There's No Place Like Home

Baseball.

For two out of three...the season is over.

I wanted to share a few of the things we learned as we lived through Middle and Little's seasons this year.

1.  Getting out is not as bad as Little thought it would be.
2.  Having a broken arm is no fun.
3.  Sliding into home in white baseball pants is more fun than Little thought it would be.
4.  Winning isn't everything...the drink and snack after the game is.
5.  Having a patient coach who cares for your kids is more important than having one that likes to win.
6.  Baseball Mom friends are the best because they are as dirty and as exhausted as you are.
7.  No amount of bling on your shirt can make you "cute" when you are covered in dirt. 
8.  The smile on Middle's face makes me happy no matter what the scoreboard says.
9.  Being a good sport is important...the Wichita PD say so. 
10.  Sunflower seeds are awesome during a game.  They make a nervous Mom feel better and look like a squirrel eating them.  And according to Middle, they  make you play better.   
11.  I hate sunflower seed shells.  They are all over in every bag, every purse and every inch of my mommy mobile.  But the mouse in my garage loves them.  Ugh.
12.  Bat bags are heavy and prevent me from having anywhere to put my groceries during the season.
13.  It is okay to play against girls at this age because they are still gross and carry cooties.   
14.  The girls will win sometimes.
15.  Writing your child's name on their equipment makes life easier on the coaches.  Doing it on the last game doesn't help much.
16.  Referring to a previous post...no fruit snacks, no jean shorts and no lip gloss on hot windy days.
17.  Keep a copy of the snack schedule in the car and check it every day.  Missing the snack at a tball game is an epic failure.
18.  Thinking you are completely prepared is a joke.  As a parent of baseball players, you are NEVER fully prepared.
19.  Don't yell at other people's kids.  That is why they have parents. 
20.  If you don't know what you are talking about...yell anyway.  :D  But watch out for the WPD. 
21.  There is no place I would rather be than sitting in the bleachers watching the boys play ball. 

It's true...there is no place like Home (plate)
Referee of 3

The inability to stay focused

I have self diagnosed myself with this awful thing.

The inability to stay focused.

Now those of you who know me...are shocked...I am sure.

Okay, not so much.  I do feel like staying focused is a daily battle for me.  And I am talking about everything in my life.  Coach joked with me the other night when I pulled the bread sticks out of the over because they weren't black.  "Don't you want to stick those back in until you "almost" burn them?" 

Ha...Ha...Ha.

He's right though.  I pretty much burn everything I ever try to bake...because I lose focus.  To answer your question...yes, I set the timer.  But that little beeping noise means nothing to me if I am working on something else.  Sometimes I don't even hear Little yelling Mom at the top of his lungs.  I am very good at tuning things out.  Not so much good at focusing.

Last week, I lost focus yet again.  But not on bread.  Not on the baseball game.  On my relationship with God.  Have you ever had those times?  Man...I did.  Everything...and I mean EVERYTHING got under my skin.  And when God sent specific people into my life to help...I chose to turn the other way.  I didn't want to hear it.  I wanted to have a bad week...and be ugly...and not be judged for it. 

Sometimes when Middle gets in trouble for things that he chose to do...he gets angry.  Even when I approach him after the fact to talk with him...I get "LEAVE ME ALONE!  I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ANYONE!" 

I get that.  Let me just say that he totally gets that from me.  The second I do something wrong, I go into ugly mode and want to be left alone.  Being alone I can sit and baby myself for being upset.  If someone comes to "talk" about my poor choices, I am forced to face the wrong doings that I chose to do.  Ugh.

That was me...all last week. 

And to be honest, I didn't want to get up and go to church yesterday.

But...I am so glad I did.

The message was about throwing yourself into God's work. 

I kind of felt like this message was written specifically for my ears to hear.

PR made a list of things that keep us doing God's work.

Fear...
Insecurity...(ouch)
Loss of focus...(uhm, what were we talking about?)
Jealousy...(BUSTED)

And then he left the space blank.  ___________ causes me to drift.

I feel like PR pretty much hit the nail on the head with his painful words, but I am sure I could come up with others. 

