Bugs in the Garden/Baseball

It is already July 2011, and I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone.  A lot of first time things have been going on, but the one most fresh on my mind is Ty and baseball.  He decided this year that he wanted to go out for baseball.  There were 15 boys between 10 and 12/13 on his team.  Being from a small town, that is a big team.  Since we have been traveling and seeing the country a lot, this is his first year ever playing ball.  A lot of kids on the team have been playing for quite some time.  They started in T-ball and went through coach pitch and now are pretty efficient fast pitchers.  Ty didn't get a lot of time in the games, but he improved more each time.  He had a lot to learn in just a couple of months.  Next year most of the starters will move up to the next level and that will leave more room for the rest of the boys to get more game time and improve.  Last night was the final game of the season.  We had three straight nights of games for the tournament.  The games got tougher and tougher.  Their final opponent was Gresham.  This was the first team that they played against in regular season.  It was a close game right down to the last inning.  The score was tied at the bottom of the sixth.  The bases were loaded.  We needed just one base hit to win the game.  After what I am sure was a "no pressure" talk from the coach at the dugout, he steps up to bat.  The bat connects with the ball and he could have brought them all home.  When the third base runner crossed the plate, the entire team came out of the dugout and onto the field.  It was the best game of the season.  I didn't even like baseball until Ty started playing.  Now, I am really hoping that he plays again next year.  He got two medals last night.  One for first place in the tournament, and the other for first place in the regular season.  His team was undefeated all season.  I just wish Ty would have gotten more time in to play.

I did learn a lot watching the games this year.  Some quite commical and others just informational for next time.

1. Goodeye:  means that the batter didn't swing and the umpire called a ball.  You might think it is two words    but really it sounds like just one.
2. If you don't know the players name, it is perfectly acceptable to use the number on his jersey in place of his name.  ei. If you don't know the name of the player with a 26 on his jersey you would say,  "Way to go two six"  
3. "Give it a ride" does not mean get on your bike, but instead is called from the stand or encouraging team mates to let the batter know that they would like him to hit the ball with his bat.
4. "Make some music"  I heard this one for the first time last night, but it basically means the same as #3
5. Sunflower seeds are very important, and might be considered a meal as long as you can get a hot dog from the concession stand for dessert.
6. Lawn chairs are way more comfortable than bleachers.  
7. If it is a night game or late in the evening remember to bring a blanket or sweatshirt to fight the chill.
8. I really have no idea what the problem is with the coach when he stands by third base....but I am not the only one that notices.  Apparently the team is concerned because when they get up to bat they look at him to make sure he is ok, then nod and go to the plate.  No words are exchanged, but apparently the team realizes that the coach will be ok.
9. After a game one night I figured out number 8, I think.  I was trying to weed the garden some and there were bugs and before I knew it, I looked like the third base coach.  I was swatting at my arms and legs and head.  I don't know if a batter could have walked by and known that I was ok or not.  Maybe they need to spray a little something around third base.  Although, it doesn't seem to affect the runners.  Maybe they aren't there long enough to be bothered?
10. Just this moment, my 11 year old informed me that there is not a bug infestation on third base, and that you only have to know about 4 signals that the coach is giving.  They make it look so complicated to confuse the other team.....and me.  LOL
11. The cage behind home plate is just a simple suggestion to the ball.  I can't say that I blame that ball for wanting to get out of the game so bad.  It gets thrown at over 30 miles and hour, gets hit by a bat, flies through the air again, and gets caught or rolled around in the dirt.  That doesn't sound fun to me.  
12. If a child happens to "capture" one of these escape balls, they are able to turn it in for the reward of a small piece of bubble gum.

God's Qualities

Tomorrow is Wednesday.  Once again I will get "fed" by my Bible Study.  Before I get too much information, and forget all the good things I learned this week, I wanted to blog a little.  The challenge (in case you didn't read the last post) was to ask God what characteristic of Him that you have.  I had never thought about it before.  Of course I would have at least one characteristic from Him.  He is my Heavenly Father.  I have characteristics from both of my earthly parents.  There is also the fact that He very clearly made us in his image.  (Genesis 1:27)  At first I thought this would be a very difficult thing to do.  Wouldn't you know that God works in His time.  I had been having a difficult couple of weeks, and shared this with my Bible Study friends.  I was feeling personally "attacked" and couldn't quite figure out why.  Thoughts that were not usually my own would keep creeping into my mind.  I knew they were not of God, but as people always do, I tried to justify it as something that God would want.  Instead of listening to what I know is the truth about what God wants, and leaning on the character I know of God.  I know what He would want because it is in His character to want what is good, and pleasing.  Our mind has a way of twisting things to justify what we think we want, or what someone else makes us think we want, and making it what God wants.  God knew that I really needed this time in Bible Study, and gave me just what I needed.

