TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD
Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
-- Revelation 3:20
CHRIST: OUR EXAMPLE
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.
-- 1 Peter 2:21
Some have tried to pattern their lives after that of Jesus, simply by asking in every situation, "What would Jesus do?" But in the context of our text, the primary "example" which He left us was nothing less than His own sacrificial death!
Note the context: "For this is thankworthy |same word as 'grace'|, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully . . . if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, yet take it patiently, this is acceptable |also the same word as 'grace'| with God" (1 Peter 2:19-20).
To follow Christ's example, therefore, is to be willing to endure unjustified suffering--even defamation and persecution--with grace and patience.
But that is not all; we must also do it in silence! "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not" (1 Peter 2:23). "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7).
It is a natural reaction to want to strike back at one who has slandered or injured us, especially if such an act was an insulting response to kindness. But such a "natural" reaction was not Christ's reaction. He could have called "twelve legions of angels" (Matthew 26:53) to His defense, but He chose to suffer in silence.
And why would He do such a thing? First, if He had not done so, we would have been lost in our sins forever. He "bare our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24).
Second, He left us an example, that we "should follow his steps." He was not just silent in His sufferings; "He suffered for us!" If we would really be like Him, we must be willing to suffer quietly on behalf of others, even when they are the ones who deserve it. This is acceptable with God!
PRAYER; MORNING PRAYER
O Lord, grant that my heart may be truly cleansed and filled with Thy Holy Spirit, and that I may arise to serve Thee, and lie down to sleep in entire confidence in Thee, and submission to Thy will, ready for life or for death. Let me live for the day, not overcharged with worldly cares, but feeling that my treasure is not here, and desiring truly to be joined to Thee in Thy heavenly kingdom, and to those who are already gone to Thee. O Lord, save me from sin, and guide me with Thy Spirit, and keep me in faithful obedience to Thee, through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
August 28, 2009 Sharing God’s Word
TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
-- 1 John 1:5
CONFORMED TO HIS IMAGE
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:49
One of the most amazing promises of the Word of God is that those who "love God" and are "the called according to his purpose" are those whom "he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:28-29).
Adam and Eve were created in His image physically in the beginning. "So God created man in his own image . . . male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27). Presumably this means they were created in the physical form that God knew He would assume when, in the fullness of time, He would become man Himself, in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
That image was marred when Adam (and, in Adam, all men) sinned. Nevertheless, it can be restored spiritually when we receive Christ and "have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:10).
But this is not all. As our text reveals, we who have been made in God's earthly image (both physically and spiritually) will also, in due time, receive His heavenly image. This will take place when Christ returns. At that time, "we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye . . . and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
In what way shall we be changed? The Lord Jesus Himself "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21). His body, after His resurrection, was still His physical body, but it was no longer subject to pain or death and was able to pass through walls and to speed rapidly from earth to Heaven. That is "the image of the heavenly" to which we shall be conformed some day soon! For "we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
PRAYER BEFORE BEDTIME
Loving Father, put away All the wrong I’ve done today; Make me sorry, true, and good; Make me love thee as I should; Make me feel by day and night I am ever in thy sight. Heavenly Father, hear my prayer, Take thy child into thy care; Let thy angels pure and bright Watch around me through the night. Amen.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
-- 1 John 1:5
CONFORMED TO HIS IMAGE
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:49
One of the most amazing promises of the Word of God is that those who "love God" and are "the called according to his purpose" are those whom "he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:28-29).
Adam and Eve were created in His image physically in the beginning. "So God created man in his own image . . . male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27). Presumably this means they were created in the physical form that God knew He would assume when, in the fullness of time, He would become man Himself, in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
That image was marred when Adam (and, in Adam, all men) sinned. Nevertheless, it can be restored spiritually when we receive Christ and "have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:10).
But this is not all. As our text reveals, we who have been made in God's earthly image (both physically and spiritually) will also, in due time, receive His heavenly image. This will take place when Christ returns. At that time, "we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye . . . and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
In what way shall we be changed? The Lord Jesus Himself "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21). His body, after His resurrection, was still His physical body, but it was no longer subject to pain or death and was able to pass through walls and to speed rapidly from earth to Heaven. That is "the image of the heavenly" to which we shall be conformed some day soon! For "we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
PRAYER BEFORE BEDTIME
Loving Father, put away All the wrong I’ve done today; Make me sorry, true, and good; Make me love thee as I should; Make me feel by day and night I am ever in thy sight. Heavenly Father, hear my prayer, Take thy child into thy care; Let thy angels pure and bright Watch around me through the night. Amen.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
August 27, 2009 Sharing God’s Word
TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
-- Ephesians 1:5
THE BELIEVER’S JUDGMENT
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
-- 1 Peter 4:17
There is a terrible day of judgment coming for those who reject Christ, but for those who do believe the gospel and trust the Lord Jesus for salvation, "there is therefore now no condemnation |i.e., judgment|" (Romans 8:1). Yet our text tells us that judgment actually begins with those who obey the gospel! This apparent contradiction vanishes when one realizes that it is merely for the purpose of preparing those who are already saved to serve Him in eternity.
When a believer sins, he should judge and confess that sin. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31), and God will forgive (1 John 1:9). If he does not, however, the next phase of judgment is the chastening of God. "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32). The classic passage on the believer’s chastening (Hebrews 12:5-11) concludes with the assurance that its purpose is to yield "the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:11).
But when such chastening fails to work, the next judgment may even be physical death. "There is sin unto death" (1 John 5:16). "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 5:5).
Finally, all Christians must "appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10), where "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). There, some "shall suffer loss." Nevertheless, each person at this judgment "shall be saved" (1 Corinthians 3:14-15). But, as our text continues, "if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18).
PRAYER FOR PROTECTION
Blessed are thy Saints, O God and King, who have traveled over the tempestuous sea of this mortal life, and have made the harbour of peace and felicity. Watch over us who are still in our dangerous voyage; and remember such as lie exposed to the rough storms of trouble and temptations. Frail is our vessel, and the ocean is wide; but as in thy mercy thou hast set our course, so steer the vessel of our life toward the everlasting shore of peace, and bring us at length to the quiet haven of our heart's desire, where thou, O our God, are blessed, and livest and reignest for ever and ever.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
-- Ephesians 1:5
THE BELIEVER’S JUDGMENT
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
-- 1 Peter 4:17
There is a terrible day of judgment coming for those who reject Christ, but for those who do believe the gospel and trust the Lord Jesus for salvation, "there is therefore now no condemnation |i.e., judgment|" (Romans 8:1). Yet our text tells us that judgment actually begins with those who obey the gospel! This apparent contradiction vanishes when one realizes that it is merely for the purpose of preparing those who are already saved to serve Him in eternity.
When a believer sins, he should judge and confess that sin. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31), and God will forgive (1 John 1:9). If he does not, however, the next phase of judgment is the chastening of God. "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32). The classic passage on the believer’s chastening (Hebrews 12:5-11) concludes with the assurance that its purpose is to yield "the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:11).
But when such chastening fails to work, the next judgment may even be physical death. "There is sin unto death" (1 John 5:16). "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 5:5).
Finally, all Christians must "appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10), where "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). There, some "shall suffer loss." Nevertheless, each person at this judgment "shall be saved" (1 Corinthians 3:14-15). But, as our text continues, "if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18).
PRAYER FOR PROTECTION
Blessed are thy Saints, O God and King, who have traveled over the tempestuous sea of this mortal life, and have made the harbour of peace and felicity. Watch over us who are still in our dangerous voyage; and remember such as lie exposed to the rough storms of trouble and temptations. Frail is our vessel, and the ocean is wide; but as in thy mercy thou hast set our course, so steer the vessel of our life toward the everlasting shore of peace, and bring us at length to the quiet haven of our heart's desire, where thou, O our God, are blessed, and livest and reignest for ever and ever.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
August 26, 2009 Sharing God’s Word
TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
-- Hebrews 13:8
ONLY CHRIST WAS SINLESS
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
-- 1 John 1:8
Here John is writing to Christians, and his epistle is full of exhortations to the Christian to purge sin from his life, with grave warnings to any who do not. Yet he also says that for a Christian to claim sinless perfection is self-deception. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:10).
Only by Jesus Christ Himself could such claims be truly made. The greatest theologian, Paul, said concerning Christ that He "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21). His closest friends, Peter and John, said that He "did no sin" (1 Peter 2:22) and that in Him is no sin (1 John 3:5). His betrayer, Judas, said, "I have betrayed the innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4); His condemning judge, Pilate, said, "I find in him no fault at all" (John 18:38); and His executioner said, "This was a righteous man" (Luke 23:47). Christ Himself claimed human perfection: "for I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29).
Jesus Christ alone was sinlessly perfect in His human life, and it was because of this that He could die for our sins. It is arrogant for one of us to claim a state of perfection, thus leading such a person into repeated assertions of boasting and self justification, trying to explain why apparently sinful behavior is not really sinful. Even Paul himself acknowledged: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect" (Philippians 3:12).
But between these two key verses in John's epistle, he gives us the moment-by-moment remedy for sin in a godly believer's life: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
PRAYER FOR THE POOR
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
-- Hebrews 13:8
ONLY CHRIST WAS SINLESS
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
-- 1 John 1:8
Here John is writing to Christians, and his epistle is full of exhortations to the Christian to purge sin from his life, with grave warnings to any who do not. Yet he also says that for a Christian to claim sinless perfection is self-deception. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:10).
Only by Jesus Christ Himself could such claims be truly made. The greatest theologian, Paul, said concerning Christ that He "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21). His closest friends, Peter and John, said that He "did no sin" (1 Peter 2:22) and that in Him is no sin (1 John 3:5). His betrayer, Judas, said, "I have betrayed the innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4); His condemning judge, Pilate, said, "I find in him no fault at all" (John 18:38); and His executioner said, "This was a righteous man" (Luke 23:47). Christ Himself claimed human perfection: "for I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29).
Jesus Christ alone was sinlessly perfect in His human life, and it was because of this that He could die for our sins. It is arrogant for one of us to claim a state of perfection, thus leading such a person into repeated assertions of boasting and self justification, trying to explain why apparently sinful behavior is not really sinful. Even Paul himself acknowledged: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect" (Philippians 3:12).
But between these two key verses in John's epistle, he gives us the moment-by-moment remedy for sin in a godly believer's life: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
PRAYER FOR THE POOR
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
August 25, 2009 Sharing God’s Word
TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD
The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
-- Proverbs 10:22
SO GREAT SALVATION
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.
-- Hebrews 2:3
One of the greatest words of the Bible is "salvation," and one could expound its glories at length. Our salvation is so costly that its price was nothing less than the shed blood of the Son of God. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Nevertheless, there are only three verses in the New Testament in which the word is preceded by an adjective. These three descriptive terms are, therefore, very significant. The first of these is the one in our text--"so great" salvation. The adjective here is used only one other time in the New Testament, where it is translated "so mighty" (Revelation 16:18), describing a cataclysm so great that every island and mountain will disappear from the earth!
Not only is our salvation infinitely costly, but unlike everything else in our lives, it is unending: "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). Salvation is not merely the impartation of a better life in this life; it is everlasting life in the future life, in the presence of its divine "author" (or "cause").
The third adjective is quite different. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation" (Jude 3). Our salvation is also common! This same word is applied by Paul to "the common faith" (Titus 1:4). Basically, it means "oridinary." Thus, despite the infinite and eternal values associated with our great salvation, it is also very common and ordinary! Salvation is for anyone, and whosoever will may come!
PRAYER; HELP ME TO STAY SOBER
Dear God, thank you for this day. Help me to stay clean and sober, just for this day. Help me to recognize your hand in all things. Thank you for the blessings I understand and the ones I don't. Thank you for the miracles I see and the ones I don't. Thank you for your spirit who always abides in me. I ask that I may be with your spirit today. Cleanse my mind of all darkness and fill it with love and light. Let me be o.k. with this day no matter what it brings. Thank you for everything that's in my life and everything that's not.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
-- Proverbs 10:22
SO GREAT SALVATION
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.
-- Hebrews 2:3
One of the greatest words of the Bible is "salvation," and one could expound its glories at length. Our salvation is so costly that its price was nothing less than the shed blood of the Son of God. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Nevertheless, there are only three verses in the New Testament in which the word is preceded by an adjective. These three descriptive terms are, therefore, very significant. The first of these is the one in our text--"so great" salvation. The adjective here is used only one other time in the New Testament, where it is translated "so mighty" (Revelation 16:18), describing a cataclysm so great that every island and mountain will disappear from the earth!
Not only is our salvation infinitely costly, but unlike everything else in our lives, it is unending: "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). Salvation is not merely the impartation of a better life in this life; it is everlasting life in the future life, in the presence of its divine "author" (or "cause").
The third adjective is quite different. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation" (Jude 3). Our salvation is also common! This same word is applied by Paul to "the common faith" (Titus 1:4). Basically, it means "oridinary." Thus, despite the infinite and eternal values associated with our great salvation, it is also very common and ordinary! Salvation is for anyone, and whosoever will may come!
PRAYER; HELP ME TO STAY SOBER
Dear God, thank you for this day. Help me to stay clean and sober, just for this day. Help me to recognize your hand in all things. Thank you for the blessings I understand and the ones I don't. Thank you for the miracles I see and the ones I don't. Thank you for your spirit who always abides in me. I ask that I may be with your spirit today. Cleanse my mind of all darkness and fill it with love and light. Let me be o.k. with this day no matter what it brings. Thank you for everything that's in my life and everything that's not.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
Back to School words of inspiration
Faith is the ability to not panic. (With God, all things are possible)
If you worry, you did not pray. If you pray, do not worry. (This is very important in regards to test taking)
As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday. (Going away to college? Keep in touch with your parents and your Savior daily)
Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. (Doing it over again and again until the teacher says it is right)
A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. (You are responsible for your own actions)
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
-- Ephesians 6:10-13
If you worry, you did not pray. If you pray, do not worry. (This is very important in regards to test taking)
As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday. (Going away to college? Keep in touch with your parents and your Savior daily)
Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. (Doing it over again and again until the teacher says it is right)
A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. (You are responsible for your own actions)
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
-- Ephesians 6:10-13
Monday, August 24, 2009
August 24, 2009 Sharing God’s Word
TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD
And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.
-- 1 John 2:28
THE DREADFUL DAY OF THE LORD
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
-- Malachi 4:5
This is the next-to-last verse of the Old Testament and so marks the final mention in the Old Testament of the fearsome theme of the Day of the Lord. As the text says, it will be a "great and dreadful day."
This phrase occurs frequently in the Bible, reminding us over and over again that although God is merciful and longsuffering, He will not remain silent forever. Man's "day" will end someday, and the day of the Lord will come.