He then went on to say (paraphrase) that we live in a microwave society where we need instant gratification to measure our success.  If we don't see instant results, we feel like our actions are a failure.  A lot of times, I'll lose focus waiting to see the result of good works.

Interestingly enough...he also said (paraphrase) that in doing God's work, we may not always see the results of our actions.    That doesn't mean we aren't successful.  Some plant the seed, some water the seed...and some get to see the seed grow.  There are situations where we get to be a part of all three...but sometimes, just planting the seed is the work we've been put here to do. 

Wow.

Alrighty.

New focus.  Doing God's work without losing focus and finding a way to remeasure the success of doing HIS work. 

The reward = fulfillment in having a relationship with Christ.  Not fulfillment from being able to see the final result of doing His work. 

Food for thought.  Now...if I can just stay focused long enough to really think about all of it!

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

Answer back

Encouragement.  It is an amazing thing that comes at just the right time.  He plans it.  He puts the words on people's hearts.  And when it touches someone the way it is meant to do...it changes things.

I wrote a post last week about Big dropping his phone in the pool.  And at the end of it, I found the quote that drove the point home. 

As God would have it...I've had my own experiences lately with encouragement.  And to be honest with you...I didn't even know I was looking for it. 

I am not a fan of rainy, cloudy days.  ESPECIALLY during the summer.  They make me feel sad.  And they make me stay home and do chores.  Which I am also not a fan of.  But they are good for the earth.  Rain comes down and gives nourishment to the things that need it the most.  What I do love about a good rainstorm is the time it gives me to think as I watch the clouds.  It allows me to slow down.  To take the time to really consider all that is happening around me.  What I like.  What I dislike.  What I need to change.

And when the rain is done, the sun comes out.  It peaks through the clouds letting us know that it is coming.  And then, it comes in full force.  Warming and drying everything it touches.  It gives light to the darkness.  It allows us to get back to our lives without any hesitation at all.  The sun comes at a time when we didn't think it would be possible.  Gleaming through the storm clouds that are breaking apart. 

WHAT is she talking about...you ask?  Hang on...I have a point.

When we go through rainy days in our lives, we tend to struggle.  We may feel sad.  We most likely feel frustrated.  We are faced with situations maybe we've been avoiding.  And we have to look at them head on and deal with the truth. 

But just when we don't think we can take another step...the Son comes shining through.  He comes in ways that we least expect it.  He comes in full force.  Warming us and healing all that He touches.  He gives us light in a dark time of our lives. 

Yesterday...sitting at the pool...I felt the Son. (Of course I felt the "sun" too).  And for anyone who is wondering, I was wearing my board shorts.  No need to take them off at this point...lol. 

In a time of discouragement for me personally, I was given the opportunity to see the light.  His light.  Through someone else.  It was so nice to see it...and to realize that the storm in my life is usually short lived.  My sister told me last night to remember and focus on my blessings.  And she is right.  We have so much to be thankful for. 

And I am so easily distracted by the storm. 

So, I am raising my coffee cup this morning to the Son.  (and to the sun as we have an appointment with the pool today)  My goal is to not get sucked in by the rain showers and to always remember that the Son is not far behind the storm. 

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

Happy Father's Day

I have always had a wonderful relationship with my Dad.  He has always been supportive of my life choices and I have always been the perfect daughter.

Okay...that is not completely true.

Because he wasn't always supportive of my not so perfect life choices, I knew he loved me.  And he always has. 

I have been so blessed by a Dad who loved me when I was right and loved to correct me when I was wrong.  There were moments in my teen years when he didn't even have to speak.  He would just give me a look...or do this thing with his hand that meant..."turn around and walk straight back to your room because there is NO WAY you are wearing THAT out of this house."  I would roll my eyes in the most exaggerated way possible and say something like..."that is so NOT cool Dad".

Parenting was always a team effort at our house though.  Mom supported Dad and Dad supported Mom.  Dad was the quiet, reserved type.  Mom was the in your face disciplinarian.  But they made their decisions together and I knew when my quiet, reserved Dad got involved in the "in your face" portion of the disagreement, I was toast.

