As a general rule I don't like to read non-fiction books. I find it hard to get through them. I suppose it's because I like to escape in a book. Occasionally I will read autobiographies or biographies. I class this differently than non-fiction. I suppose I like to peak in to others lives and see what sets them apart from the rest of us. Okay, from myself. For this reason I thoroughly enjoyed By Faith, Not By Sight.
Many folks may recognize the name of Scott MacIntyre as a contestant on American Idol in 2009. However, that is just a small part of who Scott is - obviously. His life is quite an inspiration to many and it's obvious why after reading his book.
Born visually impaired, his parents were determined to raise him like any other child. They encouraged him to learn to ride a bike and even ski. Many people would meet Scott and not realize he was blind. I chuckled when he shared how outraged the neighbors were at the freedom his parents allowed him in exploring his surroundings. They were far from negligent, but they knew that allowing him to explore would give him a greater freedom. My favorite story was when he shared how his mom would take him to the beach and allow him to run full tilt. She would make sure there were no obstacles in his way and encourage him to just run. As the mom of three boys, I can understand how needful that was and also, from his mom's point of view, how scary that could be - to allow him the freedom to fall in order to get back up and try again.
From a very early age, he showed a proficiency in music. At the age of three he began playing the piano by ear and by age six he began his classically training and paying gigs soon followed. His time on American Idol was only a very small part of who he is and what shaped him as a musician. I'm happy to see he is still creating music.
I especially loved the fact that he was homeschooled and how well he did academically. At the age of 14 he began college in large part to the education his mother helped provide for him while the was home. A nice positive story of successful homeschooling.
Scott truly is an inspiration not only to those with challenges such as blindness, but for all of us. He never allowed the challenges he faces daily to give him an excuse to quit. He had to overcome many, many things in his life, not just his visual impairment (read the book!), and his faith shined through it all.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I had it read in about three days. I would highly recommend it.
Many folks may recognize the name of Scott MacIntyre as a contestant on American Idol in 2009. However, that is just a small part of who Scott is - obviously. His life is quite an inspiration to many and it's obvious why after reading his book.
Born visually impaired, his parents were determined to raise him like any other child. They encouraged him to learn to ride a bike and even ski. Many people would meet Scott and not realize he was blind. I chuckled when he shared how outraged the neighbors were at the freedom his parents allowed him in exploring his surroundings. They were far from negligent, but they knew that allowing him to explore would give him a greater freedom. My favorite story was when he shared how his mom would take him to the beach and allow him to run full tilt. She would make sure there were no obstacles in his way and encourage him to just run. As the mom of three boys, I can understand how needful that was and also, from his mom's point of view, how scary that could be - to allow him the freedom to fall in order to get back up and try again.
From a very early age, he showed a proficiency in music. At the age of three he began playing the piano by ear and by age six he began his classically training and paying gigs soon followed. His time on American Idol was only a very small part of who he is and what shaped him as a musician. I'm happy to see he is still creating music.
I especially loved the fact that he was homeschooled and how well he did academically. At the age of 14 he began college in large part to the education his mother helped provide for him while the was home. A nice positive story of successful homeschooling.
Scott truly is an inspiration not only to those with challenges such as blindness, but for all of us. He never allowed the challenges he faces daily to give him an excuse to quit. He had to overcome many, many things in his life, not just his visual impairment (read the book!), and his faith shined through it all.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I had it read in about three days. I would highly recommend it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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