I thought this Blog was so rich and meaningful.  It just so happens that I'd had a conversation like it with Abby, my 13 year old, before I'd read it.  I feel strongly that parents' roles in their kids' thoughts about themselves and the world is vital, especially given the way that our culture tries to shape them.  I love that Dr. Flanagan had the wisdom and courage to put all of these thoughts into a Blog for the world to see.

Enjoy, and if you are blessed to be a dad, please consider reading this to your daughter.

http://www.viralnova.com/father-letter-to-daughter/

A Very Present Help

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

12 years ago today, my life was drastically changed forever.  The lives of those closest to me and my family in St. Louis and in TX were dramatically changed as well.  In some ways it seems like the car accident happened a dozen years ago, and in others it seems like yesterday. The good LORD has taught me a lot over the years (and I'm still learning)...

• Life is precious.
• We should always encourage and help others (I'm forever grateful to those who helped me get back on my feet!)
• We should never give up.  My rehab and therapy lasted ten months, not to mention running and working out with my dad and relearning stuff with my mom. (God repeatedly told Joshua to "Be strong and courageous," assuring him that He would be by his side.)
• We should always be humble. Philip Yancey said, "Grace, like water, flows to the lowest part." (Similar promises are all over Scripture too.)
• I've learned to laugh at myself. I was a 30 year old man wearing a diaper!
• We should pray and really trust God to help us though anything (Eph. 3:20, 2 Cor. 12:9).
• I'll say it again: Our lives are precious. My application of that plays out in the way I live and the choices I make in my relationships with others (especially with my family).

Many of you know, since the car wreck, I've earned a degree from seminary, written a book (www.bit.ly/amazonMM825 - Mile Marker 825), and do a bit of speaking, all focused on offering hope to the hopeless and faith to the faithless... on helping others who are going through trials or some form of suffering.  I remind people that while God might not keep us from such difficulties, He faithfully walks us through them.

Personally, I've been blessed with a very sweet and pretty wife (Christe) who is a wonderful mom to our two boys JoJo (Josiah) and Toby (Tobias) and to Abby.  I only have a few remaining physical effects from the wretched car accident.  So some of my favorite songs are, "Amazing Grace" and "Jesus Loves Me."

David called God his strength, his shield, and his song... I now resonate with these terms.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
Psalm 28:7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIg5izhMCdI

A Middle School Essay on Mile Marker 825

I often substitute teach at a Christian school in St. Louis.  It turns out that my book, Mile Marker 825, is on their "suggested reading list."  Pretty cool, right?!  Anyway, I love subbing there, and have gotten to know a lot of the students.  Recently, one of the middle school kids wrote an essay on my book, and I saw a copy.  My eyes watered while reading it... literally.  It's stuff like this that make me not care that my book is never a NY Times best-seller!

I hope this 7th grade girl's essay encourages you too.

I read the book Mile Marker 825. I don't even know where to start. I was taught so much, and
brought closer in my relationship with God. Jason D. Mirikitani is the author of this book. In his
book he shares his tragic story of a car accident, where he suffered terribly and cracks his head
open. He suffered with brain injuries and his wife past next to him. Their daughter Abby wasn't
hurt at all, and Jason's family continues to praise the Lord for her. I have heard Jason tell his
story multiple times and every time it hear it I am so moved and drown my self in tears. As I read
his story he gets more in depth with the tragedy, recovering, and life after.
 
What shocked me was that through all of this being the strong christian he is, Jason
continues to have faith in God. For me this would be so hard, I would question God's reasons for
things. Jason helped build my trust and faithfulness in Christ. Seeing what happened to Jason and
the way he let it affect his life in a positive way made me think of my life.
 
I realized that if anything were to happen to me, instead of giving up hope I should find
things to thank the Lord for the small things he gives me. God blessed Jason with a supporting
family and loving friends. They were always there for him, and without them it would be much
harder to stay strong. Jason knew God had a plan for him, and he doesn't get upset or mad about
what happened in that accident. Instead he uses that to bring others to Christ.
 
Jason could have been really mad at God for taking the life of his young wife Jill, but he
knows God had a specific reason. That doesn't mean he never misses her, or doesn't think of her,
but he doesn't let that bring him down. Now Jason has a new wife and a very happy christian
family. They understand what he went through and are always there for him. Jason is a happy,
funny, successful grown man. If you saw him today, you would never think that he had a tragic
car accident years before.
 
It is a miracle that he is alive today, but God knew that Jason would stay faithful and
blessed him. Jason even had a doctor named, dr. Angel! Tell me that's not amazing! I am so
happy that Jason shared his story with me because now I can spread the word of God's greatness.
God was with Jason when tragedy strikes, and he will be there when we have things going on in
our life that trouble us.
 
