A Diamond in the Rough

Remember your Little League days? Hot summer nights, the dust, the smell of fresh cut grass. This book helps remind fathers that it is more than just a game; it is a model to teach lifelong lessons that will have an impact on your children and others you are coaching for more than a lifetime-for eternity. Can a strike out in the game of baseball truly be a home run in the life lesson category? A dropped fly becomes a teachable moment rather than a moment of despair and frustration. Walk through a few innings with Joseph as he recounts the lessons he learned and taught on the diamond-lessons that matter a lifetime.

In this book Dr. Shetler combines his passion for his Lord Jesus Christ, baseball, fatherhood, and service to his community in his own unique style. During his coaching career spanning over two decades, he has encountered many opportunities not only to teach the game of baseball but teach the game of life. In this book Dr. Shetler has relied on some interesting stories and nuances of the game to help fathers grasp the real lesson.

Dr. Shetler was the senior partner in a rural optometric practice in Nebraska for over twenty-five years. He is currently a professor and clinic chief at Northeastern University Oklahoma College of Optometry in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Dr. Shetler has two sons, Joshua and Shane. He has been married to his college sweetheart, Karen, for thirty-five years. Dr. Shetler loves people but still seeks the solitude of an Australian Shepherd named Bolder when he just needs someone to listen. Dr. Shetler helps fathers, especially those just starting the journey we call fatherhood, to intentionally teach the lessons their children will need to be successful in their own walk with Christ.