Warren Burrell and his family: I have not forgotten the many times you have been there for me, Warren… you are very much appreciated, Thank You!

To: Odis Seaberry: Thank you for being a very good friend when I needed you; I appreciate all of the good counsel you gave me; you are appreciated.

To Dwight Ellison: My Brother from another Mother; you literally saved my life on more than one occasion; D, you were right about a lot of things… Thank you for being a great friend. Thank You All!

There have been countless others who have inspired and encouraged me along the way. Some in small ways, some in ways I can’t quantify. I am eternally grateful for the people who were placed in my life literally as a lifeline when I needed one. For the special ones, I set aside a fried cinnamon roll; for others, I set aside a cup of advice, and a big plate of gratitude to go with a Coney Dog with everything on it.

To Miss Cynthia Hayes: You came from nowhere to be Blessing to me and those I care about; I look forward to collaborating with you on many projects. Thank you for all you do; you are appreciated.

To Bobby Coston: Great job on the cover, Bobby, you are an amazing photographer, artist, and a great talent. Bobby can be reached at: [e-mail]

To all of those who tried to negatively influence my story (you know who you are), I thank you, as well. Your efforts help to push me up, and through, instead of down and under. I also pray you find inspiration within these pages.

Finally, To my children: Tiffany, my Daughter. If I had any doubts there was a God, all I needed was to look at you. You are still a bright light on my road of life and I hope to be a better Father every day. I am so proud of what you have become! Tanaya and JR, Unbelievable to know I am a Grandfather… I am speechless. You both are lights to you parents, and proof positive to me that I am Blessed and highly favored. I will enjoy watching you both grow up and have incredible lives!

My Sons, Robert, Ryan, And Richard: You all are teaching me daily how much God loves me, and what the name Father really means. I look forward to watching, and guiding as you step into the roles God has for you, and I have no words to describe the love I feel for you! You are truly a part of me!

Robert Douglas Morris

Foreword

Wow… It’s hard to believe the first edition of The Mountains Behind was published back in 2004. I had no idea I would revisit this book. Interesting how life works out. As I was looking at a variety of topics to write about, it became obvious to me that I needed to update my own story first. Literally a lifetime for some has passed since the first edition came out; that means a lifetime of new Mountains Behind for me.

Since that first edition, I have many suffered losses; The Paternal; My Mother and Father have both passed away; my Mother passed suddenly in her sleep, my Father from complications following a stroke. The Material; lost literally everything I owned that was in storage due to accepting a job with a company that went out of business. There have also been many victories; I became a Grandfather (wow, really?) to Tanaya and JR, I ran several 5K’s, and I became a Toastmaster, winning several international public speaking contests. I have also met some people who were used to wake me from a deep slumber; anyone know what I am talking about? Going through life on auto-pilot; definitely not walking in my purpose.

Creatively, there has been quite a bit of growth; I have written many more poems, (some are included in this edition) and I have a long list of short story and novel ideas; I can’t wait to see them birthed out.

I thought about the process I went through to write that first edition; I really was led to write; I didn’t have a lifelong dream to write a book, or to publish it. This edition is different. My goal here is to add content that will complement what was already written, and to update and offer clarity to past observations and notations.

Looking back on your own life, if you had a chance to go back in time and speak with your younger self, what advice would you give you know your younger self would listen to? I know; good question, right? This book is that opportunity for me, at least in this forum. I hope you enjoy this book, I really do. One dream I do have is to leave a legacy my children will be proud of. Tiffany, Robert, Ryan, and Richard have shown me just by being themselves that despite all of life’s drama, or The Mountains Behind, life is worth living, love is worth sharing, and setting and achieving goals is something that keeps us all on this wonderful ride called life!

Be Blessed Everyone, and I hope this edition of The Mountains Behind offers encouragement, inspiration, and motivates you to put the past behind you and chase after your dreams with a strong, undeniable sense of urgency; my story, like yours, is just getting started!

Introduction

(By Shariee Morris)

If you ever wondered if there is a God; after reading this book your mind will change if the answer was no. What an awesome God we serve! Just when you thought it was over for you, God shows up in a mighty way. It’s at that very point in your life when you realize God does really exist! This book will prove to you what the Devil meant for Evil God meant for Good!

It’s amazing how each one of us has our own unique story to tell but, more amazing than that, is we never ask the question; Lord how can you use my story for your Glory?

Well, my husband Robert Morris finally asked God that question, and that’s why you are reading this book, and I’m privileged to write my husband’s introduction to his very own book. Glory be to God!

This book is based on real testimony from an ordinary person which could have easily been me or you. But God chose an individual to birth out an extraordinary story that provides proof that the Devil is real, but God holds All Power in his hands. If it wasn’t so, Robert would not have been here to write this book. God is good!

