By Andy Ross
Killeen Daily Herald
Back in 2003, Joshua L. Holm was wounded in Iraq while performing house raids with the 4th Infantry Division.
In addition to shrapnel wounds and injuries to the head, both of Holm’s kneecaps were shattered, leaving him unable to walk without the use of braces.
Since that time, the road has not been an easy one for Holm.
“I felt like a child and had no purpose,” said the now 27-year-old Army veteran, describing some of the challenges he faced while trying to rebuild his life.
But eventually Holm found a purpose through the act of putting his story on paper. Late last year, he published his first book, “Some of My Life Lessons,” which describes his troubled teenage years in Arkansas and his subsequent discovery of Jesus Christ.
“This is told through the eyes of a rebellious child,” said Holm, who held a book signing with his wife, Crystal, Saturday at Hastings Books in Killeen. “It’s about finding value in life even through the trials and tribulations.”
Holm said he is working on a follow-up book that focuses more on his time in Iraq. His commitment to writing also goes along with his new-found pursuit of motivational speaking.
One of the biggest lessons Holm said he has learned is the need to shed his pride and accept the aspects of life he cannot change.
A turning point for that principle came in 2009 when he suffered a seizure and hit his head on a counter. After an emergency room visit and evaluation, Holm learned he had been living with traumatic brain injury since coming home from Iraq.
Through the help of his wife and his study of Jesus Christ, Holm said he began to realize how much his pride was getting in the way. “My kryptonite is pride,” he said. “I’ve got to take those things I can do and take them to another level, and the things I can’t do, I have to let others help me out.”