Note some of the other prophecies: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! . . . the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light" (Amos 5:18). "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:31). "The great day of the LORD . . . is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:14-15). "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:9).
The phrase also is repeated in the New Testament, most awesomely of all in 2 Peter 3:10: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:2, etc.).
Without trying to sort out the precise sequences and events associated with all such prophecies, it is obvious that the Day of the Lord is a coming time of terrible judgment on all who have rejected or ignored the God who created them. But God's faithful believers can take great comfort, for then "the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD" (Zechariah 14:9).
PRAYER FOR RENEWAL
Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Forward to your family and friends!
Want to be added to list or removed from list? Email ceptxj@gmail.com and indicate to be added or removed.
God Bless You!
And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.
-- 1 John 2:28
THE DREADFUL DAY OF THE LORD
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
-- Malachi 4:5
This is the next-to-last verse of the Old Testament and so marks the final mention in the Old Testament of the fearsome theme of the Day of the Lord. As the text says, it will be a "great and dreadful day."
This phrase occurs frequently in the Bible, reminding us over and over again that although God is merciful and longsuffering, He will not remain silent forever. Man's "day" will end someday, and the day of the Lord will come.
Note some of the other prophecies: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! . . . the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light" (Amos 5:18). "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:31). "The great day of the LORD . . . is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:14-15). "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:9).
The phrase also is repeated in the New Testament, most awesomely of all in 2 Peter 3:10: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:2, etc.).
Without trying to sort out the precise sequences and events associated with all such prophecies, it is obvious that the Day of the Lord is a coming time of terrible judgment on all who have rejected or ignored the God who created them. But God's faithful believers can take great comfort, for then "the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD" (Zechariah 14:9).
PRAYER FOR RENEWAL
Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Forward to your family and friends!
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God Bless You!
Friday, August 21, 2009
August 21, 2009 Sharing God’s Word
TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD
And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
-- Ephesians 1:23
RESPONSE TO PRAYER
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedest me with strength in my soul.
-- Psalm 138:3
God's response to our prayers are delivered into two ways: practically, in the circumstances the direction, and spiritually, in the "inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
We are often so focused on the physical or external event for which we are insistently praying that when the answer comes we fail to receive the full blessing--even if we read the practical answer correctly. Our heavenly Father is committed to providing our needs on earth (Philippians 4:19; Luke 12:30), but such supply is of minimal significance in the scope of eternity. The good thoughts (Jeremiah 29:11) and the good gifts of God (Luke 11:13) are toward the expected end, the ultimate conformity "to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29).
While God responds to our physical needs, His heart and His purpose is to fill us "with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). He blesses us "with all spiritual blessings" (Ephesians 1:3) and has chosen us to be "holy and without blame" (Ephesians 1:4). God's Word is designed to allow us to participate in the "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). God's desire in responding to our prayers is this: "that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfullness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:9-12).
But please be on notice! This internal and spiritual worship and praise cannot be kept private. The "internal" blessings of God will overflow in godly behavior and visible joy (James 3:13; 1 Peter 1:8).
PRAYER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Forward to your family and friends!
Want to be added to list or removed from list? Email ceptxj@gmail.com and indicate to be added or removed.
God Bless You!
And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
-- Ephesians 1:23
RESPONSE TO PRAYER
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedest me with strength in my soul.
-- Psalm 138:3
God's response to our prayers are delivered into two ways: practically, in the circumstances the direction, and spiritually, in the "inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
We are often so focused on the physical or external event for which we are insistently praying that when the answer comes we fail to receive the full blessing--even if we read the practical answer correctly. Our heavenly Father is committed to providing our needs on earth (Philippians 4:19; Luke 12:30), but such supply is of minimal significance in the scope of eternity. The good thoughts (Jeremiah 29:11) and the good gifts of God (Luke 11:13) are toward the expected end, the ultimate conformity "to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29).
While God responds to our physical needs, His heart and His purpose is to fill us "with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). He blesses us "with all spiritual blessings" (Ephesians 1:3) and has chosen us to be "holy and without blame" (Ephesians 1:4). God's Word is designed to allow us to participate in the "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). God's desire in responding to our prayers is this: "that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfullness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:9-12).
But please be on notice! This internal and spiritual worship and praise cannot be kept private. The "internal" blessings of God will overflow in godly behavior and visible joy (James 3:13; 1 Peter 1:8).
PRAYER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Forward to your family and friends!
Want to be added to list or removed from list? Email ceptxj@gmail.com and indicate to be added or removed.
God Bless You!
This should wake us up.
One day, a man went to visit a church; He got there early, parked his car and got out.
Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, "I always park there! You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday school, found an empty seat and sat down.
A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!"
The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.
After Sunday school, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down.
Another member walked up to him and said, "That's where I always sit! You took my place!"
The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing. Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet.
Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place."
Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, "I always park there! You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday school, found an empty seat and sat down.
A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!"
The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.
After Sunday school, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down.
Another member walked up to him and said, "That's where I always sit! You took my place!"
The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing. Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet.
Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place."
Thursday, August 20, 2009
awesome prayer
Dear Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.
Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.
Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.
Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil.. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.
And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.
Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.
I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.
I pray that everyone knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly.
Lord I love you and I need you, come into my heart, please.
This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.
Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.
Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil.. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.
And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.
Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.
I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.
I pray that everyone knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly.
Lord I love you and I need you, come into my heart, please.
This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Boy, This is powerful
As you got up this morning, I watched you, and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday. But I noticed you were too busy, trying to find the right outfit to wear.
When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were to busy. At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip instead. I watched patiently all day long. With all our activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.
I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. That’s okay. There is still more time left, and I hope that you will talk to me yet.
You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done, you turned on the TV. I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there and you spend a lot of time each day in front of it not thinking about anything, just enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.
Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience, more than you will ever know.... I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well.
I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought, or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.
Well, you are getting up once again. Once again I will wait, with nothing but love for you. Hoping that today you will give me some time. Have a nice day!
Your friend,
GOD
PS - Do you have enough time to share this with another person?
When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were to busy. At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip instead. I watched patiently all day long. With all our activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.
I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. That’s okay. There is still more time left, and I hope that you will talk to me yet.
You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done, you turned on the TV. I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there and you spend a lot of time each day in front of it not thinking about anything, just enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.
Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience, more than you will ever know.... I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well.
I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought, or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.
Well, you are getting up once again. Once again I will wait, with nothing but love for you. Hoping that today you will give me some time. Have a nice day!
Your friend,
GOD
PS - Do you have enough time to share this with another person?
A Taxi Driver and a Priest Die…
A priest and taxi driver die on the same day.
St. Peter, who is standing at Heaven's gate, allows the taxi driver to proceed on to one of the highest levels of heaven but the priest has to wait.
He waits for a long time and finally goes to St. Peter and asks: "Why could that taxi driver go to the highest level of heaven and I, who all my life spoke about God, have to wait for such a long time?"
St. Peter replies: "When you were speaking to the people at your church, everybody was sleeping. But when that taxi driver was driving, everybody prayed!"
St. Peter, who is standing at Heaven's gate, allows the taxi driver to proceed on to one of the highest levels of heaven but the priest has to wait.
He waits for a long time and finally goes to St. Peter and asks: "Why could that taxi driver go to the highest level of heaven and I, who all my life spoke about God, have to wait for such a long time?"
St. Peter replies: "When you were speaking to the people at your church, everybody was sleeping. But when that taxi driver was driving, everybody prayed!"
Beyond the norm - El Paso Times
Beyond the norm
Bill Knight
Staff
February 3, 2003
Section: News
Page: 01C
Deaf wrestler finds his path to success
The sweat dripped noiselessly to the mat in the Burges High wrestling room as the boy, a boy so rapidly becoming a young man, worked silently and tirelessly.
The only sounds come from a faraway place, soft ones, distant ones ... like garbled, distorted voices you might hear from the bottom of the deep end of a swimming pool. On he works. When he is not actually involved in the action, he is blistering those abdominal muscles, doing crunch after crunch.
In some ways, Chuckie Johnson is like so many other boys -- just your average teenager, a 17-year-old junior in high school, sometimes smiling and sometimes laughing and sometimes frustrated, working his way through yet another tough afternoon practice.
But there is little average about Chuckie Johnson.
Your average teenager is not the captain of his high school wrestling team, not a member of the National Honor Society, not listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students, not listed in Who's Who Among American High School Athletes.
Chuckie Johnson is also deaf.
No problem
"I've been deaf since birth," Johnson signed to his interpreter, Luz Arellano. "I don't think my deafness has ever been a problem. I've been mainstream since the third grade."
Johnson is one of 55 students in the deaf education program at Burges, the high school center for the entire city. The school has three teachers, nine interpreters and two assistants. The school also offers a sign-language class, one that counts as a foreign language, for all students -- obviously helping them communicate with their hearing-impaired classmates.
"Some of the students are mainstreamed, some are half-mainstreamed and some are in the deaf education program," Arellano said.
Johnson is not only a fully mainstreamed A-B student, one with the highest grade average on last year's wrestling team, he is also taking a pair of honors classes.
"Chuckie is amazing," Burges High English teacher Sylvia Polhamus said. "He's extremely intelligent, has a great sense of humor and loves to tease. I actually sometimes forget he is deaf. He's taking advanced placement English with me, and that is not easy for anyone. But he's not just taking it, he's in the top percentage in the class."
Burges High wrestling coach Jeff Himelspach said, "He has such a great attitude, which is why he was voted captain. He's always here, always leading by example, always helping the underclassmen with their moves. He has that excellent attitude, the attitude you have to have in this sport, the desire to win."
Conroy Henry, a teammate and junior classmate, said, "Chuckie is very motivated, always trying to push everybody. He is also a good person, easy to communicate with -- especially for me, since we've come through high school together."
And sophomore teammate Gil Esparza said, "He has a lot of technique in his matches and he wrestles by himself, since he can't have a coach screaming at him, telling him what to do. He is a big team motivator. After a win, he will come off, raise his arms and yell 'yeah' and everybody really gets pumped up. And if he sees anybody slacking during practice, he will get on us. He's just a great guy and a lot of us here have learned some basic sign language."
No easy ride
But it has been a long journey for Chuckie Johnson, a young man with endless energy and a quick sense of humor.
"I tried a lot of sports," he said. "Baseball, soccer, roller hockey, football. I think maybe the other kids thought I was dumb when I first got mainstreamed in the third grade. But if I hadn't been mainstreamed then I probably would be dumb today. I know it would have been hard if I had just started in high school."
Of course, right there with every triumph and every setback, every joy and every disappointment, were his parents, Lourdes and David.
"We assume he has been deaf since birth," Lourdes Johnson said. "He was never sick, always healthy as an ox. He was diagnosed when he was a year and seven months old. Emotionally, it was incredibly tough for us. You always have this vision of the perfect child. So when we found out, we went through a mourning process. Within a week, though, we were going to classes and learning. We just took it as if we were given this child from France and that we didn't know anything about France. So, we had to learn the language ... we had to learn all about France."
Obstacles to climb
There were challenges, though -- always challenges.
"We put him in wrestling because he was just a bundle of energy and because he always had this great upper-body strength," his mom said. "Plus, it was an individual sport. We put him in all these sports, but wrestling was the one where we didn't have to worry that kids would hesitate to pass him the ball because he was deaf. That happened a lot. He is so intelligent and such a good athlete, we always thought he would be a good catcher in baseball -- but we could never get a baseball coach to let him have a chance.
"When he started school, the district told us Chuckie would probably never read above a fourth-grade level," Lourdes Johnson said. "That became our battle cry."
Johnson has always been able to do things, always been a high achiever. He grew up watching television, with his parents lugging a decoder (that would print out the dialogue on the screen) everywhere they went. Now, all televisions made since 1995 ("Thanks to the first President Bush," Lourdes Johnson said) automatically have the words. He spends long sessions on the computer, communicating with his friends ("I'm a line freak," he said, grinning). He drives a truck and has a CD player blasting away. A CD player?
Laughing, Lourdes Johnson said, "He said he had to have that for his truck, because all his friends want to listen when they ride with him."
Almost two years ago, he went into a local car wash with a complete résumé, wanting a part-time job. They would not hire him, because of his hearing. No problem. He started his own lawn service and, with a teammate, works lawns on Sundays and in the summer.
Right now, though, he has his energies on wrestling and school. Johnson, who has no trouble making his weight at 160, finished second at the district meet this weekend and will compete in the state meet. He played some football at Burges, but said he will now focus on wrestling. Last summer, he took a giant step forward.
"Chuckie went to a two-week wrestling camp at Oklahoma State last summer," Himelspach said. "His mother went with him and was his interpreter. That has really set him apart."
Henry said, "After coming back from there, he has just been going up ever since."
Johnson said, "That was a great experience. I want to continue to improve, to get more experience. My goal is regionals and state. There were so many kids at that camp. It was great a lot of fun."
Mom laughed and said, "I was the only woman there. But it was amazing the way they took to Chuckie. The coaches loved him to death. He's such a hard worker. Kids from all over the country were there. A boy from New York was there, being recruited by Oklahoma State, and he really took to Chuckie. There was a big burly kid in the room when they were all watching television and he said 'hey, change the channel to something Chuckie can watch ... this doesn't have words.' They were all great."
Showing some of that intensity while signing to Arellano, Johnson said, "I like wrestling because you are on a team, but it is a one-man sport. You have to work very hard in this sport, really focus. This is a self-improvement sport that's why I am wrestling. Maybe I'll want to try to wrestle in college, but for now I'm not sure whether I want all my focus on wrestling and school or just my major -- forensic psychology, solving crimes."
While he is intensely focused on wrestling, one of the most physically demanding of all sports, Johnson never forgets his work in the classroom.
"He will miss school with wrestling tournaments and extracurricular activities," Polhamus said. "But when he comes back, he is always prepared, always knows exactly what is expected of him."
On his way
The boy, the one who is so rapidly becoming a young man, works tirelessly through the daily two-hour practice sessions. Occasionally, he will smile and poke Arellano on the arm ... teasing a little.
"He's bad," Arellano said, laughing and signing, so Johnson could understand.
Johnson smiled and signed back quickly: "She's lying."
Not much average about this boy, not much at all. Normal? Yes. Average? No. And he appears to be one of those blessed young people, one who has that magnetic personality ... a charm and enthusiasm and joy of life that lures others to him.
"You do get attached," Arellano admitted.
Lourdes Johnson said, "The Lord really blessed us with him."
Chuckie Johnson is just a boy, a boy blossoming into manhood and a boy who knows what is possible in this life, what is always possible. No limits. And he will tell you:
"Deaf people can do anything but hear."
And on he works, noiselessly, silently ... hearing little, knowing so much.
Johnson file
Who: Chuckie Johnson, junior captain of Burges' wrestling team.
Age: 17.
Weight class: 160 pounds.
