What has helped you recover/heal?

Aloha,

I'm doing a research assignment for a publisher and need your help. Here's my question for you: What has helped you recover/heal from an addiction, obsession, compulsion, issue, regret, shame, fear, or trauma of ANY kind?!

Feel free to include things a therapist, author, support group, friend, or family member taught you--whether the method is spiritual, relational, financial, educational, health-related, physical, psychological, or other type. It can be something simple or something long-term that has changed your life.

Mahalo Nui,
Katieb

What do teenagers want to be when they grow up?

I'D LOVE YOUR INPUT -- FOR MY BOOK FOR TEEN'S ABOUT LIFE PURPOSE (to be released in spring 2011) -- due soon! [The last of the 3 questions is, by far, the most important to me!]

What do teenagers want to be when they grow up?
Think back to your teenage years—what did you want to be when you grew up? Let me take a guess:

Helping professions:
• Police officer or fire/rescue personnel
• Doctor, nurse, veterinarian, or speech/physical therapist
• Teacher, counselor, or social worker
• Priest, nun, pastor, pastor’s spouse, or choir director
• Missionary in Africa (or other impoverished country)
• President of the United States or of your country (or a politician)
• Soldier or military officer
• Scientist who cures a disease or inventor who meets a need
• Lawyer or judge who takes down the bad guys
• World-class chef
• Best-selling author and/or motivational speaker
• Architect, contractor, builder
• Musician, artist, graphic designer
• Wealthy company president

Exciting professions:
• Triple threat movie star: actor/actress, singer, dancer
• Top-ranked athlete
• Somebody famous, like a fashion model, radio broadcaster, or talk show host
• Hobbyist, like a professional surfer, skateboarder (or ski instructor!)

Nowadays, we can add these popular professions:
• Technological genius
• Environmentalist
• Animal rights’ activist
• Reality show star
• Rachel Ray –type brand icon

[BLOGGERS...what have I missed in any of these categories—and can you think of any other major categories I might add?]

What do all these careers have in common? They help someone or they fill a personal need for passion.

[BLOGGERS...what have I missed as far as what they have in common?]

How does this relate to life purpose?
When it comes to God’s plan for your teenager’s life, we use these dreams to get clues, and then we flip the focus onto how the dream could benefit the kingdom!
Here are some real-life examples of people I’ve known, starting with myself and my two kids first:

• Katie dreamed of being a missionary in Africa and writing a book that gave people hope. I adored Sherlock Holmes mysteries and complicated jigsaw puzzles. Today, I am the founder of a missionary-sending agency—and a published author who helps people put together the puzzle of God’s plan for their life. I teach them that God never intended for their life purpose to be a big mystery.

• Stephanie (my daughter) dreamed of being a professional dancer and singer—and also of expanding the Peer Mentoring program at her high school to reach more teenagers. Today, she has completed her master’s degree and is finishing her clinical hours to become a marriage and family therapist. She volunteers at church in the liturgical dance ministry. She daydreams, nearly daily, about opening a Christian camp for young people who need counseling and who would also benefit from dance, music, and art therapy.

• Andy (my son) was greatly affected by the mentoring that a group of godly youth workers poured into him as a teenager, after his father’s death. Also, he was coached in small business, entrepreneurial, and marketing skills by one particular youth pastor who unofficially adopted him. Andy thought he was going to be a youth pastor, but he found his niche as an E-Commerce director of a major Christian youth ministry.
• Other example
• Other example
• Other example

[BLOGGERS...can you add your story here? Maximum word count = 85 words or four sentences. You can use a fake name, if you’d like. Nobody will be identified anyway. MAHALO/THNX/GRACIAS!]

This is a brief gist of the concept that God does work in our lives and our teenager’s lives to unveil the best possible plan—at the best possible moment. Part II will walk you through how to hear God’s best!

Greetings from Maui

I've come to the conclusion that to LIVE BIG (which is the name of my most recent book that purports to have some answers in it on this topic)...you really have to live small. I know that may not make sense at first blush, but here's the gist of what I have discovered in the past six months that I wish had made it into the book before it was published:

I'm living in a 650 sq. ft. condo in Maui. My daughter and her husband (newly married) are renting my CA place from me. I have left my car on the mainland with a young couple from church who only had one car, so I ride a $129 blue Lady's Beach Cruiser bike (love it!!) and take a bus wherever I want to go. I only buy what I can carry in my bike basket or backpack. My church is a little 1850's Hawaiian chapel that seats 70 people and sings/prays sometimes in Hawaiian. My entertainment is a movie at the theater every 3 months or a rental for $3.99 from ITunes --and a daily swim in the ocean. I only eat out once or twice a month for a delicious burger, unless I have family visiting! I have 3-4 casual outfits in the closet and wear flip flops most days...unless I'm in tennis shoes out for a walk. I brought over 100 lbs of "my stuff" (lots of that was for our September training event here), and the rest fits in a CA storage unit that is a 5' x 10'. I gave tons away to family, friends, and Goodwill -- before I moved.

