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Who You Are: A Story of Second Chances
“Tell them who you are!” This is the immediate request from child advocate John Croyle to any one of the Big Oak kids when they are introduced to someone. It’s a declaration that who they are carries value. Value that is not defined by the circumstances that led them to be in at the Big Oak Ranch. Value that is also not defined by what you believe God can or can’t do through you.
This is a lesson that John Croyle, his family, and the team of Big Oak Ranch have learned well. Faced with one of the most important decisions of his life — whether to play professional football or to start a children’s home — John followed the Lord’s leadership. In the decades since that decision, they’ve seen his dream of helping hurting kids grow into a ministry that has shaped the lives of more than 2,000 children.
Surely we, too, would be changed to experience a ministry with this kind of legacy. This isn't a dream and a hope or the seed of a ministry. This is well scarred, deep rooted ministry that grows strong, oak tree kind of faith. It's faith-building for the kids reached through the ministry and now for those of us who can hear the story of it.
Who You Are tells this story of the life shaping, Kingdom transforming ministry that God used one man to begin. Yet, the bigger story is in who you are and what God can do to use you in the lives of others. Come along for one incredible and improbable story of how God has worked and in doing so, truly discover how He can work through you.
This is a lesson that John Croyle, his family, and the team of Big Oak Ranch have learned well. Faced with one of the most important decisions of his life — whether to play professional football or to start a children’s home — John followed the Lord’s leadership. In the decades since that decision, they’ve seen his dream of helping hurting kids grow into a ministry that has shaped the lives of more than 2,000 children.
Surely we, too, would be changed to experience a ministry with this kind of legacy. This isn't a dream and a hope or the seed of a ministry. This is well scarred, deep rooted ministry that grows strong, oak tree kind of faith. It's faith-building for the kids reached through the ministry and now for those of us who can hear the story of it.
Who You Are tells this story of the life shaping, Kingdom transforming ministry that God used one man to begin. Yet, the bigger story is in who you are and what God can do to use you in the lives of others. Come along for one incredible and improbable story of how God has worked and in doing so, truly discover how He can work through you.
- GenresNonfictionChristian
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2015
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 3, 2021
This is one of my most favorite books. John Croyle is much like your favorite uncle who has sage advice no matter the situation. I read this book about every other year.
July 3, 2025
Number of pages: 178
Genre: Non-fiction
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: adults (with their own families)
Summary: John Croyle could have been a professional football player but gave it up because he felt God leading him to open a home for abused and neglected children. He shares the story of his ministry; while also encouraging others to embrace who God created them to be and live the full life He has planned for them.
My thoughts: This is the second time I’m reading this book and while I only intended to read this so I could review it, I enjoyed the book more this time than the first. To be fair, the first time I read it, I thought there would be more of a focus on the story of the kids at Big Oak Ranch, but it’s more of a book telling you where to find your identity and purpose in life, with some of the kids' stories thrown in as object lessons.
Some of the kids’ stories are horrifying. It’s terrible what they’ve endured, what their parents - who should be protecting them - have done to them. John talks of little girls who were sexually abused by their own family members, of young boys who protected their siblings or mother from an abusive father or boyfriend. This isn’t every child’s story who lives at the ranch, but it is the story of too many.
I didn’t love all the language John used or alluded to. Sometimes he avoided a bad word but mentioned that he was using something less crude than what the person really said. I wish he hadn’t brought attention to that – I don’t feel like it was helpful or added to his book to include that.
This is really more of a parenting book/how to help kids who have been horribly mistreated with a little bit of how to get your own life together too. I loved John’s point about having a focus and you can’t do everything. It’s better to turn away some people and point them to different help than stretch yourself too thin or bring in other troubles that you can’t properly deal with and might affect the people who you otherwise might have helped. It’s kind to say no sometimes, as you can’t do everything and help everybody.
I loved how John pointed everyone to depend on Jesus. There were a few parts of the book where John would get on a subject, and I’d feel like he was talking more about self help and then would suddenly say “this is all because of Jesus” or something like that. Overall it was easy to tell that he didn’t mean for this to be a self-help book (although he does have a lot of good, practical advice).
One quote I really liked “God never calls us to sacrifice our families at the altar of ministry”. I have read some stories (both non-fiction and fiction) where missionary parents send their kids away to live with relatives or go to boarding school while they’re off in a far-off country being a missionary. Some of it is just that’s what parents did with their kids at the time (i.e., every child went to boarding school), but I still recognize the damage that it caused to some (not all), of these kids. I don’t mean to criticize what other people did, just point out that when God gives you a family, they are your responsibility, and He will never ask you to put them aside to do other work for Him. Taking care of and raising a family for God is important work you can do for Him.
This book was very interesting, and I think it helped me to realize I need to have a focus and stick to it. That said, I think it’s more of a book for parents or people working with youth.
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
Genre: Non-fiction
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: adults (with their own families)
Summary: John Croyle could have been a professional football player but gave it up because he felt God leading him to open a home for abused and neglected children. He shares the story of his ministry; while also encouraging others to embrace who God created them to be and live the full life He has planned for them.
My thoughts: This is the second time I’m reading this book and while I only intended to read this so I could review it, I enjoyed the book more this time than the first. To be fair, the first time I read it, I thought there would be more of a focus on the story of the kids at Big Oak Ranch, but it’s more of a book telling you where to find your identity and purpose in life, with some of the kids' stories thrown in as object lessons.
Some of the kids’ stories are horrifying. It’s terrible what they’ve endured, what their parents - who should be protecting them - have done to them. John talks of little girls who were sexually abused by their own family members, of young boys who protected their siblings or mother from an abusive father or boyfriend. This isn’t every child’s story who lives at the ranch, but it is the story of too many.
