From an Atheist to a Believer: Part One

By Reggie Garland

As a former atheist, I was a strong advocate for science verses God as the answer for creation. This book is a series of trials throughout my life and the experiences of a few close friends, that explains how God worked in our lives. It also addresses some difficult questions I had when First becoming a believer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781640030411

Book preview

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From an Atheist

to a Believe

Part One

Reggie Garland

ISBN 978-1-64003-040-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64003-041-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2017 Reggie Garland

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

This book is dedicated to those who have come into my life and made an impact somehow and have felt moved to bless me with their wisdom. God works in mysterious ways and even works through people to pass along the messages that he wants us to have. I hope these lessons bless others, as they have me and my family.

Introduction

This book is a collection of various thoughts, beliefs, and ideas that are a culmination of not only my experiences, but also the lessons of those with whom I have been honored to be around throughout my short time on earth thus far. Primarily, I do not wish to impose my insights on to anyone who is not willing to be open to accepting them. However, I do affirm that if this short set of life lessons helps you, share them with others. As my father, one of my biggest idols, has told me a million times, no man is an island, and we should always pass on our teachings. As one of my favorite books, The Janitor, states, we are not meant to hoard all of our knowledge; it is meant to be shared with others. What good is it to possess a wealth of knowledge if the person who has it dies and never delivers it to their offspring, friends, or counterparts? This is simply a way for me to pass on the things that I have learned so far in my life, which have helped me reach others and help myself.

I grew up as a military brat bouncing around from place to place throughout my childhood. I was born in a small town in Virginia, right above the North Carolina border. I then moved with my father, who was enlisted in the air force to Washington, DC. He was stationed at Bolling AFB. Afterward, we moved to Japan and then to a small country town in Georgia, called Valdosta. It was here that I graduated high school and attended college. I graduated high school from Titletown’s own Lowndes High School. I then went on to receive my bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University. Not even two months later, I enrolled in North Central University, based in Prescott Valley, Arizona, where I earned my master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in international business.

I have worked in several different sectors: fast food, retail, communications—mainly the call center environment—and even owned a small electronics consulting business that was operational for a little over two years. But throughout the years, I encountered several obstacles and many triumphs. I lost my mother at the tender age of seven and never had the chance to live near the rest of my family on my mother’s side. My cousin was killed in a tragic accident while incarcerated in a juvenile detention center, where he fell out of a boat, was bitten by a snake, and drowned. My uncle, whom I never met, was brutally murdered by a group of thugs who stabbed him in the back repeatedly and threw him in front of a moving locomotive. When I was younger, I used these instances that occurred in other’s lives as a way to blame God. Later, I would find out that those type of occurrences happened in my reality to strengthen me, not deter me from God. I’ll explain how later.

My mother lived a haphazard lifestyle from what I was told from her old friends and relatives. In the mid–1980s, she carried out quite an avid party-life type of an existence, from using drugs and other questionable behavior. Consequently, she became involved with all types of shady characters. So much so that I, along with my younger brother and sister, ended up living in foster care until we were about six to seven years old. In between this time, my paternal grandparents had heard that my father had a son in town, and that kind of news to them was quite peculiar, especially since he had already had another son by a woman he was married to in Northern Virginia at the time.

In an effort to uncover the truth about this mysterious boy, my grandparents traveled to my foster parent’s house to find out for themselves if the rumors were true. They were in their late seventies at this time and held a high name for themselves in town. After one looked at me, they both knew there was no denying the rumors. All of his physical features, from the birthmark in my father’s eyes, the hole in his chin, the shape of his ears, and the build of his body, were present in me. They made the call to confirm the news to him and said, You need to go pick up your son. If you choose to get a blood test, that’s all well and fine. But do it for yourself because we already know that he is definitely one of us. After talking to his closest friends and seeking guidance, he proceeded to meet me. The blood test confirmed what my grandparents already knew. After reading the results, my father discovered that I was in fact 99.998 percent positive blood match. He set the plan in motion to legally gain custody of me.

After winning the court case and gaining guardianship of me, moving to DC with him proved to be a difficult transition for both of us. He had missed the first six years of my life, and I did not know him at all, not to mention I was removed from the only life and environment I knew. However, in time, we grew to become father and son, and later, best friends. Unfortunately, about two years later, my father received a call telling him that my mother’s body was found behind a warehouse and that she had been murdered. The case was never solved, nor have the questions been answered as to who took her life and how she was murdered. Luckily, my family in Virginia and I still kept contact, and because both my father and biological mother were from the same town, we visited often enough to still remain close. But as I stated before, not all of these negative occurrences plagued me, nor kept me, from excelling at becoming successful.

