Brad Mathias - Road Trip to Redemption: A Disconnected Family, a Cross-Country Adventure, and an Amazing Journey of Healing and Grace

Road Trip to Redemption is a must-read for all parents. Its a true story of pain, healing, and fighting for your kids hearts. I was personally challenged and convicted to look beyond superficial, check-mark Christianity. I cant thank Brad enough for empowering me to connect my kids with the real, authentic, life-giving Jesus. Im looking through my calendar now, booking my own road trip to redemption.

CHRIS SPRADLIN

Founder of EpicParent.tv

Author of Sex, Lust & XXX: Fighting for Your Kids Purity in a Sex-Saturated World

If you think your family is out of options for reconnecting, whether with your kids or your spouse, this book is for you. Road Trip to Redemption is an intimate adventure of one mans journey to recapture the hearts of a family he had all but lost. Filled with practical advice and insight, Brads vulnerable approach to storytelling kept me turning the pages and opened my heart to the changes I needed to make as a father. What a beautiful storyone that can be everybodys.

ROBERT BEESON

Founder of iShine

Former president and founder of Essential Records

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Road Trip to Redemption: A Disconnected Family, a Cross-Country Adventure, and an Amazing Journey of Healing and Grace

Copyright 2013 by Brad Mathias. All rights reserved.

Published in association with the literary agency of Esther Fedorkevich, Fedd and Company Inc., 606 Flamingo, Austin, TX 78734.

Cover photograph of texture copyright Chase Jarvis/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are from the personal collection of the Mathias families, and are used with permission.

Designed by Beth Sparkman

Edited by Karin Stock Buursma

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mathias, Brad.

Road trip to redemption : a disconnected family, a cross-country adventure, and an amazing journey of healing and grace / Brad Mathias.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ).

ISBN 978-1-4143-6394-3 (sc)

1. Parent and childReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. FamiliesReligious life. 3. United StatesDescription and travel. 4. CanadaDescription and travel. I. Title.

BV4529.M3675 2013

277.308'3092dc23

[B] 2012038001

ISBN 978-1-4143-8599-0 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4143-8395-8 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4143-8600-3 (Apple)

Build: 2013-05-09 10:35:29

To my Bethany Rose. Your courage inspires me to be a better father. Your love and trust humble me. I couldnt have asked for a more amazing child to call my own. I love you. Thank you for your patience and persistence in the midst of such pain. I am not worthy even to attempt to capture your spirit on these pages, but by Gods grace I have tried.

To my dearest Paige, the most patient wife and mother, who carries great faith for us all. You amaze me still.

To Jessica Elaine. You will always be my biggest girl and will always fit in the cradle of my elbow. My elegant intellectual, I shall always admire your thirst for knowledge.

To Caleb, my son. May your heart grow to fit your gifts as I watch from nearby... always the proud father.

To my own crazy parents who raised me well despite their frustrations and fears. I love and appreciate the genuine heritage of faith and family you have passed on to me, and now I seek to do the same.

To my community of faith and my dearest comrade, Brian. Strength for the battle and wisdom for the pathI couldnt have made these discoveries without you.

To Robert, my sharp-witted friend for life. You make me a better thinker and writer. Thank you.

To my family at large. Your love and support are immeasurable and precious to me.

To my big brother, Donk. I love you and am proud to be your little bro.

To Tom Johnson, a genuine man of the faith and one who keeps his word... so rare. Thank you for being a mentor worth following.

Unspeakable thanks to my Savior and Lord. I have fought the fight with all my heart, and in my broken state I found your grace. Thank you for not giving up on me, my family, or this generation! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Somehow we have overlooked the fact that this treasure called the heart can also be broken, has been broken, and now lies in pieces down under the surface. When it comes to habits we cannot quit or patterns we cannot stop, anger that flies out of nowhere, fears we cannot overcome, or weaknesses we hate to admitmuch of what troubles us comes out of the broken places in our hearts crying out for relief.

Jesus speaks as if we are all the brokenhearted. We would do well to trust his perspective on this.

JOHN ELDREDGE, WAKING THE DEAD: THE GLORY OF A HEART FULLY ALIVE