Reggie You Can't Change Your Past, But You Can Change Your Future

This book was written by Reggie Dabbs who I have had the pleasure of meeting personally and seen speak a couple times. He talked about his life growing up and the struggles he went through. I really liked his book because he would make a point but tell it in an interesting way to connect it so you could understand the point better.
      The thing about life is that you begin somewhere. Learning and accepting where you come from and the sequence of events that have forged your story that has led you to where you are today is important. You can't change your past, but you can face it. It's impossible to live in today when your heart and mind is in what happened yesterday. We are inclined to think about things only when we are exposed. We are an on an insatiable quest for the truth. The things we discover was not new it's just the knowledge and the way we view it that is new. The adventure of finding something new comes with a whole new set of challenges. We are desperate to find our own value because no one has bothered to to tell us.
      Pain is something that not a lot of people can face. We like to mask it, burn bridges, and build walls. It's possible for pain for go away but we have to relinquish control of the steering wheel. Our options are either to let our pain crush us or empower us. Still breathing is not really living. Like most superheroes encounter pain that leads to choice and choice that leads to action. A great example of this is batman and the joker. Both have experienced violent childhood trauma, and live with vendettas and wrongs they want to avenge. One decides to rise above it while the other slithers beneath it. Will you be the problem, or will you be the answer? Will you save the day or destroy it? When we allow our history to become our reality we get stuck. We create a future we can never desire. We can't write new paragraphs we just keep rereading the old ones. He told a great story about the 3 little piggies and the wolf. The problem with the story is that the pigs run to another's house for protection. Sometimes there won't be another place to run too when you don't acknowledge the consequences of repeated wrong actions. Sometimes you get eaten by the wolf. Life consists both of doing and being but true identity is defined by being.
       My favorite part of the whole book was when he said "When you begin to face the motives of your pursuits, especially when you life has already been met with some level of success, that is when you discover the purpose planned for you all along". I really like this because I am just finding this out in my life now. I have always struggled with the concept of God having you right where he wants you but I can see that now. Pig out on the future God has planned for you. Delight yourself in the abundance of forgiveness. Know the hero that He is and the hero that He is making in you. Your past may be unchangeable, but your future is still up for grabs.

Life Without Limits

I really liked this book because it told of how Nick Vujicic learned to live without limbs, and the struggles he overcame; and sometimes still struggles with. When he was born his mother didn’t want to touch him or hold him when she found out he didn’t have any limbs. He was bullied constantly but he has used his disability to change people’s lives. I liked his personal narratives about how he has travelled around the world telling people his story. He talked about how to live a life without limits and provided a personal action plan. If you have the desire and the passion to do something, and it’s within God’s will you will achieve it. To live without limits you need….

1.      A powerful sense of purpose.

2.      Hope so strong it can’t be destroyed.

3.      Faith in God and the infinite possibilities.

4.      Love and self-acceptance.

5.      Attitude with altitude.

6.      A courageous spirit.

7.      Willingness to change.

8.       A trusting heart.

9.       Hunger for opportunities.

10.   The ability to access risks and to laugh at life.

11.   A mission to serve others first.

       In life you will hit hard times. You will fall down and feel like it’s not worth getting back up. Life isn’t easy but when we overcome challenges we become stronger and more grateful for opportunities. What’s really important are the lives you touch along the way and how to finish the journey. No matter how grim life may look you can rise above it. To wish for change will change nothing. You have to take action right now. The challenges in life often show us who we are meant to be. Don’t put your life on hold so you can dwell on past hurts. Look for ways to move forward. Maybe there is a better opportunity down the road. Stay focused on your dreams. Do whatever it takes to change your circumstances and go after what you desire. Fill your life with adventure, love, and happiness. There is no reason to stew over a wish that doesn’t happen right away. Just be open-minded to the fact that God may have a different path for you. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t see the way on your own. There are many ways to reach a goal. God helps those who help themselves. It’s up to you to keep striving to the highest purpose. Keep moving ahead because action creates momentum which can crate unanticipated opportunities. You should think you are a stick in the world you pot of stew. You can stir it up.

