Jun
12
Spaghetti Nonsense
Filed Under Life
My boys are hilarious! So far, I have met all the guys for my team and they’re a TRIP! For being a non-international trip, we have a plethora of accents, quirks and cultural differences. First and foremost, we have the Irish guys – Neil and David. I’m pretty sure I do not need to elaborate any more on that. No, wait…I’ll just say, don’t ask an Irish man to just wear pants to dinner (apparently they call underwear pants!) Then we have Nick who is from Texas with his slow, laid back Texan nature. Then there’s Ryan from Minnesota to grace us with the long oooo’s. Then there’s me who’s culturally confused after growing up in Minnesota, yet having lived in Alabama. The Southern twang comes out every once in awhile, but my language is drizzled with “you betcha’s” and “ehs”. Late last night Louise should have arrived and I will meet her this morning…she is from the East Coast.
Lord, this team that you have knited together could only have been put together by You. Thank you for this team and thank you for the memories we are about to make!
Follow along on our team blog to join us on our Journey! We are Track-USA (there are quite a few other teams out right now, too…all over the world!)
Jun
10
It’s Beginning
Filed Under Life
It’s 6 in the morning. Well, okay, maybe 20 after, which really isn’t a big deal on most days. But I could still be in bed for another almost 2 hours. Yet for the last two, three weeks I’ve been waking up at 6 no problem (sometimes 5) and without an alarm. It’s actually quite annoying when it’s a Saturday and I have no plans.
But last night was a very late night and LOTS of driving. My first three athletes arrived yesterday and I already knew it was going to be somewhat late night…just not as late as it was. My first guy came in down in Cincinnati, which is about an hour drive – not too bad. We came up to the dorms, got him into his room and I showed him around our building, etc. Then I has a softball game. I could have chosen not to go, but I was a wee bit selfish and wanted to play, since I won’t be able to play for 3 weeks. I actually ended up having a really good game. I was 3-4 and hit a triple (well, with some smart base running…I LOVE base running!) We then went to eat and then headed to the Dayton airport to pick up the Ireland lads (tried to be said with an Irish accent…I’ll work on that). There are two brothers joining us on this trip and I was so excited to finally meet them! They were supposed to get in at 10, so we went in to get them only to notice that their flight was delayed an hour and a half – 11:44pm. Ugh! So, we were wise with our time and ran to get some groceries so they’d have something to eat in the morning and I took a quick shower. Then we decided to try it again and headed back out to the airport (I live about 20 min away). The flight was delayed again, but only like 10 min. Now keep in mind that these guys had their first flight at like 8am their time, so like 3am our time! They FINALLY arrived and informed us that apparently a bird hit the engine of the plane. I’m sorry, but that’s funny. For as much as I’ve flown, I’ve never heard that one. (I’d love for Brian Regan to put that in a bit!) I LOVE their accent! I wanted to ask them to just keep talking…perhaps tell me a bedtime story, but I vetoed that idea for a couple reasons 1) I was already tired and probably didn’t need that since I was driving and 2) that probably would have been a little weird and awkward. Maybe I should wait a week or two?
I finally got to bed at about 1:30am. Driving really wears a person out, but I’m just glad we had the rental van and didn’t have to put all the miles on my own car 
Today will be a day of getting last min details taken care of…lots of paperwork still to chase and fill out. The rest of my team arrives tomorrow. I’m excited for everyone to get here and everyone to meet. When you talk with someone through Facebook and the phone, you get these preconceived images of what they’ll be like. You have an idea, but you don’t get the whole picture of who they truly are until you’re sitting face to face with them (I so could tie this in with God, but I’m too tired at the moment!)
Please pray for the last min details and for the journey we’re about to begin!
PS, check out my nephew on Brother’s Site! He’s ADORABLE (okay, slightly biased here!) There’s some new pics and videos…pretty sure the “Priceless” video is my favorite Oh, and he’s way smart already…check out the video titles “Some of my Skills) on the 4th page!
