Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Armys First Blind Active-Duty Officer

leondumoulin.nl: Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army's First Blind Active-Duty Officer (): Cap. Scotty Smiley, Doug Crandall: Books.
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If I were rating this book solely on the writing, I'd give it fewer stars. The writing itself wasn't brilliant but the life and story of Scotty Smiley is. I found this book to be inspiring and faith promoting. Dec 23, Charles rated it liked it. This is a "feel good" read. The story about him being a soldier is guite short.

It could probably be told in a couple of chapters. Most of the story is about his belief in God and is worth the read. Mar 15, Heidi Leigh rated it it was amazing. This book is a must read for anyone but especially those in the veteran community trying to figure out what God has for them now! What an amazing story of bravery, healing and hope.

Mar 11, Abby Adams rated it it was amazing. This book was very inspirational. It was a quick read and went through it very fast but nonetheless it was a great read I highly recommend! Nov 10, Lisa Johnson rated it it was amazing. Howard Books How many biographies have you read? Have you ever read any autobiographies? Now, coming through the other side of such adversity, Captain Scotty shares his life an Title: Now, coming through the other side of such adversity, Captain Scotty shares his life and the lives of his family with readers.

The Story of the U.S. Army's First Blind Active-Duty Officer

Born into a godly family and one of seven kids, Scotty shares his past growing up in a large family. Scotty shares who influenced his life and who kept going when all want to sideline him out of life now that he is blind. The book is written with a transparent heart that has gone through various trials and still continues to as he lives each day not being able to see. The moment I opened this book, I was hooked. I had never heard of this courageous man or his family.

It never occurred to me that someone who was blind could remain in the service of his country or would even want to. The faith instilled in him since his youth is tested, tried, and deepened through adversity. Character is forged through the fire of losing sight forever here on earth, with an uncertain future. In the book, we are reminded the influence parents have in forging the faith of their children. While we might not be thanked by our children or other children we influence while they are young, in the future you might see what becomes of what is planted in the life you nurture.

Being a parent myself of two boys, who are now young men, I know the ups and downs of parenting and the hopes and desires. I know how the choices I make today as well as those of my husband with our sons have yet to culminate to their ultimate fulfillment. One thing I do know is very important, whether you have children or not, we all can influence the current and future generations. We can all pray for them. Some we can pray for by name, others we can pray for generally, trusting God because He knows each one.

We can encourage parents as they raise their kids to follow the Lord and live lives sold out for Him. The other encouragement we can give is to be in the Word daily as individuals, families and as the Body of Christ. Daily devotions, reading the Word, studying the Word, and memorizing the Word will equip each generation to battle not just the battles in their lives, but also in the lives of others as well.

What verse or verses have you memorized? If you had to pick a single verse or multiple verses, what would they be? My rating is 4 stars.

Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army's First Blind Active-Duty Officer by Scotty Smiley

I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at http: Also follow me on Twitter lcjohnson, FaceBook at https: Excellent Book - particularly for those who face crisis of faith. Scotty Smiley faces those crises head on everyday and succeeds with God in his corner. Nov 07, Kathleen Kat Smith rated it it was amazing Shelves: Captain Scotty Smiley, might not see things like we do, but it doesn't mean he doesn't see what is important and how to live his life despite seemingly difficult circumstances.

While serving in Mosul in Iraq he became the target of a suicide bomber and subsequently lost his eyesight. He could have dealt with things as most of us would have and simply come home and attempt to live a life as best as he could now being completely blind, but he didn't. He did things most of us only imagine. He scale Captain Scotty Smiley, might not see things like we do, but it doesn't mean he doesn't see what is important and how to live his life despite seemingly difficult circumstances.

He scaled the heights of Mt. Rainer, served as the army's first action-duty blind officer and its first blind company commander.

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He continues to inspire countless numbers of people including myself to stop feeling sorry for what life has dealt you and instead move forward in the grace and strength that God has given us all. In each chapter, you see how difficult things are for Scotty to pick up the pieces and simply do what all of us with sight can do. Perhaps we are the ones who are truly blind and Scotty has been given a different set of eyes to see the possibilities in life, if we are only willing to take a step of faith and move forward.

I truly believe that this book is a great inspirational story and the perfect gift for those facing their own set of unique circumstances that are attempting to hold them back. It will hopefully provide them with enough hope that they don't have to settle for anything less than what God has in store for them. The possibilities are truly endless. I truly value my gift of sight, and wouldn't know where to begin to do even some of the things that Scotty did. I could never imagine in my wildest dreams, taking on a mountain climb to a 14, foot summit, across endless ice bridges only strong enough to support one man, and knowing you must walk it alone with only words and a rope as your guide.

Just closing my eyes and attempting to navigate a sidewalk is challenging enough for me. Scotty Smiley is a true inspiration to those of us that often wonder where the heroes are in this world. In my book, he is one of the greatest. I easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend this one if you are feeling with no hope in your life. Perhaps it might change how you "see" your life!


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Apr 07, Jocelyn Green rated it it was amazing Shelves: None of the above were true of Unseen Hope. I truly loved this book. What happens when a man of God loses his sight? This is tough stuff. He overcame so much, it was just jaw-dropping mind-boggling to read about. They had been married sixteen months before his injury, only four months of which were spent together. In his book, Capt. The me who could not see was totally dependent.

There is nothing in the Bible that qualifies that statement, nothing that says I need eyes. It says only that I need Christ.

It was a truth that my blindness was going to help me see. My confidence was being moved away from self—from my own ability to see and control—to a new hope, a hope unseen.

