About this ebook
“What is happening to my life?”
Have you ever honestly asked yourself that question? As young boys, we dreamed of being pilots, firefighters, doctors, and cowboys. Now we’re older, with a wonderful wife and kids, as well as a mortgage, a minivan, and a fulfilling but not-so-glamorous job. What happened? All the dreams that once inspired us have evaporated into traffic jams, computer screens, bills, and deadlines. Why is life so ordinary?
If you think your life is nothing special, take a look at it through God’s eyes.
The revealing truth is that God chooses “ordinary,” faithful men to do His most important work—regular guys like Peter the fisherman, David the shepherd, Stephen the waiter, Gideon the farmer, Paul the tentmaker, and even Jesus the carpenter. In this engaging book, Troy Meeder blends stories about biblical characters and contemporary men to show that an “average-Joe” life, an “ordinary” existence, shapes a man’s integrity, moral stability, resolve, and strength.
The world desperately needs an army of “average Joes.” Like you.
“Troy Meeder’s heart-felt accounts from both his own personal experience and those of friends and family touch a raw nerve in your soul…. Average Joe reminds us that living a life focused on faith, family, and friends is what makes a man exceptional.”
—Rick Wiggers, average Joe and account manager
Includes a study guide for use by men’s groups.
Have you ever honestly asked yourself that question? As young boys, we dreamed of being pilots, firefighters, doctors, and cowboys. Now we’re older, with a wonderful wife and kids, as well as a mortgage, a minivan, and a fulfilling but not-so-glamorous job. What happened? All the dreams that once inspired us have evaporated into traffic jams, computer screens, bills, and deadlines. Why is life so ordinary?
If you think your life is nothing special, take a look at it through God’s eyes.
The revealing truth is that God chooses “ordinary,” faithful men to do His most important work—regular guys like Peter the fisherman, David the shepherd, Stephen the waiter, Gideon the farmer, Paul the tentmaker, and even Jesus the carpenter. In this engaging book, Troy Meeder blends stories about biblical characters and contemporary men to show that an “average-Joe” life, an “ordinary” existence, shapes a man’s integrity, moral stability, resolve, and strength.
The world desperately needs an army of “average Joes.” Like you.
“Troy Meeder’s heart-felt accounts from both his own personal experience and those of friends and family touch a raw nerve in your soul…. Average Joe reminds us that living a life focused on faith, family, and friends is what makes a man exceptional.”
—Rick Wiggers, average Joe and account manager
Includes a study guide for use by men’s groups.
Ratings and reviews
2.0
1 review
A Google user
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May 4, 2011
The spirit of this Average Joe is beautiful – you don’t have to be super to be a hero. I think more people, especially men, need to hear this message. I also appreciate the Christian themes, although they could have been communicated more fluidly.
The writing in this book is regrettably average. Using anecdotes from his own life, Troy Meeder tells stories about ordinary folks accomplishing greatness. I can tell they are stories of deep personal significance to him, but he fails to make them compelling to the reader.
He grossly overuses the “average Joe” term to the point of distraction. Continually revisiting the theme made me feel like a middle schooler, not a grown man. If I were editing this book, I’d cut out all the circling back to the theme, and let these stories speak for themselves. Meeder also sounded amateurish in his periodic grandstanding and misuse of “younger” language. Is he trying to relate to me, or is he way out of touch? Either way, it’s not working.
Though this book couldn’t keep my attention, I did find some redeeming value in Meeder’s fishing narratives. The passion and vigor with which he writes about these tales was both engaging and informative. Message to the author: your next book should definitely be about fishing.
"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."
About the author
Troy Meeder is co-founder of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, a non-profit facility for abused children and horses based in Central Oregon. After a career in corporate America, he served as a youth pastor. Troy’s wife, Kim, is the author of Hope Rising, Bridge Called Hope, and Blind Hope—books that share stories of people dramatically influenced by their ministry. (www.CrystalPeaksYouthRanch.com)
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