Andrew Smith's Blog

My name is Andrew. Come and have a look inside my life and watch me share what is on my heart.

Greater than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption by David Boudia Book Review







In Greater than Gold, David Boudia shared his personal story about his journey of an Olympic gold medal. He began practicing gymnastics at a young age. Then at eleven years old, he decided to take up diving. His parents were both in the U.S. Air Force when they met. He also opened up about how he dreaded having to wear a speedo, which is something most guys are afraid to wear. He also described the six categories a drive can fall under and the judge’s point systems. He explained how his mom and a sports psychologist helped him to set goals and take actions steps to achieve difficult dives. He shared the importance of not letting fear control our lives and how trusting in God can help us to overcome our fears. He also revealed his struggle with marijuana in eighth grade and how his addiction turned to drinking and smoking cigarettes. He got a wakeup call when he tried out for the Olympic Trials and he failed to quality. This turned out to be a good thing because he also smoked marijuana a few days before. He would have had to complete a drug test if he would have made it into the Olympics and he would have failed it. He stopped smoking marijuana. He also shared how he was very prideful before he became a Christian. He described his journey to the 2008 Games in Beijing and how he failed at the event. He decided to attend Purdue and he was trying to become a NCAA Division I diver and he made a bad decision and smoked marijuana again and they did a random drug test and he failed the test. He was put on probation. He disappointed his coach and afterwards struggled with the meaning of his life. He admitted he struggled with suicidal thoughts and he was very low in this time of his life. Throughout the book, he revealed how God saved His life and gave him a hope and a future. 





I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who enjoys reading story about sports and how their faith in God has changed their life. I remember watching David Boudia on TV perform at the Olympics and how he eventually won a gold medal. In reading this book, I learned how he came to be a Christian and I loved how he shared details about his past and was open about his struggles with marijuana and alcohol. He didn’t try and cover up his past. I appreciated how David shared how he viewed dating and how he was reminded that he needed to date with the mindset of marriage. He was very open about how when he met his wife, how they broke up a couple of times, and how he toyed with her heart a lot. God eventually got through to him and he shared the importance of pursuing marriage and remaining committed to sexual purity. Throughout the book, I could see how through his heartbreak and brokenness, God was able to reach him and change his life.








If you would like to purchase a copy of Greater than Gold, check it out on Amazon.com: 








The Blessings of Unity: God’s Best for Our Marriages by Richard T. Case Book Review




In The Blessings of Unity, Richard T. Case explored the importance of unity in marriage and how we can live in peace and walk in the Spirit. He begins the book with a helpful evaluation quiz together and be honest. He also encourages readers to discuss why they rated the way they did. He shared his personal story of how he met his wife and how they have been married for 45 years now. He revealed how his wife became pregnant when he was in graduate school and how he got on a fast track program to get his degree completed. He also shared how he worked and strived to move up in the business world and make money. This caused discord and division in his family. He eventually joined a church and a couple spoke truth into his family and he realized he needed to make a fine line between work and spending time with his family. Throughout the book, he shared how to have unity in marriage and how we are commanded to leave our father and mother and be united with our spouse and be one flesh. He described the many different keys to walk in the Spirit in your marriage and how to handle disagreements. 





I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is ready to change their marriage for the better. This book taught how to walk in the Spirit and how critical it is to follow the fruits of the Spirit in our marriage and how our marriage will improve. Living in peace will greatly benefit us and we need to listen to the peace the Holy Spirit can only provide. I loved the chapter on being in unity and studying the written Word and how praying God’s promises over our life can improve your marriage. This book contains very practical steps to achieve a stronger marriage built around Christ and walking in the Holy Spirit. 





Check out this free ebook, Unshakeable (6 pgs), material that will help and support growth in Christ, from the All for Jesus ministry: http://allforjesusunshakeable.gr8.com





"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”



About the book:
            The Blessings of Unity offers insight and ideas for creating godly unity in our marriages centered around two key concepts:
1) Abiding in the Vine and walking in the Spirit, and
2) Learning and applying the concept of unity.
Unity is achieved when a man and woman strive for agreement with God by processing His Will on every decision and in every issue. Through Biblically-centered discussions of discord, division, unity, discipleship, and prayer, and through exploring Biblical examples of unity, Richard Case offers husbands and wives practical and spiritual advice for working together in unity in the Spirit so that they can more perfectly present themselves to God for his divine approval.
           
            ($13.43 on Amazon, paperback)

About the author/ministry:


Before his current role in developing retreats and serving this ministry, All for Jesus, Richard Case worked for many years with Fortune 500 companies in management and consulting roles. He holds a BS in Management and Finance from Bradley University, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a seminary Masters degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Richard has been a featured speaker at conferences and seminars; he has hosted a radio show and is a published author. Richard and his wife, Linda, answered the call from the Lord to Abide in Him through the Spirit. Together, Richard and Linda have started up several churches that remain strong today, and have served as interim pastors of troubled churches, bringing reconciliation and new vision to these situations. Richard and Linda began conducting marriage retreats in 2001. Richard and Linda currently live in Castle Rock, CO.




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