Surround Yourself With Greatness

Proverbs 13:20:

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed”

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By : Chase Sorenson

Chad Lewis

Chad Lewis was born 10/5/71 In Orem Utah

Played Football at BYU and 9 years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams

3x Pro Bowler

Wikipedia. (2010, 2 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_Lewis

 

 

Characters

In Surround Yourself With Greatness there are many people who play vital role in his life and in essence could be called Characters

There are many of them from his parents to Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, Dick Vermeil, Ty Detmer, Morris Unutoa and many more.

Throughout the book its clear how important friendship is to Chad Lewis and much he value’s the relationships he has made here are a couple of the people he mentions often throughout the book.

Favorite Characters

As I mentioned earlier the list of people who play a part in this book is countless, having said that these are the ones who had the most impact on me.

Vai Sikahema, President Kent Watson, Larry Harmer and Roger Lewis (Chad Lewis Father)

Favorite Characters Continued

Via was one of the first people he met in Philadelphia and really helped him and his wife acclimate to not only life in Philly, but also to life in the NFL. Was a mentor and became a life long friend of Lewis’

President Kent Watson was his mission president for the Taiwan mission at the time he was there, and Lewis’s credits him during the whole book. One of the things Lewis said of him “I was totally impressed by President Watson. He had a great influence on me and altered the course of my life in many ways” Which to me is the best compliment a man could get.

Favorite Characters Continued 3

Larry Harmer was a very big part of his life as well. While on their mission Harmer was the one who challenged Lewis to walk on the the football team at BYU when he got back. And that was huge because without that challenge he could have never tried and this book would not be written

Perhaps the most important character in the book to me was his father (Roger Lewis). He helped raise him and to me no one has more of any impact on a young man’s life then his father. And its clear after reading this book the impact his father had on him.

Summery (Utah To Taiwan)

From the very start of the book it comes out and grabs your attention and never looks back.

The two major events of this section of the book have to be his dad’s stroke, and his LDS Mission to Taiwan.

Roger Lewis suffer a stroke and an aneurysm on July 2nd 1990, just 3 ½ months before Chad was to leave on his church mission. His dad’s recovery was a miracle being as they only gave him a 5% chance of making it through surgery.

Chad Lewis Entered the MTC on October 24th 1990

Summery 2 (Life At BYU)

Walks on the football while attending school at BYU.

While playing football at BYU he was named to the All WAC team twice. Honorable mention All American and a semi-finalist for the Fred Bilentikoff Award.

Met his Wife Michele and married while still there, had their first daughter Emily halfway through his senior season.

Summery 3 (Life In The NFL)

Lewis signed the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent following his senior season at BYU.

During his 9 years in the NFL. He played for the Eagles and the St. Louis Rams.

Made many life long friendships and because of his NFL career he got to meet many people including President George W Bush.

Setting

The time period of this book is from 1990 to the present day. Its important because the whole theme of the book is being surrounded by great people. Advice like that never goes out of date no matter what time period it is.

The book takes events that happened in his life all around the world. Everywhere from Orem Utah to Taiwan. I find that important because it just goes to show that no matter where you live in this world all you need to do to be happy is just surround yourself with good people.

Themes

The 1st of the three themes I chose to do is friendship.

The reason I chose this was very simply while reading this book it became very evident to me how much a good friend impact your life. And the author makes it very clear to the reader in the ways his friends have impacted him.

Themes 2

The 2nd theme I chose to is faith.

To me this book spoke to how important it is to have faith. Weather it be in God, a friend, a religion, or just simply the faith that things will get better everyday.

This one really struck a cord with me because I think that faith is a vital thing that many people today do not have and it shows with how the world is going. And this book showed me some amazing examples of faith.

Themes 3

The 3rd theme I chose to do is Greatness.

I did this because its part of the title of the book and who in life does not want to be great at whatever they do? The answer is no one.

This book portrays Greatness very well. Giving countless examples of it, but it also talks about what one must do to be great. And it to be great you must “Surround Yourself With Greatness”

Book Rating

I would give my book a 9 of 10.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who would ask me about it. For the type of book it is it really pulls you in and never lets go. It leaves the reader wanting to “Surround Yourself With Greatness”.

“Surround Yourself With Greatness is a feast of compelling stories, skillfully told. I Genuinely enjoyed the book and felt inspired by the power of its message” – Michael O Leavitt Former US Secretary of Health and Human Science

Social Issue

My social issue is Church and State, and the role of god in America.

I chose to do this because this is an issue that affects everyone in America.

God was also a major role in the book I chose to do my report on.

Social Issue Continued

The song I chose for my social issue is “In God We Still Trust” by Diamond Rio And Pink Houses by John Mellencamp.

The Video link is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1SonwyVx4I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOfkpu6749w

I used these two media’s because they both portray what I believe on this issue

With that said I know that on this issue there are many different opinions and interpretation's of the laws

Declaration Of Independence

“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

The Declaration of Independence appeals to God no less than three times. Four to those who can see His Name in the phrase "protection of divine providence". Five to those who can admit the phrase "created equal" means created by God, not evolved from chaos.

www.ushistory.org/declaration/document

First Amendment

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

www.firstamendmentcenter.org

Supreme Court Rulings

McCollum V. Board Of Education Dist 71(1948) (Court finds religious instruction in public schools a violation of the establishment clause and therefore unconstitutional.)

Torcaso V. Watkins (1961) (Court holds that the state of Maryland cannot require applicants for public office to swear that they believed in the existence of God. The court unanimously rules that a religious test violates the Establishment Clause.)

Engel V. Vitale (1962) (Any kind of prayer, composed by public school districts, even nondenominational prayer, is unconstitutional government sponsorship of religion.)

Stone V. Graham (1980) (Court finds posting of the Ten Commandments in schools unconstitutional.)

www.infidels.org/library/modern/chruch-state/decisions.html

Supreme Court Rulings Con.

Wallace V. Jaffree (1985) (State's moment of silence at public school statute is unconstitutional where legislative record reveals that motivation for statute was the encouragement of prayer. Court majority silent on whether "pure" moment of silence scheme, with no bias in favor of prayer or any other mental process, would be constitutional.)

Edwards V. Aquillard (1987) (Unconstitutional for state to require teaching of "creation science" in all instances in which evolution is taught. Statute had a clear religious motivation.)

Allegheny V. ACLU (1989) (Court finds that a nativity scene displayed inside a government building violates the Establishment Clause.)

www.infidels.org/library/modern/chruch-state/decisions.html

Founders View

" You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention." George Washington

"History will also afford frequent opportunities of showing the necessity of a public religion...and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern." Benjamin Franklin

“It is the duty of all wise, free, and virtuous governments to help and encourage virtue and religion.” John Jay

" Let...statesmen and patriots unite their endeavors to renovate the age by...educating their little boys and girls...and leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system." Samuel Adams

www.christianparents.com/ffathers.htm

Bibliography

www.christianparents.com

www.infidels.org

www.heritage.org

www.firstamendmentcenter.org

www.ushistory.org/declaration/document