Faith Power Hope: Turn Your Pain into Purpose and Reach Beyond the Break!

By Imani Asha

What will it take to find your purpose and get your dignity, self-worth, and power back? Can you reconnect with your destiny and think about who you are and who you want to be?

Faith-Power-Hope seeks to encourage you to stop surviving and to start living life to its fullest with no regrets. It presents an emotional, personal story from the perspective of a child who carries her pain into adulthood. This narrative follows a young woman named Rachel through several life-changing moments as she grows and builds her life in faith. Through her journey, author Imani Asha demonstrates how you can overcome the worst of situations and take your power back from the strongholds in your life without accepting defeat. Asha aims to provide healing, hope, and peace from devastating blows, allowing you to witness the grace of God.

This personal narrative shares the inspirational story of a young woman as she faces trials and tribulations in her life and triumphs over them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Oct 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781480893764

Imani Asha

Imani Asha is a professional life coach, author, mentor, and motivational speaker who once worked in the corporate arena. She seeks to empower, encourage, and uplift others toward developing healthier mindsets and realizing their purpose. She currently lives in Pennsylvania.

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Copyright © 2020 Imani Asha.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Photography by: Jaya & Joshua Tucker

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-9377-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-9375-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-9376-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020914219

Archway Publishing rev. date: 10/02/2020

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my immediate family.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Big Secret

Chapter 2: For the Lans Sake

Chapter 3: Facing My Demons

Chapter 4: The Crippling Blow

Chapter 5: Reach Beyond the Break

Chapter 6: Survival Mode

Chapter 7: Breaking the Cycle

Chapter 8: Accusations vs. Truth

Chapter 9: Forgiveness

Chapter 10: Discover Your Purpose

Chapter 11: Speak a Different Blessing

Chapter 12: Live Life with No Regret

Chapter 13: Who’s on Your Team?

Chapter 14: Family Tree

Chapter 15: Get Your Stuff Back

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I acknowledge and thank everyone who were supportive of me writing Faith-Power-Hope. I thank and acknowledge the Almighty God for giving me the ability and strength of endurance. To my immediate family who were onboard since day one, I say thanks and acknowledge you. I acknowledge and honor my mother who I love most dearly for her faith, courage, strength and perseverance. I acknowledge all of my college professors, cohorts and colleagues who encouraged me to write Faith-Power-Hope. I acknowledge and thank three of my closest cousins who are like my sisters, you were my first cheerleaders. I thank and acknowledge my first childhood friend who never severed ties and became a lifetime friend. I acknowledge my first college roommate; you have truly supported me and been a remarkable friend. I acknowledge and sincerely thank my mentor, friend, and life coach and also a dear friend who are now dancing with the angels. Lastly, I thank my amazing publishers Archway Publishing from Simon and Schuster who encouraged me to finish Faith-Power-Hope.

INTRODUCTION

Many of my friends asked me to write a book to encourage and inspire others. I was skeptical for many years. Life had a way of dealing me a hand in a game I didn’t ask to be in. People are afraid to talk about their journey or past struggles for fear that society will label them as undesirables or deplorables. In many cases, we are deemed a social ill. But sometimes life has just forced us to become chocolate covered onions! We look good on the outside until you pull back the layers and then you see the pain. There are also times we keep riding that darn hamster wheel! We have refused to accept reality or cannot determine the actual problem, so we repeat the same cycle of behaviors.

In March of 2017, I committed to writing this book. As I began to pitch the idea to my immediate family, they were so supportive and loving. This was the most difficult book to write. Every page brought tears, a smile and healing. I could not have written Faith-Power-Hope without the support of my family. I realize now more than ever that I have not been on this journey alone. So many prayers carried me when I felt like my prayers were bouncing off the ceiling and hitting the floor. This book is based on a true story. Locations, events and certain situations have been altered to protect privacy rights. Reading about the many socio-economic struggles, joys, conflicts, hardships, triumphs and pain viewed from the eyes progressing through several ages of a child growing into adolescence and then to adulthood will be incomprehensible and mind blowing. Faith-Power-Hope is definitely an eye opener and is not for everyone. The joys of family and separation from family is unbelievable. It was important for me to understand culture, love, pain, guilt and forgiveness in every ethnicity before I could put a pen to paper. At some point in your life you re-evaluate your purpose and God’s plan for you before you throw in the towel. Prayer moves mountains but taking initiative, action and responsibility will move the world.

The goal of Faith- Power-Hope is to encourage you, put power back in your hands, give you your life back and help you begin to overcome heartbreak, mental anguish, physical harm, broken promises and spiritual bankruptcy. Satan’s plan is not new, he divides, conquers, exploits and destroys families all over the world. Your purpose has to be greater than your pain; and your destiny’s truly in your hands once you discover who you are and why you were put on this earth. Your life doesn’t belong to people it belongs to you and God. Unlock the door to your life with your unique key. Change will happen rapidly and it’s who the change happens too that makes it a powerful read!

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CHAPTER 1

The Big Secret

T here are secrets in life that could force you to give up. Some secrets have destroyed families and relationships. What secret will force you to reach your breaking point and challenge you to think it’s not worth loving or dealing with another conflict. Why should you believe that your secret will ever be protected or buried? Do you even know why you were chosen and tasked to keep that secret? Does anyone really care about your best kept secret? These are just a few questions that enter your mind when you are at the heightened level of your breaking point. As a child, Rachel did not experience hope, grace and mercy. So, this made it too difficult to understand God’s love for her as an adult. Her way of protecting her family involved keeping secrets. What was going to give her faith, power and hope. Rachel was wearing so many hats and haven’t mastered how to breathe and relax let alone forget about all those secrets she had been forced to keep. Sometimes, her very existence would never get noticed by the person or people she kept secrets for. They were too blind to see that she has value and worth. Keeping secrets are several reasons why circumstance could make a person have movement when they are pushed to the edge of the ledge. The edge of the ledge is figurative speech for breaking point. Rachel will soon discover she will reach hers after a storyteller drops a bombshell on her!

It was a secret that was carried for thirty-eight years and for some odd reason, the storyteller felt the need to disclose this secret on an important first college graduation day for Rachel, while sitting in her kitchen. It’s graduation day and she was so excited to be the first of nine children to finish college and earn a Degree. It would be a great celebration with her family and friends. She had proven to herself and to her family that your destiny can be changed. Her house is full of family and guest, Rachel’s heart leaped with joy when her brother from Canada enters the house. Apparently, with all the excitement in the air, the storyteller was ready to drop a bomb shell. She began to say, I’ve been carrying this secret for years, and I need to tell you. Nobody knew what was about to happen. Rachel is anxious and excited, thinking that it’s something pertaining