Fame, recognition, or success never lasts. Just ask "the greatest,"
Muhammad Ali.
Ali, was world and Olympic champion in boxing. His face is the most
recognized athlete in all of the world. When Ali was king of the boxing
world, a huge entourage of reporters, trainers, and support staff
followed him around everywhere.
But that was yesterday... where is the champ today? A reporter went to
find out.
Ali escorted the reporter to a barn that Ali used as a gym. On the floor,
leaning against the walls were mementos of Ali in his prime. There were
photos and portraits of the champ punching and dancing. Sculpted body,
fist punching the air, championship belt raised in victory, and "the
Thrilla in Manilla."
But like the champ, the photos on the walls were not in the best
condition. The pictures were covered with white streaks - bird droppings.
Ali looked into the rafters of the barn at the pigeons who now made their
home in his gym. Then Ali did something significant. Perhaps it was a
gesture of closure, or just maybe a statement of despair.
Ali went over to a row of pictures and turned each photo, one by one,
towards the wall. He walked to the door, looked out over the countryside
and mumbled, "I had the world," he said, "and it wasn't nothin'. Look
now."
We are deceived when we believe that our achievements will bring lasting
fulfillment. Climbing the mountain of our goals can be fulfilling and
exciting. Reaching the top of the mountain can be a frightening
experience when we realize that there is nothing up there.
We must be sure that what we strive to attain is worth the climb, and
that it will last...
Jesus taught that we should not "store up treasures here on earth, where
they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and
steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become
moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves." (Matthew
6:19-20 NLT)
On the night before He was crucified, Jesus went to the Garden of
Gethsemane to pray. The thought of what would take place in the next 12
hours caused Jesus to be deeply troubled; "He said to them, My soul is
exceedingly sad (overwhelmed with grief) so that it almost kills Me!
Remain here and keep awake and be watching." (Mark 14:34 Amplified).
Being fully God, Jesus knew exactly what was about to take place and
exactly why it had to occur. But being fully Man, the foreknowledge of
the rejection, physical pain, and spiritual separation from the Father
was nearly unbearable.
"Papa, Father, you can--can't you?-get me out of this. Take this cup away
from me. But please, not what I want--what do you want?" (Mark 14:36 THE
MESSAGE)
Jesus cried out and asked for the plan to be changed; and yet, His
greater desire was for the Father's will to be done. Earlier in His
ministry, Jesus taught us this same principle; "This, then, is how you
should pray: 'Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom
come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven'" (Matthew 6:9-10).
Even with an absolute understanding of what He must endure, Jesus' sole
desire was to glorify the Father by walking the path placed before Him;
"I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you
assigned me to do." (John 17:4 NIV).
This is exactly how we ought to follow through with our life; we should
present ourselves to our Father, prepared to serve and be completely free
of our own agenda. When we have allowed God alone to be the only
possessor of our heart, He will accomplish His perfect will through our
life. When our life is ordered and directed by His will, we will receive
blessings which bring far greater joy than any medal, trophy, or honor
the world can give us.
We may spend a lifetime chasing what we believe will bring us a sense of
fulfillment, but we will never be truly content until we submit to His
ways.
"THE EDGE " is a teaching tool, coaching from today's world of sport to
help better understand the scriptures using Biblical facts and principles
to help one become better coaches, athletes, and fans. We strive at TTNL
to be Biblically correct in our teaching - not necessarily politically
correct. "
"THE EDGE with Coach Doug Reese", is part of the To The Next Level Sports
Network. Please visit our website at www.tothenextlevel.org
If you received "THE EDGE" as a forward and would like to be added to our
mailing list, send an e-mail to: reesedc@tothenextlevel.org and put "ADD"
in the subject line. God bless and have a great day!
"The greatest underdog story of our time is back... (more)
Added: December 05, 2006
The greatest underdog story of our time is back for one final round of the Academy Award-winning Rocky franchise, former heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa steps out of retirement and back into the ring, pitting himself against a new rival in a dramatically different era.
