Andrew Smith's Blog

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Showing posts with label Jimmy Wayne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy Wayne. Show all posts

Walk to Beautiful: The Power of Love and a Homeless Kid Who Found the Way by Jimmy Wayne with Ken Abraham Book Review






In Walk to Beautiful, Jimmy Wayne shared about his life story and how he became a country music singer. Jimmy Wayne was born in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Jimmy, his mother, and his sister, Patricia moved around a lot. He never really knew his own father growing up. His mother had a number of different men throughout his childhood. He saw countless fights and he experienced and saw frightening events when he was a young boy. His mother hung out with the wrong crowd and many of the people were deeply troubled. When his mother worked at a textile mill, a neighbor would watch them and this event was anything but pleasant. One of the neighbor’s adult sons laid down naked while he thought Jimmy was asleep and he took his hand and made him touch him. He eventually faked being asleep and the son left. He told him mother and she wouldn’t believe him and she told him to simply “behave”. Often times the only meals Jimmy and Patricia would ever receive would be the free lunches from school and they were both hungry most of the weekends. His mother would often at times reply on government for support and she didn’t have a job. 



He also shared how he found God and how he began to trust Him. His mother had a warped view of how we are supposed to fear God and she would beat them if they mispronounced words from the Bible. He finally discovered the love of God. He also revealed how his mother went to jail and how they wound up in DSS system. He described his experiences with being homeless. He also shared how he lived in a group home called, Faith Farm and what this place taught him. Throughout the book, he explored how he was changed and saved by Bea and Russell. He explained how he began his music career and shared details about the behind the music and songs. He also opened up about deciding to walk seventeen hundred miles from Nashville to Phoenix and his journey along the way and even being dropped from his label during the walk. 




I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is wanting to read an inspiration story. I first start discovered Jimmy Wayne with his hit songs, “Paper Angels” and “I Love You This Much”. The stories behind the songs and music videos were very encouraging and touching. I haven’t heard them before and I imagine many people haven’t. I can say that this is one of the best book I have ever read by an artist and I have read several country artists autobiography. Jimmy Wayne has been through a lot growing up and his childhood was anything but easy. I truly believe that his story will immensely help kids in foster care and kids who feel forgotten and lost. Jimmy Wayne’s story show he has remarkable character and strength in trying to raise awareness about the kids in foster care. I also loved and appreciated how Jimmy Wayne also helped Tennessee and California to pass a bill that raise the age of foster care aging out of the system and funding until the age of twenty-one years of age. This book could easily be a movie and I hope that one day it is! I highly recommend everyone to read this amazing book! 





If you would like to purchase a copy of Walk to Beautiful, the check it out on Amazon.com:




Paper Angels: A Novel By Jimmy Wayne with Travis Thrasher

Paper Angels is a story based on the concept of the Salvation Army angel tree program. The Salvation Army angel tree program is a program that helps needy children get Christmas presents. Most of these children wouldn't be getting any presents without the help of people who care. People can pick up a paper angel from one of the Christmas paper angel trees. They buy the presents for the children out of the kindness of their hearts. They are changing lives and they don't even realize the positive impact it will have on these children. Jimmy Wayne has written this story to bring awareness to this wonderful life changing program. He was a child who was apart of the paper angel program growing up. He has witnessed the impact it had on his life and he had to share it with others. It is a fiction book but it is also based on the true meaning of the angel tree program.


Thomas Brandt is the one of the main characters in this Christmas story. Thomas has a father who is addicted to drinking alcohol. His mother got abused and hit by her husband. She eventually wised up and decided to take her two children and leave. Thomas and his sister, Sara realized that their whole lives are about to change. They move to a small trailer where they don't have very much. Thomas is also getting picked on at his new school by a bully. He wears the same clothes every day and they aren't new. He is made fun of during school and the attacks eventually escalates to online bullying.


The second main character is Kevin Morrell. His business is struggling to survive in the tough economy. His wife is having twins soon and he is about to be without a job and income. The wife sees the angel tree and talks her husband into picking an paper angel off the tree. 


Both of these familes lives are about to change forever. The story will show you the true meaning of Christmas and why it's important to be kind all year long. Everyone is hurting in some way and we can help change the world if we listen and help one another.


I immensely enjoyed reading this book. I felt changed after reading it. Kindness and love are important to have towards one another. This book is a true Christmas meaning story. But we must also keep the kindness all year long. I needed to be reminded to be thankful for what I do have. Someone always has it worst than I have. I have been blessed with so much and I need to start giving some back! This is a life humbling and awakening novel. It also has a wonderful idea on how to stop some bullying. How Thomas turns that around will touch everyone and cause them to think about their own lives. It's a true story about kindness and forgiveness. I think every teenager and adult should read Paper Angels and learn what kindness really is. This book is so good that it needs to be made into a Christmas movie in a few years! Let's really love each other and show kindness!




Salvation Army Paper Angels Interview










http://youtu.be/kmKcUngRvKU






Jimmy Wayne Interview about Paper Angels:



http://youtu.be/Sy9WQoqoiXQ


Jimmy Wayne-Paper Angels



http://youtu.be/-UVIZpRm8ks