This is a rollercoaster ride of grace and redemption without an ounce of pretense."
— Charlie Peacock
GRAMMY® Award Winning Producer
Bikes. Vans. Johnny Cash. Love. God.
Kyle Duford was a successful executive, mostly because he preferred working overseas to being at home in his broken marriage. But as his life took a dramatic turn, was fired, divorced, and contemplating suicide, he started to feel chased by God. That's when, as he started looking back on his life, he realized that nearly every person with whom he interacted, at nearly every stage in life, was really "Jesus with skin on," showing God's love for him.
After a period of his brokenness in the days after his firing, he knew something had to change, so he hopped a flight to Maui to be alone with his thoughts and whatever the universe, or God—or whatever was out there—had in store for him. It's in those days that Jesus used nearly every person with whom he came in contact to show Kyle he was there, with him, chasing him.
But God saved his biggest surprise for last: a random introduction to his life-long love with whom he hadn't had any contact in twenty-one years. Not on social. Not an email. Nothing. And that encounter would change everything.
A story of life with-and-without God and how he helps us to be ourselves in a unique and authentic way so we can live life to the fullest.
PLAYLIST
Enjoyed this immensely. Gutsy, raw, authentic book that glorifies Jesus.
This book is a compelling story of a man's journey in finding faith, losing his way, and finding God anew. It is very engaging, with each relatively brief chapter advancing the story through scenes and reflections that are alternately humorous, sad, gripping, and contemplative. The author "dares greatly" to tell his story with vulnerability and honesty. Highly recommended to both Christians and general readers.
The book was incredibly open and honest. Full of brokenness and truth about being chased by the Father. A second chance to understand love and experience Love incarnate in a life full of chaos and hurt. Highly recommend this to anyone who has struggled and is struggling with understanding how this life works while also learning more about who you are as a believer. Bravo, Kyle. Beautiful.
I really enjoyed this book because it was written from a very human perspective. The author grounds his story in his own life experience and tells you what his journey means to him, rather than preaching to the reader about what they should be doing with their lives. Worth your time if you’re looking for inspiration!
In the movie, Shadowlands, CS Lewis’ characters says, “We read to know that we are not alone.”That is one of the reasons memoirs are my favorite genre.Every person has a story that is unique to them and special and unique to God. I don’t think I’ve read one memoir where there wasn’t at least something that spoke to me or resonated at a deep level. I’ve read memoirs where the author seemed be boasting on every page and others where they seemed to be sharing their own self-loathing, but there is always something in there that connects, as we are all human and are experiencing this journey we call life. At times our journey is filled with joy and at times we find ourselves in the darkest valleys, but I think many of us resonate with the saying that life all together is a beautiful mess – I know I do.While I may find something that resonates in each story, the memoirs that resonate the most with me and that have stayed with me over time are the ones filled with authenticity and humility. The ones where the memoirist was willing to open their heart and let the story speak for itself, without trying to whitewash or spin a tale. Kyle Duford’s memoir, Twice Found: Getting a Second Chance at Life, Love, and Understanding God, is one of these memoirs.At its heart I found it to be a love story.The subtitle is Getting a Second Chance at Life, Love, and Understanding God. This comes through in every chapter. Kyle’s joy of the celebration of the beauty that springs from ashes pours from every page. I had tears in my eyes when he proposed, for the second time, to his first love; I laughed at times; and I nodded my head, as I connected with many little things in his story along the way. It was a beautiful adventure.The book was enjoyable to read and was the perfect first book for the New Year.I read a lot of memoirs and one distinction I have found is how a writer will portray their life. In some I learn about their story and get sucked into their childhood or trauma or experience, but I don’t really know who they are today (Phil Knight’s, Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, & Tara Westover’s, Educated, are two examples), and in others I come away feeling as though I know the person they are at the moment (Pete Holme’s Comedy Sex God and Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights come to mind). I love both of these styles and one is not better than the other - they are just different and the choice the writer makes. In this memoir it was the second style that came through. Kyle's authenticity was not only apparent in the memories of his journey and what he experienced along the way, but he opened and shared his personality and his interests.Kyle writes, “We all have a story. Yours may feel worse than mine. It may seem better. But when God breaks us – from David down to you and me – we have no choice but to respond and bend a knee.” This was Kyle sharing who he is right now and as I closed the book I felt as though I got to know the person he is today, in a small way. This is beautiful and is one of the reasons I rate this memoir so high.“We read to know that we are not alone.”While I have never had a Chick-fil-A sandwich and I lived in Portland too long to drink Folger’s coffee, I found in Kyle’s story that I am not alone in loving the Ace Hotel, moleskin journals, running and being given a second chance at love when it felt as though my world was ending in brokenness.I also loved the "mirror" image on the cover - totally capturing the twice found theme. You see Kyle on his bike as a young man in Allentown and as an adult in Hawaii when you flip it over (see my photo) - fantastic and original cover!I would highly recommend Twice Found: Getting a Second Chance at Life, Love, and Understanding God and I’m grateful Kyle has shared a little bit of his story and heart with the world. Thank you!