... Celebrity-Sylvester Stallone
Related Sites:
Sylvester Stallone, my space site Bio from Wikipedia
Reviews:
‘Rocky’ resurrected, so is star’s spirituality; Stallone reflects on personal relationship with Christ
CE staff report and wire reports, from Minnesota Christian Chronicle (Jan 07') "
‘Rocky’ resurrected, so is star’s spirituality; Stallone reflects on personal relationship with Christ
CE staff report and wire reports
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Believe it or not, Sylvester Stallone says the infamous movie character Rocky was meant to reflect the nature of Jesus, and the sixth film in the series, “Rocky Balboa,” which hit theaters Dec. 22, carries an intentionally Christian theme.
“It’s like he was being chosen, Jesus was over him, and he was going to be the fella that would live through the example of Christ,” Stallone said of Rocky in a conference call with pastors and religious leaders. “He’s very, very forgiving. There’s no bitterness in him. He always turns the other cheek. And it’s like his whole life was about service.”
Stuart Shepard, managing editor of Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink, took part in the teleconference and reported in a Nov. 15 commentary that Stallone considers himself reborn.
“I was raised in a Catholic home, a Christian home, and I went to Catholic schools and I was taught the faith and went as far as I could with it,” Stallone said. “Until one day, you know, I got out in the so-called real world and I was presented with temptation. I kinda like lost my way and made a lot of bad choices.”
Stallone said that somewhere along the way he realized his fame was not the most important part of his life. Now he says God can help a person overcome his past.
“The more I go to church,” he said told CitizenLink, “and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to His Word and having Him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure is off me now.”
The pressure may have subsided, but the scrutiny likely has not, as evangelicals weigh the spiritual transformation of Stallone and his boxing persona, Rocky. Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, an online Christian resource that rates and honors films for their pro-family content, said viewers will be pleasantly surprised by the tone of Rocky Balboa.
“It’s a very overt and redemptive movie,” he said. “It’s a heart-rending movie.
“In the first Rocky there was prayer in the bathroom,” he said. “They lost that in the middle movies. In this one it’s much more clear, much more distinct.”
The message in Rocky, which includes Scripture, is reflecting a growing trend of Christian-friendly films, Baehr said. This Christmas, for instance, studios released numerous faith-based films, including “Pursuit of Happyness,” “Déjà vu,” and “The Nativity Story,” which chronicles the birth of Jesus.
“There are some interesting things going on,” Baehr said. “Rocky is one of the most outspoken and they are marketing it to the Christian community.”
The gym of the soul
In promoting his latest film endeavor, Stallone, in the conference call, compared the need for the church to the need for a physical trainer.
“You need to have the expertise and the guidance of someone else,” he said. “You cannot train yourself. I feel the same way about Christianity and about what the church is: The church is the gym of the soul.”
To help church leaders with their training, Stallone, in conjunction with Motive Entertainment, has developed a leader’s resource kit that includes talking points about the film’s themes of faith. The free items include a free 10-page, downloadable leader’s guide that tackles such issues as courage, integrity, faith, victory and purpose. Different ideas target pastors, youth pastors, small group leaders and parents.
At the same time, though, Baehr warned that Christians need to be discerning about movie content, which he said can be manipulated to reflect a pro-family view.
“We always have to be wary of being marketed to,” he said, adding that the same studio that released “The Nativity Story,” also produced the “Harry Potter” series.
“All of this erodes the Christian base,” he said.
In this case, however, he said Rocky Balboa deserves the church-related resources.
With that, the culmination of the Rocky film series is another story about redemption. And Stallone said he couldn’t have written it without the personal journey he has endured.
“I needed to actually go through my trials and tribulations,” he said, “before I could be man enough to know how to write that kind of story that ‘Rocky Balboa’ is.”
For more information on the faith-based materials, visit rockyresources.com. For more information on specific movies, visit movieguide.org.
'"
Related Sites:
"Surprised? You shouldn't be. Sly maintains that he always had Christian themes and imagery in his Rocky films, beginning with the very first shot in the first film when the camera focuses on a painting of Christ and pans down to a worn down but determined Rocky sparring with another boxer. And if that isn't obvious enough for you, the gym they're sparring in is a renovated church called "The Resurrection Club."
