.: The Lost Choice by Andy Andrews :.

I reget to announce that I had never heard of Andy Andrews before picking up this book at Ollie’s last week. I was intrigued enough to make the $2.99 purchase for three reasons… #1 - the cover listed Andy Andrews as the author of another New York Times best-seller and #2 - this fiction novel was reviewed by a producer at ESPN on the back cover and #3 - it was a short 234 pages long.

When I started reading it on Monday night, I was immediately captivated.

Andy’s writing took a little getting used to, after reading so much Peretti and Dekker fiction over the past few years, but the read was a quick one. In this book, the chapters were little longer than I would have liked (I like the mental reasoning that I can read a short chapter quickly in the midst of a busy day… without making a long-term commitment to sit and read), but his descriptions of the character’s motives and movements made up for the lengthy chapters.

Overall, the storyline was great… and the plot was captivating enough that I had it finished by Wednesday. And there were some very memorable moments that played out on the pages of this novel that made an impression upon me. I have recently (over the last couple of years) become quite inspired to help students make the continual connection that their life is not ONLY about the here-and-now of their little world… but that they are a much smaller part of a much larger Story. This book does a great job illustrating this fact very well.

Apparently there are two other Andy Andrews novels that are written in this same “Discovery of a Lifetime” series. So I plan to read at least two more of his authored works (”The Traveler’s Gift” and “Island of Saints”).

Good stuff.

+ Weaver’s favorite “The Lost Choice” quote:

     -”The Lord provides everyone with life-changing ideas. These ideas are quite literally a treasure map from the Almighty. It is up to each of us, however, to choose to dig for the treasure. Every man or woman on the planet contains within them the power to change the world, but this power is only manifested when one makes a conscious choice to use it. This is why our world contains so many people who are depressed and unfulfilled. They have joined the growing multitudes who do not act upon the life-changing ideas that are theirs alone. A person who is acting upon an idea is happy and fulfilled. But a person who only intends to do this or that spirals into an ever-deepening pool of guilt and regret. Think of the books and songs that will never be written– works that will remain only in the mind of a person too fearful or selfish or lazy to dig for the treasure. And I am convinced– I have no proof of this, you understand, but I am convinced– that every choice one makes and every action one takes, or doesn’t take, significantly effects the lives of everyone else. We are all connected to each other through our actions. Our decisions to act or not to act, to help or not to help– well, those choices create a ripple effect that can last for centuries.” (p. 89-90)

PRESS ON!!!

 -Weav