I learned a handful of useful tips, tricks, and techniques that helped me grow up along the way. Many of these lessons came from my father, but other concepts came from peers and close friends throughout my various workplaces. And without further ado, I have decided to share them with you.

First of all, this is a story about how God has changed my life and allowed me to see that something out there is bigger than me. It is also a compilation of other truths that helped me realize how much God has always played a huge role in my life, even when I didn’t consciously acknowledge his presence. This message is not for everyone. In no way, shape, or form am I trying to convince anyone that they are required to believe in God or follow my thinking pattern just because I say so. That is a choice that each individual must make on their own and, more importantly, in their own time. Maybe the very reason that you are reading this book now is because someone gave it to you or because you felt urged to dig into it. And, to be clear, this book is not written with the intention of scaring anyone into believing in God or attempting to manipulate anyone into becoming a Christian.

Throughout my life, I have witnessed that people instantly shut themselves off from God based on negative experiences from their pasts. Others, however, may feel that God has been tugging at their hearts for some time now. Maybe you or someone you know feels hopeless or helpless and doesn’t know what to do. Hopefully, the words in this book may be an inspiration to them. I believe that everyone can find a piece of themselves or someone you know in this book.

Others may read this book with a mind-set that is hungry for knowledge and willing to hear a different perspective, and you’re finally trying to give this whole Christianity thing a real chance this time. I figured that’s why you opened the cover. Some of you might find yourself reading it several times to truly understand a point I was trying to drive home, which you might not have fully comprehended on the first read or the second. More importantly, God already knows there are some who will not enter his kingdom for whatever reasons. I would peer back into that mirror and ask myself, "Am I all there is, or am I ready to be open to more and get out of my own way? Even better, as Marilyn Adamson said, If God does exist, would I want to know Him?" Now for those of you who are still willing to delve into a field that has been tugging at your heart for a while, or even just recently, thank you for giving me a chance to share my testimony and allow you to see that there is a reason that we are all here.

My mission is to help at least one person get closer to finding God.

Let’s begin…

Chapter 1

The Power of the Mind

I am sure that everyone has heard the cliché that the mind is a powerful thing. But many people do not conceptualize how moving the power of a thought can be. For a long time, I was definitely a part of the group that figured thoughts belonged to me because I possessed them. However, I later realized that this was far from the truth. My father used to always tell me that if I believed in something, I could achieve it. Like I stated earlier, my mother did not focus on her health much when she was pregnant with me, so I was born with a hole in my heart, combined with other medical issues. So, because of this, as a child, I told my father that I would love to grow up and be a cardiovascular surgeon and fix little boys’ hearts, like mine. Ever since that instance, my father nicknamed me Docta. But like all children, I looked to others for approval of this lesson. It wasn’t until much later I understood what he meant by this message.

Several years later, as a young adult, my then-girlfriend and I took a trip to Florida. The destination was only an hour and a half away. I had just bought a preowned car, and this was our first trip since buying the vehicle. Because we had not gone to this place often, we input the directions in to our GPS and proceeded to destination. On the way back, traveling down an eerie and dark two-lane road, a thought came into my head, and I said, Babe, what if the GPS just stopped working right now? You don’t have any service with your cell phone, and I don’t have the best service with mine. Not only that, but at 11:00 p.m., I know that everyone on these country roads is asleep. She chuckled and proceeded to lie back in her seat to get comfortable. To both our surprise, not even ten seconds later, the GPS, which earlier read 98 percent battery life, completely shut off!

At that very moment, my girlfriend, Ash, who had chronic bronchitis, instantly started to cough in a nervous panic! She could barely breathe and then robotically started to repeat herself, Babe! What are we going to do? Babe! What are we going to do? Where are we? I simply replied, Hun, it’s okay. We’ll figure it out!

Now I had not the first clue as to where we were. Not even close! But as a man, there was no way that I could let her know that I was just as scared as she was. However, I prayed a silent prayer, drove down that desolate road, made a left-hand turn, then a right, and two more lefts and was on a main road that I was familiar with. I just looked up and said, Thank you! Although this was a simple test, I had no idea how that happened. But I knew my thoughts were powerful but still not how powerful.

Another instance that I realized how powerful my thoughts were occurred when I came to the conclusion that every even year was a good year for me, and every odd year was a bad year. Again, not realizing how powerful my thoughts were, I ascertained that this was just my fate. I had no idea that I was choosing to think this way. So every year thereafter, I had a fruitful year in every positive year. In 2012, I married my girlfriend whom I got lost with on that country road. That same year, I graduated college, bought the car of my dreams for myself, purchased my wife a new car, and started my master’s program. Things were going great.

