Some Olympic athletes seem to be designed to go for the gold. Take swimmer Missy Franklin– she has size 13 feet and a 6-foot-4 wingspan. But others are shockingly successful given what appear to be physical limitations. Forty-five year old Dana Torres narrowly missed competing in her sixth Olympics games, getting beaten out by swimmers 20 years younger. According to the Washington Post, in the past three Summer Olympics, 64 of the U.S. team’s 1,707 athletes have been age 40 and older — and they won 23 medals.

These inspiring stories are why I love the Olympics so much. I’m a runner, and although I probably won’t ever compete for the gold (or silver or bronze for that matter!) I am inspired and challenged to strive to improve my own personal bests. There is a lot that we can take from the Olympics and apply to our Christian lives.

One of the primary ways we can live like Olympians is through powerful, and often transformational, books. Of course we believe that the Bible is the best guidebook for being all that God calls us to be. And at Ambassador International we have many great biblically-based resources available to help you champion different areas of your life:

• The Race by Sammy Tippit will help you to read the Bible through the eyes of a runner, building your character, strength and endurance, preparing your heart and mind for this life.
• You can bring the gold standard to your marriage with the principles laid out in Marriage Triage. Author Stephen Goode will teach you to bring the dedication of an athlete to your relationship.
•  If you wish to better your appearance we have What Is Beautiful — author Tica Tallent teaches the reader from years of experience on how to dress appropriate for their body type while giving glory to God.

If you’re aiming to better your personal best we have the titles to help get you in shape. Let us know what books have been game changers for you.

 

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