In 1991 Michael Bennett made a mistake that cost him dearly. While a freshman at a Christian college, North Park University in Chicago, IL, Bennett was arrested with a friend for armed robbery. The judge sentenced him to 15 years in jail. Bennett was down, but he wasn't out. While in jail, he began boxing. His sentence was reduced to 7 years and when he was released he got a job working long hours in a steel mill.

He is getting his life back, as evidenced by the confidence the USA boxing coach placed in him by making him co-captain of the 2000 USA Olympic team that competed in Sydney.

—Religion Today September 15, 2000 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Bennett's story illustrates that even when someone makes a major mistake, they still can turn their life around. As every boxer knows, being down doesn't necessarily mean you're out.

Col. 2:13 NASB And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

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For over two decades Mark Hansen, Jack Canfield shared "stories of hope, inspiration, and encouragement" in their seminars. When they saw how their stories touched their audiences, they tried to find a publisher to put them into print. Some publishers thought the stories were too "nicey-nice." Others said "Nobody wants to read a book of little stories." Others said just plain "No!" After three years and 33 rejections, they finally found someone who would publish Chicken Soup for the Soul. Their own experience mimics the power of the stories they tell; it is the drama of triumph through hardship and the victory of the human spirit.

Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

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When eight-year-old, Ami Reader's father lost his job, she opened a lemonade stand to help out with the family expenses. Her enterprise paid off. The first day, she made $30.00, but didn't take any of it home with her. A robber, took her money.

Undaunted by the setback, she reopened her lemonade stand the next day and earned another $30.00

—CNN Interactive, 9-9-97 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

DETERMINATION/FAILURE/SUCCESS

MIT turned down Jack Kilby's application for admission because his Math scores were too low. As a result, Kilby never received much training in physics and didn't get the education he desired. But on December 10, 2000 the Royal Swedish Academy of

Sciences gave him the Nobel Prize in physics.

Why? Well he only invented something that has probably changed your life and has definitely changed history-the microchip.

Failure doesn't have to be fatal.

—Reader's Digest, July 2001, p. 132 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Hebrews 6:11 NIV "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure."

While authorities search for arsonists who burned down the Morning Star Baptist Church in Boligee, Alabama, members of the church say they are saddened by the loss. Morning Star's pastor 62 year-old James Posey sees things differently. He vows the church will rebuild. Speaking at another church where he is also pastor, Posey said, "Whoever torched our church, they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, and we are going to build back." He added, "God knows who it is that's burning these churches. Be encouraged. We don't know when the next one will happen, but we are going to go on in the name of the Lord."

—http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-12-church-arson_x.htm. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (CEV) "Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. [2] We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne!"

A black and white photograph taken in 1936 later titled, “Migrant Mother,” became the defining icon for a generation but not for the family it depicted. The picture shows a migrant farm worker with her children burying their faces in her shoulder. Though her face was not seen in the picture, 77 year-old Katherine McIntosh, who was 4 when the photo was taken, says it brought shame and a sense of determination to her family.

McIntosh says their family had moved on to another farm before the photo was published, but said her mother agreed to let the photographer take it because she thought it might help show people what hard times were. McIntosh says, “We were ashamed of it. We didn’t want no one to know who we were.” She says it hardened the family’s determination to make more of themselves. McIntosh adds, “I wanted to make sure I never lived like that again. We all worked hard and we all had good jobs and we all stayed with it.” McIntosh says, the photograph helped define the Great Depression, but her mother never let it define her. She adds, “It always stayed with her. She always wanted a better life, you know.”

--Iconic Image Brought Shame to Family; http://news.aol.com/article/iconic-image-brought-shame-to-family/268441; December 3, 2008, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

No one must remain what they are. Within each is the potential for greatness. It begins with an acknowledgment of need, but culminates in a determination to achieve what can be. For the Christian, that source of strength comes from Christ.

Philippians 4:13 (TEV) “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.”

Charlie Manuel, the manager of baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies spent a part of his playing career in Japan before American ball players were widely accepted there. He had to learn to hit bad pitches because that was all the pitchers would throw him and the umpires, conspiring with the pitchers, called them strikes anyway.

When that didn’t work, the pitchers started throwing the ball at Charlie. “Sometimes teams would bring in guys out of the minor leagues to hit Charlie,” says Chris Arnold, who played two seasons in Japan with Manuel. The regular pitchers knew that if they hit Charlie he would rush the mound and they would be in for a beating. One pitcher escaped his beating by running into centerfield and jumping over the fence.

