The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God What Honesty and Pain Taught Us about Faith, Family, and Forgiveness By Jep and Jessica Robertson, with Susy Flory Book Review

In The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God, Jep and Jessica Robertson open up about their personal life and shared their triumphs and struggles and how God saw them through it all. A little background about Jep, he is the youngest brother of the Robertson family and he has three other brothers. He is also a part of the popular TV show, Duck Dynasty. He works for Duck Commander and his family live in West Monroe, Louisiana.

 

Jep Robertson grew up in household that strongly believed in Christian principles and teachings. Phil Robertson (Jep’s father) would teach others God’s word from his own home and he would baptize them in the river. He witnessed his parents reaching out to others and loving them like Christ would. Jep also shared some stories about how his dad taught him how to hunt ducks, squirrels, deer, and turkey. Jep played basketball in high school and was a pretty good player until his junior year, he broke his ankle and was unable to play again. He lost his identity and got wrapped up in worshiping his girlfriend and he let her become the center of his whole world. He also began to hang out with the wrong crowd and he started drinking and eventually he tried drugs. His family found out and his dad gave him two choices either to turn his life around or to get out and leave and they would pray for him and hope he would one day be set free. His dad and his brother, Alan struggled with alcohol addictions when they were younger so they knew the power it can have over someone. He decided to get the help, he needed and he turned his life around. The book goes into detail about how he did just that.

 

Jessica shared about how she grew up loving sports such as cheerleading, track, softball, basketball, and gymnastics. When she was a freshman in high school, everything changed. She fell for a football player and he ended up cheating on her. She felt rejected and she believed that she wasn’t good enough. She began to withdraw from sports and from her family and friends. She also started counting her calories and being obsessed about her weight. She began to have an eating disorder. At around this time, a youth pastor at her church instigated and pursued her. He told her to keep it a secret between them until she was eighteen and out of high school. He eventually proposed and she agreed to marry him. She struggled with feelings that she was making a mistake but everyone around her told her she was just getting cold feet. They finally did get married and she tries to make the marriage work but ultimately it fails.

 

I only touched on the surface about some of the things discussed in this book. The book also covered how Jep and Jessica met and fell in love. It also shared the struggles they have experienced in marriage and secrets they have told no one and how God help them repair their marriage.

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is a huge fan of Duck Dynasty and Duck Commander. I have only recently became a fan of the TV show and the Robertson family. Before reading this book, I haven’t heard most of the topics and stories Jep and Jessica presented in this book about their life. I liked how Jep and Jessica switched from each other throughout the different chapters of the book. The book was easy to follow and keep up with. I especially liked how open they was in revealing their personal struggles in life and in their marriage. I appreciated the courage it took for Jep to disclose the childhood sexual abuse he experienced on the school bus by a female. I was completely shocked that no one ever reported the instance to the proper authority figures like the bus driver and no one stood up for him and tried to stop it from occurring again and again. I was bullied by two females in elementary school so I connected with his story. I also liked how they included colorful photos from their childhood and their life. If you’re looking for an excellent book about how God can use your pain and make you whole again and even restore a marriage, then read this book!

 

"I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program."  

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Good, The Bad, and the Grace of God, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Good-Bad-Grace-God/dp/0718031482

 

 

Thunder Dog: The True Story of A Blind Man, His Guide Dog and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero By Michael Hingson with Susy Flory Book Review

September 11^th, 2001 was a day that changed the United States and the world forever. Michael Hingson went to work like any other day. He didn’t have a clue what the day would bring. He worked on the 78^th floor on the North Tower of the World Trade Center. An airplane hit the North Tower unexpectedly causing uncertainty. A few minutes later another airplane attack hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Michael Hingson had to climb down massive staircases to reach safety. He never could have guessed the impact and dangerous situation he was in.

Michael Hingson survived the attack at the World Trade Centers. He is also blinded and has a guide dog named Roselle. Roselle is afraid of thunderstorms and loud noises. She had to handle the noises from the attacks. She remained calm in the face of a terrible storm. She had to help her master Michael escape the Trade Centers.

A major part of the book is his story about surviving the attack on September 11^th. He also shared his story about being blind and how people treat him like he can’t do things others can do. He understands that people are trying to help but sometimes he wants to be treated as anyone else. He is able to accomplish things just like anyone else. As a child, Michael was able to ride a bicycle around his street. He described his neighbors calling his parents and warning them about Michael. They were worried about his safety. But his parents didn’t let it bother them. They told Michael he could do anything he set his mind to do and wanted to do.

I would recommend this wonderful book to teenagers and adults. This story will captive with each page. Michael Hingson has been through everyone’s worst fears. America had no idea how to handle the September 11^th attacks. He has lived firsthand the attacks and survived. Many people lost their lives that day and the days after the event. It has changed America. Hingson leads readers through his days and years after the attack. His story gives me hope about someone who became someone great and didn’t give up. He didn’t listen to the voices of other people. He set out to accomplish his dreams! He didn’t let his blindness stop him from living! He kept going and he learned that we must all work together as a team. If you love a story about dogs then this is a remarkable one to read. But you don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy this book. This book will encourage you to stand in the storms of life and to keep the Faith! Always remember to work as a team. We are better together than we are apart!

“I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.”

If you would like to purchase a copy of Thunder Dog check out Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Dog-Story-Triumph-Ground/dp/140020304X

Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGUIGvhvoUk

Michael Hingson on Larry King Live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8toQOVLVsDk