But in 2013, I switched career paths and because of my inactions was demoted in less than two months to a position two tiers lower than what I was hired for. In that same year, I bought a car that was a lemon after my dad told me to stop buying cars, which I ended up going to court over. I ended up suing the owner of the company because he sold me a car that had a grocery list worth of problems and never honored the warranty. Immediately following that fiasco, I bought another problematic car that looked flashy, and the day after I purchased it, the check engine light appeared. I started to question a lot of things in my life and felt lost. Needless to say, my bad thoughts were catching up to me.

Luckily, I met, or shall I say, was reintroduced to an old friend who was a mutual friend of my wife, who taught me about an interesting and insightful theory concerning the power of my thoughts. My friend Robbie practiced a branch of philosophy called metaphysics and explained that there was a huge correlation between my thoughts and the actions I witnessed. When he broke down the concept to me, he explained that metaphysics has a lot to do with energy and how it is dispersed throughout the universe. He also presented the notion that the mind, which is composed of energy as well, is linked to the entire universe. Robbie later informed me that within the realm of metaphysics, we have a considerable amount of power over our reality. Our first meeting in years turned out to be a bit of a godsend, but after he started explaining these theories to me, I was lost. But in the same breath, I was intrigued.

I met him a few weeks later, but this meeting was at his house. After he and his girlfriend cooked for me and my wife, we talked, and he told us about a movie that he said would help illustrate his passion about metaphysics. The movie was called The Secret, based on the book by Rhonda Byrne. The short movie depicted how the power of metaphysics was very real in everyone’s lives, whether they believed in the concept or not. The film noted how the power of negative thoughts created negative reactions, and how positive thoughts caused positive reactions. It also described a concept that consisted of three simple steps: ask, believe, and receive that your life will move in the direction of what you decide. After watching the video and talking more with Robbie, I started to give the idea a chance. I left his house and immediately decided to put the philosophy into action.

While we were driving home, I looked at my wife and told her that the light would turn green. As I asked the universe for this action, I believed that it would happen, and before we got to the light, it turned green! In my excitement, my wife and I looked at each other and decided to give this new mind-set a try. But, like all skeptics, we wanted to try our luck at something bigger. I have no idea why as humans we must be so greedy. Anyway, my wife and I were sharing a car at the time, and I was yearning for another car of my own. In my newfound way of thinking, I asked the universe for my own car again, and to my amazement, I found one. But I didn’t just find any old car. I found the exact same model car I had before getting the car my wife and I were sharing. In my mind, the shared automobile was already her car. I just needed to figure out how to get my car.

With this new mind-set, I already claimed that the vehicle I wanted was mine. After being approved by the bank, I drove about two and a half hours away to view the car I was interested in, and prematurely, I purchased it. Unfortunately, it was dark before we reached the location where the car was, and we could not accurately inspect the car. However, after test-driving, I did not feel 100 percent comfortable about the car, and my father-in-law, who was with us at the time, demanded that if I buy the car, I get a warranty in writing covering the car and any issues I thought it might have. Luckily I did because this turned out to be the very car that I had to go to court about because it was a clunker. It leaked water when it rained, was involved in several accidents, the transmission needed to be rebuilt, had bolts that were rusted out, and the seats were barely even screwed in. Needless to say, I got what I asked for. All I did was ask for a car. I never used proper judgment, and because of how I was thinking at the time, I got what I deserved. But the theory proved true, and I needed to ask for another car at this point.

Later, I decided that there was something that needed to be done about this car and went to the car lot where my best friend worked in hopes of finding anything that was in better condition. I saw a beautiful Mercedes-Benz that looked like something I needed to have. I begged and pleaded with the universe and knew that this was the next car I was going to possess. To my surprise, the paperwork went through, and just a week later, I was driving that same pearl white Mercedes-Benz I saw sitting at my best friend’s job! And again, to no surprise, I never completely thought about the purchase I was making. At this moment, I wish I had read Hopkins and Hilbert’s The Janitor and knew to not spend but invest in a better and more cost-effective vehicle. In less than six months, I had bought two junk cars and paid for them severely. But because of how I thought, I suffered financially for my naivety. After trading out the Mercedes for a more reliable vehicle and making a few more thoughtless decisions, I came to realize that I had been making car payments for the last six years and still had nothing to show for it except another car payment sitting in the driveway. At that very moment, I made a commitment to myself—your thoughts affect your future, so take your time and think smarter.

