This review is about the book Greater Than Gold by David Boudia with Tim Ellsworth.  David Boudia is a Gold Medalist in the10 Meter Platform Diving. This book is about his journey to the Olympics and how he found Jesus along the way.

     Boudia tells of wanting the gold medal even as a young boy. He started out in gymnastics and then switched to diving. He was very driven mostly by the accolades, awards and popularity that comes with winning. Boudia was a heavy partier. He smoke, drank and treated people unkindly.  His first try at the Beijing Olympics was very disappointing for him partly because of this. He figured he needed to do something different.

     David Boudia got a different coach and a different mind-set. He turned his motivation for winning from personal satisfaction to wanting to do it to glorify God. Along the way he meets people who can help him with this and also the girl he eventually marries.

     He finally wins gold at the London Olympics. What follows is a whirlwind of interviews, speeches and lots of traveling. He realizes that fame comes with a price. He also realizes that his diving is paying the bills so he continues on with it (and I think he got a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics.)

     I enjoyed learning about what goes on in an Olympic athlete’s life. The training, the sacrifices families make and sometime the heartache. It definitely takes a special someone to make it to that major competition.

     Reading his thought processes about God and sin in every circumstance got to be a little much for me.

I was given a copy of this book to review but the opinion is my own.

We Remember

Go Big or Go Home

Go Big or Go Home; The Journey Toward the Dream by Scotty McCreery is a fun read. It chronicles his life as a young child who worshiped Elvis to his journey to become an American Idol winner to launching a career as a Country Music singer. He won American Idol in 2011 at the age of seventeen.

     I have never watched American Idol but I am a fan of the VOICE so this book was particularly interesting. I am also not a fan of Country Music but I still really enjoyed the story.

     Scotty McCreery is a very devout Christian and he shares with us how that faith helped him get through some struggles as he made his way through the American Idol experience. He tells us how the Scriptures he read and the life lessons he learned helped him become the man he is today. His family was a huge support for him.

     Reading the book makes you feel like you really know Scotty and he’s talking to you. His life story makes you believe that with love, faith and family anything is possible. He had a dream to become a famous Country Artist and he persevered until that dream came true. He has had four Top 15 radio hits, has toured with Brad Paisley (he tells about that in the book) and Rascal Flatts, headlined his own tour and won the ACM New Artist of the Year Award all by the time he was twenty-two.

     This is an inspirational book that I highly recommend. It would make a great gift for any fan of Scotty McCreery.

     

The Berenstain Bears Mother's Day Blessings

    

 The Berenstain Bears Mother’s Day Blessings by Mike Berenstain is another story about the Berenstain Bear family. Interestingly the author is the son of the original creators of the Berenstain Bears, Stan and Jan Berenstain. Stan died in 2005 and Mike has taken over drawing and writing about the Bears.

     This is a cute story about the cubs wanting to do something special for their mom for Mother’s Day. Their father suggests going out for brunch after their Church service. On their way to church they discover many mothers that have to work on Mother’s Day. Each of these mothers is lucky enough to have children that are still honoring them by bringing them flowers, cards or gifts. It didn’t focus much on the Bear family as much as it did the other mothers they drove by. The big message the book said is that it’s important for a mother to have her children around her. I would like to have had the message be more about the blessings of motherhood.

     While the Berenstain Bears are a delightful family and this particular book has a Christian message I’m not enamored with the book. To me there is too much text to keep the attention of most little preschoolers who would need it read to them. (Based on my experiences with little ones.) Older children who can read the book themselves will find the storyline not all that interesting. (Based on my teaching of second graders.) 

I received this free book to review. However the opinion here is my own.

Jesus Today Book Review

 

   I am reviewing Jesus Today-Devotions for Kids by Sarah Young. In it are 150 daily devotions written for older kids and young teens. (tweens) The devotions are written as if Jesus is talking right to the child. Along with each devotion is a Bible verse or verses. These devotions are meant to be read in a quiet place so the child can get to know Jesus better. It is by the same author as Jesus Calling so the format is very similar. 

      A theme of Hope runs through the devotional stressing that Jesus has an amazing future for those who trust in him. Sarah Young says that “Jesus is the friend who is always with you.” 

      In the back of the book is a Scripture Index that matches a devotion to the Bible verses that accompany it. It might have been nice to do a Topic Index to be able to locate that devotion quickly. 

     This is an easy to read hardcover book. Each devotional is short and can be read in minutes. I think these will appeal to many children and could also be used as a starting point for family discussions or a children’s Bible Study. I feel this book would make a very nice gift.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for the review. All opinions are my own.