But he always had a way of comforting me when I had a broken heart.  I think he got that from his Momma...who had the same knack for making me feel better when I was upset.  He would just hug me and would always tell me it would be okay.  He was always very gentle with his direction.  That day in Emporia...when he and my Mom dropped me off for college...he had a calmness about him.  He had a confidence in his decision when my Mom and I were bawling our eyes out.  I am sure he was sad...(you were sad, right Dad?)  But he just kept his calm exterior and convinced both of us it would be okay. 

One of my favorite memories is when he hugged me after Coach proposed to me.  Of course he already knew as Coach had respectfully asked for my hand in marriage...but, I got to run into the house and show my Dad the ring.  Mom poured champagne and my Dad hugged me and I knew that all the times he had held me when my heart was broken...when he said I'd be alright...that he was right.  Here I was, about to marry the man of my dreams...and I had my Dad's support.  It was a wonderful moment. 

Thank you Dad for all that you have done for me in my life.  I love you more than you'll ever know.  You are an amazingly sensitive man and you always know just what to say...even when you say nothing.  Happy Father's Day!

And...to Coach.

Something Coach told me one time really struck a chord with me.  As you know, his Dad passed away in May of 1994 from complications with a battle of MS.  He is greatly missed every, single day.  Coach told me that he had to do so much as a teenager to help his Dad with his illness.  They were very close...and he had to do things that most teenagers would be mortified to do.  He spent so much time with his Dad...more than most teenagers would want to spend.  What he told me was that he thinks that happened because God knew his time with his Dad would be cut short here on earth.  That friendship that we have made with our parents after we are grown...they didn't get that opportunity.  They were very close when Coach was young...closer than most teenagers and their Dads.  God gave them the insight to have that relationship before most of us could even imagine a mature relationship with a parent.  And Coach is so grateful for that opportunity.

That made him who he is today...which is an incredible Dad.  Our boys are so fortunate to have a man that is as involved in their lives as he is.  And if I do say so myself...there are some pretty blessed teenagers that get to spend time with him as well in his coaching career. 

He is an amazing man and an even more amazing Father.  He doesn't take for granted the time he is given with our kids...which is so easy to do in the craziness of life.  Happy Father's Day Coach.  I love you for the wonderful Dad you are and can't wait to watch you with our boys as they grow into men.

If we can raise these boys to be half the men that their Daddy and Grandpa's are and were...we'll be doing good.

Happy Father's Day to all of you wonderful Dads out there.  Enjoy your day and thanks for being you. 
Referee of 3

Dig Deeper

Do you ever have those days?

I mean...those days?  When you are just grumpy for no reason at all? 

I don't either. 

Wait...let me explain.

You and I both know that bad days don't happen for no reason at all.  They happen because something changed our mood.  Maybe it was a series of unfortunate events.  Maybe it was something that someone else said or did that made us angry.  Maybe it is the fact that we are feeling less than good.  That happens. 

We don't just wake up loathing the World.  Usually, that stems from something that happened the day before.  Coach and I are constantly saying to one another when one of us is having a bad day..."what is really going on?"  Usually after a bit of prodding, the angry one shares what is happening inside that is creating the mood. 

I was in a mood yesterday...for sure.  And the things that created the mood were mostly self inflicted.  Yet I couldn't find a way to get out of it.  We had plans to go out with friends for a birthday and I knew...I knew I needed to shake the mood.  Why?  Well because bad moods are contagious.  Have you ever noticed that?  If someone is in a mood and can't seem to shake it, it causes others to feel upset or angry. 

I knew what I needed to do...so I went to the Lord.  I kept hearing the phrase "dig deeper" throughout my time alone with Him. 

I love to make excuses.  So I did that with Him...

But God...did you know that this happened?

But God...did you know this about how I am feeling?

Dig Deeper.

But...

Dig Deeper.

What I found was that the further I dug into my own spiritual growth, the more I found peace in my situation.  I realized the error of my ways, and found myself immediately feeling better about things.  My jealousy and hatred was replaced by gratefulness and love.  I remembered the mercy that is shown to me day in and day out.  I remembered that everyone deserves happiness and that my actions shouldn't cause others to be ugly.  Mine should be a reflection of His.  Always.

