Ruth Riley - u.s olympic girl

Main Man/Woman of the Month!

Check out Ruth Riley greatest achievement below

(Photo: Daniel Anaya)

Position:  C Born: 08/28/79 Height: 6-5 /  1,96 Weight: 195  lbs. / 88,5  kg. College: Notre Dame ‘01 Hometown: Macey, IN

Ruth Riley - u.s olympic girl
has a achieved a lot in her life, and in basketball. Just for starts she has recently won a Olympic gold medal. Sh is truly a winner a great role model for a U.S. Olympic Girl!
This is just the start of the long list of great achievements in her life and in basketball.

2006 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team Gold Medalist
2003 WNBA Championship Final Title
2003 Finals MVP
2001 The No. 5 overall pick by the Miami Sol in the WNBA Draft
2001 Naismith and Associated Press College Player of the Year
2001
NCAA women’s national title

2001 Big East Conference regular season championship
2000 led her team to the sweet sixteen
1999 World University Games Silver medalist
1998 led her team to the sweet sixteen
1997 All-America honorable mention by USA Today also earned all-state honors

1998-2001 at the University of Notre Dame (Ind.), the Fighting Irish compiled a 109-22 record (.832 winning percentage)

The Life of Riley

On April 2, 2001, Ruth Riley and her teammates at Notre Dame inspired a nation with their selfless play as they captured the school’s first NCAA women’s basketball national championship.
With Dave Branon

On April 2, 2001, Ruth Riley and her teammates at Notre Dame inspired a nation with their selfless play as they captured the school’s first NCAA women’s basketball national championship. Riley, the Naismith Player of the Year, was remarkable—scoring 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 10 free throws—in leading the Irish past Purdue 68-66. Riley went on to play for two years with the Miami Sol in the WNBA and spent the offseason before the 2003 WNBA year playing in Spain. In April, the Detroit Shock of the WNBA picked Riley in the dispersal draft of players from two failed WNBA teams. Sports Spectrum recently talked with Riley about growing up in Indiana and growing in her faith in Jesus Christ.

Sports Spectrum: Talk about the town of Macy, Indiana, where you grew up.

Ruth Riley: Macy is your typical small Indiana town. It boasts approximately 380 people, has a few stop signs, two churches, and an obligatory post office. The people live the simple, quiet lives that are associated with the surrounding farming community. Over the years I have heard many jokes about my hometown, but I love it. I love the fact that life is slower and more relaxed, many people today still don’t lock their doors at night, and you wave to everyone you pass on the country dirt roads—because the odds of not knowing that person are very slim.

SS: You grew up in a single-parent home as the middle child. What did your mom do to provide for you and your siblings?

Riley: We moved more times than I can count on both hands, but most of my life was spent living on a farm. For the most part we never did the actual farming ourselves. My mom was a single parent raising my older sister Rachel, younger brother Jacob, and myself. Mom always found a way to provide us with the basics. We knew what it was like to go without a lot of things, but we didn’t mind—because we were going without together. Going without worldly resources caused us to be more creative in how we approached things, and I also learned the reward of hard work—and the sense of accomplishment that came along with it.

SS: What are some of the core values and lessons your mom taught you?

Riley: My mom started off as a beautician, working in a shop adjacent to our house—this enabled her to be an active part of our lives. It was important to her to be there to raise us, and I’m grateful that she was always around. I grew up attending church, and my mom emphasized Christian morals and values in us kids. I was raised with a solid understanding of what is right and wrong. Respect was something Mom demanded of us, and it has had a lasting effect on my life. Respecting my elders, teachers, peers; and respecting differences: cultures, environments, and opinions.

SS: How did you cope with being tall, and how did your mom help you with it?