Academics: An honor student with an A-B average, highest on the team. Member of the National Honor Society, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Who's Who Among American High School Athletes.
Bill Knight may be reached at bknightelpasotimes.com
Photo Caption:Burges High School wrestler Chuckie Johnson, right, watched interpreter Luz Arellano during a recent practice at the school. Johnson is the team's captain and is succeeding in the classroom and outside school.
Photo Caption:Burges wrestler Chuckie Johnson finished second in his district tournament this weekend. He is one of the school's top wrestlers despite having been deaf since birth. Johnson's work ethic has helped him become a team leader.
Photo Caption:Communication is key Burges wrestler Chuckie Johnson, who is deaf, talked with head coach Jeff Himelspach during a recent practice. Interpreter Luz Arellano translates into sign language for Johnson, who is the team captain of the Mustangs wrestling team.
Photo Caption:Burges wrestler Chuckie Johnson, right, works out with teamate Kenny Berry during a wrestling practice.
________________________________________
Copyright (c) El Paso Times. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
Bill Knight
Staff
February 3, 2003
Section: News
Page: 01C
Deaf wrestler finds his path to success
The sweat dripped noiselessly to the mat in the Burges High wrestling room as the boy, a boy so rapidly becoming a young man, worked silently and tirelessly.
The only sounds come from a faraway place, soft ones, distant ones ... like garbled, distorted voices you might hear from the bottom of the deep end of a swimming pool. On he works. When he is not actually involved in the action, he is blistering those abdominal muscles, doing crunch after crunch.
In some ways, Chuckie Johnson is like so many other boys -- just your average teenager, a 17-year-old junior in high school, sometimes smiling and sometimes laughing and sometimes frustrated, working his way through yet another tough afternoon practice.
But there is little average about Chuckie Johnson.
Your average teenager is not the captain of his high school wrestling team, not a member of the National Honor Society, not listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students, not listed in Who's Who Among American High School Athletes.
Chuckie Johnson is also deaf.
No problem
"I've been deaf since birth," Johnson signed to his interpreter, Luz Arellano. "I don't think my deafness has ever been a problem. I've been mainstream since the third grade."
Johnson is one of 55 students in the deaf education program at Burges, the high school center for the entire city. The school has three teachers, nine interpreters and two assistants. The school also offers a sign-language class, one that counts as a foreign language, for all students -- obviously helping them communicate with their hearing-impaired classmates.
"Some of the students are mainstreamed, some are half-mainstreamed and some are in the deaf education program," Arellano said.
Johnson is not only a fully mainstreamed A-B student, one with the highest grade average on last year's wrestling team, he is also taking a pair of honors classes.
"Chuckie is amazing," Burges High English teacher Sylvia Polhamus said. "He's extremely intelligent, has a great sense of humor and loves to tease. I actually sometimes forget he is deaf. He's taking advanced placement English with me, and that is not easy for anyone. But he's not just taking it, he's in the top percentage in the class."
Burges High wrestling coach Jeff Himelspach said, "He has such a great attitude, which is why he was voted captain. He's always here, always leading by example, always helping the underclassmen with their moves. He has that excellent attitude, the attitude you have to have in this sport, the desire to win."
Conroy Henry, a teammate and junior classmate, said, "Chuckie is very motivated, always trying to push everybody. He is also a good person, easy to communicate with -- especially for me, since we've come through high school together."
And sophomore teammate Gil Esparza said, "He has a lot of technique in his matches and he wrestles by himself, since he can't have a coach screaming at him, telling him what to do. He is a big team motivator. After a win, he will come off, raise his arms and yell 'yeah' and everybody really gets pumped up. And if he sees anybody slacking during practice, he will get on us. He's just a great guy and a lot of us here have learned some basic sign language."
No easy ride
But it has been a long journey for Chuckie Johnson, a young man with endless energy and a quick sense of humor.
"I tried a lot of sports," he said. "Baseball, soccer, roller hockey, football. I think maybe the other kids thought I was dumb when I first got mainstreamed in the third grade. But if I hadn't been mainstreamed then I probably would be dumb today. I know it would have been hard if I had just started in high school."
Of course, right there with every triumph and every setback, every joy and every disappointment, were his parents, Lourdes and David.
"We assume he has been deaf since birth," Lourdes Johnson said. "He was never sick, always healthy as an ox. He was diagnosed when he was a year and seven months old. Emotionally, it was incredibly tough for us. You always have this vision of the perfect child. So when we found out, we went through a mourning process. Within a week, though, we were going to classes and learning. We just took it as if we were given this child from France and that we didn't know anything about France. So, we had to learn the language ... we had to learn all about France."
Obstacles to climb
There were challenges, though -- always challenges.
"We put him in wrestling because he was just a bundle of energy and because he always had this great upper-body strength," his mom said. "Plus, it was an individual sport. We put him in all these sports, but wrestling was the one where we didn't have to worry that kids would hesitate to pass him the ball because he was deaf. That happened a lot. He is so intelligent and such a good athlete, we always thought he would be a good catcher in baseball -- but we could never get a baseball coach to let him have a chance.
"When he started school, the district told us Chuckie would probably never read above a fourth-grade level," Lourdes Johnson said. "That became our battle cry."
Johnson has always been able to do things, always been a high achiever. He grew up watching television, with his parents lugging a decoder (that would print out the dialogue on the screen) everywhere they went. Now, all televisions made since 1995 ("Thanks to the first President Bush," Lourdes Johnson said) automatically have the words. He spends long sessions on the computer, communicating with his friends ("I'm a line freak," he said, grinning). He drives a truck and has a CD player blasting away. A CD player?
Laughing, Lourdes Johnson said, "He said he had to have that for his truck, because all his friends want to listen when they ride with him."
Almost two years ago, he went into a local car wash with a complete résumé, wanting a part-time job. They would not hire him, because of his hearing. No problem. He started his own lawn service and, with a teammate, works lawns on Sundays and in the summer.
Right now, though, he has his energies on wrestling and school. Johnson, who has no trouble making his weight at 160, finished second at the district meet this weekend and will compete in the state meet. He played some football at Burges, but said he will now focus on wrestling. Last summer, he took a giant step forward.
"Chuckie went to a two-week wrestling camp at Oklahoma State last summer," Himelspach said. "His mother went with him and was his interpreter. That has really set him apart."
Henry said, "After coming back from there, he has just been going up ever since."
Johnson said, "That was a great experience. I want to continue to improve, to get more experience. My goal is regionals and state. There were so many kids at that camp. It was great a lot of fun."
Mom laughed and said, "I was the only woman there. But it was amazing the way they took to Chuckie. The coaches loved him to death. He's such a hard worker. Kids from all over the country were there. A boy from New York was there, being recruited by Oklahoma State, and he really took to Chuckie. There was a big burly kid in the room when they were all watching television and he said 'hey, change the channel to something Chuckie can watch ... this doesn't have words.' They were all great."
Showing some of that intensity while signing to Arellano, Johnson said, "I like wrestling because you are on a team, but it is a one-man sport. You have to work very hard in this sport, really focus. This is a self-improvement sport that's why I am wrestling. Maybe I'll want to try to wrestle in college, but for now I'm not sure whether I want all my focus on wrestling and school or just my major -- forensic psychology, solving crimes."
While he is intensely focused on wrestling, one of the most physically demanding of all sports, Johnson never forgets his work in the classroom.
"He will miss school with wrestling tournaments and extracurricular activities," Polhamus said. "But when he comes back, he is always prepared, always knows exactly what is expected of him."
On his way
The boy, the one who is so rapidly becoming a young man, works tirelessly through the daily two-hour practice sessions. Occasionally, he will smile and poke Arellano on the arm ... teasing a little.
"He's bad," Arellano said, laughing and signing, so Johnson could understand.
Johnson smiled and signed back quickly: "She's lying."
Not much average about this boy, not much at all. Normal? Yes. Average? No. And he appears to be one of those blessed young people, one who has that magnetic personality ... a charm and enthusiasm and joy of life that lures others to him.
"You do get attached," Arellano admitted.
Lourdes Johnson said, "The Lord really blessed us with him."
Chuckie Johnson is just a boy, a boy blossoming into manhood and a boy who knows what is possible in this life, what is always possible. No limits. And he will tell you:
"Deaf people can do anything but hear."
And on he works, noiselessly, silently ... hearing little, knowing so much.
Johnson file
Who: Chuckie Johnson, junior captain of Burges' wrestling team.
Age: 17.
Weight class: 160 pounds.
Academics: An honor student with an A-B average, highest on the team. Member of the National Honor Society, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Who's Who Among American High School Athletes.
Bill Knight may be reached at bknightelpasotimes.com
Photo Caption:Burges High School wrestler Chuckie Johnson, right, watched interpreter Luz Arellano during a recent practice at the school. Johnson is the team's captain and is succeeding in the classroom and outside school.
Photo Caption:Burges wrestler Chuckie Johnson finished second in his district tournament this weekend. He is one of the school's top wrestlers despite having been deaf since birth. Johnson's work ethic has helped him become a team leader.
Photo Caption:Communication is key Burges wrestler Chuckie Johnson, who is deaf, talked with head coach Jeff Himelspach during a recent practice. Interpreter Luz Arellano translates into sign language for Johnson, who is the team captain of the Mustangs wrestling team.
Photo Caption:Burges wrestler Chuckie Johnson, right, works out with teamate Kenny Berry during a wrestling practice.
________________________________________
Copyright (c) El Paso Times. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
Difference between a winner and loser - THE EDGE by Coach Doug Reese
What is the difference between a winner and a loser? Many times it just boils down to confidence.
Over my coaching career I have seen many a team and individuals blessed with enormous talent and ability that couldn’t seem to grasp the victory that was theirs for the taking. They lacked confidence, faith, and assurance that they could capture the victory. They didn’t believe they could overcome and win. They didn’t think they could win, so they were never able to secure the victory.
As a college wrestling coach I am always searching for the best student-athletes possible. I attend a lot of high school wrestling matches. In the past two weeks I have watched 15 dual meets, two tournaments, and put on a high school wrestling clinic. Of course, I look for the athletes who make winning a habit, and who possess great technical skills, but what catches my eye is the athlete who walks like a champion.
The walk of a champion is built upon confidence, assurance, and self-possession. Confidence is faith in oneself and one's powers without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance. Assurance carries a stronger implication of certainty and may suggest arrogance or lack of objectivity in assessing one's own powers. The self-assured athlete will look at the impossible and say, ‘I can do this.’ Self-possession implies an ease or coolness under stress that reflects perfect self-control and command of one's powers.
I want the confident, assured, and self-possessed athlete on my team! How about you?
How do you see yourself? Is it as a champion who wins nearly every bout or as a loser – someone who struggles, never seeming to conquer a single problem? How you perceive yourself is very important because it will ultimately affect the way other people see you!
A loser carries an air of inferiority with them. They talk negatively, make excuses, and lose self-control. It is not hard to pick out this kind of attitude in people. On the other hand, the self-confident and self-assured are easy to recognize… because they ooze confidence.
It is a simple fact that you will project what you feel about yourself to others. So how you see yourself is exactly how others will see you!
In Romans 8:37 Paul tells us how we need to see ourselves. He writes, “…we are more than conquerers…”
The words “more than” are derived from the Greek word huper, which literally means over, above, and beyond. It depicts something that is way beyond measure. It carries the idea of superiority – something that is paramount, first-rate, first-class, top-notch; greater, higher, and better than; superior to, dominant, and incomparable; more than a match for; unsurpassed, unequaled, and unrivaled…
This is the word that Paul uses to explain what kind of conquerors we are in Jesus Christ. We are huper-conquerors!
Who are you? You are precisely a first-rate, beyond measure, top-notch, dominant and incomparable, unequaled conqueror in Jesus Christ! So stop looking at yourself as a struggling loser. Regardless of your past experience, you must begin to look at yourself through God’s eyes in the light of Romans 8:37. God declares that you are a winner!
Now you need to start walking like a champion, oozing out that confidence in all directions. Not only will you see the difference, but others will notice it too.
Make a decision right now to see yourself the way God sees you – as a Champion, a walloping and conquering force! You are more than a match for any adversary that comes against you. Walk like a champion.
Over my coaching career I have seen many a team and individuals blessed with enormous talent and ability that couldn’t seem to grasp the victory that was theirs for the taking. They lacked confidence, faith, and assurance that they could capture the victory. They didn’t believe they could overcome and win. They didn’t think they could win, so they were never able to secure the victory.
As a college wrestling coach I am always searching for the best student-athletes possible. I attend a lot of high school wrestling matches. In the past two weeks I have watched 15 dual meets, two tournaments, and put on a high school wrestling clinic. Of course, I look for the athletes who make winning a habit, and who possess great technical skills, but what catches my eye is the athlete who walks like a champion.
The walk of a champion is built upon confidence, assurance, and self-possession. Confidence is faith in oneself and one's powers without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance. Assurance carries a stronger implication of certainty and may suggest arrogance or lack of objectivity in assessing one's own powers. The self-assured athlete will look at the impossible and say, ‘I can do this.’ Self-possession implies an ease or coolness under stress that reflects perfect self-control and command of one's powers.
I want the confident, assured, and self-possessed athlete on my team! How about you?
How do you see yourself? Is it as a champion who wins nearly every bout or as a loser – someone who struggles, never seeming to conquer a single problem? How you perceive yourself is very important because it will ultimately affect the way other people see you!
A loser carries an air of inferiority with them. They talk negatively, make excuses, and lose self-control. It is not hard to pick out this kind of attitude in people. On the other hand, the self-confident and self-assured are easy to recognize… because they ooze confidence.
It is a simple fact that you will project what you feel about yourself to others. So how you see yourself is exactly how others will see you!
In Romans 8:37 Paul tells us how we need to see ourselves. He writes, “…we are more than conquerers…”
The words “more than” are derived from the Greek word huper, which literally means over, above, and beyond. It depicts something that is way beyond measure. It carries the idea of superiority – something that is paramount, first-rate, first-class, top-notch; greater, higher, and better than; superior to, dominant, and incomparable; more than a match for; unsurpassed, unequaled, and unrivaled…
This is the word that Paul uses to explain what kind of conquerors we are in Jesus Christ. We are huper-conquerors!
Who are you? You are precisely a first-rate, beyond measure, top-notch, dominant and incomparable, unequaled conqueror in Jesus Christ! So stop looking at yourself as a struggling loser. Regardless of your past experience, you must begin to look at yourself through God’s eyes in the light of Romans 8:37. God declares that you are a winner!
Now you need to start walking like a champion, oozing out that confidence in all directions. Not only will you see the difference, but others will notice it too.
Make a decision right now to see yourself the way God sees you – as a Champion, a walloping and conquering force! You are more than a match for any adversary that comes against you. Walk like a champion.
