Final Blogging Assessment in English 1B

My best blog was “About Les Steckel.” In this blog I used elevated diction. An example is when I use the word “accomplished.” This is elevated because it sounds more professional than using the word complete. In this post I use medium length sentences which leave the reader with a good impression because, they are not too long but not too short. In this sentence, “One thing that you will find in this man that one might not find in other of the same background is his love for God,” it explains his love for God without explaining too much about it.

                Over this long trimester I have accomplished my goal. My goal was to complete all of my blogs with proper grammar and before the due date so I wouldn’t procrastinate. I have made my goal by having better grammar and by having all my blogs done on time.

Review of "All Things Possible"

After completing the book "All Things Possible" by Kurt Warner I would give the book a 5 out of 5 stars. I gave it a 5 out of 5 because he made his points clear. He puts all the events in chronological order, and made everything easy to understand. I love how he looks to Christ to help him fight through his struggles; he is NEVER ALONE! This was a very easy read and very easy to understand. I also think it is great that he has created his own orginization to encourage and spread the word of Christianity whether it's through athletics, fundraisers, or simply the spread by mouth. Kurt Warner is one of my big inspiration and I look up to him because of how he lives his, well that and to boot he is one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time.

Summary of "All Things Possible"

The book "All Things Possible" is about the remarkable story of former NFL Quarterback Kurt Warner. Throughout Kurt Warner's life he had been doubted but he didn't let that stop him. Kurt somehow managed to become a very successful quarterback despite being undrafted and being underestimated in his collegiate and high school career. This show's the story of all the hardships Kurt faced, along with the obstacles he faced in his private life. Kurt covers three key points in this book; his faith, his football career, and his relationship with Brenda. Kurt's story is like a puzzle piece, you have to put it together piece by piece in order to reach success. His story is based on how he succeeded because of his faith which he had never really found until he met his future-wife Brenda.

Can You Spot A Pattern?

If you can't tell there is a pattern in my book choice. Both "One Yard Short" and "All Things Possible" are books written by former players and coaches, in this case both NFL related. Both of these stories are about the author's life story and how they have overcome their stuggles. One of the biggest things you will see in both of these is how both Les Steckel and Kurt Warner look to faith(Christianity) to help them persevere. Now both men who were already very accomplished are presidents of their orginizations; which encourage the use of athletics to promote faith and how anything can be overcome when you have faith. The reason this is a big topic for me is because at one point I was struggling and I looked to God for help. Now for the past three or four months I have been at Church every Sunday unlike the rest of my life where I have been very inconsistant about going to Church. This book grab my attention because I can share similar experiences, just at a bit smaller scale.

About Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner was a former NFL quarterback who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. He has won the "Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year," along with many other awards. After his playing career his wife and him decided to start their own foundation called "First Things First Foundation." The goal of this foundation is to promote the thought of everything can be overcome if you seek "first things first," and to promote Christian values. Kurt is where he is today and had the success he wished for because he believed and never gave up.

All Things Possible

After I read “One Yard Short” by Les Steckel I started the book “All Things Possible” by Kurt Warner. I found this book through Goodreads. The reason I chose to read this book is because it is similar to “One Yard Short.” The reason I was so interested in this book is because it is the story of one of the most known quarterbacks in NFL history; Kurt Warner. Once again this book is about Kurt Warner’s story and how he turned to faith to rocket himself to become the MVP and win the Superbowl. The title also intrigued me to read this book. Have you ever just said something to yourself or read something and was instantly hooked? That was me, the title really caught my attention and had me thinking.

Review of One Yard Short

After reading the book “One Yard Short” by Les Steckel I would give it 5 out of 5 stars. This book was absolutely phenomenal and for sure had an impact on me. I can guarantee one thing this book didn’t fall one yard short of my hands. One lesson I took away from this book is throughout life there will be many curves thrown at you but its how you pick yourself up that will determine the future. No matter what it is, whether it is a death of someone close, the loss of a job, or just simply a mistake you wish could take back, as long as you look to god to help you get through it you will persevere! I recommend this book to anyone facing any hard times, struggles, or someone who just needs a reality check. This book is definitely for you!

About Les Steckel

Author and former Coach Les Steckel is an insanely good guy and very accomplished man. From being a Golden Gloves boxing champion, to being a US Marine Corps infantry officer in the Vietnam War, from coaching college and NFL teams to finally becoming the President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Les Steckel is truly an inspiration and a true hero. One thing that you will find in this man that one might not find in other of the same background is his love for God. He is a real “Christian.” With experiencing many different careers he must keep one focus and to him his focus is on what Jesus did for us and what he did on the cross. It isn’t just what Jesus did for us but it is also that no matter what God is always in control.

            Many of you may not know what the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is. The FCA is an organization whose goal is to use athletics to spread the word of god. Les Steckel became the seventh president of this organization. During his NFL coaching career he led bible studies and was also a guest speaker for the FCA working at the football camps they held.

One Reason I Like This Book

One of the main reasons I like the book “One Yard Short” by Coach Les Steckel is because even through all of his struggles he is always able to persevere. No matter what it takes he is always able to fight through it and come out on top. But what I love the most about Les Steckel is when he is thrown a curve he looks to God to help him overcome it. And trust me it’s not like he has only been faced with one hardship. Les Steckel has been fired 8 separate times and when he was offered another coaching job he declined it because his son wanted to finish his senior year at the school he started at. The fact he does what his family wants and needs, and not what he wants is remarkable.

One Yard Short- Why I Chose This?

                I chose the book “One Yard Short” by Les Steckel. I do not like reading so for me to read a book is awesome. I am a very picky reader and only like certain types of books. If I read a book it has to be either about sports, or a real life story. So the reason I chose this book was because it is about both.

                When I picked up this book it looked and sounded very good. I know the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” well let’s just put it this way, I’m guilty! I did judge this book by the cover but I guess I did a good job. I was intrigued by the title and the picture. But when I turned the book over I was only that much more pulled in. The summary of the book sparked my mind. This book was written by Les Steckel; who was coach at the time of the play that was “One Yard Short.” The book is about his real-life struggle and how he got through it.

Krista Ramsey

Dorothy Johnson, 53, passed away on March 6 but her funeral arrangements are still being postponed. Dorothy had made her youngest son the beneficiary and he is only 16, so now the family is battling the law to say goodbye. To check out more about this tragic story, Click Here.

The best line in this article is in the 5^th paragraph. “When that happened, it plunged the family into not only grief and shock, but a legal nightmare of not being able to provide a funeral service or to say their final good-byes.” This line standouts to me the most because it shows how much the government is involved and how they won’t even provide the family with money to have a funeral and burial service for their mother.  The style of this article is casual. This is casual because it is any easy read, nothing is elevated, and doesn’t show a view point.

·         Three questions I’d ask…  

o   How did you approach the kids?

o   Was it hard writing about this subject?

o   Do you get to choose what you write about?