Monday, May 21, 2007
Kaka: I've got God on my side
By MARK IRWIN
May 21, 2007
HE has destroyed Manchester United — now Kaka has Liverpool in his sights this week.
Yet the young Brazilian feared he would never play again after breaking his neck in a freak swimming pool accident.
Now the AC Milan playmaker, 25, reveals in detail for the first time how he fought his way back from near tragedy.
And he admits lifting the European Cup on Wednesday would be the fulfilment of his ultimate goal after achieving the 10 targets he set himself when disaster struck seven years ago.
Kaka’s mesmerising two-goal performance at Old Trafford last month set Milan on their way to a 5-3 aggregate victory over United in their Champions League semi-final.
The deeply-religious Brazilian believes it was God’s will which gave him the strength to fire the Italian giants to this week’s Athens final.
Yet Kaka will never forget the day his career was almost destroyed before it had really begun.
He recalled: “In October 2000, I was at my grandfather’s house in a small town in Brazil called Caldas Novas.
“I was sliding into his swimming pool but fell awkwardly and hit my head on the bottom of the pool.
“I twisted my neck but did not realise at the time that I had broken my sixth cervical bone.
“I went back to my club, Sao Paulo, the following day and actually trained for a couple of days. But I was in such pain the club eventually sent me to hospital for tests.
“The doctor was asking me whether my limbs were feeling numb and I told him I was OK.
“It was only then he revealed the serious nature of my injury.
“He was trying not to frighten me but admitted I was very lucky to have been able to train for two days with a broken neck and not suffer permanent damage.
“All I knew since a kid was that anyone with a broken neck would be disabled for life so my immediate question was would I ever be able to play football again?
“The doctor told me I would not be able to play for at least three months and I would have to wear a cervical collar all that time.
“Then they would be able to tell if I was going to fully recover.
“But after two months, the injury had healed and I was able to resume my football career.
“That was when I knew God was looking after me and that He was on my side.
“I was born a Christian, read the Bible and always placed my faith in God and Jesus. During my injury, many fears crossed my mind. Reading the Bible and praying were the things that really helped me through those dark moments.
“I had several extraordinary experiences with God which made me feel confident I would eventually be able to play football again.
“Now I believe faith helped me through. I knew God had a purpose for me and my life.”
Kaka revealed it was when his future was in the balance that he set 10 targets for his comeback.
The first was simply to kick a football again, the second to resume his professional career with Sao Paulo ranging through to playing in the World Cup finals for Brazil and moving to a major club in Europe.
Kaka admitted: “Now I have an 11th target and that is to win the Champions League.”
Kaka is now in his fourth year at Milan following a £5million move in 2003. He explained: “I chose Milan because in Sao Paulo I played alongside Leonardo for six months and he was constantly outlining how great the club was.
“I was very young when I planned out my career and everything so far has worked as I hoped it might.”
Everything, that is, apart from his last meeting with Liverpool in the 2005 European Cup final in Istanbul.
He admitted: “No one expected what happened but in football you can never be sure of anything.
“Two years have passed since Istanbul and I honestly don’t think about it any more.
“Liverpool played a great final and deserved to win the title. Now we have another chance to write our name on the trophy.
“Nobody in Milan is thinking about revenge. We are just happy to be in the final again.
“We know what Liverpool are capable of. They are an excellent squad, disciplined and well organised. You can see what a great job their coach has done.
“Liverpool’s strength is they are used to playing the big games. They never give up. They have already beaten Barcelona and Chelsea so we know they are a dangerous opponent.
“But we have taken a great deal of confidence from our semi-final win over Manchester United.”
Kaka has been linked to a swap with Chelsea’s Andriy Shevchenko.
Yet the Brazilian insisted: “The Premiership is an exciting league but I have a contract at Milan until 2011 and I am very happy where I am.”
retrieved from:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2007230240,00.html
Monday, May 07, 2007
THE SEED
A successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it was time to chose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different.
He called all the young executives in his company together.
"It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO," he said. "I have decided to choose one of you."
The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - a very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.
He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by - still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened.
Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.
He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back.
"My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO.
"Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front.
Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Here is your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said?
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest.
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
Two thousand years ago Paul wrote to the church at Galatia the same story but with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap" (Gal. 6:7).
We are grass that will wither and die but the incorruptible seed of God's Word will live forever - sow it daily into the life of your family! (1 Peter 1: 23 - 25).
May we cherish and be thankful for whatever God has done, is doing and going to do in every single one of us. Be focus on Him and His Words for He is the almighty and most amazing Creator of all things in the universe.
Hallelujah!
A successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it was time to chose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different.
He called all the young executives in his company together.
"It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO," he said. "I have decided to choose one of you."
The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - a very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.
He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by - still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened.
Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.
He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back.