Ok...you get the idea. I live a very simple life, and frankly, I CAN'T REMEMBER when I have been this happy or productive! (Am on an Oct 31st deadline writing a DVD Curriculum for Youth, a parent trade book, and a student devotional trade book.) True, I'm looking at the ocean when I type -- and I understand that is a huge part of my joy. But, my conclusion is this:

LESS IS BETTER. SIMPLE IS GREAT. SMALL MAKES ROOM FOR LIVING BIG IN AREAS THAT MATTER!

Tell me what you think? Does this sound right to you, or am I just awestruck at the beauty of the Islands? Trust me, I thank God a zillion times a day for the location, but with that out of the equation, is my conclusion correct? (Sure don't want God to test my simplicity theory by moving me; would rather have you help me sort out my thoughts!)

Mahalo for sharing your thoughts,
Katieb

ALL DONE!!!! Your Research Help Was Awesome!

ALL DONE!!! THANK YOU-MAHALO-GRACIAS!!

With all the off-line entries received in addition to the Comments below, we are completely done!! Many thanks.

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

I am doing research for two new books that I am writing. Do you have a favorite Scripture verse/passage (or 2-3-4 verses/passages!) about…

PURPOSE-IN-LIFE
GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
GOD’S PLAN FOR A BIBLE CHARACTER’S LIFE

…in one of these books of the Bible noted below? If so, please reply here and tell why you like it! Thank you very much for your assistance. I’m racing the clock to complete these books.

Instructions that will help save time on this end:
1. Please do not post on any of the books of the Bible that are NOT mentioned here – even if you have some all-time favorites. Much appreciated, since I already have more than enough verses/passages from the other books – and need to stay focused on what is still missing.

2. If you use www.BibleGateway.com, that site will allow you to use the NLT (New Living Translation) and you can simply cut/paste it into its own box – and hit “Reply/Post.” [You may put one verse or many verses in a given post – your choice of how you like to operate. Feel free to simply give the reference, and not the text, if that is easier on you.]

3. If you notice that someone else has already mentioned one of your favorite verses, thanks for not listing that verse again!

4. You may post as many verses or as many times as you like! I need all the help I can get. [If you are serious about checking many verses/passages, you may want to cut/paste the list below and work offline – to avoid cyberspace catastrophes. If you do come up with MANY verses or passages, feel free to email them to me at Info@LifePurposeCoachingCenters.com. [Tell me in advance of your quest…and I will hold you and your efforts up to the Lord, by name, for his blessing of your Bible search.]

5. These two books I’m working on won’t allow for “contributors” to be thanked, but I want to thank you in advance right now! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You know that I prayerfully appreciate it, as I hope these manuscripts will be life-changing for the readers.

ONLY 12 BOOKS I NEED YOUR HELP ON:
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Isaiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea

Are you living big? Describe what a large, passionate life looks like for you.

My new book, "Live Big! 10 Life Coaching Tips for Living a Large, Passionate Life" is now out -- I'm so excited. I'd love to hear your thoughts about how you would live (or are living) a large, passionate life! Here is an excerpt from the end of Chapter 8. How would you respond?

Reflection
Think about the following question as you read the rest of the book. We’ll use your daydreaming about it in Step 10: Capture Your Live Big! Dream.

Basic premises
• If you had assurance from God that He was thrilled with your plans to follow your dream and that He would not let you fail . . .
• If you had all the time and energy you needed . . .
• If the entire world were eager to support your vision with money and resources . . .
• If this were the ideal season of your life . . .

Specific premises in these eight chapters
• If you were free of all your fears . . .
• If you truly had discovered the benefits and joy of exhaling . . .
• If you honored your deepest longings . . .
• If you knew for sure that you would persevere to the end of the race . . .
• If you were healed of the wounds in your past and determined to let God use them . . .
• If you were in the habit of always expecting miracles . . .
• If you had lovingly forgiven yourself and everyone who ever hurt you—and you knew that you had been forgiven unconditionally by God and others . . .
• If you were in the habit of eating dessert first, of enjoying life to the fullest . . .

. . . what passionate, Live Big! dream would you pursue?

I say no holds barred on your answer to this last reflection question!