Yellow has been occasionally known to represent timidness, fear and/or passivity. I choose the opposite.

One of my favorite blogs to read as of late has been Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite’s movement called “People of the Second Chance” or POTSC. I have been feeling like I am living in a parallel world along side them.  Almost every post has been deeply related to the things I have been privately journaling about and prepping for this blog.

Recently, Mike Foster wrote an entry about “Don’t shoot your future in the foot.”  [Go ahead and take the time to read it.]

I was first to  comment,

So true. I have recently learned to embrace the “misdeals”, failures, and false starts in my life. I would use them to “set up shop” in the rubble. But more recently, I have discovered a new sense of confidence that actually comes and is fed by the rubble. Great thoughts guys.

This post provided affirmation of the idea that’s been brewing in my head and journal.

GAINING CONFIDENCE FROM PAST FAILURES

I have been in a season of study of my past failures and false starts. And what I discovered was that I had, what Mike poetically called, the tendency to “set up shop in the rubble of [my] life.” I seem to have loved using the rubble from my past failures to sabotage the possibilities of my future. I was great at playing the “Someday” card. [Another recent entry from Jud Wilhite]

However, as I learned how to embrace the misdeals, failures and false starts of my life, I have gained a new set of confidence. The confidence from remembering how God always pulled me out of the rubble more refined, more experienced and more authentic. The confidence from the tough lessons learned and the pain associated with them. This confidence develops a boldness that allows for calculated risks, firm decisions, and unwavering faith.

A great example of this is my wife Tina. We married within 9 months of dating.

Before her, I had a good number of relationships. The many years in many failed relationships really added to the confidence that Tina was the one for me. I knew in 11 days of dating that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. She had everything that I learned, through the failed relationships, I needed and wanted and also knew that I was a better boyfriend, fiance and husband because of the mistakes. And most importantly, I had an unwavering faith that God had placed her in my life to journey together through this long story called LIFE.

In his entry, Mike Foster shared this story.

Winston Churchill was asked if he thought history would be kind to him.

He answered, “Of course history will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”

I like it, but here is my twist. I do intend to write my own history… the history that God is writing through me.

Here is a brief video from my wedding and the famous wedding entrance video that even “The Office” spoofed. Enjoy.