MSI Press Blog

    It all started with distracted driving and a horrendous accident, then triumph from tragedy and a touching video, interviews by news media, two appearances on Oprah Winfrey's show, and, finally, a book,  One Simple Text . . . , )  As part of our "looking back" series, we share the original video that continues to grow in views and now stands at 12 million. Book description: It was every parent's worst nightmare. On a sun-drenched morning in April 2012, a Maryland state trooper knocked on Betty Shaw's front door and delivered the grim news that her 17-year-old daughter, Liz, had been involved in a horrible car accident and was clinging to life. Liz recovered from her life-threatening injuries but suffered severe and permanent effects from the accident. Texting while driving caused Liz's crash, and she and her mother went on a mission to educate people about the perils of distracted driving. The pair began to speak before various groups, and as their populari...

  Today's publisher's pride is  Travels with Elly  by Larry MacDonald, which reached #231   in travel with pets books. Book description: This nonfiction book views Canada from a personal perspective, similar to John Steinbeck's view of America in his 1960 book  Travels with Charley . The author travels from coast to coast in a trailer with his wife and pets, including their Standard Poodle, Elly, in order to gain a better understanding of his adopted country. Interspersed between descriptions of history, cultures, places, and icons are the author's reflections on various things such as Elly's antics, signage, ferries, political injustice, environmental issues, and animal instincts. To provide a canine's perspective, Elly reflects on things of interest to her, including cats, cows, and other critters...but especially cats! Where was Canada's first settlement? What is its prettiest town? When and where was its most devastating shipwreck? And who was its greatest h...

Today's tip for parents (from two talented teachers) comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly (yes, those are the two talented teachers). #9 I Don’t Know. Let’s Find Out!   Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. ~Michael Jordan   Yes, it is easy and enjoyable to tell your child about things in real-life situations, but what happens when the discussion continues further than your knowledge on that particular subject? It’s actually quite simple. Tell your child you just don’t know! This may shock him at first if he has never heard you say that before because children tend to think their teachers and parents know everything. However, we all know we don’t know it all. Teach your children that smart people don’t have all the answers, they just know how and where to find them. Finish your “I don’t know” with “but…” ...

The following guest post comes from MSI Press author of the award-winning book,    A Theology for the Rest of Us ,    I always find such works of art fascinating in so many ways. In this case, I notice what is not present as much as what is. This gentleman appears to have lost his heart and gut (instincts?), but his brain is intact. He is alive, yes, but maybe not living. His expression is determined, but weary….or hardened. Note that he seems to be returning from some far away locale across the sea…or maybe has left the buildings and people of that much more familiar place in the background. And what of his…what? It seems too large for the briefcase of a businessman, but too small to be the suitcase of a tourist. Or is it simply a symbol of the “baggage” he carries? Finally, he is alone, with no family or companions. Is that why he is…well…empty? Spiritually speaking, there are many accounts of extraordinary figures who have found Revelation or Enlightenment or some...