Higher Powered: One Woman’s Journey of Personal Eschatology

by Jessica Morris

Raised by a small-town minister, whose darkest sides came out at home as his disease of alcoholism progressed, Jessica’s childhood was proof to her that God hated her. Why else would He have placed her in such a home? Worse than the abuse and suffering she experienced as a child was the realization as a young adult that Jessica had become just like her father – an addict who cared only about herself. Through self-searching, recovery from her addictions, and intense therapy to address the childhood trauma experienced, Jessica’s seeking after the Truth eventually led her to enroll in seminary – to learn for herself what had been so skewed through the voice of addiction (her father’s and her own).

In Higher Powered, the author introduces the term "personal eschatology" (the end of her world as she knows it in order to follow Jesus Christ). Weaving her story into the stories of Nicodemus, Lazarus, and the apostle Paul, the author illustrates how Jesus’s comments about his second coming were symbolic in nature – not an end-of-the-world event for everyone to experience at the same time, but instead, a personal interaction with him when each individual is spiritually ready. The focus is away from the apocalyptic “end times” for the whole world, and towards the exclusive return of Jesus – just for you – the individual person.

With this idea, the author’s relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God was healed of all fear, hatred, resentment, and self-degradation. Jessica’s hope is that others will take the time to sit with her for a while, listen to some stories, and discover the beauty of personal eschatology, or, becoming Higher Powered – the end of your personal world as you know it so that you can live in the Kingdom of God with Jesus right here on earth.

163 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[Ron Scheese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired reflection on personal eschatology

Just finished "Higher Powered," a deeply moving memoir by my friend Jessica Morris. Her story overflows with honesty, vulnerability, and spiritual insight.

Jessica bravely recounts her harrowing journey from a childhood marred by abuse and addiction to a life renewed by faith, healing, and a relationship with God that is intimate and personal.

Her concept of "personal eschatology" is a reflection on faith that moves away from the traditional notion of the world's end to a deeply personal encounter with Christ. The author’s ability to weave her personal story with the biblical accounts of Nicodemus, Lazarus, and Paul creates a powerful and relatable narrative.
Through this lens, Jessica paints a beautiful picture of how God’s love and grace can transform even the darkest corners of our lives, turning despair into hope and brokenness into wholeness.

Jessica’s journey is inspirational, and her message is clear: no matter how lost we may feel, we can all experience a "Higher Powered" transformation when we surrender to a love greater than ourselves.

Check it out.

[Leah Boschert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as in Jesus' time and as Jesus himself taught, the best theology is that which brings the soul closer to God and to the souls of others. Jessica's theory of personal eschatology does exactly that--steers us away from the hemming and hawing over the end times and brings us to the working of Christ in our lives here and now. Besides the (for me) groundbreaking interpretation she brings to eschatology, the best part of this work is her relatable vulnerability. Just as the layers of an onion are peeled back one by one, Jessica shares her story of gaining the heart of Christ layer by layer, dying to herself and being born again in Christ one part of herself at a time. For anyone looking to break free of the patterns of thinking or living that are holding them back from the peace and joy that are possible in God (and have an academic mind--this was, after all, a masters thesis, adapted for more casual readers), this book is an excellent choice!