Then in a game in June of 1979 Manuel was hit in the face by a pitch. Manuel was leading the league in homers at the time and believes the pitcher hit him on purpose. His jaw was broken and had to be wired shut. Two weeks later Charlie was back on the field helping his team to the league pennant, finishing with 37 homeruns and a .324 batting average.

By the time he retired from Japanese baseball, he had more than survived; he had become a full-fledged folk hero.

-- Sports Illustrated, June 22, 2009 p. 62-63 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Philippians 3:13 (NASB77) Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

The world’s shortest man recently died in Italy, where he planned to be part of television program. Officials say He Pingping, of China was 2 feet, 5.37 inches tall. He was certified to be the shortest person by Guinness World Records and had become a recognized figure around the world. Pingping became ill while rehearsing for the program. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died due to a heart condition.

Guinness World records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday, said Pingping was “an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual” and “showed us that, despite the challenges we face, we can still make the most out of life.”

--World’s shortest man, He Pingping, dies in Italy, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hdy9KXAZ7RHEyflgIFwx1_nrcNTAD9EFN9C80; March 16, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Philippians 4:12-13 (HCSB) “I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret ?of being content?—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. (13) I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Maickel Melamed, with a time of “16 hours, 46 minutes” was the last person to finish the Chicago Marathon at 1:30 in the morning.

No matter how long it took, this man was determined to finish the race. It didn’t matter that he was in last place. The point was to finish. After finishing the race, he said, "If you dream it, make it happen," Oh, did I forget to mention, Melamed has Muscular Dystrophy. —illustrated by Marla Harper

https://news.yahoo.com/spt--man-with-muscular-dystrophy-finishes-marathon-after-nearly-17-hours-143239896.html

2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

In his book, Quiet Strength: the Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life, Tony Dungy said he thought his skills and talents were good enough to get him immediately into the NFL. He was disappointed when it did not happen. “I was in shock after not being drafted into the NFL. Something about this didn’t seem fair. It didn’t seem right. I was numb. Devastated. I prayed, ‘God, I can’t believe it. Help me figure out what I’m supposed to do now’.”

Dungy did not let disappointment paralyze him. While he may never have achieved greatness on the football field, he made history on the sidelines. His is the first African American head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. --Jim L. Wilson & Ev Hardee

-Quiet Strength: the Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life, 2007, p 37.

Exodus 19:5 (TLB) Now if you will obey me and keep your part of my contract with you, you shall be my own little flock from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth is mine.

Some would say he was just in the right place at the right time, but really, there was more to it than that. Craig Sager was twenty-two years old, and an eager sports reporter when Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth’s 714 career home run record. On April 8, 1974, the day Aaron broke the record, the press box was full with more tenured reporters so Sager had to stay in the photographer bullpen at field level, where he sat alone. The photographers were on the other side of the field where they could get the best picture of Aaron’s right-handed swing. When Aaron hit number 715 in the fourth inning, Sager shot out of the pen and met him at home plate to secure the first interview. He may have been the lowest on the reporter totem pole that day, but he used that strategic location to experience first-hand Aaron’s reaction with his teammates. —Jim L. Wilson & Andrew DeHart

Philippians 3:13–14 (HCSB)“Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, ¹⁴ I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”

George St. Pierre, aka GSP, is one of the most accomplished martial artists in Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) history. He is a three-time former UFC Welterweight champion (2006, 2007, 2008), three-time Canadian Athlete of the Year (2008, 2009, 2010), consistently named as one of the best "pound-for-pound" fighters in the world from 2006-2012, and held the UFC record for the most wins in a championship match.

After a knee injury, GSP wasn't the same again. Though he was able to defend his title a few times, he decided to call it quits in 2013. He then tore his ACL in 2014, further delaying any attempt to returning to the UFC.

On November 4, 2017 he mounted a comeback and won the main event in front of millions of viewers. —Jim L. Wilson and John Pyo

Walker Smallword dreamed of pitching in the major leagues, but bone cancer robbed him of those career aspirations. Instead of scrapbooking impressive baseball stats, his family logged these numbers, “six surgeries, six chemotherapy cycles, 24 treatments and 18 hospital stays.” The 17-year-old athlete understood that he would not be able to pursue a major league career, but asked his parents feared his leg was too vulnerable from the cancer.

He persisted in asking, and finally his parents and coach agreed to let him pitch one more game. He pitched a no-hitter.

CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman commenting on the feat said, “Smallwood may never play again — the risk of injury is too great, the leg is too weak. He's actually fine with that now because who needs a World Series ring when you've already taken on your greatest rival and gone undefeated.”