Riley: Many people ask me if I have always been tall, and to that I answer emphatically “Yes!” My sister and I were the same height when I was 18 months old and she was 3. Unfortunately, I haven’t always handled my height so well. “Sit up straight” and “Walk proud” were constant instructions from my mother. For children, anything out of the ordinary is subject to criticism, and I found a lot of it thrown my way. Self-confidence was something I definitely lacked; therefore, my personality was a lot more withdrawn than it is today. I was extremely shy and opened up only to those I felt comfortable around. Athletics became my way of escape, and through basketball I found my acceptance. I grew up as one of the boys, and I loved it.

SS: What was life like for you at North Miami High School?

Riley: Through the combination of my mom emphasizing academics and being extremely competitive in nature, I was able to excel in school as well as have athletic success. I moved from a very large junior high school in Grove City, Ohio, where I was definitely not an impact player (second and third string) to my tiny high school (83 in my graduating class). As the tallest girl in the school, I found myself the starting center by default. A college scholarship was something I had always dreamed about, but not something I thought would be a reality until I started receiving recruiting letters. Soon I found myself in the complex process of college recruiting. I received letters from every major US university, and I was facing one of the biggest decisions of my life. My mom was there for support, but the decision was mine. Notre Dame was always at the top of my list and the only place I went to visit before I signed.

SS: Were you able to maintain a normal life at Notre Dame while pursuing your studies and basketball?

Riley: The transition to college was a hard one for me. College athletics are demanding, and time management proves to be one of the most important lessons to learn as a freshman. I suddenly found myself training twice as much as I had been used to, taking classes more intense than I had ever seen, and trying in my shy way to meet new people and fit in socially.

Everyone adjusts differently, and a lot of that has to do with personality and what a person wants to achieve. I knew what I wanted, and I knew it would mean a lot of sacrifices, but I was willing to make them. Was I able to be a “normal student” and play college basketball? No, but that isn’t something I feel I missed. It’s a trade-off. Although I missed out on a lot of social events most students were able to do, I also experienced a lot through basketball they weren’t able to. I put my social life on the shelf my first few years at Notre Dame. I was more interested in getting good grades and improving on the court.

As a young player, you think sacrifice is the only way to success, but as I have gotten older I realize sacrifice is essential, but there has to be a balance to it. My senior year I finally found the balance I needed, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. I left my college career with an amazing education from a university I learned to love, the highest level of success achievable on the collegiate level, and friends and acquaintances for a lifetime. I have been blessed!

It was at college where my relationship with the Lord began to grow. When you are on your own and forced to make decisions for yourself—your faith and beliefs are tested, and tested a lot in an intellectual environment. I had a great foundation in Jesus Christ, but it was more of the faith of a child—simple, blind faith. My later years at Notre Dame, I found a great group of fellow Christian athletes—older ones I could look up to. Athletics are very demanding of your time, and you really have to be careful that it doesn’t affect your priorities. Faith, family, and school—basketball were always the order I professed concerning my priorities, and I found that my faith and family were sacrificed a lot in the early years.

SS: Your senior year at Notre Dame must seem like a storybook year. As you review that remarkable season, what stands out?

Riley: There were numerous highlights of my senior year. On the court would definitely be winning a national championship. We had a special class of five seniors who had gone through so much together—it was a perfect end to our collegiate career. Off the court would have to be graduation day. My sister Rachel and I graduated together, and it was such an emotional day to experience with all my friends and family.

SS: Can you talk about when you trusted Christ as your Savior and what has prompted your growth as a believer?

Riley: A lot of people know exactly to the day when they gave their life to Christ. I do not have that information. I grew up in church, always believed what I had learned, and I know that I trusted Jesus as my personal Savior when I was young. The significance of my relationship with Him is what changed over the years. Once I got to college, I started to intellectually understand what my heart already knew. During my two years with the Miami Sol in the WNBA, I grew an amazing amount, and in my time over in Spain even more so.

With every life change comes an adjustment, and that was definitely true for my rookie season in the WNBA. For the first time I found myself a long, long way from home. I was homesick at first and trying to live up to the expectations of their top draft pick.

