Pujols: More Than the Game

Product Description:

After a decade starring for the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols is already compared with names in the highest reaches of baseball's pantheon: Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron, Mays.

Authors Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth spare no tale of this growing baseball legend, all the while accentuating "the unseen hand of divine providence" that has shaped the man Albert Pujols has become.

My Review:

Pujols: More Than the Game is probably the best sports book I have ever read. It is a must read for any Pujols fan (even if your team is not the Cards). The book is a great example of a professional athlete who is also a Christian and how he glorifies God through the way he plays, his work ethic, and his demeanor. I was really blown away when I read how Pujols actually witness’s to players from opposing teams while at first base. What a great example for all of us. He has even led a couple of his own teammates to the Lord.

It is so refreshing to see and read about a celebrity that doesn’t just profess to be a Christian or use the title “God” loosely. He is not just a hearer of the Word, but a doer also. I find it so fascinating to read about how he grew up and the tribulations he often faced as a child. When you read about when his family moved to U.S. and he got started playing baseball you can really see how special of a ball player he was. He seems to have been born with a clear God given talent to play our national past time. More important and impressive than his baseball playing however is the way he so open to glorify Jesus - and he is very specific about it. He is not afraid to say Jesus is his Lord. Once again what a great example for the rest of rest. If only we were all so bold in our faith.

If you are a baseball fan, in particular a Pujols fan you will enjoy this book. It is chalked full of baseball stats and batting averages (mostly Pujols) as well as quotes from various articles and interviews sports writers have written about him over the years. The book also mentions a lot about his wife and children. Pujols has been blessed with a Godly wife is very supportive of his career and they both share a passion for different charities/organizations and sharing the love of Christ.

I have been blessed by this book and it gave me some great examples to apply to my own life. I highly recommend this book to any Christian or non Christian baseball fan. This would be a great gift for a loved one that doesn’t know the Lord but loves to read.

Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 22, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 9781595552242 ISBN-13: 978-1595552242 ASIN: 1595552243 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches

God Loves Me More Than That

From the Publisher:

How much love does God have for me?
More than the letters between A and Z. More than the bumbles in a bumble bee.
God loves me more than that!

As your child revels in each lively rhyme and engaging illustration from this delightful picture book, they’ll learn that God loves them deeper than a wishing well, wider than a semi-truck, louder than thunder, and softer than a kitten’s sneeze.

Each question, presented with charming child-like faith will help your child grasp the great love of God through comparisons and descriptions they can easily understand. In short, they’ll discover that His love is bigger, wider, higher, and deeper than anything they could imagine!

God Loves Me More Than That is an adorable little children’s book with fantastic illustrations. I enjoyed reading this book to my children and showing them each page. The author uses several topics to express how much God loves me (us) using a rhyming writing style teamed with beautiful illustrations on every page that everyone will enjoy. It is a great book for anyone with young children to affirm the wonderful truth of God’s amazing love. Here is one of my favorite lines from the book: “Just how much does the Lord’s love weigh? More than elephants munching hay.” I would definitely recommend this book to any family.

“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

~ Ephesians 3:17-19

The WALK by: Shaun Alexander

from the Publisher:

Are you walking with God, dragging your feet, or running ahead of Him? Take the first step in living at God's pace.

When you start walking with God, it’s easy to misplace the emphasis. You might think it’s about seeking perfection or impressing God with your level of commitment. But God isn’t looking for perfection, and no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to impress him.

Walking with God is exactly what it says: God invites you to get in step with what he is doing in the world. When you walk with God, you allow him to set the pace for every aspect of your life. And that is when you discover faith and strength that overcome doubt, fear, and temptation.

Let Shaun Alexander help you get started on the greatest adventure possible. If you are ready to know God as your Walking Companion, you are ready to begin The Walk.

　

I am a huge Seahawks fan. So when I heard there was a book written by former Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander I was very interested to read it. He was one of our family’s favorite players while he was on the team. We even have a couple of his jerseys. I was very excited to discover that he is a devout Christian man who believes what the Bible teaches and seeks to honor God with his life.

As I began to read his book The Walk, the first thing I was struck with was his knowledge of scripture and how genuine he is. Shaun illustrates his book with examples from his own life and stories from his days of playing football - not just for the NFL but also when he was in high school. He demonstrates how God has been an important part of his life since childhood. In the book he takes us through the differences between the “wanderer” and the “wonderer” and how they think about things - which helps to realize the obstacles that need to be overcome as we pray for people like that in our own lives and desire for them to become believers. I was impressed to read that Shaun disciples young men and after I read about one of the boys he had been working with I remember thinking something like “does that boy know who’s car he is in? That is Shaun Alexander!” - of course these thoughts were replaced with the realization that Shaun is just a man and that no matter who someone is or isn’t we are all equal brothers and sisters in Christ.

This book has great examples for how to walk closer with God and live the Christian life. I would recommend this book to any believer or non-believer - especially the sports fans. If you know anyone that loves God and is a huge football fan this would be a great gift.

　

Please note I was given this book by the Publisher for free in exchange for my honest review.