Take Your Best Shot, By Austin Gutwein with Todd Hillard

Take Your Best Shot Cover

This book was provided to me free to review by the Thomas Nelson book review blogger program.

Nine year old Austin Gutwein became concerned about the number of children who were dying of AIDS in Africa. But unlike most of the rest of us, he actually did something about it.

Now 16, Austin started the Hoops for Hope organization to help raise money and hope for the AIDS children in Africa.

This book is the story of that journey, with challenges throughout the book for the reader to rise up and do something bigger than yourself, whether it’s joining in with the Hoops for Hope effort and doing something else you feel led to do.

It’s interactive in format, with easy to read chapters, that would make a great study for a group of teens or others who wanted to consider how to do something bigger than themselves.

Austin took an act that’s very simple- shooting free throws- and turned it into a “vehicle” to raise over a million dollars for AIDS children in Africa. Groups have taken Austin’s challenge to shoot free throws and the movement is growing year by year.

Take Your Best Shot is highly recommended as a motivating and inspiring book to read by yourself or with a group of people.

Finished!

Well, I finally finished reading the Bible through. My goal was originally 90 days, but it took me more like 160. I may try reading the Bible through in 90 days again some time, but it does make for a very quick reading without much depth. However, I would like to see if I can actually read it through in 90 days. I was actually on track after 60 days, but we went on vacation and I got very much off track then and had trouble getting back on track.

I did find some things I wanted to study more in depth, so the quick reading was helpful in that respect. I would recommend having a plan to read the Bible through, but probably not in 90 days!

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to this blog which chronicles what I’m reading. I’ve always enjoyed reading and this gives me an opportunity to share what I’m reading. Maybe you’ll find something you’d like to read. I know that I’ve got plenty of things to read.

Right now I’m reading through the Bible in the New Living Translation. I’ve read through the Bible in several other translations, but never the NLT. I originally hoped to finish in 90 days, using the plan promoted by Zondervan, but I got off track during our vacation this summer and didn’t make it. I’m still plugging along, but it’s been over 120 days. I’m going to make it!