Stay Alert and Focused - The Edge by Coach Doug Reese
A number of years ago when I was coaching college football at Michigan Tech University, we made a trip to lower Michigan to play Ferris State University in Big Rapids. Our team stayed over on Friday night in Reed City, which was about 14 miles north of Big Rapids.
Typically we would leave campus early Friday morning and travel most of the day by charter bus with a couple of 15-passenger vans following. In the late afternoon we would have a light workout. The team would do some easy running and stretching, we would run some offensive plays versus our defense, check personnel, and go through all of our special teams. The practice lasted no more than an hour.
After practice we would head back to the hotel. The guys would shower and dress for the team dinner. After dinner we would have a team meeting or position group meeting that might last a couple hours. Then it was back to the room to relax, watch TV, do some homework, or just discuss the upcoming game.
Lights out was at midnight. The coaches did a bed check to make sure everyone was in their proper place. All of our rooms would get a wake up call in the morning, and we would have a mandatory team breakfast. After breakfast there would be another position group meeting or a special team’s meeting. The players would go back to their rooms, watch some TV, and pack up their gear. At the appointed time we would load the bus and depart for the game site.
Since we were so close to Ferris State, our head coach instructed the team to get taped in the hotel by the training staff, then dress in game uniform and get on the bus. We were going to head directly to the stadium, unload the bus, and go right onto the field for our pre-game warm ups.
When we arrived at the field we scrambled off the bus. I met with my offensive line in the right corner of the end zone as we always did each Saturday. Something was not right. I was missing two guys!
I had no idea where they were, and I didn’t have the time to go looking for them. I had to focus on getting my group of lineman ready for the game.
We finished our pre-game rituals and headed into the locker room for the final words from our head coach when my two missing lineman came running into the locker room out of breath and sweating heavily.
“Where have you been,” I screamed.
“We missed the bus,” one of them answered.
“How did that happen?”
“We lost track of time watching cartoons.”
“How did you get here?”
“We hitchhiked!”
“Oh my God…you guys are unbelievable! I can’t believe anybody would pick you two up dressed like that!”
It is easy to lose your primary focus just like these two college football players. The things of this world are always vying for our attention and time. Even cartoons can dull the sense of urgency and focus while lulling us to sleep.
Samson is a very famous Biblical character. He was a man of action, a man of tremendous strength and of great potential. Yet time and time again, Samson lived for the moment, losing his focus.
Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines offered Delilah a great sum of money if Delilah could find out the secret of Samson’s great strength so that the Philistines could overpower him and subdue him (Judges 16).
Time after time Delilah asked Samson to tell her the secret of his strength. Each time Samson made up a story and Delilah would catch him in his lie. Again Delilah would push, nag, and prod Samson to tell her his secret. Day after day this went on until Samson was tired to death.
At one point Delilah asked, “How can you say, I love you, when you won’t confide in me?” Although Samson loved Delilah, Delilah was in it just for the money.
Finally Samson told Delilah everything. He was worn out. “Delilah got Samson to go to sleep on her lap. Then she called for a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair. That's how she began to bring him under her control. And he wasn't strong anymore,” (Judges 16:19 NIRV).
Delilah kept asking Samson for the secret of his strength until he grew tired of it. He was lulled asleep by the constant nagging, by the constant lies.
The world today continually nags and prods us with lies just like Delilah.
The world keeps telling us divorce is okay and easy to do. The world shouts that a fetus is not human, so abortion is okay. The world cries out “if it feels good do it.” The world exclaims, “Do whatever it takes” to get ahead.
You can become so taken up with the lies of this world, your mind so filled with the garbage it produces, that you may never think of the things of God – your primary focus.
The sad fact is all the lies lull us into indifference and carelessness – all the while the Philistines are ready to pounce on us. When the attack comes, there is no spiritual strength. It is gone!
We need to watch our step and maintain our strength by the truth of God’s Word! Paul gives us this coaching point in Ephesians 6:10-13.
“God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting, you'll still be on your feet,” (THE MESSAGE).
Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. You’ve got to know the game plan and stick to it. The only way to win in this game is to stay on task. Don’t be deceived, and don’t be lulled to sleep. Stay alert and focused, the only way to do that is to stay in God’s Word and know His truth.
Typically we would leave campus early Friday morning and travel most of the day by charter bus with a couple of 15-passenger vans following. In the late afternoon we would have a light workout. The team would do some easy running and stretching, we would run some offensive plays versus our defense, check personnel, and go through all of our special teams. The practice lasted no more than an hour.
After practice we would head back to the hotel. The guys would shower and dress for the team dinner. After dinner we would have a team meeting or position group meeting that might last a couple hours. Then it was back to the room to relax, watch TV, do some homework, or just discuss the upcoming game.
Lights out was at midnight. The coaches did a bed check to make sure everyone was in their proper place. All of our rooms would get a wake up call in the morning, and we would have a mandatory team breakfast. After breakfast there would be another position group meeting or a special team’s meeting. The players would go back to their rooms, watch some TV, and pack up their gear. At the appointed time we would load the bus and depart for the game site.
Since we were so close to Ferris State, our head coach instructed the team to get taped in the hotel by the training staff, then dress in game uniform and get on the bus. We were going to head directly to the stadium, unload the bus, and go right onto the field for our pre-game warm ups.
When we arrived at the field we scrambled off the bus. I met with my offensive line in the right corner of the end zone as we always did each Saturday. Something was not right. I was missing two guys!
I had no idea where they were, and I didn’t have the time to go looking for them. I had to focus on getting my group of lineman ready for the game.
We finished our pre-game rituals and headed into the locker room for the final words from our head coach when my two missing lineman came running into the locker room out of breath and sweating heavily.
“Where have you been,” I screamed.
“We missed the bus,” one of them answered.
“How did that happen?”
“We lost track of time watching cartoons.”
“How did you get here?”
“We hitchhiked!”
“Oh my God…you guys are unbelievable! I can’t believe anybody would pick you two up dressed like that!”
It is easy to lose your primary focus just like these two college football players. The things of this world are always vying for our attention and time. Even cartoons can dull the sense of urgency and focus while lulling us to sleep.
Samson is a very famous Biblical character. He was a man of action, a man of tremendous strength and of great potential. Yet time and time again, Samson lived for the moment, losing his focus.
Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines offered Delilah a great sum of money if Delilah could find out the secret of Samson’s great strength so that the Philistines could overpower him and subdue him (Judges 16).
Time after time Delilah asked Samson to tell her the secret of his strength. Each time Samson made up a story and Delilah would catch him in his lie. Again Delilah would push, nag, and prod Samson to tell her his secret. Day after day this went on until Samson was tired to death.
At one point Delilah asked, “How can you say, I love you, when you won’t confide in me?” Although Samson loved Delilah, Delilah was in it just for the money.
Finally Samson told Delilah everything. He was worn out. “Delilah got Samson to go to sleep on her lap. Then she called for a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair. That's how she began to bring him under her control. And he wasn't strong anymore,” (Judges 16:19 NIRV).
Delilah kept asking Samson for the secret of his strength until he grew tired of it. He was lulled asleep by the constant nagging, by the constant lies.
The world today continually nags and prods us with lies just like Delilah.
The world keeps telling us divorce is okay and easy to do. The world shouts that a fetus is not human, so abortion is okay. The world cries out “if it feels good do it.” The world exclaims, “Do whatever it takes” to get ahead.
You can become so taken up with the lies of this world, your mind so filled with the garbage it produces, that you may never think of the things of God – your primary focus.
The sad fact is all the lies lull us into indifference and carelessness – all the while the Philistines are ready to pounce on us. When the attack comes, there is no spiritual strength. It is gone!
We need to watch our step and maintain our strength by the truth of God’s Word! Paul gives us this coaching point in Ephesians 6:10-13.
“God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting, you'll still be on your feet,” (THE MESSAGE).
Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. You’ve got to know the game plan and stick to it. The only way to win in this game is to stay on task. Don’t be deceived, and don’t be lulled to sleep. Stay alert and focused, the only way to do that is to stay in God’s Word and know His truth.
funny quotes
"I've had a rough day. I put my shirt on and a button fell off. I picked up my briefcase and the handle fell off. I'm afraid to go to the bathroom."
"I know I need some kind of athletic activity in my life, so I subscribed to a couple of health magazines. There's nothing better than kicking back with a cigarette, a Budweiser, and Prevention magazine... and reading about what nicotine, alcohol, and sloth will do to me. The anxiety alone raises my heart rate."
"I know I need some kind of athletic activity in my life, so I subscribed to a couple of health magazines. There's nothing better than kicking back with a cigarette, a Budweiser, and Prevention magazine... and reading about what nicotine, alcohol, and sloth will do to me. The anxiety alone raises my heart rate."
inspirational quote
Take a deep breath, count to ten, and tackle each task one step at a time.
unknown
unknown
Keep It Hot! - THE EDGE by Coach Doug Reese
Competition to excel is often so intense that both the athlete and coach alike are continually searching for a physiological and psychological advantage over their opponents. Often times the competitive advantage is sought through increased training and practice. It could mean for the athlete more running, lifting of weights, more technical drilling, and lots of perfect repetitions.
The net effect of the extra workouts could result in Training Stress Syndrome, which is a term that sports psychologists use for the more common description - burnout. Burnout can affect many people - not just athletes.
Everyone feels tired and unmotivated at times, but this should not be a persistent feeling. Not only do the symptoms affect the athlete mentally, but also burnout can be physical as well.
The athlete can get weary or tired due to increased stress. This can make the athletes lose interest in their sports. Physical over-training can lead to feelings of fatigue and a lack of excitement.
When life or sport becomes boring, monotonous, or unexciting it slowly loses its speed or momentum. Athletes suddenly find that they have lost the drive, the thrust, the pace, and the speed it once possessed.
Our spiritual lives can burn-out as well - which leads to back sliding.
Our goal is to be on fire - not "burned out". Not cold, not luke-warm, but on fire. There is a temperature gauge on the inside of us that must be reached before we can be ignited. When we are "ignited," our whole being gets heated up. It causes our prayers to be effective, it causes us to influence others, and it causes our faith to rise!
You have to make it a goal to keep the fire burning. Then you will know where to go and what to do because you will be in a place where you will be able to hear God's voice.
The apostle Paul said, if you are going to run the race, then run to win! Go for the Gold! If you are going to win, you have to be HOT! You have to be ON FIRE! Just competing isn't good enough. When you are on fire, that's when you will see increase, that's when you will experience the breakthrough. That's when you will possess victory!
There is a finish line to cross. Each of us will be accountable to God on how we ran the race.
Did you sprint, or did you stroll? Did you leave it all on the course, or did you hold back? Did you focus on the finish, or did you get distracted and wander off course?
If you are not on fire, stir the coals. Get on your knees and thank God for your many blessings. Thank Him. Praise Him for who He is, and what He has done. Thank Him for sending His Son to the cross for you! Heartfelt praise, thanksgiving, and worship fan the flames. Keep it HOT!
"THE EDGE" is a teaching tool, coaching from today's world of sport to help better undertand the scriptures using Biblical facts and principles to help one become better coaches, athletes, and fan. 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.
If you received "THE EDGE" as a forward and would like to be added to our mailing list, send an e-mail to: mailto:theedge@tothenextlevel.org and put "ADD" in the subject line. God ble and have a great day!
Copyright (c) 2001-2004, TTNL Sports Network
The net effect of the extra workouts could result in Training Stress Syndrome, which is a term that sports psychologists use for the more common description - burnout. Burnout can affect many people - not just athletes.
Everyone feels tired and unmotivated at times, but this should not be a persistent feeling. Not only do the symptoms affect the athlete mentally, but also burnout can be physical as well.
The athlete can get weary or tired due to increased stress. This can make the athletes lose interest in their sports. Physical over-training can lead to feelings of fatigue and a lack of excitement.
When life or sport becomes boring, monotonous, or unexciting it slowly loses its speed or momentum. Athletes suddenly find that they have lost the drive, the thrust, the pace, and the speed it once possessed.
Our spiritual lives can burn-out as well - which leads to back sliding.
Our goal is to be on fire - not "burned out". Not cold, not luke-warm, but on fire. There is a temperature gauge on the inside of us that must be reached before we can be ignited. When we are "ignited," our whole being gets heated up. It causes our prayers to be effective, it causes us to influence others, and it causes our faith to rise!
You have to make it a goal to keep the fire burning. Then you will know where to go and what to do because you will be in a place where you will be able to hear God's voice.
The apostle Paul said, if you are going to run the race, then run to win! Go for the Gold! If you are going to win, you have to be HOT! You have to be ON FIRE! Just competing isn't good enough. When you are on fire, that's when you will see increase, that's when you will experience the breakthrough. That's when you will possess victory!
There is a finish line to cross. Each of us will be accountable to God on how we ran the race.
Did you sprint, or did you stroll? Did you leave it all on the course, or did you hold back? Did you focus on the finish, or did you get distracted and wander off course?
If you are not on fire, stir the coals. Get on your knees and thank God for your many blessings. Thank Him. Praise Him for who He is, and what He has done. Thank Him for sending His Son to the cross for you! Heartfelt praise, thanksgiving, and worship fan the flames. Keep it HOT!
"THE EDGE" is a teaching tool, coaching from today's world of sport to help better undertand the scriptures using Biblical facts and principles to help one become better coaches, athletes, and fan. 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.
If you received "THE EDGE" as a forward and would like to be added to our mailing list, send an e-mail to: mailto:theedge@tothenextlevel.org and put "ADD" in the subject line. God ble and have a great day!
Copyright (c) 2001-2004, TTNL Sports Network
READ ONLY IF YOU HAVE TIME FOR GOD
Let me tell you, make sure you read all the way to the bottom. I almost ignored this but I was blessed when I got to the end.
READ ONLY IF YOU HAVE TIME FOR GOD
God, when I received this, I thought...
I don't have time for this... And, this is really inappropriate during work.
Then, I realized that this kind of thinking is... Exactly, what has caused lot of the problems in our world today?
We try to keep God in church on Sunday morning...
Maybe, Sunday night...
And, the unlikely event of a midweek service.
We do like to have Him around during sickness...
And, of course, at funerals.
However, we don't have time, or room, for Him during work or play...
Because... That's the part of our lives we think... We can, and should, handle on our own.
May God forgive me for ever thinking...
That...
There is a time or place where...
HE is not to be FIRST in my life.
We should always have time to remember all HE has done for us.
If, You aren't ashamed to do this...
Please follow the directions.
Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father."
Not ashamed?
Pass this on ONLY IF YOU MEAN IT!!
Yes, I do Love God.
HE is my source of existence and Savior.
He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I will be nothing. Without Him, I am nothing. But, with Christ, HE strengthens me. (Phil 4:13) This is the simplest test.
If You Love God... And, are not ashamed of all the marvelous things HE has done for you...
Send this to ten people and the person who sent it to you!