Dr. Jim Muncy, a professor at Valdosta State University, said it best in a book entitled 5 Keys to All Success: the difference between all people is the way they think. He perfectly illustrated his point in this easy read, but I was more of a kinesthetic learner. That point smacked me in the face when a former colleague of mine, whom I’ll call Sheila, told me a story about her nephew that made perfect sense in relation to Dr. Muncy’s lesson. She explained to me that her nephew, whom I’ll call Timmy, wanted a video game system that was $400. He asked Sheila, his mother, and his grandmother for $200, but they could not afford to give him what he asked for. After receiving the news, he lowered his request and pleaded for just $20 each, and they agreed. His next proposal was that someone take him to a grocery store to buy candy. To his family’s amazement, little Timmy spent all $60 on bags of candy. The next day, Timmy took the candy to school, and over the next several days, he sold all the candy he purchased. After a number of weeks, he rejoiced in his sweet reward and was able to purchase his video game system in full.

So, because of how he thought, he was able to make the purchase he wanted. This made absolute sense to me after hearing this simple, yet inspirational story.

Another lesson that Dr. Muncy mentioned was confirmed by a friend of mine and work colleague, Ms. Demetria. The lesson explained the difference between the mind-set of someone who is a part of the working class, and the thinking patterns of someone who is wealthy. He illustrated the point by assigning us the popular book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book detailed the life of the author’s father, who was a college professor, and his rich father, his best friend’s dad, who was a wealthy business owner. Both Kiyosaki and Dr. Muncy’s books explained how the average working person works a nine-to-five job for their income, and that is how they provide for themselves and their families. However, a wealthy individual may work a nine-to-five type of job, but they almost always have more than one source of income.

For example, Kiyosaki’s dad, like many others, was not poor. He just did not have residual income. Meaning, that in order for him to buy anything, he needed to physically work for what he wanted, or he would not be able to buy what he desired. However, his rich dad was worth millions because he had multiple sources of income. This type of mind-set is the same type of thought process that some real estate investors have when they purchase an apartment complex or a strip mall, for example. Once the complex or apartment building is built, it can then be rented out to multiple tenants, and now the owner can reap the benefits of multiple forms of income every month. The same is true for someone who writes a book. They work to create a product once and then reap the benefit of the sales for years to come thereafter.

initial action is expended + a steady stream of income for the use of products and/or services = residual income

This is a wealthy mentality that creates a

substantial return on investment.

I was talking with a seemingly random stranger, whom I will call Bob, at the barbershop one day, and he explained to me an interesting concept he learned when he worked for a wealthy business owner at a local BBQ joint. He said that one day, he was working and felt the need to ask the owner a question. The conversation went like this, as I paraphrase.

What am I not thinking that you are thinking? Bob said to the owner. The owner chuckled in anticipation as to how he expected this conversation to go. He then replied boldly, How many cars do you have? I have three. My wife has one, and I have two of my own, and a motorcycle. See! The owner interrupted. There’s the problem right there, the owner said as he looked out at the car Bob chose to drive that day. With a smirk on his face, he explained, When people like you get money, you go out and buy fancy cars, put expensive rims and tires on it, buy fancy clothes and shoes, and before you know it, you’re waiting on your next check again. The problem with your way of thinking is that when you get money, you focus on how to spend it. When I plan on spending money, I pinch from my money. For instance, you like looking good, don’t you? he asked Bob. Of course I do! Bob boasted with his chest poked out. Think about all of the money you have wasted buying brand name clothes that do not bring anymore worth to you or your family. I have one truck that I use personally, and I have several trucks that I use for my businesses. But every time I use my work trucks, their final destination ends in me making money! I wear the same pair of pants every day and just change shirts. It might sound crazy, but why not… the owner detailed. As the rest of his staff laughed at him and his unique choice of wardrobe, the owner paused and said calmly, You might be making fun of me now, but all of you work for me.

As they all sat and thought about their lavish closets with multiple designer jeans and expensive shoes, they went silent. Bob listed all the various businesses his former boss had, and the count was astonishing. He owned restaurants all over town and even some in other towns and states. These businesses ranged from BBQ joints, to southern buffets and diners. Bob exclaimed that his old boss was said to be worth over thirty million dollars, and it was all a result of how he thought.

Now you may be wondering why something about finances would be included in a book about becoming a believer. My residual income was found in this process of finding God. Let me explain how. He was my source of receiving residual income after making my initial investment of losing myself and following Him.

