Summit 8000

I am deathly afraid of heights.  So much so that I cannot even climb a ladder.  True story.  Because of this fear, I have never been on a mountain.  I've never even seen real snow.  The only thing we normally get in Texas is ice.

One thing that is amazing about reading books is that you get to go on adventures that you would never dream of go on in real life.  For me, that would be mountain climbing.  I think that's why I loved Summit 8000 as much as I did.

I admire the sport of mountain climbing so much.  It takes strength, perseverance, and faith which is what we see in Summit 8000 as Australian climber Andrew Lock takes it through his mountain climbing career.  Andrew started climbing in 1985 as a sport but climbing quickly became a passion.  

"The mountains are a medium through which we can discover who we really are.  Altitude exposes our strengths and weaknesses, our true characters." -Andrew Lock

There are 14 mountains that are over 8000 meters and Andrew Lock decided to join a very small group of people who have summited (reached the peak) each 8000-meter mountain and lived to tell about it. 

Andrew became the first Australian to have climbed all fourteen of the world's 8000 meter mountains and you are with him on each expedition.  He talks about the trails of mountaineering like going without food and water for hours at a time while also exerting a tremendous amounts of energy.

Reading about the several times he fell down a mountain or the times he had to bivouac on several of the mountains at extremely high altitudes in pitch black and absolute silence made my heart quicken.  Obviously, you knew Andrew somehow survived to tell about it but many of his comrades were not so lucky.  As the story continued, and with each new climber he would introduce, you began to wonder if this one was going to make it like Andrew did.  Sadly, many of them didn't but I know they all lost their lives doing something they loved.  That's all part of the risk of this very dangerous sport.

"In order to climb properly on big peaks one must free oneself of fear.  This means you must write yourself off before any big climb.  You must say to yourself, "I may die here." -Doug Scott

I don't want to spoil the story for anyone but when I first started reading about Andrew Lock's expeditions I was sure that Everest would be his toughest mountain to tame.  I was wrong.  Annapurna is the one mountain that he attempted and failed several times before finally reaching the summit and never climbing her again.

Annapurna

There were many times throughout this book that I found Andrew's words to be on the conceited side and moments where I thought, "Wow! This guy is heartless!"  There is one instance in particular that really got to me.  Andrew actually rationalized climbing again despite just watching his friend die right in front of him!  I could never do that but maybe it's that separation that sets Andrew Lock apart.  Andrew is the 18th man in the world to climb all the 8000ers after all.  Who am I to judge?

"Some might see my attitude as callous, but for me it was practical, given that we were there to climb the mountain." -Andrew Lock

Despite those few instances that made me cringe, Summit 8000 was a wonderful read.  It brought me into a world I've never known before.  I have now watched a few documentaries on climbing and find it absolutely fascinating.  There is one documentary that Andrew was apart of but I could not find it.

Andrew Lock claims to be done with mountain climbing but you can tell by his final words in the book that the hunger is still there despite mountaineering for twenty-seven years.  If you check out Andrew Lock's website you will find some amazing pictures from his expeditions as well as details about The Great Traverse Expedition which he is actually on right now!  Oh to have his stamina and drive...

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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Tough As They Come

Many people do not know this about me but there was a time in my life when I wanted to go into the army.  I've always loved my country and would love to do what I can to serve it.  My life ended up taking a different direction and with it went my drive to enlist but I do support my troops 100% and admire everything they do for our country.

Travis Mills is one of those wonderful men who has served our country.  In April 2012, while in Afghanistan, Travis was severely wounded by an IED (improvised explosive device) which he miraculously survived but became a quadruple amputee as a result.

Tough As They Come is his story.

From the first chapter I was enthralled.  I cannot even begin to imagine what soldiers go through while in combat and to hear Travis tell it with such detail paints such a vivid picture.  After hearing a brief summary of what happened on April 10, 2012 Travis takes us back through the journey that led to that fateful day.

Travis was your typical all-American guy who had a pretty normal childhood.  Hearing Travis tell about his high school days and the wonderful relationship he has with his family is heartwarming.  How he chose the army and hearing all the details of basic training was pretty neat, especially for someone who had thought about going into the army herself.  Truth be told, I don't think I could've handled it, but Travis thrived.  He found his calling.

Travis telling about his tours in Afghanistan in such detail really put you into that world.  War has always been something that makes me cringe despite knowing it's a necessary evil.  Hearing Travis tell his story you can feel the brotherhood.  My favorite part of his story was hearing Travis tell about how he met and married his wife and the birth of his daughter.  Beautiful!

Your heart breaks when you read the details about the events of April 10, 2012 and the tough journey that followed.  You feel both the physical and emotional pain and frustration that Travis feels as he comes to grips and learns to deal with no longer having arms or legs.

After being visited in the hospital by another amputee, having a wonderful medical staff, and the love and support of family and friends, Travis began the journey to a new normal.  I love how through it all Travis has had such a positive outlook and a wonderful sense of humor.  I laughed a few times reading this book actually.

Travis has chosen to not focus on his disability but on the many blessings that he has in his life.  He even helps others through public speaking engagements and a retreat that he opened for other wounded soldiers and their families.  For many, an ordeal like this would tear a family apart but it's only made his family stronger.  Every one of us needs people like Travis and his wife in our lives.  Strong.  Dependable.  Never wavering.

After reading Travis' story, one can not help but be motivated.  If this man can overcome everything that he has overcome, being a quadruple amputee, then surely the rest of us can overcome the obstacles that we face.  I know for me, my obstacles pale in comparison to what this brave and wonderful man has endured.

Travis lives by the motto:

"Never give up. Never quit."

I think this is a motto that we should all adopt.  If Travis isn't going to quit, than neither am I!

