Counterfeit Comforts , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Robia Scott

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107 pages

English

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How do we overcome what we are being overcome by--whether depression, anxiety, overeating, a negative view of ourselves or any other stronghold--in order to experience the freedom that is available to us in Christ? When the pressures of life become overwhelming, we often find ourselves turning to food, shopping, alcohol, television or whatever our "counterfeit" might be in search of the relief, release and peace we are longing for. These choices are not necessarily bad, but the satisfaction is merely temporary. Before we know it, we can find ourselves enslaved by addictive and destructive behaviors, but there is a way out.With grace and warmth, author Robia Scott shows how true healing and lasting satisfaction can be found only as we learn to transfer our dependence from counterfeit comforts onto our one true Comforter: the Holy Spirit. Drawing from the experience of battling her own counterfeits--primarily her tumultuous relationship with food and obsession with dieting, weight and body image--Robia leads you step by step through the process of transformation. It is through learning how to experience and connect with the Person, the presence and the power of God that we discover who we truly are, and acquire freedom to live the life of purpose that we were created for.

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	06 septembre 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441230393
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0403€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2016 by Robia Scott
Published by Chosen Books
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016938474
ISBN 978-1-4412-3039-3
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified AMPC are from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Scripture quotations identified MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations identified NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover design by Dual Identity
Author is represented by Steven R. Lawson
Endorsements
“As followers of Christ, we must experience personal transformation before we can impact those around us. In Counterfeit Comforts , Robia Scott’s refreshing transparency about her own journey and the inner struggles she faced as a professional dancer and actress provide specific, creative and very practical insights that will help anyone struggling with the process of change to get on the path toward healing and the recovery of their God-given identity and destiny!”
Ed Silvoso, president, Harvest Evangelism and the International Transformation Network
“With candor, sensitivity and lessons learned from once being in the ‘counterfeit pit,’ Robia Scott boldly exposes the enemy’s pitfalls and strategies that cause us to seek emotional comfort and validation in all the wrong places. The book is a practical and convicting beacon of hope.”
Deborah Smith Pegues, bestselling author, 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue
“While reading this amazing book, I was struck by the incredible marriage of the depth and simplicity that would appeal to any person in any situation. There is a beauty of substance and style that Robia communicates to reach people where they are to get them to their God-given potential. Each chapter has riveting statements of life-changing principles that will be easily remembered. Counterfeit Comforts will launch you into the depth of joy and truth that is the real thing, better than any counterfeit!”
Dan Fessler, lead pastor, Waters Community, Sewell, New Jersey
Dedication
To my husband, James, who was worth the wait.
Epigraph
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.
John 14:16 KJV
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Dedication 7
Epigraph 8
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 12
1. The Only Way To Is Through 17
2. Into the Deep 23
3. The Choice Point 31
4. Feelings: Friend or Foe? 35
5. X Marks the Spot 41
6. Stop, Drop and Roll 47
7. On-the-Floor 53
8. My Personal Process 67
9. Do Not Believe Everything You Think 77
10. The Sound of God 87
11. Pitfalls 95
12. The Purpose of Process 113
13. Potholes to Process 121
14. Out with the Old and In with the New 129
15. Fruits 137
16. Roots 143
17. Rewired 153
18. Tools for Transformation 159
19. The Sword 171
20. Choose Life—Speak Life 185
21. Don’t Give Up 195
About the Author 207
Back Cover 208
Acknowledgments
T o my spiritual posse: Charles Felix and a handful of loyal, dynamic, powerhouse women who stood lovingly and prayed ferociously to birth this book and this ministry into existence. You are a true spiritual family.
To Gina Keliher and Gwen Parsell: You have been pillars through it all and are the definition of faithful friends. And a special thank-you to Gwen Parsell for the hours you poured into the manuscript. This book would not be what it is if it had not been for you. You are the best freditor (friend/editor) a girl could have.
