commend Tebow for his attempt to spread positivity and light into the world, The trials of his life had all the makings of creating a truly inspirational book, but for me, his storytelling just fell flat, Tebow has been through a lot in his career, but throughout the book he never seems to truly hit rock bottom, Stating that you were sad and discouraged doesn't provide a layered, complex, or relatable narrative, He never seemed to lose faith, even momentarily, which did not come across as believable, The book just skims the surface level of all his emotions without digging deeper to express true pain and despair, Every chapter had the same bland message: "I went through struggles, I held onto my faith, Everything is good" If he was willing to write an entire book about how he was "Shaken", I think he owes it to himself amp the reader to be truly vulnerable.
Unfortunately his lack of vulnerability and his inability to express his desired theme in a more subtle or mature manner, makes the writing, amp thus the message, seem vapid.
When I think of Tim Tebow, I think of Philippians:, While I imagined him as pardon me for saying it, a cookiecutter Christian before I read this book, I learned that he is not so.
The book starts with the story of how he was cut from one team, bounced to the next team, and eventually wanted by no team.
He openly discusses his frustrations in this book and I sensed that he went through some dark periods, The way he comes out of his dark periods is the main objective of this book and he reveals beautifully, He is one of the "shine as lights in the world" people to me, not because he boldly flashed John:on TV it's because of his character of willingness.
And It's not about willingness to do a big thing or bold thing either, "He God will take whatever we have to offer and multiply it in a ways and for a purpose that we cannot even begin to imagine.
. . " His throwing record ofyards,:yards per completion,:time of possession and,million rating for the night on the most amazing come back win against the Steelers inWild Card game was maybe a favor from God because Tebow flashed John:on TVyears ago on the same exact date when he played the NCAA National Championship game which resulted inmillion people googling John:.
That's why Tebow can say "Do something, Trust me, it counts. " And his 'doing' isn't really about advertising Bible verses, You will read about his visits to sick children at their homes, hospitals and jails, and even to the death row inmates, His actions how he interacts with people shows where he says his heart belongs to, I think that's why he can play for a minor lease baseball team called Columbia Fireflies and his Tshirts gets sold outhours after going on sale.
He will not have a Super Bowl ring but he will be rewarded for all the things he's been doing behind the scenes to lighten up people's soul.
He's a real deal. This book was like a chewing gum, It was kind of flat to begin with but it gets better and better, I'm glad I read this book because I am encouraged to continue to do something because God can work some magic,
"Oftentimes we don't dream big enough and oftentimes we don't start small enough" Tim Tebow After reading Amy Poehler's Yes Please and Tim Tebow's Shaken, I officially have a new love for this genre!
Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I finally sat down to read Shaken.
I haven't read his first book, so I'm not familiar with his writing style or his voice, Ultimately though, I was pleasantly surprised!
When I was in high school, I had to read Tuesday's with Morrie and it was one of the only assigned books that I've actually enjoyed.
I took so many inspirational quotes and life lessons away from that book, that it's earned a spot on my list of favorites! And believe it or not, I felt the same way about Tim's newest book as well!
Normally, when I review a novel, I take notes the entire time that I'm reading.
I jot down anything from spelling errors and grammar mistakes to things that I do and don't like, However, with this book, I didn't follow my usual pattern, In fact, the only time that I took down notes was to make note of quotes that I loved, inspirational passages, and new ideas for blog posts based around Tim's book!
There were just so many things that I loved about Shaken that it's hard to know where to start! For one, I loved Tim's writing style.
It's not often that I can pick up a book and feel like I'm talking directly to the author, but that's how Tim made me feel.
It was as if he was sharing story after story with me, face to face!
And the stories! I was afraid that a majority of the book would be filled with football jargon and experiences that I wouldn't relate to, but that just wasn't the case! Shaken was full of inspiration, whether it be from Tim's own experiences or those of the people that he's encountered.
There were many times during my reading that I was surprised by the things that Tim had shared, He's always been a great inspiration in the Christian community so it was humbling knowing that he's gone through some of the struggles that he has.
And obviously, I don't find joy in his pain, but I did find peace in knowing that I'm not alone, It was very comforting knowing that even someone like him needs to be reminded of God's glory every once in a while,
And that's another thing that I loved about Shaken, I found it to be very relatable, Tim made a great point about putting people on to pedestals and honestly, that's something that I did with him as well, Of course, I'll still fangirl if I ever get the chance to meet him, but I now see that he's human, just like the rest of us!
Overall, I would highly recommend this book! Tim's hope for Shaken was that anyone that picks up his book with their head down will finish it with their head held high, and I really think that's what will happen! I know that it definitely worked for me! Book by Wayne J.
Keeley
Tim Tebow was a college football champion, Heisman trophy winner, drafted in the first round of theDraft, Then he had a miracle playoff run with the Denver Broncos before being traded to the New York Jets, After one season he was cut by New York, Next he was signed by the New England Patriots then let go after training campa scenario that repeated itself the following summer with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tim Tebow has achieved big victories and plunged the depths of failure, all while never letting go of his faith, even in the face of doubt and disappointment.
I am not one for spectator sports unless, of course, I have money on a game, And in that case, I am the biggest, most avid sports fan alive, But I have never quite understood the fun of simply watching other people who get paid millions of dollars just to play a recreational game, whether its baseball, football, basketball, hockey, etc.