To Travis, and all the other men and women that serve this great nation of ours, I say thank you.  Thank you for your service and all the sacrifices that you and your families make and have made to help keep our country free.  

To find out more about Travis Mills check out his website.  You can also follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review

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The King of Average

My last few review books have been more on the serious side.  There's nothing wrong with wanting books that challenge your mind but every once in awhile you want to read a book that is just fun to read.  I thought it would be fun if my next book could be a book that both me and my eleven year old son could read and review together.  The King of Average by Gary Schwartz was perfect for both of us!

From the beginning of the story my son E said he could relate to the main character, James.  I completely agree.  Your heart goes out to this poor young man especially when you read about his relationship with his mother.  James was never wanted and his mother continuously reminds him of that fact.  E thanked me for always showing him love and never being like that with him.  I even got an "I love you," and a kiss on the cheek.  Such a precious moment!

James is an eleven year old boy who wants nothing more than to be average.  So much so that he is suddenly whisked away to a magical land who needs a king, a king of Average to be exact.  As the story unfolds you fall more in love with James and each of his companions who accompany him on his journey to Average.

James is a wonderful boy with an amazing heart despite living with the pain of his father leaving him at a young age and his mother constantly reminding him that life would be better without him.  It seemed to both me and E that the more James wanted to be average the more he realizes that he was not average at all!  His journey to Average shows him that he is not what his mother says.  He is someone special!

There are some wonderful illustrations throughout the book by Nicole Armitage that really help capture the characters.

E is a slower reader than his mama and is still reading but I cannot wait until he's done to find out what he thinks of the ending.  For the most part, I loved the ending.  My only wish was that there would've been more of the story with James returning from Average to his normal life and to see if the dynamic between him and his mother has changed now that he had grown so much as a person.

The King of Average is a wonderful story with fantasy characters and places that parallel true to life people and circumstances that we all face one time or another in our lives.  All of us have been at that place where we struggle to believe in ourselves but as The King of Average shows, with faith, perseverance, and support you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

ETA: After posting my review on Amazon the author commented on my review to let me know that he is currently working on a sequel to explore the mother/son relationship further in the book, Realm of Possibilities.  I can't wait! 

I received a complementary copy of this book through Reading Deals in exchange for an honest review

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Reading Romans with Luther

The book of Romans has always been one of the books that I love in the Bible.  No matter how many times I read through its verses, God uses it to speak to my heart.  I am not one of those people who can just read through the Bible.  I am constantly asking the question, "Why?" and going on a journey to find the answer.

I have several tools in my Bible arsenal to help me grasp understanding on a certain verse or subject.  One of my favorite tools is commentaries.  I love the incredible insight they bring to the Bible but often I spend more time trying to decipher exactly what the author is saying than gaining more insight into Scripture.  The writing is written in a different vernacular than I am used to reading, since many commentaries were written centuries ago, which makes me fear that something will be lost in translation.

R.J. Grunewald has done something amazing that I know will bless many with his new book.  He as taken the incredible work of Martin Luther and put it into our language today in  Reading Romans with Luther.

Martin Luther's commentary was actually taken from the notes of a lecture that he spoke in 1515-1516 so you can imagine the style that Luther's commentary is written in.  Luther's commentary is intimidating to read but so influential.  Everyone needs to hear his insight yet so few dare to delve into its pages to grasp his understanding.

Rather than writing his own commentary on Romans, Mr. Grunewald takes "only pertinent paragraphs [of Luther's commentary] that go along with the themes outlined" and puts it into a language that we can understand today.

Many of the traditional commentaries out there go verse by verse but Mr. Gruenwald has taken more of a devotional approach which I found intriguing.  To first read Luther's words and then have the author put it into layman's terms was beautifully done.  

The book of Romans is a wonderful reminder of our freedom as believers in Jesus Christ.  Our culture is so self-absorbed but Reading Romans with Luther takes our focus off ourselves and rightly puts it on our King.  

There are so many truths that rang out to me that I was highlighting like crazy throughout this book.  I think I highlighted 95% of the book!  I plan on going back to spend more time on each individual topic as it is such a rich study.  This is the Good News for all believers and something I never tire of reading or studying.

This is the first book by R.J. Grunewald that I have read but I am now a fan.  The book was released yesterday and Amazon is already sold out!  You can get a copy on Kindle or pick up a copy from the publisher, Concordia Publishing House.  

It is a must read for all believers and for those who want to know what Christianity is truly all about.  It made me fall more in love with Romans and gave me even more of a hunger for God's Word.  I highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Authentic Living

This year for Christmas I gave out several Christian devotionals to family members.  Everyone leads such hectic lives that it's hard to have time to get into God's Word yet every day we should intentionally try.  With Authentic Living by Richard Exley you can actively pursue Christ on a daily basis and enjoy some much needed quiet time with the Lord.

Each entry is dated which I actually love.  Normally I do not like each devotional being dated.  If you fall behind you beat yourself up and either get frustrated and give up or spend more time catching up instead of taking those precious moments to come into the presence of the Lord.  I did not feel that at all with this devotional.  All you have to do is go to today's date and you have a short devotional that is relevant to every day life as well as a Bible verse and a simple prayer to end each day.

This is the first book that I've read by Mr. Exley and I was a little more than impressed.  Despite each days devotional being short, the author has a way of immediately pulling you into that certain days topic in a deep and personal way.  These devotionals are more that just daily readings that make you feel good.  Every day has one line, verse, or prayer that pushes you to meditate on that thought, often taking your study to a deeper level.  You can't find that in every devotional.

Authentic Living is a wonderfully refreshing devotional and one that I am blessed to read each day.  I've read numerous devotionals in my Thank you for visiting my blog and being apart of the First Look blog tour.  Go grab a copy of this amazing devotional.  I promise you won't regret it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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