Life Lessons Learned: Amazing Stories of My Walk Across America for Children
()
About this ebook
The crushing need to help our children led me to walk across America to tell everyone who would listen about the needs of children with emotional issues, behavioral issues, and developmental disabilities.
Little did I know at the outset of my walk that it would become a walk of lifes lessons learned about the beautiful, decent, caring people in our nation. During my walk, my cynicism was replaced with hope, with gratitude, and with renewed faith in mankind. I was renewed spiritually and emotionally by the people I met along my journey.
My walk started as a spiritual journey. It was a walk of atonement and a walk of gratitude.
I always told people that I came from a very poor family. My mom struggled.
Years later, after seeing what many of the children at Good Shepherd have gone through, I realized that I was not poor at all. In fact, I came from an extremely wealthy family who just happened to not have any money. I never once doubted that my mom and my brothers and sisters and family loved me.
The children of Good Shepherd and the sisters have taught me to be grateful for the wonderful gifts that I have been granted caretaker of.
The walk of atonement was a time to reflect and ask those people that I have hurt in my life to forgive me, those people in my life whom I have disappointed to pray for me, and those people in my life that I have helped that they would help another.
I realized later in life that I learned much more from my mistakes than I had from my successes.
The walk was an opportunity to write about, pray about, and seek forgiveness for. Atonement goes well beyond being forgiven. As a Catholic, I know that my Savior forgives my sins, but that does not alleviate my responsibility to atone for what I have done or what I have failed to do.
When atonement is sought, behaviors change. The cycle of forgiveness is then complete, and true family healing can occur.
I was hoping that during my walk, the Holy Spirit would guide me and give me the wisdom that I would need to develop a program to help children in need.
Little did I know that the lessons I had hoped to learn were overwhelmed by the lifes lessons learned while I walked across America. Join me in reliving the amazing stories of my walk across America for children. Its all good!
Francis X. Ryan
From very humble beginnings starting with the death of his dad at age three and due to his loving family, Frank Ryan understood the value of hard work and the challenges so many people like him face in life. That understanding led Frank to dedicate his life to public service as a volunteer. He has served on numerous boards of directors of nonprofit charitable organizations. In March 2008, he was elected chair of the board of directors of Good Shepherd Services, a residential treatment facility for children facing challenges in their lives. It is that love for the mission of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd that led Frank to walk 2,806 miles across America in 2014 to raise awareness of the needs of children with emotional and behavioral issues and for developmentally disabled children. He is a CPA, author, commentator, and expert in corporate restructurings and management. Frank is a Pennsylvania CPA, a Knight of Malta, and a graduate of Mount Saint Marys College, with an MBA from the University of Maryland. Frank Ryan, a retired marine reserve colonel, was recalled to active duty, out of his military retirement, in December 2004 and served with Multi-National ForceIraq until June 2005. Prior to his initial retirement in 2002, Frank served as the central command special operations officer during Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal military decorations include three Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, and the US Army Commendation Medal.
Related to Life Lessons Learned
Related ebooks
The Immortality of Influence: Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Light: A Guide for Living Life with Awareness, Honor, and Purpose Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEmpowering Charity: A New Narrative of Philanthropy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Danville to Destiny: I Got Nerve: The Political Legacy of a Danville Native Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStories of a Volunteeraholic: Moving the needle of impact one person's journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Call of Destiny: A Liberation from Apathy, Shame, and Failure Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrowing The Leader Within You: Leveraging Adversity Into Your Success In Life, Work, Leadership and Faith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat About Me: Walking the Tightrope as a Black Man in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGladiator Leaders: Don't Drink the Laced Drink Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Little Black Boy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSelfless and Heartless Pursuits: Stories About 4 Animals ,Birds and the Moon for the Reflection of Families, Children and Students Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEconomic Secrets of the New Retirement Environment™ Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJourney to Wholeness: The Story, the Tools, the Choice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Processed Woman Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHome Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFailure to Care: Whistleblowing in Healthcare Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRaising Children Who Think for Themselves Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hello! Next Time We Will Be Friends Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAt the Crack of Dawn Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeen There, Done That: Recounts of a Lifetime Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMayor for Life: The Incredible Story of Marion Barry, Jr. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Broken Systems-Shattered Lives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mind of a Preaching Woman: This is my Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA World of Beautiful Colors Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOvercoming Fear: Challenging Our Greatest Disability Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSahm I Am Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Walk to the Stage of Honor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDreamer Who’S Been Extremely Blessed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNothing Is Impossible Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUndo Ordinary: Keys to Unlocking Your Purpose Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Personal Memoirs For You
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dry: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Stolen Life: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Glass Castle: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'm Glad My Mom Died Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bad Mormon: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mommie Dearest Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: the heartfelt, funny memoir by a New York Times bestselling therapist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Taste: My Life Through Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Yes Please Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mediocre Monk: A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Stash: My Life in Hiding Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Solutions and Other Problems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Life Lessons Learned
0 ratings0 reviews