Having Hope in Christ - CPT Scotty Smiley - leondumoulin.nl

If you get a chance, read it. Scott Smiley was a platoon leader in Iraq when a bomb blinded him for life but not before he helped save the men under his command. He received the Purple Heart. He climbed up a mountain, surfed in Hawaii, got his M. This is also a great faith story.

He was strong in the faith of the Lord, lost it, and now he gives talks in church A Remarkable story! He was strong in the faith of the Lord, lost it, and now he gives talks in churches to share his story, giving all the credit to the Lord. This is an outstanding book! Scotty is the first blind soldier to actively still serve in the army as a speaker and leadership teacher at West Point thanks to his wife following her instincts and God. This book is very enlightening regarding the struggles blind people have.

I really liked the emotional part of the book where Scotty shares his anger toward God and how he was able to recapture his faith and trust in God in spite of what God had allowed to happen to him. It is amazing that after he was blind he still was able to be adventurous: Rainier, skydived and accepted speaking engagements which all began with a choice he made to get out of his hospital bed and take a shower. This book is so inspirational and encouraging. At the end he shares some key points about transformational leadership on page that I found interesting: Mar 23, Albert rated it liked it Shelves: This is an autobiography of an Army officer who was injured in Iraq, resulting in complete blindness and his journey through this process.

The story is inspiring, but I question how applicable it would be for the general reader: Scotty faced unimaginable lows and overcame them.


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  • Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army's First Blind Active-Duty Officer.

    • I also had difficulty with This is an autobiography of an Army officer who was injured in Iraq, resulting in complete blindness and his journey through this process. Although I believe he was sincere when he said he was not boasting in relaying his accomplishments and his wife and the other wonderful things in his life, I had a difficult time not viewing Scotty as boastful. I think this may be more a fault of the writing than him. I also found it interesting what was missing: Scotty makes it abundantly clear that he is a strong faith in God.

    Hope Unseen

    But what he does not comment upon is his reconciliation of being a Christian and a soldier who can be called upon to kill another human being. Seeing as how his story is one that is deeply entrenched in his faith and in his life as a military officer, absence of this discussion seemed remiss. If he addressed this, I must have slept through the chapter. Nonetheless, his journey is quite amazing and there are gems that anyone can appreciate. Dec 18, Dwayne rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book was amazing. I suggest to anyone. It shows you about never giving up and anyone doing anything that they put their mind too.

    Jun 09, Brooke rated it really liked it. Really good read that I just couldn't put down. Its the story of a soldier who lost his eyes in a car bomb in Iraq and his struggle dealing with a new life of blindness. Scotty is also a man of faith and the book talks a lot, very honest and frank, about the subsequent loss of faith and his renewing his faith through what would be a testing time for anyone. I liked how the book wasn't just about Scotty, it is also about his wife, who's also had her life turned upside down by Scotts blindness. I g Really good read that I just couldn't put down. I grew up with Scott and Tiffany.

    I had Scott in a couple of classes and he was just as he described in the book, a bit cocky, but good natured. It was really neat to know a lot of the people in the book, to know a lot of the places and events referenced. It added enjoyment to the book for me, but even if I hadn't known Scott, I would have really enjoyed the book anyways. Good story, a really good inspirational read. Oct 21, IrenesBookReviews rated it it was amazing. This is a very moving story about an officer in the Army who loses his sight while serving in Iraq. You will follow him on his journey through the loss of his sight to accomplishing goals he never thought possible.

    This book is not about the tragedy of something lost but about the hope for a future. From mountain climbing to surfing you will follow this brave man as he conquers adventures even a man with sight may find hard. I enjoyed reading this book. I liked how it showed the positive and nega This is a very moving story about an officer in the Army who loses his sight while serving in Iraq. I liked how it showed the positive and negative of having a disability.

    I was encouraged by how the family relied on the Lord and how He never forgot them. The book was well written and easy to read. Definitely worth your time, especially if you enjoy stories of triumph over adversity! I was given this book by christianreviewofbooks. Aug 22, Monica Holvey rated it it was amazing. This story is truly inspirational I personally know Scotty and he is a living and breathing example of my favorite poem: A bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.

    All of us would if our sight was taken from us. This man had to mentally overcome his blindness, and this story illustrates that he did. The underlying tone here, however, is what This story is truly inspirational It will inspire them in tough times and help them through some of the difficult challenges they face in life. He was a role model for our family before his injury, and his impact on us has only grown since that day in Mosul.

    Scotty has an incredible story to tell and God is using him in a remarkable way. All of the Grahams look forward to reading and sharing Scotty's story with millions.

    He shared his story with our Olympic Gold Medal— winning basketball team, and now he shares it with all of us to show how character ultimately wins. I look forward to helping spread his example to people everywhere. You'll never want to complain about your circumstances again! His determination to overcome and to allow God to be honored in the telling of his story is richly conveyed through this book.

    Free eBook available to NEW subscribers only. Must redeem within 90 days. See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

    West Point, however, could not prepare him for April 6, , when a suicide bomber set off a chain of events that left him blind for the rest of his life. Scotty refused to let his blindness define him, and with a host of helpers including his wife Tiffany, his dog Ocean, and countless servicemen and women, he remained determined to serve his country.

    In he was named the Army Times Soldier of the Year. The inscription that Scotty requested on his West Point see more. The Death of Mrs. Westaway By Ruth Ware. Lying in Wait By Liz Nugent. The Outsider By Stephen King.