I was fortunate to have some Christian teammates and a Christian assistant coach. One of my favorite things about the WNBA is the fact that every team has a designated chaplain and chapel service before the game. Arlene DeBardelaben proved to be my spiritual mentor, and I am so blessed for that. Everyone should have someone they trust and can come to with questions or for guidance. For the first time in my life I had time to read and study the materials I chose to—not more classes or required reading. Before then I sadly admit my devotion to God’s Word on a regular basis was very poor. Arlene provided me with books and tapes that aided in my spiritual growth. Although I was now immersed in the life of professional athletics, which is not exactly a godly atmosphere, I found myself growing more than I ever had before.

One strong test of my faith came after I had trained in Miami for the entire off-season, and the day before our first game I found that I had broken my little finger on my shooting hand. I had never before had an injury that kept me from playing this sport, and it was definitely a test of patience and character. The whole season proved to be a struggle and ended with the knowledge that the Sol would no longer be a franchise in the WNBA. Oddly enough, this did not bother me—I had confidence that where I would be next would be part of God’s plan. So now I’m in Detroit!

During my season in Spain, I played in Valencia, Spain, for a team called Ros Casares. We lost in the Euroleague play-offs, won the Spanish Cup, and made it to the finals of the Spanish league. Basketball-wise this was really what I needed. I needed a healthy season to just play and get back in the flow and get my confidence back after an injury-filled WNBA season.

I can honestly say that my relationship with God grew the most while I was in Spain. One of the first things you will notice in Spain is the lack of Christianity. Although most of the country is Catholic, I would say this is true of mostly the older generations. I came equipped with many books to read, and Arlene sent me tapes to listen to. I also received tapes from my church back in Miami (Calvary Chapel). My Spanish has improved, and I was blessed to find fellowship at a local church where two American missionaries had found a home. Two amazing workbooks, Experiencing God and The Purpose Driven Life, helped me immensely.

SS: What is hard about being 23 years old in this society and trying to live for Jesus all the time?

Riley: Every day is a challenge, whether you are 23 or 63, to live a life for Christ. He made a point in telling us that following Him is not going to be easy in this world. Many people in their early 20s are on their own, pursuing success on worldly terms, and not really focused on their faith. Many people I have come into contact with believe in God but see religion as something they will “start practicing” once they get older.

Everyone has this innate desire to be accepted, and that sometimes keeps me from vocalizing my faith—fear of rejection from my peers. This is something I am constantly working on. The challenges I find are being unafraid to be open about my faith, especially with my semi-reserved personality. This is an area I have improved a lot in, but I still have a long way to go. Basketball has provided me with a platform, which means my life is under constant scrutiny. I find one of the biggest challenges is living what I believe—this is a challenge we all face every day.

SS: How did you find out that the Shock had drafted you in the dispersal draft?

Riley: Coach Bill Laimbeer called me to tell me that I was with the Detroit Shock. I’m excited, because I see this as an opportunity to start over, but this time with experience. It’s going to be fun to watch. I’m looking forward to learning a lot from Coach Laimbeer—having a coach with so much success and experience in post play is not a common occurrence.

Copyright © 2003 Sports Spectrum.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:35 pm and is filed under Monthly Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Jennifer Azzi

Main Man/Women of the Month!

Check out Jennifer Azzi greatest achievement below

Jennifer Azzi Position:  G Born: 08/31/68 Height: 5-8  Weight: 143  lbs. College: Stanford ‘90

Stanford University - NCAA Champion, Naismith National Player of the Year

San Antonio, Utah, Detroit

Holds WNBA 3-point shooting percentage with .517 30/58

Olympic Gold medalist, 2x World Championship Gold medalist

It has basically taken all of me to get to the level I have as a basketball player - physically, mentally and especially spiritually. You can’t leave any one of those elements out to make it at this level. You need everything, every single day to get through practice, the traveling, and the pressures.

