Book Review: The Walk by Shaun Alexander

I was excited, to say the least, upon receiving my early copy of Shaun Alexander’s The Walk. While I’m not a huge sports fan (please don’t walk away), having met Shaun at our church I was intrigued enough through our casual conversation to read his book. WaterBrookMultnomah quickly shipped this small 228 page book and so, I dug in.

The Walk starts off with a grueling football scene, which is expected but takes a rather awkward turn in the story. In this opening scene we find Alexander and some teammates laying hands on an injured player. Through prayer and the laying on of hands this man was miraculously healed.

While the reader will quickly find out the opening scene is only a dream, the overall flow and focus of The Walk seems to be on healing by prayer and laying on of hands. I counted five other instances through my reading of The Walk demonstrating a healing through prayer and/or touch.

While there are many who believe in such supernatural powers being bestowed on the modern-day church and it’s believers, those who believe the healing gifts are no longer necessary in today’s time may have an urgency to place this book in the fantasy category of their mind.

As an example, the story Alexander shares with the reader beginning on page 158 is a very dramatic story of a woman resurrecting her dead husband and then brining him to the conference she was attending. While I am not against hearing stories of modern-day miracles, I had a different expectation of The Walk. I was anticipating a book geared toward all male Christians struggling to walk through his culture according to God’s will.  Instead, all I could concentrate on was looking for the next miracle scene in The Walk. 

I have rated this read as a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Hey Dad, Wake up! It's Christmas!!

By this time, unless you are the ultimate last-minute shopper, you should be done with most of the hassles of holiday shopping. You are tired, your wallet is now malnourished, you have made yourself sick several times from overeating all the sweets people have cooked for you and your family, and you are already thinking about the deadlines and work obligations for January. Because dads are prone to mentally skip over this holiday season, I would like to give four quick ways of how to slow down and truly enjoy this Christmas with your family.

1. Don't be a Scrooge! Christmas is the time of celebration for the Savior that was born unto this world. Even though Christmas has become so material, you have the blessed opportunity to teach your child the true meaning of Christmas. On the morning of Christmas I always read the story of Christ's birth from Luke 2:1-20.

2. Be a Christmas Helper. Don't leave all the gift wrapping in the hands of your wife. I am one of the worst gift wrappers of all time, but I still wrap. I dream of one day purchasing Christmas patterned duct-tape that I could tape around the gift! As ugly as your wrapping skills may be, your wife will welcome the help and your child will appreciate the fact of you caring enough to wrap his gift.

3. Be a Giver and not just a Spender. Having a Christmas spirit means more than forking out money to your wife. Because this time of the year reminds me of the gift God gave me (a perfect Sacrifice), I'm inspired to also be a giver of good things to my family and to others. Put some thought in your gift purchases.

4. Let your Family schedule your planner. Don't fill your holiday time off with errands, chores, or opportunities to catch up on work obligations. Give your calendar this weekend to your family and ask them of fill it in. You will be amazed at the simple things they want to do with you (all of which will revolve around precious time with dad).

Let these quick Christmas tips be a blessing to you and your family this season.

From the Daddy Disciple: Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

And the Winner is????

Congratulation to Becky! She is our November Giveaway Winner of The Apologetics Study Bible!

Becky, please contact us at thedaddydisciple@gmail.com with your mailing address and we will ship this Bible to you.

Thanks to all those who participated in this event and keep your eyes open for our next Big Giveaway!

1,000+ HITS

Wow! Within the short time (a month & 1/2) since this blog launched, we have already received over 1,000 hits! The original intent of this site was to share my experience and continual journey as a Christian father. Yet, this site has turned into so much more. I never dreamed there would be such a variety of people who frequent this site. It is such a blessing to be able to minister to and share with such a diverse group.

Since we are growing so fast, it would be a wise thing to stop and ask you: How are we doing? What could be improved? What is missing that you would like to see added to this blog?

Post your answers below or simply email your suggestions to: thedaddydisciple@gmail.com

In appreciation for our 1,000+ blog hits, here are five of the greatest football hits of all time. Enjoy!

Funny of the Week: Attention to Detail

Childbirth: Men vs Women

With the birth of our sixth child (Truett) and with many hours spent on the vinyl-covered concrete seat/bed/couch in the hospital cubical (I mean room), I had ample time to ponder the rather large contrast between men and women when it comes to childbirth. Here are just a few I find to be true.

When the baby first breaches the canal during labor:

The woman thinks, ‘Pull it out! I can’t push any longer.’

The man thinks, ‘Thank you, my Sweet Jesus for making me a man!’

When the nurse places the child on the mother’s stomach:

The woman thinks, ‘Does he have all his toes and fingers?’ Immediately, the mother starts unwrapping the baby and checking.

The man thinks, ‘What is he going to be when he grows up? What type of man will he become? Who will he marry? I hope he marries someone with money.’

When the mother changes the first diaper:

The woman thinks, ‘Look at how cute and tiny that diaper is.’

The man thinks, ‘I hope the size of the diaper is not relational to the cost of the diaper.’

When the mother first nurses:

The woman thinks, ‘It is amazing how God designed me to provide for this child.’

The man thinks, ‘This is just weird.’

When the baby cries at 2am on the first night:

The woman thinks, ‘I should check on the baby.’

The man thinks, ‘I wish she would check on the baby.’

When the hospital photographers are listing the options of each picture package:

The woman thinks, ‘These pictures are priceless.’

The man thinks, ‘These pictures are pricey. I have a camera on my phone.’

When the birth certificate needs to be filled out:

The woman thinks, ‘We have to decide on his middle name.’

The man thinks, ‘Middle names are so overrated.’

When it’s time to leave the hospital:

The woman thinks, ‘What is the baby going to wear home?’

The man thinks, ‘How do these car-seat straps buckle? I wish I had brought the duct-tape!’

When the new family finally arrives home:

The woman thinks, ‘I can't wait to get into my own bed.’

And the man thinks, ‘I wonder what she is going to cook for dinner. I’m starving.’

November Giveaway for Dad!!

Need a great Christmas gift for Dad?  We've got you covered!  Anyone to post a comment on this posting will be entered into our drawing on November 15th for a hardback version of The Apologetics Study Bible (a $40 value)!

The Apologetics Study Bible helps today's Christians better understand, defend and proclaim their beliefs in this age of increasing moral and spiritual relativism. More than one-hundred key questions and articles placed throughout the volume about faith and science prompt a rewarding study experience at every reading. Highlights of this new thinking person’s edition of God’s Word include the full text of the popular Holman CSB® translation, an introduction to each Bible book focusing on its inherent elements of apologetics, and profiles of historic Christian apologists from Justin Martyr to C.S. Lewis. Also featured are valuable contributions from a who’s-who of modern apologists such as Chuck Colson, Norm Geisler, Hank Hanegraaff, Josh McDowell, Albert Mohler, Ravi Zacharias, and many more.

You don't want to miss out on this giveaway!! Post a comment below!  The winner will be announced on November 15th! This Bible will ship just in time for Christmas!