I don't think I know 10 people who would admit they love Jesus. Do You love Him?
THE POEM
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done.
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord, I came,
I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"
Now do you have the time to pass it on?
Make sure that you scroll through to the end.
Easy vs. Hard
Why is it so hard to tell the truth but Yet so easy to tell a lie?
Why are we so sleepy in church but Right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up?
Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so easy to talk about nasty stuff?
Why is it so boring to look at a Christian magazine, but yet so easy to look at a nasty one?
Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e- mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones?
Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs are getting larger?
Do you give up? Think about it. Are you going to forward this, or delete it?
Just remember-God is watching you.
Prayer Wheel-Let's see the devil stop this one!
Here's what the wheel is all about. When you receive this, say a prayer for the person that sent it to you....
That's all you have to do....
There is nothing attached....
This is so powerful....
Do not stop the wheel, please....
Of all the free gifts we may receive, Prayer is the very best one....
There are no costs, but wonderful rewards... GOD BLESS!
May God keep you and bless you. If this doesn't give you chills, nothing will...this message is very true. Hope you are all as blessed as I was from this story. I wonder how many people will delete this without reading it because of the title on it?
There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak..."I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply.
"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy.
"They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"
"How much?" the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.
The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.
One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.
Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"
"How much?" He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."
Jesus said, "DONE!"
Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.
Notes: Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.
Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God).
Isn't it funny how you can share a thousand jokes with your friends and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sharing messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing?
Isn't it funny how when you share this message, you will not share with many friends because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sharing it with them.
Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
I pray, for everyone who shares this with everybody, they will be blessed by God in a way special for them.
And share it with the person who sent it, to let them know that indeed it was sent out to any more.
READ ONLY IF YOU HAVE TIME FOR GOD
God, when I received this, I thought...
I don't have time for this... And, this is really inappropriate during work.
Then, I realized that this kind of thinking is... Exactly, what has caused lot of the problems in our world today?
We try to keep God in church on Sunday morning...
Maybe, Sunday night...
And, the unlikely event of a midweek service.
We do like to have Him around during sickness...
And, of course, at funerals.
However, we don't have time, or room, for Him during work or play...
Because... That's the part of our lives we think... We can, and should, handle on our own.
May God forgive me for ever thinking...
That...
There is a time or place where...
HE is not to be FIRST in my life.
We should always have time to remember all HE has done for us.
If, You aren't ashamed to do this...
Please follow the directions.
Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father."
Not ashamed?
Pass this on ONLY IF YOU MEAN IT!!
Yes, I do Love God.
HE is my source of existence and Savior.
He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I will be nothing. Without Him, I am nothing. But, with Christ, HE strengthens me. (Phil 4:13) This is the simplest test.
If You Love God... And, are not ashamed of all the marvelous things HE has done for you...
Send this to ten people and the person who sent it to you!
I don't think I know 10 people who would admit they love Jesus. Do You love Him?
THE POEM
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done.
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord, I came,
I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"
Now do you have the time to pass it on?
Make sure that you scroll through to the end.
Easy vs. Hard
Why is it so hard to tell the truth but Yet so easy to tell a lie?
Why are we so sleepy in church but Right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up?
Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so easy to talk about nasty stuff?
Why is it so boring to look at a Christian magazine, but yet so easy to look at a nasty one?
Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e- mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones?
Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs are getting larger?
Do you give up? Think about it. Are you going to forward this, or delete it?
Just remember-God is watching you.
Prayer Wheel-Let's see the devil stop this one!
Here's what the wheel is all about. When you receive this, say a prayer for the person that sent it to you....
That's all you have to do....
There is nothing attached....
This is so powerful....
Do not stop the wheel, please....
Of all the free gifts we may receive, Prayer is the very best one....
There are no costs, but wonderful rewards... GOD BLESS!
May God keep you and bless you. If this doesn't give you chills, nothing will...this message is very true. Hope you are all as blessed as I was from this story. I wonder how many people will delete this without reading it because of the title on it?
There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak..."I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply.
"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy.
"They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"
"How much?" the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.
The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.
One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.
Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"
"How much?" He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."
Jesus said, "DONE!"
Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.
Notes: Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.
Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God).
Isn't it funny how you can share a thousand jokes with your friends and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sharing messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing?
Isn't it funny how when you share this message, you will not share with many friends because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sharing it with them.
Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
I pray, for everyone who shares this with everybody, they will be blessed by God in a way special for them.
And share it with the person who sent it, to let them know that indeed it was sent out to any more.
Be a Wise Guy! - THE EDGE by Coach Doug Reese
Curt Schilling is a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star who has won 166 games and struck out over 2,500 batters. One of the strengths of National League MVP and World Series champion is not his fastball, or the location of his pitches, but his willingness to listen to people around him:
• Once, in Little League, Curt got upset because he thought his coach wasn't playing him enough. He was moping around the house until his father told him he should quit if he was so unhappy. "He knew I wouldn't quit," Curt says, "so he said, 'Then it's your job to work harder and become a better player. Make the coach change his mind about you.' "I've never forgotten that advice."
• Curt's wife, Shonda, challenged him to take his game to the next level, as she fought her own fight against cancer.
• Cy Young winner Roger Clemens of the Houston Astros, pulled Curt aside during an off-season workout in the Astrodome and lectured him at an early age that he was foolish to waste the precious gift he had.
• From National League Cy Young winner Greg Maddux, the pitching ace of the Chicago Cubs, Schilling learned that the key to preparation is to understand when a hitter is going to swing and when he is going to take a pitch.
• Hall of Fame great Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals spent hours with Curt talking about the art of pitching high-velocity fastballs.
• From National League Batting Champion Tony Gwinn of the San Diego Padres, Schilling took his cue on how to approach his craft, which led him to amass a digital library of more than 30,000 video disks of every hitter he has ever faced.
Schilling is not just a student of the game, but a scholar concerning his competition. It is not unusual to see him moving and positioning his fielders for a specific batter or taking notes on a hitter while in the dugout after pitching to him.
The key for Curt Schilling was that not only did he ask for advice, he also listened to the advice that people gave him. The most important point is that Schilling plugged into that advice. He applied what he learned. Listening and understanding is important, but it is in the application that makes all the difference!
Solomon once said, "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7 NIV).
Maybe you are thinking that wisdom would be a good thing to possess? You're right! According to Solomon, wisdom is the one thing you must have-regardless of the cost. It is a pursuit you should take seriously.
The Master's Playbook makes it very clear that we should seek counsel from others. Proverbs 12:15 (THE MESSAGE) says, "Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice."
Advice, knowledge, and a great array of wisdom can and should come from many advisors. Listen to this last nugget of wisdom from Solomon, "A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers" (Proverbs 24:5-6 NIV).
Plug into wisdom where you can find it. It is a key to victory. It is a rock, a foundation of success, of power, and lasting contentment. Be a wise guy - GET WISDOM!
"THE EDGE” is a teaching tool, coaching from today's world of sports to help one better understand the scriptures using Biblical facts and principles to 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 or at www.ttnl.org
If you received "THE EDGE" as a forward and would like to be added to our mailing list, send an e-mail to: theEDGE@tothenextlevel.org and put "ADD" in the subject line. God bless and have a great day!
Copyright © 2001-2004, TTNL Sports Network
• Once, in Little League, Curt got upset because he thought his coach wasn't playing him enough. He was moping around the house until his father told him he should quit if he was so unhappy. "He knew I wouldn't quit," Curt says, "so he said, 'Then it's your job to work harder and become a better player. Make the coach change his mind about you.' "I've never forgotten that advice."
• Curt's wife, Shonda, challenged him to take his game to the next level, as she fought her own fight against cancer.
• Cy Young winner Roger Clemens of the Houston Astros, pulled Curt aside during an off-season workout in the Astrodome and lectured him at an early age that he was foolish to waste the precious gift he had.
• From National League Cy Young winner Greg Maddux, the pitching ace of the Chicago Cubs, Schilling learned that the key to preparation is to understand when a hitter is going to swing and when he is going to take a pitch.
• Hall of Fame great Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals spent hours with Curt talking about the art of pitching high-velocity fastballs.
• From National League Batting Champion Tony Gwinn of the San Diego Padres, Schilling took his cue on how to approach his craft, which led him to amass a digital library of more than 30,000 video disks of every hitter he has ever faced.
Schilling is not just a student of the game, but a scholar concerning his competition. It is not unusual to see him moving and positioning his fielders for a specific batter or taking notes on a hitter while in the dugout after pitching to him.
The key for Curt Schilling was that not only did he ask for advice, he also listened to the advice that people gave him. The most important point is that Schilling plugged into that advice. He applied what he learned. Listening and understanding is important, but it is in the application that makes all the difference!
Solomon once said, "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7 NIV).
Maybe you are thinking that wisdom would be a good thing to possess? You're right! According to Solomon, wisdom is the one thing you must have-regardless of the cost. It is a pursuit you should take seriously.
The Master's Playbook makes it very clear that we should seek counsel from others. Proverbs 12:15 (THE MESSAGE) says, "Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice."
Advice, knowledge, and a great array of wisdom can and should come from many advisors. Listen to this last nugget of wisdom from Solomon, "A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers" (Proverbs 24:5-6 NIV).
Plug into wisdom where you can find it. It is a key to victory. It is a rock, a foundation of success, of power, and lasting contentment. Be a wise guy - GET WISDOM!
"THE EDGE” is a teaching tool, coaching from today's world of sports to help one better understand the scriptures using Biblical facts and principles to 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 or at www.ttnl.org
If you received "THE EDGE" as a forward and would like to be added to our mailing list, send an e-mail to: theEDGE@tothenextlevel.org and put "ADD" in the subject line. God bless and have a great day!
Copyright © 2001-2004, TTNL Sports Network
miss perfect
(something i wrote long time ago for a friend)
the perfect lifestyle
she can have her perfect friends
car, house, family and whatever
but…
she will never have the perfect man
she lost him
and she knows it.
the perfect lifestyle
she can have her perfect friends
car, house, family and whatever
but…
she will never have the perfect man
she lost him
and she knows it.
No Off-Season Pain, Very Little In-Season Gain
No Off-Season Pain, Very Little In-Season Gain
By John Pacheco ©2004 InsideTexasWrestling.com All rights reserved
A query posted not so long ago regarding off-season conditioning got me to thinking about what a comprehensive, off-season program for wrestling might look like. I remember well the off-season routine I used during my four years of college and know plenty of high school standouts who had similar systems that paid big dividends during their high school seasons. And so, while I am obviously not an exercise physiologists, I do have a few suggestions for those wrestlers looking to design an off-season conditioning program.
First, no matter the training routine or facility you choose, there are five areas of conditioning or training you should consider if you do plan to be ready-to-go, next year. In my opinion, the five areas are flexibility, endurance, cardio-vascular, aerobic and power. I promise, if you routinely commit some time to each of the five areas, you will see major improvements in your wrestling. Conversely, if you fail to do anything in each of the five areas, on a regular basis, I promise you will continue to fall behind those more dedicated and so more deserving wrestlers.
Flexibility
Born more out of necessity (my college Judo coach demanded it) then the desire to improve my flexibility, I stretched for 15 minutes, twice a day, on my own. Every morning (after waking up) and evening (before going to bed), I thoroughly stretched my legs, back, neck and shoulders, while using a long, nearly-static stretch. I found the stretching to be extremely beneficial. First, I suffered fewer injuries on the mat. Secondly, I truly believe my increased flexibility allowed me to be a better "counter" wrestler. Unfortunately, stretching is probably the single element of a good off-season routine most oft over-looked by coaches and wrestlers alike.
Endurance training
Yep, just like the countless many wrestlers that went on before me - I also hit the pavement, grass and dirt. I ran between 2 to 3 miles every evening, in hopes of improving the ability of my lungs to process oxygen over an extended period of time. And because I am very susceptible to bouts of boredom, I spent most of those countless miles running on regional park trails. While the distance running provided good endurance training, it also helped me prepare mentally. I hated (and still do) distance running and so it was tough to get up off the couch and force myself out the door.
Fortunately wrestling was very important to me and so I gathered up all the discipline I could find and stayed true to my training plan. The discipline I developed from distance running empowered me to work at the many other areas listed below.
Cardiovascular training
"Oh, the pain of it all!" At first I hated running hills, but quickly learned to love it. Every single morning, after thoroughly stretching of course, I ran the hill behind my college apartment.
The elevation of that "forsaken" hill climbed from sea level to 600 feet, in a very short distance. As you can imagine, by the time I reached the crest of the hill, my lungs felt as if they were on fire and my heart felt it was going to jump from my chest. I ran that hill, ten times each morning, throughout the off-season. Running the hill built-up my cardiovascular strength and prepared me for the team's challenging in-season running program - a 4.5 mile course which included similar climbs.
Later, when I moved to the Sacramento Valley to coach, I substituted football stadium stairs for lack of hills and got similar results. Some might argue that aerobic and cardiovascular conditioning are one in the same (and they're probably right). However I see cardiovascular training as conditioning the heart to handle greater loads for eventually longer periods of time.
Normally, when aerobic training, the heart is working under a moderate training load for a sustained period of time (20 minutes or more). But because sprinting up hills or stairs requires an all-out physical effort, for a shorter period of time (depending on the distance and grade), the heart is working under a considerable load, for relatively short bursts.
Aerobic training
Believe it or not, spinning was around way before the gym bag-toting, "trophy-wives" made it into a fad at every exercise club and gym in America. While in college, I was a huge fan of distance cycling and racing, and had a friend that did both. He taught me the conditioning technique of spinning - turning the pedals of a bicycle at high revolutions per minute (rpm) over a prolonged period of time - during my sophomore year and suggested I use it to build up my "chicken-legs".
Sure enough, I found my friend's advice to be true and immediately saw results in the power and endurance of my legs. In addition, the spinning helped improve my overall aerobic conditioning. I began spinning (with my 10-speed road bike locked in place on a portable training stand) on those evenings I didn't wrestle, while watching television, for 30 minutes at a time. Later as a coach, I recommended spinning and cycling to those wrestlers that couldn't physically or mentally handle running.
Strength training
Admittedly, weight lifting means different things to so many different people and rightfully so. Weight training should be tailored to match an athlete's specific weaknesses and needs, and so should vary accordingly.
I used a system that our college training coach passed to us. The system was based on super-sets, consisting of five exercises. Each exercise required eight to ten repetitions each, with each repetition lasting between seven and eight seconds. I completed four to five super-sets during each weight lifting session.
The five exercises in each super-set were designed to work different groups of muscles, so that the wrestler could move from exercise to exercise, and set to set, without taking long rests between exercises and rounds (In truth, I paused just long enough to catch my breath). For example, the first super-set was made up of five exercises: bench press (wide grip), dips, bicep-curls (narrow grip), lat pull-downs, and inclined sit-ups with weight. I moved from exercise to exercise, completing eight to ten reps each at seven seconds a rep, until all five exercises were completed. After finishing the first round of five exercises, I started over again, until I had successfully completed three rounds of all five exercises. After completing a super-set, I moved on to the next super-set until all 4 super-sets were completed.
