A New Life

About the Book

Lying in my bed that had become more like a prison than a place of rest, I realized the extent of damage I would face for a lifetime imposed upon me by criminals. I was angry at a system that failed to deliver anything resembling Justice. I was permanently crippled, suffering unbearable pain and the guilty were free.

Bedridden and housebound, I grieved my life that had been destroyed. It hurt to let go of all that I had worked so hard to acquire, and face the endless days alone, without a purpose, or a life worth living. When life gave me lemons, I had made lemonade, but now the pitcher which contained it had been smashed and broken. I cried out in anger and despair to my Creator, "Please God, do not let this be how my story ends. Give me a way, which I can rejoin the living - a purpose to fulfill - a reason to live!" I knew from past experience that anger and all the negative monsters that love to accompany it would be the ruination of my soul - the only thing I had that was still intact, if I did not let it go. Forgiving the criminals who had given me this life sentence would not be easy, but I vowed to forgive them and I begged my Lord to guide me. I said to my maker, "Show me the way Lord, they destroyed the container that held my sweet lemonade, it is all gone. Give me your strength and I promise, this time I will make a real mean batch of punch."

I began to feel God's presence, and listening to the still small voice within I chose to begin painting. After accomplishing 36 paintings a year and a half later, I became inspired to write this book. I hope it will inspire others who have recovery challenges of their own. It is in helping others that I have found my reason to go on. I hope that through my art, the Healing Center that I host on the internet at my website www.markeryk.com, and by sharing my story with you in this book, that I will in effect transcend the emptiness of being shut in, and once again participate with and enjoy the mainstream of life. New Life.

About the Author

Mark Eryk was born in Moscow, Idaho in 1948. He has been totally disabled on a number of occasions, including in 1976, 1982 and 2000. He has written this book in an effort to re-enter the mainstream in the capacity of helping others who are attempting to recover from some catastrophic accident, illness, or event that has prevented them from continuing on their previous path.