My Saving Grace

By Brian Smith

My Saving Grace is a book about a man's journey from Atheism to Christianity. From the Air Force to jail, mental institutions and everything in between. My Saving Grace is a story of God's glory and life changing spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781105844744

Brian Smith

Brian Smith was born in Australia, where he developed his love of surfing. A chartered accountant, he studied at the UCLA Graduate School of Management, and with $500 of start-up money, he founded UGG Imports to bring sheepskin footwear to America. After seventeen years, as sales reached $15 million, he sold the business to Deckers Outdoor Corporation. The UGG brand has since exceeded $1 billion of international sales several times over. A passionate innovator and entrepreneur, Brian is one of the most sought after business leaders in the country today. As a media guest and inspiring speaker, he is committed to teaching his breakthrough business strategies to entrepreneurs and translating personal vision and spirituality into company culture. Brian spends his time with family and friends in Southern California, still surfs, plays golf, and attempts to improve the planet a little every day.

Book preview

My Saving Grace

My Saving Grace

Brian Smith

Preface

Let me start by saying that I’m no Jesus.  I’m about the farthest thing from him.  I’ve never claimed to be a great person and probably never will.  In fact, I’m such a sinner, that I hope my stories make you feel better about who you are as a person.  I chose to write this book because through my own incredible life experiences, I have learned there has been something with me throughout my life, in darkness and in light.  This book is an account of the incredible experiences and my saving grace. 

Introduction

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations!  Before you ever had legs, you won a race against millions of other people!...or potential people?!?!...I’m talking about sperm.  It’s hard to believe and think about because we can’t remember the race, but it happened…otherwise you wouldn’t be here.   Not only did you win a race against millions, you transformed from an aquatic little sperm cell into an oxygen inhaling baby human being!!!  If you get nothing else out of this book, put it down and never read it again or throw it away because you’re offended, remember this; You are blessed, gifted and born to succeed.  

Start every day with a positive mind feeling blessed and thankful to be alive.  Hopefully throughout this book you will realize that your thoughts dictate who you are. It all begins with your thoughts, your mind, and that is something only you can control.

"Watch your thoughts, they become your words.

Watch your words, they become your actions.

Watch your actions, they become your habits.

Watch your habits, they become your character.

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

-Author Unkown

A positive mind can be a powerful, unbelievable thing. 

Chapter 1

Where It All Began

Let's start at the beginning, as any rational person would...in fact, let's start right there.  Are you a rational person?  If you're the type of person that believes children should have a shot at their future, that humans and animals shouldn't abuse each other, and that you should treat others as you want to be treated, then you are a rational person.  If you don't agree with these things, then you're not a rational person, you won't like me and I don't like you.  So if you are a rational person, then stick with me, I believe you can learn something from this book. 

This isn't a self help book.  I've read those before and have nothing against them.  If even one person gains something from those books or my own, I feel it was worth writing.  However, let me sum up every self help book I have ever read in one sentence:  You have the power to change your life and it starts from within!  I couldn't agree with that statement more, however, life's not that simple.  What happens if you change your life for someone, then they break your heart?  What happens if you dedicate your mind, heart and time to a career that turns out to be miserable?  What happens if you make a mistake you feel you can't recover from?  Are some mistakes unforgivable?  What's worth fighting for?  Am I a pawn to my fate or do my decisions affect my life?

Like I said earlier, I'm no Jesus and I don't have all the answers.  However, I believe there is a reason I've experienced the things I have and there's a reason why you are reading these words.  Open your mind and give these words a chance.  As a rational person with a conscience, I feel we share a common, unique connection.  One that if unified globally, could change the world.

Chapter 2

Childhood...The Blessed Years

I can only speak for myself, but childhood is pretty sweet, isn't it?  I'm talking about the pre-teen years when our responsibilities consisted of finishing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hanging out with our friends.  No bills, no work, no laundry.  School was even fun back then!  Gym, art class, show and tell, reading time, RECESS!!!  We were living a dream and we didn't even know it.  I know that not everyone's childhood is the same; some are blessed and others are not.  Yet we all share an innocence as children that is uniform regardless of your upbringing.

There is something very unique that you and I were both born with.  It stays with us throughout our lives and can drastically affect the course of your life.  As children, most of what we know and understand is learned from whoever is raising you.  Yet no matter where you were raised, who raised you or how you were treated growing up, you and I share a conscience that has remained the same from the day we were born.  We have a voice within us that tells us what is right and wrong.  As children, we tend to listen to that voice a lot more than we do when we are adults.  The younger we are, the simpler we are.  Babies don't come into the world speaking different languages, judging others because of their appearance or beliefs, or concern themselves with how much money they make.  All of those things are learned as we get older.  Basically, as babies all we know is how to breathe, eat, sleep, pee, poop and we know that it feels better to laugh than to cry.  As we get a little older and our mental consciousness further develops, we begin to recognize and enjoy the company of our nurturers, normally our parents, but simply put, whoever is taking care of us.  At this point in our lives, all we know is love.  We don't know how to hate, deceive, steal, cheat, lie, hurt or judge others.  We were pure.