By John Pacheco ©2004 InsideTexasWrestling.com All rights reserved
A query posted not so long ago regarding off-season conditioning got me to thinking about what a comprehensive, off-season program for wrestling might look like. I remember well the off-season routine I used during my four years of college and know plenty of high school standouts who had similar systems that paid big dividends during their high school seasons. And so, while I am obviously not an exercise physiologists, I do have a few suggestions for those wrestlers looking to design an off-season conditioning program.
First, no matter the training routine or facility you choose, there are five areas of conditioning or training you should consider if you do plan to be ready-to-go, next year. In my opinion, the five areas are flexibility, endurance, cardio-vascular, aerobic and power. I promise, if you routinely commit some time to each of the five areas, you will see major improvements in your wrestling. Conversely, if you fail to do anything in each of the five areas, on a regular basis, I promise you will continue to fall behind those more dedicated and so more deserving wrestlers.
Flexibility
Born more out of necessity (my college Judo coach demanded it) then the desire to improve my flexibility, I stretched for 15 minutes, twice a day, on my own. Every morning (after waking up) and evening (before going to bed), I thoroughly stretched my legs, back, neck and shoulders, while using a long, nearly-static stretch. I found the stretching to be extremely beneficial. First, I suffered fewer injuries on the mat. Secondly, I truly believe my increased flexibility allowed me to be a better "counter" wrestler. Unfortunately, stretching is probably the single element of a good off-season routine most oft over-looked by coaches and wrestlers alike.
Endurance training
Yep, just like the countless many wrestlers that went on before me - I also hit the pavement, grass and dirt. I ran between 2 to 3 miles every evening, in hopes of improving the ability of my lungs to process oxygen over an extended period of time. And because I am very susceptible to bouts of boredom, I spent most of those countless miles running on regional park trails. While the distance running provided good endurance training, it also helped me prepare mentally. I hated (and still do) distance running and so it was tough to get up off the couch and force myself out the door.
Fortunately wrestling was very important to me and so I gathered up all the discipline I could find and stayed true to my training plan. The discipline I developed from distance running empowered me to work at the many other areas listed below.
Cardiovascular training
"Oh, the pain of it all!" At first I hated running hills, but quickly learned to love it. Every single morning, after thoroughly stretching of course, I ran the hill behind my college apartment.
The elevation of that "forsaken" hill climbed from sea level to 600 feet, in a very short distance. As you can imagine, by the time I reached the crest of the hill, my lungs felt as if they were on fire and my heart felt it was going to jump from my chest. I ran that hill, ten times each morning, throughout the off-season. Running the hill built-up my cardiovascular strength and prepared me for the team's challenging in-season running program - a 4.5 mile course which included similar climbs.
Later, when I moved to the Sacramento Valley to coach, I substituted football stadium stairs for lack of hills and got similar results. Some might argue that aerobic and cardiovascular conditioning are one in the same (and they're probably right). However I see cardiovascular training as conditioning the heart to handle greater loads for eventually longer periods of time.
Normally, when aerobic training, the heart is working under a moderate training load for a sustained period of time (20 minutes or more). But because sprinting up hills or stairs requires an all-out physical effort, for a shorter period of time (depending on the distance and grade), the heart is working under a considerable load, for relatively short bursts.
Aerobic training
Believe it or not, spinning was around way before the gym bag-toting, "trophy-wives" made it into a fad at every exercise club and gym in America. While in college, I was a huge fan of distance cycling and racing, and had a friend that did both. He taught me the conditioning technique of spinning - turning the pedals of a bicycle at high revolutions per minute (rpm) over a prolonged period of time - during my sophomore year and suggested I use it to build up my "chicken-legs".
Sure enough, I found my friend's advice to be true and immediately saw results in the power and endurance of my legs. In addition, the spinning helped improve my overall aerobic conditioning. I began spinning (with my 10-speed road bike locked in place on a portable training stand) on those evenings I didn't wrestle, while watching television, for 30 minutes at a time. Later as a coach, I recommended spinning and cycling to those wrestlers that couldn't physically or mentally handle running.
Strength training
Admittedly, weight lifting means different things to so many different people and rightfully so. Weight training should be tailored to match an athlete's specific weaknesses and needs, and so should vary accordingly.
I used a system that our college training coach passed to us. The system was based on super-sets, consisting of five exercises. Each exercise required eight to ten repetitions each, with each repetition lasting between seven and eight seconds. I completed four to five super-sets during each weight lifting session.
The five exercises in each super-set were designed to work different groups of muscles, so that the wrestler could move from exercise to exercise, and set to set, without taking long rests between exercises and rounds (In truth, I paused just long enough to catch my breath). For example, the first super-set was made up of five exercises: bench press (wide grip), dips, bicep-curls (narrow grip), lat pull-downs, and inclined sit-ups with weight. I moved from exercise to exercise, completing eight to ten reps each at seven seconds a rep, until all five exercises were completed. After finishing the first round of five exercises, I started over again, until I had successfully completed three rounds of all five exercises. After completing a super-set, I moved on to the next super-set until all 4 super-sets were completed.
Prep stars announce decisions - El Paso Times
Prep stars announce decisions
Lenny Jurado
El Paso Times
Riverside High School senior Ashley Gutierrez made school history Wednesday by signing a letter of intent to play softball with El Paso Community College.
"I'm really excited because I'm the first female in my family and the first softball player from Riverside to get a softball scholarship," she said.
An all-city outfielder, Gutierrez is known for her clutch hitting and defensive skill, which have helped earn her All-District 2-4A honors the past three seasons.
Gutierrez was just as spectacular on the volleyball court, where she ended her career as an all-city setter. She helped the Rangers make the Class 4A regional semifinals in 2003, the first time in school history they'd done so.
In other news:
State-qualifying wrestler Charles "Chuckie" Johnson recently was accepted to Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., where he will compete on RIT's NCAA Division 3 wrestling team.
The Burges senior, who is deaf, qualified for the state championships in the 152-pound weight class despite missing six weeks of the season with an injury.
"It's going to be a new and exciting experience," Johnson said through an interpreter. "I'm also excited about wrestling with hard-core, East Coast wrestlers."
Van Horn golfer Jeff Hensley also will continue athletics beyond high school. The four-time Class 2A regional qualifier signed with University of Texas- Pan American on Wednesday.
Hensley was the 2A state runner-up last season and finished second at this year's 1-2A golf tournament.
"This is really exciting for me. I've been playing for a long time, and I've worked hard for this," he said. "For a small-time guy, this is really big for me. It hasn't really soaked in yet."
Lenny Jurado
El Paso Times
Riverside High School senior Ashley Gutierrez made school history Wednesday by signing a letter of intent to play softball with El Paso Community College.
"I'm really excited because I'm the first female in my family and the first softball player from Riverside to get a softball scholarship," she said.
An all-city outfielder, Gutierrez is known for her clutch hitting and defensive skill, which have helped earn her All-District 2-4A honors the past three seasons.
Gutierrez was just as spectacular on the volleyball court, where she ended her career as an all-city setter. She helped the Rangers make the Class 4A regional semifinals in 2003, the first time in school history they'd done so.
In other news:
State-qualifying wrestler Charles "Chuckie" Johnson recently was accepted to Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., where he will compete on RIT's NCAA Division 3 wrestling team.
The Burges senior, who is deaf, qualified for the state championships in the 152-pound weight class despite missing six weeks of the season with an injury.
"It's going to be a new and exciting experience," Johnson said through an interpreter. "I'm also excited about wrestling with hard-core, East Coast wrestlers."
Van Horn golfer Jeff Hensley also will continue athletics beyond high school. The four-time Class 2A regional qualifier signed with University of Texas- Pan American on Wednesday.
Hensley was the 2A state runner-up last season and finished second at this year's 1-2A golf tournament.
"This is really exciting for me. I've been playing for a long time, and I've worked hard for this," he said. "For a small-time guy, this is really big for me. It hasn't really soaked in yet."
Prayer at Kansas Senate
Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people.
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and call it Pluralism.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!"
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God." If possible, please share this prayer with your friends and family. "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything."
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and call it Pluralism.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!"
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God." If possible, please share this prayer with your friends and family. "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything."
Poor Decisions - The Edge with Coach Doug Reese
Not often in one's life do you get the opportunity to coach a real talent. They are a rare gem to behold. I had that opportunity.
It was all there; work ethic, skill, mental toughness, scholarship, dedication, desire, heart, and leadership. All the components of a champion were in place. We went into the season not with a goal of a fourth straight conference championship, or attempting to re-break his season win record, or set another school takedown mark. No, only one goal was on the table - a national championship.
This was not a goal beyond one's grasp. It wasn't just a possibility. It was attainable. Then in a heartbeat, it was all gone.
A poor decision snowballed into a felony charge. The arrest resulted in five days in jail, a bail hearing, an athletic suspension, and a judge's order to stay off campus and not to leave the state (even to go home for Christmas break!). There is also a university discipline hearing that may involve more penalties (suspension, expulsion) since his actions happened on campus.
In one poor decision came a major loss. The future was bright. The individual had good grades, he was respected by his professors, and the wrestling community was in awe of his skills and friendly, good nature. Now graduation from this university is in question, the season is over; the goals have now become just a far fetched dream. Everything was gone in a heartbeat due to a stupid decision.
Although this example is tragic, it is not rare to see people around us make stupid decisions every day.
It is just common sense that when we break the law, when we make stupid decisions and choices, when we lie, twist the truth and deceive, when we just flat out sin, - we will pay a price. The apostle Paul wrote that, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23 NIV). That is a high price to pay!
The fact of the matter is all of us have sinned and have fallen well short of God's standard (Romans 3:23 NIV). We all have made boneheaded mistakes, done the regrettable, and wished we could have the opportunity to replay the choices we once made. Unfortunately, that is not an option in life. As a result we have a dreaded court date of our own where justice must be served.
As a just and holy God, God can only respond in a way consistent with his perfect nature. He can not allow sin to go unchecked; he has to punish it. Now you may think that some sin doesn't seem that extreme, and sometimes we try to justify it. Sometimes nobody even knows about our sin. But God knows! The bottom line is that God hates sin, which is a result of disobedience to his standard of excellence. Thus, not only does sin break our relationship with him, but he must punish the sinner.
But there is good news according to Paul as he continues in his letter to the Romans, "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23 NIV).
We are all guilty, but God had a game play to save us from our sin. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:16-18 NIV).
The dumbest mistake anyone can make is rejecting God's Son, Jesus Christ. Rejecting Christ is like refusing the offer of a plea agreement to take the death penalty instead! "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36 NIV).
The choice is yours! What you decide has eternal consequences. You can choose eternal life (by accepting Jesus as God's Son and asking him into your life) or you can choose eternal death (by rejecting God and his Son). No one can afford to make another poor decision. Choose Christ!
It was all there; work ethic, skill, mental toughness, scholarship, dedication, desire, heart, and leadership. All the components of a champion were in place. We went into the season not with a goal of a fourth straight conference championship, or attempting to re-break his season win record, or set another school takedown mark. No, only one goal was on the table - a national championship.
This was not a goal beyond one's grasp. It wasn't just a possibility. It was attainable. Then in a heartbeat, it was all gone.
A poor decision snowballed into a felony charge. The arrest resulted in five days in jail, a bail hearing, an athletic suspension, and a judge's order to stay off campus and not to leave the state (even to go home for Christmas break!). There is also a university discipline hearing that may involve more penalties (suspension, expulsion) since his actions happened on campus.
In one poor decision came a major loss. The future was bright. The individual had good grades, he was respected by his professors, and the wrestling community was in awe of his skills and friendly, good nature. Now graduation from this university is in question, the season is over; the goals have now become just a far fetched dream. Everything was gone in a heartbeat due to a stupid decision.
Although this example is tragic, it is not rare to see people around us make stupid decisions every day.
It is just common sense that when we break the law, when we make stupid decisions and choices, when we lie, twist the truth and deceive, when we just flat out sin, - we will pay a price. The apostle Paul wrote that, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23 NIV). That is a high price to pay!
The fact of the matter is all of us have sinned and have fallen well short of God's standard (Romans 3:23 NIV). We all have made boneheaded mistakes, done the regrettable, and wished we could have the opportunity to replay the choices we once made. Unfortunately, that is not an option in life. As a result we have a dreaded court date of our own where justice must be served.
As a just and holy God, God can only respond in a way consistent with his perfect nature. He can not allow sin to go unchecked; he has to punish it. Now you may think that some sin doesn't seem that extreme, and sometimes we try to justify it. Sometimes nobody even knows about our sin. But God knows! The bottom line is that God hates sin, which is a result of disobedience to his standard of excellence. Thus, not only does sin break our relationship with him, but he must punish the sinner.
But there is good news according to Paul as he continues in his letter to the Romans, "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23 NIV).
We are all guilty, but God had a game play to save us from our sin. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:16-18 NIV).
The dumbest mistake anyone can make is rejecting God's Son, Jesus Christ. Rejecting Christ is like refusing the offer of a plea agreement to take the death penalty instead! "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36 NIV).
The choice is yours! What you decide has eternal consequences. You can choose eternal life (by accepting Jesus as God's Son and asking him into your life) or you can choose eternal death (by rejecting God and his Son). No one can afford to make another poor decision. Choose Christ!
Psogos: Vince Kennedy McMahon - Charles Johnson
(written for English class)
Vince Kennedy McMahon, a third generation wrestling promoter, is the owner and chairman of the sports entrainment company World Wrestling Entertainment. He acquired the company from his father in 1982 and decided to try his ideas with the company in order to get ratings and profit. “McMahon delivers entrainment that’s often violent and sexist.” (Mooneyham). Since then McMahon has corrupted mainstream America with its gimmicks, often bloody and violent matches along with the improper use of women in order to attract large male audience. McMahon and the company have gone through high points and slumps through out the years to present.
During an interview for a wrestling magazine, Stephanie, daughter of Mr. McMahon, talked about when was pregnant and Vince wanted to start a potential incest angle because at the time and nobody knew who the father was. Vince suggested that he should reveal himself as the father, Stephanie turned down the idea and Vince suggested that Shane, her younger brother, should come out and admit that he is the father. She turned that down as well. (Mooneyham).
