Two Minute Drill to Manhood and Raising a Princess by John Croyle

You may be familiar with the name John Croyle. He was an All-American football player who was a defensive end for the University of Alabama and Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. He is also the father of former Alabama and NFL quarterback, Brodie Croyle, who retired in 2012. His daughter, Reagan, was equally successful with a career in modeling.

John and his wife, Tee, started Big Oak Ranch for boys and later created also a Girls’ Ranch. This couple has helped raise nearly 2,000 kids. Many of them sadly had parents already give up on them, but many have been given a fresh start.

Title: The Two-Minute Drill to Manhood

Author: John Croyle

ISBN: 978-1-4336-8071-7

Published by B & H Publishing Group

Suggested Retail: $14.99

The Two-Minute Drill to Manhood was released first of these two. This book shares anecdotes from raising the boys at the ranch and lessons from raising his son, Brodie. This title features seven life principles off of the letters of “manhood” into this acronym:

M – Master
A – Ask and Listen
N – Never Compromise
H – Handle Responsibility
O – One Purpose
O – One Body
D – Don’t Ever, Ever, Ever Give Up

The Two-Minute Drill to Manhood features the importance of good work ethic, ways to help your child handle finances, and time management. As a mother with a young son, I found this a very insightful read. Now to get my husband to take the time to read it too. 🙂

Title: Raising a Princess

Author: John Croyle

ISBN: 978-1-4336-8073-1

Published by B & H Publishing Group

Suggested Retail: $14.99

Raising a Princess starts off with the story of a girl named Shelley, who was a 12-year-old girl in foster care with the Croyle’s. Even thought John Croyle pleaded his case to the judge of why this poor girl should not go back to her parents. He even blatantly stated that she would be dead in six months if she was allowed to go back to her parents. She was beaten to death by her father three months later. The Croyle’s prayed for a way to help other girls and prevent what happened to Shelley. This lead to the beginning of Big Oak Girls’ Ranch.

John writes of “princess power” and how girls need to know how they all are princesses. By this, I don’t mean that they should be pampered and draped in tiaras and fancy gowns. He means a princess in the sense that girls are created by God and valued by people who love them. Unconditional love builds a princess. John share eight virtues that are the signs of a true princess in an acronym of the word:

P: Praiseworthiness

R: Righteousness

I: Initiative

N: Nurture

C: Character

E: Empowerment

S: Servant-Heartedness

S: Stability

Raising a Princess is also a wonderful read. John writes quite a bit on the basis of Proverbs 31. We are to nurture our daughters in a way to prepare her how to properly nurture our grandchildren. That’s an interesting take – considering the long-lasting effects on the next generation.

Nurturing isn’t just being sweet, but it is also to be as tough as nails. Think big, bad mother bear protecting her cubs on that take. The nurturing gene isn’t just for the moms, but for the dads too. This book also talks about self-esteem, empowerment, the importance of serving others, and other topics very important for parents to consider when raising their daughters to become the woman she should be.

Disclosure: I received a copy of these two books to review. No other compensation was received for this post. The thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

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