Follow up.

After reading Lone Survivor, I was in the mood for more information on Navy SEALs, so I picked up this:

The Warrior Elite by Dick Couch.

Former Navy SEAL, Dick Couch, followed and wrote about SEAL Class 228, the same class Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell graduated alongside.

It isn't exactly a light read, but it only took me an evening and the following morning to read the book from cover to cover. If you've ever wanted a fairly in-depth look at what it takes to be a SEAL, this book will give it to you.

It takes a special breed of men to make it all the way through SEAL training; to actually pin on the SEAL Trident. SEAL Warriors aren't some back-woods, country hicks that couldn't make it anywhere else. SEAL Warriors aren't muscle-bound dumb jocks. No...if they were, they couldn't be, wouldn't be SEALs. There are so many levels and kinds of training these men not only have to master, but exell at, it's mind boggling to me.

Yes, they have to be excellent with all kinds of weapons. Yes, they have to have a very high level of physical can-do like jump out of planes into water, in the dark, with a Zodiac, swim underwater for miles... They also have to know things like...medicine...photography...demolitions...satellites...oceanography...physics...etc.  And they have to be able to do these things while cold, wet, in pain and even under fire.

Nope! I couldn't cut it. But they can. And Do! On a daily basis! And that impresses me to no end!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a Warrior? Check out The Warrior Elite, and find out what it means to "Never Quit."

Promise Kept!

Have you ever promised yourself you'd do something, but put it off? Then when you accomplished your goal you kicked yourself for not doing it sooner?

I have.

Many times.

One of those promises to myself that I kept procrastinating on was to read Marcus Luttrell's Lone Survivor.

I always have a stack of books waiting, but last week I made time to read Lone Survivor. Wow! I don't read much non-fiction, but this one was well worth my time.

I've known the basic information about Operation Redwing since the book first came out. I've seen Marcus Luttrell interviewed on a few news programs and I've looked up articles online. I think I put off reading the book because although Marcus Luttrell survived Operation Redwing, his comrades did not. I knew the story would be somewhat hard to read.

I was right. To some extent. The book was actually very easy to read but extremely hard to put down when I needed to do something else, like go to work. Marcus Luttrell has a wicked sense of humor and since I've always enjoyed learning about anything to do with our Special Forces, the background on Marcus' SEAL training was informative, entertaining and made me even more impressed with the men who make it through.

Then came the hard part. The events of Operation Redwing. Marcus Luttrell is the only survivor after his team is surrounded by Taliban forces in the mountains of Afghanistan. They are severely outnumbered and although his team mates fight on long after the majority of us would have quit/died/surrendered, they are eventually killed. Even the reinforcements that are called in are taken out by a Taliban rocket.

I cried when reading about the actions of these brave American Warriors. They weren't trying to be heroes. They were doing their job as American soldiers in the face of overwhelming odds. I am absolutely honored to meet these men who loved and fought and died for their country and their comrades; to read about their courage under fire.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it. What an insight into the lives and actions of our men in uniform. These unsung heroes in a day and age of Hollywood starlets and scandals. Our men and women in uniform who quietly go about the business of keeping this country safe against a violent enemy.

I kept a promise to myself to read this book and in doing so, read about greater promises kept. The promise our men and women in uniform make to defend this country. The promise Marcus Luttrell made to a team mate to live to tell his wife he loved her. 

This book touched me like few books have ever done. I am in awe of the 'never quit' attitude of a lone Navy SEAL. I am humbled by the bravery of our soldiers. I have a deeper respect and gratitude then I've ever known. They are in my prayers more then ever before.

God Bless our Soldiers! God Bless the USA!

Got Light?

Psalm 119:105

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

I love homegrown roses, so when I pruned a storm-damaged rosebush a month ago, I displayed a few of them on my desk. Little did I know my brother's camera would come looking for a photo shoot. When I saw the pic he'd snapped, the above verse came to mind.

Need direction in your life? Need encouragement?

God's Word will give encouragement and direction, but only if you open it and read it.

(Thanks for the pic, bro. As you can see, I like it :-)

Her Best Catch

I ran across a new author last month and decided to try her book, Her Best Catch. I'm glad I did. It is a very light, entertaining read and just in time for summer.

Allison Doll isn't looking for romance. In fact, she's a little aggravated that her best friend's romance has begun to ruin a perfectly good threesome. On top of that, she's busy keeping an eye on her mother who hasn't been the same since the death of her husband. She's also a little busy juggling a hectic work schedule. But at Sunday School one morning, life suddenly takes a turn when a famous ball player walks in and sets his sights on her. 

This story isn't deep or heavy, which is why I picked it up. I like light reading, and this story hooked me from the first. I finished it in less then 24 hours because I didn't want to put the book down. The cast of characters are well drawn, and I found myself laughing several times throughout the story.

I read one review where the reviewer disliked the fact that in the story the 30-year-old Allison was worried about what her mother (and others) would say if she went on an overnight trip with a man even though they would have seperate rooms. The reviewer thought that was ridiculous. I, on the other hand, appreciated that. I am a 30+, single, Christian female, and I would not go on an overnight trip with a man I wasn't married to, even if there were seperate rooms. The exception, as in the story, is a mission trip, etc., where there are others along. So, it was nice to read about a character who thinks there is value in a good reputation and appreciates the opinions of those that have been in authority over her even though she's now a grown adult.

If you want to find out what happens to Allison Doll, you'll need to grab a copy of Her Best Catch by Lindi Peterson. If you're looking for a quick, light, wholesome read for this summer, check out Her Best Catch. I did, and I'm glad I did. All in all, a fun read and an author I'm looking forward to hearing from again!

I would like to thank the publishers of Her Best Catch for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley. I was not asked or required to give a positive review, and all the opinions in the above review are strictly my own. :-)