"Stallone held a teleconference with Christian leaders, to talk about what he says is his own spiritual reawakening.
Rocky Balboa, the sixth movie in the Rocky series, opens today nationwide. It's actually getting decent reviews from film critics, and from the pulpit."
"Immediately after accomplishing such an amazing feat, Holyfield prayed, thanking God for letting him reach his goal, acknowledging that he couldn't have done it without Him. When asked to sign autographs, Holyfield happily did so, and revealed the source of his strength, also writing the reference "Phil. 4:13." The message refers to the scripture in the book of Philippians, which states "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
El Matador (official site of him)
*decided to search about this guy after my dad gave me an article (newspaper) to read on him today (Thanksgiving Day-Thursday, November 22nd of 2007)
-Action:
Roger Huerta Pre-UFC 74 Interview w/ MMAMadness.com
"MMA Madness' Ryan McKinnell interviews Roger "E... (more)
Added: August 23, 2007
MMA Madness' Ryan McKinnell interviews Roger "El Matador" Huerta before his matchup with Alberto Crane at UFC 74: Respect
"
*mentions also "I'm bless and I thankful to God Wiman vs Huerta (Part 1), from youtube.com Roger Huerta, Post UFC 69 Interview, from youtube.com
-Bio: Forum "..Everyone who hears about his life story, he says, listens with an open jaw.
"They all tell me my life sounds like a movie, but that if it were a movie it would be hard for people to believe it is true," Huerta said.
...
...His father gained legal custody of him and things briefly returned to normal. But in an attempt to flee the heartbreak, Lydia Huerta snatched her son from his home in Texas, without his father's permission, and fled to El Salvador, where her parents lived.
She wasn't, Huerta said in a voice little above a whisper, stable enough to raise a child. After a short while, she fled the country, leaving him with her parents in the midst of a civil war in El Salvador.
Lydia Huerta returned to claim him nearly a year later, but instead of raising him dropped him on his father's doorstep. ...
"...For several years, survival was all Huerta knew.
"When you're desperate, you do what you have to do to survive," he says. "I'm fortunate that there are a lot of good people in this world and that God eventually put me in touch with them."
The first was Maria King, who gained legal custody of him, brought him into her home and treated him like one of her own.
And when he was a senior at Crockett High School in Austin, Texas, he said his life changed forever when he met wrestling coach Bryan Ashford and English teacher Jo Ramirez.
Ashford helped him to become a star wrestler and he began to think of going to college on a wrestling scholarship.
When he asked Ramirez for help writing letters to colleges to drum up interest in him, he told her the story of his childhood. She never had a hint of what he had been through.
She was so impressed that she adopted him during his freshman year at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
" Roger Huerta has found solace as rising star in UFC
Posted: Monday October 8, 2007 12:11PM; Updated: Monday October 8, 2007 12:11PM "The bridge had been dangling in the river for less than a week, but it had already become a macabre civic landmark, the Twin Cities' answer to Manhattan's Ground Zero. On a scorching day last August, Roger Huerta was piloting his Jeep Commander from downtown Minneapolis to the St. Paul YMCA, where he trains in mixed martial arts. He drove slowly as he crossed the Mississippi River, pointing out the remnants of the I-35W bridge, whose collapse had caused the deaths of 13 Minnesotans six days earlier.
...
..As a teenager Huerta made money --"Not spending money," he says, "survival money" -- working at Blockbuster, Taco Bell and a Johnny Rockets diner. Today he fights full-time as a 155-pound lightweight and is successful enough to be buying a spacious home in St. Paul...
"We scoured the Internet looking for what youth are doing to make a difference in their communities and around the world. This Ebook offers some of those ideas. It's our hope youth will look through this book and choose and/or adapt one or more of these ideas to take on in their own community. Or, if nothing in this book interests them, we hope it will at least get their "creative juices flowing" and they'll come up with their own project. Youth are powerful. They can (and are) making a difference in their communities and our world. We believe in them!
Thank you for visiting GoodnewsUMM! Please feel free to e-mail me (Sal) at goodnews_usa@yahoo.com on any comments, suggestions (e.g. any new websites),complaints, or anytype of feedback to improve this website.