I have been able to better handle all the challenges and excitements the past few years because my spiritual life has matured. It was kind of missing before, but now it helps me make it to the next level. Until nine years ago, I was hesitant to know about God and having a relationship with him because I saw hypocrisy in people who said they knew him.

One fall, I had the opportunity to travel and compete with a team committed to telling others how to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Through that experience I saw people whose lives were truly different, in a positive way, because of their Christian faith. I had viewed life as a series of traffic lights. Red lights were an imposition, holding me back from where I needed to go. I could never stop long enough to enjoy where I was. I always thought there was something else missing in my life, even when things seemed to be going great. The stops in life, I thought, were keeping me from discovering what that was.

When I placed my faith in Jesus Christ, all that changed. Now I know what was missing and no longer perceive life as I once did. Instead I have confidence that God is my rock. He is the stability of my life. I believe God know and understands the focus and situation of my life. He is really guiding me and taking care of me in the times that I am tired.

I pray for strength going into every practice and every game, every single day. Or the strength just to go out and talk to kids who look up to athletes. The strength God gives me is an area where my faith has become more evident. Now, if things aren’t going my way, I tend to look at it from God’s point of view instead of my point of view. That frees me up from worrying so much about my performance or myself. I think it’s just human nature that your thoughts get negative or your thoughts tend to revolve more around yourself. My faith has really freed me up from all that.

Are you enjoying where you are at? Is there something missing in your life? Jennifer Azzi found that Jesus was the rock she needed. To find out how you can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Please email us at webmaster(at)sacredhoops.com We want to hear from you…so please feel free to email us about anything at anytime!

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Monthly Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Seth Franco

Main Man/Women of the Month!

Check out Seth Franco greatest achievement below

Seth Franco first caucasian harlem globe trotter since 1942

It’s a story with so many plot twists it’s almost unbelievable.

Seth Franco became the first Caucasian Harlem Globetrotter since 1942. That’s the part that captures everyone’s attention. But that’s not the interesting part of the story.

The story begins simply enough.

Seth, who played basketball at a small Christian school on Long Island, moved with his family to Brooklyn. He enrolled for his sophomore year at Abraham Lincoln High School – the school from which Stephon Marbury, currently of the New York Knicks, graduated. In fact, when Seth enrolled at Abraham Lincoln, Marbury was a senior.

Abraham Lincoln was a tough school, and Seth, a Caucasian, was a definite minority. In fact, the coach at Abraham Lincoln took one look at Seth and said to Seth’s father, “If your son wants to play basketball, he should probably go to a different school.”

But Seth was used to being underestimated. He was rail thin. At the time he was short. And no one knew how good he was at one thing - handling a basketball.

Seth made the junior varsity team as the starting point guard.

The next year his family moved back to Long Island and Seth finished his high school career in a small Christian school, enrolling at Nyack Christian College in Manhattan.

Like most kids, Seth had his heart set on a career in the NBA.

But that’s not how this story plays out.

Injured in his junior year, the result of improper bone structure in his hip, Seth left Nyack, his dreams shattered.

He joined the Richmond Outreach Center, in Richmond, Virginia, and developed a basketball program for inner-city kids, operating out of a warehouse.

The little program grew in popularity and gained attention. The Court Jesters, a basketball entertainment group, discovered Seth, used him in some of their engagements, and put his picture on their website. In fact, Seth’s picture is still on their website (www.cjesters.com)

Here’s where the story takes a most interesting turn.

Discouraged, Seth went to find himself. His dreams were lying broken at his feet, his hip was sore, and life simply was not turning out the way he had envisioned.

He went to IHOP – The International House of Prayer in Kansas City. For three months he did nothing but pray and study and read and wait and listen, trying to find direction for his life.