After reading this book it will change your life in one way or another. It helped me to have more compassion for my brothers and sisters because you never know the story behind the face. I guess that’s why God said don’t judge one another (¹Romans 14:10). It also helps me to stop complaining about my story and begin to pray for people in the same situation.

Someone may be in a similar situation now. God also said in his word don’t complain or murmur (²John 6:43). God so desires to save us all that he has ordained some of us to go through difficult times so that we may go back and speak a word in season to help someone else. Everything you go through in life is not just for you! Someone needs to hear your testimony so they can become free and experience God’s True Healing Power, Love and Grace.

I hope after you finish reading this book it blesses your world like it has blessed my family. God says in his word that a man that’s free is free indeed (³John 8:36). I pray that each one of you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. God Bless you!

I love you Robert!

Shariee Alicia Morris

(Prologue) The Mountains Behind

I have traveled many roads. Some filled with heartache, others with pain.

I let myself down, made the wrong moves; experienced life’s rain

But God saw the truth; he stripped away the wood hay and stubble

Left a shimmer of Gold; bright, shiny and free from the world’s trouble

I saw the mountains ahead; tried to clear them on my own

Had some success; cleared a few, but reached a point where I couldn’t go on

Went through the fire; fought the enemy face to face

Of course; I could not win, but thank God for his grace!

God saw fit to call my name; in the midst of the hills, I was full of shame

I had no choice but to answer the call; too tired to go on, hurt from the fall

Raised from the dead; brought back to life, no longer caught in the devil’s vice

I was given new strength to carry on; the old me passed, a new one born

I have a story to tell; a testimony to write about

So full of joy, forgive me if I shout

Praises to God for he is king; I come to you now ready to sing

Songs full of blessings; and offer prayers of love

Encouraging you through your mountains with love

Listen to me people of Christ; The Devil is real and he’s not nice

He comes to destroy all God has for you; here’s the secret, this is what you do

Get on your knees; give up the fight, it’s time to look only to the right

Please decide now; you are running out of time, see you on the other side

Of your mountains behind

In Jesus Name, Amen!

PART 1

Praise The Lord!

T he very first thing I feel I must share with you is simply this: Enjoy The Goodness Of The Lord!

Too often, most of us go through this life without knowing our purpose, without realizing not only who we are, but what we are. If we knew, I mean really knew, the enemy, would truly be revealed as the powerless, defeated foe he is.

Think back over your life. How many times have you been saved from harm, maybe even death? How many days have you wondered why you are still here among the living? How many of you actually wished for death to come only to be disappointed for no earthly reason?

God has a plan for you, for us. It really is quite simple; your time will be up when he says so, and not a second sooner or later. There is a purpose for our lives; it is up to us to seek God first and ask him to reveal what that purpose is and then step into that purpose with the confidence that we are where we should be, doing the things God wants us to do and reveling in the fact that because we are willing, obedient vessels, God will continue to bless us in ways we can only dream of.

This life can be difficult. We are torn in many directions each day. Work, home, children, issues with our spouse, bills, people and just plain fatigue are our battlefields daily. Sometimes it can be a struggle just to make it home at the end of each day. Even worse, if home is not right, if there is conflict waiting for us when we walk through the door, the work day seems to last even longer, the drive home more stressful and the walk up to the doorway that much longer.

When we finally do make it to the house, greet the family, sort out the issues of the day and are finally able to rest (for a moment), our senses are bombarded by the news of death, strife, immoral behavior, rising costs of all necessities and just plain bad news.

While you are letting all that sink in you may be saying to yourself how do I enjoy the goodness of the Lord in the midst of these storms?

I’m glad you asked…

I have discovered it is in these difficult times when the Lord does his best work! He excels in making the unbelievable believable! His power is so awesome he can take a situation you know is hopeless, and not only provide hope, but clears the path so a graceful, spirit led solution presents itself, always in the nick of time! Thank God for being God!

Discovering what we are does take some doing. It requires us to open up this package God put us in and reveal parts of ourselves we may not enjoy seeing. For those who are hungry for Gods word and his plan for their lives, it is all important we get to the point where seeking his face overshadows our own inner conclusions of what we think we are!

I myself have had to do exactly that. There were parts of me, once revealed, that made me even more thankful God thought enough of me to save me from myself! I was very much on a road that led straight to the place the bible refers to as the second death, a death of the soul. Wow, even as these words are flowing from the Holy Spirit, to the pages you are reading, I have to praise his name with even more of a passion!

Recently, some brothers from a men’s fellowship I attend on Saturdays went down to a local shelter to encourage the brothers there and spread the good news that God can and is a healer in every sense of the word.

There was one person who came onto the porch as we were just getting started. This meeting was very informal, we were just occupying one side of this large porch, and we had no idea what God was going to do, we just knew we had to do what he asked us to do.

When the brother came over to join us, he had a towel wrapped around his neck as he had just taken a shower. He explained to us he did not want to be around the men of God in the condition he was in. Imagine now, I need you to get this. Here is an individual who believed he was lost, had no hope at all, and yet even he realized to be in the presence of God, he had to clean himself up!

