Christian dads have it tough sometimes. So many of the Christian parenting books are written for women. It has really been difficult at times for me to find new resources aimed specifically at dads and the special role they need to play in the lives of their kids. So, I was excited when offered the chance to review Always Fall Forward by Todd Gerelds.
Gerelds is the son of a famous football coach about whom “Woodlawn” was based. The coach’s name meant nothing to me, but the fact that the book taught godly lessons using the Bible and football analogies was key. My husband is like many other wonderful Christian husbands. He loves football. You relate something to football and he is probably going to listen a little more carefully than he might otherwise.
At the end of the day, this is what makes this book have extra value. Christian husbands who might otherwise secretly roll their eyes at the idea of a devotional book may be drawn to read this one, in part because of the football angle.
The book contains 52 devotionals – one for each week of the year. They cover a wide variety of topics including lessons that are important for Christian fathers to learn. Each is based around a concept the author learned from his father – the famous football coach. Within the devotional though, he also uses scriptures to show how those principles are also godly principles.
The devotionals are interesting to read – even if you aren’t a big sports fan. While understanding the game of football might help, I think he explains the football terms well enough that even a novice can follow what he is trying to teach.
My only real issue with the book is that each devotional is meant to cover an entire week. There really isn’t enough “meat’ in four pages to encourage anyone to continue returning to the lesson multiple times during that week. While studying any Bible once a week is better than none, it’s not the best way to help someone establish strong Bible study habits. There is just too much time before the next devotional for the reader to forget about the book entirely. One could easily read it through at once as a regular book, but then there are so many things to consider.
My advice is to use the book for 52 straight days. That is enough to start great Bible study habits. You can then repeat it or find another Bible study. I think men can gain a lot from it, if they read it in such a way that they actually remember to finish it.
This book was given to me for free in exchange for my honest review. An affiliate link is included for your convenience.