Sometimes we get so hung up on the surface that we miss the richness and the moisture of the soil underneath.  The things that cause us to be upset are generally surface "stuff" anyhow.  So the next time you are staring at the dry ground with a hardened heart...pray that God will soften you and allow you to dig deeper. 

Have a blessed day!  We are...you guessed it...heading to a baseball tournament!  Go Jags!
Referee of 3

You Did WHAT???

It was time...

I was eligible for a cell phone upgrade.  I was an adult, with two kids.  I deserved a cool, new phone.  So I went to the local cell phone store and searched long and hard for the perfect new phone.  My old one had been dropped at least a hundred times.  I can remember the young girl behind the counter picking it up and studying it as if it was something she'd very rarely seen.  I tried to explain that I had dropped it a couple of times...and if truth be told, I think she knew I was lying.

I came out of the store with a $50.00 rebate form and a new blue, slider cell phone.  She was a beaut.  I loved playing with it and trying to figure all of the little things out.  But...as life would have it...we were in a hurry.  Coach was coaching a home baseball game that night and we were late.  I ran home, put on my baseball hoodie and tucked my blue cell phone safely in the front pocket.

I then made an epic mistake.  I went to the bathroom.  As I turned to put the seat down (something I have learned to do the hard way), the new cell phone slips out of the pocket and into the toilet.

AAAAAACK!!!

My new phone!  Ugh!  I grabbed the phone and then...THEN...

I rinsed it in the sink.  I was so grossed out that it had been in the toilet, that I rinsed it ever so slightly in the sink.

Another epic fail.

The phone vibrated one last time and was done for.  Never to be heard from again.

WHY!!!  WHY????  HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?  IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN ACTIVATED FOR AN HOUR!!!

(picture me crying out loud and shouting dramatically to the ceiling)

Stupid phone.

Stupid phone owner.

Let us flash forward a few years, to yesterday.  Big got his very first cell phone about a month ago.  We decided that with his "cool factor", we needed to keep track of him.  And I must say...up to yesterday, the child has been more than responsible with this phone.  Turning it in at 9:00pm every night.  Making sure it is fully charged before he leaves the house.  Notifying me ahead of time if there are any messages I might question.  (You see...Big thinks that I can see EVERYTHING from the online cell service website)  That's right.  I lied to him.  I need him to think he can't hide anything from us.  I am hoping God understands this one.

We were to go swimming at my friend's pool.  Big and his equally cool friend C rode over to the house on their bikes.  (Probably because my minivan is less than cool)  I asked them to get sunscreened before they left the house so when they got there, they could just jump in.

As it turns out, that is EXACTLY what they did.

And Big had his phone in his pocket.

When I got there, Middle proudly announced that Big had "broken his phone".

I freaked out.

WHAT?  YOU WHAT?  WHAT HAPPENED?  WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?  HOW COULD YOU?????

I crushed his spirit into a million pieces.  I am sure of it.

As he climbed out of the pool to tell me the story, I could see it in his eyes.  Here I was  yelling at the child for something I had done not that long ago...as an adult.  He didn't mean to jump in with his cell phone.  He didn't mean to forget it was in his pocket.  But he did.

And I...on top of his very large conscience...was screaming at him for this mistake.

I knew as the words came out of my mouth I was being too hard on him.  But it was our money.  And it wasn't just the simple process of getting him a phone.  We'd had two previous phones that didn't work right that we had to send back.

I acted like a fool.  I was a jerk.  And more than anything, I wish I would have been supportive rather than angry.  Something I am trying to work on.  Because God has that kind of patience with us.  He doesn't scream and lose his temper with me.  And yet...I turn around and set a poor example for Big.

I have a LOT to learn.

The cell phone is currently drying out...and Big is using our old phone.  He seems happy as a clam to just have a phone again, and I learned a very important lesson.  In reading a devotional  via email this morning I was reminded again...

"A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success."  William Saroyan

Have a Blessed Day!
Referee of 3

Lessons from a ballpark Momma

Where has she been?  You ask...(well, maybe you ask?) 

At the ballpark. 

The summer is filled with ballgames and evenings at the ballpark.  Big started competitive (using that term loosely some nights...) baseball about three years ago.  Middle joined in last year, and now we have Little playing Tball as well.  All at the same ballpark...and as luck would have it tonight...all at the same time.

