Jacob's Cup: Peace Is in the Heart

By Michael Ritchey

It is September 2018 in war-torn Afghanistan as Ali, a young wrestler, diligently completes his homework without any idea that a group of men have just bombed a wrestling facility in Kabul, killing his father and other athletes. A short time later, a college wrestling coach hears Ali’s story and offers to adopt the boy and bring him to America to live in a small college town in Oregon.

Once he is renamed after the Olympic wrestling champion Dave Schultz, little Dave learns new wrestling skills from his father and the greatness of Jesus from his mother. After he gives his life to Christ, Dave is encouraged to listen to Channel 33, the code for the voice of God, and to remember the Christian mission of more temples. As Dave works on his wrestling techniques and focuses on becoming a state champion, he must face a variety of obstacles and challenges. Will his faith carry him through his trials and tribulations and allow him to spread the message of God’s unconditional love to all who need it?

In this inspirational novel, an Afghan boy who is adopted by an American wrestling coach must rely on his faith to overcome many challenges and achieve his goals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664288386

Michael Ritchey

Michael (Mike) Ritchey is a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame and a Christian wrestling coach whose writing is inspired by a tragedy, his faith in mankind, and his love for God. He currently resides in Oregon. Jacob’s Cup is his first novel. (http/:mikeritchey-servant.com)

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Copyright © 2023 Michael Ritchey.

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WestBow Press

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and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International

Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from the Darby Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8839-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8840-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8838-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023900110

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/23/2023

CONTENTS

Foreword

Chapter 1     God Has a Plan

Chapter 2     The Olympics—The Year of our Lord 2028

Chapter 3     The Olympic Finals Six minutes of fury and friendship

Chapter 4     Jacob’s Cup, or JC-3

Chapter 5     The Big Decision

Chapter 6     Making the Team

Chapter 7     Jacob’s Cup—The Christian Team

Chapter 8     Training & Motivation

Chapter 9     The Tournament Begins

Chapter 10   Day one of the Cup Christians’ Cup Runneth Over

Chapter 11   The Evening of Excitement

Chapter 12   Big Dreams

Chapter 13   Big Dreams and Ponderings

Chapter 14   Back to the Cup—Never Waste a Gift

Chapter 15   Wrestling Jihad

Chapter 16   Same God

FOREWORD

Written by Michael Ritchey

This book was written as an exercise of healing from some traumatic events in my life at a time when I had lost most things of value, including my belief in people, to be honest. The idea for this book started as a motivational coaching tool I imagined in an airport while waiting on a plane. It has slowly evolved into this statement of hope for the world to find peace. I feel this book will not only invigorate the reader’s spirituality, it will introduce the reader to the wonderful sport of wrestling. A highlight is an introduction to the great American and wrestler, Dave Schultz.

Healing is an ever-evolving process in itself. Through writing this book, I have gone from counseling to confidence: confidence in what I stand for and who I want to become. I am not perfect and I have allowed the Holy Spirit to comfort me. The power provided through you as a temple of God allows the Holy Spirit to guide and teach you and me through every process. In the end, we just need more temples, as Dave’s mom would say. As a lifelong educator, the development of these principals has helped me as a coach, and I wanted to pass them on to the next generation.

As a senior in high school, I flunked senior English and started college in Writing 40. I barely passed to move on to Writing 60. My skills as a writer are limited, but my passion for a message is like the flames of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost two thousand years ago. I found strength as I began this endeavor, while watching a video filmed for the NCAA wrestling tournament by the great author, John Irving (a former wrestler and friend of my late coach and mentor Bob Riehm). I had the aha moment that the process of writing was like a wrestling match. I realized at that point that writing is a lifelong endeavor and similar to wrestling. Writing is an effort to reward process: the better the effort, the better the reward. Only sometimes you are rewarded, and that is never guaranteed. I really don’t consider myself a writer, but more of a messenger of hope through writing and wrestling. I wrote this book for me as much as the reader. I have now regained my faith in my fellow humans and reinvigorated my faith in God and the holy trinity. I live a life in retirement and caregiving. I write when it appeals to me, but caregiving comes first.

I dedicate this book to a young man who would have been a great coach and father one day. Unfortunately, he never got his chance. RIP Hunter Roberson; live, laugh, and love. You can read a poem I wrote to his family at the end of our story. I have also included a few other writings and the poem of How to Wrestle with God. You can order your free copy in a digital format. Simply email me at [e-mail]. I will not charge you for it. Just find a way to pay it forward in your own life.

Thank you in advance if you decide to go on through the story of Little Dave, a name he particularly didn’t like. The book has similarity to real world events from the first chapter to Chapter 9. The bulk of the book is spent in the future of hope for peace. I hope you take the time to enjoy doing some research on your own in regards to the book’s attachment to reality. A simple phone search should suffice. This book is written to be shared as a family and hopefully you will be inspired to turn