No one knows what's coming next but God knows. I sometimes ask God, "why did you
let me be adopted? I was happy with my family. Sure they made mistakes, but you could have
made them stop and we could be together. Nothing good will ever come of it, all that it does is
make me sad and miserable." Then when I read Jason's book he taught me that God allows things
to happen so that even better things would come of it. Things may seem confusing and sad right
now but God will stay with you through it all, he understands, and he knows how you are
feeling.
 
Jason is a great example. If God would have let Jason die, I would have never gotten this
close to Christ in my relationship. Lots of people would never think of how good the Lord is to
us. Jason made a big change in my life, and I loved his story. There are so many things he talks
about besides his accident that can impact your life. I feel like God talks right through Jason to
let us know how good he is. He truly is good, and loving.

Roy's Letter to Evan

This week’s Blog is about a friend of mine that I’ve never met face to face, a guy that I respect a lot for how he’s turned a tough situation around, and to the benefit of others as well.  His name is Roy Page, and I met Roy when he was finishing writing his own book manuscript and looking for a good publisher.  So we spoke about my publishing house, Lucid Books.  In the process I learned about his story, which is the content of his book – "A Letter to Evan," how he was a divorced man doing his best to maintain a close and involved relationship in his son’s life.  His website says this:

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Divorce changes everything.  It is disorienting, painful, and disruptive.  One dad steps forward to illustrate how to rise above the destruction of divorce, become a better person, and yes, even a better father to his children.  Roy Page exposes his heart in A Letter to Evan.  What began as an affirmation and instruction for his son has become a journey of healing, growth, and inspiration to men everywhere.

Being a loving, effective parent when you are not a part of your child’s daily life is challenging whether you are a father who travels or is divorced.  Roy Page shares how he has maintained a presence in the lives of his children.  As a man who enjoys hunting, fishing, sailing, and woodworking and possesses a deep desire to share these times of adventure with his son, Roy learns to navigate his extensive travel schedule along with Evan’s hectic baseball schedule to find a way to connect.  Even if it means writing a letter.

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Roy with son Evan

Like I initially said, I sure respect how Roy has taken a really difficult situation and made it extremely productive.  Roy has redeemed a fall, or as it’s been said, he has fallen forward.  So I was honored when Roy asked me if he could blog about me recently.  His blog is similar to mine; it has to do with “second chances.”  I am humbled to read one on myself, but I’ve had friends say I should post his to my friends too.  So here is ROY'S BLOG ON SECOND CHANCES(Click this)

The Miracle Worker

A few weeks ago, I found an old DVD of The Miracle Worker – The Helen Keller Story, and I watched it with my 13 year old daughter, Abby.  We were both moved to tears and so inspired by the courage and persistence of both Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan.

You probably already know much of the true story, that Helen was both blind and deaf, and that Ms. Sullivan was miraculously able to teach her to communicate and to read.  I probably had my mouth open during most of the movie as I imagined what it must have really been like for Helen or for Ms. Sullivan!

One part that especially meant a lot to me was when I heard that Ms. Sullivan in her earlier life had been blind herself.  So in some ways she empathized with Helen.  She was something of a wounded healer, a helper with a special motivator.

            

Here is a trailer of The Miracle Worker:  THE MIRACLE WORKER Trailer

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.  – Helen Keller

The Good Samaritan

This week I'm blogging about a nameless man whose decision in a story told centuries ago has profoundly influenced people for ages:  

The Good Samaritan.

This parable, though found only once in Scripture (Luke's gospel), has become one of the most popular of Jesus' teachings.  

According to Luke 10:29-37, a traveler is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan comes by. Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man, bandages his wounds and takes him to an inn for which he pays. 

Jesus is described as telling the parable in response to a question, "Who is my neighbor?" Leviticus 19:18 tells us to love our neighbor.

Portraying a Samaritan in a positive light would have come as a shock to Jesus' audience of Jews.

The parable has inspired painting, sculpture, poetry, and film. and it still inspires people to love others as it originally taught.

The colloquial phrase "good Samaritan", meaning someone who helps a stranger, derives from this parable, and today, various hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan:  For example,   Samaritan's Purse

Derek Redmond - A Father's Helps His Son

In 1992, half my life ago, I saw an Olympic moment that caught the attention of the world, one that stole my heart as I watched a father's compassion for his injured son who would persevere through pain and injury to complete what he had started.  It was truly phenomenal - Derek Redmond, a British runner, was competing in the 400 meters when he pulled his hamstring as he rounded the final turn.  Instead of quitting after he had fallen, he rose back to his feet and hobbled and hopped, trying to complete the remaining 100 meters even though the other competitors had already finished.

Meanwhile, an older gentleman had somehow made his way onto the track, it was Mr. Redmond, Derek's father who had hurried past security guards to assist his injured son.  When he asked Derek what he was doing, Derek replied, "I have to finish."  "Then we'll do it together," said dad, scooping Derek's arm over his shoulder.  And together they did something in a few minutes that normally takes a few seconds, but those minutes captured the hearts of the world.

It was truly unforgettable.

If you missed it, here's a link of the video - Derek Redmond & father finish Olympic race together