I have decided that there are very valuable (and mostly common sense) lessons that have been learned over the past few years at the ballpark.  Often I think...if only someone had shared these things with me before I became one of "them".  Them being the Baseball Moms. 

Let me give you a picture of a baseball Mom.

Baseball Moms are dirty and gross.  We have dirt in our teeth, under our nails and in every possible crevice in our body.  We usually are sporting a supportive Tshirt of some sort.  We have tan lines from watches, flip flops and sunglasses.  Our hair is tangled...in a pony tail...or in a hat.  We are either buried under thirteen blankets shivering in a lawn chair or we are dripping with sweat from our chest to the seat of our shorts.  We attempt to look cute before a game, but it doesn't last long.  We are dragging giant bags of snacks, blankets, wet wipes, first aid kids, hand warmers, gloves, sunscreen and bug spray.  We are usually also dragging a cooler on wheels of some sort.  Some of us are lucky enough to have a four year old that tries to ride the cooler that continually catches on the back of my heels.  (only some of us are THAT lucky)

Baseball Moms have lots of knowledge.  And the longer we're there...the more we know.  Not about the game necessarily (in my case)...but in the ways of the ballpark.

For instance...tonight's lesson includes

Fruit snacks are a BAD snack for the cooler riding four year old when it is 103 degrees.  For one,they melt.  And for two, they melt.  Creating a giant sticky mess covered in dirt.  Little was filthy before his game even began. 

Jean shorts are ALSO a very bad idea.  If they are even the slightest bit tight.  Like just came out of the dryer have to lay down to button tight...you might want to grab some Nike shorts instead.  Something with give and elasticity.  Jean shorts and sweat do not mix.  Therefore...going to the bathroom can be tricky.  Actually it is getting the jean shorts back up that is the tricky part.  It is like trying to peel them off of my upper thigh.  Good grief. 

And finally...lip gloss is a no no at ball fields.  I am pretty sure I was wearing at least an inch of dirt in my gloss before the end of the first inning.  And really?  Who am I kidding?  No one was there to see my glossy lips. 

Big sigh.

I am tired and my brain is not working correctly.  I will have many lessons from a ballpark Momma to follow.  For tonight let's remember no lip gloss...no jean shorts...and no fruit snacks in hot weather. 

No need to thank me...:D

Have a wonderful night!

Referee of 3

Now...where did I put my blessings???

It is amazing to me how quickly life turns around when you focus on your blessings over your troubles.  There is so much stress in every one's lives right now.

Financial
Marriage
Children
Illness
Loss
Economy

The list goes on and on.

And many people cannot see past the troubles in their face.

I have been there before.  And to be honest, my troubles were not much in comparison to the troubles of others.  But as I said in a post a while back...(in the wise words of my dear friend Jamie)...your pain is your pain.

So our small troubles can sometimes seem like HUGE issues.

What is that saying though?  Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is.

So very true.  If we focus on trusting God, rather than worrying about the storms in our lives...the ones He already knows about...life just appears to be better.

Same concept here.  I realize that when times get tough...it is hard to see past the nose on our faces.  But there are so many things to be thankful for.  Especially now...as we look around at the devastation in Joplin.  And really, the devastation everywhere that these crazy storms have been taking their toll. 

We all have troubles.  They can overwhelm us.  They can over take our every thought.  They can keep us awake in the middle of the night.  They can create major issues in our lives.

And then we have our blessings.  So much to be thankful for.  Try to flood your thoughts of troubles with thoughts of your many blessings. 

Home
Faith
Husband
Children
Health
Friends
Food
Comfort

These things make me smile in a time when I want to crumble. 

We also need to take the focus off ourselves by praying for others in need.  God knows of your troubles.   But how encouraging to our maker if He hears us giving of ourselves to others in need...selflessly.  Just the way He intended it.  Love they neighbor.

I tend to forget where I put things.  And when I am in the thick of my "storm"...I forget to even look for my blessings.  But I have been reminded recently that I have so much to be thankful for....and I really do.  In the eye of your storm...praise Him for the things He has given you that have blessed your life. 

Have a wonderful weekend!  We are off to PLAY BALL!  Go Wildcats!
Referee of 3