"My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO.
"Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front.
Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Here is your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO the others said?
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest.
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
Two thousand years ago Paul wrote to the church at Galatia the same story but with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap" (Gal. 6:7).
We are grass that will wither and die but the incorruptible seed of God's Word will live forever - sow it daily into the life of your family! (1 Peter 1: 23 - 25).
May we cherish and be thankful for whatever God has done, is doing and going to do in every single one of us. Be focus on Him and His Words for He is the almighty and most amazing Creator of all things in the universe.
Hallelujah!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
First, David’s alarm went off, then mine. As I trudged out of bed, the time was 250am, 03 May 2007.
I thought it was gonna be an unforgettable night… IT WAS!
Champions League Semi - AC Milan host Manchester Utd at San Siro.
With the tie delicately balanced, and Manchester leading 3 goals to 2, it was set to be an exciting night.
Manchester Utd is looking to emulate the class of 1999, they are in the Champions League semi-final once again. In the quarterfinals, they had sensationally destroyed AS Roma at OT (7-1), albeit narrowly losing away in Rome 2-1.
Expectant Manchester fans must have been relishing the chance of a repeat of the 1999 euro cup glory.
And we do have quite a few such Manchester fans amidst our team. An almost unholy force pulled us all to watch this match. I (MU fan) stayed over at David’s (Arsenal supporter) house. While still unknown to the both of us, people like (All MU fan) Joey, Lester, Kenneth and Johann already gathered at the commonwealth MacDonald.
Then it happened.
Kaka scored from a wonderful volley on 11th minutes. The pressure is now on United. They HAVE to score, or else they will be out. I was relatively calm, knowing that there is still 80mins left to play.
But David had begun spurting nonsense and worse, nonstop. So much that even her sister begin laughing and tried to calm him.
Then it happened, AGAIN.
C. Seedorf scored from a similar position again. Bloody David is on rampage now. He really lost it. He started calling Lester and found the whole group at the MacDonald.
So we went down and watched the wretched 2nd half, where United best answer to Milan was a Fletcher slice-shot, one that almost any teamr-age player could do better. And then the final goal from Milan, and United was truly dead and buried.
But the Bloody David had just begun; he tormented all of us with his almost hysterical and sarcastic “consolations”. He was met with mostly “Shut Up”s. And I am truly amazed with his level of hatred, as after the group left and I went back to his home for the night, he was so “high”, that he kinda denied me sleeping, in order to hear him “consol” me.
haha.
ok lah, to be fair, he wasn’t that bloody, but quite. And I just wanted to pen this down as this is the first time I watch soccer with my teammates.
And it was filled with good and not so good (thanks har David! =P) memories. Just enough to remember, otherwise a forgettable night…
I thought it was gonna be an unforgettable night… IT WAS!
Champions League Semi - AC Milan host Manchester Utd at San Siro.
With the tie delicately balanced, and Manchester leading 3 goals to 2, it was set to be an exciting night.
Manchester Utd is looking to emulate the class of 1999, they are in the Champions League semi-final once again. In the quarterfinals, they had sensationally destroyed AS Roma at OT (7-1), albeit narrowly losing away in Rome 2-1.
Expectant Manchester fans must have been relishing the chance of a repeat of the 1999 euro cup glory.
And we do have quite a few such Manchester fans amidst our team. An almost unholy force pulled us all to watch this match. I (MU fan) stayed over at David’s (Arsenal supporter) house. While still unknown to the both of us, people like (All MU fan) Joey, Lester, Kenneth and Johann already gathered at the commonwealth MacDonald.
Then it happened.
Kaka scored from a wonderful volley on 11th minutes. The pressure is now on United. They HAVE to score, or else they will be out. I was relatively calm, knowing that there is still 80mins left to play.
But David had begun spurting nonsense and worse, nonstop. So much that even her sister begin laughing and tried to calm him.
Then it happened, AGAIN.
C. Seedorf scored from a similar position again. Bloody David is on rampage now. He really lost it. He started calling Lester and found the whole group at the MacDonald.
So we went down and watched the wretched 2nd half, where United best answer to Milan was a Fletcher slice-shot, one that almost any teamr-age player could do better. And then the final goal from Milan, and United was truly dead and buried.
But the Bloody David had just begun; he tormented all of us with his almost hysterical and sarcastic “consolations”. He was met with mostly “Shut Up”s. And I am truly amazed with his level of hatred, as after the group left and I went back to his home for the night, he was so “high”, that he kinda denied me sleeping, in order to hear him “consol” me.
haha.
ok lah, to be fair, he wasn’t that bloody, but quite. And I just wanted to pen this down as this is the first time I watch soccer with my teammates.
And it was filled with good and not so good (thanks har David! =P) memories. Just enough to remember, otherwise a forgettable night…
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