It gets better. As he joined our group, he had questions about the Lord he felt none of us could answer. He started telling us how he would try to think about the Lord, but thoughts of crime, famine, drugs, etc would come to his mind and he had trouble accepting Gods greatest gift, the gift of salvation.

As he spoke, I lowered my head and started to pray. I asked God what words he could give me to speak directly to this person’s heart today. Not tomorrow; not next week, but today. As I was praying the elder minister who was with us started to speak to this man.

Even though the minister was speaking Gods word to him, there seemed to be a disconnect, or miscommunication between them. That’s when the Holy Spirit directed me to speak. I went right up to this man I had never met, looked right into his eyes and simply asked if I could ask him a question. He gave me permission and my question, which came directly from the Holy Spirit, was an easy one to answer if no thought went into it.

I asked him this: In all of your days, all of the places you have been, the people you have met, the drugs you have done, and all the things you may have done but are not proud of, Has Your Way Of Thinking Worked?

I felt everyone on that porch pause and ask themselves the same question. You see, the question is loaded. There is only one answer and that answer is no! None of our ways of thinking has worked!

An amazing transformation seemed to take place right before me. I could feel the Holy Spirit rise up in this man. The power of the Holy Ghost had made an appearance! This man who just a short time ago felt disenchanted, forgotten and worthless suddenly began to praise the Lord right there on that porch which had been transformed into an altar for God!

As the tears flowed from him, I took his hand and started to pray. I thanked God for showing up right when I needed him to. It was an incredible moment for all of us as this brother had just gained revelation knowledge of the goodness of the Lord!

Revelation knowledge is knowledge that comes directly from the Holy Spirit. Once obtained, there is nothing the enemy can do to taint your belief of what God has revealed to you. This revelation can be of many things, or it can be the realization of just the fact that we, as children of the Lord are very special. So special that the enemy spends every second of every day devising ways to cause us to make decisions that affect our spiritual lives!

One day I received the most precious of gifts. It was the gift of awakening from my slumber. I felt God’s touch. It was not like any feeling I had ever experienced. This book is but a small thank you to the Lord in return for allowing me to receive the gift of eternal life.

Who am I that God would see fit to encourage his people? I felt the same way. In fact, most of my life was spent feeling as though I did not matter, that even my birth was a mistake!

My childhood did nothing to change this view. I was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1962. The month was February and as usual, it was very cold. I learned my Mother had some issues getting to the hospital and was sick on top being ready to give birth. She was very anemic and in jeopardy of losing the baby, who was not due for another month.

By the grace of God, the doctors did what they were trained to do, and despite some difficult moments, I was born and mom came out of the process shaken, but physically ok. There were some issues with me though. It turns out due to my Mother’s illness during delivery; I was born with a severe case of yellow jaundice. My skin was very yellow, and I was very weak.

This condition today is very common. About 80 percent of children born have some level of jaundice. It usually clears up in a couple of days depending on the severity. In my case, in 1962 things were different. There was cause for concern. The doctors told my Mother that my condition was so severe it may take several years before I would be able to use my legs and there was a good chance I may never walk at all.

Upon hearing this news, you could imagine how a new Mother must have felt. First, the joys of realizing you have given birth to a new life, a gift from God and then to learn that something, anything is wrong. Especially after experiencing the loss of a child a few short years ago. Life just didn’t seem fair.

My Mother went through quite a bit during that time period. She did have help with me though. My Grandmother was there to help take care of me. Without the use of my legs, I was pretty much confined to the place they would sit me down at.

My memories of that time to this day are fleeting. I remember sitting near my grandmother while she fed me apple sauce and sang gospel songs. She was the first person in my life other than my mother who comforted me and made me feel special, and also was the person who introduced the Lord to me.

I didn’t recall having this affliction until much later in my life. I now realize what I thought were dreams in my childhood actually took place. In fact, I know God granted me the gift of forgetfulness of many traumas I would experience in my life.

Dreams are a two-way tunnel offering both a view into the depths of our spiritual desires and a way out of emotional bondage. They can also raise awareness of the hidden things we hold onto. Be warned though; the enemy is also a spiritual being who can steal access to your mind through your dreams.

Have you ever had a dream that was so real you woke up experiencing the joy, pain or trauma of it? In your sleep something happened. You actually experienced a vision of something. You were there. The spiritual man or woman of God should first ask God to reveal the meaning behind the dream. Do not go to big mama and ask for the dream book to get the answers. If the answer she gives you does not coincide with your own carnal thoughts, you could put yourself in even more harms way.

As I grew older, my outlook on life was shaped by many people who did not know the true love of Christ. As a child, there was very little mention of God, or Jesus. My grandmother was the sole voice of reason, but I must admit I did not know much of what she was singing about even though at that time I was living proof of God’s grace!

Fast