During the time he isolated himself, Universal Studios began casting a projected movie, Rucker Park. It was to be the story of the legendary park of the same name in New York City – the place the pros go to get their street credibility. Even Wilt Chamberlain had played there.

Directed by Malcolm Lee, the movie was to be about a white kid going into Rucker Park, overcoming the odds, and coming out on top.

So the people of Universal Studios went scouring the city, looking for a white kid with extraordinary skills. They looked on the website of the Court Jesters. There they found Seth.

Now the plot thickens.

Universal Studios called Seth’s home. But Seth, in going to Kansas City to find himself, had chosen to cut himself off from everything. He had no phone. He had only called home one time – using a friend’s cell phone.

His parents, being loving and concerned as parents are, saved the number. When Universal Studios called, Seth’s parents tried the only number they had for him – the cell phone of his friend.

When they called, Seth was right there, and was on the next plane back to New York.

He walked into the tryout, not having practiced for three months. He had spent most of his days in prayer, and his diet had consisted primarily of what he could find at food drives.

But this story is about the unexpected.

In a tryout where none of the pros had made it past the first round, Seth took over. By the end of the night, he was center court, dribbling with two balls, as the cameras circled him while 100 other guys who were there to try out simply stood and watched. Malcolm Lee had his white basketball player. Kenny Smith, NBA player and talent judge for the movie, was impressed.

“I was totally out of shape,” Seth says. “I hadn’t even picked up a basketball for three months. There’s no way I should have been sharp. But I was right on point. It was a dream come true.”

Seth won the lead role in Rucker Park.

And if the story were to end there, it would be intriguing enough. But there’s so much more.

The movie plans fell through. Rucker Park still sits as a project at Universal Studios. And if the project ever comes to completion, Seth will still have the role. But for now, it’s a dead end.

Such a painful twist to the story. Seth, with shattered dreams, goes to find himself. His parents almost unbelievably contact him when Universal Studios calls. Seth miraculously wins the role. Everything is looking so good. Dreams do come true.

But then the dream is deflated – again.

However…the story continues.

The Harlem Wizards, another basketball entertainment group, had been at the casting call for the movie. They had seen Seth, and they liked him. In the meantime, Seth had moved back to New York, almost at the whim of a buddy. Seth had been contemplating moving back, but didn’t know where he would stay, when a friend called and almost jokingly said, “Hey, how ‘bout coming to live with me?”

Seth did.

For two months he played with the Wizards, and was about ready to sign a contract with them. It looked like everything was coming together.

Every story needs a hurricane, and this one is no different. Just as Seth was to ink his contract, the hurricane hit, knocking out all communication.

In the meantime, Seth’s father had been talking to a scout for the Harlem Globetrotters. Seth’s father mentioned that Kenny Smith had been impressed with Seth at the Rucker Park audition. As it turned out, the scout and Kenny Smith were good friends. The scout made a call to Smith, and Seth found himself invited to a tryout for the Globetrotters.

One week later, Seth was at the Globetrotters training camp, guarding people he used to play on his Nintendo.

10 days into the tryout, Seth was discouraged. His leg was in so much pain he wanted to quit. In fact, that’s what he did. Or at least that’s what he decided to do.

He went to find the coach to withdraw from the tryout, but, of course, the coach was nowhere to be found.

Seth went back to his room, stayed with it, and became the first white Harlem Globetrotter in over 60 years.

A happy ending to the story?

Not in the way you’d expect.

Seth played with the Globetrotters through their U.S. tour, but left during their European tour. His leg simply wouldn’t hold up.

So Seth is doing what he feels he’s always been called to do – serve God wherever he can.

In the 7th grade, Seth had written an essay saying he wanted to be a basketball player and a preacher.

He’s doing both.

“Whenever God places you somewhere you can find the grace and strength to be effective right there”, says Seth. “The Globetrotters were not an end, but a stepping stone to what God has in mind for me.”

