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Raymond M. Wong

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God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir by George Foreman

February 4, 2017 Raymond Wong

Book Review by Raymond M. Wong

Foreman, George and Abraham, Ken. God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson, 2007. Print.    

At one time, George Foreman went into the boxing ring filled with hatred and wanted to literally kill his opponent with his fists. He stared directly at the other fighter with anger in his eyes before the fight and went after him once the bell rang. The intent was to destroy the other man and Foreman did just that on many occasions, winning the heavyweight championship by pummeling Joe Frazier in 1973. A few fights after his epic defeat at the hands of Muhammad Ali in Zaire, Foreman fought Jimmy Young in 1977 and lost a decision on the judges’ scorecards. Then something remarkable happened.

After the fight, Foreman collapsed in the dressing room and felt as if he had died. He awoke a changed man, one who experienced Jesus Christ in his heart and discovered a purpose in his existence. From that pivotal moment, Foreman was transformed and dedicated his life to God. He forgave the former manager who had stolen his money and his most prized possession: the boxing gloves Foreman wore in winning his first heavyweight championship bout. Foreman contacted people he had hurt and those he begrudged and tried to repair past relationships.  He became a pastor and ministered to anyone he came in contact with about God. He started a youth center to give children and teens a place to have fun and receive his guidance. Instead of the menacing glare he used to intimidate boxers, he flashed a genuine and soulful smile at the people he met.

His perspective changed. He went from a fighter with unimaginable wealth yet who felt empty and unhappy inside to a man who touched people with his spirit and energy. He went from being an angry and vengeful man to one who felt blessed to be alive to help others. His whole persona took a joyful and optimistic turn: “Every day, whether you realize it or not, you’re spying out the land where you live and where you work, looking for either the best or the worst. Your attitude at that moment will be determined by what you see. If you’re only looking at problems, you’ll become angry, depressed, and ungrateful. But if you’ll search for and find something good in every situation, you’ll discover a secret that few people know—happiness is always attached to seeing the pleasant side of circumstances.” 

Because he wanted to continue funding the youth center he founded, Foreman began boxing again in his forties. He trained with diligence and the steadfast belief that God meant for him to be world champion again. He encountered ridicule and disappointment but he persevered and eventually won the boxing heavyweight title again at the age of forty-five by defeating Michael Moorer. Along the way, he never went into the ring angry and he never attempted to hurt his opponents. In one instance when a boxer had lost his mouthpiece after being hit by a hard Foreman punch, Foreman refused to continue boxing until the fighter was given an opportunity to retrieve and insert his mouthpiece.

Even as a warrior in the ring, Foreman acted with integrity and compassion. Indeed he was a changed man.

 

← The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksFeel the Fear and Do It Anyway →
2-25-18I posted a review of Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg. The review appeared in Small Print Magazine, and you have to read his critiques of his students' writing. They are laugh-out-loud hilarious.  8-13-17The Gl…

2-25-18

I posted a review of Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg. The review appeared in Small Print Magazine, and you have to read his critiques of his students' writing. They are laugh-out-loud hilarious. 

 

8-13-17

The Glass Castle just came out in theaters, and here is what I think of Jeannette Walls's book.

 

7-9-17

I just posted a review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. The well-researched story is a tribute to a woman and her humanity, not just what her cells meant to medical science.

 

2-4-17

How does a person change? Read how George Foreman transformed from a mean, bullying boxer to a man of compassion in God In My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir.

 

1-16-17

Happy New Year! Enjoy my review of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. If fear is stopping you from being the person you want to be, this book offers practical advice.

 

11-6-16

I posted a review of Loud and Clear by Anna Quindlen. I admire the humanity and empathy in her essays.

 

7-4-16

Happy 4th everyone. Check out my review of Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns. I am in awe of the research she conducted to write this book. 

 

5-14-16

I just posted a review of 179 Ways to Save a Novel by Peter Selgin, one of the authors who has helped me the most at Antioch University Los Angeles. 

 

2-28-16

If you haven't read Abigail Thomas's Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life, you're in for a treat. Her prose is sharp, unerring, and so resonant. As a writer, I admire both her honesty and her craft.  

 

1-9-16

I just posted a review of Catfish and Mandala, a first-person journey through Vietnam by bicycle.

 

12-16-15

A story of mother and son, told with elegance and humanity. Growing Up by Russell Baker is a story to be cherished.

 

10-25-15

I just posted a review of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang. She depicts a vivid portrayal of her family's experience as Hmong in America. 

 

8-4-15

I recently presented at the Alpine Library for their "Breakfast & Books" event and recommended a children's book, The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth. Here's my review of his wondrous adaptation from Leo Tolstoy's short story.

 

7-18-15

I posted a review of Lifespan of a Fact, an argument about what is and isn't acceptable in nonfiction. 

 

5-8-15

I posted a review of A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink, a compelling argument for developing the right hemisphere of your brain to remain viable in the technology age.

 

3-8-15

I posted a review of Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory. The authors make use of point of view and tense shifts to great effect in telling the story of a blind man's harrowing escape from the North Tower on 9/11. 

 

2-4-15

I posted a review of Geoffrey Wolff's The Duke of Deception, a fascinating memoir of a father who lives a life of lies.

 

12-7-14

I just posted a review of Mira Bartok's The Memory Palace. I used to work with chronically mentally ill adults in a day treatment center, and I'm impressed with how Bartok captures the ravaging effects of her mother's schizophrenia with honesty and compassion. 

 

11-5-14

Elisabeth Newbold, the librarian at the Alpine Library, suggested we read Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey when I did an author presentation in October. After reading this book, my daughter, Kristie, asked to write a book review, and I posted it. As Kristie said in her review, the book is remarkable, so we hope you will read it. 

 

10-18-14

I just posted my review of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking after promising to do so at my author presentation during San Diego City College's International Book Fair on Oct. 15th. Introverts will feel understood after reading this book, and extroverts will touch the other face of the coin.  

Hi,

A fabulous writing mentor at Antioch University LA, Chris Hale, told me I can make a difference by bringing attention to books. It saddens me when I hear people are reading less, because books are such a treasured part of my life. As the father of two precocious children named Kevin and Kristie, I have tried to nurture an appreciation of books, the beauty and magic of stories. I’m grateful they are both avid readers; Kevin is a fan of fantasy and science fiction and Kristie loves nature and animals.

In this section, you will find my book reviews because I want to create a community of readers and writers who revel in words. So please comment, share, tell us what you’re reading, and what inspires you. 

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Raymond M. Wong (2014) rwong@antioch.edu