Before I start sharing many of my experiences, know that I'm writing this blog for you and me. This isn't easy for me but do believe it's necessary. I'm not a writer, blogger, author, editor or poet. I'm just a guy wanting to overcome weaknesses and character flaws and in doing so, share and teach others to learn from my experiences. Truth be known, I'm not that fond of writing. The few letters I've written come under intense scrutiny (by me) before going out. I don't see myself as a perfectionist but my actions may say otherwise. I like my closet organized but can still function if dirty socks and underwear are strewn all over the place. Sure, I prefer things to be in order but am not paralyzed if they're not. However, if I'm not "good" at something I tend to shy away. That's a big reason for doing this. To overcome my weaknesses through the Power of the Holy Spirit and faith that can move mountains. Hopefully, this blog will encourage you to do the same.
To better understand me, let me tell you a little about my past. At the age of 2 my father had a massive stroke that paralyzed him on his left side and caused brain damage. This prevented him from furthering his career. No longer could he be a purchasing agent or the dad his 3 young sons needed. He had been an avid fisherman, hunter, golfer and loved to socialize with people. He loved life and loved to help others. He graduated from Baylor University and was the rare person that was excellent with numbers and sales. And by what I've heard, was the life of the party and loved to laugh.
My mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia prior to my birth. She spent time in a psychiatric hospital but never took meds. She talked to herself when no one was around and was unable to communicate with her sons as most mothers do. Mom did all she could and loved us dearly. Unfortunately, her condition limited her ability to be engaged in our lives.
Needless to say, my brothers and I didn't have parents capable of disciplining, teaching and equipping us for life. So, we blazed our own paths by the decisions (good and bad) made as preteens, teenagers and twenty and thirty somethings. At age 10, two life choices were introduced to me. One was productive and one was destructive. One enhanced, one hindered. One was good, one was evil. The good choice was accepting an invitation from a neighbor to go to church. It was there that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. The bad choice was accepting an invitation to go into the garage and smoke pot from a device called a "water bong." For the next 11-14 years I did both. On most Sundays and some Wednesdays you'd find me at church while on most Fridays and Saturdays you'd see me with a beer in one hand and a joint in the other. There was a tug of war being waged by strong forces on both ends. But something inside of me was tipping the scales toward the good side. I wanted to be different. To do good. To not disappointment. To make something of my life. I knew Jesus was the answer but my insecurities and desire to be accepted by my peers kept winning the battles. So the drinking and drug use continued.
Upon graduation, I searched for a business related job to no avail. So I opted to bring home the bacon doing what I'd done in college....wait tables. I found a waiter job at a country club and 7 months later stumbled upon an outside sales position.
It was here that my life began to change for the better. The company was family owned and had around 10 employees. It wasn't the company or industry that made the impact. It was the owner. He introduced me to motivational books and tapes (CDs had yet to be invented). Two of the most powerful and influential books were introduced to me. One was "The Greatest Salesman in the World" by Og Mandino and the other was "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale. Reading and rereading these 2 books and memorizing scripture opened a whole new world to me. The books instructed me how to think while the scriptures gave me the power to overcome obstacles (past and present). I'd drive around Houston for 6-8 hours a day cold calling on prospective clients but more importantly, memorizing scriptures, listening to motivational tapes and sermons on the radio. God was changing the way I thought and it was working. My faith and confidence grew and before long I landed a job with a medical staffing firm as a nurse recruiter. The new job matched my skill set perfectly and I've remained in the staffing industry for 25 years.
Now, with what I've learned, the time has come to share with my community and the world how God turned an insecure, drug and alcohol abuser into the founder, president and chief executive officer of one of the fastest growing privately-owned companies in South Carolina for 11 years then allow it to be taken away in a blink of an eye. Why? Because God loves me. More to come.
Adios for now,
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