Now you’ll find Seth in front of kids, dribbling and speaking. He impresses them with his basketball skills and then shares his heart. His message is simple and yet profound. “The most important things in life,” he says to the kids, “are the decisions you make every day. True success comes not from what you do with the talents you have but with the choices you make every day to do the right thing.

“God will take your talents and throw you into places you could never go on your own.”

There’s so much more to Seth’s story. His grandfather who was cured of cancer. His trips with his father to feed the homeless in Brooklyn every Monday night – experiences that Seth wouldn’t trade for anything – not even his stint with the Globetrotters. His wife, Sarah, who had a detached retina and received a 100% discount from the hospital.

And the story is far from ended.

“God is simply walking me through,” Seth says. “And the cry of my heart is that I want my life marked by the fact I’m sharing what God has brought me through.”

Look closely at Seth and you’ll see tattoos – except these are different. They are Bible passages – three of them – which Seth has prayed over himself for years. Psalm 23: \1 – “The Lord is my Shepherd”; Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness”; and 2 Timothy 1:7 – “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self discipline.”

It’s quite a story. And if you ask Seth, it’s not a story about him.

It’s a story about how God is at work.

And it’s endless.

Are you enjoying where you are at? Is there something missing in your life? To find out how you can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Please email us at webmaster(at)sacredhoops.com We want to hear from you…so please feel free to email us about anything at anytime!

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:28 pm and is filed under Monthly Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Ilze Luneau Great Basketball Entertainment Show with a Motivational and Inspirational Christian Message

Main Man/Woman of the Month!

Check out Ilze Luneau Great Basketball Entertainment Show with a Motivational and Inspirational Christian Message

My name is Ilze Luneau. I am a Newborn Christian. By God’s grace, I got saved at the end of summer 2005. I am pretty good at basketball ballhandling, and have been a basketball motivational and entertainment performer since I graduated from college. Since I got saved, my main focus has changed dramatically, and I have been looking for any opportunities to Spread the Gospel, to encourage kids and adults to serve God through Jesus Christ, be it basketball or anything else.

I was born and raised in an eastern European country Latvia. When I was growing up, Latvia was a part of Soviet Union, and religion in Soviet Union was not practiced very freely. And certainly people who practiced religion were looked upon as being silly at best. Religion was kept away form schools, government and even social life. So, my parents did not practice religion at all. I pray for my mom and dad every day in hope that God will save them through Jesus Christ. Even though we were not a religious family, my parents taught me the right moral lessons- they taught me to work hard, give my best at everything that I am doing, not give up, believe in myself, and respect other people. I did that and I became a good student and a good basketball player. I became so good that I got a scholarship to come all the way from Latvia to United States at age of 18 to study and play basketball. While studying and playing basketball at the college, I met my future husband, Matt, and I thank God for Matt every day because he led me to Jesus. Matt is a basketball coach, right now he coaches at Syracuse University. When I met Matt in college, he was not a very devoted believer, but then one day he started reading the Bible and started memorizing the verses. I did not understand it at first, I just did not see a “need” for it. I though it was good enough to just be a “good “person, do good things, and not think too much about it. I could never find time to sit down and read a Bible, I always thought everything else was much more important. But I did like listening to my husband tell me the verses from the Bible, though. It seemed to really “make sense to me”, the verses seemed to really touch me, make me feel like that it is the truth. So, finally I started to want to find out more about the Bible. I already had gotten into the habit of watching Christian TV with my husband on Sunday mornings, and I really loved listening to a preacher by a name Charles Stanley.

