Heart Touchers - Another Way to Win by Rubel Shelly

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Another Way to Win

By Rubel Shelly

Kay Poe and Esther Kim have been best friends since they were seven
years old. Among other things they have in common, the two young ladies
from Houston both compete at the highest levels in taekwondo. How good
are they? Esther and Kay advanced to the finals in the Women's Olympic
Flyweight division at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on May 20 in
Colorado Springs.

"I don't think of her as just a friend. I think of her more as a
sister," Kay says. "We've grown up together, and we always push each
other and help each other out the best we can training wise." What a
story was unfolding! Reporters and photographers were poised to record
the outcome of so intense a competition between two girls who have been
close for so long. But a sports story would soon be overshadowed by a
far more important friendship story.

Kay had dislocated her left kneecap in her semi-final match of the
round robin tournament. Though ranked number one in the world at her
sport, it was questionable that she could compete against her best
friend. She could barely stand, so it was a foregone conclusion that
Esther would win, travel to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and
represent the United States in the international competition these two
had trained and worked toward for so long.

On the day of the match, Esther Kim shocked the crowd
by forfeiting rather than defeat her friend in an unfair competition.
In allowing the better taekwondo fighter to represent the United States
in Sydney, she won a personal battle over ego and selfishness. Amidst
frequent stories of cheating and taking unfair advantage in order to
win at any price, Esther showed how to win by losing.

"Even though I didn't have the gold medal around me," said Esther, "for
the first time in my life, I felt like a real champion." Her generosity
of spirit was honored with the Citizenship Through Sports Award and
with an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2000 Olympic Games from the
International Olympic Committee.

In the Bible, Paul wrote about giving up certain "rights" for the sake
of people he loved (see 1 Corinthians 9:1-15). Parents do it all the
time for their children. And occasionally friends make magnanimous
gestures like Esther's.

The next time you are inclined to bemoan the selfishness of the masses,
recall this story of a twenty-year-old athlete's largess. The next time
you have the chance to show magnanimity, let it inspire you to rise to
the level of her example.

Rubel Shelly

Visit: http://www.faithmatters.com to read more of Rubel's writing.

Rubel Shelly has preached for the Woodmont Hills Church of
Christ in Nashville since 1978. During that time, he has also
taught at David Lipscomb University and Vanderbilt University
School of Medicine. He is the author of more than 20 books,
including several which have been translated into languages
such as Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, French, and
Russian.

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Creation Q & A

Q: Some people try to discredit Genesis by saying snakes don't eat dust, as Genesis 3:14 claims. So is the Bible in error?

A: Although we don't know for sure that the serpent referred to in Genesis 1 really was the same as a snake, we do know that snakes do eat dust! After the serpent deceived Eve, God cursed it, saying, "On your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life." And since most people don't realize that many snakes eat dust, they use this as a reason not to take Genesis literally. See, a snake has an organ in the roof of its mouth called "Jacobson's organ" that helps the snake smell. Here's how it works: with its darting, forked tongue, the snake picks up bits of dust and pulls them into its mouth. Once the dust is inside the mouth, a pair of sensory organs takes over and the snake is able to smell the trail for possible prey. The point is, no matter what the serpent was, nothing contradicts the Bible's clear statements in Genesis.

For an in-depth look at the serpent and its true identity, visit:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v13/i4/serpent.asp

Source: AnswersinGenesis.org

Creation News

Click on the Bible above or visit the web site listed below!

http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Creation_News

This new addition to our web site will give you an article on the leading news in the
Creation/Evolution controversy each day. This section also includes a rotating
Question and Answer feature and a weekly Creation Comic strip from the people
at AnswersInGenesis.org. Be sure to come back and visit each day for an informative
article that will help you keep up to date on the latest news in this controversial area

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Thought For The Day

"Only when we have knelt before God, can we stand before men."

Verse for the Day

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6

Teen's Thought For The Day

"You learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh,
but you can never truly love someone until you find out what makes them cry. "

Parent's Thought For The Day

Don't strive so hard to be your son or daughter's friend. Just be their
parent. They have enough friends but only one mom and dad.

Coach's Thought For The Day

"Perform the best you can for when you find that you perform your best,
there is still so much more in volleyball to do better, harder, faster, and
smarter. It is just like when you go for a long journey. You go as far as
you can see, and when you get there, you can see farther." --John Kessel

Writer's Quote For The Day

"When I couldn't find the poems to express the things I was
feeling, I started writing poetry." --Audre Lorde

Deep Thought For The Day

"I'll never forget the day I was born. I cried like a baby."

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Inspired Audio -- Inspirational Audio Message of the Week!

Inspired Audio is a brand new offshoot of HeartTouchers.com. Every week we will offer a different audio message that you can listen to right on your computer as you are surfing the net or just getting things done around the house. Be sure to come back and visit each week!

This Week: "The Over-Stimulous Package" by Jesse Thompson

http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Inspired_Audio

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Over 180,000 people have listened to popular Chicken Soup Author Michael T. Powers' free inspirational message entitled: "Breathing Life into Others". If you aren't one of them just visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com and click on the link to listen to the free streaming audio message.

Video Imagery --Michael's Video Production Business

http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery

Dear Michael,

"I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for the beautiful video you made for me! It was so special to see both of my parents in tears as they watched their children grow up in pictures before their eyes! I loved the way you made Estania's part set aside from the rest--that was the part that really got them! The music was beautiful. My mom kept blubbering, "What song is that?" I don't know how you did such a beautiful job with the video in such a short time. I really appreciate your doing it so quickly. You have a wonderful gift, and I thank God that you are using it to create such sentimental memories. I hope that I can find my niche like that in an area that I love. Your video gave us one of our most lasting Christmas memories! I hope yours
was filled with moments to be treasured forever!"

Love,
Trisha
Silverhill, AL
Let me make you a video from your photos! Check out my video production business by visiting:

http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery

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Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?

http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Life_Purpose

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