In the interview with Playboy, he admitted taking steroids and encouraging his employees to take them as well in the 1980s and 1990s and was not bought to public until the government did something about it in 1993. Although he was acquitted by the government through the trial, Vince and his employees should know better, his company was halted for two years following the acquittal. McMahon has gone through sexual harassment situations; recently he was accused of groping a worker at a Boca Raton tanning bar in Florida on February 1, 2006. Later the police declined to press charges on insufficient evidence. Currently McMahon and his company is known for their storylines which are filled with smut, sex, vulgarity, and crude behavior, the purpose of this was to get the attention of the teenage to twenty something males. For that he is on the hot seat for promoting sex, violence and vulgarity on television and he insists he will not stop. "People should pick on MTV or some of the other shows that are more graphic than us when it comes to sex or violence," (Mooneyham). It has been reported that the WWE had begun adding no-harassment clauses to all the contracts for both male and female wrestlers in an attempt to protect the company and its employees from sexual harassment complaints. The claim has since been verified during Q&A sessions on the quarterly stock-holders conference calls.
Aggressive is his middle name, “I love to fight, I always have.” (Playboy). He started getting involved in wrestling at age twelve because of his father who owned the company, called Capitol Wrestling Federation back then. He would spend summers and weekends with his father touring the country, learning the ropes of the business, starting off as a ring announcer and getting more involved in matches. But in order for his company to succeed after purchasing it, he decided to put other companies out of businesses (World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling) which he owns to this day after he put them out of business and bought them at the bankruptcy court. This seems like a monopoly, he is controlling the wrestling reins in mainstream America even though there is another wrestling company, often low in profits and audience but owned by a former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler which disliked working with Mr. McMahon.
Through out the acquisition of the company from his father and other companies as well, he has screwed employees on their contracts such as Bret Hart who was supposed to go out in glory in his final match but went the other way. To this day, Bret Hart will never wrestle in the WWE ring, although he is on good terms with Mr. McMahon and others that he worked with in the past. He is deeply affected by the loss of his younger brother, Owen Hart, who died in an accident while making his ringside entrance during a pay per view. “My kids don't watch wrestling. They don't want to. And if they did want to, as a parent, I wouldn't let them. I've said before, and I'll say it again, wrestling is not for kids anymore." (Mudge) On one segment of Monday Night Raw (a television show) a limousine driver accidentally hit one car that was owned by one of the wrestlers, Mr. McMahon was enraged, he went out to drag him outside the limousine, beat him unconscious and fired him on the spot. What does that teach America?
Vince McMahon is indeed a McMadman for his aberrant doings within the company and the reputation he has built from violence, sexism and crude. It is recommended that his ideas needs to be put to an end once and for all. Every youth in America is attracted to this pile of filth when one should be taught good moral values and to respect women and elders as well.
Works Cited
McMahon, Vince. Interview with Playboy. Playboy Feb. 2001.
Mooneyham, Mike. Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004.
Mudge, Jacqueline. Bret Hart: The Story of the Wrestler They Call “the Hitman”. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, September 1999.
Vince Kennedy McMahon, a third generation wrestling promoter, is the owner and chairman of the sports entrainment company World Wrestling Entertainment. He acquired the company from his father in 1982 and decided to try his ideas with the company in order to get ratings and profit. “McMahon delivers entrainment that’s often violent and sexist.” (Mooneyham). Since then McMahon has corrupted mainstream America with its gimmicks, often bloody and violent matches along with the improper use of women in order to attract large male audience. McMahon and the company have gone through high points and slumps through out the years to present.
During an interview for a wrestling magazine, Stephanie, daughter of Mr. McMahon, talked about when was pregnant and Vince wanted to start a potential incest angle because at the time and nobody knew who the father was. Vince suggested that he should reveal himself as the father, Stephanie turned down the idea and Vince suggested that Shane, her younger brother, should come out and admit that he is the father. She turned that down as well. (Mooneyham).
In the interview with Playboy, he admitted taking steroids and encouraging his employees to take them as well in the 1980s and 1990s and was not bought to public until the government did something about it in 1993. Although he was acquitted by the government through the trial, Vince and his employees should know better, his company was halted for two years following the acquittal. McMahon has gone through sexual harassment situations; recently he was accused of groping a worker at a Boca Raton tanning bar in Florida on February 1, 2006. Later the police declined to press charges on insufficient evidence. Currently McMahon and his company is known for their storylines which are filled with smut, sex, vulgarity, and crude behavior, the purpose of this was to get the attention of the teenage to twenty something males. For that he is on the hot seat for promoting sex, violence and vulgarity on television and he insists he will not stop. "People should pick on MTV or some of the other shows that are more graphic than us when it comes to sex or violence," (Mooneyham). It has been reported that the WWE had begun adding no-harassment clauses to all the contracts for both male and female wrestlers in an attempt to protect the company and its employees from sexual harassment complaints. The claim has since been verified during Q&A sessions on the quarterly stock-holders conference calls.
Aggressive is his middle name, “I love to fight, I always have.” (Playboy). He started getting involved in wrestling at age twelve because of his father who owned the company, called Capitol Wrestling Federation back then. He would spend summers and weekends with his father touring the country, learning the ropes of the business, starting off as a ring announcer and getting more involved in matches. But in order for his company to succeed after purchasing it, he decided to put other companies out of businesses (World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling) which he owns to this day after he put them out of business and bought them at the bankruptcy court. This seems like a monopoly, he is controlling the wrestling reins in mainstream America even though there is another wrestling company, often low in profits and audience but owned by a former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler which disliked working with Mr. McMahon.
Through out the acquisition of the company from his father and other companies as well, he has screwed employees on their contracts such as Bret Hart who was supposed to go out in glory in his final match but went the other way. To this day, Bret Hart will never wrestle in the WWE ring, although he is on good terms with Mr. McMahon and others that he worked with in the past. He is deeply affected by the loss of his younger brother, Owen Hart, who died in an accident while making his ringside entrance during a pay per view. “My kids don't watch wrestling. They don't want to. And if they did want to, as a parent, I wouldn't let them. I've said before, and I'll say it again, wrestling is not for kids anymore." (Mudge) On one segment of Monday Night Raw (a television show) a limousine driver accidentally hit one car that was owned by one of the wrestlers, Mr. McMahon was enraged, he went out to drag him outside the limousine, beat him unconscious and fired him on the spot. What does that teach America?
Vince McMahon is indeed a McMadman for his aberrant doings within the company and the reputation he has built from violence, sexism and crude. It is recommended that his ideas needs to be put to an end once and for all. Every youth in America is attracted to this pile of filth when one should be taught good moral values and to respect women and elders as well.
Works Cited
McMahon, Vince. Interview with Playboy. Playboy Feb. 2001.
Mooneyham, Mike. Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004.
Mudge, Jacqueline. Bret Hart: The Story of the Wrestler They Call “the Hitman”. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, September 1999.
interview with Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life
You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having "wealth" from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,
"Purpose Driven Life” author and pastor of Saddleback Church in
California.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
"Purpose Driven Life” author and pastor of Saddleback Church in
California.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
Schools strive to accommodate deaf - El Paso Times
Schools strive to accommodate deaf
By Jodi Garber
El Paso Times
Rosie Yanez needs to bring two extra people to her classes at El Paso Community College to make sure she understands what the professor is saying.
Yanez, 22, doesn't speak English she uses sign language.
As a deaf student at a mainstream college in El Paso, Yanez often struggles to make sure she has an interpreter and a person who takes legible notes.
"I've been mainstreamed all my life," Yanez said through an interpreter. "I don't see the point of going to a deaf college."
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires that they have equal opportunity.
The act requires that schools provide deaf students with "effective communication."
"The college has to make sure they modify their policies and procedures so they don't discriminate," said Lea Marek, an ADA technical assistant at the Southwest ADA Resource Center.
EPCC and the University of Texas at El Paso are working hard to make sure their deaf students get the services they need to be successful, officials from both schools say.
Both schools provide deaf students with an interpreter and a note-taker in each class. Students can also attend tutoring sessions if they need help with classes.
But making sure deaf students can understand classes is the tough part, officials from both schools say.
"With them, communication is the biggest thing," said Susan Lopez, director of Disabled Student Services at UTEP. "And also the English language because English is not their first language."
Most people don't realize that sign language does not translate directly to English, deaf students say. Sign language has three different versions, which means that some students do not understand their interpreters, depending on which version they speak.
Then there is the difficulty of translating college-level classes.
"I can have a translator that can be the best translator in the world, and let's say they're trying to translate a trigonometry course - if you don't understand the theory, how can you translate to the student?" said Tim Nugent, EPCC vice president.
Communication problems can be resolved. If students at either school have trouble understanding their translator, they can request a switch. But the schools cannot always send another translator because the demand is too great.
"Probably one of the most critical issues we're facing is trying to find resources," Nugent said. "Not only money, but also the human resources to be able to offer the services we need."
UTEP's Lopez agrees.
"We have a small population, and that does make it a challenge for finding interpreters," she said. "We lose a lot of interpreters."
Andrew Sanchez, one of UTEP's most highly certified interpreters, said he could be paid much more in other cities.
"There are opportunities out there that are not available in El Paso," Sanchez said.
Nugent said EPCC has a nationally recognized service model for providing services to students with disabilities. Yet he says the program needs to be better.
This year has been particularly difficult for EPCC because the director of the Center for Students with Disabilities took another job, leaving the department without a leader while the disabled-student population continues to grow.
"The number of students with disabilities we are trying to work with here has increased dramatically," Nugent said.
A growing population
Mike McNett, coordinator of disability-support services at EPCC, said the disabled-student population has grown by 500 percent over the past four years. The college has more than 1,000 disabled students. About 75 EPCC students are deaf or hard of hearing, and 15 of those students need interpreters in their classes.
At UTEP, the number of disabled students is smaller but also on the rise. This year there are about 275 disabled students at the university, nine of whom are deaf. Lopez said she knows of two or three more deaf students who are applying for admission.
The smaller number of deaf students at UTEP makes it easier to help them, Lopez said.
"We know the students really well, and we know their preferences and how they work best," she said.
UTEP student Javier Herrera, who is studying graphic design, said he feels empowered.
"If I can understand the writing clearly, I'll keep the note-taker," he said through an interpreter. "If not, I'll try to find someone I understand."
Herrera said the same goes for his interpreters.
Adjusting can be hard
At EPCC, because of stretched resources, making adjustments is not always easy.
Yanez says she has had to drop several classes over the past few years because the interpreters provided by the college have not been qualified. The beginning of this semester was particularly trying. At one point, she had an interpreter but no note-taker in class.
"Since I need to watch the interpreter, it is hard for me to look up and down from the interpreter to the boards and keep up with the teacher," she said.
Now, several weeks into the school year, Yanez says the situation is improving, but some EPCC interpreters are not qualified enough.
EPCC deaf students say they would like all their interpreters to be certified, but many of them are recent graduates from EPCC and do not yet have much experience or certification. Some students are so frustrated with the services provided at EPCC that they want an outside agency to come in and audit the department.
Yanez says she has struggled at the beginning of every semester to get the services she needs, and she wants things to improve not only for herself but also for the deaf students who will study at EPCC in the future.
Hiring a new director
The college is in the process of hiring a new director for the Center for Students With Disabilities. Nugent says a panel will make the selection and that panel will include a disabled student. Yanez and other deaf students want an expert from outside the college to sit on the committee and advocate for the deaf students.
McNett said the college is on the path to making the program better. A new training program has begun to increase the interpreters' skills.
"We need to make sure we're on track with this," he said.
But he pointed out there just aren't enough certified interpreters in El Paso. He said all EPCC interpreters go through an "evaluation process to determine their skill levels" before they are hired.
At UTEP, all interpreters are certified, Lopez said.
"The law says qualified, not certified, but the university feels that qualification comes with certification," she said.
Lopez said that when you come out of the interpreter program at EPCC, "you are not really ready to be an interpreter in a university setting."
But with the shortage of interpreters in El Paso, nobody is left with many choices. Even at UTEP, Lopez said, she would like all interpreters to be certified at Level 3. Most, however are at Level 1. Interpreters can have five different levels of certification in the state of Texas.
Struggle seems worthwhile
Despite difficulties providing services to deaf students, both EPCC and UTEP are seeing positive results.
At EPCC, McNett said hearing-impaired students and other students with disabilities used to have very low grade-point averages.
"In this department, eight years ago, the majority of the students were in remedial or lower-level classes," he said. "Now the hearing-impaired students have grade-point averages that are comparable to other students."
Nugent said that while EPCC's resources are stretched, the influx of disabled students is welcome.
"The ADA was passed and gave more voice to that population and they are now understanding that they have specific rights," he said. "I think it's wonderful."
Jodi Garber may be reached at jgarber@elpasotimes.com
Schools strive to accommodate deaf
By Jodi Garber
El Paso Times
Rosie Yanez needs to bring two extra people to her classes at El Paso Community College to make sure she understands what the professor is saying.
Yanez, 22, doesn't speak English she uses sign language.
As a deaf student at a mainstream college in El Paso, Yanez often struggles to make sure she has an interpreter and a person who takes legible notes.
"I've been mainstreamed all my life," Yanez said through an interpreter. "I don't see the point of going to a deaf college."
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires that they have equal opportunity.
The act requires that schools provide deaf students with "effective communication."
"The college has to make sure they modify their policies and procedures so they don't discriminate," said Lea Marek, an ADA technical assistant at the Southwest ADA Resource Center.
EPCC and the University of Texas at El Paso are working hard to make sure their deaf students get the services they need to be successful, officials from both schools say.
Both schools provide deaf students with an interpreter and a note-taker in each class. Students can also attend tutoring sessions if they need help with classes.
But making sure deaf students can understand classes is the tough part, officials from both schools say.
"With them, communication is the biggest thing," said Susan Lopez, director of Disabled Student Services at UTEP. "And also the English language because English is not their first language."
Most people don't realize that sign language does not translate directly to English, deaf students say. Sign language has three different versions, which means that some students do not understand their interpreters, depending on which version they speak.
Then there is the difficulty of translating college-level classes.
"I can have a translator that can be the best translator in the world, and let's say they're trying to translate a trigonometry course - if you don't understand the theory, how can you translate to the student?" said Tim Nugent, EPCC vice president.
Communication problems can be resolved. If students at either school have trouble understanding their translator, they can request a switch. But the schools cannot always send another translator because the demand is too great.
"Probably one of the most critical issues we're facing is trying to find resources," Nugent said. "Not only money, but also the human resources to be able to offer the services we need."
UTEP's Lopez agrees.
"We have a small population, and that does make it a challenge for finding interpreters," she said. "We lose a lot of interpreters."
Andrew Sanchez, one of UTEP's most highly certified interpreters, said he could be paid much more in other cities.
"There are opportunities out there that are not available in El Paso," Sanchez said.
Nugent said EPCC has a nationally recognized service model for providing services to students with disabilities. Yet he says the program needs to be better.
This year has been particularly difficult for EPCC because the director of the Center for Students with Disabilities took another job, leaving the department without a leader while the disabled-student population continues to grow.