       When you start to have trust in your talents, knowledge, love you will begin the journey to self-acceptance. When you are unwilling to accept yourself you are less willing to accept others which can lead to isolation and loneliness. When you judge yourself too harshly you put too much pressure on you and become more judgmental. Loving and accepting yourself will open the door to a greater sense of peace and fulfillment. Instead of dwelling on imperfections focus on the contributions you can make. You can define your own version of perfection. We each have some gift, talent, skill, craft that gives us pleasure that often leads to the path of happiness. When you finally find your purpose passion will follow. You will live to pursue it. If you feel your spirits tumbling go to the mirror and look at yourself until you can find a characteristic you love about yourself. It doesn’t have to be physical. Dwell on it for a while, be grateful, and know that your beauty and value comes from the unique person you are.
         Life without meaning has no hope. Life without hope has no meaning. Hope is where dreams begin. It has a voice of purpose, it speaks to you and reassures that it happens to you and doesn’t live within you. You can’t control what happens to you but you can control the response. Trust in Him, keep hope in you, and when faced with the worst do whatever you can to prepare for the best. God know how much you can take. People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is but when the darkness comes their true beauty is reveled only if there is a light from within. If you don’t shine form within it may because you rely on others to validate you to give you confidence, or feel appreciated. Hope often appears to give us proof of God’s presence. If your suffering is a burden, reach out and ease someone else’s. Lift them up so they can find comfort that they are not alone. Offer compassion when you need it and be a friend when you need friendship.
       Faith is defined as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith stands for Full Assurance in the Heart. The key to moving forward in life is to let the vision be not guided by what you can see but what you can imagine. If you can imagine a better future, you can believe it. If you believe it you can achieve it. Live as though you can do anything you dream of doing. When we feel wiped down by a huge challenge, trust that anything is possible. You may feel that the whole world is line up against you. But believe that things can change, solutions will appear, and help can arrive from unexpected places. Look for the best solution and trust that every obstacle serves a purpose. Have faith that your story will unfold and it will be incredible.
       There is no perfect route to long tem happiness but if you give yourself only temporary pleasures you will only get temporary pleasures. Life isn’t about having, it’s about being. God makes no mistakes, but he does make miracles. You are one. Without a positive attitude you can never rise above and make the difference you wish to make. Ask yourself do I want to spend the rest of my life wallowing in misery or do I want to rise above what has happened and pursue my dreams? Change your negative attitude to a positive one.

1.      I will never get over this. – It will pass.

2.      I can’t take this anymore. – I got this far. Better days are ahead.

3.      This is the worst I have ever had it. – Some days are harder than others.

4.      I’ll never find another job. – One door is closed but another will open.

Take it one day at a time and you will become more than a conqueror. Socrates said “Let him that would move the world, move himself first”. When you can’t catch a break try creating your own. Don’t let fear keep you from chasing your dreams. Treat fear like a smoke detector. Pay attention to when it goes off; look around for any real danger or just the alarm ringing. If there is no real threat put it out of your life. You can’t enjoy life if you fear what might happen one day somewhere. Many fearful people focus on what if when we should be focused on why not?

         You never know what is around the next corner. It could be the answer you’re looking for. Edison said “Every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward”. There is no shame in tripping, screwing up, or striking out. It’s only shame if you don’t use the motivation from your misses to try harder and stay in the game. God will often make you work harder for goals putting stumbling blocks in the path. He is preparing you for bigger and better days so that we will grow. Challenges are often thrown in our way and we are more prepared for then we realize. God will give us a nudge that allows us to take the giant leap.  Keep in mind that this is new. It will be strange. You will need to stay calm, not panic, and be patient. It will all work out for the best. Give yourself some slack and time to adjust. It helps prepare you for the unexpected jolts. Taking responsibility is the only way to master the conditions along the journey. You made the leap now you have to grow in the environment. The progress may be stressful but the personal growth is worth it. Growing pains are a sign that you are stretching and reaching new heights. I encourage you to embrace the change that elevates your life and be the force of change that uplifts the lives of others. One of my favorite bible verses is ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door shall be opened Matthew 7:7-8. Often times the reason why people miss opportunities is when it comes knocking they are out looking for a 4 leaf clover. Invest in your future by preparing, dedicating to your goals, and knowing when to make the leap. If you feel like you never get a shot it may be because you aren’t ready to fire. Break a sweat, get your hands dirty, and hit the books. But not every opportunity is worth it. You have to be true to yourself and think of the impact you want to make long-term. Developing lasting relationships is key to have a fruitful life. Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up Ecclesiastes 4:9. Even after you have built up a life with purpose you can’t just wait around for something to happen. Seize every thread and weave a rope to climb. Sometimes that boulder that fell in your path is actually an opening that takes you to a higher place. But you have to have the courage to make the decent. Take it one step at time, build momentum, and create the life you love. The choices you make determine the quality of the life you lead. Be thoughtful in developing high standards and strict criteria for evaluating how you invest your time and energy. Base your choices on not how you feel in the moment but on what best serves your ultimate goals.
          Every living person should try to commit to doing something ridiculous every day. Helen Keller said “There is no such thing as a secure life. It doesn’t exist in nature. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing”. Risk is the place between your comfort zone and your dream is where it takes place. It’s has high anxiety but it’s often where you discover who you are. But you should never take a risk where you lose more than you win. An ancient African proverb says that no one tests the depth of the river with both feet. Enjoy the ride, embrace the blessings, and not just to live but to enjoy life to the fullest.
            When you step outside yourself and reach out to others it will change you. Everything you can do to better someone else’s life better makes your life more meaningful.

Crescendo

This is the 2nd book to the Hush Hush series. Patch and Nora have been together for 2 months. Nora gets upset when she tells Patch that she loves him but he doesn't say it back. Then she gets upset with all his secrets and he breaks up with him. She is afraid that the archangels sending him to hell for having a relationship with her. Which reminded me about charmed when Leo and Piper fighting to be together. Being with an angel is not an easy task. She thinks that denying her love for Patch will make it easier but it doesn't. She tries to avoid him but she keeps running into him. She get really jealous when she finds out he has been having a relationship with Marcie Miller her arch enemy. Scott, a sorta old friend of Nora's returns to town and her mom wants her to have a relationship with him.  But there is something off about him. 

        Later Nora finds out that there is something mysterious about her dad's death. She finds out that he was killed by the Black Hand some Angel/Nephilim angel killer and guy who runs a secret blood society for angels. Her best friend Vee starts having a relationship with Rixion another friend of Patch who is another angel. She is led to believe that Patch is the Black Hand and she freaks out. Patch has been trying to talk to her in her dreams but she keeps blocking him out. She later finds out that Hank Miller aka Marcie Miller's dad is her real dad and the dad that she grew up with just a guy that married her mom to protect her from the angels that want to kill her. Then Rixion turns out to be the bad guy and tries to kill Nora so he can become an human. Patch ends up saving Nora and they end up getting back together. Then they finally proclaim their love when Patch says I love you and he is going rogue away from archangels so they can be together. But the Black Hand has another idea.  

Hush Hush

Patch and Nora are set up as lab partners in Biology. At first Nora is resistant because there is something kinda creepy about Patch. He is elusive and even though she can't figure it out she is attracted to him. He freaks her out because he can get into her mind and know what she thinks. He also seems to be everywhere she is she believes he is a stalker. There is also these new guys Elliot and Jules who always gave me a more creepy feeling than Patch. Nora is being attacked by some strange figure in a ski mask.
       Patch is actually a fallen angel that was thrown out of heaven because he invaded a human spirit because he was in love with a human which is forbidden. She eventually grew old and died. Darbia was sent down from heaven because Patch was planning on trying to become human. She also happens to be his ex lover who is bent on getting him back. If Patch can save a human's life he can become a guardian angel. Deeper into the story Patch and Nora keep sharing electric kisses. Then she accidentally touches his scars where his wings were and sees his past. She also finds outs that he wanted to kill her because she is a descendant of a nephilim that if she is sacrificed he can become human. But then he can't kill her because he fell in love with her. Dariba attacks Nora and tries to burn her house down for stealing her beloved Patch. Then her best friend calls and tells her that she needs to come to the school to play a sick game of hide and seek. Jules is another bad guy who wants to kill Nora. He attacks her in the school gym and she sacrifices herself and comes back to life. Patch gets his wings back, they start having a real relationship, the evil guy dies, but Dariba is still out there.

Biblioholism The Literary Addiction

This book I found very interesting. I really had no idea some people could be so addicted to books. I am a biblioholic but I found a lot of the content to be irrelevant to me because it focused a lot on the book buying aspect. I will buy books at yard sales, salvo, book sales, and bookstores but I won't go very extreme and have to buy books at bookstores all the time, or getting books and not reading them. But I can hoard books to a point. I am addicted to going into libraries, and most likely signing out too many books but I know how to control it. I do love to smell books, read too late, want to read at work, sometimes feel like I don't have enough time in a day to get reading done, given up a book before starting it, got a book because I liked the cover, look at books first at a yard sale, read during commercial breaks, read on the toilet, panic when I forgot my book while waiting, found a topic I was really interested in and got several books from the library on it, and usually have at least 3-6 books by my bed at all times. I found the parts in the book relevant to me funny. Great read for anyone who loves to read books.

The Hobbit or, There and Back Again

I have found a new author that I have become somewhat obsessed with. This was a fantastic book with plenty of danger and adventure. It surprised me because it was something I don't normally read or would find attractive even though I like fantasy but I really enjoyed it and now goes on my favorite books list.
       It followed the adventure of Bilbo Baggins a hobbit that lives in the shire, who through reading this book I have now become most fond of. He was visited by Gandalf the Grey and 13 dwarves to help them on their quest to reclaim the lonely mountain from Smag the evil dragon. They battled wargs, Orcs, goblins. elves, trolls, huge spiders, and a dragon. Smag the dragon was eventually defeated, they reclaimed the mountain, had a huge battle, and lived out the rest of their days peacefully. Unfortunately Thorin, Fili, and Kili were killed. Thorin didn't get to be the king under the mountain but his memory didn't fade.
        It was weird how the movie added in they were being hunted by Orcs because they were not in the book. That was really the only major thing they changed from page to script. The book I chose came with beautiful illustrations which added a little more magic to the experience.

Tweak Growing Up on Methamphetamines

This was the sequel to the Beautiful Boy book only from Nic's perspective. I found this book just as great as Beautiful Boy. I really got to see what goes on in an addict's head and what they go through. I understand a little better why it's so hard for an addict to keep from not relapsing. It was very insightful and it was great seeing his side of the story.