What a gift to spend a part of an hour with a new author although a popular writer. He is Jason Free, who is also a speaker, master of ceremonies, and a teacher of marriage and family counseling. He was the former general manager of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA.
The main focus of our visit was Jason’s new book, PARENTING ON PURPOSE — 7 Ways To Raise Terrific Christian Kids. This is a wonderful book. Dare I use more descriptions and adjectives? It’s great. It’s down to earth. It’s an easy read. It’s not pretentious. It has simple, common sense ideas, etc. This book is for parents. Oh wait, it’s for expectant parents. Oh, and hey, it’s also awesome for grandparents (that would be Dee and me), great grandparents, marriage counselors… Well, you get the idea.
We did explore a couple of the chapters in Jason’s book — but we also got to meet the author and catch his background. We heard the all-too-familiar story of a teen and early college graduate starting down the wrong path… aided and abetted by poor ‘Catholic’ college professors. And then Jason met Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Dear friends – please listen to this show even if you don’t think the book is something you want to add to your library. Maybe you’ll be convinced otherwise. Or maybe you’ll come up with a couple names of friends you’d like to gift this book to.
Just a couple of my concluding thoughts. The book starts with a foreword by wife and mother and new media maven Danielle Bean. It’s a good read in itself. Towards the end of her foreword, Danielle reminds us what parenting is about: raising up soldiers for Christ. That’s where this book can be an awesome tool.
One other thing that I delighted in – practical sections within the book include practical tips and how-to’s. There are also wonderful ‘Reflections From Mom,’ written of course, by Colleen. She is a gift to the reader as well.
In fact, from their website, here is information about both our guest and his bride of 18 years.
Jason and Colleen Free
Jason Free is a dynamic communicator, known for his unique blend of humor, wisdom, and straightforward style. Audiences connect with his personal stories and inspirational insights as Jason spurs them on to take their life and faith to the next level. He holds a bachelor’ s degree in philosophy and a master’ s degree in social work with a specialization in family therapy. Jason has served as director of a rural soup kitchen, substance abuse counselor, adjunct professor at the graduate level, general manager of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy and currently as an entrepreneur in the financial services field. An avid sports fan and mentor, Jason is a favorite little league baseball coach and Boy Scout leader, and all around expert at planning unforgettable adventures! He and his wife, Colleen, have been married for seventeen years and are the proud parents of 8 children.
Colleen Free is a devoted wife, Catholic blogger, and homeschooling mother of 8 children, putting her degree in Elementary Education to good use on the home front. A former writer and editor for the Marian Helper magazine, she has also provided editorial assistance for MercySong Ministries of Healing and is the author of Praying with St. Faustina (Marian Press).
Colleen is also a professional singer with a beautiful soprano voice. She is featured on many of the Flynn family music albums, available through Mercysong, and she and Jason recite the rosary on three of MercySong’ s devotional CDs. A frequent soloist for weddings and funerals, she is one of the lead singers on the original Chaplet of Divine Mercy (shown on International television every weekday) and has spoken nd sung at various events around the country, both with her husband and with MercySong. She is the eldest daughter of best-selling author and speaker Vinny Flynn.
You can find more information about Jason, his wife, Vinny Flynn and their ministry at the website mentioned on our show:
SHOW INFORMATION
We introduced our interview with Jason Free using the music from our friend, singer and songwriter Margo B. Smith from her album SENDING UP A PRAYER. The cut that we played was Precious Unborn Child. We thank you Margo for allowing us to us your music — and with a song that reminds us of the precious gift that God has given to us. You can find Margo’s music at her website: www.margobsmith.com/
In addition to our guest Jason – we want to recognize our other contributors to Catholic Vitamins. They include:
Cheryl Dickow, author of Our Jewish Roots and president of Bezalel Books at www.bezalelbooks.com
Peggy Bowes, author of the Rosary Workout Book, available through Bezalel Books or through Peggy’s website: www.rosaryworkout.com
Justin Stroh, evangelist, speaker, composer and musician. His website is found at www.justinstroh.webs.com/
We also want to thank Justin for gifting us with permission to play his new song Reach From Me. It’s a song for healing adapted from the famous prayer of St. Francis and inspired by the Missionary heart of St. Therese.  This new meditational song will inspire young and old alike to seek God for the strength to reach out in the love of Jesus Christ.
CLICK HERE to go to Justin’s web store to hear the song and if you like what you hear purchase it at special introductory price of only $.89