Another essential result, in relation to your thoughts, is the power of positivity. I read a church marquee once that read Negativity is like a flat tire; you’re going nowhere until you change it. I love that because positive thinking is not only powerful, but it is also contagious. For example, when someone mentions to you the idea of making money and how profitable an idea can become after showing figures, the mentality prompts others to come up with similar ideas that can hopefully spawn financial prosperity. The power of positivity plays a huge role in everyone’s lives, oftentimes more than we realize. This is a reality when completing even the simplest of tasks.

You are thinking positive when you buy a lottery ticket when the jackpot is hundreds of millions of dollars, and when you buy food, you assume that it has been properly prepared and processed. This positivity continues when you go to work. When you are headed to your job(s), you don’t anticipate an accident, right? You assume that you will get there safely. These are all the result of positive thinking. Bigger plans require you to be far more positive. One of my favorite quotes from Oprah Winfrey, the first African-American billionaire in the United States, said this, Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. The legendary rock-and-roll star Elvis Presley stated it simpler. He said, When things go wrong, don’t go with them.

But metaphysics isn’t a new phenomenon. This is taken right out of the Bible. In my opinion, science is a by-product of God’s handiwork. It is just a study of His labor. When it comes to being positive, Philippians 4:8 says,

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Another uplifting verse can be found in Proverbs 17:22, for it reads, A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Simply put, shut up and be positive!

Romans 8:28 reads, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. This premise is evident from the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1. After everything that God created, there was always a pause, and He said, And it was good. This is where we chant the phrase God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. It’s a reminder that we can’t forget. He did not create this world for us to endure hatred and share defeat with one another. We are to rejoice in His love and His goodness and praise His name. And believe me, I understand that through our trials and tribulations, that is sometimes hard to do. It is harder for some compared to others. But endurance is the key. Pain is only temporary, but it all depends on your outlook.

Man Planting Plant

Jesus said this in Matthew 13:31–32 to His disciples when speaking about sharing the Word of God, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. Now, in reference to this parable, how many of us are a tree that others can rest on in regards to how we live our lives. How many fathers live a life worthy of emulation? How many sons have fathers or father figures who live a holy lifestyle, set apart from the things on this world? How many mothers live the life of someone who puts God and her family first? Or is she exemplifying someone stuck on themselves?

Being a student of history, I often focus on one of my favorite time periods, the World War II era. We probably have more information on this period than many other periods in history. However, the Holocaust has always intrigued me because it shows two distinct sides of humanity. It depicts how treacherous we can be as humans toward each other, and in other respects, it shows how faithful we can be as well. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be in a concentration camp in the Nazi era, but I am in awe of those individuals who kept their faith during that time of great sadness. I am in no way saying that this tragedy is any worse than the time of the Rape of Nanking, the other bouts of slavery throughout history, the decimation of the Native American population, the extermination of the Russians during the Stalin era or anything of the like. But to continue to have faith in humanity and still revere God during this devastating time, when the rest of the world knew what was going on and did very little until several years later, is beyond comprehensible.

Whether as a former Christian, new Christian, atheist, or someone contemplating following Christ, one must understand that we are all being tested. Sometimes the measurement is simple, and other times it is a huge test of our faith. Many people have died for their faith, and several more will in the future. I love the verse where Jesus speaks about when being tested in front of our peers. He said in Matthew 10:33, But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. I do not look at this as an empty threat. This is a promise. Jesus did not come down to earth to condemn us but to help us. John 3:17 says that He did not come here to condemn the world but to save the world. Those who believe in Him shall have everlasting life. This means that whatever trial you are facing in this life, do not give up on the Lord. For Christ could have easily sat on the right side of the Lord and let us suffer. But out of his everlasting love for us, He chose to bear the sin of man, show us how to live a sinless life, and die for all of our sins. What greater love can we even begin to show Him but to have faith in all we do?

When investing in a relationship, both parties show an enormous amount of positivity even from the initial date. Two strangers meet at some point and are hopefully attracted to each other mentally and physically. Through time, someone, if not both parties, hopes that this point of origin leads to more than just a date and desires that feeling to blossom into a relationship. Later, this firm foundation can lead to more passionate and intimate moments that can lead to a strong bond. Afterward, that spark can lead to marriage, and the rest is history. But none of this could not have happened without a mass of positivity.

depression, human, man

I have had the honor of working with some great people throughout my career. Some were positive, and of course, some were extremely negative. But the ones who stick out to me are the ones I have learned from and who made me feel good just being in their presence. And