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reader_hannah0's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
ovanwirt's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
readtolive's review against another edition
4.0
First off, let me say that I do not often read nonfiction, and even less often is the nonfiction I read centered on Christianity-based thoughts and ideas.
Being relatively new to Christianity myself, sometimes I find Christian-based works obtrusive and, for lack of a better word, pushy. With SEAL of God, this was not the case. While there is a Bible quote at the beginning of each chapter, and more references in the later chapters, it was unobtrusive and I was able to become absorbed in the story in a way that few others have been able to grab me.
Chad Williams' accounts of what basic training and advanced SEAL training entailed were descriptive enough that I could feel as though I was going through it with him. Of course, it may have helped that I had worked out for the first time in many years yesterday, so my muscles were sore and achy as I was reading! But seriously, I could imagine the pain and physical and emotional strain that one would go through in that kind of environment.
With the details of his rebellious childhood and achieving a goal, only to find it was not good enough, I was able to relate to all of those points. I was your classic overachiever as a child, always having to one-up myself, and sometimes, I still struggle with that even today.
When Chad accounts what happened that night at church, when it was intended to be just a rouse to get to stay another night just so he could continue his partying and what actually happened was a revelation and a change of life, I felt like I was there with him. When I found my way to church, it was because it was what I thought would make other people happy, and was just going along for moral support for my husband. Somewhere along the way, things just clicked for me, and the message had sunk in.
Not long after that, I struggled to find what God's purpose for me was, and yet, as I stopped struggling, the answer became very clear. My journey to faith is not much different from Chads, and I felt that I was able to relate on a personal level to a man I had never met. I literally had chills as I read this account of one man's life. I was so pulled in that I read this book in under 24 hours. For anyone who has struggled with what God is trying to tell them, I feel that this is a must read.
If I had to give criticism, it would be that I would have preferred for the footnotes to have been listed at the bottom of the page they appeared on, rather than on a separate page at the end of the book. By the time I found out what the footnote was related to, I had to go back and find where it originally appeared and re-read it to be able to relate it to the story. Thanks to Tyndale for a review copy.
Being relatively new to Christianity myself, sometimes I find Christian-based works obtrusive and, for lack of a better word, pushy. With SEAL of God, this was not the case. While there is a Bible quote at the beginning of each chapter, and more references in the later chapters, it was unobtrusive and I was able to become absorbed in the story in a way that few others have been able to grab me.
Chad Williams' accounts of what basic training and advanced SEAL training entailed were descriptive enough that I could feel as though I was going through it with him. Of course, it may have helped that I had worked out for the first time in many years yesterday, so my muscles were sore and achy as I was reading! But seriously, I could imagine the pain and physical and emotional strain that one would go through in that kind of environment.
With the details of his rebellious childhood and achieving a goal, only to find it was not good enough, I was able to relate to all of those points. I was your classic overachiever as a child, always having to one-up myself, and sometimes, I still struggle with that even today.
When Chad accounts what happened that night at church, when it was intended to be just a rouse to get to stay another night just so he could continue his partying and what actually happened was a revelation and a change of life, I felt like I was there with him. When I found my way to church, it was because it was what I thought would make other people happy, and was just going along for moral support for my husband. Somewhere along the way, things just clicked for me, and the message had sunk in.
Not long after that, I struggled to find what God's purpose for me was, and yet, as I stopped struggling, the answer became very clear. My journey to faith is not much different from Chads, and I felt that I was able to relate on a personal level to a man I had never met. I literally had chills as I read this account of one man's life. I was so pulled in that I read this book in under 24 hours. For anyone who has struggled with what God is trying to tell them, I feel that this is a must read.
If I had to give criticism, it would be that I would have preferred for the footnotes to have been listed at the bottom of the page they appeared on, rather than on a separate page at the end of the book. By the time I found out what the footnote was related to, I had to go back and find where it originally appeared and re-read it to be able to relate it to the story. Thanks to Tyndale for a review copy.
chs's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book written by and about a Navy SEAL (himself). I really enjoyed the story on his path to become a SEAL and then his transformation once he found Christ and how that effected his relationship with teammates and his goals.
nicole1's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book my brother recommended to me and I just now have gotten around to reading it.
Very good!
I really enjoyed hearing this man's story and thinking of how our life as a Christian is not meant to be easy and will require sacrifice, but the prize is worth it!
Very good!
I really enjoyed hearing this man's story and thinking of how our life as a Christian is not meant to be easy and will require sacrifice, but the prize is worth it!
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