I didn’t love all the language John used or alluded to. Sometimes he avoided a bad word but mentioned that he was using something less crude than what the person really said. I wish he hadn’t brought attention to that – I don’t feel like it was helpful or added to his book to include that.
This is really more of a parenting book/how to help kids who have been horribly mistreated with a little bit of how to get your own life together too. I loved John’s point about having a focus and you can’t do everything. It’s better to turn away some people and point them to different help than stretch yourself too thin or bring in other troubles that you can’t properly deal with and might affect the people who you otherwise might have helped. It’s kind to say no sometimes, as you can’t do everything and help everybody.
I loved how John pointed everyone to depend on Jesus. There were a few parts of the book where John would get on a subject, and I’d feel like he was talking more about self help and then would suddenly say “this is all because of Jesus” or something like that. Overall it was easy to tell that he didn’t mean for this to be a self-help book (although he does have a lot of good, practical advice).
One quote I really liked “God never calls us to sacrifice our families at the altar of ministry”. I have read some stories (both non-fiction and fiction) where missionary parents send their kids away to live with relatives or go to boarding school while they’re off in a far-off country being a missionary. Some of it is just that’s what parents did with their kids at the time (i.e., every child went to boarding school), but I still recognize the damage that it caused to some (not all), of these kids. I don’t mean to criticize what other people did, just point out that when God gives you a family, they are your responsibility, and He will never ask you to put them aside to do other work for Him. Taking care of and raising a family for God is important work you can do for Him.
This book was very interesting, and I think it helped me to realize I need to have a focus and stick to it. That said, I think it’s more of a book for parents or people working with youth.
My personal rating: 4/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
February 22, 2022
I was so excited to read this book because I’ve wanted to for years. I had very high expectations of this book, hoping to hear the story of the Big Oak Ranch and how it came to be. While this book does tell part of that story, it felt more overwhelmingly like one long pep talk, which is fine but just not for me. Good book with good stuff, just did not meet the expectations I had for this book.
April 16, 2015
Life doesn’t always turn out the way we wanted or planned for it to. There are circumstances and events we often wish we could rewind or at least touch up, but that can’t happen either. However we can stop the cycle by how we react to the events in our lives as evidenced by the children of Big Oak Ranch under the leadership of John Croyle and his wife Tee. He teaches the children that come into his life to trust again, which not an easy task because of the tragedies in their lives. He teaches them that where they came from, those awful events, is not the full picture of their lives and it certainly is not the ending.
Although Mr. Croyle writes about the events of Big Oak Ranch and the children he has been blessed to parent, this book goes far beyond those stories. It causes deep soul searching in your life as you read of the tragedies in such young lives and how they were able to overcome. He stated in the beginning of his book that he hopes each reader will walk away with two or three things that will make you want to “dust off the rust from your drive and fighting spirit”. He hopes it will make you want to go after the things in your life that you have been afraid of or are avoiding.
I learned you are never too old to start your journey to regain your focus and it is never too late to ask God for forgiveness as long as you have breath. These stores of Big Oak Ranch’s Children touched my heart to tears because of what they endured before John and Tee came into their lives, but it also made me do a deep self-examination of where I stand in my life’s journey. I can say I found myself falling very short and some of the things I have been experiencing have been stealing my joy, but more importantly it taught me how to regain that joy.
This is a book well worth reading. I know it will touch your heart as it has mine.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this Book by Shelby Janner, Senior Publicist at, B & H Publishing Group, for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
Although Mr. Croyle writes about the events of Big Oak Ranch and the children he has been blessed to parent, this book goes far beyond those stories. It causes deep soul searching in your life as you read of the tragedies in such young lives and how they were able to overcome. He stated in the beginning of his book that he hopes each reader will walk away with two or three things that will make you want to “dust off the rust from your drive and fighting spirit”. He hopes it will make you want to go after the things in your life that you have been afraid of or are avoiding.
I learned you are never too old to start your journey to regain your focus and it is never too late to ask God for forgiveness as long as you have breath. These stores of Big Oak Ranch’s Children touched my heart to tears because of what they endured before John and Tee came into their lives, but it also made me do a deep self-examination of where I stand in my life’s journey. I can say I found myself falling very short and some of the things I have been experiencing have been stealing my joy, but more importantly it taught me how to regain that joy.
This is a book well worth reading. I know it will touch your heart as it has mine.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this Book by Shelby Janner, Senior Publicist at, B & H Publishing Group, for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
April 8, 2015
I loved this book. Even though it is partially a 40 year stroll down "Memory Lane" with an emphasis on how and why Croyle chose to do this, there are lessons to be learned just as there are in any of his books (and I recommend them all!) that will speak to the reader. Whether you are in the position to mentor a child (and who isn't to some degree?) or if you just need a reminder of Who YOU Are and that you are valuable in the eyes of God, there is something to gain from reading it. I have heard John speak at a church event and on the radio several times. This book captures his style and personality so well. So, if you know him at all, you will recognize him. If you don't...you will after reading this.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Shelton Interactive.
My full review is at http://cindynavarro.blogspot.com/2015...
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Shelton Interactive.
My full review is at http://cindynavarro.blogspot.com/2015...
March 8, 2016
Very positive message.
Stories of Christ's love demonstrated consistently and relentlessly into the lives of people who are hurt. Examples of transforming love & challenges to surrender to Jesus' Lordship and love others as He does.
Stories of Christ's love demonstrated consistently and relentlessly into the lives of people who are hurt. Examples of transforming love & challenges to surrender to Jesus' Lordship and love others as He does.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews