Reggie Dabbs is a motivational, inspiration, fascinating spiritual man. (“…one of the most sought-after public school and event speakers in the United States and the world for more than two decades.”) In this book, he tells entertaining and heartbreaking stories of his life, as well as decisions he’s made that led him to success in life, love and happiness. This isn’t a ‘preachy’ book—telling you what you should and shouldn’t do, but words of encouragement that prompt you to explore your own heart, your own life, and the choices you have or have not made.

He stresses three strong points throughout the book. 1. You can’t change your past, but you can change your future. We all have pains, mistakes, tragedies, etc…, but they aren’t insurmountable. We can get past them. They don’t have to leave us feeling defeated. 2. He expresses a deep love and concern for the youth of our world. The teenage years are not useless years of sowing oats, getting into (or staying out of) trouble. Teens can and do make a significant difference in this world; and Reggie illustrates how. 3. God surely loves you.

I’ve never really read a book like this. I feel as if I’ve gained a friend. Yeah, I know that sounds cheesy, but Reggie’s caring heart is conveyed so clearly in this book. He shares God’s love in a unique and powerful way. His conversational writing style is captivating and inviting.

It is unlikely you’ll read this book and not be changed in some way. It may be a small modification in your way of thinking—or it might be life altering, but I’m certain a transformation will occur.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. ( )

Reading the book, REGGIE You Can’t Change Your Past, but You Can Change Your Future by Reggie Dabbs (with John Driver), was a very uplifting experience. I received this book through the Book Sneeze program and when reading the synopsis, I figured it would be a book about the story of Reggie; more of a biography with life lessons interwoven, but what this book is focused on is not mere biography. Yes, Reggie does share his story with the reader; however, in addition to sharing his life, he shares the Bible – quite often – and uses examples from the people and stories told within. This takes the focus off of Reggie and puts the focus on Jesus, the power behind his message.

When sharing his life experiences, Reggie wrote like he talks. This type of writing made it easy to read and easy to follow, plus it brought the reader into a relationship with Reggie. It felt kind of like he was sitting next to you sharing his testimony, very personal. His writing was also very graphic in detail and this helped enhance the experience. I often found myself smiling, or grimacing depending on the situation he was sharing.

Included in the book, after each chapter, were questions. I found this very helpful in digesting the message Reggie was sharing. It kept me focused on the subject and it made me a part of the story; a two-way conversation. These questions would be a great resource is reading the book in a group setting, but also proved helpful if reading alone.

Inspiring was one key word that kept popping into my mind as I was reading this book. It inspired me to examine my life and to really look into my daily walk with Jesus. It inspired me to want to do more and to find the talents God had given me; inspired me to use those talents in my every day circumstances. When life hands you what seems like impossible situations, this book inspired me to look beyond those situations and to find a way to use whatever situation I’m in to glorify my Maker.

I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter how old or young. It will inspire you. If you feel overwhelmed, read this book. If you feel useless, read this book. If you feel life is unfair and has treated you badly, read this book. Flip side – even if you feel “fine” with your life, I encourage you to read this book because it’ll help you strive for more. Plus it will encourage you to share with others the one thing that will help them, Jesus.

It was a pleasure to read and I pray others will receive a blessing from this book as they read it too. ( )