Again, it seemed so easy to listen to him, everything he said made sense to me. I mentioned to you that my parents did teach me good values even without being Christian. But now when I started reading the Bible I started to see where these moral values actually came from -they came from the Bible, God’s Word, and especially from God’s Law - 10 commandments. And that was not all. I found out I was only a good person in my own eyes, but in God’s eyes I was not so perfect at all. Commandments #9 says “You shall not lie”. I definately have told a lie, even if at the time I thought it was “harmless”… In God’s eyes you are a liar. I know I have taken soemthing that does not belong to me, and it does not matter that it was a tiny thing? In God’s eyes I am a thief. I have thoughsometimes I would like to have something that someone else has, like clothes or house. I have broken commandment #10. The Law leaves us all sinners in God’s sight. I saw I have broken every single one of the 10 commandments… “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. Romans 3:23.

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” James 2:10

God says that He is the only God out there. There is not other. So how can we be right with Him? What is the pathway? God says there is one savior: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5 Since Jesus is this “one mediator”, what makes Him so special? Why is He the only right answer? God demands blood sacrifice for sin. We cannot, and will never be able to, change God’s standard. Jesus is also called the perfect sacrifice who paid the penalty for all sin once and for all. We have to remember that God demands a perfect sacrifice. If Jesus was a sinner just like us, man and man alone, then that won’t cut it. Difference was that Jesus never sinned. Because He always chose to do what He knew in His heart was the right thing, He and He alone can be that perfect once-for-all sacrifice for all sin of all sinners (Mark Cahill “One Heartbeat Away”). Jesus says “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

“God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The purpose of the Law (10 commandments) is to show us we need a Savior. No one can keep the Law, so if that is what we are trying to do, we are without hope. When I realized my hopeless condition, I was very happy to hear about what Jesus has done for me. We don’t get to Heaven by being good, but by loving and respecting Jesus. And we love and respect Him by repenting (turning away) of our sins, and by placing our faith and trust in what Jesus had done FOR us, and obeying what He has told us to do in His Word.

That’s the real purpose of life in this world: We’re here for an attitude adjustment. God has created us with free will, and we are here to exercise it. The big question we must decide is will I run my own life? Or will I ask God to run it? Once I repented and received Jesus, the Spirit of God came in me, and my gratitude for what He has done and will do for me gives me a desire to do great deeds for Him. God has created His people to live a life filled with good works. He wants us to live our life to glorify Him. And I don’t have to do the doing. I only have to be willing for Him to do the doing through me. Since Jesus is living IN me, I don’t have to wander what His will is at any time. I JUST ASK Him. I read my Bible every day and ask Him to teach me His truth. If He is telling me to behave a certain way, I ask Him to help me behave that way. And I talk to Him all the time about everything. Since I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I have noticed how my priorities have changed, how much patient and compassionate I have become, and how the most important thing in my life now is to be obedient to His Word, and Spread the Word.

I had a guy email me couple of weeks ago, and ask if it was fun to perform for Detroit Pistons. I told him that it sure was exciting, but it was NOTHING compared to the feeling of peace and joy of knowing I will have eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He wants every person to trust Him, and what He did for me, He will do for anyone who will ask Him.

Ilze Luneau does half time shows, basketball dribbling,

she also does Motivational Message:
Learn to set goals to become the best basketball player you can be -
“It All Starts With A Vision!”

Through her motiviational message she shares:

the importance of ballhandling
Work Hard to accomplish your goals
Have Fun
Never Give Up - Believe in Yourself
Have a Balanced Life

Make Good Decisions on and off the basketball court

To learn more about her and what she does please check out her website! And we would especially like to thank Ilze for sharing with us here at Sacred Hoops her testimony, and how she is using her talents to share the good news of Jesus Christ!

Contact her today to schedule a show for your school assembly, basketball camp, half-time show, upward awards night, charity event, birthday party or any other event for great entertainment and an inspirational message!
Call or email today!

Phone (315) 446-6393
(315) 345-0613 cell
email:
theluneaus@earthlink.net
http://www.basketballfamily.com/

Here at Sacred Hoops, we are wanting your input. If you have anything you don’t see rather it be a basketball drills, basketbal tips, basketball plays, or anything else basketball. Please email us at webmaster(at)sacredhoops.com

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