To Ed Silvoso for always making yourself available and for your gracious support. Steven Lawson for your wisdom and counsel in navigating new waters. David Sluka for steering my path and generously opening doors.
To Kim Bangs, Jane Campbell, Carra Carr, Shaun Tabatt, Dan Pitts, Natasha Sperling, Carissa Maki and all those at Chosen Books for your dedication to excellence and for partnering with me to bring this longtime dream to fruition.
And special thanks to my truly fabulous editor, Julie Carobini. You gently held my first book baby in your arms and with skill, warmth and encouraging words, nurtured it to maturity.
Introduction
I was living the dream—or so it seemed.
At twelve years old, I saw the movie Flashdance and from that moment I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: become a professional dancer. Inspired by the film to look the part, à la Jennifer Beals, I immediately permed my hair, cut up my sweatshirts and decided that leg warmers were the perfect accessory for every outfit. (If you remember the ’80s, you know what I am talking about.)
I also began taking jazz, ballet and tap classes after school. Within a few years I was offered a dance scholarship at the prestigious Dupree Dance Academy in Hollywood, California, and at age sixteen I landed my first professional job. I was hired as a dancer in singer Debbie Gibson’s music video for the song “Shake Your Love.” Later I was signed by Prince (yes, that Prince) to star as “Pearl” in all of his music videos for the album Diamonds and Pearls . That led to traveling the world as one of his backup dancers.
After my tour with Prince ended, I felt I had reached my peak of success as a dancer, so at 22 years old, I retired from dance. I transitioned into acting and pursued the craft with the same fervency with which I had studied dance. A year later I began appearing on several popular TV shows.
But something was not right. I had a successful career as a dancer under my belt, and the next one, as an actress, was taking off. I had fame, financial security and everything that was supposed to bring fulfillment, happiness and comfort, but I was definitely not comfortable. I was tormented. I was obsessed with my body image, somewhat the norm for every woman, but being a dancer and actress multiplied the torment exponentially. My thought life revolved around what I ate, how I looked and what I weighed. I had become anxious, worried, fearful, a chain smoker, and though I was making a great living, I was in debt due to excessive spending.
I was a girl who seemed to have it all, and to have it all together. Though I may have appeared confident and in control, I was being controlled by food, controlled by cigarettes, controlled by emotions, and, truthfully, I felt completely out of control. My deepest desire was to find freedom, to be at rest on the inside and feel at ease with myself and with my life.
For a time, I sought spirituality in the New Age movement prevalent in Southern California. I also read self-help books, but nothing I was doing or reading was helping me in the areas in which I found myself struggling. I finally had to be honest with myself and admit that my best thinking and figuring only dug me into a deeper hole. I realized then that, in order to help myself, I needed something or Someone bigger than I.
No problem can be solved by the same level of consciousness that created it.
Albert Einstein
I had always believed in God, but knew there must be more to Him than I was currently experiencing. I was open and looking for answers.
Sometime later, I found myself sitting in a casting office with other actresses waiting to audition for a commercial. One of the women walked across the room to the water fountain. She was African American with short hair, and I noticed the words I AM tattooed on the back of her neck. Coming from the New Age movement, I was familiar with the lingo of positive affirmations. They all begin with “I am.” I am the light, I am love, etc. Out of curiosity I asked her if her tattoo was New Age.
“Oh, no, no, no,” she replied. “I AM is the God of the Bible; when God was asked His name He replied, ‘I AM.’” She pulled a small Bible out of her purse to show me. Then she started talking about Jesus. Instantly the room grew silent and a palpable tension overrode the light and easy atmosphere. The woman next to me shifted in her seat. Two gals sitting across from me shot each other a look, then stood up and walked outside. Funny how you can talk about Buddha, Kabbala and even witchcraft, and no one has a problem with it, but as soon as someone says “Jesus,” people start to squirm. I did not understand everything my new friend said, but she was animated as she spoke, and I liked her. I asked her if she happened to know of a cool church. She did.
I joined her at church that Sunday, and the next, and the one after that. What I was hearing about God started to make sense—not perfectly—but the dots indeed began to connect, and once I had a few more Sundays under my belt, I made the decision to accept Christ. I became a