"The number of students with disabilities we are trying to work with here has increased dramatically," Nugent said.
A growing population
Mike McNett, coordinator of disability-support services at EPCC, said the disabled-student population has grown by 500 percent over the past four years. The college has more than 1,000 disabled students. About 75 EPCC students are deaf or hard of hearing, and 15 of those students need interpreters in their classes.
At UTEP, the number of disabled students is smaller but also on the rise. This year there are about 275 disabled students at the university, nine of whom are deaf. Lopez said she knows of two or three more deaf students who are applying for admission.
The smaller number of deaf students at UTEP makes it easier to help them, Lopez said.
"We know the students really well, and we know their preferences and how they work best," she said.
UTEP student Javier Herrera, who is studying graphic design, said he feels empowered.
"If I can understand the writing clearly, I'll keep the note-taker," he said through an interpreter. "If not, I'll try to find someone I understand."
Herrera said the same goes for his interpreters.
Adjusting can be hard
At EPCC, because of stretched resources, making adjustments is not always easy.
Yanez says she has had to drop several classes over the past few years because the interpreters provided by the college have not been qualified. The beginning of this semester was particularly trying. At one point, she had an interpreter but no note-taker in class.
"Since I need to watch the interpreter, it is hard for me to look up and down from the interpreter to the boards and keep up with the teacher," she said.
Now, several weeks into the school year, Yanez says the situation is improving, but some EPCC interpreters are not qualified enough.
EPCC deaf students say they would like all their interpreters to be certified, but many of them are recent graduates from EPCC and do not yet have much experience or certification. Some students are so frustrated with the services provided at EPCC that they want an outside agency to come in and audit the department.
Yanez says she has struggled at the beginning of every semester to get the services she needs, and she wants things to improve not only for herself but also for the deaf students who will study at EPCC in the future.
Hiring a new director
The college is in the process of hiring a new director for the Center for Students With Disabilities. Nugent says a panel will make the selection and that panel will include a disabled student. Yanez and other deaf students want an expert from outside the college to sit on the committee and advocate for the deaf students.
McNett said the college is on the path to making the program better. A new training program has begun to increase the interpreters' skills.
"We need to make sure we're on track with this," he said.
But he pointed out there just aren't enough certified interpreters in El Paso. He said all EPCC interpreters go through an "evaluation process to determine their skill levels" before they are hired.
At UTEP, all interpreters are certified, Lopez said.
"The law says qualified, not certified, but the university feels that qualification comes with certification," she said.
Lopez said that when you come out of the interpreter program at EPCC, "you are not really ready to be an interpreter in a university setting."
But with the shortage of interpreters in El Paso, nobody is left with many choices. Even at UTEP, Lopez said, she would like all interpreters to be certified at Level 3. Most, however are at Level 1. Interpreters can have five different levels of certification in the state of Texas.
Struggle seems worthwhile
Despite difficulties providing services to deaf students, both EPCC and UTEP are seeing positive results.
At EPCC, McNett said hearing-impaired students and other students with disabilities used to have very low grade-point averages.
"In this department, eight years ago, the majority of the students were in remedial or lower-level classes," he said. "Now the hearing-impaired students have grade-point averages that are comparable to other students."
Nugent said that while EPCC's resources are stretched, the influx of disabled students is welcome.
"The ADA was passed and gave more voice to that population and they are now understanding that they have specific rights," he said. "I think it's wonderful."
Jodi Garber may be reached at jgarber@elpasotimes.com
By Jodi Garber
El Paso Times
Rosie Yanez needs to bring two extra people to her classes at El Paso Community College to make sure she understands what the professor is saying.
Yanez, 22, doesn't speak English she uses sign language.
As a deaf student at a mainstream college in El Paso, Yanez often struggles to make sure she has an interpreter and a person who takes legible notes.
"I've been mainstreamed all my life," Yanez said through an interpreter. "I don't see the point of going to a deaf college."
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires that they have equal opportunity.
The act requires that schools provide deaf students with "effective communication."
"The college has to make sure they modify their policies and procedures so they don't discriminate," said Lea Marek, an ADA technical assistant at the Southwest ADA Resource Center.
EPCC and the University of Texas at El Paso are working hard to make sure their deaf students get the services they need to be successful, officials from both schools say.
Both schools provide deaf students with an interpreter and a note-taker in each class. Students can also attend tutoring sessions if they need help with classes.
But making sure deaf students can understand classes is the tough part, officials from both schools say.
"With them, communication is the biggest thing," said Susan Lopez, director of Disabled Student Services at UTEP. "And also the English language because English is not their first language."
Most people don't realize that sign language does not translate directly to English, deaf students say. Sign language has three different versions, which means that some students do not understand their interpreters, depending on which version they speak.
Then there is the difficulty of translating college-level classes.
"I can have a translator that can be the best translator in the world, and let's say they're trying to translate a trigonometry course - if you don't understand the theory, how can you translate to the student?" said Tim Nugent, EPCC vice president.
Communication problems can be resolved. If students at either school have trouble understanding their translator, they can request a switch. But the schools cannot always send another translator because the demand is too great.
"Probably one of the most critical issues we're facing is trying to find resources," Nugent said. "Not only money, but also the human resources to be able to offer the services we need."
UTEP's Lopez agrees.
"We have a small population, and that does make it a challenge for finding interpreters," she said. "We lose a lot of interpreters."
Andrew Sanchez, one of UTEP's most highly certified interpreters, said he could be paid much more in other cities.
"There are opportunities out there that are not available in El Paso," Sanchez said.
Nugent said EPCC has a nationally recognized service model for providing services to students with disabilities. Yet he says the program needs to be better.
This year has been particularly difficult for EPCC because the director of the Center for Students with Disabilities took another job, leaving the department without a leader while the disabled-student population continues to grow.
"The number of students with disabilities we are trying to work with here has increased dramatically," Nugent said.
A growing population
Mike McNett, coordinator of disability-support services at EPCC, said the disabled-student population has grown by 500 percent over the past four years. The college has more than 1,000 disabled students. About 75 EPCC students are deaf or hard of hearing, and 15 of those students need interpreters in their classes.
At UTEP, the number of disabled students is smaller but also on the rise. This year there are about 275 disabled students at the university, nine of whom are deaf. Lopez said she knows of two or three more deaf students who are applying for admission.
The smaller number of deaf students at UTEP makes it easier to help them, Lopez said.
"We know the students really well, and we know their preferences and how they work best," she said.
UTEP student Javier Herrera, who is studying graphic design, said he feels empowered.
"If I can understand the writing clearly, I'll keep the note-taker," he said through an interpreter. "If not, I'll try to find someone I understand."
Herrera said the same goes for his interpreters.
Adjusting can be hard
At EPCC, because of stretched resources, making adjustments is not always easy.
Yanez says she has had to drop several classes over the past few years because the interpreters provided by the college have not been qualified. The beginning of this semester was particularly trying. At one point, she had an interpreter but no note-taker in class.
"Since I need to watch the interpreter, it is hard for me to look up and down from the interpreter to the boards and keep up with the teacher," she said.
Now, several weeks into the school year, Yanez says the situation is improving, but some EPCC interpreters are not qualified enough.
EPCC deaf students say they would like all their interpreters to be certified, but many of them are recent graduates from EPCC and do not yet have much experience or certification. Some students are so frustrated with the services provided at EPCC that they want an outside agency to come in and audit the department.
Yanez says she has struggled at the beginning of every semester to get the services she needs, and she wants things to improve not only for herself but also for the deaf students who will study at EPCC in the future.
Hiring a new director
The college is in the process of hiring a new director for the Center for Students With Disabilities. Nugent says a panel will make the selection and that panel will include a disabled student. Yanez and other deaf students want an expert from outside the college to sit on the committee and advocate for the deaf students.
McNett said the college is on the path to making the program better. A new training program has begun to increase the interpreters' skills.
"We need to make sure we're on track with this," he said.
But he pointed out there just aren't enough certified interpreters in El Paso. He said all EPCC interpreters go through an "evaluation process to determine their skill levels" before they are hired.
At UTEP, all interpreters are certified, Lopez said.
"The law says qualified, not certified, but the university feels that qualification comes with certification," she said.
Lopez said that when you come out of the interpreter program at EPCC, "you are not really ready to be an interpreter in a university setting."
But with the shortage of interpreters in El Paso, nobody is left with many choices. Even at UTEP, Lopez said, she would like all interpreters to be certified at Level 3. Most, however are at Level 1. Interpreters can have five different levels of certification in the state of Texas.
Struggle seems worthwhile
Despite difficulties providing services to deaf students, both EPCC and UTEP are seeing positive results.
At EPCC, McNett said hearing-impaired students and other students with disabilities used to have very low grade-point averages.
"In this department, eight years ago, the majority of the students were in remedial or lower-level classes," he said. "Now the hearing-impaired students have grade-point averages that are comparable to other students."
Nugent said that while EPCC's resources are stretched, the influx of disabled students is welcome.
"The ADA was passed and gave more voice to that population and they are now understanding that they have specific rights," he said. "I think it's wonderful."
Jodi Garber may be reached at jgarber@elpasotimes.com
Schools strive to accommodate deaf
By Jodi Garber
El Paso Times
Rosie Yanez needs to bring two extra people to her classes at El Paso Community College to make sure she understands what the professor is saying.
Yanez, 22, doesn't speak English she uses sign language.
As a deaf student at a mainstream college in El Paso, Yanez often struggles to make sure she has an interpreter and a person who takes legible notes.
"I've been mainstreamed all my life," Yanez said through an interpreter. "I don't see the point of going to a deaf college."
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination and requires that they have equal opportunity.
The act requires that schools provide deaf students with "effective communication."
"The college has to make sure they modify their policies and procedures so they don't discriminate," said Lea Marek, an ADA technical assistant at the Southwest ADA Resource Center.
EPCC and the University of Texas at El Paso are working hard to make sure their deaf students get the services they need to be successful, officials from both schools say.
Both schools provide deaf students with an interpreter and a note-taker in each class. Students can also attend tutoring sessions if they need help with classes.
But making sure deaf students can understand classes is the tough part, officials from both schools say.
"With them, communication is the biggest thing," said Susan Lopez, director of Disabled Student Services at UTEP. "And also the English language because English is not their first language."
Most people don't realize that sign language does not translate directly to English, deaf students say. Sign language has three different versions, which means that some students do not understand their interpreters, depending on which version they speak.
Then there is the difficulty of translating college-level classes.
"I can have a translator that can be the best translator in the world, and let's say they're trying to translate a trigonometry course - if you don't understand the theory, how can you translate to the student?" said Tim Nugent, EPCC vice president.
Communication problems can be resolved. If students at either school have trouble understanding their translator, they can request a switch. But the schools cannot always send another translator because the demand is too great.
"Probably one of the most critical issues we're facing is trying to find resources," Nugent said. "Not only money, but also the human resources to be able to offer the services we need."
UTEP's Lopez agrees.
"We have a small population, and that does make it a challenge for finding interpreters," she said. "We lose a lot of interpreters."
Andrew Sanchez, one of UTEP's most highly certified interpreters, said he could be paid much more in other cities.
"There are opportunities out there that are not available in El Paso," Sanchez said.
Nugent said EPCC has a nationally recognized service model for providing services to students with disabilities. Yet he says the program needs to be better.
This year has been particularly difficult for EPCC because the director of the Center for Students with Disabilities took another job, leaving the department without a leader while the disabled-student population continues to grow.
"The number of students with disabilities we are trying to work with here has increased dramatically," Nugent said.
A growing population
Mike McNett, coordinator of disability-support services at EPCC, said the disabled-student population has grown by 500 percent over the past four years. The college has more than 1,000 disabled students. About 75 EPCC students are deaf or hard of hearing, and 15 of those students need interpreters in their classes.
At UTEP, the number of disabled students is smaller but also on the rise. This year there are about 275 disabled students at the university, nine of whom are deaf. Lopez said she knows of two or three more deaf students who are applying for admission.
The smaller number of deaf students at UTEP makes it easier to help them, Lopez said.
"We know the students really well, and we know their preferences and how they work best," she said.
UTEP student Javier Herrera, who is studying graphic design, said he feels empowered.
"If I can understand the writing clearly, I'll keep the note-taker," he said through an interpreter. "If not, I'll try to find someone I understand."
Herrera said the same goes for his interpreters.
Adjusting can be hard
At EPCC, because of stretched resources, making adjustments is not always easy.
Yanez says she has had to drop several classes over the past few years because the interpreters provided by the college have not been qualified. The beginning of this semester was particularly trying. At one point, she had an interpreter but no note-taker in class.
"Since I need to watch the interpreter, it is hard for me to look up and down from the interpreter to the boards and keep up with the teacher," she said.
Now, several weeks into the school year, Yanez says the situation is improving, but some EPCC interpreters are not qualified enough.
EPCC deaf students say they would like all their interpreters to be certified, but many of them are recent graduates from EPCC and do not yet have much experience or certification. Some students are so frustrated with the services provided at EPCC that they want an outside agency to come in and audit the department.
Yanez says she has struggled at the beginning of every semester to get the services she needs, and she wants things to improve not only for herself but also for the deaf students who will study at EPCC in the future.
Hiring a new director
The college is in the process of hiring a new director for the Center for Students With Disabilities. Nugent says a panel will make the selection and that panel will include a disabled student. Yanez and other deaf students want an expert from outside the college to sit on the committee and advocate for the deaf students.
McNett said the college is on the path to making the program better. A new training program has begun to increase the interpreters' skills.
"We need to make sure we're on track with this," he said.
But he pointed out there just aren't enough certified interpreters in El Paso. He said all EPCC interpreters go through an "evaluation process to determine their skill levels" before they are hired.
At UTEP, all interpreters are certified, Lopez said.
"The law says qualified, not certified, but the university feels that qualification comes with certification," she said.
Lopez said that when you come out of the interpreter program at EPCC, "you are not really ready to be an interpreter in a university setting."
But with the shortage of interpreters in El Paso, nobody is left with many choices. Even at UTEP, Lopez said, she would like all interpreters to be certified at Level 3. Most, however are at Level 1. Interpreters can have five different levels of certification in the state of Texas.
Struggle seems worthwhile
Despite difficulties providing services to deaf students, both EPCC and UTEP are seeing positive results.
At EPCC, McNett said hearing-impaired students and other students with disabilities used to have very low grade-point averages.
"In this department, eight years ago, the majority of the students were in remedial or lower-level classes," he said. "Now the hearing-impaired students have grade-point averages that are comparable to other students."
Nugent said that while EPCC's resources are stretched, the influx of disabled students is welcome.
"The ADA was passed and gave more voice to that population and they are now understanding that they have specific rights," he said. "I think it's wonderful."
Jodi Garber may be reached at jgarber@elpasotimes.com
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