By Thursday noon, my back was aching and just wouldn't stop.  This happens from time to time as we get older, but this particular ache was just plain annoying.  It wouldn't stop.  I couldn't get comfortable, no matter what I would do, or how I would move.  Finally, in an attempt to stretch out I got flat on my stomach on the floor.  I was surprised at how quickly the pain went away.  I didn't dare move because it would hurt, and of course I didn't want that.  While I have my face buried in the carpet, I think that this would be a perfect time to ask God what He thinks.  Obviously He wanted me there at that moment.  Even though there was a lot of noise in the room, and things going on, I was still able to talk with Him as if we were alone.  In those few minutes that I spent with Him, I found out so much.  The first thing was that the characteristic that I have from God is Faith.  I knew this because as immediately as the answer came to me, I wanted to reject it.  You see, I didn't behave like someone with a faith like God just the night before.  I broke down.  I confessed to my closest friends that my faith was weak.  That I wasn't sure if I could do the things that God asked of me.  I wasn't sure if I had the strength to do what I knew was right.  Then God made it clear to me.  What better way for Satan to attack than to attack the one thing that is most like God.  Why would Satan attack my artistic ability.  I am not good with paint or pencil.  I am not an artist or a poet.  Satan could attack those things all day long, and it wouldn't affect me.  But to attack the one thing that I associate with God only takes me further from Him.  I was reminded of this again in my daily Bible reading when I was reading about Adam and Eve.  Eve had eternal life in the garden.  She had a very close, personal relationship with God.  Satan attacked that I told her that God wanted something else.  That God's intentions weren't what they really were.  It all became clear to me then.  Instead of the last two weeks being just a bad couple of weeks, because my faith was shaken, and I wasn't trusting God as I used to, I realized that it was actually an attack on me.  God hadn't changed.  I was just made to think that He had.

The other thing that I learned is that I have such better odds now that I have God on my side.  Here is a good example.  I have been married for almost 10 years.  I have only had a personal relationship with God for about 5 of those years.  God said to me "Don't you think that with me on your side, you can last longer and do more than you could without me in your life?"  WOW!  I couldn't believe I hadn't thought about it before.  Life is dramatically different than it was 10 years ago.  My life hasn't been boring by any means.  So many things have happened.  So much of my life was lived before I REALLY knew God.  Now that I know Him, I was wanting to give up on what He wanted me to do.  How amazing that He would be so open in revealing that to me.  After our talk on the floor.....my back felt better, and it hasn't bothered me yet.

Discovering God

WOW!!!! Has it been awhile. So much has happened. Since that is how I usually start my blogging and journaling, I feel right at home. Rather than trying to catch up on everything, I wanted to blog/journal about my favorite day of the week. Currently, it is Wednesday. On Wednesdays, I take my children to AWANA at out church. Thankfully the Princess is really starting to enjoy it more. The Prince has always loved it. During that time I meet with the most wonderful group of ladies for an enriching Bible study time. We have been blessed right now to have a young lady who is fresh back from a mission school. She has had many interesting travels and classes. She has agreed to teach us some of what she learned and to share some of her experiences. Already I can see that she has been touched and called by God. I am amazed at some of the stories that she has. This week we talked about getting to know God. There is so much to know about Him. One of the things that we talked about was that God is your friend. Genesis 32:25 talks about how God wrestled with Jacob. How many times have I seen my son and husband wrestle around just enjoying each other? To think that God loves man enough that He would do that too. I personally wouldn't want to physically wrestle with God, but we also talked about how we can "wrestle" ideas with Him. I had forgotten how easily accessible God is when I need Him. Not only can I talk to Him when I have had a bad day, but also He wants to talk to me. Maybe there is something that He wants to talk about today, instead of just hearing what I have to say. I am sure that God would sit and listen like any good friend, while you go on and on and on about any one thing. Is this how we treat our Earthly friends? Do we just call them up, talk all we want with out first asking how they are, then hang up when we are done? I would hope that I am not that kind of friend. How about the kind of friend that just calls when they want something from you? Most friends, no matter how little they stay in touch or how close they are, will call, text, or email once in a while just to see how you are doing. That is the kind of friend that I need to be to God. I also had never thought much about taking God with me before last Wednesday night. I know, like most, that He is always here. Never had I thought of just doing anything with him.

Never isn't right. It has been a long time since I have sat down and had a quiet cup of coffee with God. I remember when I first started a relationship with Him. I wanted to spend all my time with Him. I talked with Him all day long. Much like someone would if they were starting a new relationship with a man or woman. There is just so much about that person that you want to know, and you want to know it all right then. Then what? Something else comes up and we push Him aside. Not a lot, just a little at a time. Soon, He is just a thought in our heads every now and then. We talked about how God is our lover. I had never thought of this. I had heard that He is husband to the husbandless. But, even to those who are married, He can be a lover. The intimate details about everything that you would share only with your spouse, you can share with God. Those special times when you just enjoy the company of your spouse, can also be spent with God.

Our young leader shared with us a comment from one of the lectures that she took: "God and Jesus are preparing something for us in Heaven. We need to prepare ourselves to be brides. Get to know God and Jesus as you would a man to marry." For anyone married, how well did you know your spouse before the wedding day? For those who are not married, how well do you want to know your spouse before you marry? We don't know when the wedding will be for sure. But we can do our part to prepare. God will take care of the rest of the party plans.

The final point was that God is unchanging. He is the same for us as He was for Adam and Eve. He is the same today as He was when you first met him. He will remain that way until you meet Him face to face in Heaven. Our challenge for the week was to ask God what characteristic of Himself did we have, and also to take God with us everywhere. This post is getting long, and my day should begin soon. I will let you ponder this while I make time for my next blog. Maybe you too could ask God what characteristic you have from Him. I would love to hear it!