Jun
5
Book Tally
Filed Under Life
I haven’t been updating on my goal to read 20 books this year, but I have been reading. Here’s the new additions to the list:
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Someday by Karen Kingsbury
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman
His Princess Bride by Sheri Rose Shepherd
Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper
Alaska Brides (forgot the author)
God is in the Small Stuff by Bruce & Stan
That puts the book total at 14!
Jun
5
The Bar is Set High
Filed Under Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE:
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? – Matthew 5:46-47
OBSERVATION:
What separates Christians from other people? We go to a place once, maybe twice, a week to gather with others who believe and think like us. Well, so do non-Christians (sporting events, the movies, the bars, etc). We tithe our money to help the church and missionaries – both good causes. So do non-Christians, except they may choose to give to the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk, or give to help find a cure for AIDS or give to the local animal shelter – all good causes.
God calls His children to be different – not just in the way we act, but in the way we love. It’s easy to love someone who loves us back. It’s easy to help someone who will one day be able to return the favor. It’s easy to be nice to a stranger who looks (and smells) nice. Jesus is our example of how to love. He loved the untouchables, the unclean, the unlovables. He loved the outcasts, the sick, the lame – all the people everyone else avoided. And He loves us, even when we don’t show Him our love for Him. He helped us knowing there would NEVER be a way for us to return the favor. And He loved us before we ever knew Him – since before we were even born.
APPLICATION:
I believe I do things that I and society would label as “good.” I believe, and I’m sure others would believe, I’m a “nice person.” But so is a friend of mine. Yet he doesn’t believe in Christianity, in fact, he believes many Christians are hypocritical. So what separates us? Without me saying, “Hey, it’s me! I’m the Christian here!” how can one tell the difference? I want people to know I’m a Christian, not because of the things I do or the things I say. I want them to know I’m a Christian because of the way I love. And I want to love as Jesus loved. I want to love those who won’t love me back. I want to help those who can’t pay me back. And I want to be nice – genuinely nice – to people who are not like me. But I fail and I will fail. But as I continue to sit at my Father’s feet and learn, His love becomes contagious. When I see how much He loves all of His children, and I see how much we’ve messed up His world, and I see the grace He has extended towards us, how can I not let love just consume me? I will never love as Jesus loved – I will be judgmental, hypocritical and snooty at times. But Jesus is my example and I want to strive to love as He loves. He has set the bar high. I just need to shoot for it.
PRAYER:
Forgive me, Father for all the times I have been and will be judgmental, hypocritical and snooty. You call Your children to be set apart, yet we act as if we don’t know what You’ve sacrificed for us. Fill me, Father, with Your love so I can pour that love out on others. So they, too, can experience Your love and Your grace. Amen.
Jun
3
Am I Good Enough for Poo?
Filed Under Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE:
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. – Matthew 5:13
OBSERVATION:
Salt. We see it everywhere in America and most of us consume way too much of it. But salt has such a rich history (no, that pun was not intended). Roman soldiers were once paid in salt, which is the origin of the word “salary.” In salt’s history, it was rare, it was coveted, wars were fought over it. Why? Why would such extreme meausres be taken to obtain such a simple thing? Well, salt has many more functions than to just add flavor to food. Salt was used as a preservative to keep fish fresh as they were shipped to various places to sell. Salt has also preserved dead bodies, it helps to produce different condiments, such as soy sauce, and it helps manure become good fertilizer. Such a tiny thing has such a huge affect.
APPLICATION:
God calls us the salt of the earth. We may seem small and insignificant, but we can have such an impact on so much. As a preservative, we should take God’s Word and – not add to, alter or change it – but to make it last for years and years. As a producer, we should make things that are enjoyable and that adds to peoples’ lives. And as a changer, help something that seems worthless change into something that produces life.
But in order to do what God has called us to do, we need to keep our saltiness. We need to stay connected to our Father. When we lose our saltiness, we are worthless. We cannot even change manure into fertilizer.
PRAYER:
Abba, Father, so often I feel so small and insignificant. I often wonder how I can make an impact on others. But salt is smaller than me and way more insignificant, yet it has such a HUGE affect on so much. Use me, Fater, to be salt for others – to expose them to Your Word, to add joy to their lives and to help them become more than what they are. Most of all, Father, help me to stay connected to You so I do not lose my saltiness. Amen.