A Journey to Recovery

By Francia D. Ross

Everyone is on a journey of one sort or another, but we are all on a journey nonetheless. On this journey, we must take our "whole" self with us. Division is not an option because a man divided against himself cannot stand. Therefore, on this journey, some things will have to die, and some will simply have to be let go. Parts of us will need to be changed, transformed, released, and/or rebuilt. Metamorphosis must occur on this Journey to Recovery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886441727

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

An Identity of My Own

Vision to See Value

Keys Are Significant

Lessons from the Pencil

Integrity to Live By

The Raging Battle

Breath of Life

Purpose to Fulfill

Don't Let Sin Take the Wheel

What Is Sin?

How Much Longer?

Moment of Gratitude

About the Author

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A Journey to Recovery

Francia D. Ross

ISBN 979-8-88644-171-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88644-172-7 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Francia D. Ross

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

I moved to the city, but I left my heart in the country! There was division! Time and space separated me on this journey. We are all on a journey, heading from one place to another, from one location to another, and even from one level to another. Our journey can be a spiritual journey, a physical journey, a mental journey, a psychological journey, or even an intellectual journey. No matter what type of journey course you are currently on, please be mindful that all these dimensions (journeys) are interconnected. They are interconnected in the sense that all of them must be developed in order for you and me to be whole or complete. An imbalance is created when we mature in one area and not in another. Even though all dimensions (journeys) are interconnected, it is possible to leave a place physically but remain there mentally. You can also leave a place emotionally but physically and mentally be stuck. We must take the time to develop each and every area of our lives. If we are going to move or relocate from one place to another, we must take our whole self with us. We cannot be scattered in multiple locations all at the same time. A man divided against himself cannot stand. A body divided against itself cannot stand. A mind divided against itself cannot stand, and a heart divided against itself cannot stand.

An Identity of My Own

VIP

Many of us strive to live a life of integrity and of purpose, but we often forgo one particularly important step. We neglect the necessary component of having the vision to see value in ourselves. Somewhere along our life's journey, we borrow the lens of everyone else except that of our Creator. We visualize and see ourselves from the vantage point of others and neglect to see ourselves for who we truly are. We become entangled in the institutionalized self-belief system of suggestion. We fail to realize that every thought or belief we hold about ourselves, especially the negative ones, came from somewhere or someone. So many times, we downplay our value, our significance, our worth, and our ability to impact or to make a difference. We deny the very strength that lives within us. We shortchange ourselves because of the lies we entertain in our minds. Over time, we become our own worst enemy. We self-sabotage ourselves by entertaining the negative thoughts that we have.

Have you ever heard a young child say I'm not smart or I'm ugly? Well, I have, and it broke my heart. It broke my heart not only because of the negativity of the statement but also because of that fact that words have power. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Notwithstanding, this child has not even begun to live life, and already, he or she is setting the stage to sabotage it.

Where do you think these statements came from? They came from the power of suggestion—whether this suggestion was blatantly stated or implied. When a child, a teenager, or even an adult (yes, even an adult) continually proclaims negative connotations about themselves, we must wonder, Who told you that? Where did those thoughts originate? In the book of Genesis, when Adam hid from God, we see God asking Adam a similar question. God asked Adam, Where are thou? Adam responded, I hid because I was naked. God asked, "Who told you [emphasis added] that you were naked?"

Question: Who told you that you were not good enough? Who told you that you wouldn't amount to anything? Who told you…? In the words of the late Dr. Myles Munroe, when the purpose of a thing is unknown, abuse is inevitable. Abuse comes about when we entertain massive doses of negativity. We cannot allow ourselves to constantly abide in an atmosphere of abuse. We must come to a place in our lives wherein we recognize that we need God. We must come to the end of ourselves and allow God to transform us from the inside out. We must come to a place where we allow God to show us these:

Vision to see value

Integrity to live by

Purpose to fulfill

Because at the end of the day, you are a VIP (very important person).

Vision to See Value

It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.

—Helen Keller

Vision

The act or power of seeing—sight.

The special sense by which the qualities of an object (such as color, luminosity, shape, and size) constituting its appearance are perceived through a process in which light rays entering the eye are transformed by the retina into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve.

Something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy.

A thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination.

Mode of seeing or conceiving.

Unusual discernment or foresight.

Value

The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

A person's principles or standards of behavior, one's judgment of what is important in life.

Estimate the monetary worth (of something).

Consider (someone or something) to be important or beneficial; have a high opinion of.

Relative worth, merit, or importance.

For what seemed like the longest time ever, I forgot who I was. I aimed to be Superwoman. I was everything to everyone else and nothing to me. I needed (or so I thought) these superhero experiences because I believed they validated me. I believed they fed that missing part of me. The more I needed to be validated, the more I did and did and did until, one day, I burned out. When that happened, I was left with only me to contend with.

During that moment in time, reality gave me a swift kick in the rear. There I was confronted by my own insecurities, and in it all,