Unfortunately, we are not born into heaven.  We are born into a world full of sinners.  A world where children are beaten, kidnapped, raped and even killed.  So how is it that we can begin so pure, yet turn out to be sick, twisted demons?  It's because you and I were created in the image of God, born innocent and pure into a world where there is constantly a war between good and evil.  If you don't believe me or disagree, then let's agree to what we just did in the above paragraph...We all have a conscience right?  If you think no, then you're lying to yourself and you know it, because that voice inside you doesn't lie.  Why is our conscience such a big deal and what does it have to do with God, good and evil?  Our conscience is what separates us from all other animals.  As animals, we all are born with instincts.  Young animals know to go to their mothers for milk, sharks are hunters even before they are out of the womb, bees know how to produce honey, dogs bark, cats know to use a litter box without being trained.  Human beings are the only species born with the instinct to know the difference between what is right and wrong.  For example, as a child if one of your friends was not sharing a toy and you pushed them over and they began to cry, would you feel guilty?  Of course you would!  Any normal human would.  This happens in daycares across America everyday!  Even children know that it's not right to hurt others.  We all know that it is better to give than receive, to share and not be selfish, to care instead of hurt, to treat others as we would like to be treated.  We've heard it referred to as The Golden Rule, but it also happens to be the message of God and his son Jesus Christ.  So is it a coincidence that we are born with a voice inside that tells us to treat others well and not to hurt them???  I think not.

As a child, I was a pretty good, normal kid.  I grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, OH with my parents Bill and Mary Lou and my brother Billy.  I loved my family, loved animals, loved sports and hated to lose.  I definitely wasn't a perfect child.  I remember hiding behind bushes and throwing water balloons at cars that would drive by in my neighborhood growing up.  This only lasted one afternoon because one of my mom's good friends saw me running back behind the bushes after I hit her windshield with a water balloon.  She called my mom as soon as she got home and explained to her that she had just had her car washed and didn't appreciate her son hitting it with a water balloon.  My mom came outside and started yelling at me from across the street and I had to do the walk of shame in front of my friends back to my house and my angry mom.  I remember feeling embarrassed in front of my friends but also feeling ashamed because I knew what I was doing was wrong and that I had disappointed my mother.  I must have only been 7 or 8 years old but I remember to this day that horrible feeling of disappointing my mom.  It's a feeling that I have put myself and my parents through far too many times.

I don't believe any human is born evil.  However, I believe that the more we ignore the very thing that makes us different as human beings, the more evil and animalistic we become.  The more you ignore your conscience, the more evil you become.  This begins from the moment you are born and becomes more and more evident the older you become.  As I said earlier, I was far from a perfect child, but I was a good kid.  A big reason that I wanted to do well in school, sports and have people say positive things about me was so that I could make my parents proud.  It's a feeling almost every kid with good parents shares.  No kid enjoys letting their parents down unless their parents don't deserve that respect.  I know that sounds crazy, but let's remember that there are some evil adults out there who mistreat their kids.  In return, their kids don't respect them and sometimes intentionally disappoint them in order to get back at them even though most of the time they are only hurting themselves.  Lucky for me, I am gifted and blessed with the parents I have.  They love my brother and I more than we can even imagine and they blessed us with a wonderful childhood.  We grew up in a nice, suburban home in a middle to upper class neighborhood.  We went to good schools, had a lot of friends and never needed anything.  Sure there was a lot of stuff we wanted that we didn't get, but that's another reason we had such good parents.  We were taught the value of hard work and the idea that nothing is handed to you in life, you have to earn it.  My brother and I never heard our parents yell at each other, never saw them drink too much, never saw them do drugs, never saw them get violent, and in return, we have nothing but love and respect for them.  Here's a list of guidelines that can establish the same in any family:

Honor Your Mother and Father

Don't Lie...Be Honest

Don't Cheat...Have Integrity

Don't Steal...Give to Others

Don't be Jealous...Be Proud and Happy for Others

Don't kill...Love

And Above All...Treat Others As You Would Want To Be Treated

Chapter 3

Cancer, Divorce...The End Of Bliss

At some point in our lives, unfortunately, we lose our childish innocence.  We find out that there is no Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Cupid or Santa Claus.  This isn't a children’s book so let's just be honest with each other.  We eventually find out that life isn't fair, we don't always win, and bad things happen to good people.  I learned the hard way at a young age.  I figured out Santa Claus wasn't real long before most kids (When I was 8 I broke my older brother's heart informing him there was no Santa Claus) and I began to lose my childish innocence or belief in good things before I was ten. 

I was nine years old when my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  It was October 28th, 1993 and I don't remember the day of her diagnosis but we do celebrate every October 28th because my mom is approaching 20 years cancer free!  I LOVE YOU MOM!!!  What I do remember is Halloween of 1993.  Obviously only a few days after my mom's diagnosis, I remember it like it was yesterday.  My parents were trying to protect my brother and I from the truth about cancer.  They explained to us that mom would be very sick but she was going to be okay.  She may lose her hair, but she was going to be okay.  They didn't want us to worry about our mom fighting for her life, so at first, I didn't have an ounce of concern.  In fact, I was so naive about what was going on, that I called my mother in the hospital on Halloween to find out where my glow in the dark mouthpiece