Suffice it to say, since I do not follow sports on a regular basis, I am not a great one for testosteronefueled bar room, happyhour type of conversation and camaraderie with my male buddies while watching players move a ball down a field.
I should note that I am not a total geek I do enjoy actually playing some sports, especially in my younger days,
So, as hard as it may be to believe, Id never heard of Tim Tebow before reading his book, I didnt know he was a football player or a celebrity, Even my wife knew he was! I never heard of Tebowing the act of dropping to one knee and praying during a sporting event.
Even my seventeenyearold son knew about that, So I read his book Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Lifes Storms without any preconceived notions whatsoever, I stumbled across it in Barnes amp Noble while looking at the shelves containing The New York Times Bestsellers I saw the title and am always on the hunt for motivational and inspirational books.
The dust jacket described how a top athletes life was shaken to its very core and how he had weathered the storm it seemed a worthwhile investment to help cure some of the malaise and stagnation that Ive have recently felt in my own career.
Now I have come to learn that Tim Tebow is known worldwide from his college football days hes a twotime national champion, a firstround NFL draft pick, a humanitarian, a public speaker, a bestselling author, and founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Probably most important of all, however, is that I also discovered that Tim Tebow is a highly competitive, sincere, passionate individual who speaks from his heart.
Shaken is a rubric for weathering lifes rollercoaster rides of ups and downs, There is a saying about how you had better be kind to the people going up the ladder because youre going to see the same ones on your way down.
As Shaken points out, fame like money and looks is transitory, Whats lasting is the legacy that you leave the legacy that you build in life via helping and loving others, While the book may not be unique and/or original in its advice, themes, or guidance, Tebows narrative style makes his points poignant and palatable.
Indeed, its a quick, easy read that keeps you engaged,
From an organizational standpoint, Shaken is wellwritten and scores countless touchdowns with its readers sorry, couldnt help the pun!, The book opens as he is cut from the New England Patriots this devastation sets the stage and foreshadows both his later victories and triumphs.
But this isnt just a runofthemill comeback story, Tebow smartly peppers his chapters with case histories of real people who are struggling with lifeanddeath issues, The overall effect is both instructive and motivational, I must say that as his life is so vastly different from mine, it is a bit tougher for me to empathize with Tebows passing up a chance to make a million dollars in one day for a commercial.
Or when he was cut from one team as a quarterback only to get offers from other NFL teams for other positions, While I can understand that disappointment, like all other feelings, it is both subjective and relative however, I was more empathetic for the cancerstricken young teen who had her appendix, uterus, ovaries, spleen, colon, gallbladder, and most of her small intestine removed, yet still persevered and refused to be a “victim of cancer.
” It was stories like that which gave Shaken much of its power and strength,
Tebows passion for Christianity is interwoven throughout his narrative, but I never felt that he proselytized nor did I feel smothered by religious pedagogy.
But when bad things happen to
good people and we then find ourselves questioning our faith, Tebow is realistic and pragmatic enough to note that our questions “may be answered on this side of heaven, or they may not be.
” As a corollary, Tebow preaches that while God has a master plan for each of us which we may never understand in our lifetime, “dont let that stop you from fighting the good fight and keep the faith.
” Quoting Pablo Picasso, Tebow states that “action is the foundational key to success, ” Tebows emphasis on action reminded me of another motivational writer, Anthony Robbins, who used to say while you cant worry about everything in life, if you never weed your garden, eventually the weeds will take it over.
While there are many Bible quotes, they all are adroitly used to illustrate and support the themes and points made in the book.
My favorite story involves how Tebow would reference Bible quotes in his football eye black glarereducing grease, In, he wore “John:” that describes how God gave us eternal life through Jesus on his eye black during the National Championship game, Apparently, ninetyfour million people Googled “John:” during the game, What was even more astonishing, however, was that three years after wearing “John:” and after the NFL forbade personalizing eyeblack, Tebow and the Broncos defeated the heavily favored Steelersto.
After the win, a reporter brought to Tebows attention that the game was exactly three years after he wore “John:, ” During the game, Tebow threw foryards his yards per completion were,and the ratings for the night were,million! That kind of stuff syncs with my own beliefs that there are no coincidences and sometimes the universe truly does converge,
Tebow collaborated on Shaken with veteran, bestselling writer, A, J. Gregory, whom Tebow thanks in his acknowledgments,
Overall, Shaken accomplishes what it sets out to do: it inspires, motivates, guides, educates, and entertains, I look forward to reading other works by Tim Tebow at least now I know who he is! I purchased this book from Amazon to buddyread with my friend Kayla.
All opinions are my own, Shaken by Tim Tebow. I have always been a Tim Tebow fan from the moment he was a Florida Gator to the day he was cut from the NFL and even when he played college ball I made a remark to my children and said, "The world is not ready for what Tebow represents.
" My kids told me I was crazy, they said Mom he will make it he's a great ball player, Turns out he went to the NFL kept as low a profile as possible, but it wasn't in the cards, While the rest of the world criticized him or poked fun Tim really struggled with what he wanted to do, Turns out God's plans were different for Tim and it took a lot of emotional struggle, family support, and a little bit of faith for Tim to see there was a bigger picture.
In this book he walks through memories that will make you smile, bring tears to your eyes, and make your heart swell all at the same time.
While Tim's dreams were twisted around his Faith was never a question he knew there was a plan even if it wasn't what he dreamed, and he helps the reader remember to look for that too.
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Tim Tebow