Dealing with a brain injury and many other changes

First of all I just want to thank God for all that He has enabled me to go through and experience through this whole seemingly disaster. I am finally writing on my own blog spot that my sisters have been keeping up with since my accident in June of 2006. With the more time that goes by, the more I realize how God has turned this whole thing into a blessing and an unbelievable opportunity to spread what is possible through faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ. Many years ago I lived a life of recklessness and at the same time enjoyed a life of success and developed a closeness to horses as well as dogs since I had a golden retriever for 17 years who traveled the country with me and horses and past away of old age the day after I ran my first race horse and won! The dog used to stay right beside his stall all the time I was working on him and getting him ready for his first race. That dog had been with me from the time I was 9 years old and even went to all the famous horse shows I went to as a kid and as a young adult working as a groom. I also was able to meet some of the greatest horse people I've ever met and who played an enormous part of my ability to communicate with horses which has always played a big part of my success with horses. Through my dog and the first horse I owned and trained the Lord was constantly talking to me telling me I better change the way I was thinking or I was going to run out of time. The horse continued to win races up the ladder to a level that was unbelievable,50,000 claiming at Laurel race track, 2ND in stakes and allowance races and we started out at 3,500 claiming at Delaware Park in 1984. After all the wins I thought I could do no wrong and went out one night with a jockey friend but not before we bought some cocaine and wine to help make the trip to New Jersey since we had closed the bars in Delaware. On our way home with one headlight out we were pulled over by state police and I was so messed up I couldn't even repeat the alphabet. So I was arrested for drunk driving and put in jail over night. Luckily the jockey friend ate the little bit of cocaine we had so they didn't find that but I still had to spend the night in jail and wait for a friend to come and get me and my car the next day. If that had been today I'd still be in jail but I was fortunate enough to be allowed to go home to Delaware and the first person I called was a close friend of mine who I was freelancing riding his horses everyday and listening to his preaching everyday about what faith in God could do for you and I had no question it was time I went to church with him the next time I could. I went a couple of times and always got real emotional at the invitation time but not until a guest preacher who just happened to be an Italian like me did I respond to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as your own personal savior. From the next day nothing has been the same. One month later I had to face the charges for the drunk driving so after praying in the court room the officer that had arrested me called in saying he felt I deserved another chance and would drop the alcohol charges if I would plead guilty to wreck less driving. So of course I did and that was my first proof of God answering prayers and a million more since then I just don't have the time or typing ability to tell you more. What I can tell you is about a year later I was very involved in starting the first bible study at Delaware Park and I was convinced the Lord wanted me to be a racetrack chaplain then I got the first opportunity to train horses and ones that Allen Jerkins would have been training if the man hadn't met me so I took that as a sign from God to start training. It was a very long and up and down career and then I also met Rochelle who I was convinced was the most beautiful girl I had ever met before, so my goal was to help her and her husband get back together so I started keeping touch with Rochelle under the impression of helping her marriage work out which is exactly opposite what I was really feeling so when Rochelle moved out to her mom's with her first son, Matthew, I went on with it and invited her to move in with me. As soon as their divorce was final we got married and had our first child, Jesse,about a year later. Our 14 years of marriage has been a mixture of great times and terrible times. Maybe that's why our 3 children are spread so far apart. Now she has moved backed to her mom's again,with our 3 children,and I couldn't really tell you what her desires are except she says she can't be a part of my family as long as my mom and sisters are a part of my family. I don't know where I would be without them and as long as I'm allowed to spend time with my kids once I've healed as much as the Lord wants me to and I think He has a whole lot more in store for me now than ever. I just have to keep focused on what He wants for me and my kids. Not what I want. That's not always easy.God Bless everyone. Mike Rea